It is Christmastime on the Island of Sodor, and with the ground covered in snow, that doesn't stop the North Western Railway from keeping busy.
At Tidmouth Sheds, Sir Topham Hatt arrives to find Thomas, Henry, and Emily there. He explains to them that tonight was the Winter Party Festival, and he would be picking one of them to be the special Party Engine for the festivities, which makes Emily excited as the Party Engine is all dressed up for the celebration, making the assignment a very special Special Train. However, Sir Topham Hatt explains that he will only reward the position to the engine who is the most helpful that day with their jobs.
He assigns Thomas to pick up the party cakes for the festival, while Henry is assigned to pick up the Brass Band. After Thomas and Henry leave, Emily asks for an assignment, but Sir Topham Hatt does not have one for her at the moment. Emily is discouraged, until a strong wind blows Sir Topham Hatt's top hat off his head and far away, leaving him feeling flustered about showing up to the festival without his hat. Emily, seeing a chance to be rewarded as the Party Engine, offers to find it for him. Sir Topham Hatt agrees, and Emily sets off.
However, she is so excited about her job, instead of looking for the top hat, she goes to tell Thomas and Henry about it, saying to them when they express doubt about her finding it that she'll find it as she's really good at finding things. However, as night falls on the Island, Emily arrives at the Sodor Steamworks with the idea to pick up the Presents Train now, so it will save her time later when she finds the hat.
Inside, she explains to Victor that she's the Party Engine and is here to collect the Presents Train. Victor, unaware that Emily has not been assigned the Special yet, agrees, and Emily is soon decorated in lights and holly with a big red bow placed under her chin before she is coupled up and lit up, looking wonderful. Emily is beyond happy, until Victor mentions that she must have been really helpful to be granted such a special privilege, causing her to remember that she still needs to find Sir Topham Hatt's top hat. She leaves the Steamworks at once, but it is already after dark, causing her to realize any chance of finding the top hat now would be next to impossible. It only gets worse from there...
Thomas arrives with Sir Topham Hatt, and he is very cross to find Emily pulling the Presents Train, decorated as the Party Engine, and having failed to find his top hat. Emily blushes with shame, feeling terrible in letting her Controller down, and believes she is unworthy and undeserving of being the Party Engine now. Sir Topham Hatt agrees, and grants Thomas the privilege of being the Party Engine for being so helpful delivering the party cakes, before telling Emily that she needs to return to the Steamworks to have the decorations removed so they can be put on Thomas instead. With a sad and solemn reply of "Yes sir", Emily returns to the Steamworks to have the Presents Train and her decorations transferred to Thomas.
Once Thomas is suited up in the decorations, he and Emily head for the town square where the festival is being held. Along the way, they stop at the level crossing where Emily ran into Thomas earlier, and looking over at the snowman a couple of kids had been building next to the fence separating the tracks from where the kids were, Emily gasps when she sees what is adorning the snowman's head: Sir Topham Hatt's missing top hat.
In the town square, Sir Topham Hatt is growing anxious as to Thomas and Emily's whereabouts as he checks his watch, but the two engines soon steam into the square, and Emily reveals she has a special present for her Controller. When Sir Topham Hatt opens it, he finds his top hat inside. Emily found it after all. Proud that Emily owed up to her mistake and found his top hat, Sir Topham Hatt commends her for being Really Useful and a Really Helpful Engine, making Emily feel very proud of herself, decorations or not.
Tropes:
- An Aesop: Always stick to the task you're given.
- Bittersweet Ending: Emily doesn't get to be the Party Engine, but she at least manages to find Sir Topham Hatt's top hat, who praises her as a very useful engine.
