Rev. W. Awdry - Thomas and the Great Discovery (Thomas & Friends)

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W Awdry.
2008 Gullane (Thomas) LLC.
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and Thomas & Friends are trademarks of Gullane (Thomas) Limited.
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All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Golden Books, an imprint of Random House Childrens Books, a division of Random House, Inc., 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Originally published in slightly different form in 2008 by Golden Books. Golden Books, A Golden Book, A Little Golden Book, the G colophon, and the distinctive gold spine are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
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www.thomasandfriends.com Library of Congress Control Number: 2008932395 eISBN: 978-0-375-98414-3 Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read. v3.1 I t was a beautiful day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas was high in the hills, bringing some freight cars to the wharf.

At an unfamiliar junction, he saw an old, overgrown track that looked like a shortcut. Soon he was rattling down the steep track. No one has been down here for a very long time! he huffed. Then Thomas gasped. Fizzling fireboxes! He had arrived at a station. It, too, was overgrown, rusty, and very old.

There were crumbling platforms, and the station building was covered in ivy. Thomas had never seen such an amazing sight! What a funny place to have a station! he peeped, and looked around some more. There are so many buildings. It looks like an old town! he cried. I cannot wait to tell everyone about this! So Thomas bumped and bashed along the old track and finally made his way down to the wharf. The next day, the news of Thomas discovery was all over Sodor.

Sir Topham Hatt wanted to visit the hidden town at once. Thomas, you have made a wonderful discovery. This was the town of Great Waterton! When steam engines first came to Sodor, Sir Topham Hatt said, this was an important town. It was called Great Waterton because the springs here provided water for everyone on the island. Why does no one live here now? puffed Thomas. The springs ran dry, and the people left to live in new towns.

The maps were lost. Everyone thought the town of Great Waterton was lost forever, too. But now it is found! cheered Thomas. And if we work hard, added Sir Topham Hatt, we can have the rededication of the town on Sodor Day! In no time, all of Sodor was working hard to fix up Great Waterton. Because Thomas had rediscovered the town, Sir Topham Hatt put him in charge of all the repair work. It was also Thomas responsibility to explore all the old tracks around Great Waterton.

Thomas liked checking old lines, and he liked being in charge. He wanted to show everyone he could do everything. But one day there was trouble! Thomas was puffing too fast and the track was too old. He toppled off the track. Harvey came to lift him back on, but Thomas was bumped and bruised and had to go to the Works. While Thomas was at the Works, a friendly new engine named Stanley was put in charge of the work at Great Waterton.

When Thomas was as good as new, he hurried back to Great Waterton. A lot had changed. Sir Topham Hatt met Thomas. Stanley has done a good job, so I have decided that Stanley will stay in charge and you will help him. Thomas funnel flattened! He had lost the most important job of all. The next day, Stanley asked Thomas to shunt some freight cars.

Thomas was very good at shunting freight cars. And he really liked doing it. But he didnt like Stanley telling him what to do. Still, he wanted to show how Really Useful he was, so he shunted freight cars all over Great Waterton. Then he remembered seeing an old freight car stuck in front of the abandoned Morgans Mine. Ill bring that last one in and Sir Topham Hatt will give me my old job back.

Thomas smiled. At last, Thomas found the old freight car, and he buffered up. But he biffed the car too hard. It rolled forward and disappeared into the mine! Cinders and ashes! exclaimed Thomas. Where did it go? He moved ahead and peered inside. I must finish the job! he huffed.

Ill soon find that freight car. And Thomas puffed into the mine .