RWS #6: Henry the Green Engine

Eh, hadn't got much to do at the moment, but here we are with Henry's very own book!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

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

The Railway Series Book #6

Henry the Green Engine

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Published 1951

Henry had been a problem for Awdry from day one, and in the illustrations, he was often mixed up for Gordon, and even if he was repainted green, kids still kept mixing them up, so Awdry decided to give Henry a new appearance...

Dear Friends,
Here is more news from the Region. All the engines now have numbers as well as names; you will see them in the pictures. They are as follows: Thomas 1, Edward 2, Henry 3, Gordon 4, James 5, Percy 6.

I expect you were sorry for Henry, who was often ill and unable to work. He gave Sir Topham Hatt a lot of worry. Now Henry has a new shape and is ready for anything. These stories tell you all about it.
The Author

Coal

Season 1, Episode 18

Henry is afraid he'll be sent away because he's an expensive engine; when the Fat Controller rides in his cab, Henry's crew explain the green engine's troubles, and the Fat Controller arranges for James to bring in Welsh coal for Henry. It burns nicely for Henry, and he feels a different engine.

You always feel sorry for Henry in this story; it's not his fault he's a bad steamer, but it's the way he was built. It's a short, simple story, but it's a great build up to the best trilogy in the TV series.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

The Flying Kipper

Season 1, Episode 19

Early one morning, Henry is assigned to take the Flying Kipper. He runs well, but it goes badly wrong when he crashes into another goods train due to an incorrect signal. Afterward, Henry is sent to Crewe and is rebuilt so he won't need Welsh coal anymore.

Easily the best story of the book, and my third favorite episode overall (fitting, isn't it?) As usual, a good moral about how snow and ice can cause hazards for people, but it's a shame Henry has never been a proper Black 5 on TV... Even so, I think both the story and its adaptation deserve the same rating.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 10 out of 10

Gordon's Whistle/Whistles and Sneezes Part 1

Season 1, Episode 20A

Gordon is envious of Henry's rebuild and complains about the green engine's whistling, but Henry gets the last laugh when Gordon's whistle is jammed and blows endlessly... at least, until two fitters knock his whistle valve in place.

"It isn't wrong, but we just don't do it." Probably one of my favorite quotes from the whole series, and it always makes me laugh. Yeah, karma sucks, doesn't it, Gordon? But then, he did deserve it for insulting Henry earlier, so.

RWS Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Percy and the Trousers/A Scarf for Percy

Season 3, Episode 1

Percy wants a scarf, and gets his wish when he crashes into a trolley, ending up with the Fat Controller's trousers around his funnel!

I've already done an individual review, but all I can say is that if it was part of Percy's book, then it might not have taken the shine off it being Henry's book. Why couldn't Awdry wait five years, I wonder?

RWS Rating: 6 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Henry's Sneeze/Whistles and Sneezes Part 2

Season 1, Episode 20B

Henry runs into trouble with some boys that throw stones on him and his train, breaking the coaches' windows. In retaliation, Henry's crew block his smokebox so built up smoke and ashes is sprayed onto the boys.

Once again, poetic justice strikes in the form of Henry. The effects shown in the adaption were amazing considering it was done back in the 1980s - Henry's face changing, the steam from Gordon's whistle, etc. Of course, in CGI, the effects look more realistic; not that the models are bad, of course. The moral here is to never damage other people's (engines', in Henry's case) property, or else they'll get back at you. I'd take that over the racism in Day of the Diesels any day!

RWS Rating: 8.5 out of 10
(this and Gordon's Whistle did go on a bit; not that they're bad, of course)
TV Series Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Stray Observations

This is the first book which every steam engine has numbers; Thomas had his number from... well, day one (1946), but having numbers on your engines makes them feel more real.

I didn't mention it in Henry's Whistle, but in the original printing, Awdry had written that the boys were "as black as [the N word]" after Henry sneezed on them. After it was reported, Awdry rewrote it so that the boys were "as black as soot." Again, why did they complain about it in 1972, but in 2010-2012, nobody batted an eyelid over the racist comments in Misty Island Rescue or Day of the Diesels?

In the same story, do you notice that James has red wheels, or is it the second red engine with a brass dome?

Henry: Hey, James - why do you have red wheels, mate? Oh, sorry - are you the engine who tried to push me out of that tunnel?

Speaking of illustration errors, why does Henry flip-flop from having two trailing wheels to having no trailing wheels? Is he some kind of magician or something?

Overall

If Percy and the Trousers had been held back, then the book overall would've been a 9/10. Again, it's not a bad story, but it was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Other than that, every other story is great, and so are the adaptations. Kind of a coincidence that Henry's debut in The Three Railway Engines and his own starring book have the same rating of 8.4/10, isn't it?

Overall Book Rating: 8.4 out of 10

The Railway Series Scorecard

1. The Three Railway Engines: 8.4

2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9
3. James the Red Engine: 7.5
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.5
5. Troublesome Engines: 8.1
6. Henry the Green Engine: 8.4

Thomas and Friends Season 1 Scorecard

1. Thomas and Gordon: 9.5

2. Edward and Gordon: 8.5

3. The Sad Story of Henry: 8

4. Edward, Gordon and Henry: 9

5. Thomas' Train: 8.5

6. Thomas and the Trucks: 9

7. Thomas and the Breakdown Train: 9
8. James and the Coaches: 8.5
9. Troublesome Trucks: 9
10. James and the Express: 8.5
11. Thomas and the Guard: 9
12. Thomas Goes Fishing: 9.5
13. Thomas, Terence and the Snow: 9.5
14. Thomas and Bertie: 10
15. Tenders and Turntables: 7.5
16. Trouble in the Shed: 8
17. Percy Runs Away: 8
18. Coal: 9
19. The Flying Kipper: 10
20. Whistles and Sneezes: 9.5

Thomas and Friends Season 3 Scorecard
1. A Scarf for Percy: 8.5
26. Thomas and Percy's Christmas (Mountain) Adventure: 7.5 (UK) / 4 (US)