It was a clear night on Sodor. Rebecca was the last engine to return to Tidmouth Sheds.

"Where were you the other night?" asked Toby.

"Edward and I were too tired to go back to our sheds," explained Rebecca, "so we stayed at Brendam Docks with Salty and Porter."

"Did you enjoy yourself?" asked Emily.

"Oh, yes, Edward told me all about when Thomas first met Bill and Ben."

"I remember that," said Percy. "It was longest time he was ever away from is Branch Line back then."

"I heard those engines had quite a few adventures," added Toby. "Moreso than us."

"Didn't anything happen while Thomas was away?" asked Rebecca.

"Well, not as much, but we did run into some trouble here and there. Shall I tell you?"

"Oh, yes, please!" So, Toby began.

While Thomas was away helping Edward, Percy, Toby and Daisy were in charge of his Branch Line. Sometimes, Mavis helped too. When the other engines were busy, she brought loaded trucks down from Ffarquhar Quarry. She enjoyed this as the journey gave her a chance to stretch her wheels and she sometimes finds it dull up at the Quarry when there is no one to talk to but the trucks and workmen.

For most of the way between Ffarquhar Station and the Quarry, the line runs beside a road. At one point, the road crossed the line. Although there were warning signs, Mavis was always careful. Some cars and lorries would come round the corner much too fast and made her nervous. Her Driver was worried too. "They'll be an accident one day," he said, and Mavis was sure he was right.

One day, Mavis was late. The trucks had been in all the wrong places, and she had to waste time sorting them out. As she set off, the trucks surged against her. "Stop pushing," she growled, but the trucks took no notice.

Later, as they neared the crossing, Mavis saw a lorry coming towards them. I hope he'll stop when he sees us, she thought, but she couldn't know that the Lorry Driver was new to the island. The last thing he expected to see was a train.

Then there was trouble.

The lorry approached the corner much too fast, and the Driver realized, too late, that it was sharper than he expected. He swerved and suddenly saw Mavis halfway across the road. The Lorry Driver braked hard and swung the steering wheel, but it was no good. The lorry's front bumper just caught Mavis' cowcatcher, left the road, skidded into a ditch and fell onto its side with a loud crash.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Mavis as she watched in horror, "that hurt!" After a moment, she realized what had happened. "I didn't push him over," she cried.

"No one's blaming you," laughed her Driver, "but I hope the Lorry Driver is all right."

As Mavis' Driver jumped down, the Lorry Driver could be seen struggling to climb out and he went to help. "Is that a train?" asked the Lorry Driver.

Mavis' Driver laughed once more. "It certainly is. You must be new here to have not seen us before."

That evening, the Fat Controller came to see Percy, Toby and Daisy and told them what had happened. "Is she alright?" asked Toby anxiously.

"She's not badly hurt," the Fat Controller replied, "but her front is bent and her Manager asked if he can borrow you while she's away being mended.

"What about the trucks down here, Sir?"

The Fat Controller turned to Percy. "I'm afraid this means more work for you, Percy," he said and so, it was arranged.

Some days later, there was an emergency at Knapford Harbour and Percy had to leave his trucks. While he was away, Terence had done the shunting. "Adaptable, that's what my Owner says I am," he boasted that evening. "Go anywhere, do anything, that's me. Take my advice and scrap your rails," he joked. "Broaden your outlook, like me."

"Pah," snorted Percy, "me, plough a field? What nonsense."

"Steam engines did plough and run on roads once," chuckled Terence. The engines remembered Trevor and had to admit that Terence was right.

Mavis' repairs took longer than expected and Toby got used to trundling up to the Quarry every morning. Time passed and the weather became colder with hard frosts during the night, but they didn't worry Toby. His fire kept him nice and warm, and he puffed happily to and fro arranging trucks, taking them down to Ffarquhar and bringing empty ones back.

One night, it was very cold indeed. The ground froze solid and even Toby felt chilly. He shivered as he left the Shed and set off for the Quarry.

Toby soon reached the crossing when suddenly, there was a crunch, a rumble and he began to shudder. "Ohhh!" he groaned in horror, "what's happening?" Toby's wheels were lifted clean off the track. The line curved here, but Toby went straight on.

"Woah there, Toby!" called his Driver and gently applied the brakes.

Luckily, Toby was not going fast and he came to a shaky stop with all his wheels firmly on the roadway. "What happened?" he asked.

"When the ground freezes, it swells," his Driver explained. "The same must've happened in the ruts beside the rails. That's why your wheels were lifted off."

Toby looked at the grass verge in front of him. "Oh dear, now what?"

"No problem," said the Fireman. "With care, we can have you back on the rails in no time."

"I don't see how," said Toby sadly.

Directed by the Fireman, the Driver carefully reversed Toby along the ruts his wheels had just made. At last, with a thud and a jolt, Toby felt the rails safely beneath his wheels once more and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well done, Toby," said the Fireman and he spread some hot ashes from Toby's firebox to clear the rails. "Now, we can get safely up to the Quarry, and no one will be any wiser." But they reckoned without the Fat Controller.

When Mavis came back, the Fat Controller went to see the engines. "What's this I hear, Toby?" he asked. "Trying to be a traction engine, were you?" But he wasn't cross. Toby blushed and told him about Terence. The Fat Controller laughed. "If I were you, I would leave the roads to what they were made for and stay on the rails. You'll find them much more comfortable."

"And I was quick to agree," finished Toby.

"I still think all of that was rather exciting," said Rebecca, "but what was Percy emergency anyway."

"Well," said Percy, "it started all started when Toby was invited to the seaside and-"

"I'm afraid that's a story for another time," interrupted Toby sleepily. "We'll tell you, Rebecca, but first, let's get some rest."

"Alright," Rebecca yawned in agreement, and she soon dozed off.