Air date: November 26th, 1986
Adapted from: Branch Line Engines, "Daisy"
Percy and Toby arrive at the station worried. Thomas has been sent away to be repaired after his accident and the Fat Controller waits for them in order to introduce Daisy, the diesel railcar who will help run the branch line while Thomas is away. Percy asks if she'll leave after Thomas returns and the Fat Controller responds that it depends on her performance. Regardless, he expects Percy and Toby to welcome her and help her settle in. The two engines happily agree, so the two start by taking Daisy to the engine shed for a rest.
Arriving at the engine shed, Daisy snobbishly tells Percy and Toby that she thinks the shed is "dreadfully smelly" and that anything smelly is "bad for her swerves". This makes Percy and Toby angry, but the two carry on and take her to the carriage shed. Daisy prefers it there, but asks what the rubbish is next to her. Unfortunately, the "rubbish" is Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta who are greatly insulted by this. Percy and Toby are forced to take them out of the shed and stay up half the night trying to soothe their hurt feelings.
The next morning, Percy and Toby are exhausted while Daisy wakes up feeling full of energy as she goes to the station to take her first passengers. Arriving, she starts to show off and attempts to woo the passengers. However, her attitude changes when Toby couples a milk van to her. Daisy refuses to take it, despite her driver's arguments and eventually starts to shudder until she blows a fuse. Everyone at the station argues with her but to no avail. Daisy then claims that her fitter ordered her never to pull anything because she's highly sprung and pulling is bad for her swerves.
No-one at the station believes her story and everyone starts to wonder why the Fat Controller brought such a lazy engine to the Island. By now, the train is late, so the crew is left with no choice but to leave the milk van behind, allowing Daisy to enjoy her journey.
As she runs, Daisy chuckles at how well her story worked and decides that she will do only the work she wants from now on. But she says it to herself.
Tropes:
- Antagonist Title
- Berserk Button: By Daisy's reaction of the shunter's comment, she doesn't like being referred as "feeble".Daisy: Feeble? Feeble?! Let me...!
- Call-Back: Daisy's arrival after Thomas' accident with the stationmaster's house was set up at the end of "Thomas Comes to Breakfast".
- Fantastic Racism: When Daisy arrives at the carriage shed, she calls Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta rubbish. The coaches don't want to stay in the shed to be insulted by Daisy, so Toby and Percy have to spend half the night soothing their hurt feelings. The next morning, when Daisy introduces herself to Thomas' passengers, she says "You won't want Thomas' bumpy old Annie and Clarabel now!" to them.
- Karma Houdini: Daisy gets away with her snobbish and lazy behaviour. That is until the next episode.
- Lazy Bum: Daisy refuses to take the milk tanker and decides to leave it behind, taking only the passengers.
- The Smurfette Principle: As of this season, Daisy is the first and only female engine of the series until the appearance of Mavis in the next season.
- Spoiled Brat: Daisy has proven to be this. First, she disparages the engine sheds, preferring to sleep in the carriage sheds. Then, she calls Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta "rubbish". And lastly, she throws a tantrum over having to pull a milk tanker because, in her mind, "pulling is bad for her swerves", and eventually is allowed to leave without it.
- Too Proud for Lowly Work: As a diesel railcar, Daisy considers herself above pulling freight. When she is asked to take a milk van along on her route, she flatly refuses and says, "Percy can do it!"
- Well, Excuse Me, Princess!: Daisy deems herself too good for Percy and Toby's activities, sheds and more.
- We Want Our Jerk Back!: Percy, who had dismissed Thomas' claims of not needing a driver, and then laughed at him after the accident now asks if Daisy will go away when Thomas comes back.
