Diesel and the Birthday Picnic

***Diesel and the Birthday Picnic*** is the sixth episode of the ninth series.

## Plot

Today was Dowager Hatt's birthday, and the Fat Controller decided to take her out on a birthday picnic. Diesel, who was to take the Hatts out for the day, decided to go to Shen Valley. Diesel arrived at Knapford station with his coaches, and the staff loaded up the picnic hamper and the birthday cake aboard one of the coaches. Dowager Hatt looks very serious, making Diesel feel nervous. However, Diesel was no longer nervous once Dennis cheered him up.

Diesel set off for Shen Valley, hoping that Dowager Hatt would love it. However, at Shen Valley, the Hatts were not impressed; the fields had just been ploughed, so they had to go elsewhere. Diesel decided to go to the Scottish Castle, but they couldn’t picnic there as it was closed for maintenance. Diesel set off again, this time going too fast, making the journey uncomfortable for the Hatts. The Fat Controller ordered Diesel to stop and once he did, the Fat Controller demanded to know where they were going. But Diesel didn’t know as he had ran out of ideas. The Fat Controller decided to cancel the birthday picnic as lunchtime had passed and Dowager Hatt wanted to go back home. Diesel headed back to Knapford, hoping to have a good idea before they got home, but to no avail. Once the Hatts left the train, Diesel sadly headed back to Tidmouth Sheds.

All the other engines heard what had happened, but Dennis hoped that Dowager Hatt would enjoy her birthday cake. Then Diesel quickly realized that in all his sadness, he forgot to let the staff unload the cake from one of his coaches. Now Dowager Hatt couldn’t even have her birthday tea. Diesel hoped that an idea would come to him. As did Dennis, who tried to blow his horn, but only to make a faint honk due to stone dust clogging it. Diesel 10 tells Dennis to blow his horn hard and gives a long low note. Daisy preferred high toots and blew two high toots of her horn. Class 40 was proud of his horn being slow and strong. All of the honking and tooting finally gave Diesel a brilliant idea.

Later, the Fat Controller received a phone call from the Knapford stationmaster, informing him that Diesel and the engines had a special surprise. At Knapford station, the Hatts were delighted to see the decorations and the food all set up, including the birthday cake. Diesel blew his horn and one by one, the entire Diesel Team honked and hooted happy birthday to her. Dowager Hatt was very happy with her birthday picnic surprise and the Fat Controller congratulated Diesel for such a splendid idea.

## Characters

* Diesel
* Class 40
* Diesel 10
* Dennis
* Daisy
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Dowager Hatt (*not named in US narration*)
* Express Coaches (*cameos)*
* Lady Hatt (*cameo*)
* BoCo (*cameo*)
* Diesel 199 (*cameo*)
* Salty (*cameo*)
* Toby (*cameo*)
* Big Mickey (*cameo*)
* Stephen Hatt (*cameo*)
* The Storyteller (*cameo*)
* Cranky (*cameo*)

## Trivia

* This episode has a similarly to the seventh episode, Thomas and the Birthday Picnic from the ninth series of *Thomas & Friends*.
* Extended stock footage and a deleted scene from the eight series episodes, Diesel to the Rescue and Class 40 and the Wishing Tree are used.
* This is the first appearance of Class 40's happy face in the episode since the sixth series