BEST IN SHOW: STEPNEY OF ENGLAND

"Welcome back to another exclusive interview with a Great Railway Show contestant, this time with Stepney, the 'Bluebell' engine of the Best-in-Show Parade, and may I say, Stepney, that the way you've been decorated is utterly stunning!" Jinty grinned at Stepney, who had been decked out with blue ribbons and banners, perfectly complimenting his goldenrod paintwork. The Bluebell engine smiled modestly.

"Please, don't compliment me for it! It was all thanks to brilliant work of the people on the Bluebell Railway; they keep an old engine running smooth and looking sharp!" He chortled, and Jinty laughed alongside him.

"You just reminded me of your age! Might I say you don't look a day over…" Stepney raised an eyebrow as Jinty looked to the camera and hissed.

"Albert, how old is he and what is half of that?" The camera-engine mouthed a response.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'!?" Stepney chuckled awkwardly.

"Now, Jinty, don't we have an interview to get on with?" He hinted. Jinty gave Albert a final glare before returning to smiling at Stepney.

"Of course! Now, Stepney, this will be your third year not competing in the Shunting Competition."

"That's right."

"Are you going to miss it?" Stepney thought for a moment.

"I think when I was younger it was far more thrilling personally. As I've gotten older, I've just gotten short of breath and stressed. The Best-in-Show parade is far more my speed now; I never really competed to win anyway." Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? I think I have a feeling where this is going, so I'll ask the next question to lead into it: Stepney, what do you do when you aren't competing?" Stepney grinned.

"I work on the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex. Lovely little line, managed by volunteers, and a safe haven for preserved steam engines! We all pull enthusiasts' trains and even do brakevan specials!" He looked into the camera and smiled warmly..

"If you're ever in the area, please come visit! I'd love to see you all!" Jinty chuckled.

"They get enough advertising between events, Stepney; they don't need it during their regularly scheduled programming!" The two shared a hearty laugh.

"And, lastly, Stepney, what do you plan to do in the future?" Stepney thought for a moment.

"Oh, very full year for me, Jinty. More trains on the Bluebell Railway, visiting Sodor...maybe even a repaint and tune-up if I'm lucky!" The two laughed again. Jinty chuckled.

"Well, this has been an absolute pleasure, Stepney. Good luck in the show!" Stepney smirked.

"Good luck announcing it! Keeping track of everything going on would give me a headache!" Jinty laughed, but his expression appeared pained.

"I smile through it!" Stepney seemed uncomfortable with this remark, but Jinty continued.

"That's all the time we have with Stepney today, folks! See you later for more exclusive interviews with the contestants of the Great Railway Show!" The camera shut off with a concerned Stepney looking at Jinty, whose eye was twitching.

SHUNTING: GINA OF ITALY

"Welcome back to another exclusive interview with the contestants of this year's Great Railway Show! Here, competing in the shunting challenge for the very first time, is Gina of Italy!" Gina smiled at the camera before winking.

"Ciao, everyone!" She giggled. However, as her laughing died down, she looked back to Jinty.

"Are we going to get-a started?" Albert angled the camera to look at Jinty, whose cheeks were bright red. He cleared his throat, but no dice; Jinty remained catatonic. Gina chuckled.

"No worries. This happens a lot." She whistled sharply, snapping Jinty out of his trance. The bigger tank engine stammered.

"What? Who? Are we rolling?"
"Mmhmm."

"Alrighty then! So Gina, as you are a first-timer, welcome to the Great Railway Show!" Gina chuckled.

"Thank-a you, Jinty. It is such a pleasure to be here!" Jinty grinned for a moment, completely silent, before Albert cleared his throat and he started up again.

"How does it feel to be representing your country? Your predecessor, Emiliano, was always a very popular contestant in the Strength Competition, so you certainly have big shoes to fill!" Gina lit up for a moment.

"Oh right, Emiliano!" She rolled forwards and looked into the camera.

"Ciao, Emiliano! Vorrei che tu fossi qui! Ti ho promesso che vincerò per l'Italia, ed è esattamente quello che farò!" She grinned and reversed back towards Jinty.

"I promised him I'd say hello when I got here." She explained. Jinty smiled.

"No, erm, animosity in the turnover then?" Gina chuckled.

"None at all-a! He was very supportive, as are all the other engines in our shed!" Jinty chuckled awkwardly, trying to maintain his professionalism despite the blush in his cheeks.

"Well, heh, that's a convenient segue, because I was just about to ask what you do back in Italy! Isn't that a fun coincidence...heh-heh?" Albert audibly groaned at Jinty's awkwardness from behind the camera. Gina, however, seemed to just ignore it.

"I shunt trucks at-a a big harbour in Italy, so I got lots of practice for my event! There are a few other engines who work with me, but when we have big jobs we have to do together, they usually make me lead the team! I've learned a lot about shunting techniques just through trying to keep-a the harbour running sometimes!" She laughed, as did Jinty.

"You're amazing."

"What?"

"That's amazing! And what do you plan to do in the future?" Gina thought for a moment.

"Well, after I'm back in Italy, I'll go back-a to the harbour and make sure everything was-a running smoothly while I was gone. After that, I'll get right-a back to work, maybe practice my shunting in the off-time...I'm sure something exciting will come up!" She giggled. Jinty grinned, trying hard to hide the fact that he was blushing again and failing.

"Lovely! Well, we've got a schedule to keep to, but I'm sure we'd all love to see you later, Gina! In fact, I-"

"Oh, you'll see me later!" Jinty's eyes went wide as saucers.

"Really? When?" Gina rolled her eyes.

"When I'm competing, sciocco." Jinty looked crestfallen.

"Oh. Well...see you around, Gina!" He looked back into the camera with his normal grin as Gina reversed away.

"That's all the time for Gina! Join us again soon for another exclusive interview with one of the contestants of the Great Railway Show!" He let a few seconds of dead air happen, before looking at Albert.

"Can we edit that in post?" Albert mouthed a response.

"Oh. We film live...bother."

STRENGTH: VINNIE OF CANADA

"Are we rolling, Albert? Alright, we're rolling! Welcome Great Railway Show fans, we are back with an exclusive interview with last year's champion of the strength competition, Vinnie of Canada." Vinnie gave a forced smile to the camera before looking back at Pug.

"Can we hurry dis up? I have places t'be." He grunted. Pug raised an eyebrow.

"We just started, Vinnie. And, may I remind you, especially after last year, that you are on camera." Vinnie scowled before subsiding into grumbling. Pug smirked.

"Now, Vinnie. As last year's winner of the strength competition, will you be competing again this year?" The bully scoffed.

"Obviously. What kinda question is dat?" Pug gritted his teeth, irritated.

"Just a formality." He looked back at his notes, which his driver was holding in front of him, before looking back up with a smile.

"Now, Vinnie, last year there was a bit of controversy over your win against Frieda of Germany. Now, the cameras didn't catch it, but Frieda and other representatives of the German team claim that you threw something under her wheels and-"

"Look, I won, okay! Just because she's bein' a sore loser doesn't mean that I have to get grilled every single time I do one of these interviews! I'm outta here!" Vinnie began reversing, before Pug rolled towards him.

