British Railways attempts to modernize the network to make it more efficient, productive, and competitive. This undertaking, however, is not without problems.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Adaptational Jerkass:
- Sheffield, who in Sodor the Early Years, was a renamed Sixteen having Took a Level in Kindness; here, he's been described as a tank engine version of Benson. Of course, he and Sixteen, here called Glen, are not only two different characters, but also brothers.
- Murdoch in the original series was a Gentle Giant who longed for some peace and quiet; here, he has a Small Name, Big Ego after he successfully took long trains over long distances and sees fit to dress down engines like Toby, Henry, Donald, and Reginald. That said, he does apologize after he gets a taste of Humble Pie.
- Mythology Gag:
- Edward's use of the phrase "new fangled nonsense" from "Edward Strikes Out" is used in more justifiable circumstances.
- Murdoch asks Toby if he's the "special attraction" at some seaside event, which he was in the original series.
- Older Hero vs. Younger Villain: Downplayed as Murdoch isn't really a villain, more of a jerk who thinks he can boast about being the strongest class of steam engines, and he does apologize after Henry and Reginald help him over Gordon's Hill. The same can be said about the metal trucks, as their worst offense is boasting that they're more useful than the older, wooden ones.
- Truth in Television: Henry and Reginald refer to Murdoch as a "spaceship" which was an actual nickname for the 9Fs in real life.
