TTTE S17E24 - The Smelly Kipper

Last time, we took out an underrated episode from season 17, this time, we're taking out an episode from said season based on a Railway Series story - it's The Smelly Kipper!

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

Season 17, Episode 24

The Smelly Kipper

Written by Andrew Brenner

It's a bit odd that, although it wasn't focused on the supernatural, the episode started off with James telling a ghost story. A bit jarring, I'll admit, but it does give some insight to what goes on with the engines at night, even if the transitions are... off. Thomas scolds James for teasing Percy and suggests that he go and pull the mail train. Then Henry suggests that James take the Flying Kipper, which the red engine accepts. Whilst I dislike Henry's persona in the new era, seeing him have a banter with James is a nice step in the right direction.

At Brendam Docks, James is disgusted at the stench of fish, and he fibs to Porter that Henry is intended to pull the Kipper instead. I find it odd that Henry would believe James that he was dreaming - he was actually wide awake (although to be fair, it was lampshaded)! Anyway, Henry takes the Kipper but runs behind schedule. The Fat Controller is cross with James for lying out of a job, especially when Thomas and Gordon point out that they heard them, and he forces the red engine to take the Kipper anyway. James actually being scolded for causing trouble earlier is actually good, far better than what the Barlow Era gave us.

That night, James is so distracted about the smell that he backs up to the trucks very slowly - their teasing not helping matters. However, Cranky's pallet of fish hits James' tender and fish falls all over the red engine, much to his disgust and the trucks' amusement (insert Depry Hooves reference).

After the mess is cleared up (off-screen, I presume), James carries on with the Flying Kipper making deliveries and in the morning, the engines are awoken by the smell of fish - it's James, and he has a fish on his running plate, much to his horror (and people call Rarity fussy)! The Fat Controller praises James for keeping his promise, and upon smelling, gives him a washdown, much to James' relief. And hoping not to see another fish for a long time? Yeah, wait til Tale of the Brave comes along...

The Smelly Kipper has its faults, mostly regarding the animation and the footage being improperly cut when James returns to the sheds the first night, but it's still a pretty good episode on the whole, and it shows that lying gets you punished, but keeping your promise gets you rewarded. In fact, I feel it's beaten No Joke for James.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 17 Scorecard

12. The Thomas Way: 5.5

23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8

24. The Smelly Kipper: 8

RWS #36: Thomas Comes Home

Yeah, the introduction department's had some big layoffs, hasn't it? Ah well, it's time to see what happens in Thomas Comes Home!

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 #36

Thomas Comes Home

Written by Christopher Awdry

Illustrated by Clive Spong

Published June 15, 1992

Want to know what's been happening on the branchline since Thomas left for York? Well, this book provides the answers!

Dear Friends,
Daisy was most upset when she heard that people were saying there were no female engines on the Fat Controller's Railway.

"You must do something about it" she told me indignantly. "There's me and Mavis, and I was in charge while Thomas was away at that Great Railway Show, wasn't I?"

Well she wasn't really, but would you dare tell her? These stories are about what happened before Thomas came home.
The Author

Snow Problem

Gordon is late at Knapford due to snowfalls on the other railway, but Daisy is unconcerned about snow, thinking it's pretty. She soon eats her words when the snowdrifts prove too much for her, and it gets worse when the snow blocks her air intake. Harold takes the passengers to Dryaw and poor Daisy is stuck in the snow for a week until it melts enough so she can be rescued. Afterwards, Daisy thinks very differently about snow.

I believe that this is the Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough of Railway Series stories. Speaking of which, why were the engines not fitted with snowploughs? If we consider Thomas, Terence and the Snow, Daisy should've had a snowplough fitted to her. Just another example that Christopher Awdry tends to forget minute details in his stories...

Rating: 7 out of 10

Washout!

