TTTE S2E26: Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree

Now I'm going to be doing another Thomas Christmas review. This time, the last 80s episode and the last to be narrated by a member of The Beatles.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

52. Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree.
Written by: Christopher Awdry.
Aired: UK: 17 December 1986. AUS: 26 December 1988. US: 27 October 1992. 

It is the twenty-third of December and the final preparations are being made for a carol party to be held at Tidmouth. All the engines are working hard setting up the decorations. This year, the Fat Controller wants this carol party to be extra special.

The Fat Controller is waiting very impatiently when Thomas arrives. The Fat Controller tells Thomas that their Christmas tree has come and Thomas has to fetch it while Duck watches over Annie and Clarabel. Thomas is very excited and rushes off, collecting the tree safely, but on the way home, runs into a snow drift and gets stuck. Thomas knows that he must get back in time, and whistles, but cannot get out of the heavy snow. Suddenly, an avalanche erupts and buries Thomas and the tree.

Back at the yards, the engines are waiting for Thomas. His delay begins to make them cross. The Fat Controller quiets them down to tell them that snow has knocked the telephone lines down, and they must assume that he is stranded. Everyone now feels sorry, and Donald and Douglas puff away to save him. They soon reach a snow drift much deeper than the rest. A cry for help is heard, but Douglas thinks it is the wind. Hearing the cry again, they realise that they are at the drift where Thomas is buried.

Time passes as the workmen decide to free him. Thomas' driver and fireman, who had taken shelter in a nearby cottage, join the rescue, and Thomas is freed from the snow. Thomas follows the twins home, and arrive just as night falls. The Fat Controller rewards the engines by granting permission to sing carols. The engines happily chuff away to the station. Lights come on, and the Fat Controller declares three cheers for Thomas and his friends.

Harold soon joins the party and drops off Father Christmas, much to everyone's joy. As the carols begin, Thomas tells Percy that it was no fun getting stuck in snow, but it was all worth it for the celebration. Thomas then wishes everyone a Happy Christmas.


So did Season 2 go out on a high note? Without a doubt, yes! But even if this was a fine Christmas episode, I think it would've worked better as a 10 minute Christmas special, just to be more faithful to the book it's based on.

Donald and Douglas were very heroic to save Thomas the Tank Engine from that large snowdrift, though James and Edward could've helped too.

For reasons unknown, Daisy and Henrietta weren't at the Christmas party, yet Diesel was, despite being sent packing.

But overall, this was a very good Christmas episode, Santa appeared, and it's such pride that Ringo Starr went out on such a high note.

My rating: 9.5/10.

Season 2 scorecard:

1. Thomas, Percy and the Coal: 6.5/10.

6. Thomas and Trevor: 9/10.

7. Percy and the Signal: 9.5/10.

8. Duck Takes Charge: 9/10.

9. Percy and Harold: 10/10.

10. The Runaway: 9/10.

12. Pop Goes the Diesel: 9/10.

13. Dirty Work: 8.5/10.

14. A Close Shave: 9.5/10.

15. Better Late Than Never: 9/10.

18. Thomas Comes to Breakfast: 10/10.

19. Daisy: 9.5/10.

20. Percy's Predicament: 8.5/10.

21. The Diseasel: 10/10.

22. Wrong Road: 9/10.

23. Edward's Exploit: 10/10.

24. Ghost Train: 10/10.

25. Woolly Bear: 9.5/10.

26. Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree: 9.5/10.

Season 2 Rating so far: 9.3/10.

TTTE S1E26: Thomas' Christmas Party

Time for me to review something to help celebrate Christmas. This time, the final episode of Season 1 of Thomas.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

26. Thomas' Christmas Party.
Written by: Rev. W. Awdry.
Aired: UK: 25 December 1984. AUS: 28 December 1987. US: 25 November 1990.

It is Christmas time and Thomas and Toby are very busy carrying people and parcels along the branch line. Despite Annie and Clarabel complaining that they are overloaded, Thomas retains his festive spirit.

Near his branch line is a little cottage. This is the home of an older woman named Mrs. Kyndley. Thomas always whistles "Happy Christmas!" to her and agrees that Christmas would not be the same without her.

At the sheds, all the engines have been polished but Thomas does not mind and tells them he wants to throw Mrs. Kyndley a party to thank her for saving him from a landslide the year before. When she was ill in bed, she waved her red dressing gown out the window to warn Thomas and the Fat Controller sent her to Bournemouth to get better as a reward.

All the engines agree that a party is a great idea and hope that the Fat Controller agrees as well. He does, but on the day of the party, there is a heavy snowfall, trapping Mrs. Kyndley in her house. Thomas bravely puts on his snowplough and sets off with Toby to rescue her and soon, they arrive at the cottage which is covered in snow. Thomas whistles to Mrs. Kyndley to tell her they have arrived when suddenly, Terence arrives with his snowplough to help clear a path from the cottage to the railway. Once everything is cleared away, Percy takes the workmen home and Terence stays behind to look after Mrs. Kyndley's cottage.

Thomas and Toby take her to the shed, where the party is supposed to be, but as they arrive home, they find the sheds in darkness. Suddenly, a switch is thrown and the sheds are covered in lights. The Fat Controller congratulates the two engines, everybody sings carols and Mrs. Kyndley says it is the best Christmas party ever.


While this was a beautiful way to end Season 1, I honestly feel that Paint Pots and Queens should've been the Season 1 finale. This episode could've worked as a 10 minute special back in 1984, just to help adapt the entire book this is based on.

Terence was heroic to save Missus Kyndley in this, and the Christmas party was wonderful. There was a good reference to Missus Kyndley's Christmas which sadly never got a full adaptation.

Even so, this was a lovely way to celebrate Christmas.

My rating: 9.5/10.

18. Coal: 9.5/10.

19. The Flying Kipper: 10/10.

20. Whistles and Sneezes: 9.5/10.

24. Off the Rails: 9.5/10.

25. Down the Mine: 9.5/10.
26. Thomas' Christmas Party: 9.5/10.

Season 1 rating so far: 9.6/10.

All 9 Magic School Bus kids ranked

Thought I'd try doing something rather unusual, something as unusual as a certain review I did last month. This time, I'm going to do another blog post related to The Magic School Bus. And yes, I'm counting The Magic School Bus Rides Again in this. As I said, in spite of the fact that The Magic School Bus Rides Again was made 20 years after the original show ended, and the fact that it's co-produced by 9 Story instead of Nelvana, it's meant to continue the original show.

