We meet Ivor and his driver Jones the steam. Ivor is a very ordinary engine on a very ordinary railway, but not for long...
Ivor doesn't seem his usual self, so Jones and Dai take him along the main line to Pontypool Roads. There the engineers examine him, but can't find anything wrong. The chief engineer tells Jones something might have upset Ivor, so they take him home to find out what...
Dai has a plan. Jones is to leave Ivor on the siding above Grumbly - as he did the day before yesterday - to find out what has upset him. They carry out this plan and discover that Ivor wants to sing in the Grumbly and District Choral Society. Sadly, when they have a word Evans the choirmaster he tells them that Ivor's squeaky little whistle wouldn't do for the choir.
The Railway Company tells Jones and Dai that Ivor can have a new whistle if they find and fit it themselves. So they head down to Tanwygylch with Ivor to see Morgan the Roundabout. Now he has a record player he no longer needs his old steam organ. After getting Mr. Morgan's blessing they take the pipes back to Llaniog.
Ivor finally has his pipes fitted, so he and Jones the Steam show them to Evans the song. Evan likes them, but drops a bombshell: they have forgotten to ask the railway company if Ivor can sing in the choir...
The big day has finally arrived. With his new whistle fitted, Jones gets Ivor ready to sing with the Grumbly Choir.
Nothing out of the ordinary even happens on this little railway in the top left-hand corner of Wales. But what ordinarily happens is often fairly extraordinary!
Who lays eggs in a Volcano? Somebody does and Jones and Ivor take the gold-miner's advice and keep it warm - until they hear it sing!
What is the proper container for red-hot livestock? The Regulations are quite definite but definitely inflammable. So another, more suitable conveyance must be found.
Some creatures are real and some are mythical, even if they are good at frying fish, and they want to stay mythical.
If you want to hide, perhaps the best thing is to pretend you were never there in the first place - even if it does make your friend look a bit of a fool.
Mrs Porty does wear some unusual hats but she wouldn't expect to be arrested for wearing one of them - certainly not in front of the Church Ladies Guild!
It's a hard life being a sheep dog, especially when the silly sheep and the engine driver need to be rescued. Sometimes railway engines are more sensible than people.
Ivor the Engine, when he sings, could charm the very birds off the trees - or at least the pigeons off Miss Price's roof.
Visitors are always welcome. Even wounded visitors weighing several tons can be accommodated by Mr Hughes the Gasworks.
Nobody likes to take medicine, but some patients are so unhelpful that even the most patient nurse loses patience and gets the boot.
We can all be recognised by the sort of clothes we wear, but this invalid is rescued by her boot and everybody is happy at last.
If you are far from home it is a great joy if home comes to find you. And what a show it puts on when it does!
Are these strange apparitions flying saucers or just the bubbles of a goldminer's boredom - and what's the use of gold anyway?
Some wear fancy hats in order to look beautiful. Some wear them to save their friends - but what else should an engine-driver do?
A good donkey will always do what she is told, even though she has to run a long way to do it. Luckily there are wheels for the return journey.
The dividing line between being a nuisance and being useful depends on what sort of disaster is waiting for a small engine.
What is the point in having a bit of gold put by if you can't spend a bit to help your friends when they are in trouble.
Perhaps gold will not do to buy the railway, but Mrs Porty is not going to stand by and let her donkey lose a dear friend.
Volcanoes are not really things that people need, but for some they are home from home - if they can find one.
If you can't find a desirable volcano, then you must seek the help of a learned society which has a lot of half-crowns.
When the snow is deep and Mrs Williams runs out of jelly-babies, it is time to invent something to move the snow out of the way.
Some snowdrifts are just snow, but some have more than snow in them, and they must not be ploughed aside, even for the sake of the General's new teeth.
Some fire engines will go absolutely anywhere, so long as they don't get stuck. Then they must not be too proud to ask for help.
Pulling sledges up the hill can be quite fun, if you are strong enough, but it can be even more fun sledging down the hill again - if you have a sledge.
When all the latest technical equipment cannot pull you out of trouble, perhaps it is time to get help from more old-fashioned pushers and pullers.
Some engines are very particular about what they will or will not be willing to drink, for the sake of who or what happens to be in the drink.
We must always do what we can to help others, even if they do chose to build their houses in such extraordinarily silly places.
It doesn't tell the time any more, it doesn't sing anymore. It is no use at all, except to a homeless bird and her family.
Some trumpets sound very low indeed, but some sound so loud that only mythical creatures can hear them, and they will come to your aid.
What is life if full of case we have no time to be with our friends and do nothing at all. We don't all have to be busy all the time.
Everybody loves to go to the seaside and have fun splashing about in the surf, but some of us aren't able to - and that is a bit sad.
Engines don't always do what you would expect them to do, but luckily they are very rarely stolen by gangsters.
