Escape

***Escape*** is the eleventh episode from the third series.

## Plot

One day, BoCo is talking to George when Bert diesels past and scolds BoCo for talking instead of working, much to the latter's annoyance. BoCo later meets Bert again and tells him that both he and George have a lot in common as they were both nearly scrapped. The mere mention of the word makes Bert shudder. BoCo continues, explaining how George is now Really Useful, but thinks that the railway could use another diesel engine, to which Bert agrees.

Later that night, Bert has taken a goods train to a faraway part of the Island where only the steam engines work. He is shunting for his return journey when he hears a hiss. He pauses, and hears the hiss again. A voice comes from nearby, asking if he belongs to the Fat Controller. The diesel reveals himself as D5701, who has run away from being scrapped with his brake van the Spiteful Brake Van, but has run out of oil. Bert is still nervous at hearing the word "scrap," but then remembers BoCo's story about George. Bert's driver work hard to rescue D5701 and the brake van. Bert begins the journey by running shunter-first of bringing the two to the Fat Controller's railway. Just before they clear the station, a foreman and his watchdog stop them. Bert's driver explains that D5701 and the brake van belong to them, and although wary at first, the foreman lets them continue. It is daylight when they finally arrive. Bert's driver finds a place at the works for D5701, who thanks them all.

The next day, Bert tells the diesels all about D5701. They think Bert should tell the Fat Controller about him at once, just as he arrives. He explains that unless a diesel engine is saved from scrap, there is little hope to find one. Luckily, the Fat Controller already knows about D57101 and decides that he will work on Class 08's main line.

D5701 and the brake van are restored, he is painted in British Railways colours. The other engines laugh and call the main line "The Other Railway" at first, but it delights Class 08 and D5701.

## Characters

* BoCo
* Diesel 10
* Diesel 199
* Class 08
* Bert
* Diesel 5701
* Sir Topham Hatt
* The Goods Depot Foreman
* The Spiteful Brake Van (*does not speak*)
* George (*does not speak*)
* Diesel (*cameo*)
* Class 40 (*cameo*)
* Dennis (*cameo*)
* Thomas (*cameo*)
* Edward (*cameo*)
* Molly (*cameo*)
* Jem Cole (*cameo*)
* British Railways Steamies (*mentioned*)
* Sodor Island Council (*mentioned*)

## Trivia

* The episode is based off the twenty-first episode of the third series from *Thomas & Friends* with the same name.
* This episode marks the first of several things:
	+ The first episode where Bert appears without Arry.
	+ The first appearance of D5701 and the Spiteful Brake Van.
	+ The first appearance of the Vicarstown in the series.
* This episode marks the last of two things:
	+ George's last appearance as a guest character, discounting cameos in the subsequent two seasons.
	+ The last episode where a driver's face without eyebrows is seen until A Better View for Diesel 10.
* This episode marks the only appearance of the Goods Depot Foreman.
* A reference to the second series episode, Saved from Scrap is made.
* The LT building, the three berth garage, the large brown building and the steel company from TUGS appear in the episode.