Sally is very happy because she’s taking the schoolchildren to the Observatory, where a photographer is going to take a picture. Dan is sad, because he cannot join in. On her way Sally gets splattered with mud, making her sad because she will be dirty in the photograph. Sally is even sadder when she is told that the trip has been cancelled because there is a broken rail on the viewing platform at the Observatory. But then she discovers the trip has been changed to a picnic on top of the hill. This makes Sally happy. Dan is also happy, because he can now come with Sally and the children. When they get to the picnic area, the photographer makes sure Sally’s muddy door can’t be seen.
Nigel likes speeding, but he has to travel slowly aboard the chain ferry, which makes him angry with William. He has to be diverted because Jennie has broken down on the level crossing, and then ends up stuck behind Barney. He shouts and hoots at Barney, and makes Barney angry with him. Barney explains that Nigel will have to be patient, but Nigel is very angry because he can’t bear to go slowly. He grumbles but finds that going slowly isn’t so bad after all, since he notices things around him that he usually misses. That said, he can’t wait to go fast again!
Sally is afraid when she is stranded above the viaduct with a storm brewing. William sees that Sally is swaying in the wind and calls for help. Her only chance of rescue is Charlie, but he will have to cross the viaduct, and he is afraid of heights. Charlie makes his way slowly across the viaduct, fighting his fear all the way. He reaches Sally, and fixes her clamp back on the cable so that she can get back to the junction safely just as the storm breaks. Charlie is a hero!
All the Transporters are excited because a new clock is being built at the station and the mayor will be visiting to start the clock. Everyone has a job to do. Barney and Charlie are excited, because they have to collect clock parts; Jennie is excited because she has to collect the mayor. But Barney gets held up by a road blockage. Nigel comes to the rescue to clear it and Barney arrives with the clock hands, just in time. Everyone is excited to see the mayor starting the clock.
Barney is in the paint shop and can’t collect his cargo from the harbour. Jennie volunteers to help, not realising that it is a wagon of smelly fish for the market. She is disgusted by the horrible smell, but since she promised to help Barney, Jennie takes the cargo. Jennie is worried that people will think she is smelly. When Charlie arrives, he is disgusted by the smell. Jennie is embarrassed because she thinks Charlie will think she smells, but Charlie doesn’t. He kindly offers to go with Jennie. They then make their way to the market, trying to hold their breath as best they can!
It’s Barney’s birthday but all the other vehicles go about their business as if it’s just any other day. Barney is surprised that no one has remembered. This makes him sad. But what Barney doesn’t know is that his friends are preparing a surprise celebration for him when he gets back to the junction that evening.
William is crossing the estuary, but something is wrong. Although he is usually so strong and powerful, he finds that he is losing his strength and feeling very tired. He is very worried that he is ready for the scrapyard. Barney tells William that the problem is simply a broken cogwheel in William’s engine. Barney then fixes William. Fixing William makes Barney tired too, but William is very happy that he is not ready for the scrapyard. Key emotion: tired. Additional emotions: happy, sad, surprised, worried. William is crossing the estuary, but something is wrong. Although he is usually so strong and powerful, he finds that he is losing his strength and feeling very tired. He is very worried that he is ready for the scrapyard. Barney tells William that the problem is simply a broken cogwheel in William’s engine. Barney then fixes William. Fixing William makes Barney tired too, but William is very happy that he is not ready for the scrapyard.
Charlie is looking forward to doing his favourite school run, only to find that Jennie has already done it, which leaves him with a bad feeling. He snaps at the other Transporters, who wonder why he is being so unfriendly. Charlie’s unfriendliness hurts Sally’s feelings. Jennie gets to the root of the problem and explains to Charlie that she thought it was her turn to do the school run and she hadn’t meant to upset him. To make amends she offers to let Charlie do her school run the next day. Charlie greets Sally, who is being unfriendly to him because he hurt her feelings earlier. Charlie apologises for being unfriendly to everyone.
Oliver is sad because he can’t travel up to the Observatory while a new window is being fitted. Sally kindly waits with him to keep him company. When the window has been fitted she leaves Oliver to get back to work. Later a very tired Sally realises that she still has to make one more trip to the Observatory. The usually grumpy Oliver remembers how nice it felt when Sally was kind to him earlier. He kindly offers to take her passengers and let her rest, glad that he can return Sally’s friendship. However, he still wouldn’t like to be called ‘Oliver the kind funicular’!
A rock is blocking Jennie and Barney’s path. Before they can stop him, Nigel drives into the rock to help them by pushing it out of the way. But the rock flies through the air and smashes a window! Nigel is very sorry. After being angry with Nigel for his carelessness. Barney is sorry, because he realises Nigel only wanted to help. Nigel then speeds off on his way, to be told to slow down by everyone he meets. He doesn’t, and crashes into Charlie, knocking him off his track. Nigel is very sorry and fixes Charlie back on the track. He says sorry to everyone, until eventually he has to say sorry for saying sorry so many times!
Nigel is very proud of being the fastest of the Transporters and challenges the others to a race. Only William is willing to race, which surprises everyone. Surely Nigel will win easily! They set off on the race, but Nigel stops to chat, boasting that he is fast enough to stop for a break and still beat William. But he stops for too long and William beats him, making it William’s turn to be proud.
Oliver is jealous of all the other Transporters. Nigel goes so fast, while all Oliver does himself is go slowly up and down the hill. Sally has Dan to keep her company and Jennie gets to stop at traffic lights. The other Transporters try to show Oliver the positive side, though Oliver soon finds another thing to be jealous about. But when there is a power failure at the sub-station on the hill, only Oliver can reach it. He has to fix it to get the traffic lights working again, before there is an accident. Oliver realises that what he does is very important and he doesn’t feel jealous any more. But now Nigel is jealous of Oliver, who can fix the sub-station!
Dan decides to play around to make everyone laugh. He makes Sally, Barney and Jennie laugh, but also manages to make Oliver jump, causing him to set off down the track without his passengers. Oliver is angry with Dan, who feels sorry when he realises what he’s done. He apologises and explains that he meant to make Oliver laugh, not to make him angry. Oliver is no longer angry and pulls a funny face to make Dan laugh.
Barney is late picking up his cargo. Jennie tells him that he is always late, whereas she is never late. Barney is ashamed about being late. But later that day Jennie realises that she is late herself. She goes off to the quarry to hide, ashamed of being late and of the way she spoke to Barney. The other vehicles become worried about her and form a search party. They eventually find her at the quarry, feeling ashamed. They tell Jennie there’s nothing to be ashamed about at all, because she wasn’t running late – the church clock is running ten minutes fast!