Air Date: 21 October 2003 (UK), January 25, 2005 (US)
The Fat Controller has given Rheneas the task of taking some schoolchildren to the mountains, but Rheneas is worried that he might not be able to make the trip memorable. Rheneas arrives at the station asking Rusty how he can make the children's day special. Rusty tells him that he knows the mountains better, but Rheneas is not sure his best would be exciting.
Rheneas' driver shows the children the Castle, the Valley, and the Viaduct during the trip. The children are surprised, but Rheneas considers the locations boring and longs for more excitement. Meanwhile, Rusty is inspecting some track on the Rocky Ridge Line after heavy rain washed the ground and made the track bumpy.
While Rheneas is still trying to think of something that would make the children's trip special, he does not know the linesman has forgotten to switch the points. This leads to him being diverted onto the dangerous line, sending him on a roller coaster-like ride down the mountain. The children are very excited and have a wonderful time, completely oblivious to the fact that Rheneas is a runaway. The teacher does not share their enthusiasm and finds herself nauseated. Rheneas makes it to the station safely in time for the children's tea but is worried that the Fat Controller will be cross. The children have had an exciting ride after all, and the Fat Controller is pleased with Rheneas and calls him a really useful engine.
This episode contains examples of:
- Dutch Angle: This episode makes use of them to make the tracks look steeper than they are,
not that it really works. - Green Around the Gills: The teacher's face is green with nausea during and after the ride.
- Oh, Crap!: Rusty's reaction when Rheneas goes down the construction line.
- Public Domain Soundtrack: A mix of the Runaway theme and the finale of Gioachino Rossini's "William Tell Overture" plays throughout the majority of the episode in the UK version.
- Runaway Train: Somehow it doesn't occur to Rheneas or his crew to stop or reverse to avoid going down the line, so as a result, they become this.
