RWS No. 42: Thomas and his Friends + Railway Series overall

Britt Allcroft's era ended on a low note with Snow, the model era overall ended on a high note with Best Friends, and the Nitrogen era ended pitifully with The Christmas Tree Express. How does the Railway Series end? Which is why I'm reviewing for all of you, the final book of The Railway Series.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images

42. Thomas and his Friends.

Written by: Christopher Awdry.

Illustrated by: Clive Spong.

Published: 6 July 2011.

It's time for me to wrap up my reviews on the Railway Series once and for all with my review on the final book. Does the series end on a high note?

Foreword:

Dear Friends,
The Awdry family is delighted to be able to mark the centenary of the Thin Clergyman's birth with the publication of this book. The Fat Controller wanted to celebrate the occasion too, and quickly made his own plans. What were they? Turn the pages to find out...

The Author

Thomas and the Swan.

Pip and Emma arrive at the big station one day and the Fat Controller tells Thomas and Gordon that they will be running the express service to London. They soon become a success.


One day, Thomas is leaving the station by the river, when he sees something white on the bridge ahead. He and his crew think that it is a newspaper, until Thomas sees a head and a long neck emerge from the bundle. After looking at it, Thomas' crew realise that it is a swan, which has broken a wing. They place the swan in Thomas' cab and take it to the top station where a vet takes it to his surgery. A few days later, they set the swan free. Thomas is congratulated for his rescue by the Fat Controller and the other engines.

This was a nice way to start this book, a rewrite of Thomas and the Swans for an annual story published 20 years prior. It shows we must be careful around nature, especially animals like swans. And it was a great touch with Pip and Emma joining Sodor.

My rating: 8.5/10.

Buffer Bashing.

Donald and Douglas are delivering ballast hoppers from the Arlesdale Railway to Tidmouth Yard for James, who is taking the trucks to a section of the mainline undergoing track maintenance. Donald moves into a siding one day, but the rails are slippery with frost and he finds himself brought to a stop by the buffers. Nobody is harmed, but the buffers are smashed to smithereens. The other engines tease Donald and tell him he should go into skating championships, but the Fat Controller does not mind, as he knows Donald could not help it. Three days later, James collects the final ballast train, while Douglas slides into the siding where workmen are just finishing painting the new buffers. Douglas' driver applies the brakes, but nothing happens and Douglas crashes straight through the new buffers. The foreman angrily splashes some red paint onto Douglas' nose, which the Fat Controller leaves on his nose as a reminder to be more careful in sidings.

Really? Was that painter that silly to think Douglas broke the buffers on purpose? And they didn't show how Douglas' brakes failed. The mention of skating championships was funny I'll admit, but the bad lesson put it off for me. What's the moral for this story? "Take care in sidings" If that's the moral, then it was handled terribly! And what's worse, the conflict wasn't resolved.

This is without a doubt the worst story of the Railway Series. Just goes to show when it comes to writing, even the Awdrys weren't perfect.

As my good friend TrainsandCartoons suggested, since he's working on an adaptation on this, have Bill and Ben replace Donald and Douglas since they're more of the playful type and have one of the twins crash into the buffers out of arrogance. That would've worked better than what we got in the end.

So overall, this was an abysmal story with a bad lesson and a bad moral. 

My rating: 0.5/10.

Gordon's Fire Service.

Gordon is taking a stopping train on the main line when he sees a red glow from under a bridge. A tractor's load of haybales had caught fire and the fire has begun spreading to the grassy banks. Gordon's crew tries to put it out, but to no avail. Then Gordon has a wonderful idea: the hose inside his cab can be used. The driver and fireman quickly get to work and soon the fire is out. The fire engine soon arrives, but when they find the fire is already out, they praise Gordon for his quick thinking. Gordon is awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal for his bravery.

This is a well done story, and it shows how much Gordon has grown as a character, accepting the fact his express was given to Pip and Emma, making him pull stopping trains from now on. And he's also proven a hero in this story. It also proves how useful steam engines can be when it comes to putting out fires, with water they use to make steam. 

My rating: 10/10.

Centenary.

