Den and Dart

"Ohh! Who does he think he is?!" "Telling us what to do!" "And what NOT to do!""

- the Troublesome Trucks referring to Den once he enters the quarry

Den and Dart is the eighth (thirteenth in Australia) episode of the nineteenth season.

Plot
It is a busy day at Ffarquhar Quarry, and Mavis is busy shunting troublesome trucks to be filled with stone. But the trucks are complaining as usual. Thomas arrives with some more empty trucks for Mavis. But Mavis doesn't realise that she has rolled under the hopper, until the stones drop all over her and damage her bodywork. Thomas has to take Mavis to the Dieselworks to be repaired, but Mavis worries about how the work at the quarry will be completed.

Den and Dart are working together at the Dieselworks when Thomas and Mavis arrive. The two diesels promise that they'll fix her in no time. The Fat Controller arrives and tells them that until then, a replacement engine will be needed at the quarry. He chooses Den, but Den becomes worried about working by himself. Dart tries to convince the Fat Controller that they are a team, but to no avail. One diesel has to stay and help with repairing Mavis. As Den nervously sets off, Mavis warns him about the troublesome trucks.

When Den arrives, he sees the mess that the quarry has been left in. Trucks are laying derailed next to the tracks, and there is stone and rubble all over the place. Den gets ready for shunting, but he doesn't realise that one truck has its' brakes on. He struggles to pull them, until finally the coupling snaps and he is sent rolling backwards. Later, he pushes some trucks too hard, sending them into some buffers and toppling off the rails. Toby watches Den struggling nearby and begins to feel sorry for him.

Meanwhile at the Dieselworks, Dart isn't feeling like his usual self without Den to help him. Mavis reassures him that the sooner she is fixed, the sooner she can go back to work and Den can come back to work with him. Dart feels much better and gets back to fetching parts for Mavis.

At the quarry, Toby and Henrietta tell Den that he has to be firm with the trucks and show them who's boss, the same way Mavis deals with them. Den takes a deep breath and gets to work shunting the trucks, while Dart collects parts for Mavis at the Dieselworks. Just before Den finishes the job, a truck ricochets off another one and rolls backwards towards Toby and Henrietta. Den stops the truck just in time and shunts it back into line, scolding it for letting it's brakes slip off.

That evening, Mavis has finally been repaired, and she sets off back to the quarry. But when she arrives, she is surprised to find all the trucks in order and the quarry tidy. As Den leaves to go back to the Dieselworks, Mavis and Toby congratulate him on doing a good job.

Den arrives at the Dieselworks where Dart is waiting for him. Den tells him all about his time at the quarry. He knows he did a good job, but he is glad to be back with his best friend.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Toby
 * Mavis
 * Den
 * Dart
 * Henrietta
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Paxton (cameo)
 * Norman (cameo)
 * Bertie (cameo)

Locations

 * Anopha Quarry
 * Vicarstown Dieselworks
 * Crowe's Farm Crossing

Trivia

 * This is the first episode in the series to be directed by a woman. However, with movies and specials counted, this is the second production overall to be directed by a woman following Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
 * This episode takes place during No Help At All, Best Engine Ever and Salty All At Sea.
 * In No Help At All, while Sir Topham Hatt is trying to figure out who could help out at Brendam Docks, he mentions Emily being at the Steamworks and Mavis at the Dieselworks, referencing Best Engine Ever and this episode respectively.
 * The end of Salty All At Sea also takes place during No Help At All.
 * When Den first arrives at the quarry, it is clear at least one accident has occurred:
 * Two trucks can be seen on their side in the middle of the shot
 * Multiple trucks facing the camera on the left side of the shot are off the rails
 * Interestingly, a truck in the bottom left of the shot has come off the rails, despite no other trucks on that line being derailed and no derailed trucks are directly near it.

Goofs

 * When Den arrives at the quarry, the truck laying on its side is missing its wheels.

US/UK

 * Tales on the Rails