Even the most difficult feats of engineering can be achieved, especially if they will help a friend to join in the fun, and also get very wet.
The money may no longer buy things in the shops, but people who know where to find it can help to keep the dragons warm.
Who said only dogs can herd sheep? Everybody should be allowed to have a try and it doesn't matter a bit how heavy they are.
When Ivor leaves to seek his fame and fortune, who or what can take his place? Is it worth a load of gold just for the pleasure of seeing it go?
Ivor has earned a small fortune, but even though he knows what he wants to buy with it, can he persuade them to take the money?
Keeping lots of friends warm on his boiler may help to keep his friends warm, but it makes him a bit grubby. But there are some advantages in it.
Very small dragons do sometimes make mistakes when they meet an old enemy, especially if they don't notice what he is made of.
There are places where a dragon could possibly live, but wouldn't want to, and there are places which, with a little help, will do very nicely, thank you.
We see a typical day in the life of Ivor the Engine. Ivor delivers Coal to Grumbly Gasworks, tomatoes to Mr Davy and Fish to Mrs Thomas. Ivor also goes to choir practise.
Mrs. Porty shows Jones and Ivor the fox cubs in the wood near her house. As Ivor and Jones go to deliver Mrs Porty’s Hat for the Institute Prize Giving, they save the fox from hunt, by hiding her in the hat box.
Jones is cleaning Ivor when they are called off on an emergency - Mr. Dinwiddy needs his new boots! Jones leaves Bluebell the Donkey holding the bucket. She follows them all the way to the goldmine, so Jones and Mr. Dinwiddy arrange for a mode of transport...
Jones ands Dai are relaxing when they spot some strange objects in the sky. The source appears to be Mr. Dinwiddy's goldmine...
Going past Smoke Hill, an extinct volcano, Jones and Ivor spot smoke coming from the top. Jones discovers are fire inside the hill and a strange egg. He puts it in Ivor's firebox to keep it warm. Mr. Dinwiddy doesn't have any idea what it is so they go off to choir practise. During the practise there seems to be a voice coming from inside Ivor...
Ivor has gone off on his own again. Dai gets quite cross about it, while Jones finds Ivor at Mr. Pugh's farm along with some guests.
A silly sheep has got itself stuck on a ledge in the hills. Jones tries to rescue it but ends up stuck himself. He ends up sending Ivor and Nell, the sheepdog, to get help.
Jones discovers Ivor has gone and Mrs. Porty suspects bandits. It isn't bandits, of course, and they find the engine at Tewyn beach.
The choir are going on their now annual outing to Tewyn beach. They are planning a very special surprise for Ivor...
It's lovely summers day and Ivor has finished all his work. Jones and Dai decided to go and relax by the river. Ivor feels a little left out standing by the station platform so he goes off on his own...
Jones and Ivor desperately need to find the birds a home. Perhaps Mrs. Porty has the answer?
The railway is going to be sold to the Welsh National and Ivor sent to Pontypool Roads for shunting duties. What can Jones do to save Ivor?
Something's very fishy when Ivor won't go under the water tower.
One morning Jones and Ivor spots some smoke beside the railway line. It turns out to be Idris the Dragon. They rescue him and he explains that Smoke Hill is now extinct.
A rock on the line turns out to be a wounded Elephant. Jones and Ivor take the elephant, named Alice, and her keeper to Mr. Hugh's gasworks to recuperate.
Ivor receives a mysterious package in the post. In turns out to be a trumpet from some old friends and comes in handy for rounding up Old Idwoll's sheep.
Jones and Dai are watching the sheep dog trials and a very large contestant turns up to enter...
Ivor goes off with Banger's Circus as "The Singing Engine". His replacement is a Juggernaut built by Bynon Smith. It turns out to be a lot less reliable than Ivor.
The Dragons have nearly run out of Half-Crowns for their gas meter at Smoke Hill. Jones and Ivor find some in one of the most unlikely places.
It's winter in the top left-hand corner of Wales and Ivor's railway is not running because of deep snow. Llaniog needs supplies soon, though, as Eli the Baker is nearly out of flour. What Ivor needs a snowplough...
There's a fire at Mr. Pugh's barn but the new fire engine has got stuck in the snow. Ivor comes to the rescue, taking along the firemen and a hand-pump.
Ivor is having a lovely time in the snow. With a winch attached to his front, he is pulling the children on sledges up the hill. He pulls too many at a time and ends up wheel-deep in the snow. Various rescue attempts prove futile. Who can save Ivor now?
Jones and Ivor bring back a package, which is supposedly a hat for Mrs. Porty. However, Jones and Dai discover it's a new telescope cover for Professor Longfellow and go home for the night. In the morning, the package has gone...
The Dragons are in danger of being caged. Luckily, Mr. Dynwiddy knows just the place for them to live. But will everyone have to say goodbye to the Dragons forever?