You may remember in my first blog post I made about The Magic School Bus, I was giving away my thoughts on The Magic School Bus Rides Again, and I explained that the reason I got into The Magic School Bus as a kid was because it's an anthropomorphic bus. However, this time, I'm going to do something none of you expected me to do.

I know this has been done a few times before over the last half decade or so by other people who grew up with the series, but since I've looked back on the original series and checked out the sequel, I've decided to rank all 9 of the main kids from The Magic School Bus from my least favourite to favourite. Why 9? Because Janet is actually in Miss Frizzle's class! No, she's still in a different class. Jyoti's in Miss Frizzle's class now, and she replaced Phoebe, but even so, I'm still including Phoebe since she was in Miss Frizzle's class in the original show and in the books.

First of all, I want to lay down some rules for this countdown.

1. There are no rules!
2. Liz is the class' pet chameleon, so don't expect her on this list.

3. Janet is in a different class and she only makes recurring appearances in both the original and the sequel because she's Arnold's cousin. So don't expect her on this list.

"You won't include me in this ranking list? Prove it!"

I am ready to take another chance, make more mistakes and get messier! So, step inside for another wilder ride and get ready to be Frizzled....again! Here is my ranking from my least favourite to most favourite of all the main kids from The Magic School Bus. Blog, do your stuff!

9. Tim.

Okay, I don't dislike Tim, but he's my least favourite main kid. The reason he's last is mainly to do with the fact he barely contributes anything to the show apart from his artistic skills and his "We've been Frizzled" catchphrase.

8. Keesha Franklin.

Keesha does get on some people's nerves sometimes, like arguing with them, even when they're trying to have fun. Her arguments with Ralphie about his wild imagination can get frustrating sometimes, but I do find them funny. But there are a few times where she does contribute stuff to the series, like her film about ants, and the food chain project she did with Arnold. Although she can sometimes be annoying whenever she says "Oh bad! Oh bad! Oh bad bad bad!"

Let's get the fact, a fun fact: Erica Luttrell, who voiced Keesha in the original show, also played Kara in Shining Time Station, the children's show that brought Thomas the Tank Engine to America, and is now the voice for Sapphire in Steven Universe. 

7. Jyoti Kaur.

Okay, Jyoti wasn't in the original Magic School Bus TV show or any of the original books, but she's a main kid in The Magic School Bus Rides Again, which, as I said, is intended to continue the original show, so she counts. I'll admit, she might seem like a Mary Sue to some, basically because she's a tech-wiz and doesn't reminisce about her old school like some other girl, but she does have some cool karate moves that she showed in Frizzle of the Future. Even if I can't see anything wrong with her apart from the fact she replaced Phoebe (not that I dislike Jyoti, as a matter of fact, I like her), Jyoti still needs getting used to.

6. Phoebe Terese.

She can be annoying to many, all because she would keep saying "At my old school,", but on the bright side, she does care about animals. She is a good role model for kids who want to look after animals like working in a zoo or working in a pet shelter, as she's a nature lover. Let's hope she appears in the 2nd season of The Magic School Bus Rides Again as a minor character like how Janet still appears every now and then. Also, Phoebe does have a handicapped dad. In which case, her dad is blind.

5. Arnold Matthew Perlstein.

What may be the surprise of the year, Arnold is in the middle of the list. The negative thing about Arnold is that whenever field trips go horribly wrong for him, he keeps wishing he'd "Stayed home today!", though I sometimes act like that whenever I go to places and things go wrong. Hmm... Phoebe going back to her old school in The Magic School Bus Rides Again makes me wonder why Arnold didn't get home schooled. The positive things about Arnold are how he's always self aware, and in The Busasaurus, he's shown to be braver than he's usually made out to be when he threatened to attack a T-rex who was going to eat the class. And in Gets Lost in Space, he was even brave enough to stand up to his stuck up cousin Janet to prove to her that Miss Frizzle is better than any other teacher.

What also makes The Magic School Bus Rides Again feel like the 5th season to the original show is the fact that Arnold still says "I knew I should've stayed home today!", but now he only says it every once in a while.

4. Wanda Li.

This girl is the definition of a tomboyish, energetic animal lover, basically Phoebe done better. I say animal lover because of Meets the Rot Squad, and because that's her extended persona in The Magic School Bus Rides Again due to her going to the pet shelter. Wanda's always eager to get the class going with "You weaselly wimps!", though she can be annoying to some with "What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?", but she does complain like that for the right reasons.

3. Ralphie Tennelli.

I was like Ralphie when I was a kid, always daydreaming and having a wild imagination, like how Ralphie has his superhero Weatherman and randomly believes in mythical creatures. And whenever I see something I don't think anyone else sees, I act like Ralphie with "Is it just me or...?" and I will admit, while his arguments with Keesha may be annoying to some, I do find them funny sometimes. I still relate to Ralphie in another way, I still have my head in the clouds.

2. Carlos Ramon.

He's so close to the top because he's so funny with his random lame puns. He seems to get it from his dad as shown in Going Batty. I especially liked his pun where he told Dorothy Ann "You were supposed to be Pluto! Arf, arf!" being a Disney reference, in Out of this World, and how everyone groans "Carlos!" every time he makes them. I can still relate to Carlos nowadays, making random puns when I try to be funny. And his arguments with Dorothy Ann and Keesha are funny too. Also, he has a handicapped brother named Mikey, in which case, Mikey is in a wheelchair.

It's very well done continuity that Carlos still makes puns every now and then, especially "Thanks for aspen!" in Pigs in the Wind and "Water we waiting for?" in 3-in-1.

However, the reason Carlos isn't number 1 is because no matter how funny his jokes and puns can be, some of them can be gross, like "It's a shortcut! Get it? Short cut?" in Inside Ralphie, and "It's snot!" "Not 'what', Arnold. 'Snot'!" in Makes a Stink. He's not as good as.....

1. Dorothy Ann.

What might shock some of you, Dorothy Ann is my favourite kid from The Magic School Bus. She's an inverted dumb blonde, in this case, she's a smart blonde. Even if she can annoy some with "According to my research," and her other book smarts, or nowadays, her computer smarts, you can get past that when you realise that almost everything she researches is also true in real life, after all, this is a series that's intended to teach kids about science. Why else is D.A. my favourite? She is cute in the following ways: Her designs and her voices. And yes, this applies to both her old design and her current design, and this applies to both the voice she had in the original show and the voice she has now. Her arguments with Carlos can be funny, like their argument about the colour made out of red and blue being violet or purple in Makes a Rainbow, and their argument when Carlos teased her with "According to my research Island" in Blows its Top. She was sweet on one occasion. In Cracks a Yolk, D.A., out of gratitude for hatching a new chick for Principal Rhule and for keeping her from getting into trouble with him, kissed Arnold, and how did Arnold react? He blushed. (and as I said in one of my countdown memes and in my controversy meme for this series, I ship the 2). D.A. is also an expert on stars.

