TTTE S5E26: Rusty and the Boulder

Coming your way, another Season 5 Thomas review. One that's controversial, especially due to how unrealistic it is.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image.

130. Rusty and the Boulder.
Written by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 19 October 1998. AUS: 28 December 1998. CAN: 15 February 1999.

On the Island of Sodor, high up in the mountains, there is a mysterious boulder that has stood alone for a long time. But one day, a new quarry is built near the mines on the land below and Rusty is afraid the giant boulder would fall onto the line. He confesses his fears to Thomas and Percy. Edward arrives with a new machine called Thumper to help with the mining process. Soon, Thumper is working hard. The men are pleased, but no one bothers to check the boulder. But when it started raining, the workmen left. Rusty gazed up and shivered as above stood Boulder. Suddenly, a large slab of rock lands on the rails. Rusty is shocked and worried by this, but his driver is concerned. His driver thinks the rock has been loosened by the rain, but Rusty thinks it is Boulder telling them to go away. As they leave, a face mysteriously appears on Boulder and then disappears.

The next day, the sun is shining again and Thumper begins working harder than ever. Suddenly, Rusty notices something; Boulder begins moving, but his driver does not believe him until Boulder falls down and lands on the rails in front of them and begins to chase Rusty. Boulder rolls along the line of the rails as Rusty quickly drives himself backwards to get away from Boulder. Rusty and his driver stop at a junction and wait for Boulder to pass by, but Boulder is nowhere to be seen. Then, they soon realise that Boulder is behind them. Just ahead, they see a small junction, so Rusty races towards it. Rusty takes the line that goes uphill, while Boulder thunders past by them.

Meanwhile, Skarloey is making his way up to the quarry, but he sees Boulder heading for him and catching up fast. He becomes surprised and immediately reverses, but soon slips into a siding, while the Boulder passes by. Boulder destroys the water tower that was in between the tracks. Skarloey tells Rusty that they have to warn the yards, but he does not know how. Boulder was headed for Rheneas and he races back as fast as he can to get away from Boulder until he ran into some buffers with Boulder just passing by him, but his driver sighs that it is rather a smash than a squash. At the yards, Percy is collecting trucks when he heard and saw Boulder approaching. Boulder crashes nearby into the sheds, causing a large, fiery explosion and Boulder to go up in flames.


When the Fat Controller inspects the damage, he has no choice but to close the mine. Then he looks at Boulder with the shed, demolished. He realises that they should have left this part of the island alone. At night, they move Boulder to a hill close by the yards so it would never harm anyone or anything on the island anymore. Rusty is sure that, on a clear night, it is gazing high up at the mountains in the distance and that its sighs are being carried on to the wind where it once used to stand, proud and silent.

While this episode is unrealistic, mainly due to how Boulder was chasing Rusty at his front, then chasing him from behind, and how round he is, this episode was entertaining at the same time, especially when Skarloey and Rheneas screamed "YOINKS!!!" upon seeing Boulder.

Now, onto the newcomer Thumper. I know he was here to work on the quarry, but he didn't say anything and he doesn't have a specified basis.

I know this episode might remind some of Indiana Jones, mainly due to how rapid the boulder was rolling, but on the least part, it was unrealistic. I mean as Boulder was chasing Rheneas across the viaduct, wouldn't Boulder's weight have destroyed the viaduct?

But hey, this is a fine episode overall.

My rating: 7.5/10.

Season 5 scorecard:

3. A Better View for Gordon: 10/10.

10. Toby and the Flood: 5.5/10.

12. Double Teething Troubles: 9.5/10.

25. Snow: 3.5/10.

26. Rusty and the Boulder: 7.5/10.

Season 5 so far: 8.4/10.