The engines are preparing to celebrate the centenary of the Thin Clergyman. James is chosen to go and collect the bust of the Thin Clergyman from the Mainland. He collects the bust safely and has just gone through Henry's Tunnel on his return journey when the tunnel collapses, cutting off Sodor from the Mainland! Henry and the Scottish Twins are sent to repair the tunnel. Meanwhile however, all trains have to stop at Crovan's Gate whilst Bertie and his friends bring the passengers to and from the Mainland. At Ffarquhar Sheds, Percy tells Toby that the Thin Clergyman is "broken" until Thomas explains what a bust actually is. Soon Pip and Emma, who were stranded on the Mainland, are cleared as the first train to travel through the repaired tunnel. At Tidmouth station, out of Pip and Emma's coaches steps Prince Charles. He unveils the Thin Clergyman's bust and proudly declares, "There will never be anything like it anywhere".

I'll say this story was kind of unoriginal, of course, similar Golden Jubilee which was written to celebrate 50 years of Thomas, this story was written to celebrate what would've been the Rev. W. Awdry's 100th birthday. I mean in the former story, a spider made a web in the signal box, while in this, Henry's Tunnel collapses without explanation. While it was brilliant of Prince Charles to unveil the bust, to which Percy misinterpreted as "broken", and it was funny of him to mishear "Auspicious" as "Suspicious", I feel a more original idea could've gone into this story. A lot more.

My rating: 6/10.

Stray observations:

This book was written in memory of the Rev. W. Awdry without whom none of Thomas' adventures would've been told.

This book ends with "The End", and the reason for this is because it's the final book of the Railway Series.

We finally get the mention of the Peel Godred Railway!

Final thoughts:

The reason this is the final book of the Railway Series is because Christopher said he's finished with writing Railway Series books. He's in his 70s, so who can blame him? There comes a time where we have to stop what we do, and Christopher did just that. So did he go out on a high note?

Unfortunately, he didn't. And it didn't help since it came out in an era where the TV series was at its worst (Season 15 and Day of the Diesels anyone?), but either way, we were lucky enough to even get a new Railway Series book that year!

Also, the book title isn't that original when you think about it. I think "Centennial Engines" or "Thin Clergyman's Engines" would've been more creative.

And another thing about the book's title, it has Thomas' name in it. Thomas wasn't the first character in the Railway Series, since he wasn't in the first book. If the title of this book as well as Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines don't prove that even the Railway Series shoehorned Thomas, I don't know what does.

But if they were ever to continue this delightful book series, they should get Andrew Brenner to write new books considering how much he respects the reverend's legacy, and have Loraine Marshall illustrate them. 

But if none of this happens, I'm fine with that. The Railway Series has pretty much run its course, and I feel the TV series has too. But if they want to continue that, so be it.

So as the old sayings go, with the TV series, the show must go on. And with the book series, All's well that ends well. And all good things must come to an end, and the Railway Series did just that, but not in a good way. Such a shame really. 

My rating: 6.2/10.

RWS Scorecard:

1. The 3 Railway Engines: 9/10.
2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9.5/10.
3. James the Red Engine: 8/10.
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.9/10.
5. Troublesome Engines: 9.1/10.
6. Henry the Green Engine: 9.2/10.
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9.2/10.
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3/10.
10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.
11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.
12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.
14. The Little Old Engine: 9.6/10.
15. The Twin Engines: 9.3/10.
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.5/10.
18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.
19. Mountain Engines: 9.3/10.
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1/10.
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.
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.8/10.
29. Great Little Engines: 8.9/10.
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.1/10.
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1/10.
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.4/10.
34. Jock the New Engine: 8.3/10.
35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5/10.
36. Thomas Comes Home: 8.5/10.
37. Henry and the Express: 9.4/10.
38. Wilbert the Forest Engine: 7.6/10.
39. Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines: 8.6/10.
40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.
41. Thomas and Victoria: 9.3/10.
42. Thomas and his Friends: 6.2/10.

RWS overall: 8.9/10.

That's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed reading my reviews on these books!

RWS No. 41: Thomas and Victoria

Now I'm going to do another Railway Series review. The first in 11 years.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images

41. Thomas and Victoria.
Written by: Christopher Awdry.

Illustrated by: Clive Spong.

Published: 3 September 2007.

A lot had happened on the course of 11 years after New Little Engine. The Rev. W. Awdry passed on from an illness, Princess Diana died in a car crash, Thomas' 5th season debuted, Thomas and the Magic Railroad went into cinemas and failed in the box office, the Twin Towers were destroyed, George Harrison passed away from cancer, Thomas' 6th season went into production and debuted, HiT took over Gullane. The Railway Series remained dormant for that course, but in 2007, the books went back into production. Was this book worth the wait?

