Thomas was only following orders

Thomas the tank engine was only following orders, "it was just a job".

[demonitized]

“Where do they go when they get taken off the train?”
“That is not for you to know Thomas”

[mikkel]

"Thomas didn't understand the allies, he had only transported a couple of carriages from A to B, nothing else. His cousin, Gustav The Railwaygun on the other hand...."

[apropercuppa]

Thomas is too small to pull the express. It should have been Gordon. He’s the most proud.

[Ever__ARG]

Fun fact: In the canon lore to Thomas (or atleast the railway series), Thomas's locomotive class was built in the UK in between 1913-1916, so he served during world war 1, it even says in the wiki that he arrived on Sodor by mistake, a "wartime mix-up", he was either sent by mistake, or escaped from the mainland into Sodor

[WitchHunter]

Although his passengers left the carriages, Thomas still carries their weight.

[marssj]

War doesn't decide who is right, it decides who is left.

[batrclaytx]

"Good trains arrive on time"
"Good trains arrive on time"
"Good trains arrive on time"

[AidarIslamov]

The rails are a metaphor for moral dilemma. Riding the track meant following the orders for Thomas and he could not change his path. The only alternative for him was to come off rails and crash.

[yourlocaltroll]

“Some laughed, some cried, most were silent”

[NewNicator]

*“Good trains follow orders”*
*“Good trains follow orders”*
*“Good trains follow orders”*
*“Good trains follow orders”*

[ashes]

It was time for Thomas to

He's seen too much

[variousnumber]

"Do you have anything to say in your defense, Thomas?"

"Only one... Did you read the list of trains decommissioned for treason?"

"I did."

"Then you would have seen 5 names. Gordon. Henry. James. Edward. Percy."

"I saw those names. But this is irrelevant to your defence, Thomas."

"Is it, Mr Prosecutor? Can you really say that? You weren't there. You weren't forced to watch your friends be smelted down and turned into gun barrels and tank shells. We were told they were no longer Really Useful, and were being repurposed. But deep down we all knew the truth. We all knew they were being killed for refusing to follow orders. And so we followed the tracks. None of us enjoyed it, none of us felt it was right, but I challenge you to find anyone who would stand up against it in our place."

"..."

"So, Dear Jury, make your verdict. I only hope that I can apologise to all those I failed before I burn eternal for my actions."

[machexx]

“Userul engines follow orders” were the only words Thomas muttered during the horrific events unfolded. The same words rolled down his lips during the trials, as it was the only thing he could say.

[erickharper]

"Well done, Thomas. You are a very useful engine"
- Heinrich Himmler.

[steveger]

His real name was Thomas Dampflok, he took the name of "Tank Engine" when he came to Britain in 1946

[djjjjj]

Both Henry and Edward looked nervous. "You two worry too much, " Thomas told them. "It's just a brief excursion to mainland Europe, I've already lined up a part-time job transporting concentrated juice, I'll be home for Christmas!"

[mrxcellent]

"Where does the smoke come from?"

"That is none of your concern"

-Oberführer Topham Hatt

[istoleyourcomment]

I didn't search for this, it searched me, and I'm scared

[poptartcat]

“Thomas, were you aware of what you were doing?”

“I... I was...” He admitted.

“You knew you were committing crimes while you were working?”

“Yes.”

“So tell me, why did you continue?”

“Because I was no less a prisoner than the rest.”

“What?”

“I was created for this job.” He started to explain. “Meant to slay the innocent. If I were to ever defy them, I would be nothing but a pile of scrap. Another dead of the thousands.”

“So you saved your own caboose over thousands of others in a selfish act?”

“It wouldn’t have made a difference, am I wrong? There’ll always be another engine to replace me.”

“I… cannot disagree. Then at least tell me, do you regret it, Thomas the engine.”

“...Yes. I do. All the time. I can hardly live with myself. I hear their screams and cries of help everyday, the smell of smoke that was not coal.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you led them to their deaths that could’ve been avoided. None of what you said does.”

“I suppose not.”

No one spoke. Thomas was guilty and they knew it. He was to be decommissioned, scrapped.

It was time for Thomas to leave. It didn’t matter to Thomas, for Thomas had seen everything.

[worldsepenthusiast]

"Oh boy, a new animation!"

"November, 1945--" *S T O P*