The water level in a stream near Hackenbeck has risen to dangerous levels due to the melting snow. Percy is worried, but when Toby tells him that the water level has dropped, Percy feels relieved. When Henry later jokes about Thomas actually staying at the NRM, much to Annie and Clarabel's distress. Percy runs late while soothing their hurt feelings, but runs later still when he takes on water. When he crosses the bridge, it falls apart, but Percy, Annie and Clarabel make it to safety. The branchline is closed while the bridge is repaired, and afterwards, Percy always takes care when crossing it... just in case.

If you ask me, Washout! could've been a great replacement for Toby and the Flood due to that episode's unrealistic nature. Hm, should've reviewed that before doing this, but I digress. Even if Henry was a bit of a jackass to Annie and Clarabel, it does at least show how attached they are to Thomas, even when he isn't with them.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Toby's Megatrain
Based on the annual story "The Strawberry Special"

While Percy looks after Annie and Clarabel, Toby does all the shunting at the harbor, and with many trucks to shunt, Toby worries about running low on water. One morning, Mavis is late to deliver her trucks due to feeling unwell, so Toby eventually has to haul forty-eight trucks all by himself, forgetting about his small water tank and the uphill journey. Unfortunately, the water tower at Elsbridge is empty, and Toby doesn't find his driver's joke about fishing all that funny, so he travels to Ffarquhar to take on water and then returns to pick up his trucks.

Yeah, the ending felt extremely rushed in my opinion:

When Toby told Percy what had happened, Percy wanted to help, but his driver reminded him that he had a train of his own to run in a few minutes.

"Don't worry," said Toby, "I'll follow you down, and have those trucks back up here in a jiffy."

And he did too.

I mean, seriously; was Toby even praised for his determination? They didn't establish that. Although I must give credit for Toby's characterization; he had reason to worry, and his determination in pulling forty-eight trucks is definitely admirable.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Thomas Comes Home

George the steamroller is helping to repair a road near the railway, and when he meets with Daisy, he threatens to flatten her rails. However, the engines' concerns about George fade away when they hear the news that Thomas is coming home. On the big day, Daisy runs over a traffic cone at a crossing which jams her brakes. Her fitter quickly repairs the damage and Daisy is able to make it to the junction just in time to welcome Thomas home.

This was the book's main story, and it was a nice end to it as well. A bit odd that George had a reintroduction, but then, he'd been absent for thirty years, so it's understandable. It's also odd that it's never revealed if he was found out for leaving the traffic cone on the crossing, which adds to unfortunate implications.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Stray Observations

Ironically, Thomas only appears in the last illustration without lines.

Toby's Megatrain, like I said, is based on the annual story The Strawberry Special. That was inspired by an incident which happened to one of Toby's brothers, No. 7131, by hauling 400 tons of fruit. If you say that's impossible, well, think again.

In the same story, Toby is weirdly illustrated with having two faces - "Toby's got two cabs, and he gets on alright" - but he's had only one face in previous books! Where did that second face come from?

Overall

Wow, the callbacks... This was another pretty good book, even though the first story had a pretty clear plot hole. It was a good way to continue from Thomas and the Great Railway Show, and it would've been nice to see if it would happen again in the Railway Series, and I'll get to that next Monday...

Overall Book Rating: 8.6 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
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3
10. Four Little Engines: 8.8
11. Percy the Small Engine: 8.9
12. The Eight Famous Engines: 8.8
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 8.5
14. The Little Old Engine: 8.9
15. The Twin Engines: 9.1
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.3
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.3
18. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine: 8.5

19. Mountain Engines: 8.9
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1
21. Main Line Engines: 9
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.3
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.5
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 8.9
25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.4
26. Tramway Engines: 9.1
27. Really Useful Engines: 8.3
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.5
29. Great Little Engines: 9
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.5
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.3
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.3
34. Jock the New Engine: 7.9
35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5
36. Thomas Comes Home: 8.6

TTTE S17E23 - The Afternoon Tea Express

Well, I've not reviewed much of season 17 lately, but considering my criticism of The Thomas Way, I feel it's time to fix that!

