Air date: September 12th, 2004
The Duke and Duchess of Boxford are visiting and Edward is to take their luggage to their summerhouse. Spencer challenges Edward to a race and soon gets in the lead. Spencer becomes puffed up with his lead and stops to allow the Duke and Duchess to take photographs, falling asleep in the meantime. Edward, however, passes him and gets onto the summerhouse branch line and beats Spencer, who naturally is very embarrassed by his loss.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Bully Hunter: To a lesser extent, Thomas and Percy didn't take kindly of Gordon and James' remarks about Edward letting Sodor down if he loses to Spencer.
- Determinator: Edward. This made Gordon realize this.
- Jerkass: Spencer. Also Gordon and James to a lesser degree since they doubted that Edward could beat Spencer.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: But then Gordon then had a change of heart when he realized Edward was trying hard to catch up with Spencer.
- Slow and Steady Wins the Race: The engines challenge Spencer, the Duke and Duchess of Boxford's private engine, to a race to the Duke and Duchess' summer house. When Edward is assigned to deliver a set of furniture to the summer house, Gordon and James are worried that Edward will lose the race, since Spencer is a sleek and fast express engine who managed to beat even Gordon's record, but Thomas and Percy believe in Edward, due to Edward's kind personality. Thanks in part to Spencer having to make several stops, such as the Duke and Duchess buying tea and cakes from Wellsworth Station and taking photographs of the countryside (Spencer also falls asleep during the latter), Edward manages to overtake Spencer and win the race.
- Stock Footage: Early in this episode, footage of Spencer travelling through Henry's Tunnel from his debut episode, "Gordon and Spencer", is shown.
- Whole-Plot Reference: To the Tortoise and the Hare.
