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, but gets too big for her buffers and asks the trucks to push her down the line. However, when she is away Toby comes, and 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.
 * In the US narration, the line "...giving him a fearful bump" is absent.
 * In the UK narration, the line "It was all or nothing now" is absent.
 * In the US version, music is added when Mavis rescues Toby.
 * In Germany, this episode is named "Toby in Danger". In Norway it is titled "Toby Gets Into Trouble". The Dutch title is "Toby the Tightrope Walker".

Goofs

 * George Carlin calls the chains ropes. Michael Angelis made the same error in the 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.