It is also very good that Dorothy Ann still says "According to my research,", but now she pronounces it riːsərtʃ instead of rɪˈsərtʃ like she did originally.

So, Dorothy Ann is my favourite kid in The Magic School Bus. And this is a very reason I like her new design in the new series.

So there you go. That was my ranking of all the main kids from The Magic School Bus. Thought I'd join the bandwagon of ranking these kids from least favourite to most favourite, and good timing considering The Magic School Bus Rides Again's recent premiere.

Now I want to hear from you. Who's your favourite kid from The Magic School Bus? Feel free to tell me. 

TTTE S21E18: Confused Coaches + Season 21 overall

Alright. Time for me to wrap up my Season 21 reviews once and for all with this episode. I am going to review an episode focused on Gordon and Spencer. And to me, the final episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. 

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

512. Confused Coaches.
Written by: Helen Farrall.

Aired: 22 December 2017.

Spencer and Gordon upset their passengers when their competitive behavior gets extremely uncontrollable, causing them to accidentally board each other's coaches.

Man, Gordon's character and Spencer's character were very heavily flanderised here. First of all, Gordon was too pompous for his own good. And Spencer just took him too seriously.

While it was nice to see Spencer pulling coaches apart from his own, he should've realised he was taking the wrong passengers, and Gordon too.

The one fine thing about this episode is that it focuses on the New Year, something Thomas the Tank Engine never touched on before.

So did Season 21 end on a high note? Unfortunately, no. The characters were too flanderised for their own good, Thomas was shoehorned just for the sake of the soccermums, and Philip was shoehorned just to please the kids with low attention spans. Gordon and Spencer were too pompous for their own good, racing each other at such dangerous speeds, and unknowingly taking their passengers to the wrong spots. Too bad this is the last episode of the main series, the last episode to be narrated by Mark Moraghan and the last episode to be written by Helen Farrall, and it's a shame they went out on such a low note.

My rating: 0.5/10.

Season 21 final thoughts:

I don't see Season 21 as among the best seasons of the show. Sure it has a lot of great episodes, but it was too short, it heavily flanderised the characters, and it showed the bad things that were to come next year, with that Big World Big Adventures garbage.

I will give this season lots of props for giving Big Mickey from TUGS a face and having him speak, having Rosie repainted to a more realistic, NWR-esque livery, introducing decent characters like Hannah and Carly, and bringing back old favourites Terence and Bulgy, but it wasn't the best season ever. That'll always go to Season 3. 

So overall, I don't dislike this season, but of the Brenner-era, it's the least good.

The reason I said this is the final season to me and that Confused Coaches is the final episode to me is because I have finally decided that, due to political correctness gone mad, just to please the feminists who should just lighten up for crying out loud, because the series will be too fast paced and unrealistic after Season 21, just to please kids with low attention spans, I am not going to watch anymore future Thomas episodes or anymore of Mattel's idiotic marketing stunts ever again. So there, I'm finished with the series. I am only going to rewatch the episodes I've seen already from now on. To me, Thomas has officially ended. 

Season 21 episodes from least favourite to favourite:

0.5/10.

18. Confused Coaches.

3/10.

17. The Big Freeze.

4/10.
16. Daisy's Perfect Christmas.

5.5/10.
15. Cranky at the End of the Line.

7.5/10.

14. Emily in the Middle.

8/10.

13. Hasty Hannah.

9/10.
12. A Shed for Edward.
11. Stuck in Gear.
10. Philip's Number.

9.5/10.
9. A Most Singular Engine.

8. P.A. Problems.

7. New Crane on the Dock.
6. Springtime for Diesel.
5. Runaway Engine.

10/10.
4. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor.
3. Dowager Hatt's Busy Day.
2. Terence Breaks the Ice.
1. Unscheduled Stops.

Average Season 21 score: 9/10.

Final score: 8/10.

TTTE S21E17: Daisy's Perfect Christmas

Time to give away a review on an episode centred around everyone's favourite diesel railcar. A Christmas one at that.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

511. Daisy's Perfect Christmas.
Written by: Davey Moore.

Aired: 18 December 2017.

Daisy greatly dislikes winter, but enjoys one aspect of it: Christmas. She is fond of Sodor's Christmas traditions: picking up children, bringing them to the small railway for a party, and taking carolers around the island to sing for those who have to work during the holidays.

At Vicarstown one morning, shortly before Christmas, Daisy is disappointed to find that there is still no snow on the ground. She is still excited to see the tree and lights inside the station, but the workmen are still putting up the tree. She picks up the children to take them to Arlesburgh West, but is worried that they will be disappointed. On the way, the children are singing "Jingle Bells" with different lyrics, with Daisy annoyed that they are singing it "wrong".

Arriving at the junction, Daisy is upset to find that there are no presents like there have been in previous years. Despite Daisy's objections, Rex explains that they are doing something different for the party this year. He has trucks topped with snow being blown by a fan. Daisy does not see the fan and believes it is actually snowing, but quickly finds out that the snow is fake. The small engines are pleased with how convincing the snow is, but Daisy still wants real snow.

When she takes the children back to Vicarstown, the lights are finally up, but an electrical problem causes them to go out almost immediately.

Daisy collects the carolers and takes them to the Search and Rescue Centre. She is still in a bad mood, though everyone else is in good spirits. Mavis goes with some trucks and trucks begin screeching Christmas carols, which everyone else laughs at except Daisy. Finally, Harold puts the star on top of the Search and Rescue Centre's tree, which is not normally his job. This leaves Daisy absolutely furious.


At the sheds that night, Daisy complains to Ryan, Judy, and Jerome. She insists that this year, the Christmas traditions were "wrong". The others insist to her that things this year were no better or worse than previous years; just different. Daisy comes to accept this after Ryan reminds her that a few Christmases ago, they did not share a shed, while Judy and Jerome remind her that they were not stationed at Arlesburgh a few Christmases ago. They then surprise Daisy: as a Christmas gift, they have decorated the sheds. Daisy finally realises that the most important part of Christmas is being with friends.


