Toad's Adventure

"You are a really useful and very brave brake van!"

- Dowager Hatt praising Toad

Toad's Adventure is the sixth episode of the eighteenth season.

Plot
Oliver is always telling his brake van Toad about the time he escaped from the scrapyard to come to Sodor. Toad was there at the time, but he has still heard the story a hundred times as they puff up and down the Little Western line. Toad wishes that he could have an adventure of his own to talk about.

Later, Oliver leaves Toad in the shunting yard while he takes a passenger train. Toad is happy not to have to listen to Oliver's tale again, but he does not like the prospect of sitting around for ages doing nothing. Then, James arrives looking for a brake van for his goods train. Toad pleads with James to take him with him. James agrees and soon they head off to Vicarstown.

On the way, Toad has to listen to James' boasting, which is still a refreshing change from Oliver's endless stories. Soon, Toad is concerned that they are going too fast, but James insists that there's nothing wrong with their speed. As they puff up Gordon's Hill, James strikes a branch on the line. The branch goes under the train and uncouples James from his train. Suddenly, Toad is rolling back down the hill with the trucks. Toad tries his best to stop the runaway train.

Meanwhile, Thomas is puffing along the line with the Fat Controller and Dowager Hatt. He is taking them both to the opera on the mainland. As Thomas rounds the bend by Gordon's Hill, he stops suddenly. The Fat Controller leans out of the carriage window to enquire about the situation, but is soon alerted to Toad and the runaway trucks speeding straight towards them. Thomas tries to reverse out of the way, but Percy pulls up behind Thomas on the same line. There is not time for both engines to reverse and Toad knows it's up to him to save them all now. With sparks flying from his wheels, Toad manages to stop the trucks just in time. James pulls up, just as the Fat Controller demands to know what has happened. James is about to confess to going too fast, but Toad covers for him by saying that they just hit a branch and it was all an accident. The Fat Controller is satisfied and Dowager Hatt calls Toad a really useful brake van. The Fat Controller agrees with his mother and Toad feels very proud.

It is not long before James and Toad are heading to Vicarstown once again. Toad tells James that he can go a little faster if he wants, but this time James does not want to speed up.

When they return to the shunting yard, James thanks Toad for all his help. Then, Oliver puffs in and starts to tell Toad all about his day. James tells Oliver that he ought to ask Toad about his adventure. Oliver finds it hard to believe that Toad has had an adventure, but Toad tells him all about his day. Soon, all the engines in the yard are gathered round listening to Toad's thrilling adventure. Oliver says he cannot believe it, but Toad says he will tell him the whole story again tomorrow.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy
 * Oliver
 * Toad
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Dowager Hatt
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * Harvey (cameo)
 * Rosie (cameo)
 * Stanley (cameo)
 * Charlie (cameo)
 * Paxton (cameo)
 * Gordon (mentioned)

Locations

 * Gordon's Hill
 * Shunting Yards
 * Vicarstown (mentioned)
 * The Little Western (mentioned)
 * Vicarstown Goods Depot (mentioned)

Trivia

 * A reference to the third season episode, Escape is made in this episode.
 * The episodes marks the first of a few things:
 * The first time since the fifth season episode Busy Going Backwards that Toad has had a leading role in an episode.
 * Oliver and Toad's first speaking roles since the twelfth season episode Gordon Takes a Shortcut.
 * Joe Mills joins the voice cast.

Goofs

 * At one point during his journey with James, Toad is facing the wrong way.
 * The black buffer casing on Oliver's rear buffers appear to be missing when Oliver is coupled up to the coaches.
 * During the ending, Stanley is seen pushing trucks past James and Toad, then a few seconds later, Charlie shunts flatbeds on the same line as him and pushes them over some points and he goes over to Toad, but then in the final shot, Stanley somehow got from one side of the flatbeds to the other.
 * The Dutch version incorrectly states that the episode was written by Andrew Brenner.
 * In the aerial shot of the yard, James does not have his train with him.

UK

 * 1st Class Stories
 * Trouble on the Tracks

DVD Packs

 * 10 DVD Boxset (2015)

US

 * Trouble on the Tracks
 * Season 18 (Digital Download)

AUS

 * Trouble on the Tracks

Thailand

 * Duck in the Water

China

 * Duck and the Slip Coaches