Air date: October 2nd, 2006 (UK)
Sir Handel arrives at the Transfer Yards after working all summer at the stone quarry. The Thin Controller is happy to see him back and tells him to take some apples from the orchard to the Middle Station and give a smooth ride. Sir Handel collects the trucks and starts his journey to the Middle Station. He runs the train around the lake, across the stone bridge, and starts to puff up a hill, but realises that he is rattling and rocking, so he stops. Peter Sam arrives behind Sir Handel and is concerned as to why Sir Handel has stopped, so Sir Handel tells him about his problem, and Peter Sam feels sorry for his friend. Sir Handel asks if he can be pushed up the hill, and Peter Sam agrees and helps Sir Handel up to the summit. At the Middle Station, Sir Handel is praised by the Thin Controller, so he does not tell him about his problem, then he is told to take sheep from the farm to their new field.
Sir Handel starts to worry; the sheep require a smooth ride too. When Sir Handel gets to the farm, the farmer warns him about being smooth. Once again, Sir Handel rattles and rocks at the approach of a hill and stops. Duncan arrives behind Sir Handel, who tells Duncan about his problem, so Duncan helps Sir Handel in getting the sheep to their field.
Sir Handel returns to the Transfer Yards where the Thin Controller and his wife are waiting. The Thin Controller is very pleased with Sir Handel's work so far, and he has a surprise job for him; it is his wife's birthday, and he wants Sir Handel to take them to the summit of Culdee Fell for a picnic. This makes Sir Handel very worried as he knows how steep the gradient to Culdee Fell is. When Sir Handel is climbing up Culdee Fell, he is determined to do it, but he rattles and rocks again and the picnic inside the carriage opens, causing food to spill out, while the Thin Controller and Mrs. Percival are being bumped around in the carriage as well. When Sir Handel finally stops, the Thin Controller is concerned about him and suggests that he should send him back to the stone quarry where only bumpy engines work. Sir Handel owns up to his problem, but the Thin Controller makes a phone call.
Mighty Mac helps Sir Handel back to the Transfer Yards and Sir Handel is now sure that he is going back to the stone quarry. However, when they arrive, he sees Thomas with the Thin Controller who states that he isn't sending Sir Handel back to the stone quarry; he has asked a fitter to fix him. Sir Handel smiles from buffer to buffer. After his repairs, Sir Handel can climb up the summit of Culdee Fell smoothly. The children in his carriages cheer for him, and Sir Handel gives them the smoothest ride of all.
This episode contains examples of:
- An Aesop: Don't be afraid to tell someone if something's wrong with you.
- Birthday Episode: Sir Handel's final job requires him to take Mrs. Percival on a special birthday trip for a picnic.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Sir Handel's time at the stone quarry has left him a kinder and wiser engine since his last appearance in Series 4.
