Mavis (episode)

## Mavis

**Mavis** is the twelfth episode of the third series and the 72nd episode overall. It is based on the story of the same name from the twenty-sixth Railway Series book, Tramway Engines.

## Plot

Mavis is a young new diesel engine who works in the quarry at the end of Thomas’ branch line, where she shunts trucks and puts them in their proper place. She has sideplates like Toby to help prevent accidents on the line, but she is quite inexperienced and has her own ideas on how to do things; ideas she is very keen to implement. As a result, she puts the trucks in different positions every day making things hard for Toby, who tells Mavis off for this. Mavis, however, thinks Toby is just being fussy and boring and continues to do things her way until eventually Toby gives up and tells her she can take her own trucks to the station. Mavis is very pleased with this, as taking trucks makes her feel important.

Later, at the station’s stone cutting shed, Daisy meets Mavis. When she complains to her about Toby claiming he says that only steam engines can manage trucks, Daisy tells her that diesels are naturally better than steam engines before leaving. Mavis takes his words to heart, but she is oblivious that Daisy knows nothing about trucks.

The line Toby uses crosses a main road behind the station before reaching a farm lane. Here, there is a dip in the line which can be very difficult to cross in frosty weather. Toby has found a solution to this: he stops just before the dip, his fireman stops the traffic at the crossing and then he takes a run at the dip, using the weight of the trucks to help push him across without trouble. It is the safest and easiest way to cross the lane in frosty weather. Toby tries to tell Mavis about the farm lane and how to cross it, but she thinks that he is just being fussy and ignores his advice.

Later, Mavis begins taking the trucks to the station, but she does not realize that the trucks - who are tired of being bumped around - plan to pay her out. Mavis reaches the farm lane, but instead of stopping before the dip, she stops just before the road. Bertie and Terence halted and Mavis - who believes she has got one over on Toby - tries to leave, but the trucks take advantage of her mistake and hold back. Mavis is unable to move despite her best attempts, leaving the trucks to laugh at her mistake. Workmen sand the rails and try to dig away the frozen mud, but to no avail. Mavis is stuck, blocking the crossing, and making everyone who is caught in the resulting traffic jam cross.

Back at the yard, Toby is angry when he is told what has happened. Toby's driver tries to calm him down, reminding him that Mavis is young and needs to learn. Toby is not interested and is willing to let her manage the trucks herself. Toby's driver reminds him that they are actually *his* trucks and Mavis is technically not allowed to leave the yard. Knowing that he will also be in trouble if the Fat Director finds out, Toby decides to go and help after all.

Back at the lane, Mavis is facing an angry farmer when Toby arrives to help. After a lot of pushing, Toby finally starts to move Mavis and the trucks back across the lane. The hard work makes Toby's fire burn fiercely and his fireman spreads hot cinders to melt the mud. Finally, Toby and Mavis wind up at the beginning of the lane, and Toby wishes Mavis goodbye and leaves. Mavis is too humiliated to thank Toby for his help and says nothing. Instead, she takes the trucks to the shed and quickly heads back home to the quarry as the sun sets.

## Characters

* Toby
* Daisy
* Mavis
* Troublesome Trucks
* Terence *(cameo)*
* Bertie *(cameo)*
* Farmer Finney *(cameo)*
* The Fat Director *(mentioned)*

## Locations

* Ffarquhar Quarry
	+ The Quarry Tramroad
* Ffarquhar
* Ffarquhar Sheds

## Trivia

* Just like in the original Railway Series story, Daisy is the one Mavis meets at the shed in the Sodor Stories version of this episode. This change was made because it wouldn’t have made sense for Diesel to randomly be working on the Ffarquhar Branch Line, since he was sent back to the Mainland at the end of Diesel Does It Again.
* Mavis exclaims "Fiddlesticks!" at the beginning of this episode, instead of "Fudge!" in the original book. This was likely to avoid any criticism for alluding to profanity in the series.
* This is the second episode named after a single character, the first being Daisy.