Emily’s New Route

**Emily's New Route** is the fifth episode of the eighth season and the 178th episode overall.

## Plot

One summer's morning, the Fat Controller comes to see Emily, stating that he is opening a new holiday tourist service to Callan Castle for the summer. He tasks Emily with the job of transporting flour from the mill to the bakery, which makes her very happy.

Later that day, Emily meets James at the water tower and tells him of her new job. James says Emily is lucky, as he has been given the job of carrying passengers along the Callan Castle branch. He explains that there are frequent landslides and a monster rumoured to be living in the loch, known as the "Black Loch Monster". He nervously adds that nobody knows what the monster is, only that black figures move in the water and disappear. James sets off for work, leaving Emily nervous about the route, but pleased she does not have to run it.

Emily arrives at the flour mill to collect the flour trucks to take to Elsbridge, but the troublesome trucks decide to cause trouble. As Emily pulls them as hard as she can, the trucks hold her back, making her very late delivering the flour and there being no fresh bread for the next day. The Fat Controller is cross, as this means that no one will have any toast or crumpets for breakfast, and warns Emily if she is late again, she and James will transfer duties. This leaves Emily nervous about the boulders and the Black Loch Monster, and she tells herself that she must be on time with the flour the next day.

The next morning, the troublesome trucks decide to trick her again, as they are not coupled up properly. Emily hurries to the station, but she only brings *half* of the flour trucks. When the stationmaster tells her this, she rushes back to the mill as fast as she can. After she arrives, the trucks tease her, calling her a late engine. This ends up with Emily losing her temper and she biffs the trucks very hard. However, because she cannot see where she is going, the trucks derail and one crashes off the line, causing flour to explode out of another one and Emily gets covered in it.

That evening, Edward and Emily are at Wellsworth Station with the Fat Controller, who is very cross with Emily for causing confusion. He therefore transfers her to Callan Castle as punishment, leaving her very unhappy. Edward kindly says that Callan Castle may be a nice route, but with what Emily has heard, she does not think so.

The next morning, Emily sadly arrives at Killdane Station, where her passengers are waiting. Emily realises they are looking forward to their holiday, so she decides to be brave and do her job. But as she reaches Misty Valley, she looks down at the water and remembers the monster. At that moment, a landslide comes down in front of her, leaving her stuck. Then, Emily notices something black moving through the water towards her, and she realizes it is the Black Loch Monster. Emily is now frightened and shakes with fear, declaring she never wants to see Black Loch again, but then she thinks of the children in her coaches, and she realizes she must get them to their holiday whatever it takes. At that moment, the water settles down, and she can see what the "monster" really is a friendly family of seals. She and the children are delighted, and soon the line is cleared and Emily is able to get the children to the castle on time.

That evening, Edward and Emily are both at Castle Loch, watching the seals. Emily tells him that he was right, in that Callan Castle *is* a nice route after all.

## Characters

* Edward
* James
* Emily
* Troublesome Trucks
* The Fat Controller
* Henry *(cameo)*

## Locations

* Maron
* Knapford Sheds
* The Flour Mill
* Elsbridge
* Wellsworth
* Killdane
* Misty Valley
* Black Loch
* Callan Castle
* Sodor Bakery *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* This is the first episode where Emily derails and/or gets into an accident.