"Wait up a second, big guy. Clearly I touched a nerve, sorry. Just come back here and I'll finish the interview as fast as I can and we can be on our way, eh?" Vinnie raised an eyebrow before letting loose an indignant snort.

"Fine." He rolled back into place in front of the camera. Pug smiled.

"Great. Now, Vinnie, what do you do when you aren't competing in tests of strength or giving your controller enough gambling funds to buy a new sports car-"

"Watch it." Vinnie snarled, starting to grow red with anger. Pug chuckled nervously.

"Like I was saying, what do you do when you aren't competing?" This made the bully smirk.

"I pull trains across territory dat all the other engines are too weak t'get over. Heavy freight and whatnot. Ya might say that I hold da railway on my back with how much work Mr. Anderson gives me. He trusts me, ya know. That's why he puts so much pr-" Vinnie stopped for a moment, clearly uncomfortable with the circumstances. Trying to avoid dead air, Pug spoke quickly after Vinnie stopped.

"And what do you plan to do in the future?" Vinnie smirked widely again, snapped out of his discomfort. He rolled forwards to look straight into the camera's lens.

"Win." He hissed nastily, and reversed away from the interview siding.

"Uh, Vinnie, we aren't done yet. Vinnie? Vinnie?" He was long gone. Pug rolled his eyes and gave a glance to the camera.

"Hope the rest of them are more friendly than that, eh?" The camera-engine gave a simple "mmhmm" in response.

THE GREAT RACE: AXEL OF BELGIUM

"And we are back with another interview with the contestants of the Great Railway Show! Here we have the ever-popular Axel, hailing from Belgium and competing in the Great Race!" Axel smirked proudly at the camera before looking back to Jinty.

"I love coming back 'ere every year; the atmosphere eez amazing!" Jinty grinned back.

"Couldn't agree more with you, Axel! How does it feel to be back at the show after such a spectacular performance last year?" Axel chuckled confidently.

"Oh, I was spectacular, eh?" He smirked.

"Definitely! The rivalry between you and Etienne of France is a huge crowd-pleaser, and you two put on quite the show! I was on the edge of my buffers!" Jinty gushed. Axel rolled his eyes, but had a wry smile on his face.

"Oh, you know, Etienne and I love to put on a good show for the fans, eh? Between you and me...and all of you…" He winked at the camera before continuing.

"...I didn't go my full speed for most of ze race last year; kept ze gap between Etienne and I closer to make eet more exciting. I believe it was ze highest ratings ze Great Race has ever had, no?" He smirked confidently at Jinty. A cheeky grin appeared on the tank engine's face.

"Is that why you lost to him then?" The Belgian engine's smile fell into an irritated scowl.

"Well, I just got...distracted, by keeping ze people 'appy, zat eez all. Zat will not 'appen zis year!" He quickly defended himself. Jinty chuckled again.

"Axel, what do you do when you aren't competing?" Axel's smile returned.

"I pull passengers all across Belgium, of course! When I am at ze 'ead of a train, zey are always 'appy to see me arrive and cheer me on as I pull zem through ze beautiful scenery. I get everyone where ze need to be on time; not a single complaint! Of course, I could get zem zere early if I wanted to, but zen ze would not have any time to enjoy ze country, no? When I am not working, I will spend time out in nature, reading poetry with my crew." Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"Poetry?" Axel smirked.

"Poetry is ze language of ze soul, my friend. One can create entire worlds out of just words with eet, and eesn't zat more beautiful zan anyzing?"

"I suppose so…" Jinty said thoughtfully, before asking his next question.

"What are your plans for the future?" Axel pondered this for a moment.

"Well, after I win, as I most certainly will, I'd love to see more of ze world outside Belgium. Go on a tour...maybe I can take Etienne with me and we'll do charity races! And always as much poetry as I can read, eh?" Jinty chuckled.

"Always, indeed. Well, folks, that's all the time we have with Axel today! Tune back in soon, and we'll give you another exclusive interview with one of the contestants of the Great Railway Show!" Axel gave a final wink to the camera.

"Au revoir!"

BEST IN SHOW: CARLOS OF MEXICO

"Welcome back to another exclusive interview with the contestants of the Great Railway Show! This time, we have Carlos of Mexico, in his first year of not competing in the strength competition." Carlos chuckled awkwardly.

"Si." Pug looked to him.

"Now, Carlos, what have you been doing since your accident in the strength competition last year?"

"Well, having one cylinder permanently weaker kind of caused me to not really be able to do much of what I used to do. The younger engines take all the heavier trains that I used to take, but I'm not exactly lying around. My controller is a very kind man, and he introduced a smaller tour service that I run. It's nice and slow so I don't strain myself too much, and getting to tell tourists about the culture is a lot of fun. Still, I do miss the competition." Carlos smiled. Pug, however, raised an eyebrow.

"You're competing in the Best-in-Show Parade this year, right?" He asked, looking Carlos up and down.

"Yes, why?"

"You're not decorated. At all." Carlos looked back and grinned sheepishly.

"I was, erm, kind of a last-minute addition." Pug raised an eyebrow, before Carlos explained.

"There was a very low applicant rate for the Best-in-Show parade this year, and they simply needed a fifth participant to keep the parade running. So, they sent my controller a message asking if I'd like to participate since they wanted to compensate for my accident from last year. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to go to the show at all, so I immediately jumped on-board, and, well, here I am." Pug chuckled.

"Are you expecting to win then?" Carlos smiled cheerfully.

"Not at all! But, then again, this is the Great Railway Show, amigo; anything can happen after all!"

"That is very true, Carlos. What are your plans for the future?" Carlos pondered this for a moment.

"Well, this definitely is my last year competing."

"Oh?"

"I'm glad I get to go out with something other than last year, but I don't think participating in the parade in the long run is something I could really do."

"The fans will certainly miss you, Carlos." Carlos smirked.

"Oh, I won't be leaving the show; just not participating!" Pug raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I love being around railway sporting events, so I figured a good job for me would be trying to be a railway sports commentator like yourself! You're never too old to try anything new." Carlos grinned at the camera at this. Pug chuckled.

"Perhaps next year you'll be the one doing these interviews." Carlos laughed loud and long.

"That's the idea, amigo!" Albert cleared his throat from behind the camera, and Pug looked to him.

"Are we out of time?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, Carlos, good luck in the parade, and we look forward to seeing what you do in the future."

"¡Gracias, Pug! Join them again soon for another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!"

"Don't come after my job yet, Carlos."

"Just trying it out!"

SHUNTING: THOMAS OF SODOR

"Welcome back to another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show! This time, we have a celebrity competing in the Shunting Challenge; Sodor's Thomas the Tank Engine!" Jinty grinned at Thomas, who smiled at the camera.

"Hello, everybody!" He called eagerly. Jinty chuckled.

"Now, what the viewers at home may not know is that Thomas and I have actually worked together before; haven't we, Thomas?"

"That's right, Jinty; you did my work while the other famous engines from Sodor and I went to the big city!" Jinty smirked, beginning to stifle laughter.

"And, as I recall, you almost didn't get there!" Thomas scowled as Jinty burst out laughing.

"It wasn't my fault!"
"'I stopped just short of the buffers, like this!' CRASH! Timed so well! So funny!" Jinty wheezed from laughter as Thomas rolled his eyes. Albert cleared his throat.

