Armaments is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the Stories of Sodor and the twenty-eighth episode overall.
Plot[]
The episode begins with Mr. Star and Mr. Zorro telling their respective engines about their meeting with the Railway Board a few weeks earlier and that they weren’t allowed to tell their engines until today. They inform about the uneasy situation in Europe, which has been made worse by Germany's recent occupation of Czechoslovakia, as well as that Sir Topham Hatt's inspection the year before was a part of his overall examination to see if Britain's railways were prepared if a war was to happen. While they don't know how likely it is to happen, the Railway Board and the Ministry of Defence are ensuring that the nation won't be caught off guard. They tell them that goods trains loaded with munitions and weapons are bustling about the countryside. One of those trains will be arriving on Sodor, which the Nor'Easters will handle outfitting the west and northern parts of the island, while the Midis will handle the east and southern sides of Sodor. The directors also confirm that different trains will arrive with equipment for the Midis and Nor'Easters, respectively. The Nor'Easters will get their equipment from the train arriving today while the Midis will get their equipment from the train arriving tomorrow, which will be brought in by Peter, who has just gotten out of Crewe. The directors also reveal that the shipment trains have been given top priority and all other trains have been shunted.
Meanwhile, at Barrow-in-Furness, Edward and James have been shunted. The latter is complaining about the ordeal and is especially annoyed because he has a busy day ahead of him. Soon, the two engines hear an unfamiliar whistle and a yellow GER Claud Hamilton Locomotive pulls in with a train of rail guns and munitions, stopping next to Edward and James. The engine then asks how far she is from Knapford, but the two engines don't reply straight away. Edward answers, saying they aren't used to guns with massive size and asks what they’re for. The engine answers it's just for precautions, saying that it's best to prepare for the worst. Edward and the Yellow engine, Molly, introduce themselves, and Edward introduces James to Molly because the red engine is too overwhelmed with shock to answer. Edward tells Molly to go straight along the line to get to Knapford where she will find Mr. Star. Molly departs. After she leaves, Edward gives James an amusing grin. He then tells him that he was staring at the guns. Upon learning James is being serious, Edward tries to ask him what's wrong, but James furiously refuses to answer.
A couple hours later, Molly has arrived at Knapford where Mr. Star welcomes her. Toby asks Molly about James at Barrow, and she tells them James seemed terrified of the guns. Mr. Star mutters he isn't surprised by this, but tells Molly to go refuel and then they can start unloading the train. As Molly leaves, Eric enters the yard. Winston points out to Toby that Eric wasn't being amazed at the guns, and Winston tells Eric that Molly has that effect on engines, but tell him Molly is available. Mr. Star then reminds Eric that his work comes before anything else and to not do anything stupid.
That evening, James, still fuming, is delivering his last coal train when he sees Mr. Star and his wife at Knapford about to go for dinner. Mrs. Star goes to wait in her husband's car while he talks with James. Mr. Star tells James he knows about his history with the weapons, but Sir Topham Hatt had ordered him to stay silent. Mr. Star had taken his well-being into consideration, he had arranged for him to be too busy to help the others position the weapons. The red engine still hasn't told the other engines about his past, as he can't bring himself to talk about it. Mr. Star then reminds James that he had served in the Great War, specifically the Gallipoli campaign. Mr. Star wouldn't talk about it for years until he realised that being silent wouldn't change what happened and when he talked about it, it didn't help much but still thinks it was better than keeping it to himself. Mr. Star also tells James that it would be best for him to talk about his past, though he would have to do so soon before the engines receive more shipments. After some persuasion, James decides to do so.
The next day, Peter returned to Sodor and now that both companies had received their shipments, Sodor's militarisation could begin. Engines had to position the rail guns with their firing ammunition and delivered goods trains filled with disassembled weapons of various types that they were quickly set up by various technicians. The site of military hardware on and above Sodor had given made many anxious but also inspired great patriotism by an equal number of people. After the initial defences were established, the second phase of the project was announced that a joint army-navy base was to be built at Vicarstown, which both the Midis and Nor'Easters would work together in. Throughout both phases of the effort, James worked as usual, but still wouldn't explain about his reaction to the guns.
One day, during the construction of the base, Diesel teases Percy his incident with the flooded track. After being heckled at by Percy and Gordon, Diesel rolls off, buffers up to a rail gun and shunts it along when it suddenly derails. Just then, James arrives and is furious at what Diesel has done. Soon, the rail gun is rerailed and it is revealed faulty points had derailed it. James warns Diesel that a single mistake made with these guns can be catastrophic. James still refuses to talk about his past with the weapons, but Gordon demands James to do so. James reluctantly begins telling them about his past...
James had used to work on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, on its eastern division with his partner, Amanda. One of their main jobs was delivering shipments from a munitions factory on their part of the line. One day, both engines were assigned to a large delivery which included several gun batteries, similar to the ones the Midis and Nor'Easters had been getting. The job was going well, until James had to shunt a couple of rail guns and one of them was primed and loaded. James had only buffered up to it, and it fired. James had woken up in the works a month later and his manager had told him that the factory had been destroyed, forty-three people had lost their lives and Amanda had been scrapped.
Diesel, Percy and Gordon are in awe of James' story. Diesel then asks why the gun was loaded in the first place, which was one of the many questions asked by the Royal Commission that was convened to investigate the matter and it was a miscommunication among the employees. James had also reminded them Amanda was his partner, and the engine he loved. Diesel sheepishly decides he should be more careful with the guns in future, and Gordon thanks James for telling them and doing the right thing. Word of James' past soon spread around Sodor. James had received phenomenal support from many engines on Sodor. James very much appreciated this and said so.
The base's construction thankfully did not experience any disasters and the fort, named Fort Sudrian, was opened on July 4th, 1939. Aside from servicing the Royal Navy, the facility had also served as a training center for a newly formed army regiment: The 51st Vicarstown. Its opening gave both rail companies as they now had a new client, which required regular shipments of munitions, fuel and machinery. Once all the work was completed, Geoffrey would leave Sodor since now that Peter had returned, he was no longer necessary. Geoffrey's departure had also coincided with Winston's five year service which forced Mr. Star to extend Molly's stay on Sodor to cover the heavy goods work. All the Nor'Easters found this arrangement very agreeable, especially Eric.
Characters[]
- Thomas
- Edward
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Donald
- Eric
- Diesel
- Winston
- Molly
- Mr. Star
- Mr. Zorro
- Mrs. Star
- Army Men
- Workmen
- Peter (does not speak)
- Geoffrey (does not speak)
- Amanda (does not speak)
- Douglas (cameo)
- Reginald (cameo)
- Colin (cameo)
- Lily (cameo)
- Adam (cameo)
- Kate (cameo)
- Skarloey (cameo)
Trivia[]
- It's revealed that James used to work on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway before joining the Nor'easters.
- Edward does not start narrating this episode until the second half.
Goofs[]
- When Gordon says, "Cracking performance as always, Diesel." Diesel is shown next to Percy, although Diesel was shown to be shunting the gun and derails, not next to Percy.