Yes, this is an episode focused on Daisy the Diesel Railcar, but I didn't think it'd turn out to be a dud. I was expecting it to be "perfect". However, it turns out her character is flanderised greatly. She wishes every Christmas is perfect, and she even dislikes the fake snow the miniature engines made.

Daisy wishing Christmas was white all the time makes it rather disappointing. I mean come on, does every Christmas have to be white?

But even so, the moral of the story is that not every Christmas has to be perfect, and that being with family and/or friends is the most important part.

However, this episode just goes to show that the writers don't have to keep making so many Christmas episodes on a yearly basis. And it shows that even Davey's not perfect when it comes to writing.

My rating: 4/10. 

Season 21 scorecard:

1. Springtime for Diesel: 9.5/10.

2. A Most Singular Engine: 9.5/10.

3. Dowager Hatt's Busy Day: 10/10.

4. Stuck in Gear: 9/10.

5. Runaway Engine: 9.5/10.

6. P.A. Problems: 9.5/10.

7. Hasty Hannah: 8/10.

8. Cranky at the End of the Line: 5.5/10.

9. New Crane on the Dock: 9.5/10.

10. Unscheduled Stops: 10/10.

11. Philip's Number: 9/10.

12. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor: 10/10.

13. A Shed for Edward: 9/10.

14. The Big Freeze: 3/10.

15. Emily in the Middle: 7.5/10.

16. Terence Breaks the Ice: 10/10.

17. Daisy's Perfect Christmas: 4/10.

Season 21 so far: 8.6/10.

TTTE S21E16. Terence Breaks the Ice

Here's an episode I was excited for when I saw the cover for the Christmas on Sodor DVD, and when I saw the title for the episode. Mainly because of a certain character return. How does his return turn out?

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

510. Terence Breaks the Ice.
Written by: Lee Pressman.
Aired: 11 December 2017.

Terence is helping to cut down trees for the Christmas market at Tidmouth. Thomas arrives to collect them and Terence comments that he is wearing his snowplow, which he originally refused to do when he first met Terence. Since being rescued from a snowdrift by Terence, Thomas has learned the importance of wearing a snowplow. After reminiscing about when they first met, Thomas leaves with the trees.

Thomas stops at Knapford on the way to Tidmouth to speak to Sir Topham Hatt, who asks him where the huge tree he was meant to get for the Earl's Christmas fair at Ulfstead Castle is. As it turns out, Sir Topham Hatt never asked Thomas to get a huge tree, having forgotten to do so. Thomas promises to get a big tree once he has dropped off the load he already has.

Thomas returns to the forest and asks Terence for a large tree. Terence knows where the ideal tree is, but it is on the other side of a nearby pond that has been frozen over. Thomas advises against going over the pond, but Terence is not worried because of his caterpillar tracks. He gets to the other side of the pond, but leaves a huge crack in the ice.

After the tree has been chopped down, Terence goes back over the frozen pond. Thomas notices the ice cracking, but Terence chooses not to stop, as he is almost to the other side. He runs over the crack he left earlier and the ice breaks, leaving both Terence's rear end and the front of his trailer in the pond. After Farmer Finney has gotten out of Terence's seat, he yells for Thomas to go get help, but Thomas knows that this will take too long. He decides to pull Terence out on his own and has his driver attach chains to his plow. Thomas pulls Terence free of the water, but the trailer's hitch breaks and it sinks to the bottom of the pond, taking the tree with it. Terence apologizes to Thomas for his recklessness, but Thomas is not at all upset.


At the Christmas fair at Ulfstead, Terence apologizes to Sir Topham Hatt for losing the tree, but he is just happy that Terence is safe. Sir Robert Norramby arrives to unveil the replacement tree and, anticlimactically, turns on the lights to reveal that he only has a small tree, which has been put amid a stack of presents to give the illusion that it is massive in size. Nonetheless, he thanks Thomas and Terence for the tree and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.


What better way to bring Terence back than making an episode centred around him? Might I say, Terence looks brill in CGi. Many of us have noticed that his widow's peak has been replaced with eyebrows. Who cares about that? All that matters is that he returned.

There was a reference to the Disney movie Bambi at the beginning when a deer and a rabbit were sliding along the frozen lake.

There was a very well done flashback to Thomas, Terence and the Snow when Terence the Tractor reminded Thomas the Tank Engine about the time they first met. And there was even more snow than the original story and the adaptation, just goes to show there are some things you can't do with models.

It was nice to hear Farmer Finney, Terence's driver, speak for the first time.

This episode is home to a reference to Titanic when the Christmas tree sank down in the part of the pond Terence the Tractor broke, and Terence the Tractor was wrapped in a blanket similar to Rose.

The one thing that is noticeable is that Terence is voiced by Tom Stourton, who also voices Duncan the Rock n' Roll Engine and Rex the Green Miniature Engine, since Terence's voice is just Duncan's with a Northern accent.

So overall, this was a well done episode. Not solely due to Terence's return, but because of how well executed it was.

My rating: 10/10.

Season 21 scorecard:

1. Springtime for Diesel: 9.5/10.

2. A Most Singular Engine: 9.5/10.

3. Dowager Hatt's Busy Day: 10/10.

4. Stuck in Gear: 9/10.

5. Runaway Engine: 9.5/10.

6. P.A. Problems: 9.5/10.

7. Hasty Hannah: 8/10.

8. Cranky at the End of the Line: 5.5/10.

9. New Crane on the Dock: 9.5/10.

10. Unscheduled Stops: 10/10.

11. Philip's Number: 9/10.

12. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor: 10/10.

13. A Shed for Edward: 9/10.

14. The Big Freeze: 3/10.

15. Emily in the Middle: 7.5/10.

16. Terence Breaks the Ice: 10/10.

Season 21 so far: 8.9/10.

TTTE S21E15: Emily in the Middle

Another Christmas episode is being reviewed, and it's about the Scottish pair.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

509. Emily in the Middle.
Written by: Davey Moore.
Aired: 6 December 2017.

Donald and Douglas are called to Brendam Docks to deliver a very long load of steel pipes to Vicarstown, but begins arguing about pulling the long load, with Donald saying that they can pull it easily, whilst Douglas doubting that they could. As Thomas is leaving, he meets Emily, who is on her way to help the twins with the load. Thomas warns Emily about the twins notorious behavior of arguing with each other, of which she replies that she will be fine with. When Emily arrives and says that she will push the load from behind, Donald is more than happy to join her, whilst Douglas, not wanting to be left behind, agrees to come along and also to push from behind. Douglas bumps into Emily from behind before hooking up, and together, the long train begins to leave the docks.

