Thomas Saves the Day

**Thomas Saves the Day** is the eighteenth episode of the first season.

## Plot

Thomas is helping with the construction of a brand-new station of Kellsthorpe Road on the Main Line by taking the workmen to the site and back home again. However, there is a difficult bend before the final approach to the station, which makes Thomas nervous, but Annie and Clarabel always advise Thomas to slow down and puff with care. Upon arrival at the new station, Thomas is informed by the Fat Director that Annie and Clarabel are due for an overhaul at the repair yard, so he must take them there and use other coaches to take the workmen.

However, Thomas is very worried that, without Annie and Clarabel, he will not be able to tackle the difficult bend. The next morning, Thomas' nerves get the better of him, as he accidentally bumps into his substitute coaches, which roll back into James, who crossly warns him to watch what he is doing. Later, whilst negotiating the difficult bend, Thomas decides to speed up, but ends up riding off the tracks with the coaches in the bushes. Edward comes to Thomas' rescue, but Thomas feels that he is not really useful without Annie and Clarabel. Edward believes otherwise and takes the workmen and the coaches to the new station.

Thomas heads off for his branch line, longing to be back with Annie and Clarabel, but then he spots some trucks which have broken away from Henry, heading towards the new station. Thomas gives chase and overtakes the runaway trucks, knowing they will destroy the station if they reach it before he does, but he is getting closer and closer to the difficult bend. This time, Thomas remembers his coaches' advice to slow down and puff with care. He gets around the bend on his own, and the runaway trucks go around the twisty tracks as well. Thomas keeps ahead of the trucks and alerts the signalman to change the points to stop the oncoming runaway. The signalman does so just in time, and the runaway trucks are diverted into a siding, where they are stopped by crashing into the buffers, destroying the trucks in the process but leaving the station safe.

Thomas is taking Annie and Clarabel to the new station for the grand opening the next day, but he finds the bend is no longer difficult this time.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* James
* Annie and Clarabel
* The Fat Director
* Gordon *(does not speak)*
* Percy *(does not speak)*
* Troublesome Trucks *(do not speak)*
* Red Branch Line Coaches *(do not speak)*
* Judy and Jerome *(not named; do not speak)*
* Henry *(mentioned)*

## Locations

* Elsbridge
* The Difficult Bend
* Kellsthorpe Road
* Tidmouth Sheds
* Sodor Steamworks
* Knapford
* Knapford Yards
* Elsbridge Dairy *(mentioned)*
* Vicarstown *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* This episode was originally part of eighth season in the official TV Series, but it had been moved to the first season in the Sodor Stories series. This change was made for the fact that Thomas having trouble getting through the Difficult Bend, him feeling “he’s not a useful engine without Annie and Clarabel” and the construction of a big Main Line station, would make better sense to take place very early in the timeline, instead of later on.
* This episode is the first appearance of Kellsthorpe Road station in the series.