"Sorry, Albert! Sorry! Hoo boy, focus, Jinty, focus...so, Thomas, are you excited to compete in the Great Railway Show for the first time?" Thomas smiled again.

"It's very exciting! I'm glad that I was one of the engines the Fat Controller ended up choosing for the show; we were all practically begging to go. The competition is going to be a lot of fun!" Jinty smirked.

"They reinforce the buffers too, so you can 'stop just short' all you please without derailing!" Jinty cackled again, causing Thomas to scowl again.

"Botheration…" He muttered. Jinty stopped laughing soon enough.

"Do you think you've sufficiently trained for this event? My understanding is that some of your competitors have been training for months!" Thomas gulped.

"...months?"

"You're in the big leagues now!" Thomas looked nervous for a moment but regained his composure.

"Of course I'm ready! I've been shunting trucks since I was built, and you won't believe some of the time crunches I've had to deal with in the yards-"

"Crunches like your wheels leaving the rails and going onto the ballast?" Jinty asked cheekily, before snorting with laughter. Thomas grumbled to himself as the black tank engine subsided.

"Oh, wow, that never gets old...Thomas, why don't you tell the viewers at home what you do outside of competing?" Thomas smiled.

"I run my own branch line, with my two coaches, Annie and Clarabel. The Fat Controller says it's the pride of the line!" He smirked proudly. Jinty began to giggle to himself.

"Any brick walls on your branch line, Thomas?" Thomas groaned as Jinty burst out laughing again.

"Sorry! Sorry! Too good!" Jinty managed to calm himself down before asking the next question.

"Well, Thomas, what are your plans in the future?" Thomas smiled.

"Keep being really useful for the Fat Controller and keep my branch line running to time. Maybe...I'll see the world!" He grinned. Jinty chuckled.

"Or just the bottom of a hill!" Thomas scowled at Jinty as he finished his final fit of laughter.

"Well, that's all the time we have with Thomas, folks! Come back soon for another interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!" Jinty grinned at the camera, ignoring Thomas' angry expression behind him.

STRENGTH: SHANE OF AUSTRALIA

"Welcome back to the Great Railway Show, mates! The name's Shane, and I'll be competing in the Strength Competition for Australia! Always a pleasure to be here at-"

"Did you start without me?" Pug quickly steamed back into frame. Shane grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Pug! You weren't here and I thought, with my own entertainment experience, that I could start on my own!" Pug scowled and looked back to Albert.

"Can we start over?" Albert mouthed a response, which evidently wasn't favorable from Pug's groan.

"Fine. As he said himself, this is Shane, competing in the strength competition for Australia." Shane grinned.

"Heya!" Pug rolled his eyes.

"Do you have to be in-character for this, Shane? It's an interview." Shane calmed down before chuckling nervously and speaking in a much quieter voice.

"Sorry, force of habit when cameras are around." Pug chuckled.

"Now, Shane, you've competed in the strength competition before."

"Yessir."

"But you've never won, right?" Shane chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, but I've never been creamed either. No shame in third place." Pug smirked.

"Is that what they say back in Down Under?" He teased. Shane chuckled.

"Nah, but I'm not known for being an athlete there."

"Perfect segue. Shane, what do you do when you aren't competing?" Shane grinned and looked into the camera, getting back into his "character".

"Well, back in Aussie, I pull tour trains around the Outback. If you're ever near Pine Tree Station and decide to take a Pine Tree Tour, check out Shane the Train's Outback Tour! You get to see the Outback from the safety of one of our luxury coaches, we-"

"Shane, Pine Tree Tours already bought a truckload of advertising space; they don't need any more!" Pug interrupted. Shane chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry! Anyway, yeah, I'm a tour guide. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Train for the show in my off-time." He grinned at Pug, who finally relaxed and smiled.

"Good. And finally, Shane, what do you plan to do in the future?" Shane thought for a moment.

"Keep doing what I'm doing, mate; I'm happy where I am. Maybe I'll win this year, who knows!" Pug chuckled.

"Who knows, indeed." Albert cleared his throat.

"Well-"

"That's all the time Pug's got with me, mates! Come back soon for another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!" Shane grinned as he finished, once again "in-character". Pug simply shot a deadpan glance to the camera.

THE GREAT RACE: ETIENNE OF FRANCE

"We're back with another interview with another contestant of this year's Great Railway Show! This time, we have France's champion, and current holder of the world rail speed record, Etienne!" Jinty looked to Etienne, who flashed a smile to the camera.

"Bonjour le monde!" He grinned, and Jinty chuckled.

"Well, Etienne, it's always a pleasure to have you here! You're a big favorite of the crowds, and, if I'm correct, you are the only electric engine participating in the Great Railway Show, right?" Etienne smirked proudly.

"Oui. I am both ze first and currently ze only electric engine participating in ze show, but I 'ope to change zat in future." He looked to the camera, smiling wide.

"Any engine can participate in ze Great Railway Show, no matter if zey are steam, diesel, or electric; don't let what fuel you run on stop you from doing what you want!" Jinty smiled.

"Inspirational words indeed!" Etienne chuckled.

"Zank you."

"Are you ready to repeat your spectacular race from last year? Or have you relaxed a bit after winning last year?" Etienne smirked.

"Well, I was ze winner last year, so I cannot be, 'ow you say, 'slacking off'! I 'ave a reputation to uphold, so I've kept my training up in ze offseason." Jinty laughed.

"That you have! You recently beat the world rail speed record!" Etienne smirked.

"Just somezing to keep me busy, eh?" Jinty smiled.

"So, Etienne, what do you do when you aren't racing here?" The electric engine grinned.

"Racing elsewhere, obviously; zat is what a career racer does, no? Railways in France bring me in to 'elp bring publicity to zere lines, so I get to see a lot of different scenery and engines. Eet's quite nice, but nicest of all are my record attempts; I tell you, Jinty, whizzing along ze line eez absolutely, 'ow you say...exhilirating!" His eyes twinkled with excitement. Jinty smirked.

"To close it off, what are your plans for the future, Etienne?" The electric engine chuckled.

"Beat Axel in ze race for starters!"
"I 'EARD ZAT!"

"Good!" Etienne laughed loud and long as Axel groaned from off-camera.

"Anyway, I'll probably continue my travelling and attempts at records; no life like ze life of ze athlete, eh?" Jinty chuckled.

"Right you are! Well, folks, that's all the time we have with Etienne for today! Stay tuned for another exclusive interview with one of the contestants of this year's Great Railway Show!" Etienne grinned at the camera, his white teeth glinting in the light.

BEST IN SHOW: YONG BAO OF CHINA

"Where is he? Albert, do you know?" Pug looked around the space as Albert grunted to indicate that no, he hadn't. Pug groaned.

"We have a schedule to keep to, this is going to put us behind! Come on!" He reversed towards the end of the siding. Suddenly, Albert gasped, and the sound of Pug colliding with a set light was heard.

"Look out!" A voice rang out, and the sound of the set light crashing to the ground rang out. Albert angled the camera towards the scene of the disaster, where Pug was heavily breathing, barely clear of the collapsing light. Behind him was Yong Bao, who had pushed him out of the way.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. Pug chuckled.

