Thomas and Otto were on their way to start work when Thomas noticed a familiar engine waiting at a station. It was sleek and shiny with a large propeller behind it. "Hugo?!"

"Hello, Thomas," the rail-zeppelin answered. "It's great to see you again."

"It's great to see you too." Thomas sighed. "So much has been happening while I've been seeing the world, I forgot all about you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Thomas," chuckled Hugo. "I'm sure you have seen many amazing things and made many new friends while visiting so many different countries." Hugo's Guard blew his whistle. "Oh, I'm afraid I must be of. I hope we can talk later, Thomas." Hugo honked his horn, his warning siren blared, his propeller spun, and he whooshed out of the station.

"I was so excited to hear that Hugo visited Sodor," puffed Otto. "I was hoping I would see you again too. It seems I was right."

At last, the two engines reached their destination. Thomas noticed another familiar engine shunting trucks. "Alanna, is that you?"

"Hello, Thomas. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"It sure has."

"Thomas," said Otto, "I was told you would be helping Alanna today. I must be off. Do you know the way back to the shed from here?"

"Yes, Otto. I'll see you later." And Otto puffed away.

In the sidings were narrow-gauge tracks and on them were some strange-looking flatbeds. They were so low to the rails that they seemed to be floating above the ground.

"What are we doing here?" asked Thomas.

"We're have to shunt these trucks onto those narrow-gauge flatbeds to be taken to factory beyond this point," Alanna replied.

"How can we do that? These trucks are too big for narrow-gauge tracks."

Alanna smiled. "I'll show you."

Thomas watched as Alanna shunted one truck to where a narrow-gauge flatbed was waiting. Then, she slowly pushed the truck onto it and the workman anchored it with chains. "You see," Alanna explained, "this narrow-gauge railway is older than ours. These flatbeds are extra wide and low to carry our trucks to be taken to the factory."

Thomas soon met two of the engines who ran the narrow-gauge line, Annika and Gretal. As Thomas and Alanna shunted the trucks, the narrow-gauge engines arranged the flatbeds into line and the shunter coupled them together. "Why aren't the flatbeds being coupled up?" asked Thomas.

"Because they don't need to be," said Alanna. "The flatbeds can be coupled together using long bars, but our trucks and have stronger couplings and are secured to the flatbeds, so they are coupled together that way."

"Is that safe? Our trucks look like they could tip over."

"They could if they are pulled too fast," Annika replied, "which is why we must go slow." With a 'peep, peep' of her whistle, she left the yard while Thomas, Alanna and Gretal arranged the trucks for another train.

Out on the main line, Hugo had left his passengers at their last station and was on his way back to his yard. As he raced along, he thought he saw something on the ground beside the track. He didn't know that it was a speed limit sign and it had fallen forward.

Then there was trouble.

Hugo neared the bend and saw how tight it was. "Blistering boosters!" he cried. His Driver sounded the warning siren and applied the brakes before he and the Guard jumped clear, but Hugo couldn't stop in time. He raced around the bend, fell sideways and tumbled over and over down a steep bank.

Luckily, no one was hurt.

When Annika came back up the line with her trucks, she saw road cranes lifting Hugo upright. "Hugo, are you alright?"

"I think so."

The Foreman looked grim. "Well, this is a troublesome situation, Hugo" he said. "The hill is too steep to get you back on the tracks again and your too big for our lorries to carry you."

"Then how am I going to get back to the main line?" groaned Hugo.

Suddenly, Annika had the answer. "I know! I can take you up to the goods yard!"

Hugo was confused. "I don't see how."

"My flatbeds. If I use two of them with a bar coupling between them, I can carry you."

"It's worth a try," said the Foreman, "but you may need help."

As Annika took her trucks back to the factory, Gretal was called away from the shunting yard to help. Annika collected two empty flatbeds and some more bar couplings before starting back.

The flatbeds were coupled together with strong bar between them and shunted into place. Then, the cranes lifted Hugo onto them. When Hugo was secured, Annika and Gretal were coupled to the flatbeds.

"Go very slowly and carefully," warned the Foreman.

"Are you ready?" whistled Gretal.

"Yes, I am," Annika whistled back and with a big puff from both of them, they slowly started away.

Hugo was heavy and the bar couplings strained, but the twins wouldn't stop. It was a long journey to the shunting yard, but finally, they made it. Using chains and spare rails, Thomas pulled Hugo back onto the tracks.

"Thank you," sighed Hugo. "Thank you all."

"It was our pleasure," said Annika.

"It wouldn't be fair to leave you there," added Gretal.

"Why don't you take Hugo to the workshops, Thomas," said Alanna. "I can manage the shunting from here."

Thomas agreed. "Well, Hugo, it seems we'll be catching up sooner than we thought." But Hugo was so tired, he could only smile.