I do not own Thomas & Friends. All rights go to HiT Entertainment. This is my rendition of the episode 'Edward Strikes Out', only with Edward in-character.

Note: I have updated this story, fixing any errors I found in the first version.

It was a hot summer's day on the Island of Sodor. Edward was bustling down his branch line toward Brendam Docks. The Fat Controller had asked him to collect a train of pipes and take it to the Steamworks. When he arrived at the docks, he saw Thomas and Gordon. They were both looking at a new arrival to the Island. It was a red breakdown crane with yellow stripes on it. Thomas was excited.

"He looks very strong. He might even be strong enough to lift you, Gordon," he chuckled.

Gordon was not so easily impressed.

"Maybe he is, but he's got no engine. As such, he needs an engine to push or pull him in order to move at all. Not very useful if you ask me," he huffed.

"Whatever you say, Gordon," Thomas said cheekily.

He chuffed out to work on his branch line. Percy then chuffed in. He, too, was excited to see the new crane.

"Don't bother with him, Percy. He's nothing but new-fangled nonsense," Gordon said.

He then went away to pull the Express.

"New-fangled nonsense!" Gordon yelled as he passed the crane.

Percy was confused.

"What's a 'new-funneled nuisance', Edward?" he asked.

"'New-fangled nonsense', Percy. It means that Gordon thinks this new crane will only get in the way because he has no engine," Edward explained.

"But, that's silly," Percy said, "Coaches don't have engines either, but they're useful for carrying passengers."

"Quite right, Percy," Edward said to him, "We'll just have to show Gordon that this crane is very useful indeed."

"Yes, but how?" Percy asked.

"How, indeed?" Edward replied.

Percy left to take his mail train. And, Edward went around to collect his train, which happened to be next to the new crane. As Edward was coupled up, he looked up at the crane. He gasped as he saw that the crane looked rather sad.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked kindly.

"A big engine passed by and said I was 'new-fangled nonsense'," the crane answered.

Edward smiled.

"Don't mind Gordon. He's just too proud to admit that he might be wrong about something," he said, "Besides, you look rather strong, so we might find a use for you. Not 'new-fangled nonsense' at all."

The crane smiled at this.

"Thank you for your kind words," he said, "I'm Rocky, by the way."

"And, I'm Edward," Edward chuffed.

"Can I come with you? Those pipes look heavy," Rocky asked.

"No thank you, Rocky. I think I can manage. I thank you for your concern, though," Edward answered.

Edward took off with the pipes and puffed out of the docks. The train went rather nicely. As he continued toward the Steamworks, Edward thought about Rocky again.

'I have to prove he's useful somehow,' he thought as he passed through Wellsworth.

His chance came sooner than expected. As Edward went up Gordon's Hill, neither he nor his driver or fireman had noticed what had happened in the brake van. It had been so hot that the guard had fainted. So, when Edward reached the top, only his brakes came on and before anything could be done, the heavy trucks pushed him down the other side.

"Bust my boiler!" Edward cried as he raced down the line.

His driver and fireman did what they could to slow him down. Edward had started going slower by the time they approached the next signal box. The signalman saw that Edward was in trouble and set the points, diverting him into a siding. Edward had slowed down enough that when he hit the buffers, they didn't break. This wasn't the end of his troubles, though. Even though he was safe in the siding, his train extended onto the line. Worse still, because of his sudden stop, the sides of the trucks collapsed. With a series of loud clangs, the pipes toppled out onto the tracks.

"Oh no!" Edward cried.

With the pipes all over the tracks, an accident was inevitable. Edward thought of how to clean the mess. He then remembered Rocky. He wanted to get Rocky, but with the buffers in front of him and the pipes behind him, he couldn't move. Then, he heard a whistle. It was Thomas. Thomas stopped and looked at the mess.

"Cinders and ashes," he said.

"Thomas. Am I glad to see you?" Edward said.

"What happened, Edward?" Thomas asked.

"I don't know, Thomas. I was coming up Gordon's Hill, but the guard's brakes didn't come on. Wait. The guard. I wonder if something's wrong," Edward said.

"He seems to have fainted!" called the signalman.

He had checked the brake van as soon as the pipes had finished toppling out.

"We'll get him to the hospital!" called Thomas' driver.

Worse was to come, however, as the engines heard another whistle. They both gasped. It was Gordon speeding towards them with his Express. His driver applied the brakes, but it was all too late. Gordon hit the pipes and came off the track.

"I knew this would happen," Edward sighed.

"Someone, go and get Harvey!" Gordon yelled.

"Harvey's not strong enough to lift you, Gordon!" Edward called, "We need Rocky!"

"You mean that new-fangled nonsense?!" Gordon huffed.

"Your Express coaches have no more of an engine than Rocky does, Gordon!" Edward yelled, "Besides, we've used breakdown cranes before!"

Gordon knew Edward was right but didn't want to admit it.

"We'll get your guard to the hospital, then we'll fetch Rocky!" Thomas called.

He raced away. Thomas went as fast as he could. He soon reached Knapford, where the guard was taken away to the hospital. Thomas then raced off to Brendam. Upon reaching the docks, he found Rocky.

"Hello," Rocky said, "Do you need my help?"

"Yes!" Thomas said as he was coupled up. "Edward's pipes have spilled onto the tracks and Gordon's been derailed!"

"Just the job I was built for!" Rocky boomed.

Thomas puffed as fast as he could back to the scene of the accident. Fortunately, no other engine had come, so it was just as Thomas left it. Rocky smiled.

"So, you're Gordon! Looks like this 'new-fangled nonsense' is going to help you back on the rails!" he joked.

Gordon said nothing as he was being set up. Rocky hoisted him up and then placed him back down on the track. Gordon was now impressed.

"Thank you!" he called to Rocky.

"Just doing my job!" Rocky answered.

Soon, Rocky had lifted up all of the pipes and cleared the tracks. Gordon was really impressed now.

"See, Gordon? Rocky isn't 'new-fangled nonsense' at all," Edward said.

Gordon laughed.

"You don't need to tell me twice, Edward," he boomed.

Gordon had to admit, at last, that Rocky was just as useful as he was, engine or no engine. The guard soon got well again and Edward, Gordon, and Thomas came to see him. The guard felt guilty and apologized to the Fat Controller.

"Don't worry about it," the Fat Controller soothed, "The accident wasn't your fault. You just fainted from the heat, that's all. Might have happened to anyone."

He turned to Gordon.

"I trust there will be no more talk of 'new-fangled nonsense'?" he asked.

Gordon whistled.

"No, sir," he said.

"Good. I should hope so," the Fat Controller said before he left.

From that day onward, Gordon never spoke badly about Rocky ever again.