Yard Muddle

This is the eight episode of the fourth season

## Plot

* When the usual engines who work at Knapford yards are too tired to wake up, get the fires lit or their oil tanks refueled, The fat controller immediately sends in Mia, Monique and Brandon to help out. They work hard in Knapford yards all morning from 4:30 to 12:00. The shunt Henry's flying kipper train ready 5:00 A.M. The engines in Knapford sheds arrive at the yards. First Dennis but Mia, Monique and Brandon order him away. Dennis ventures to the platform without Gordon's express coaches. Gordon and Dennis crossly wonder wear the express is until Monique and Brandon shunt it for him. The yard manger and the fat controller arrive and tell Mia, Brandon and Monique to shunt three very important loads for Molly, Neville and Spencer respectively. The very tired, now sleepy and drowsy, Mia, Brandon and Monique shunt the trains but get the mixed up. Sending Molly, Spencer and Neville along with the wrong freight cars and coaches! The fat controller then turns to the very lazy engines in the shed and sends each of them on Mia, Brandon and Monique's usual jobs at Hompstead Hollow and the Sodor Coliseum. Spencer's coal trucks run him off the line. He is rescued, suffering no internal damage from the crash. Later on, once everything has been sorted out, Spencer teases the engines but on his way back home, he stops on the mainline, due to his leaky tanks, yet again! Causing a dangerous build up of engines on the mainline, Mia, Monique and Brandon are returning back to the Coliseum and Hompstead Hollow, dropping each other off, one by one, they notice Spencer on the mainline and decide to help him, despite him teasing them before. Then Gabby and Anya arrive with the workmen and Gabby reminds us that Spencer had a leaky tank in Little Royal Engines! Dominick and the others tease Spencer. The usual Knapford Yards engines apologize for being lazy. Mia, Brandon and Monique were glad to experience life beyond the yard!

## Characters

* Thomas (Build up)
* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Emily
* Belle
* Anya
* Dominick
* Gabby
* Mia
* Brandon
* Monique
* Stanley
* Philip
* Dennis
* Norman
* Aliyah
* Murdoch
* Billy
* Spencer
* Molly
* Neville
* Janessa (Build up)
* Scarlett (Build up)
* Arthur (Build up)
* Derek (Build up)
* Gator (Build up)
* Goliath (Build up)
* Daisy (Build up)
* Coventry (Build up)
* Liam (Build up)
* Hunter (Build up)
* Wilbert (Build up)
* Elissa (Build up)
* Naomi (Build up)
* Tina (Build up)
* Chloe (Build up)
* BoCo (Build up)
* Ryan (Build up)
* Stafford

## Trivia

* Going by production order, this is the ninth episode of the fourth season
* This was intended to be a christmas themed episode based on the early scripts from July 2017- April 2018. It was produced as a Christmas story as well. Hence why the DVD featuring Yard Shunting has Snow green screened onto every shot excluding the opening and credits as it is the original version.
* The events of Big, Brave and Bold To The Rescue from Season 1 are referenced by Anya, Emily and Belle. A scene from the episode is even recreated indirectly indicating the Coliseum Avenue was always on Sodor before the events of Saving Sodor! The Movie

## Yard Muddle

### Air date

September 4th 2020 (Vimeo)September 16th 2020 US