All Tracks Lead to Rome

"You're curious, aren't you? Careful though. You don't want to end up like the lost engine."

- Stefano

All Tracks Lead to Rome is the second double-length episode of the twenty-third series and is the first half of Digs and Discoveries.

Plot
Thomas is working on the Italian Railway keen to prove to his new friend Gina that he is an expert in all things Italian, which eventually starts to annoy her. She later uses this against him when they meet Mia, a friend of Gina and an archeologist. She states that she may be an expert, but isn’t one on everything, and that there are always new things to learn, which Thomas agrees with.

Thomas delivers his passengers, who are thankful, and also learns that “chao” is Italian for both hello and goodbye, from a stationmaster. He later spots Gina at a construction site lower down. Thinking she has broken down, he hurries down to help her, only to discover that she is fine. Thomas is also introduced to Ester, a excavator, who is helping with digging up the site. Thomas notes that the sight isn’t as busy as other construction sites he has been at. Ester explain that they are indeed digging hole for a new museum to be built, but the building has halted due to archeology. Thomas becomes enthusiastic and eager when he spots what he thinks is gold that one archeologist has dug up. Ester remarks how he sounds like the lost engine, which Gina agrees with. Thomas then asks about who said engine was, but Gina refuses to tell him more and asks if his passengers has somewhere to be. Thomas lets her pass and apologises to his passengers. Back on the main line, Thomas complains about the twisty tracks and thinks that it’s no wonder the lost engine got lost and that the railway is silly. Gina tells him that he’s silly, but he retorts that she is. Annoyed, Gina departs and says that he thinks he is an expert, and could might as well end up as the lost engine and she would not go to find him.

Thomas returns to the museum station, where Mia asks for Gina. She explains that she wants Gina to collect some archeological finds form Stefano, who’s coming from one of the Italian islands. Thomas volunteers to do it instead, but Mia is hesitant due to his minor experience with the railway. Thomas however assures her that he can manage, and she eventually accepts.

Thomas arrives at the seaside station and sees Stefano coming to shore. Initially he thinks that he is going to run aground, but he is revealed to have wheels as well. As they get introduced to each other, Stefano explains that he is an amphibious vehicle, meaning he can travel on land and water. He is then unloaded with several lorries, before he unloads two boxes that Thomas is to deliver. Before he goes back to sea, Stefano explains the story of the lost engine. The engine brought a coach with him, and always let curiosity get the better of him, landing him in places that he shouldn’t be in or that wasn’t safe. One day, he just disappeared, or so the story goes. Stefano notes that it’s just a story, before saying that Thomas should go back to Mia, and he should head back out to sea.

On the way back, Thomas becomes lost in thought and awe about Stefano and the story. He then begins to consider that it might not just be a story. He stops and realises that he doesn’t know where he is, and considers that Gina might have been right about him being like the lost engine. On a more positive note, he remembers that she also said that all tracks lead to Rome; and concludes that he will make it back anyway. Thomas spots several M-signs along the way, thinking they’re pointing him in the direction of the museum. But instead, they lead him onto an old line.

Gina arrives at the museum station and Mia asks if she has seen Thomas. She explains that he was meant to be back with his trucks. Gina decides to go and look for him. Back on the old line, Thomas heads into an old mine. He begins to think that he’s hearing the lost engine when he hears his own echo. He goes deeper into the mines, but is forced to stop when the tracks end over a pit. Thomas heads back and, and his whistling alerts Gina to his location. She comes down to the mine entrance just as he emerges from it in reverse with the trucks. But having not heard her, he reverses into her, derailing her in the process. Her derailment triggers a rockslide, and she is urgently re-railed. The two head onto a different line, which eventually leads them back onto the main line. Gina is still annoyed over him, and argues that she only needed to be saved because he got lost in the first place. Thomas explains how he thought he heard the lost engine calling out for help. Gina asserts that it was just a story and what he heard must have been his own echo. Thomas realises that she is right and calls himself silly.

As the sun sets, Thomas admits that he’s not an expert and asks if Gina is still upset. She answers that she still is a bit, but assures him that she will get over it. He then notes how she came looking for him, and that she might still like him despite annoying her. He lastly compared friends with archeology, saying that it may take time, but it’s with it in the end. Gina teasingly says that it’s whatever he says, as he is the expert.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gina
 * Stefano
 * Ester
 * Mia
 * A Stationmaster
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Archeologists
 * Lorenzo
 * Beppe
 * The Teacher
 * The Blond-haired Boy
 * The Female Puppet Show Entertainer

Locations

 * Italy
 * The Italian Construction Site
 * Pisa
 * Leaning Tower of Pisa
 * Rome
 * The Colosseum
 * Museum of Archeology
 * The Museum Station
 * The First Italian Station
 * The Italian Seaside Station
 * The Old Italian Mines
 * Island of Sodor
 * Vicarstown
 * India
 * Taj Mahal
 * France
 * Eiffel Tower

UK, AUS, NZ and MYS

 * John Hasler as Thomas
 * Anna Francolini as Gina, the Children and the Passengers
 * Antonio Magro as Stefano and a Stationmaster
 * Keith Wickham as Sir Topham Hatt
 * Montserrat Lombard as Mia and the Passengers
 * Vincenzo Nicoli as an Archeologist

US and CAN

 * Joseph May as Thomas
 * Anna Francolini as Gina, the Children and the Passengers
 * Antonio Magro as Stefano and a Staionmaster
 * Keith Wickham as Sir Topham Hatt
 * Monsterrat Lombard as Mia and the Passengers
 * Vincenzo Nicoli as an Archeologist

Trivia

 * Production-wise, this episode and its successor, Mines of Mystery, as the two specials that form a two-part story, are placed in the exact middle of the regular-length episodes of the twenty-third series, between Thomas Makes a Mistake (the tenth episode production-wise) and Grudge Match (the eleventh episode production-wise).
 * The title is a play on the saying: "All Roads Lead to Rome."
 * This is the first episode to take place in Italy and marks Gina's first full episode appearance, first appearing in a flashback in Grudge Match. This is also the first time she is voiced by Anna Francolini, taking over from Teresa Gallagher.
 * Along with Anna Francolini, Montserrat Lombard, Flaminia Cinque, Antonio Magro and Vincenzo Nicoli join the voice cast.
 * This is the only episode of the twenty-third series set in Italy where Lorenzo and Beppe do not appear physically as they aren't rediscovered until the next episode.
 * The story of Lorenzo may have been based on the Zanetti ghost train story.

Goofs

 * When combined with Mines of Mystery for the Canadian broadcast, Keith Wickham is miscredited as Kevin Wickham.
 * There is a grammatical error on the German title card: It says "Alle Schiene führen nach Rom" when it is supposed to say "Alle Schienen führen nach Rom."

UK/AUS

 * Digs and Discoveries