Thomas' Night Out!

“Thank you for your help, Thomas!"
"Thank you, for an exciting night out, it beats sweet dreams anytime!”

― Harold and Thomas

Thomas' Night Out! is a magazine story.

Plot

One evening, the Fat Controller is saying goodnight to his engines when they hear a whirring sound coming from the sky outside. The engines know it can only be Harold making the racket. They look up and the bright beam of Harold's searchlight shines down on their faces. Thomas shouts to tell Harold to put out his light, but the helicopter says that a tiger cub has escaped from the Wildlife Park and they must find it. The Fat Controller hears and since his fire is still strong, tells Thomas to stay up to help. Harold's pilot gives Thomas' driver a radio so they can keep in contact. The pilot says they will try the woodland near the Wildlife Park first.

Harold whizzes away to the woodland area where he searches for hours. His pilot radios Thomas' driver to say that they have seen plenty of owls, badgers and hedgehogs, but no tiger cub. Just then, the pilot receives a message from the police over his radio; the cub has been seen near the vicarage orchard.

Harold touches down in the orchard and wakes up Trevor who wonders what on earth is going on. Then, he wonders who has been in his shed when he spots some paw prints. Suddenly, Harold's pilot receives another message; the cub has been found at the scrapyard. He radios Thomas' driver and tells him to make his way to Cronk.

When Thomas arrives at the scrapyard, a worker explains that he had just began work, left his car door open and the baby tiger jumped in. Thomas' driver has an idea and decides to take the car, with the cub inside, on Thomas' truck to the Wildlife Park. The yardman is rather concerned about his car, but agrees to the plan. The tiger cub looks out of the car window, puzzled.

At the Wildlife Park, a zoo-keeper uses meat as bait to lure the hungry cub into a basket. In no time at all, the cub is safe again. Harold thanks Thomas for his help, but the little tank engine thanks Harold for his exciting night out as well.