"Yes, I'm fine now. You always know how to make an entrance, Yong Bao." Yong Bao chuckled.

"Simply a line at the water tower! Lucky I got here when I did, otherwise we could have had Jinty doing all of these interviews!" Pug laughed as he rolled back into position.

"Perish the thought!" Pug and Yong Bao had soon enough moved into the proper positions for the interview, and Pug looked into the camera.

"Welcome back to another exclusive interview with the contestants of the Great Railway Show. Here, as you at home have probably all seen, is Yong Bao of China. And, might I say, it is an honor to have such a great hero of an engine back at the Great Railway Show again." Yong Bao smiled sagely, yet modestly.

"I'm no hero; I just do the right thing." He replied. Pug raised an eyebrow, chuckling.

"If you're no hero, I wonder where you got that red livery with the dragons and tigers all over?" Yong Bao rolled his eyes, still with a smile.

"You all spoil me whenever I'm here! But yes, I suppose I did earn my paint through 'heroics'." He remained silent, before Pug cleared his throat.

"Tell the story; it makes good TV." The tank engine hissed. Yong Bao smiled.

"Well, I was working in the mountains one day when I found a lone tiger beside the line. I had seen this tiger before, and it seemed to remember me when I approached it. The tiger started walking down the line, as if it wanted to lead me somewhere, so I followed it. Sure enough, a passenger train had derailed, and was hanging over the side of a tall cliff. I coupled up to the rear coach and pulled the train back onto the rails before taking them all back to the last station. The passengers were so thankful that they told my controller I should be repainted to reflect my bravery, so I was given my new look and a new job." Pug grinned.

"Your 'new look' is brilliant, Yong Bao. Do you think the judges of the Best-in-Show Parade will agree?" Yong Bao chuckled.

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. All my competitors are good-looking; it just depends on what the judges are looking for this year. If it is me, so be it. If it isn't, so be it." Pug smiled.

"Very wise. Now, Yong Bao, it is my understanding that you bring that wisdom with you in the 'new job' you mentioned, is that right?"

"Yes. When I'm not pulling trains, I work with the newest engines on the railway in the yards to teach them how to do their work properly, and help them find what they excel in. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching a young engine learn, Pug; their effort and growth is astounding. I try to learn as much from them as I teach." He smiled wistfully. Pug raised an eyebrow.

"I'd hardly have the patience…" He muttered under his breath. Yong Bao smiled.

"You never know until you've tried." Pug cracked a small smile.

"Do you plan to continue this in future, Yong Bao?"

"As long as I can do it." Pug grinned, but Albert cleared his throat.

"Are we out of time? Well, that's a shame. Thank you to Yong Bao, and, those at home, come back soon for another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!" Yong Bao smiled at the camera and winked.

SHUNTING: ASHIMA OF INDIA

"We are back with another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show, this time being the Shunting Competition's Ashima of India. Wait...Shunting Competition?" Pug looked at Ashima's elaborate paintwork and then at Albert, behind the camera.

"Is that a typo?" He asked the camera-engine, but Ashima simply chuckled.

"No, no, I am in the Shunting Competition." Pug raised an eyebrow.

"With that paintwork?" He asked, bewildered. Ashima rolled her eyes.

"I can do other things too...such as shunt." She cleared her throat and gave a glance to the camera. Pug hastily corrected himself.

"Ah, sorry, Ashima. This is your first time going to the Great Railway Show, correct?"

"That's right, Pug; I'm very excited! I had to work very hard to be here!" She grinned, and Pug raised an eyebrow.

"Any harder than the rest of the competitors?" Ashima chuckled.

"Well, of course, I don't know the circumstances everyone had to go through in order to get here, but I do know that getting here was a bit of a hurdle."

"And why is that?"

"Because no one thought I could do anything except be in the Best-in-Show Parade because of the way I looked." Pug instantly looked guilty.

"Erm, well, I never thought that you couldn't-"

"It's alright, I don't mean you. Rajiv was getting very protective over his spot as the 'Indian engine at the Great Railway Show', so he was thrilled when he found out I was going out for another event entirely!" She laughed, and Pug seemed a little more at ease.

"Yes, knowing Rajiv that must have been very comforting indeed." He remarked. Ashima chuckled before smirking in surprisingly malicious fashion.

"Plus, it should keep my competitors off their guard out on the track!" She giggled, clearly excited about her plan. Pug raised an eyebrow, but decided to move on.

"So, Ashima, what do you do for work?" He asked. Ashima chuckled.

"Well, Rajiv and I work on a railway in India with a lot of other engines. The railway's so big though, and we only work on a small section of it, that we're constantly seeing new faces that have been working for us the entire time! But still, it's good to have old friends to say hi to despite the new faces." Ashima gasped with excitement and looked at the camera.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Hi, Noor Jehan! Hi, Shankar! Miss you!" She grinned.

"I'm what I think you all would call a 'utility engine' here; I pull passengers, goods, and even shunt trucks wherever I'm needed." Pug chuckled.

"Well, you certainly seem very versatile, Ashima. What do you plan to do in future?" Ashima thought for a moment.

"Well, if all goes well this year, I'd like to start making coming here an annual tradition! Otherwise, I'll keep doing my work in India and hopefully taking on whatever excitement comes my way!" Pug smiled.

"Well, Ashima, thank you for your time, and break a leg in the Shunting Competition." Ashima's face fell into her smirk again.

"Oh, you should be saying that to the others…" She giggled. Pug looked back to the camera.

"Well, everyone, that's all the time we have with Ashima. Join us again soon for another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show."

STRENGTH: HENRY OF SODOR

"Welcome back to the Great Railway Show! We are here with an exclusive interview with a first-time competitor for the Strength Competition, Henry of Sodor!" Henry grinned into the camera.

"Hello, everyone!" Jinty chuckled.

"Now, Henry, you're certainly setting a new standard for the event by your competing this year!" He grinned. Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Really? How so?"

"Well, you're far smaller than the average competitor of the Strength Compeititon, for starters! How have you been preparing to cover that area?" Henry frowned.

"First of all, Jinty, I'm not that small." He hissed, giving Jinty a nasty glare. The tank engine recoiled back.

"Alright, alright, jeez. Sore spot, I guess…" He muttered under his breath. Henry took a deep breath.

"Second of all, I've been training for the past month with Stephen, and-"

"YOU'VE BEEN TRAINING WITH THE ROCKET!?" Jinty gushed, his eyes wide with excitement. Henry jumped, startled, before continuing.

"...Yes, I have. I've been working hard on my training, and I feel like I'm miles ahead of where I was months ago." Jinty remained with a big grin on his face. Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Jinty?"

"The Rocket!" The tank engine giggled to himself, utterly amazed. Henry shot a glance to Albert, who quickly cleared his throat and caused Jinty's attention to snap right back to Henry.

"Sorry about that! Anyway, how do you feel about your chances after all your training, Henry?" Henry smiled.

"Well, as long as I feel like I did my best, I'll be happy. Whether or not that allows me to win is up to fate." He smiled.

"Excellent! Now, Henry, tell the people at home what you do when you aren't competing?" Henry grinned.

