05x26 - Snow

[bunniefuu]

(bright music)

(upbeat, bouncy music)

- [Narrator] It was winter

on the Island of Sodor.

The snow covered fields

and railway lines.

All the engines were hard

at work, except Percy.

(horn toots)

- [Thomas] Come on Percy, this

is no time to have a rest.

- [Narrator] "I'm

stuck," moaned Percy.

"And my funnel's freezing

up, driver's gone for help."

- [Narrator] "Huh," huffed

Thomas, then went on his way.

Later, Thomas had

to help clear snow

by a tunnel, but it was

too deep and he got stuck.

Thomas was very cross.

"Snow is nothing but

trouble," he moaned.

Rusty was close by.

- [Rusty] Driver

says this winter

is as bad as the

worst winter of all.

- [Narrator] "How

worst?" asked Thomas.

"I'll tell you," replied Rusty.

And then then little engine did.

Skarloey was working the line

to the slate mine

in the mountains.

When the snow came, it

was difficult to work.

They used the snow as

a double buffer zone

to help stop cars skidding

through to the ravine.

One day, Skarloey

set off to the mines

with some empty cars.

Meanwhile, there was

trouble at the mine.

The winch that hauls

the cars up and down

wasn't working properly.

Skarloey had reached the ravine.

High above him were

the mine yards.

"That snow looks

dangerous," said his driver.

"The sound of your engine

and the freight cars

"could cause an avalanche.

"I'll set off an emergency

cap and see what happens."

Skarloey watched as

his driver prepared it.

Then they ran over the cap.

(cap explodes)

The bang echoed

around the gorge.

Nothing happened.

"Good," said his driver.

"All's well, we'll

have a cup of cocoa

"and then make our way."

But high above them,

all was not well.

A long line of full cars

was about to be

winched down the slope.

They had just

started their journey

when some empty cars

became derailed.

The winch groaned.

"Brake it, snap it,"

shouted the freight cars.

And they did.

(chain snaps)

"On, on, faster,

faster," they giggled.

"The snowbank and buffers will

stop him," said a workman.

But he was wrong.

The freight cars

plunged into the ravine.

(suspenseful music)

Skarloey and his driver heard

the noise and looked up.

"Avalanche," they cried.

(dramatic music)

When the snow plume cleared,

there was no sign of Skarloey.

He was buried deep

inside the high drift,

blocking the ravine.

And then came the funny part.

"What's the funny part about

an avalanche?" asked Thomas.

Well.

(mystical twinkling)

No one knew that the heat

from Skarloey's engine

had helped to make an igloo.

- [Driver] It's a snowball.

- [Driver] It's a snowhouse.

- [Driver] It's an engine.

- [Narrator] They

clear away the ice,

only to find Skarloey's

driver and fireman

drinking cocoa as if

nothing had happened.

"Lucky for him, but

it just goes to show

"you can't trust freight

cars," said Thomas.

"Or snow," said Rusty.

The men had just cleared

the snow away from him

when Gordon puffed

by with his machine.

- [Gordon] Hey look

out, there's snow about.

- [Narrator] He stopped by the

tunnel and wheeshed loudly.

Then it happened.

- [Gordon] Oh no.

(curious music)

- [Narrator] "Help,"

cried Gordon.

"If Skarloey survived the

snowfall, surely a big,

"proud engine like you can do

the same," chuckled Thomas.

"Paw," moaned

Gordon from within,

and then fell as

silent as the snow.

(playful music)