Foreword:

Dear Friends,
Here are four new adventures from Thomas's branch line. In them you will meet up again with several old friends, including, of course, Thomas himself. Oh, and there is a new friend for you called Victoria - we all hope you will like her as much as we do.

The Author

Overloaded.

Bertie is ill and Henrietta has to carry the workmen to the quarry all by herself, but there is not enough room and some have to crowd on Henrietta's balcony. A policeman sees the event while cycling past, and the next day visits the quarry manager to inform him of a by-law forbidding passengers to be carried on coaches' balconies. Both the manager and the Fat Controller have no ideas, but a few days later Thomas' driver sees an old coach in a garden near Elsbridge. Thomas has an idea, and shares it with the Fat Controller...

This was a nice way to start the new book, but was that law about passengers crowding on coach balconies ever revoked? But Thomas the Tank Engine's crew discovered a coach, that'll lead to a follow up carrying on throughout this book.

My rating: 9/10.

Avalanche!

Edward is at the works when he sees a familiar-looking coach. After a conversation, the two discover they know each other from their days on the Furness Railway. Victoria, the coach, worked on a branch line running to Windermere with another coach, Helena, and an engine, Albert, who Victoria notes only ever had one accident. One snowy day after boasting about snow, Albert had stopped outside the mouth of a tunnel while collecting passengers at Haverthwaite. When he started, he gave off so much steam that he caused an avalanche so great he became buried in snow and, although he was rescued the next day, he never bragged about snow again.

Now we're going onto a story about an engine named Albert. And nice callback to Thomas, Terence and the Snow that Edward made. Just goes to show that even with a poor writing team in the TV series, at least the book series didn't mess up. And it was creative to have Edward talk to Victoria since Edward did use to work on the Furness Railway. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

Eels on Wheels.

As summer arrives Daisy often sees grass snakes near the line. When she tells the engines about them Percy is worried, but Daisy simply thinks him silly. Then, some days later Daisy has to take some boxes up to Ffarquhar for a restaurant. One is knocked onto the platform and the cargo - live eels - is spilt onto the rails; to Daisy's horror, some wriggle underneath her wheels. The eels are rescued, but Daisy has blown a fuse and Thomas has to take her passengers while Toby and Percy make jokes about wriggly things.

Get it? Eels on Wheels? Considering it's a pun on "Meals on Wheels", a company that delivers food to old people. Poor Daisy, couldn't catch a break, can she? Especially when she's surrounded by live eels, and sees a snake near the line. A nice story this, and funny too.

My rating: 9.5/10.

Toby's Vintage Train.

Victoria's restoration is completed and Edward takes her to Knapford, where she is coupled up to Annie and Clarabel. At Elsbridge, they are told Terence is in some trouble and go to see what the matter is. Terence, who had been building a barn, had to swerve for a boulder near the tunnel and his trailer fell down the cutting, balancing dangerously on a tree. The trailer is secured and Thomas makes it to Ffarquhar, where Victoria is coupled to Toby and Henrietta, making a train now known as "Toby's Vintage Train".

A nice way to end the book, a nice way to give Terence another role and it was interesting to see Edward pull Victoria. Now Toby the Tram Engine's got more than just Henrietta for his train. And boy was Terence brave to look out for his trailer, and Thomas was too.

My rating: 9.5/10.

Stray observations:

Christopher intended to write this book in 1997, but since Wilbert passed on and Britt bought the full rights to the franchise, and Egmont reformatted the books, but it was held off since the people hated the reformatting. 

Victoria and Albert were named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, and Helena may have been named after one of their daughters.

Final thoughts:

Was this book worth the wait? Without a doubt, yes! It was a nice return to the series after that disappointment New Little Engine, and we get a reference to the Furness Railway, making sense since Edward's basis is a Furness Railway class. And Daisy just couldn't catch a break, could she?

You might think I'm stopping here, but I'm not. Just one book to go.

My rating: 9.3/10.

RWS Scorecard:

1. The 3 Railway Engines: 9/10.
2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9.5/10.
3. James the Red Engine: 8/10.
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.9/10.
5. Troublesome Engines: 9.1/10.
6. Henry the Green Engine: 9.2/10.
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9.2/10.
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3/10.
10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.
11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.
12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.
14. The Little Old Engine: 9.6/10.
15. The Twin Engines: 9.3/10.
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.5/10.
18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.
19. Mountain Engines: 9.3/10.
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1/10.
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.
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.8/10.
29. Great Little Engines: 8.9/10.
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.1/10.
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1/10.
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.4/10.
34. Jock the New Engine: 8.3/10.
35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5/10.
36. Thomas Comes Home: 8.5/10.
37. Henry and the Express: 9.4/10.
38. Wilbert the Forest Engine: 7.6/10.
39. Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines: 8.6/10.
40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.
41. Thomas and Victoria: 9.3/10.