"I'm a mixed traffic engine, so the Fat-"

"Sir Topham Hatt! You can't call him that on television; the international censors go mad!" Jinty hissed quickly. Henry chuckled sheepishly.

"Sir Topham Hatt gives me a lot of different work to do. Passengers, goods, I'm okay with whatever! I do have a train of my own though: the Flying Kipper!" Jinty snorted with laughter.

"Funny name for a train…" He muttered to the camera. Henry rolled his eyes.

"It's called that because it carries fish from the docks and fishing villages to all the inland cities and towns." He explained.

"Indicative name too." Henry let loose an indignant sigh. Jinty smirked.

"Now, Henry, what do you plan to do in future?" The green engine thought for a moment.

"Well, I'll keep doing my work on Sodor obviously. Probably try to find more time to relax in the forest when I'm back. Nothing in particular comes to mind right now." Jinty chuckled.

"Well, thanks for your time, Henry! Join us again soon, folks, for another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!" Jinty grinned at the camera, as Henry smiled behind him, although not without shooting Jinty a quick glare.

THE GREAT RACE: CAITLIN OF AMERICA

"Welcome back to our exclusive interviews with the contestants of this year's Great Railway Show! Here we have America's representative in the Great Race, Caitlin!" Caitlin grinned at the camera.

"Hi, everyone!" She called to the camera. Jinty beamed at her and gave Albert a glance.

"Finally! Someone with energy! How are you today, Caitlin?"

"I'm doing great! The journey here was smooth, the weather's beautiful, the crowd's so excited!"
"I know, this crowd has great energy!"

"I just want to get out there and race right now!"

"Me too! I'm not even competing!"

"Ahem." Jinty gave Albert a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll stay on track! Now, Caitlin, how does it feel to represent a country that you haven't lived in for some time?" Caitlin chuckled.

"Well, I was surprised when Mr. Claremont approached me about it, but America will always be my home, so I was delighted to represent it. Besides, a race is a race, and they're always exciting!" Jinty smiled.

"Racing is incredibly exciting! My favorite thing to commentate on!"

"Ooh, I've never commentated on a race before; what's it like?"

"Oh, it's thrilling! Getting to see streaks of color whiz by, and-"
"Ahem." Albert sounded significantly more irritated than before. Caitlin blushed.

"Sorry!" Jinty smiled.

"Now, Caitlin, tell us what you do when you aren't racing!" The streamlined engine thought for a moment.

"Oh, lots! Pulling passengers mostly, but I also like to race my friend, Connor, in between stations." Caitlin grinned to the camera.

"Hi, Connor!" She called.

"You work for the Earl of Sodor right?" Jinty asked. Caitlin's eyes widened.

"Oh yes, you're right! I should say hello to everyone then!" She looked into the camera.

"Hi, Millie! Hi, Glynn! Hi, Cl-"

"AHEM!" Albert sounded extraordinarily irritated. Jinty chuckled.

"Easy, mate! Now, Caitlin, why not tell us what your plans are for the future?" Caitlin grinned.

"Oh, so much, Jinty! More passengers, more racing, just as much adventure as life can give me!" She beamed. Jinty thought for a moment.

"What's the fastest you've ever gone?" He asked eagerly.

"Ooh, I don't know! I'd have to think about it!"

"Ahem."

"Well, I'm sure it's very fast indeed, because you are streamlined and all!"
"Aren't you a charmer?"

"AHEM."

"Oh, please, I'm just a commentator; you're the real talent!"

"Commentating is just as hard as racing, don't sell yourself short!" Jinty and Caitlin suddenly recoiled in surprise as the sound of a loud crashing rang out from behind the camera. Jinty's eyes widened.

"Um, we have to end it here, folks, as our cameraman appears to have run himself through the buffers in frustration. Care to sign off while I get a crane, Caitlin?" Caitlin grinned into the camera as Jinty reversed away.

"That's all the time with me for today, everyone! Come back soon for another exclusive interview with one of the competitors of the Great Railway Show!"

"You're a natural!" Jinty called from out-of-frame.

BEST IN SHOW: JAMES OF SODOR

"Welcome back to our Great Railway Show contestant interviews! Here we have a first-time competitor in the Best-in-Show Parade, James of Sodor." James smirked confidently into the camera, flashing a toothy grin.

"Hello, everyone!" Pug shot an aside glance to the camera but soon enough regained his composure and cleared his throat, returning James' attention to him.

"What? I'm trying to look good for the camera! Are you getting my good side?" Pug scowled.

"Why does Jinty always get the easy ones?" He muttered, before continuing.

"So, James, are you excited to be here at the Great Railway Show?" James chuckled confidently.

"Of course, Beagle-"

"Pug."

"...Pug, but looking good is nothing new for me! Why, I'd say that I'm the best-looking engine on the whole Island of Sodor!" He smirked into the camera again, and Pug let loose a long, exhausted nasal exhale.

"Well, James, I can't help but notice that you seem to be a bit...underdressed, for the parade." James raised an eyebrow, looking away from the camera.

"What do you mean?" Pug chuckled.

"Well, usually when engines compete in the Best-in-Show Parade, they try to be, oh, I don't know, decorated, a bit?" James huffed indignantly.

"Well, I don't need decorations to win! My shiny red paintwork is splendid! I've made sure to keep it in perfect shape before the show! Why add to perfection?" The red engine smirked confidently. Pug rolled his eyes.

"You must fun at parties…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Now, James, why not tell the people at home what you do on Sodor, since you seem to be so proud of it?" James thought for a moment before chuckling.

"Well, Poodle-"

"Pug."

"Pug, I do a lot of important work on the Island of Sodor! For starters, I pull the Express!" Pug raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" James huffed.

"Yes, really!" The tank engine smirked.

"It says in my notes that you're a 'mixed-traffic engine', James. That means you pull both coaches and trucks. Don't lie now; you're on television." James rolled his eyes over being caught.

"Okay, fine. Yes, I'm a mixed traffic engine, but I have pulled the Express before! Just...when other engines are busy." Pug grinned.

"Mmhmm. And what do you plan to do in the future?" James thought for a moment.

"You mean after I win?" He smirked. Pug rolled his eyes.

"If that helps you sleep at night."

"Well, probably get a repaint; travel can take a toll on my paintwork! Then keep being really useful and making the passengers happy; they love seeing me!" Pug smirked.

"Doubtful."

"WHAT?" Pug ignored James as the red engine's face went the same color as his paint.

"That's all the time we have with James, the mixed traffic engine, for today, folks. Come back soon for another exclusive interview with one of the contestants of the Great Railway Show! Maybe the next one will actually be in the running!" Pug laughed as James indignantly vanished in a cloud of steam.

SHUNTING: IVAN OF RUSSIA

"Welcome back, Great Railway Show fans, with another exclusive interview with a competitor in the Shunting Competition, although you may know him more for his comedy career, Russia's funny-diesel himself, Ivan!" Ivan beamed happily at Jinty's introduction.

"It is a pleasure to be here!" Jinty grinned back.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Ivan! Pug and I are enormous fans of your work: 'Live at the Moscow Sidings' is truly one of the best comedy albums to come out in recent memory." Ivan smiled.

"Thank you! Always great to meet a fan of my work; put a lot of work into that one and it went over quite well!" The two laughed.