As they are puffing along, Douglas thanks Emily for helping them out, and Emily mistakenly calls Douglas Donald, in which he corrects her, followed by what he can describe about his twin. This makes Emily laugh, but as she laughs, her laughter echoes through the steel pipes, to Donald, who begins to overhear the conversation. As Douglas explains to Emily about Donald's accidents, and with Emily laughing so hard about it, it makes Donald so cross that he stops the train. He tries to shout back that he is not going any further, but Douglas and Emily are so far behind that they cannot hear him, so Donald uncouples, puffs back along the train and tells Douglas about the conversation and laughter between him and Emily. He also says that it was so lonely at the front, that he now wants to swap places with Douglas. Emily happily agrees, so Douglas uncouples, but as the twins are backing up, Toby with some trucks are coming from behind, and seeing the two engines in his way, he diverts into a siding, and crashes into the snow, causing him to have a snowy white beard. Donald and Douglas apologize to Toby, whilst Toby's driver helps to dig him out of the snow. When Douglas is going round to the front, a grumpy Gordon with his express has to stop, as the front of the steel pipe train is in the way of the express line at Suddery Junction.

As the long train comes to Gordon's Hill, Donald asks Emily of what Douglas has been telling her, and she answers that it is more to do with the twins. Donald then tells her about Douglas' accident, of which make Emily laugh so hard, that her laughter went through the pipes, to Douglas, who overhearing stops the train halfway up the hill, uncouples and goes back to tell Donald that they are swapping back. Emily thinks this is getting silly, as an argument then begins to mount. Donald is uncoupled, goes onto the other line, and is chased up the hill by Douglas. But whilst the twins argue, Emily is left to hold the very long and heavy train, in which was starting to push her back down the hill. As the twins begin bumping into each other, a lump of coal falls from Donald's tender, and rolls down the hill, turning into a huge snowball. It is then that the twins realize the runaway train with Emily at the end, and the snowball, that they stop arguing and begin to chase after them. The giant snowball knocks Emily off the tracks, and when the twins arrive, they begin to argue of who's fault it is until Emily whistles loudly to stop the arguing. She scolds them saying that she was trying to help them, and if they can stop arguing for one minute, then they will know that she now really needs their help.


Harvey then comes to help Emily back on the tracks, just as the still snow bearded Toby, James and Gordon come by. Gordon sniffs and says that it was the twin's fault for the accident. The twins are about to blame each other, when they finally come to even ground to blame themselves. At Vicarstown, as Thomas is leaving the station with some trucks, he sees Emily now in front, pulling the long steel pipe train. Thomas asks Emily of how she handled things with the twins, she answers that it is fine now, and that she has learned in future to never be in the middle of the twins whenever they start an argument. Far at the back, Donald and Douglas happily explained that they should have let Emily be in front, and them be at the back in the first place, then they start to argue about their agreements.

It was nice of them to give Donald and Douglas another CGi episode, and to have them with Emily, considering she's Scottish too, and to have Harvey the Crane Engine rescue Emily since he's Scottish too, but did they really have to have Donald and Douglas' personalities so similar to Bill and Ben's persona now?

Also, did they have to hold the twins off for another winter episode? I mean in the classic series, they weren't so restricted to winter episodes. They had episodes that didn't take place in winter, like Twin Trouble and Bad Day at Castle Loch. 

But even so, I would be in Emily's wheels too if I was stuck in an environment where people argue consistently. And it was easily noticeable that Donald and Douglas could hear each other due to the pipes being hollow inside and being made of metal.

But despite all that, this was a decent episode overall, and Toby looking like Father Christmas was funny too.

My rating: 7.5/10.

Season 21 scorecard:

1. Springtime for Diesel: 9.5/10.

2. A Most Singular Engine: 9.5/10.

3. Dowager Hatt's Busy Day: 10/10.

4. Stuck in Gear: 9/10.

5. Runaway Engine: 9.5/10.

6. P.A. Problems: 9.5/10.

7. Hasty Hannah: 8/10.

8. Cranky at the End of the Line: 5.5/10.

9. New Crane on the Dock: 9.5/10.

10. Unscheduled Stops: 10/10.

11. Philip's Number: 9/10.

12. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor: 10/10.

13. A Shed for Edward: 9/10.

14. The Big Freeze: 3/10.

15. Emily in the Middle: 7.5/10.

Season 21 so far: 8.8/10.

TTTE S21E14: The Big Freeze

Since Christmas is just around the corner, I thought it time for me to review this year's Christmas episodes of Thomas.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

508. The Big Freeze.
Written by: Helen Farrall.
Aired: 1 December 2017.

Cold weather stops a delivery of coal arriving on Sodor, so the Fat Controller orders all engines to stay in their sheds. Thomas, however, thinks he has enough coal for one more run, but he gets stranded in the snow whilst the diesels take over the steam engine's jobs to keep the railway running.

This episode isn't without its faults. I mean a story about the cold and there's a coal shortage? It would've been wiser to have the story about the water towers freezing up, similar to Deep Freeze from James and the Diesel Engines. 

And what is it with HiT, Mattel and the small diesels? This episode, along with A Shed for Edward, could've been a great chance to bring Boco back to the series, but no. They seem to prefer small diesels for some reason.

Also, I was expecting this episode to be similar to the series finale of TUGS, which happens to have the same title.

Overall, this episode goes to show that when it comes to writing, even Helen isn't perfect.

My rating: 3/10. 

Season 21 scorecard:

1. Springtime for Diesel: 9.5/10.

2. A Most Singular Engine: 9.5/10.

3. Dowager Hatt's Busy Day: 10/10.

4. Stuck in Gear: 9/10.

5. Runaway Engine: 9.5/10.

6. P.A. Problems: 9.5/10.

7. Hasty Hannah: 8/10.

8. Cranky at the End of the Line: 5.5/10.

9. New Crane on the Dock: 9.5/10.

10. Unscheduled Stops: 10/10.

11. Philip's Number: 9/10.

12. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor: 10/10.

13. A Shed for Edward: 9/10.

14. The Big Freeze: 3/10.

Season 21 so far: 8.9/10.

TTTE S6E14: Middle Engine

Thought I would review another Thomas episode. This time, another one from Season 6.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

144. Middle Engine.
Written by: Brian Trueman. (Idea by David Mitton)
Aired: UK: 3 October 2002. AUS: 7 November 2002. US: 30 January 2003.

