- James' brakes catch fire and his freight-trucks push him out of control, forcing Thomas to use a breakdown-train to help him and to deal with the trucks that he has gotten used to.
- The Fat Controller always tells Thomas that while he may not be as big or as fast as Gordon, he can still be a Really Useful Engine. While shunting, Thomas notices a strange green coach and two cranes and his driver explains that this is the breakdown train and it's used to lift derailed engines or pieces or rolling stock.
One day, while Thomas is working, he hears an engine whistling for help. The engine is a new one named James, and he's being pushed by a long line of trucks, causing him to run too fast. To make matters worse, his brake blocks are on fire and he can't stop. As the trucks laugh and James disappears under a bridge, Thomas gapes in shock and becomes determined to teach the trucks a lesson. Soon an alarm rings and the signalman comes out shouting that James has derailed, so the breakdown train is needed at once. Thomas is coupled to the breakdown train and heads to the scene of the accident as fast as he can.
Further down the line, James has crashed into a field and fallen on his side. His crew checks him for any damage and tells him that the fault lies on his wooden brakes, which they had never liked. Thomas arrives with the breakdown train and removes the trucks that are still on the rails from the scene, while the breakdown train recovers the trucks which had overturned. Thomas works harder than ever before, going backwards and forwards with the trucks until they've all been cleared away.
Soon it's time to lift James out of the field. After having the chains attached to him, James is lifted by the cranes and is carefully set back onto the rails. James is unable to move by himself, so Thomas pulls him back to the shed as evening falls. Waiting for them is the Fat Controller, who congratulates Thomas on all his hard work. He arranges for James to receive a new coat of paint and have proper brakes fitted and rewards a delighted Thomas with a branch line of his own.
Now Thomas is happier than ever. Not only does he have a branch line, but he also has two new coaches named Annie and Clarabel. He now gets to pull trains all day and often meets Edward and Henry at the junction. Gordon is often in a hurry, but still whistles greetings to Thomas, who always whistles back.
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