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

Season 17, Episode 23

The Afternoon Tea Express

Written by Paul Larson and Laura Beaumont

This episode was one of season 17's direct-to-DVD episodes for Spills and Thrills. Of them, people have found this to be the weakest and one of the lower quality episodes of season 17. I don't agree; whilst I find The Thomas Way overrated, but not by much (same thing with Henry's Hero, but that's another story) I consider The Afternoon Tea Express to be underrated - coincidentally, both are written by the same people. Why is this the case? Well...

After the Earl of Sodor gives Stephen the task of collecting scones and cream once a week for afternoon teas at Ulfstead Castle, Spencer makes fun of the older engine by calling him slow. And that's a good start. No really - the build up to the episode is nicely handled, and it's different from the big engines mocking Edward. Granted, it's cliched and not very original, but if they do something fresh with it, I'm game.

Anyway, after Stephen collects the scones and cream, Gordon comes up from behind with the express and demands that the Rocket get out of his way. Now, this is one of the points which people criticize the episode for being unrealistic. I know that this sounds like I'm covering my ass here, but I have criticized the Nitrogen era for unrealistic episodes due to its terrible writing, but in the Arc era? As long as rule-bending is used sporadically, and that the story is entertaining, that's fine with me. Too much rule-bending, and it can be annoying.

Back to the episode; Gordon is annoyed with Stephen's slow speed, and so he pushes him as fast as he can to the castle junction. Stephen manages to make it early much to Spencer's surprise and the Earl's delight. For each subsequent week, Stephen gets help from Thomas, James and Emily (not all at once) by having them push him as fast as they can. If you're asking, no, this isn't a rehashed Barlow era script - the three-strikes was there for around twenty-five seconds (and yes, I counted) and the story afterwards carried on. Plus, I enjoy Stephen's persona in this episode, and I can relate to him; it's almost like the locomotive equivalent of a mid-life crisis where Stephen longs for the days when he was the fastest engine (I know 30 mph isn't that fast, but still).

One day, the Hatts are coming to the castle for afternoon tea and Stephen is given the task of picking up fresh jam (strawberry, raspberry, and apricot) from the docks. Unfortunately, he doesn't see Thomas, James or Emily, but he does manage to find Spencer and tricks him into pushing him from behind. Very clever of Stephen to trick someone much faster than him there! However, Stephen enters the castle much too quickly and even though his driver applies the brakes (nice mention!), Stephen hits the buffers, and jam flies all over the Earl, the Fat Controller and Lady Hatt.

Stephen admits to having had Spencer helped him, but the Earl explains that Stephen had been chosen for his reliability, not his speed. That's actually a good moral - speed isn't everything. It's a similar case to Thomas the Jet Engine, but that's not the point. Stephen then gets the idea of passengers having afternoon tea and a tour at the same time, to which the Earl and the Fat Controller approve of.

I know you'll want me to mention that as well - Stephen's funnel is black and not white and gold. Yes, he's using his King of the Railway vector, but was it a big problem? Well, it was a problem, but not the main problem. Same will apply to the trucks switching places as they're problems in the animation, not the actual story itself. I think this is a very good episode and deserves better ratings.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 17 Scorecard

12. The Thomas Way: 5.5

23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8

RWS #35: Thomas and the Great Railway Show

Another week begins for reviewing Thomas and My Little Pony! This time, it's Thomas and the Great Railway Show!

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 #35

Thomas and the Great Railway Show

Written by Christopher Awdry

Illustrated by Clive Spong

Published August 12, 1991

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends has been hugely successful on British television, and most recently, it had come to America abroad Shining Time Station. Now, the blue tank engine himself is making a guest visit to York at the National Railway Museum!

Dear Friends,
Henry, Gordon and James have been grumpy lately. They were jealous because Thomas had been asked to visit the National Railway Museum in York. The Fat Controller was afraid that they would go on strike, but they didn't.