RWS rating so far: 9/10.

RWS No. 39: Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines

Here it comes. A book written in 1995 to celebrate 50 years of Thomas.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images

39. Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines.

Written by: Christopher Awdry.

Illustrated by: Clive Spong.

Published: 1 August 1995.

In 1995, Christopher Awdry had intended to write a book he was happy with, titled Barry the Rescue Engine, but the publishers wanted a book to celebrate 50 years of Thomas, and Christopher planned to call it The Fat Controller's Engines, but the publishers wanted it to have Thomas' name in the title. So the big question about this book is this: Was Barry the Rescue Engine worth being replaced?

Foreword:

Dear Friends,
I went to see the Fat Controller the other day. I told him that in 1995 it would be fifty years since the first stories about his Railway were published.

"Good gracious me!" he said. "We must do something to celebrate that."

And he set to work. Not everything went quite right. For instance, Thomas... but I won't spoil the stories - happy reading.
The Author

Birdstrike.

The Fat Controller tells the delighted engines that they will be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Railway Series this year. Gordon wants to pull the special train for the occasion, but the Fat Controller has borrowed Pip and Emma to pull the train. Gordon has no time to be upset though, because he has to leave to pull the Express. Near Henry's Tunnel, some crows are flying close to the railway. When Gordon startles them with his whistle, the birds fly too close to him, and with a bump the brakes suddenly come on. The crew eventually find a bird knocked the seal off Gordon's front brakepipe, and the train sets off again, but no one forgets the incident, and tease Gordon about it.

Funny how Gordon the Big Engine has a brakepipe incident here, similar to how James had a bootlace incident years prior. At least Gordon wasn't upset about Pip and Emma having to pull the special train for the 50th anniversary. The problem is, considering his past experience, couldn't James have defended Gordon?

My rating: 7.5/10.

Edward and the Cabbages.

James is late one day and Edward hurries to make up time. Edward notes his front feels wobbly, and as they pass a cabbage patch one of Edward's bogie wheels snaps off and disappears. Nothing is said of the accident, but a surprised farmer later discovers Edward's wheel in his cabbage patch.

I sure wouldn't want a locomotive's wheel in my cabbage patch, (not like I have one, mind you), but the way James was late just goes to show Edward's not the only one who's late a lot of the time, like that incident with James over 40 years prior to these events. And Edward looks funny as a 2-4-0. 

My rating: 9/10.

Rabbits.

Rabbits have been burrowing under the stretch before Dryaw, and the Fat Controller imposes a ten mp/h limit on the stretch until something is sorted out. The day before the decision is put into effect, Thomas is puffing across the stretch when a rail tilts and he comes off. Percy takes Annie and Clarabel home and after the workmen lift Thomas up with jacks to put rails underneath, Percy pulls him back to Knapford.

This story kind of reminds me of Thomas Gets Bumped, only here, it's rabbits that bumped the track. And also, we get to see how Thomas got back onto the rails here. And it was nice of Percy to help Thomas back on the rails. And it was great use of a 10 miles per hour sign to be used. 

My rating: 9/10.

Golden Jubilee.

Henry is depressed and claims the Golden Jubilee will be a disaster. However, by the time the big day comes Thomas' Branch Line and Edward's wheels are both repaired and Edward is chosen to clear the line for Pip and Emma. Unluckily, Edward and the branchline engines are about to leave Knapford when a cobweb short-circuits the signal box. They are flagged through, and the ceremony goes without a hitch, with the guest of honour, the Royal Personage, declaring the engines to be a credit to the Fat Controller.

The spider being mentioned at the beginning may seem pointless, but it drives the plot point of this story. Signal Box got short-circuited over a cobweb. And the way this book ended was grand, but some of the illustrations mismatching the text put it off a bit. But even so, it was a nice way to celebrate 50 years of Thomas nonetheless.

My rating: 9/10.

Stray observations:

Bahamas, a member of Henry's class, and Silver Jubilee, a member of Spencer's class, are mentioned. 

This book was written as a marketing tool, yet ironically, was hard to obtain! And they blame the newcomers in the HiT era for being marketing tools. 