One day when Percy was collecting coal trucks from the smelter yard to take to the coaling plant, but two diesels named' Arry and Bert play a trick on Percy by shunting trucks in front of him making him a middle engine. Percy had to go slow with trucks in front and behind him and James teased him as a slowcoach. Percy had to put his trucks in front of him to the tipper for the coal to be dumped.

Percy know it is against the rules for engine to go on the tipper's loading ramp, but when his driver and firemen left, Henry arrived to collected some coal trucks, but was unaware that Percy was there and Percy was lifted onto the loading ramp with his coal dumped out and was brought back down. The yard manager was cross at Percy for causing confusion and delay and reported the accident to Sir Topham Hatt.

That night at the sheds, Sir Topham Hatt was cross with Percy for going onto the loading ramp and sent him to work in the yard until the incident is sorted out. James, hoping no one could hear him brags that he can handle 'Arry and Bert, but Sir Topham Hatt heard him and nominates James to the smelters yard to do Percy's work tomorrow.

The next morning James met 'Arry and Bert at the smelters and tells them to shunt his trucks for him. When James happily collected his trucks, he was sure got 'Arry and Bert to behave, but 'Arry and Bert play the same trick on James making him a middle engine like Percy. James said he is not a middle engine like Percy and he refuses to move, so Percy has to pull James to the Docks. Percy then jokes that James is learning to be a middle engine, leaving James angry and embarrassed.

I don't understand why this episode doesn't get considered a least favourite more often. First of all, Percy the Small Engine should know better than to become a middle engine because of Arry and Bert. I will admit it was funny when James the Red Engine called Percy "Slowcoach Percy" because of the train he was in the middle of.

But here's the real problem. Why did Fat Controller get cross with Percy the Small Engine for going onto the loading ramp when it wasn't his fault to begin with? He should've gotten cross with Arry, Bert and Henry! Arry and Bert made Percy a middle engine, and Henry the Green Engine unknowingly shunted Percy onto the ramp!

Also, I don't understand why Michael said that nobody likes being a middle engine. I mean Peter Sam was a middle engine and he didn't mind one bit. Mavis was a middle engine and she didn't seem to mind. What about push-pull services?

So overall, this is a weak episode, and I feel it could've had Arry and Bert punished for their actions. 

My rating: 3/10. (and that's being generous)

Season 6 scorecard:

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 6/10. 

RWS No. 10: 4 Little Engines

Time for me to review the first book to feature our favourite Narrow Gauge engines. The book that shows there are more than just standard gauge railways on Sodor.

(Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images)

10. 4 Little Engines.

Written by: The Rev. W. Awdry.

Published: 1955.

Time to travel on the narrow gauge railway to see our favourite little engines for the first time in the franchise. How does it fair?

Foreword:

Dear Friends,

Sir Handel Brown is the owner of a little Railway which goes to Skarloey and Rheneas. Skarloey means "Lake in the Woods", and Rheneas means "Divided Waterfall". They are beautiful places, and lots of people visit them.

The Owner is very busy, so Mr. Peter Sam, the Thin Controller, manages the Railway.

The two Engines, who are called Skarloey and Rheneas, grew old and tired, so the owner bought two others.

The stories tell you what happened.

The Author

83. Skarloey Remembers/Four Little Engines. (Part 1)

Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 20 October 1995. AUS: 26 April 1996. US: 14 October 1996.

Edward meets his old friend Skarloey, a narrow gauge engine. Skarloey talks to him about his friend, Rheneas, who is being repaired on the mainland, the two new engines, Sir Handel and Peter Sam, his coaches and his work, and when Edward goes to the workshops Skarloey dozes off in the sunshine.

This was a mighty fine way to introduce the wise old Skarloey, and it's nice that Edward knows the Skarloey Railway. It's nice that Skarloey remembers Rheneas being at the works. This would've been a lovely episode had it been adapted on its own, and I'll get to why later. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

84. Sir Handel/A Bad Day for Sir Handel.

Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 23 October 1995. AUS: 29 April 1996. US: 28 October 1996.

The two new engines have arrived. Peter Sam is good natured, but Sir Handel is in a bad temper. The next morning he insults the furious coaches by calling them "cattle trucks", and they get vengeance by holding back on a hill. The Thin Controller scolds Sir Handel, and he behaves until he is sent to work at the quarry one day. He purposely derails himself, and when he is put back on the rails, he is sent to the shed in disgrace.

This is the perfect reason Skarloey Remembers and Old Faithful should've been adapted separately. If Skarloey was sent to the works to be mended in the previous episode, why was he present in this episode? All of this messes up continuity and confuses little kids, especially coming from a woman who said The Missing Coach would confuse little kids. With these errors, she did a fine job at that. However, it was a good conversation Sir Handel and Gordon had with each other, and another flaw was that Sir Handel didn't have his punishment shown. 

RWS rating: 9/10.
TV rating: 8/10.

85. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady.
Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 24 October 1995. AUS: 30 April 1996. US: 4 November 1996.

While Sir Handel is left in the shed, Peter Sam has to do all the work himself. One day he has so much fun getting ready that he is late, and Henry threatens that he will leave without Peter Sam's passengers if it happens again. Peter Sam is so worried that at the lake he starts off without the Refreshment Lady. She is rather miffed, but bursts out laughing when she hears Peter Sam's story, and explains that Henry was joking. Peter Sam is furious, but Henry has wisely left!

This is without a doubt the best adaptation of the book. It stuck completely with the story, and it even has a town making it seem more detailed than the book. Though I have to ask myself, why did Henry the Green Engine have Gordon the Big Engine's worried face in a couple of shots? But regardless, this was a solid adaptation. 

RWS/TV rating: 10/10.

Old Faithful. (Part 2 to Skarloey Remembers)

It is Market Day, and Peter Sam is away for maintenance, so Sir Handel has to take the coaches. They still do not trust him and when he has to stop suddenly they are bumped, so to pay him out they derail him at the points. Skarloey offers to take the train home, but a spring breaks and Skarloey tilts. Despite this, he braves the journey home, and the Owner sends him to be mended. Sir Handel then learns a lot from Skarloey about how to handle the coaches and hopes for him to come back soon.

This episode would've work better if the 2 stories were separated from each other. The coaches were angry at Sir Handel because he bumped them, and there was no scene of him bumping them! And we didn't get to see the flashback due to the timing constraints. This is further going to confuse little kids. However, this episode will get props for making Skarloey crooked, just like the book, and regardless, he was willing to finish the journey. How's that for determination?

RWS rating: 9.5/10.

TV rating: 9/10.

