Toby's Tightrope

"I'm sorry about the trucks. I can't think how you managed to stop them in time." "Oh well. My driver told me about circus people who walk tightropes, but I just didn't fancy doing it myself!"

- Mavis and Toby

Toby's Tightrope is the fifteenth episode of the third season. It first aired on Shining Time Station in the episode Do I Hear in 1991.

Plot
Mavis has been confined to the quarry and complains to Percy, who is quite unsympathetic. When a thaw increases production at the quarry, Mavis uses the chance to be allowed to go further down Toby's tramway up to a level crossing, but gets too big for her buffers and asks the trucks to push her past the crossing and down the line.

However, when she is away, Toby comes and when he arrives at the crossing, they push him down the line onto a bridge swept away by a landslide, leaving only rails behind. Mavis goes to the rescue and confesses it was her fault, but the Fat Controller and the manager are pleased and allow her to travel on the branch line.

Characters

 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Mavis
 * Sir Topham Hatt

Locations

 * Tidmouth Hault
 * Anopha Quarry
 * The Quarry Tramroad
 * Knapford Harbour (mentioned)

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Tramway Engines.

Goofs

 * George Carlin calls the chains ropes. Michael Angelis made the same error in his first narration of this episode.
 * Brakevans should have been added to Mavis and Toby's trains.
 * When Toby backs down onto the trucks, his eyes are wonky.
 * In the restored version, a hand can be seen pushing trucks when they surge against Toby.
 * In a rare picture, Toby's driver is smiling when Toby is being bumped by the trucks.