Final thoughts:

While this book is fine as it is, was it worth replacing Barry the Rescue Engine? Frankly, no. Just because Thomas is a big name on TV doesn't mean you have to go out and write a book with his name in it, especially when it barely has anything to do with him. Why do this when you can introduce a new engine to the books? But no, they just wanted to have Thomas in the title. This book just goes to show, as my good friend SlickDoodleGuy reminded me, even the Railway Series shoehorned Thomas. And they criticise the TV series for shoehorning Thomas into unnecessary roles.

But even so, this book is a nice read, even if it didn't need to replace the book Christopher was happy to write. 

My rating: 8.6/10.

RWS Scorecard:

1. The 3 Railway Engines: 9/10.

2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9.5/10.

3. James the Red Engine: 8/10.

4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.9/10.

5. Troublesome Engines: 9.1/10.

6. Henry the Green Engine: 9.2/10.

7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9.2/10.

8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.

9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3/10.

10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.

11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.

12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.

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

14. The Little Old Engine: 9.6/10.

15. The Twin Engines: 9.3/10.

16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.

17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.5/10.

18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.

19. Mountain Engines: 9.3/10.

20. Very Old Engines: 9.1/10.

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.

28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.8/10.

29. Great Little Engines: 8.9/10.

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

31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.1/10.

32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1/10.

33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.4/10.

34. Jock the New Engine: 8.3/10.

35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5/10.

36. Thomas Comes Home: 8.5/10.

37. Henry and the Express: 9.4/10.

38. Wilbert the Forest Engine: 7.6/10.

39. Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines: 8.6/10.

40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.

RWS rating so far: 9/10.

TTTE S17E22: The Smelly Kipper

Now I'm going to review a Season 17 episode of Thomas.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

410. The Smelly Kipper.

Written by: Andrew Brenner.

Aired: AUS: 20 October 2013. UK: 6 July 2014. US: 6 November 2014.

One evening at Tidmouth Sheds, James is teasing Percy about being scared of the dark, so Henry challenges him to take The Flying Kipper that night.

When James arrives at Brendam Docks, he notices a terrible smell. Porter, who is shunting the trucks for the Flying Kipper, explains that it is the fish. James explains that he usually pulls coaches, so he goes back to Tidmouth Sheds to wake Henry up.

Henry remembers the promise James made, however, James tricks the big green engine into thinking that it was just a dream, so Henry, without dillydallying, sets off to pull the Flying Kipper.

However, the deliveries were late, getting Henry into trouble with the Fat Controller the next morning. Henry explains the "dream" he had last night, but Thomas and Gordon explain that they heard Henry and James' conversation, thus telling him it was not a dream after all.

James starts to feel silly and explains to the Fat Controller that the fish were too smelly for him, but the Fat Controller decides that, smelly or not, James is to pull the train that night to make up for his broken promise.

That night, when James arrives to take the Flying Kipper and the trucks teased James for being scared of fish. James was so distracted from the trucks teasing him that he bumps into Cranky's hook while he was unloading, and the red engine is covered in fish. Soon James takes the Flying Kipper, and is praised by the Fat Controller the next morning.


James soon notices a fish on his running board and he is immediately sent to the washdown.

Some might say that this story was inspired by Sliding Scales, and I can easily see why they would think that, after all, James is pulling the Flying Kipper here, and is covered in fish.

This episode was funny when the trucks teased James about being scared of the smelly fish.

But one thing puzzles me. Why would Henry the Green Engine fall for James the Red Engine's trick into thinking his promise was all a dream? I mean portray him as a scaredy cat, I understand, but gullible? He was there. Good thing Thomas the Tank Engine and Gordon the Big Engine sorted things out.

So overall, this episode was well written and proves Andrew really did his homework when writing this.

My rating: 8.5/10.

Season 17 scorecard:

15. Bill or Ben?: 10/10.

16. Too Many Fire Engines: 9.5/10.

19. The Missing Christmas Decorations: 10/10.

22. The Smelly Kipper: 8.5/10.

Season 17 so far: 9.5/10.

TTTE S20E03: Henry Gets the Express

Now's the time for me to review a little something I've been planning to review for nearly a year.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

469. Henry Gets the Express.

Written by: Helen Farrall.

Aired: UK: 7 September 2016. CAN: 24 October 2016. AUS: 4 April 2017.

One morning, Gordon is not ready to leave the sheds, as his firebox had not been cleaned out the previous night. Thomas tells Gordon not to be surprised if another engine replaces him for the express and suggests that Henry could do it based on his own experience. However, Gordon doubts that Henry would be capable of doing it, claiming that things have changed since the last time he pulled the express. When Henry becomes nervous, Thomas cheers him up, and the two engines leave the sheds.

