Air Date: October 15, 2003 (UK), January 25, 2005 (US)
It's a hot summer day on the Island of Sodor, and the engines on the Skarloey Railway are busy taking trucks of slate from the quarry. The hard work makes their axles ache, and Skarloey tells Peter Sam about how they've shunted every truck in the quarry at a water tower. Peter Sam complains to Skarloey that he feels too thirsty to feel useful.
It isn't just the engines that the hot weather makes feel thirsty; people are as well, and the Refreshment Lady is keeping very busy at the tea rooms.
The next day, the Fat Controller tells Peter Sam that the Refreshment Lady needs a new place to set up another tearoom. Peter Sam assures the Fat Controller that he can easily find her a beautiful place. The Refreshment Lady agrees with Peter Sam, saying that finding a place will be easy and fun.
Peter Sam takes the Refreshment Lady to the Woodland Way, the old Castle Causeway, and the Whispering Waterfall. The Refreshment Lady likes all three of these places, and as a result, she can't decide where to set up her new tearoom. She tells him that she can't build a tearoom in all three of those places, which disappoints Peter Sam. Now, he doesn't feel useful.
That night, a storm breaks out. Thunder booms, lightning flashes, and rain pours down. All the engines talk excitedly about the storm, except for Peter Sam. All he can think about is the Refreshment Lady's tearoom.
The next morning, the Fat Controller comes to the sheds and tells Peter Sam to help Rusty clear the storm damage. Peter Sam, who is now in a much better mood, sets off, thinking that now he can be really useful again.
Peter Sam meets up with Rusty, who is trying to clear away what looks like a shed having been swept onto the line by the storm. Rusty tells Peter Sam that the driver told him the old shed is useless now. Upon closer inspection, Peter Sam discovers that what Rusty's clearing away isn't a shed at all; it's an old railway coach. The old coach gives Peter Sam an idea, and he brings it to the Fat Controller.
Peter Sam's driver tells the Fat Controller about how Peter Sam thinks the old coach could be turned into a mobile tearoom. The Fat Controller likes this idea and tells Peter Sam's driver that he'll see if he can get Jem Cole to repair it. Sure enough, the old coach gets turned into a mobile tearoom. Peter Sam brings it to the Refreshment Lady, who is impressed with it. The Fat Controller then tells Peter Sam to pull the tea shop special. Peter Sam assures the Fat Controller that he is more than happy to.
Now the Refreshment Lady can serve tea at all her favorite places on the Skarloey Railway; the Woodland Way, the old Castle Causeway, and the Whispering Waterfall. Peter Sam is happy because he gets to be the engine that takes the coach to all of these places.
This episode provides examples of:
- Big Storm Episode: Midway through this episode, a rainstorm hits the Skarloey Railway following the day Peter Sam is tasked with finding a new location for the titular tea shop. When he is tasked with clearing away the storm's damage, he finds an abandoned coach that gets turned into a mobile tea shop.
- Emergency Transformation: When the Refreshment Lady is unable to decide where she wants to build her tea shop, Peter Sam finds an abandoned coach the following day and has it turned into a mobile tea shop.
- "Eureka!" Moment: When Peter Sam sees the fallen coach on the line, it gives him the idea to have it turned into a mobile tea shop.
- Literal-Minded: When the Refreshment Lady says that finding a location for her new tea shop will be a piece of cake, Peter Sam overhears and says that tea shops can't be built on cakes. She then has to explain to him the meaning of the expression.
- Rule of Three: The three places that the Refreshment Lady considers building her tea shop are the Woodland Way, the old Castle Causeway, and the Whispering Waterfall.
- Stock Footage: This episode begins with stock footage of Skarloey, Rheneas, and Rusty working in the Slate Mines from "Rusty Saves the Day".