Observation:

Before this book was published, Reverend Awdry was a guard on the Talyllyn Railway himself, and Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady was based on an event where a train started off, all because of Reverend Awdry, and the passenger the train left behind was the mother-in-law of the driver. 

Also, this was the first book since his introduction that doesn't feature Thomas at all. 

Final thoughts:

This was a very nice debut of the Skarloey Railway team. Too bad they barely got any screen time ever since the CGi switchover. This book was very solid and it opened new ideas for the railway based on the real life Talyllyn Railway. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

RWS scorecard:

6. Henry the Green Engine:

8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.

10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.

11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.

13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.

16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.

18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.

21. Main Line Engines: 9.3/10.

22. Small Railway Engines: 9.8/10.

23. Enterprising Engines: 9.9/10.

24. Oliver the Western Engine: 9.3/10.

25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.8/10.

26. Tramway Engines: 9.8/10.

27. Really Useful Engines: 9.2/10.

30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.

40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.

RWS rating so far: 9.3/10.

Season 4 scorecard:

1. Granpuff: 8/10.

2. Sleeping Beauty: 6/10.

3. Bulldog: 8.5/10.

4. You Can't Win: 9/10.

5. 4 Little Engines: 9/10.

6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 8/10.
7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 10/10.

15. Rusty to the Rescue: 5/10.

16. Thomas and Stepney: 5.5/10.

17. Bowled Out: 9.5/10.

18. Train Stops Play: 9/10.

20. Toad Stands By: 8.5/10.
21. Bulls Eyes: 8.5/10.

23. Paint Pots and Queens: 9/10.

24. Fish: 10/10.

26. Mind That Bike: 5/10.

Season 4 rating so far: 8.4/10.

TTTE S18E08: Duck and the Slip Coaches

Time I gave a certain episode a shot. One that some find overrated, one that is focused on a character who everyone loves, and one that has an idea that the Awdrys never tried.

(Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image)

422. Duck and the Slip Coaches.
Written by: Nick Ostler and Mark Huckerby.
Aired: UK: 3 September 2014. AUS: 8 October 2014. US: 13 May 2015.

It is high summer and a very busy time on Sodor, and all of the engines are busier than ever due to the holiday makers going to the beach. The Fat Controller is feeling worried about getting everyone to their destinations on time. At Knapford, he hurries a girl and her mother onto James' train, causing the girl's inflatable toy to fly out of her hands and land on the Fat Controller's top hat. The girl laughs along with Thomas and James, until the Fat Controller firmly sends them on their way.

One night, Duck stays at Tidmouth Sheds so that he can help out with the passenger duties the next day. Duck likes telling the engines about the summer days reminding himself of his old days on the Great Western Railway, much to James’ annoyance. Duck tells the other engines that he used to pull slip coaches, which are coaches that can be uncoupled without stopping and would simply roll into the station on their own before stopping. He explains that this was more time efficient than using regular coaches and helped get all the passengers to their destinations on time. He also says that if an engine went too slow while uncoupling a slip coach, it would bump into the back; knowing when to uncouple the coaches took a lot of skill. James thinks it sounds easy, but Duck tells him that there are two ways of doing things: the wrong way or the Great Western way.

As the other engines fall asleep, Emily arrives at the sheds only to discover that all the berths were taken, so she leaves to sleep somewhere else. Just then, James sees that the Fat Controller is worried that the next day will be the busiest day the railway has ever seen, so James tells the Fat Controller about the slip coaches and claims using them as his own idea. The next morning, when the engines wake up, three slip coaches from the GWR are waiting on a siding near the Sheds; all of the engines, Duck most of all, are excited; these happen to be the same slip coaches Duck pulled in his younger days. He expects to pull them, but is shocked to hear the Fat Controller saying that it was James’ idea to purchase the coaches and as such he is the one who will pull them. Later in the day, James is pulling the slip coaches, who are sceptical about whether he can handle them, on Duck's Branch Line.

As James approaches Bluff’s Cove, he orders the guard to uncouple the rear coach. Duck, who is also at Bluff's Cove, sees James approaching. After the coach is uncoupled, James slows down to show off his paint. Duck tries to warn James not to slow down too much, but James takes no notice. As he slowly rolls through the station, the rear coach, which has been uncoupled, rolls into the back of the train. Although none of the passengers are hurt, they are very cross and the slip coaches refuse to go any further with James.

The Fat Controller arrives and sees that everyone is not happy, believing that the slip coaches were a bad idea. Duck intervenes and offers to fill in for James; the slip coaches are delighted at the idea; Duck explains that he used to pull these particular slip coaches on the Great Western Railway and that James had stolen his idea. The Fat Controller agrees to let Duck pull the coaches full-time and thanks to Duck and the slip coaches, all of the passengers arrive at their destinations on time.

That night at the sheds, Duck and the slip coaches are praised for their hard work by everyone except James. At that moment, Emily arrives to get to the last berth of the sheds, but Henry comes in and takes it.

Yep, this is one episode that is very controversial in a way, and it has a piece of railway realism that was never tried in the Railway Series. Let's start with the realism.

Duck the Great Western Engine used to pull slip coaches on the Great Western Railway on a part called "The Sunshine Line". However, James, being the sneaky showoff he is, pretends it's his idea and takes the credit for the idea. What are slip coaches you may ask? Well....

Slip coaches are railway coaches that can be uncoupled from a train and just slide into the station by itself. The very reason they're called "Slip coaches".

Onto the controversy.

When Emily came to the sheds, she finds that all the spaces are taken, and she's upset. But in the end, Emily gets left out again, though James, for his boasting and lies, could've been the one left out of the shed instead of Emily. Maybe these scenes were supposed to go against this "Emily replaced Duck" rumour that was made ever since this "Steam Team" crap was made.

I like to think that many who say this scene was sexist like to overthink it. To be honest, I saw it as nothing when I watched the episode. I doubt anyone would watch it with an open mind if it were Donald, Douglas, Oliver, Boco, Derek, Arthur, Murdoch or Neville in the shed. And I doubt anyone would see it as sexist if it were Mavis, Daisy, Molly or Rosie in the shed.

So overall, this was a very good episode. But if it weren't for the parts that started this controversy, it would've been a perfect episode.

My rating: 9/10.

Season 18 scorecard:

8. Duck and the Slip Coaches: 9/10.

18. Last Train for Christmas: 10/10.

Season 18 rating so far: 9.5/10.

RWS No. 27. Really Useful Engines

I thought it was time to review the first book that was published by Christopher Awdry. And here I am, doing so.

(Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images)

27. Really Useful Engines.

Written by: Christopher Awdry.