"If Thomas wants to be a museum-piece," they said to each other, "what's that to do with us?"

Meanwhile Thomas was enjoying himself. I hope you will enjoy reading about how he did so.
The Author

Museum Piece

Gordon, Henry and James are jealous when Thomas is chosen to represent the North Western Railway in York, but the blue tank engine is joyful about going there. On his way to York, a lock on a crossing gate breaks due to the wind and rain and when Thomas comes into view, he crashes into the gate, damaging his front.

Ouch... how often is it that Thomas' front gets damaged in some way, shape or form? Definitely a good set up to the main events of the book, and I like how it references the television series (at the time, it was during the show's third season). Although, considering The Fat Controller's Engines, how did Thomas manage to get to York by himself? Percy and Toby were on flatbeds as they probably couldn't travel that far by themselves, fair enough, and yet Thomas traveled to York by himself? Although if he got there with the help of another engine, then the next story could've been different...

Rating: 8 out of 10

Not the Ticket

After his accident, Thomas has to continue the rest of his journey on a lorry. Although he dislikes the idea, he does get to see the countryside from the roads' point of view. However, when the driver stops to find a telephone (he doesn't know how to get to the NRM), a traffic warden gives him a parking ticket, which Thomas' driver and fireman find amusing - Thomas booked for parking!

Quite a short, simple story, which an incident that could've happened to any driver, even the most experienced. Not much really happens here, but it is a nice continuation from the previous story.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Trouble on the Line

Thomas' front is repaired, and at the workshop, he meets a kindly prairie tender engine named Green Arrow, and later on, other engines like Boxhill and a replica Iron Duke. Thomas does some demonstration runs for the crowds, and the first day goes smoothly, but near closing time the next day, a large bag is thrown onto the line and Thomas runs into it, unable to stop quickly. Unfortunately, this scares a young boy and his angry mother complains to the manager. To make things worse for Thomas, his brakes had suffered damage, but he's sure that the crowd knows that engines don't stop instantly.

This is a complaint that some people have had in the Nitrogen era - engines don't stop within a few feet like cars do. For example, in Day of the Diesels, Thomas could've run over that worker as the human crossed the tracks without looking both directions! Christopher had intended for the story to be more serious and base it on railway safety, but it was "watered down" by the publishers. He notes that it also reflected badly on crowd control at the NRM. If only we knew how it would've gone. But seriously; there is no sugarcoating what happens on real railways - people get killed in accidents every year since locomotive technology became more advanced!

As for the story, I feel bad for Thomas - he suffered incident through no fault of his own, and unintentionally scaring the child and getting yelled at by the mother felt like it added insult to injury to him. Good thing the next story shows some redemption for him...

Rating: 9 out of 10

Thomas and the Railtour

Green Arrow is chosen to take railtour trains to the seaside much to Thomas' relief. However, Thomas goes join him when extra coaches are added to Green Arrow's trains. On the return run, Thomas warns Green Arrow to stop - the ground by a nearby river has been eroded. While buses take the passengers home, Thomas, Green Arrow and the coaches make it across the rails safely. When the Fat Controller comes to visit a few days later, he and the museum director present Thomas with a special plaque making him an honorary NRM member for preventing an accident.

It was definitely a good ending for the book; Thomas comes out on top after he gets into unfortunate mishaps (even if they weren't intentional) and is rewarded for his quick thinking. Not much to say here, really.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Stray Observations

Wilbert Awdry had intended that engines should not have faces unless they were on Sodor; but in this book, the engines at the NRM had faces! This also happened in Toby, Trucks and Trouble, but I didn't mention that there as it was only in a flashback story.

Look at how many real engines made appearances - 4771 Green Arrow, 4468 Mallard, 6229 Duchess of Hamilton, Iron Duke, Stephenson's Rocket, you name it! Plus, as of 2015, Flying Scotsman and City of Truro are officially NRM engines. Did this book foreshadow that?

