Thomas to the Rescue

"Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?"

- Diesel

Thomas to the Rescue is the third episode of the eighth season.

Plot
Thomas is sent to work at the quarry with Mavis as the quarry has an important order to fill. When Thomas arrives at the quarry, he is shocked to discover that Diesel will be working there as well. Diesel is not pleased to see Thomas, who tells Diesel that he has come to help Mavis. Diesel tells Thomas that steam engines cannot help as much as Diesel engines. Thomas scoffs at Diesel's insult and sets to work at once.

It is not long before Diesel is causing trouble; he pushes Thomas underneath the hopper, covering him in stones, complains that Thomas smells and calls him a "stinky old steam engine", and even says that the Fat Controller is planning to scrap steam engines. Thomas refuses to believe what Diesel says, but he cannot help worrying about it in the shed that night.

The next morning, Salty delivers fresh Diesel fuel from the Mainland. Diesel and Mavis are quickly filled up and Diesel boasts that the fresh Diesel fuel makes his axles tingle. Then, just as Diesel rolls away to work, he coughs, splutters, and stops amid clouds of smoke. Diesel feels sick, as does Mavis, who is coughing out smoke from her exhaust. The Quarry Manager realises that the new Diesel fuel has been contaminated with water. It is not long before 'Arry, Bert, and Salty break down too.

Having heard the news, the Fat Controller orders the Quarry Manager to send Thomas to collect some clean Diesel fuel. Thomas sets off for the fuel depot and the workmen fill up two flatbeds with Diesel fuel drums. Despite the heavy load, Thomas sets off and delivers the clean fuel to Salty, 'Arry, and Bert, and then, he makes his final delivery at the quarry.

The dirty fuel is drained out of Diesel and Mavis' tanks and they are refilled with the clean fuel. Mavis thanks Thomas and, after the important order has being filled, the Fat Controller arrives aboard Percy to congratulate Thomas for being Really Useful and a credit to the railway; even Diesel has to agree with that.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Diesel
 * Mavis
 * Salty
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Percy (does not speak)
 * 'Arry and Bert (do not speak)
 * James (cameo)
 * Gordon (cameo)
 * Cranky (cameo)
 * Bill and Ben (deleted scene)

Locations

 * Brendam
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Centre Island Quarry
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * The Scrapyards
 * The Fuel Depot
 * Shunting Yards

Trivia

 * In a deleted scene's picture, 'Arry and Bert are smiling when Thomas delivers the clean Diesel fuel to them.
 * Going by production order, this is the twenty-fourth episode of the eighth season.
 * In the All Aboard with the Steam Team DVD narration and the Nick Jr. broadcasts, the timing of these lines is a few seconds earlier than in The Complete Eighth Series DVD and other television broadcasts:
 * "Even Salty had ground to a halt".
 * "...and the Quarry Manager came to see Thomas. 'You are to collect fresh Diesel from the Fuel Depot'".

Goofs

 * Gordon has Duck's whistle sound.
 * Salty is missing his rear lamp in the first shot at the docks and a hole is visible where it should be.
 * Diesel pushes Thomas under the chute and reverses, but in a later shot focused on Thomas, Diesel has not reversed.
 * As the quarry had an important order to fill, Thomas should have stayed at the Quarry whilst another engine collected the fresh fuel for the diesel engines.
 * The narrator said, "Soon, all the other Diesels had broken down". But only Diesel, 'Arry, Bert, Mavis, and Salty are shown.
 * Brakevans should have been added to Thomas, Mavis, and Diesel's trains.

Merchandise

 * Take-Along (discontinued)