"Yes, indeed. Now Ivan, tell us how you got into shunting!" Ivan chuckled.

"Funny story, Jinty; I was a shunter long before I was a comedian." Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"Of course! You think that yards here are big; the railyards in Mother Russia are enormous! Work is hard, especially in the winter, and I had to travel long distances in the cold just to get the trucks needed for one train! Of course, with all the bad weather, we're all used to it but it can make everyone a little...under-the-weather!" Ivan grinned at the punchline and Jinty snorted with laughter. Ivan chuckled.

"Anyway, everyone was upset so I started telling jokes, about railways, weather, whatever, to get spirits up. Laughter's the best way to keep warm, you know." Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"I thought it was the best medicine?"

"Eh, universal cure. They liked my jokes so much that I became known for it! And then one day, I was shunting coaches into the platform, trying to placate them from the cold, and one of the passengers happened to be a talent agent. So, he talked to my controller, they scheduled me a show, it was a success, and here we are!" Jinty beamed.

"True rags to riches then!" Ivan chuckled.

"I suppose; but we're here to talk about shunting, eh?" The diesel winked at Jinty.

"Yes, of course. So, Ivan, do you feel like you have a shot?"

"I'm certainly a little rusty since my comedy career has taken off, but we'll have to wait and see!" Jinty chuckled.

"Well, normally we would ask you what you do outside of the show, but the interview thus far has spelled that out pretty plainly!" Ivan chuckled and looked to the camera.

"I'm a standup comedian, if you didn't know! Please buy my newest album, 'Live at the Moscow Sidings'!" Jinty beamed.

"It's a classic! Now, Ivan, what are your plans for the future?" Ivan chuckled.

"Well, Jinty, I may have a TV pilot, a passion project of mine for a while, in the works this year, so that'll be exciting! Otherwise, definitely going to do a few shows in Russia again; get back to my roots, as they say!" He beamed. Jinty chuckled.

"Well, I'll be glad to see it! And good luck in the shunting competition!" Ivan laughed.

"I have a bit about good luck, actually: if you tell someone 'good luck', that implies they need it!" Jinty cackled hysterically.

"Well, that's all the time we have for today with Ivan, folks! Join us again soon for another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!" Suddenly, Albert's snorts of laughter came from behind the camera. Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" The tank engine looked to Ivan, who was making a goofy face at Albert from off-camera. Jinty began laughing hysterically again as Ivan winked at the camera.

STRENGTH: FRIEDA OF GERMANY

"And we're back! Welcome folks, with an exclusive interview with another contestant of the Great Railway Show! Here we have the strength competition's runner-up from last year, and Germany's darling fraulein, Frieda!" Jinty beamed at Frieda, who just continued scowling. An awkward silence passed before Jinty chuckled uncomfortably.

"Now, Frieda, how are you feeling today?"

"Good." Another awkward silence passed. Albert coughed from behind the camera. Jinty looked to Albert and mouthed "what am I supposed to do?". Albert mouthed a response back, and Jinty groaned.

"So, Frieda, how does it feel to be back at the Great Railway Show, especially after your controversial loss from last year?" He grinned nervously. Frieda remained unmoved.

"Like I vill vin this year."

"How do you plan to do that?" Jinty jumped in quickly, trying to make up for the dead air.

"I train hard. I become strongest. I don't lose to cheaters." She grunted. Another awkward silence emerged. Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"You're not giving me anything to work with here, lady." Frieda snorted.

"I'm not here to talk. I'm here to vin." Jinty chuckled.

"Well, I am. So, Frieda, why not tell the folks at home how you feel about losing last year." Frieda rolled her eyes.

"I shouldn't have. I vas going to vin and I vould have if that big Canadian brute hadn't cheated!" Jinty chuckled nervously.

"Well, Frieda, the cameras-"

"THE CAMERAS DON'T VORK! HE JAMMED MY CYLINDERS! HE-"

"Easy, Frieda, easy!" The German engine snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You vant me to talk, you vant me to stop talk; make up your mind!" Jinty grit his teeth, his patience beginning to wear thin.

"Okay, Frieda, let's try this; what do you do when you aren't competing?" Frieda remained frowning.

"I pull heaviest goods trains in all of Deustchland. I keep pushing myself to get stronger and stronger, so then when I come back here I vin. I make sure I become strong for real, not like some of the frauds who compete in Strength Competition. I never cheat. Ever." She gave Jinty a nasty stink-eye. The tank engine inched back nervously.

"Alright then, Frieda. So, why don't you tell us what you plan to do in the future? After the show, I mean." Frieda snorted.

"After I vin, I keep becoming stronger. That vay, vhen I come back, I don't let my guard down and let cheaters vin again. I vill never let cheaters vin." She finished darkly. Jinty appeared rather uncomfortable.

"Thanks for that, Frieda! Well that's all the time we have for today with Frieda, everybody! Join us again with another, less scary contestant of the Great Railway Show!" Frieda remained unmoving and scowling, causing Jinty to shudder in fear.

THE GREAT RACE: FLYING SCOTSMAN OF ENGLAND

"Welcome back to another exclusive interview with a contestant of this year's Great Railway Show. Here we have the Flying Scotsman, the most famous engine in all of Britain, and possibly in all the world, competing in this year's Great Race." Pug looked to the Flying Scotsman, who chuckled.

"Now, Pug, I wouldn't say in the 'whole world'; what would some of the other contestants say?" He gave a wry grin to the saddle tank engine, who smirked back.

"So, Scotsman, what are your thoughts on the competition? Although you are a very fast engine, racing isn't usually your scene." Flying Scotsman smiled.

"Well, of course when it was between myself and Spencer, a cousin of mine, I was delighted to take the challenge. Enormous respect for what you all do here, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be taking part this year, especially alongside my little brother, Gordon!" Pug raised an eyebrow.

"Gordon of Sodor?" The famous engine grinned.

"The very same, I assure you. We're brothers, yes, but I'm also very excited to be competing against him. When I told Gordon about the opportunity, he jumped to the call!" Pug raised an eyebrow.

"Does the competition between you two get in the way of your relationship?" Scotsman chuckled.

"Not at all. Nothing beyond teasing here and there; we're thick as thieves!" The saddle tank shot a deadpan glance to the camera before looking back to Flying Scotsman.

"Alright, Flying Scotsman, for the two percent of our viewers who don't know, tell us what you do when you aren't at the show?" Flying Scotsman grinned.

"Well, Pug, I pull an express train between Edinburgh and London, and from London to Vicarstown on Sodor when they need an engine to do it. They're long, long journeys, and I live in London most of the time, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. You see all sorts of people travelling from place to place, and there's absolutely nothing better than seeing the line fly by, the wind beneath your wheels." The famous engine smirked proudly and slid his smoke deflectors forwards. Pug raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"Huh. And what are your plans for the future, Scotsman?" Flying Scotsman beamed.

"I've done a few foreign tours before, and we've been working on another one, but it's all hush-hush for now...you'll see!" He winked. Pug smiled.

"Well, thank you for your time, Flying Scotsman."

"Thank you for yours."

"That's all the time we have with the Flying Scotsman, ladies and gentlemen. Join us again with another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!" As Pug finished, Flying Scotsman grinned at the camera.

