Molly the Yellow Engine is the 28th installment in the Railway Series, and the first written by Hilary Fortman, youngest child of the Awdry family.
Forward
Dear Verity,
While your father Christopher and grandfather were busy, I had the chance to see Molly. A yellow engine who works on stopping trains along the mainline. She toold me all about when she first came to the island. As well as about a new crane.
"Didn't James have his own story?" I asked.
"Don't put that in." said Molly. "He'll be upset if he learns you did."
I think he deserved it, so I'm putting it in anyway.
Sincerely,
Auntie Hilary
Stories
Percy and Molly
Toby finds that Percy has been depressed that an engine he knew back on the mainland is likely scrapped. Eventually however, Toby discover that the engine he knew is Molly, an engine he would often meet at a harbor he once worked at. Ultimately, he tells the Fat Controller and asks him to save her for Percy's sake. The Fat Contoller eventually learns that she would be perfect for the commuter trains out of Tidmouth. So he orders that Molly come from her home in Norwich to work for him instead. Molly eventually arrives the next day with out incident; until she eventually derails on a set of points. But instead of being completely derailed like what's normal, Molly rolls on to and is rerailed on another track.
The Lightning Streak
While being repaired, Molly is offered a repaint. She ultimately decides on yellow with the number 19 painted on her tender in blue. But when she is revealed, Henry and James are hostile to her on the grounds of her livery. Molly is upset, and even more so when many passengers express similar sentiments. One day however, Gordon is ordered to take a morning fan trip from Vicarstown to Crovan’s Gate. Since there are no other engines available to take over the express, Molly is selected to haul the train. She ultimately does an impressive job, and earns Gordon’s respect.
Henry's Rocky Experience
A few days after Gordon falls into a ditch, the Fat Controller orders a new crane from the Mainland. The crane’s name is Rocky, and he quickly wins Molly's approval with his friendly attitude. In contrast, Henry dismisses the crane as "new-fangled nonsense" only to be teased by Molly about his experiences with the tunnel. Later, Henry is hauling the express in Gordon's stead after he fell into the ditch. He cheers up during this, but ends up ramming into the back of James' goods. Which had stopped due to some pipes it was carrying not being secured. Molly and Rocky comes to get the two engines out of their mess, and Henry is left humbled and kinder towards both Molly and Rocky.
James, Molly, and the Tree
When Molly arrives at her connection with Thomas' branchline, she learns that Gordon has gone to get Thomas out of a mine. When all three later back to the sheds, James is relentlessly boasting about getting the express in Henry's stead while he is on the Other Railway. Thomas complains about Gordon not getting a second chance, but James dismisses the two by stating the two deserve their misfortunes. The Fat Controller is also revealed to be working on removing trees that are too close to the line around this time too. James then arrives to collect the express, but it turns out that Fat Controller needs him to fetch an important goods train since Henry came back early. This puts James in a very bad mood. Soon, the weather has changed significantly, and the trucks tease James about shunting and he sets off with the train. They soon reach are able to run down Gordon's Hill, but an old tree by the side of the line slides onto the tracks due to soft soil, blocking James' line. Immediately James comes to a stop. He tries to reverse, but the train is too heavy. Luckily for him, Molly leanrs about this from Wellsworth, and quickly comes to James' rescue. Back at the yard, James thanks Molly, and apologizes to her, Gordon, and Thomas. Meanwhile, we learn Gordon will soon return to glory again when the Queen visits.
Trivia
- All four of the books stories were adapted in Season 5 of the Television Series in 1998.
- This is the first Railway Series book to take place in the same time as a previous installment. With this book taking place alongside Gordon the Big Engine.
- The events of the book take place in 1952, but virtue of being in the same period as Gordon the Big Engine.
- Percy and Molly was based on an incident with a Southern King Arthur Class when it derailed, only to end up rerailing on a separate pair of tracks.
OOC: Based on something from fanfiction.net.