Thomas brings the coaches to Knapford, where the Fat Controller is waiting for Gordon. Thomas tells him that Gordon is not ready yet and suggests that Henry fill in for him, to which the Fat Controller agrees, believing it will teach Gordon a lesson.

Later, Henry sets off with the express. At first, he is a little nervous but soon starts to enjoy himself. Meanwhile, Gordon finally has had his firebox cleaned out and arrives at the station to fetch his train, but finds the Fat Controller there instead. The Fat Controller explains that Henry had to take it and Gordon now has to pull Henry's goods for the rest of the day, much to Gordon's horror.

Meanwhile, Henry is making a good time with the express. His passengers and the railway staff are impressed by his affability. Gordon, on the other hand, is not enjoying his work, and grumpily arrives at Brendam Docks with his goods train, only to be given a train of coal as soon as he arrives. As Gordon is taking the coal train, he stops at a junction where Henry passes by with the express and becomes annoyed when Henry mimics him.

When Gordon returns to Knapford, he asks the Fat Controller if he can go back in pulling the express, but the Fat Controller says that he has to go to the Blue Mountain Quarry. Rheneas greets Gordon when he arrives at the quarry, but Gordon is still in a bad mood. As Gordon begins to leave, the trucks put on their brakes, and then release them, causing Gordon to jump the points and hit a buffer stop. Gordon is finally fed up with his work, and orders to be uncoupled at once so he can get back to his shed.

That night, Henry returns to the sheds and tells Gordon that he will be more than happy to let him pull the express again. Gordon begins to grumble about the work he had to do. The Fat Controller arrives at the sheds and scolds Gordon for not doing all of his jobs earlier that day. He then orders Gordon to pull the Flying Kipper as punishment and threatens to make Henry the permanent express engine if he refuses to do it. Henry and Thomas outsmart Gordon by claiming that the Flying Kipper is not an easy job, referencing the time when James had an accident with the flying kipper twice, but Gordon is determined to prove them wrong and leaves the sheds.


When Gordon returns to the sheds the next morning, the Fat Controller praises him for successfully delivering the Kipper on time and tells him that he can now go back to being the express engine again. Gordon is delighted, but when the other engines notice how smelly he is, he quickly leaves to go for a wash-down. Henry jokes that Gordon is, "the stinky express", and all the other engines laugh.


This episode is downright hilarious! One of the best if not the best of Season 20! Sure Gordon was the jerk he was, but here, his pompousness gets the better of him! And I love how it gave Henry the Green Engine some proper development, wanting him to take the express.

I also love the references to Percy's Predicament (We'll give him nonsense!), Edward and Gordon (A Goods train! A goods train! The shame of it! Oh, the shame of it!) and Thomas the Jet Engine. (Hi, Gordon! Bye Gordon!) There was even a remixed version of Gordon's Season 3 silly theme here.

Gotta say, this was overall a funny episode.

 My rating: 10/10.

Season 20 scorecard:

3. Henry Gets the Express: 10/10.

8. Pouty James: 3/10.

12. Love Me Tender: 10/10.

13. The Railcar and the Coaches: 8.5/10.

18. 3 Steam Engines Gruff: 1.5/10.

24. Buckled Tracks & Bumpy Trucks: 8.5/10.

25: Tit for Tat: 10/10.

26. Mike's Whistle: 9.5/10.

27. Useful Railway: 9.5/10.

Season 20 rating so far: 8.6/10.

RWS No. 38. Wilbert the Forest Engine

Here it comes! Another book of The Railway Series focusing on a tank engine. A real one.

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

38. Wilbert the Forest Engine.
Written by: Christopher Awdry.

Illustrated by: Clive Spong.
Published: 8 August 1994.

The real engine this book focuses on is a blue tank engine named after the creator of the franchise. How does it turn out?

Foreword:
Dear Friends,
Wilbert works in Gloucestershire, on the Dean Forest Railway. He kept asking if he could meet Thomas, and at last the Fat Controller managed to arrange it. The visit was not without its mishaps, but I know that Wilbert enjoyed himself. We hope that you will enjoy the stories of his adventures on the Island of Sodor as much as he and the other engines did.

The Author

Percy's Porridge.