BEST IN SHOW: RAJIV OF INDIA

"Welcome back to the Great Railway Show! Here we have another exclusive interview with last year's champion of the Best-in-Show Parade: Rajiv of India!" Jinty looked to Rajiv, who smirked confidently.

"Rajiv the Royal Engine, thank you very much!" He boasted, looking up at his crown. Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" Rajiv grinned.

"Of course! That's what the crown's for, after all. Establishing my royal authority!" Jinty was about to speak again, but Rajiv simply kept talking.

"I suppose you're wondering how I feel after coming back for my umpteenth Great Railway Show, after winning Best in Show so many times?"

"Well-"

"It is a bit exhausting, winning over and over, and I almost didn't come back this year! But then, as I was thinking of the arduous task of coming back and achieving victory again while admiring my rather extensive collection of trophies, I noticed an empty spot on the shelf in my sheds that I simply had to fill. So, I told Mrs. Patel-actually, we're close enough where I can call her by her first name, right?" He looked to Jinty for the first time in his entire monologue, who simply looked bewildered. Rajiv ignored him and continued.

"Yes, I think so. Anyway, I told Charubala that I wanted to come back and achieve one final victory, and here I am! Of course, it was very difficult to leave the other engines to do my important work while I was gone...oh, I forgot to say what I do when I'm not working here, didn't I?" Jinty simply blinked in shock for a moment.

"Go for it."

"You could say that I am the backbone of the entire Indian Railway network! When I'm not pulling my local passenger services, I am given the extremely important task of escorting important people to where they need to go! Politicians, celebrities...just another day in the life of a royal engine!" Before Jinty could interject, Rajiv continued.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I don't have bigger ambitions! Make no mistake, Rajiv the Royal Engine is not complacent, no sir!" The Indian engine rolled his "R"s dramatically, before pausing in a fashion just as dramatic.

"Once I've won my trophy, I...want to be...in a Bollywood movie!" His eyes lit up. Jinty raised an eyebrow.

"Bollywood?"

"The Indian movie industry! I've heard of athletes becoming actors after they retire, and well, I want in! I even have a few ideas! There's one where I play this super amazing spy-"

"That's all the time we have with Rajiv today, everyone! Join us again soon for another exclusive interview with a contestant from the Great Railway Show!" Jinty let out a sigh of relief as Rajiv's talking finally subsided. The Indian engine raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Wait, we started the interview?"

SHUNTING: RAUL OF BRAZIL

Pug took a deep nasal inhale while looking at the camera.

"Just remember...because you're doing him, you don't have to do Frieda…" He muttered to himself, clearly dreading the interview ahead. Albert cleared his throat.

"We're rolling? Alright, welcome back to another interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show. Here, we have last year's Brazilian champion of the shunting challenge...Raul." Pug rolled his eyes, completely disinterested. Raul grinned, as if expecting some kind of fanfare, but was greeted with an awkward silence. Albert coughed. Raul raised an eyebrow, frozen in his grin.

"Where are the legions of adoring fans?" He hissed to Pug, who looked as if he wanted to ram himself through a wall. The saddletank gave him a glance of pure bewilderment.

"There's no live audience! What kind of show do you think this is?" Raul rolled his eyes.

"Unbelievable what they allow on British television these days, honestamente…" He muttered. Pug's eye twitched, but he took a deep breath and continued.

"So, Raul, how does it feel to be back here after your controversial win from last year?" He asked, regaining his professional composure. Raul smirked.

"Well, Cão-"

"Is it that hard to remember?" Pug muttered under his breath.

"I, of course, feel confident in winning this event again. I have, after all, competed in almost every Great Railway Show since its inception. But I don't see what you mean about my win being controversial." His gaze narrowed, but Pug simply smirked.

"Oh, you don't remember? You were found with trucks of Welsh Coal on show grounds, after shattering your previous records despite your age, and to cover it up, you paid off popular competitors like Filiberto of Cuba and Pioner of Iceland to prevent them from competing again after the controversy, and then bought your way right back into the Shunting Com-"

"THEY NEVER PROVED ANYTHING! I SIMPLY FOUND THAT WELSH COAL AND WAS ABOUT TO REPORT IT TO THE COMMITTEE WHEN I WAS FOUND, I-" Raul's enraged bloodshot eyes looked to the camera, stopping his screaming rant to a rather startled Pug, before taking a deep breath and regaining his composure.

"I don't know what came over me. Must be the stress of the competition. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm being harassed by my interviewer and will tell his boss as such if he continues talking about this slander of a controversy that has no root in fact." He glared threateningly at Pug, who gulped. Raul then smirked.

"Anyway, the rest didn't quit because of me. I'm assuming Pioner quit because he got third place. I could never deal with the shame of getting third place...but I don't have to, do I?" He chuckled darkly. Pug shuddered.
"Anyway, what do you do when you aren't competing in the Shunting Competition here?" Raul grinned, amiable and placated again.

"Well, being my country's representative in the Great Railway Show means that I often have to go around the country giving speeches to shunting engines to boost morale, doing interviews, training...the usual life of a celebrity. Keeps me young, you know?" He flashed a grin. Pug looked nervously to Albert, before continuing.

"And what do you plan to do after the show this year?" Raul thought for a moment.

"Hmm...more of the same, I suppose. After all, Brazil is counting on me, eh?" Pug looked away.

"That's all the time we have with Raul for today, everyone. Join us again soon for another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show!" Pug watched Raul roll away out of frame with bated breath, before letting out a sigh of relief when he was finally gone. He looked straight at Albert with a deadpan expression.

"What a ruddy tosser."

STRENGTH: HIRO OF JAPAN

"Welcome back to our exclusive Great Railway Show contestant interviews. Here we are with Japan's representative in the strength competition, Hiro." Pug looked to Hiro, who smiled warmly.

"Hello!" He called to the camera. Pug smiled.

"So, Hiro, you've been an on-and-off competitor for several years now; how does it feel to be back?"

"I would say that I'm pretty excited; it's not too often I get to really have my abilities put to the test, so I'm excited to see what I'm actually capable of under pressure."

"How do you think you'll fare in the competition?"
"I'll do my best, and whatever I get out of that I'll be happy with." Hiro smiled. Pug looked at the notes for the interview, hanging below the camera lens, before looking back to Hiro.

"So, Hiro, it says in our notes that despite representing Japan in the show and identifying as Japanese, you haven't lived in Japan for some time; is this true?" Hiro chuckled.

"Yes, it is. It's a bit of a long story; are you sure we have time?" He looked to the camera nervously.

"I don't think so, but we'll cut you off if it goes on for too long." Hiro smiled, and began.

"Well, I worked on Japan for many years as a young engine, but was then to sent to Sodor and I considered that my home for a long time. After all, I was 'master of the railway' there! However, I started frequently breaking down and, because my parts had to be ordered from Japan, found myself in less and less use. Eventually, the workmen decided the parts would never show up. Keep in mind, Pug, that Sodor didn't have the reputation of being a 'haven for steam' that it does now back then, and no one knew what would happen to me if I couldn't run. So, they put me on a siding to try and hide me from the cutter's torch. I was there for a long time, but I was soon found again and restored. There was no real spot for me on the roster of the North Western, so Sir Topham Hatt decided to send me back to Japan, where they were delighted to have me back. Japan's been long since modernized and only diesels run the railways there now, so I was a bit of an anomaly. Mr. Hideki, my manager, decided that it would be a good business move for me to run steam services as a special for the passengers, and for a while, I loved them. It let me get in touch with my heritage again, which is why I compete on behalf of Japan; it's where I'm from, even if I have other homes too." Pug raised an eyebrow.

