The Rocket and the Map

The Rocket and the Map is the thirty-sixth episode of Sodor High School: Thomas and Friends Tales.
==Synopsis==
Stephen decides to help complete his father's collection of artifacts by finding the one lost to time.
==Plot==
As the summer season continues on, Thomas and his friends at Ffarquhar see more and more lorries driving down the road and heading for the town of Ulfstead. Stepney, who's still visiting with his father and locomotive, is surprised by this and questions if a museum is opening up. Thomas and Emily know he's correct, but Emily is still wondering if she saw Stepenson's Rocket at the castle during their previous visit. Thomas makes a note to ask his father if he can take them back to Ulfstead to answer her question, and everyone is startled by the rumbling of construction crews repairing the wall James damaged with his motorbike. Everyone talks about how James' habit of showing off keeps getting him in trouble, and that Henry and Gordon have mentioned that he's going to be spending the rest of the summer working around Ffarquhar Station to make up for the damage he caused, and they all agree he got off easy.
That evening after dinner, Thomas and Emily convince Dalton to take them back up to Ulfstead Castle. When they reach the construction site, they're amazed to see that the castle is almost restored and all the pieces from Sir Robert's collection going into the museum. Robert soon arrives and Dalton tells him of Emily's query: Robert is surprised that she saw the Rocket and decides to let them see both the engine and the man working on it: his son Stephen.
Elsewhere, Gordon's riding around on his bicycle since he's got time off from his job. As he rode along, he hears a loud honk from behind him and groans when Spencer pulls up on his own bike. When Spencer insults Gordon's bike and James simultaneously, Gordon races him to shut him up but isn't able to pass him before Spencer heads off in another direction saying he has somewhere to be. With one final gloat to taunt his cousin, Spencer leaves Gordon fuming and determined to beat him.
Back at the castle, Sir Robert leads Emily and the Brightons to Stephen when Emily gets startled by a suit of armor moving on its own due to Millie polishing it from behind. Emily feels embarrassed over the occurrence (moreso when Dalton and Robert have a laugh about it) until Thomas comforts her, only to find she was burying her face into Thomas' chest and they agree to never speak of that again before moving on, not seeing everyone else's amused reactions.
The group of four eventually reach a railway museum containing a collection of Great Western Panniers, British Railway class 08s and even two American engines. After passing all of them, Robert introduces them to Stephen and tells his son about Emily seeing the Rocket, and Stephen facepalms when he remembers how he forgot to cover the engine up with a clothe. With his secret project no longer a secret, he shows their guests the engine (which they see has a smokebox and front bufferbeam), and Sir Robert explains that the Rocket will be used for giving tours around the castle grounds before lamenting over how King Godred's golden crown is the only missing piece in his incomplete collection.
Just then, Millie runs in to tell her uncle the workers are ready to put up the roof for the courtyard, which he wanted to see for himself. He invites his guests to see how it goes, and Thomas & Emily convince Dalton to allow them to. Emily thanks Stephen for his explanation before Robert leads the trio outside, leaving Stephen to think of how to gind the crown to make his father happy. He goes to Robert's office and looks through all the maps of the areas before the railways were built and finds one that looks like a child drew it. Stephen has doubts about it as it shows a small area he's not familiar with. He looks through more maps until he found one named "Tunnels of Ulfstead Mine" and deduces that's where the crown must be, planning on getting it that night and taking the child's map with him.
Out in the courtyard, Dalton, the teens, and Sir Robert watch as tall cranes moved metal beams about. All of them were doing the job safely and correctly, except for one lone operator who moved his crane too fast. Emily has a bad feeling about this and suggests moving back, Dalton and Robert only doing so once Thomas tells them to listen to her. Soon enough, thr crane moves so fast, its load shifts and the beam falls to the ground, scattering dust everywhere. After confirming no one was hurt, Robert thanks Emily for saving the four of them and the trio takes their leave while Robert goes to talk with the operator.
Later, Gordon is heading for home when Spencer reappears and declares they're finishing their race, so the two start off only to be instantly overtaken by two teenagers riding on modified bikes. After catching up to them at a crosswalk, the two imtroduce themselves as Connor Dreyfus and Caitlin Hudson, who were breaking in their newly restored, streamlined bikes and outfits. Spencer recognizes them and asks if they're from the Mainland, but the light turns green before they can answer: fortunately, they park on a curb so they can keep talking to Gordon and Spencer. They both moved to the Mainland from New York and Baltimore at nine years old and became best friends on their first day of school, and now they've come to the Island of Sodor because they're transferring to Sodor High for the remainder of their education (on top of Sodor being a peaceful, yet exciting place to live". The duo invite Gordon and Spencer to join their race but when they both decline, Caitlin calls out Spencer for his big ego making Gordon laugh. Connor and Caitlin race off while Spencer fumes away soon after, Gordon developing respect towards Caitlin for getting under his cousin's skin.
That night, Stephen shows up to Ulfstead Mine with equipment and the map in hand. He pries open and squeezes through the entrance before lighting a torch and continuing on hoping the supports to the roof don't collapse. Outside, the Troublesome Trucks gang show up setting off firecrackers and upon seeing the mine entrance is open, their leader Scruffy orders his subordinates to set up enough firecrackers to make a loud bang. When it goes off, one burns away a rotten support beam and causes the roof to cave in, blocking the entrance and trapping Stephen inside. Outside, the Troublesome Trucks run off when they hear the police coming. Stepehn, though not getting trapped by the rubble from the roof, is left yelling for help...
==Characters==
* Thomas 
* Emily 
* Percy 
* Gordon 
* Spencer 
* Dalton 
* Sir Robert 
* Millie 
* Stepney 
* Troublesome Trucks 
** Scruffy (Debut)
* Stephen (Debut)
* Connor (Debut)
* Caitlin (Debut)
* Mr. Stroudly (mentioned)
* James (mentioned)
* Henry (mentioned)
* Hiro (mentioned)
* The Duke and Duchess of Boxford (mentioned)
==Cast==
==Trivia==
* This episode continues the series' adaptation of "King of the Railway", which began in "Ulfstead Castle Revival".
* Caitlin and Connor were both originally going to be siblings, but were ultimately made into good friends.
* The events of "Hiro's Heroes", "Rail Fight!", "Finding James", "The Flood" and the previous episode are mentioned.
* The streamlined engines Connor and Caitlin are based on in the television series appear in Sir Robert's railway museum.
* Thomas thinks of the 2010 disaster movie "Unstoppable" when he spots the 777 on the Jersey Central Cattleback.
==Goofs==
* This episode states and confirms that Stephen is Millie's father, a retcon to "Ulfstead Castle Revival" where said he was her uncle.
Category:Thomas and Friends
Category:Sodor High School
Category:Episodes
Category:Fan Fiction