Donald and Douglas are exhausted, so the Fat Controller arranges to borrow an engine, Wilbert, from the Dean Forest Railway. Percy is disappointed to hear Wilbert may not come to Thomas' Branch Line, but forgets it when the weather becomes cold and wet. One day at Elsbridge, the stationmaster and a porter are stacking poorly-sealed sacks of oatmeal on the platform. When Percy comes in, some sacks fall on the ground, scattering oatmeal everywhere. Percy runs into the sacks and is covered in the resulting glop, and Wilbert is quickly re-routed to Thomas' branch line to take Percy's place.

Well, this was a funny way to start the book. Percy getting covered in cold porridge. Makes perfect sense since mixing oatmeal with water makes porridge. Good thing Wilbert came to help out. Clever to mention he's bigger than Percy.

My rating: 9/10.

Cab over Wheels.

Wilbert's first job is at the lead mines. Thomas warns him to follow the rules, but Wilbert, who once worked in a colliery, knows what to do and proceeds to tell the engines the story of Sixteen, a bored engine who worked at a steelworks taking trucks of slag to a place called the "tip". Sixteen wanted to go past a "danger" board and, despite several warnings not to, managed to do so one wet day, attributing it to the trucks. Sixteen's fireman was told to shunt him back, but it was too late: some unsafe rails tilted and Sixteen landed on his side on the ground. He was sent to the shed in disgrace, but, luckily for him, he was bought and now works in the Midlands.

Okay, while it was nice to reference Down the Mine, did Christopher Awdry really have to rewrite it and combine it with Percy Takes the Plunge and Bad Lookout, just to give 16 a story? I mean was he taking ideas from his father? Sure, 16's character was unoriginal, but at least he's more original than Old Stuck-Up. And this story is just Godred's story, but with a happy ending. The story is fine as it is, but the unoriginality lets it down.

My rating: 6/10.

Foaming over the Funnel.

There is a dairy at Toryreck. Wilbert is given the job of taking milk tankers to Knapford each morning. One day, he spends too much time talking to James at Knapford, and has to take on water at the dairy. Unfortunately, he stops at the wrong hosepipe and instead of water being poured into his tank, milk flows in. Thomas takes him back to Ffarquhar, and Wilbert's tank is emptied out.

While this story is funny as it is, with Wilbert taking on milk instead of water, one thing puzzles me. How could Wilbert's crew mistake a milk pipe for a water pipe? Of course it would've been wiser for him to take on water at a station with a water tower. 

My rating: 7/10.

Wired-Up.

Percy returns and Wilbert is sent to the Little Western, where Duck, Oliver and the small engines make him welcome. One day, Wilbert is taking some ballast trucks to Tidmouth when the coupling gear on a truck falls off. Thinking quickly, Wilbert borrows a coil of wire and has it looped around the hole and his coupling. Wilbert gets home safely, and when it is time for Wilbert to return to the Dean Forest Railway the Fat Controller has no doubts about him.

This was a nice way to end the book, have Wilbert return to Dean Forest Railway after helping out with the trucks. Though the wire might seem sketchy, but it was almost as creative as the time Bert's driver glued his coupling. But overall, a great way to end the book. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

Stray observations:

Percy's Porridge was written as an exercise by a class in Abingdon School, in which this book is dedicated to them.

In the 2nd illustration of Wired-Up, Duck is too small! And they blame Jam-Filled for making Oliver too small. 

Final thoughts:

While this book is fine on its own, it didn't feel as strong as the others. Sure it was great of Wilbert to come to Sodor, but one story, the one about 16, was unoriginal at best. But even so, there were funny moments too. Not the worst book, but it's not great either.

My rating: 7.6/10.

RWS Scorecard:

1. The 3 Railway Engines: 9/10.
2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9.5/10.
3. James the Red Engine: 8/10.
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.9/10.
5. Troublesome Engines: 9.1/10.
6. Henry the Green Engine: 9.2/10.
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9.2/10.
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3/10.
10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.
11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.
12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.
14. The Little Old Engine: 9.6/10.
15. The Twin Engines: 9.3/10.
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.5/10.
18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.
19. Mountain Engines: 9.3/10.
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1/10.
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.
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.8/10.
29. Great Little Engines: 8.9/10.
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.1/10.
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1/10.
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.4/10.
34. Jock the New Engine: 8.3/10.
35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5/10.
36. Thomas Comes Home: 8.5/10.
37. Henry and the Express: 9.4/10.
38. Wilbert the Forest Engine: 7.6/10.
40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.


RWS rating so far: 9/10.

