Just outside York the intrepid trio of Peter Davison, John Sergeant and Paul 'Piglet' Middleton travel down the river Ouse aboard a 21-foot steam launch. Disembarking at Ripon, their next vehicle awaits: a 1908 Stanley steam car - one of the biggest steam cars ever built. John drives - but quickly gets lost down a back street. At Levisham they pick up a huge 3,500 horsepower engine called the 9F that races them towards Grosmont, near Whitby. Peter gets to drive while John gets stuck shovelling coal.