Overall

It was definitely a nice way to implement fictional characters into the real world, just like in The Fat Controller's Engines. It was surprising that the majority of the book was away from Sodor, but next time, we're going back there to see what's been happening while Thomas was away!

Overall Book Rating: 8.5 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
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3
10. Four Little Engines: 8.8
11. Percy the Small Engine: 8.9
12. The Eight Famous Engines: 8.8
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 8.5
14. The Little Old Engine: 8.9
15. The Twin Engines: 9.1
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.3
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.3
18. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine: 8.5

19. Mountain Engines: 8.9
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1
21. Main Line Engines: 9
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.3
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.5
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 8.9
25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.4
26. Tramway Engines: 9.1
27. Really Useful Engines: 8.3
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.5
29. Great Little Engines: 9
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.5
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.3
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.3
34. Jock the New Engine: 7.9
35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5

RWS #34: Jock the New Engine

We're now into a new decade, and we're back on the Arlesdale Railway, and it looks like things have changed since we last saw them!

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 #34

Jock the New Engine

Written by Christopher Awdry

Illustrated by Clive Spong

Published August 6, 1990

In 1987, in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways mentioned a fourth steam engine on the Arlesdale Railway alongside Mike, Rex, and Bert. Who is he? That's what we're about to find out!

Dear Friends,
The Arlesdale Railway is a narrow-gauge line which runs inland along a beautiful valley. It starts at the terminus of Duck's branch line, and Duck and Oliver bring many visitors. So many, in fact, that Rex, Bert and Mike found that they couldn't carry them all on their own. And that was why Jock was built. I like Jock - I hope you will too.
The Author

We Need Another Engine

The latest Railway Series book featuring the Arlesdale engines has been published, but Frank the diesel is not featured - since the Thin Clergyman wasn't aware of his presence - and he isn't happy about it at all. Next morning, he crashes into a shed support at the back of the shed, but later on, he makes up for it when Rex's steampipe leaks and Frank is the only engine who can help out. The Small Controller forgives Frank, but he doesn't want the diesel to do all the rescue work himself and comes up with a plan...

Now, the story takes place in 1967, but Frank is based upon Perkins' (his real life counterpart) 1984 rebuild. Unless Frank was intended to have a steam outline, his presence makes no sense; wouldn't it have worked better with Sigrid of Arlesdale, if she was featured? Further, the railway had acquired the Radio Control system from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway around 1977, about a year after the last story takes place. I don't hate the story, but its timeline is extremely confused...

Rating: 6 out of 10

Sticking Power

Poor Bert has been feeling unwell lately, but Rex and Mike are not sympathetic. Whilst his fitter gives his tubes a good clean, Bert learns from him about a new engine being built. On his return trip home, Bert's rear coupling breaks, and a comment from him gives the driver an idea by gluing Bert to the coaches with glue. Bert makes it home without further trouble, and he teases Rex and Mike for not having "sticking power" after telling them of his adventure.

This one is a good step up; at first, I thought that glue being used to keep a train coupled together was a bit... sketchy, but the way Bert's driver had done so was actually very clever and inventive. Also, Bert felt hurt when the others teased him, but in the end, he came out on top and got his own back with Rex and Mike.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Jock

Bert informs Mike and Rex about what he heard from his fitter, and they wonder what the Small Controller will name the new engine. A few weeks later, the new engine comes out for testing in a chartreuse yellow undercoat. When Douglas sees the engine, he recalls some engines from the Highland Railway in yellow who gained the nickname "Jocks", and so the Small Controller gives the new engine the name "Jock" to give his undercoat color some point.