RWS No. 37. Henry and the Express

At last, we're going onto another Railway Series book, one not focused on Thomas.

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

37. Henry and the Express.

Written by: Christopher Awdry.
Illustrated by: Clive Spong.
Published: 8 April 1993.

It's time to focus on the main line engines in a book dedicated to Henry.

Foreword:
Dear Friends,
When I went to see Henry recently he was moaning about not having had a book to himself for ages.

"Yes," I agreed, "There's the story about patching up your smokebox..."

"And the time my wheel broke," he interrupted.

"What about when you came out of the Works before you'd been properly painted?" I said.

"You wouldn't...!" he said.

But I would and I have. It might teach Henry not to try to tell me what to do.

The Author

Out of Puff.

The North Western Railway starts using a new type of coal, which creates more ashes and gives the engines indigestion. One day, Henry cannot make it past Wellsworth. Henry's crew discover his smokebox door is bent, so they make paper mache to fix the gap. Henry gets home safely, but Donald and Douglas tease him by making breathless noises in the shed that night.

For once, it's not Henry's need for special coal that's causing coal problems for him. It's the new coal. I have to say, the way his driver and fireman made papier mache to fix Henry the Green Engine's smokebox door was very creative.

My rating: 9/10.

Overhaul.

Henry is due for an overhaul, so the Fat Controller arranges for him to double-head the Express with James to Crovan's Gate. James is apprehensive but feels better after they make good time up Gordon's Hill - up to the point where things begin flying from Henry, hitting James and the coaches. No one is hurt, but the crews find that a steel rim from Henry's wheel has fallen off. James, trying to make light of the situation, jokes that Henry needs to be "retired".

This is something that needs to happen more often! The Henry and James dynamic. James's remark about Henry needing to be "retired" may have inspired what Percy and Gordon said in Edward the Very Useful Engine when Gordon said Edward should be retired. And it was helpful of James to help Henry out to the works. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

Sliding Scales.

With Henry away, the others take turns at pulling The Flying Kipper. It's James' turn and he's in a bad mood. He grudgingly sets off to Tidmouth Harbour, but just before he starts, a forklift spills its load onto the rails and fish goes everywhere. It is picked up, but the oil from the fish makes James slip helplessly. It is not until men hose the rails and put sand on them that James can move again.

Many say that The Smelly Kipper reminded them of this story and I can easily see why. James trying to pull the Flying Kipper. And it's funny how it was a forklift spilled the load everywhere since Cranky wasn't in the books. 

My rating: 9/10.

Henry Sees Red.

Henry is almost ready to return to work, but the workmen have to put an undercoat of red paint on him. Before they can put green on top, an emergency at Tidmouth forces Henry to take the Express. The brakes on the last coach stops them at Wellsworth, spoiling their chances of a good run at Gordon's Hill, and Henry has to uncouple it himself. Henry, however, is determined, and when he makes it to Barrow-in-Furness on time the Fat Controller rewards him with his normal green coat.

Many say this episode inspired Tickled Pink, but I say this story wins by a landslide. It was funny that Henry was given an undercoat, but he was even more determined than James seemed to be in his episode, and the only laugh Henry got was from Fat Controller. This story proves Henry to be a hero. 

My rating: 10/10.

Stray observations:

In the 6th illustration of Overhaul, we can see the Peel Godred Branch Line. Too bad we never get to see any engines there. 

Final thoughts:

This is definitely the best book written by Christopher. Yep, I prefer it a bit more than Thomas and the Twins. Some humour, creativity and Henry's persona was top notch and grew him as a character. Of course we got a comical moment with James. 

My rating: 9.4/10.

RWS Scorecard:

1. The 3 Railway Engines: 9/10.

2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9.5/10.

3. James the Red Engine: 8/10.

4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.9/10.

5. Troublesome Engines: 9.1/10.

6. Henry the Green Engine: 9.2/10.

7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9.2/10.

8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.

9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3/10.

10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.

11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.

12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.

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

14. The Little Old Engine: 9.6/10.

15. The Twin Engines: 9.3/10.

16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.

17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.5/10.

18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.

19. Mountain Engines: 9.3/10.

20. Very Old Engines: 9.1/10.

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.

28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.8/10.

29. Great Little Engines: 8.9/10.

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

31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.1/10.

32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1/10.

33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.4/10.

34. Jock the New Engine: 8.3/10.

35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5/10.

36. Thomas Comes Home: 8.5/10.

37. Henry and the Express: 9.4/10.

40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.

RWS rating so far: 9.1/10.