Toad is bored of hearing Oliver's story about how they escaped from scrap all the time. and wants his own story to tell. James agrees to take him on his goods train, and Toad has his own adventure on the main line.

Duck likes telling the engines at Tidmouth Sheds about his days on the Great Western Railway. James tells the Fat Controller about Duck's slip coaches, only he claims it was his own idea. James gets to run with them the next day, but realises he doesn't have the expertise that Duck does and runs into trouble.