Gordon the High Speed Engine is the thirty-first book of The Railway Series published in 1987. The four stories focus on Gordon's envy towards high-speed trains and his mishaps which lead him in trouble with The Fat Controller.
- High-Speed Gordon: Gordon is envious when Donald talks about high-speed engines and boasts that he can go faster. He sets out to prove it when he takes the Express. Unfortunately, Gordon slips on the slippery rails and the water in his boiler surges forwards, making him unable to stop creating steam even though he can't move forward. Donald takes him back to the shed after he runs out of steam and the rails Gordon was running on are replaced.
- Smokescreen: Gordon feels "stuffed up" and sneezes at Wellsworth, unfortunately spraying soot onto a party of wedding guests. The Fat Controller delays a visit to the mainland to apologize to the guests, but to wait for another train to get home, when Gordon steams back past and some ashes fall onto his top hat. When Gordon gets home an inspector comes up with a message telling Gordon that he will be disciplined when the Fat Controller returns.
- Fire Escape: Gordon, trying to make amends, is rushing at his hill when a firebar collapses. Thinking quickly, the driver tells the fireman to put a large piece of coal over the hole. Gordon manages to struggle to a loop, and BoCo comes to help. The Fat Controller thanks BoCo and is about to say something to Gordon when he has to go to his train, leaving Gordon in suspense.
- Gordon Proves His Point: Gordon is at Barrow-in-Furness when a porter asks him to take a train of enthusiasts up to Carlisle. The Fat Controller gives his consent, and two powercars called Pip and Emma take the Express back to Tidmouth. James, who is taking a stopping train, is asked to help Pip and Emma after Pip breaks down. At Tidmouth, the Fat Controller thanks James and asks him to make Pip and Emma welcome. When Gordon returns, the Fat Controller forgives him for his smokescreen and tells him that the ashes came from an ashtray being emptied by a steward. Gordon takes the passengers home.
This book contains examples of:
- Angry Fist-Shake: The wedding guests give this reaction to Gordon after he unintentionally sprayed soot at them.
- Art Evolution: The Tidmouth Sheds are dramatically increased in scale, from the original parallel track arrangement
◊ with a lower ceiling to a much taller building with a roundhouse track arrangement and covered turntable◊. Word of God indicates that the sheds had looked like this since 1952, when an operation agreement with the Other Railway meant that the main locomotive depot could be relocated from Vicarstown, but no explanation has been given for why the illustrations in past books did not reflect this. - Break the Haughty: Happened to Gordon in the first story when his wheels endlessly slip on the rails.
- Call-Back: In the second story, Henry suggests to Gordon to have a sneeze when he's feeling stuffed up, recalling the time he sneezed at some naughty boys in "Henry's Sneeze".
- Chew-Out Fake-Out: In "Fire Escape", Gordon was worried about what would the Fat Controller would say to him about the events, but learns that he wasn't cross, and thanked BoCo and Gordon, but couldn't finish something else to say to Gordon, leaving him in suspense.
- Determinator: Gordon struggled up the hill despite a collapsed firebar.
- The Freelance Shame Squad: The other engines in the first story make some amusing remarks on Gordon's incident with his wheels, making him indignant.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Gordon towards high speed trains.
- Not Me This Time: Gordon ends up being blamed for dumping ashes on the Fat Controller, but legitimately doesn't recall any action of the sort. As this happened when he felt stuffed with ashes, many assume it was his fault and that it was deliberate, but the end of the book reveals that it was actually due to a careless steward.
- Older Is Better: Deconstructed. Gordon vindicates himself after the new diesel train, Pip and Emma's cooling system breaks down. It’s made apparent this was only a circumstantial win however, and by the end of the series, they still prove consistent enough to take over Express runs, something Gordon gracefully accepts.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story:
- "Smokescreen" is based on a real event when wedding guests were showed with soot from an engine's funnel at the Bluebell Railway.
- "Fire Escape" is based on a real event that occurred on the Lickey Incline, south of Birmingham.
- Whole Episode Flashback: The events of this book take place in 1986.
