Ep 12. Salty's Surprise

Thomas & Friends season 16 episode 12, titled "Salty's Surprise," is an interesting episode set on the fictional island of Sodor. In this episode, Salty, the diesel shunter, has to handle the new arrival of a large, heavily-loaded barge named Fergus, which is owned by the Sodor Shipping Company.

Salty has been eagerly waiting for Fergus' arrival at Brendam Docks. At last, when Fergus reaches the port, Salty is overjoyed to see the barge and meet his new friend, Porter. Fergus is carrying a few surprises for the engines that Salty is transporting to their destinations, including some super-sized crates with unknown contents.

As Salty starts delivering the special packages to the other engines, he realizes that it's not going to be an ordinary day. As he travels from one part of the island to another, delivering the mysterious crates, he runs into some problems. The big and heavy crates make his journey difficult, tipping and slipping on the track. Salty feels weighed down and struggles to deliver his cargo.

The other engines become curious about what Salty is carrying as they see him transporting heavily-loaded crates. Thomas, Percy, and James offer to help him out but Salty, eager to prove himself, insists that he can manage on his own. Soon enough, he learns that having friends around can make all the difference in the world.

As the day wears on, a storm rolls in, causing problems for Salty as he struggles with the heavy crates. To make matters worse, the storm has caused a landslide, blocking Salty's path towards his destination. Salty feels like he has let everyone down, but his friends reassure him that it's okay to ask for help.

In the end, Salty gets the help he needs from his friends. They use their strengths to get the heavy crates to their destination, and the contents of the crates are finally revealed. The crates were full of materials needed to build a new seaside station. Salty was proud of himself for doing his part in helping to build the station, and he learned that it's okay to ask for help when you need it.

Overall, "Salty's Surprise" is a heartwarming episode that showcases the importance of teamwork and the value of asking for help when needed. It is a great episode for young viewers to learn these valuable life lessons and to see their favorite characters work together to solve problems.