Edward the Great

**Edward the Great** is the fourth episode of the eighth season and the 177th episode overall.

## Plot

Edward enjoys being useful and helpful, but the bigger engines scoff at him when he isn’t as strong as them. The Duke and Duchess of Boxford are visiting along with their engine, Spencer to see their new summerhouse, located on an old line on the Kirk Ronan Branch. When Spencer arrives at Vicarstown, his driver tells him that he beat Gordon's record. Spencer boasts that he is faster and finer than all the engines on Sodor put together, which makes the Fat Controller's engines very cross. The Fat Controller arrives and tells them that whilst Spencer is taking the Duke and Duchess to their new summerhouse, another engine will take their furniture. Thomas, Percy, James and Gordon want the chance to pull it to show Spencer that they are faster than him, but the Fat Controller lets Edward take the furniture, as the others have other work to do. James and Gordon believe that Edward will lose the race, but Thomas and Percy stand up for Edward and that he can beat Spencer. Edward takes off, but Spencer speeds past Edward until he is out of sight.

Edward puffs carefully through Henry’s Tunnel with the heavy furniture, but he tries to speed up afterwards to catch up to Spencer. Later, Spencer stops at Crovan's Gate for the Duke and Duchess to have tea and cakes. Edward catches up and is very tired and wishing for a rest, but continues on when the station crew cheer for him after hearing about the race. The Duke and Duchess finish their tea and cakes and Spencer goes off in a flash speeding past Edward, once again leaving him to struggle with the heavy furniture.

Later on the Branch Line, Spencer stops once again for the Duke and Duchess to take some photographs of Rolf’s Castle, and Spencer goes to sleep to pass the time, not worrying that he will lose. When Gordon is puffing by the Express and sees Spencer, he believes Edward is losing the race and says that Edward is a waste of steam. But when he sees Edward trying so hard to catch up, he feels bad about what he said and congratulates Edward and that he is a credit to the railway. Edward is so happy that he picks up speed and finds puff he never knew he had.

When the Duke and Duchess finish taking the photographs and get back on board, Spencer's driver calls for him to go. However, Spencer does not hear him as he is still asleep dreaming of victory, and so he also does not hear Edward puff past him. When Spencer's driver blows his whistle, Spencer wakes up shocked to see that Edward is heading towards the summerhouse and tries to catch up with him, but his driver tells him to slow down because of the old line to the house. Spencer slows down and knows he is going to lose the race. Edward makes it to the summerhouse at the end of the line and is happy that he had won the race against Spencer and he feels like the pride of the North Western Railway.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Spencer
* The Fat Controller
* Henry *(does not speak)*
* BoCo *(cameo)*
* The Duke and Duchess of Boxford *(do not speak)*

## Locations

* Crosby Tunnel
* Wellsworth Yards
* Gordon’s Hill
* Brendam Docks
* Barrow-In-Furness
* Vicarstown Bridge
* Vicarstown
* Henry’s Tunnel
* Crovan's Gate
* Henry’s Forest
* Rolf’s Castle
* Old Boxford Summerhouse

## Trivia

* The title of the episode is a reference to an Achaemenid-Persian military king from Iran, Cyrus the Great.
* The concept of Spencer falling asleep and unintentionally allowing Edward to overtake him by having him win the race is extremely similar to Aesop's fable, *The Tortoise and the Hare*. The story and title are used for another episode.