Emily's Winter Party Special

"Welcome back, old friend."

- Sir Topham Hatt to his hat

Emily's Winter Party Special is the fourteenth episode of the sixteenth season.

Plot
It is wintertime on Sodor and there is going to be a Winter Festival at the Town Square. The Fat Controller tells the engines that he will choose the most helpful engine to be the party engine. Each year the party engine is covered in bright lights and given the job of pulling the presents train. Thomas and Henry are given jobs to do, but Emily is not. She worried because if she does not have a job to do, she cannot be the most helpful and then she will not be chosen to be the party engine. As the Fat Controller walks back to his car, a huge gust of wind blows his top hat away. Since she has nothing else to do, Emily offers to find the Fat Controller's top hat in time for the party. She convinces herself that this will make her the most helpful engine of all.

As Emily puffs along, she decides to tell the other engines about her being chosen as the party engine. She soon arrives at a level crossing where two children are building a snowman nearby. Then Thomas arrives pulling the cakes for the party. Emily tells Thomas that she is looking for the Fat Controller's hat and that if she finds it, she will be made the party engine. Thomas agrees that finding the Fat Controller's top hat would make her the most helpful. Emily is delighted and decides that she must tell Henry the good news.

At a junction, Emily finds Henry who is taking the brass band to the party. He hopes he might be chosen to pull the presents train, but Emily tells him that she will probably be getting the special job. Henry is a little disappointed, but agrees that if Emily finds the top hat, she will be the most helpful engine on Sodor.

As the sun sets, Emily puffs along becoming more and more certain that she will be chosen as the party engine. Soon Emily arrives at the Steamworks where she decides that, to save time, she will be decorated and coupled up to the presents train right away. Inside, Emily tells Victor that she is the party engine and she is soon coupled up to the special train. It is not long before workmen have covered her in bright lights. Then Emily remembers that she still has to find the Fat Controller's hat and races off. Outside the Steamworks, Emily sees that it is now night time and very dark, and she will have little chance of finding the top hat now. Then the Fat Controller arrives on Thomas. He is very cross to find Emily decorated and pulling the presents train. He is also angry because she has failed to find his precious hat. Emily feels terrible and believes she does not deserve to be the party engine now. The Fat Controller agrees and orders Emily to be stripped of the decorations and gives Thomas the very special job of being the party engine. Back inside the Steamworks, the decorations are taken off Emily and put onto Thomas.

Thomas proudly pulls the presents train and Emily sadly follows behind. Soon Thomas and Emily stop at the same crossing where they had met earlier. Beside the line, Emily notices the children's finished snowman. On top of the snowman's head is Sir Topham Hatt's hat.

At the Town Square, the children were having a fabulous time, but the Fat Controller was very anxious. Just then, Thomas and Emily rumble in. The children cheer excitedly when they see the presents train. Emily tells the Fat Controller that they have a present for him too. The Fat Controller is puzzled. He is then presented with his missing top hat. The Fat Controller is delighted and calls Emily a very helpful engine. Emily could not feel prouder.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Emily
 * Victor
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Sodor Brass Band (does not speak)
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Percy (cameo)
 * Stanley (cameo)
 * Diesel (cameo)
 * Butch (cameo)
 * Cranky (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)
 * The Blond-haired Boy (cameo)

Locations

 * Sodor Steamworks
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Kirk Ronan Junction
 * Town Square
 * Sodor Bakery (mentioned)
 * Knapford (mentioned)

Trivia

 * The Calliope is part of the present train.

Goofs

 * Emily already has lights on her tender before she is coupled to the present train.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Emily's Winter Party Special

UK

 * Merry Christmas, Thomas!
 * The Complete Sixteenth Series

DVD Boxsets

 * Festive Favourites

US

 * A Very Thomas Christmas
 * Season 16 (Digital Download)

GER

 * The Christmas Tree Search

THA

 * Muddy Matters (Thai DVD)