Published: 12 September 1983.

A lot had happened in the span of 11 years while the Railway Series remained dormant. The medical army sitcom M*A*S*H* dominated FOX, Jim Davis introduced us to the lazy orange cat Garfield, Elvis Presley was found dead, John Lennon was shot dead (making him the only member of The Beatles never to have guest starred on The Simpsons), Postman Pat started to deliver mail, Pac-Man, my main former plumber Mario and my main ape Donkey Kong entered the world of video games.

Now life on the Island of Sodor is never dull. So how does Christopher's first contribution fair?

Foreword:

Dear Friends,

I am happy to say that Thomas and his friends are still at work, trying as hard as ever to prove themselves to be Really Useful Engines. My father is still taking an interest to the Region's affairs, but it is with grateful thanks that I would like to dedicate this book to him, the person who began it all.

The Author

Stop Thief!

The guard tells Thomas' crew that the stationmaster's house was burgled the previous night, and his gardening trophies and new car were stolen. Thomas is later puffing through the valley when he sees a car very much like the stationmaster's one and warns his crew, who identify the driver and passenger as the thieves. At the next signalbox, they throw the fireman's lunch box, with a note inside, to a signalman. The thieves are stopped at a roadblock, the trophies and car are recovered undamaged, and the Fat Controller arrives at Ffarquhar to congratulate Thomas and his crew.

Christopher's first story was brilliant! It further proves how useful Thomas is. Why this story was never adapted for TV, I'll never know. It'll help teach kids that stealing is a crime, something Thomas and the Snowman Party did the opposite. I think it would've been a fantastic adaptation.

My rating: 10/10.

104. Mind That Bike

Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.

Aired: UK: 20 November 1995. AUS: 27 May 1996. US: 21 October 1996.

Tom Tipper the postman falls ill, and, when he recovers, discovers that his van has been replaced with a bicycle. When he gets to Ffarquhar, Tom is asked to fill in some papers, so he props his bicycle carefully against the fence, and asks Percy to keep an eye on it. A boy comes along and starts riding the bike just as Percy starts. The boy falls off and manages to get out of the way, but the bike is run over and is beyond repair. Luckily, all ends well as Tom is given his van again.

This is definitely the weakest adaptation of the Railway Series, and the lowest quality episode of the Awdry-era. Yep, I find it weaker than Rusty to the Rescue. While Rusty to the Rescue could've worked with a few tweaks, the adaptation for Mind That Bike could've worked with lots of tweaks. First of all, Thomas and Bertie's appearances were unnecessary. Yep, a Classic series episode where Thomas the Tank Engine wasn't needed. Get rid of Thomas and Bertie, and maybe the story would've been better. Also, how stupid is Tom Tipper exactly? Propping his bike against Percy's mail van like that instead of a fence! The boys should've been involved since riding a bike near a railway line could lead to serious consequences, as the boys in the story could've been seriously injured, or worse, died!

I honestly prefer the original story. It did right what this adaptation didn't. This adaptation feels more like an Allcroft/Mitton script than an Awdry story. And it's a pity Season 4 ended on a low note.

RWS rating: 9/10.
TV rating: 5/10.

102. Fish.

Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.

Aired: UK: 16 November 1995. AUS: 23 May 1996. US: 11 October 1996.

An extra load of fish needs to transported in The Flying Kipper, but the only vans available are several old rusty ones. At Wellsworth, Henry calls for a banker and Duck arrives to help him with his train. Going up Gordon's Hill, however, a tail-lamp falls off and Duck drops behind. Henry soon slows down, and Duck collides with the vans, denting his funnel and boiler.

Some might say Thomas was shoehorned into this episode, but whether he was shoehorned or not, it didn't feel like he was shoehorned. Besides, he was here to warn Duck about fish, considering Thomas' past experience.

Also, this episode was brilliantly adapted, Henry and Duck's themes were blended together nicely and it's one of the best of Season 4. So I'm giving the adaptation a higher score.

RWS rating: 9/10.
TV rating: 10/10.

Triple Header.

One day after pulling the Express, Gordon feels tired and Thomas replies by telling him to become a tank engine. Later, it is discovered Gordon needs new tubes. Henry is told to pull the Express, but one day he gets sick too. Thomas, Percy and Duck (each of whom starred in one of the book's other stories) are the only engines available, so they are coupled up. On Gordon's Hill, Percy runs out of steam. They're unable to uncouple him, so they try to struggle to the Works. Duck breaks down just outside the station, and Thomas, unable to take the train himself, stops. Gordon, who watched the whole scene from his siding, makes heavy breathing noises at Thomas.

Funny how this story features all 3 tank engines who appeared in all the other stories that were written for this book. But who's working on their branch lines while they're pulling the express? I mean Donald, Douglas, Oliver, Toby, Mavis and Daisy can't handle the work alone. However, this story proves something that the Little Engines song shows. Never judge a tank engine by its size.

My rating: 8.5/10.

Observations:

The first illustration of Triple Header looks just like the 2nd illustration for Thomas and Gordon. 

There is a coincidence about this book. Reverend Awdry originally intended to call the 27th book "Really Useful Engines". It was nice of his son to carry on his father's legacy. I wonder how this book would've gone has Wilbert written it in 1973 or 1974?

Final thoughts:

This episode was a very nice start to the Christopher Awdry era of the Railway Series He wrote some nice stories and it was nice of him to follow on his father's legacy. 

My rating: 9.2/10.

RWS scorecard:

6. Henry the Green Engine:

8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.

11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.

13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.

16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.

18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.

21. Main Line Engines: 9.3/10.

22. Small Railway Engines: 9.8/10.

23. Enterprising Engines: 9.9/10.

24. Oliver the Western Engine: 9.3/10.

25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.8/10.

26. Tramway Engines: 9.8/10.

27. Really Useful Engines: 9.2/10.

30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.

40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.

RWS rating so far: 9.3/10.

Season 4 scorecard:

1. Granpuff: 8/10.

2. Sleeping Beauty: 6/10.

3. Bulldog: 8.5/10.

4. You Can't Win: 9/10.

15. Rusty to the Rescue: 5/10.

16. Thomas and Stepney: 5.5/10.

17. Bowled Out: 9.5/10.

18. Train Stops Play: 9/10.

20. Toad Stands By: 8.5/10.
21. Bulls Eyes: 8.5/10.

23. Paint Pots and Queens: 9/10.

24. Fish: 10/10.
26. Mind That Bike: 5/10.

Season 4 rating so far: 8.2/10.