"How did you come to live in the UK? What work do you do here?"

"Well, eventually, the steam services weren't making enough money and I found myself trapped in the shed on a reasonably often basis. Sir Topham Hatt caught word and he, my manager, and the manager of the railway network here all coordinated: Mr. Hideki sold me to the North Western, which I am technically owned by and get repairs done on, but I usually answer to the head of the UK Network instead, pulling trains all across the country. It's good to do hard work again rather than just be a tourist attraction, and I'm happy to have been given a second chance." Pug's eyes widened.

"Wow, what an amazing story." He remarked. Hiro chuckled.

"I don't think so, but believe what you will." Pug chuckled back.

"Are you visiting Japan again, or any other exciting plans, anytime soon?" Hiro chuckled.

"I'd love to get the opportunity to visit my homeland again, but I currently have no near-future plans to do so. Something may come up serendipitously, though." Pug grinned.

"Excellent. Well, thank you for your time, Hiro, and tune in again soon, audience, to see another exclusive interview with a contestant of the Great Railway Show." Hiro smiled at the camera warmly again as the interview ended.

THE GREAT RACE: GORDON/SHOOTING STAR OF SODOR

"Welcome back to another exclusive interview with a contestant of this year's Great Railway Show. Here, competing in the Great Race on behalf of Sodor, is Gord-"

"Shooting Star."

"Come again?" Pug raised an eyebrow at the streamlined engine, who was currently giving him an unamused glare.

"My name is Shooting Star." Pug gave a deadpan glance to the camera before looking back to his interviewee.

"Mate, no, it isn't. Not only does it say in my notes that your name is Gordon, but we've also literally met before. Who are you trying to fool?" The engine formerly known as Gordon rolled his eyes.

"Leave it to a tank engine to not understand...it's the name I'm competing under! When I'm streamlined, that is my name." Pug was about to retort when Albert cleared his throat and mouthed a message to the tank engine.

"Are you serious?"

"Mmhmm." Pug grit his teeth.

"Fine. So, Shooting Star, you are competing against your brother, the famous Flying Scotsman, in this event; how does that feel?" Shooting Star snorted indignantly.

"Like I'm going to win. Can we not talk about my brother? This interview is supposed to be about me, not him!" Pug raised an eyebrow.

"Touchy subject…" He muttered under his breath before continuing.

"Anyway, Gor-Shooting Star, why not tell the viewers at home what you do when you aren't competing here?" The streamlined Sudrian glared at Pug for forgetting his name, but spoke anyway.

"Well, I pull the Express, for starters. Of course, I would be the only engine for the job; I am the fastest and the best." He grinned proudly. Pug smirked to himself.

"So you're faster than your brother then?"

"YES!" Shooting Star snapped angrily. Pug chuckled.

"Just checking. Now, I can't help but notice that you have streamlined yourself for the show; why?" Shooting Star growled.

"Because I want to win. Why are you being so nosy?" He complained. Pug raised an eyebrow.

"It's my job, mate. Why are you being so snappy?" The larger engine rolled his eyes.

"It's too hot…" He grumbled.

"Actually, this is the coldest it's been all week." Pug corrected him. Shooting Star's eye twitched. The saddletank continued.

"So, Gordon-"

"UGH!"

"Shooting Star, what are your plans for after the show?" The big engine smirked.

"Seeing the look on my brother's stupid face when I win." Pug raised an eyebrow.

"Alrighty then. Well, that's all the time we have with-" Pug coughed loudly, which sounded an awful lot like "Gordon". The engine in question raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say?"

"Shooting Star, obviously. Join us again soon for coverage of the Great Railway Show!" Shooting Star glared at Pug suspiciously as the saddletank whistled innocently to himself.

?: PHILIP OF SODOR

"Hum, hum, hum…" Albert sat at the water tower, getting a long drink before going to film the Strength Competition, humming a song to himself. However, he suddenly heard a shrill voice call out above the Railway Show.

"Gordon? Gordon! Gordon, where are you?" Suddenly, a force rammed into Albert's camera truck, and the tank engine was sent flying back into the buffers. Meanwhile, the object that hit Albert moved onwards with the camera truck, and looked up into the lens.

"Oh, wow! A camera! I wonder if it's on...hello!" The boxcab yelled into the camera, far too close to the lens. The little engine grinned.

"I'm Philip! P-H-I-L-I-P! I'm very fast, and I wanted to come here, and now I'm here! Yay!" Suddenly, a loud horn sounded out from behind the camera, and Philip clearly swerved across a junction as a diesel shunter rolled by.

"Watch it!"

"Sorry! But I'm not here to compete; I'm here on a very important mission! My friend, Gordon, left his safety valve back on Sodor and I was assigned to bring it to him! It's very important that I find him, but I don't know where he is…" Philip's eyes darted around, trying to find Gordon.

"This yard is so much bigger than the one I live in back on Sodor...I don't know how I would be able to shunt trucks here without getting lost! I've never seen so many engines in one place before!" Suddenly, he heard a whistle and gasped.

"Oh no!" Philip and the camera swerved onto a siding, as he passed a very annoyed steam engine.

"Watch the crown!" He snapped. Philip winced.

"Sorry! Now, where is Gord-WHOA!" The camera jerked as Philip collided with the buffers, and the truck toppled onto its side. The boxcab winced at the cracked lens, which now looked up at him from the side of the line.

"Oops. Well, that was fun, but I have to go find Gordon now! Bye!" Philip honked his horn and reversed away, calling out Gordon's name loudly all over again. Some time passed, and Albert finally puffed up, having found the camera. He took one look at the cracked lens and gave a long nasal sigh.

"B-" The camera died.

Chase: Well, this has certainly been a really fun project for me to do. Working with Don has always been a blast, and getting to try and rescue the well of lost potential that was the original special was a really fun, daunting task that I think would have been far more difficult and not nearly as enjoyable without his help. I wrote the interviews in an effort to make every single international character feel like their own personality, and some were more difficult to write than others (trying to write the Hiro interview delayed the story finishing by about a week) but I really enjoyed fleshing out this world. Giving Jinty and Pug a presence in these was fun too, as we decided to develop the internationals through not only giving them more lines in the special proper, but also by doing these interviews as our version of the "Great Railway Show" segments on the official YouTube channel. This project was an absolute blast and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as we both enjoyed writing it.

Don: Well, folks, at last, this story has drawn to a close. It's been a blast working with Chase on this thing for the past couple of years. Yes, seriously, we first started coming up with the idea back in May 2017. Time flies, doesn't it? I really hope it's been worth the wait, though, and that you've all had fun reading it. Thanks for sticking with us throughout all the waits. Rest assured, both of us have big things planned in the works, so stay tuned for that!

Read both of our upcoming projects as soon as they're out, and thank you all so much for continuing to support our work!

- Chase & Don