Air date: September 17th, 2018 (UK)
When a storm destroys the classroom at Harwick School, all the children have to be brought by train to Knapford for their lessons. Duck is keen to do the job, but he needs a coach. After searching all over Sodor, he finds Dexter, a rusty old restaurant coach in an old overgrown siding.
Tropes:
- A Day in the Limelight: For Duck.
- Aesop Amnesia: Hannah, who had learned her lesson on going too fast in "Hasty Hannah", is back to her old ways in this episode.
- Although, Toby did mention that he was taking Hannah while Henrietta was at the Steamworks, so that could imply that "Hasty Hannah" takes place at the same time as this episode.
- All There in the Script: It is only mentioned in the official episode description that Dexter was a restaurant coach.
- An Aesop: Old things can be repaired, reused, or recycled.
- Catchphrase Interruptus: Duck's spiel about the Great Western way is interrupted by Hannah and then the children.
- Continuity Nod:
- When imagining potential new wheels, Dexter exclaims "Caterpillar tracks! I can go anywhere!", just like Terence.
- In the And Knowing Is Half the Battle segment, Thomas recalls the events of "The Perfect Gift".
- Creator Cameo: Former narrator Mark Moraghan makes the switch from narrator to voice actor, voicing Dexter in this episode.
- Emergency Transformation: Dexter is an abandoned coach who is repainted, repaired and repurposed into a mobile classroom.
- Green Aesop: This episode provides a moral on recycling.
- Imagine Spot: Dexter has one where he gains monster trucks wheels and caterpillar tracks.
- Jerkass: Gordon. Duck goes around asking other engines if he can borrow their coaches. Emily and Edward can’t because they’re using said coaches, whereas Gordon (who doesn’t even let Duck finish asking) won’t simply because he doesn’t like Duck.
- Noble Fugitive: Dexter.
- The Pollyanna: Dexter always keeps a positive attitude, even when he's on the brink of being scrapped.
- Running Gag: The other characters refusing to give Duck their coaches.
- Shout-Out: The title is a reference to the film, School of Rock.
- Tempting Fate: Thomas says that he hopes the storm doesn't cause too much damage. The storm ends up destroying the classroom at Harwick School.