Well, what do you know - looks like yellow isn't a silly color for an engine after all, is it? The Highland Railway was known for its yellow locomotives, as seen below:

On whole, it's a pretty simple story introducing Jock, and it does have some illustration mistakes here and there, which I'll discuss later on.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Teamwork

Jock proves himself popular to the holidaymakers, and he becomes cocky about it, even more so when he moves a lorry's trailer into the yard by himself. The next day, Mike is surprised and annoyed that Jock is double-heading with him due to popular demand, and the red engine and his driver decide to teach Jock a lesson by shutting off Mike's steam to let Jock do all the work. At the Green, Jock has another reason to pull Mike when the red engine's injector fails. Afterwards, both engines apologize for their antics.

The story's pacing felt rather... rushed. So Jock becomes cocky after receiving a lot of praise, and later, he shifts a lorry's trailer by himself. Afterwards, Mike decides to show Jock up but his plan backfires on him, and Jock apologizes for being cocky. They could've spread it out to two stories, and the pacing would've been a little smoother. It's still a good story, but the pacing ought to slow down a little.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Stray Observations and Illustration Nitpicks

In We Need Another Engine, Frank crashes into the back of the shed facing forwards, but he hit the shed support backwards.

Despite what Sticking Power says, Bert is actually older than Rex and Mike; both are younger than him. In addition, Bert should have been rebuilt by the time the book took place.

Jock has a lot of illustration goofs:

• Mike winked at Rex, but it's the other way around.
• In the fourth illustration, the coaches were visible beside Bert, but in the next illustration, they vanish! In said illustration, Duck is beside Douglas, but in the final illustration, he puffs away two lines across from Douglas.
• In the story, Jock's nameplate is seen before Douglas arrives, but the final illustrations don't show his nameplate. Thankfully, that was fixed in the 2013 reissue.
• Jock's yellow livery is said to be an undercoat, but his lining and other details were already painted on.

Overall

It sounds like I've been bashing the book, but honestly, I do think it's a good book, but it is significantly weaker than Small Railway Engines due to timeline goofs, wonky pacing, and various illustration errors. A bit of a shame that Clive Spong's illustration mistakes let this book down...

Overall Book Rating: 7.9 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
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3
10. Four Little Engines: 8.8
11. Percy the Small Engine: 8.9
12. The Eight Famous Engines: 8.8
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 8.5
14. The Little Old Engine: 8.9
15. The Twin Engines: 9.1
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.3
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.3
18. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine: 8.5

19. Mountain Engines: 8.9
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1
21. Main Line Engines: 9
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.3
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.5
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 8.9
25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.4
26. Tramway Engines: 9.1
27. Really Useful Engines: 8.3
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.5
29. Great Little Engines: 9
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.5
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.3
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.3
34. Jock the New Engine: 7.9

TTTE S2E6: Thomas and Trevor

Well, here we are; the very last episode out of seasons 1-4 that I'll be reviewing until December, and that's when I finally get to review Thomas' Christmas Party and Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree. Today, it's Thomas and Trevor!

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

Season 2, Episode 6

Thomas and Trevor

Written by Christopher Awdry

Adaptation by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton

One day at the Vicarage Orchard, Edward tells Trevor that he'll be taking him to meet with Thomas to help at the new harbor, much to Trevor's delight. When Thomas first meets Trevor, he is initially skeptical due to him not running on rails, but Thomas is soon won over by Trevor's versatility, who enjoys giving children rides. Trevor is sad when he goes home, but Thomas reassures him that he'll visit if possible, and he may be needed again at the harbor some day, which cheers Trevor up.

I've read the synopsis for the annual story, and I can see that they're pretty much the same story. I do find it strange that the episode aired in 1986, but the annual story was published in 1988. But I digress. I imagine this could've taken place during Percy the Small Engine, as it's mentioned that Trevor is needed at the new harbor on Thomas' branchline. I do find it odd that Thomas only uses one face-mask throughout the episode; is his face frozen? :P Definitely a good story to give Trevor some development; a shame he rarely appeared in the stories, but I hope to see him play a role in a CGI episode (a cameo in Emily and Dash doesn't count).

Rating: 9 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 2 Scorecard
1. Thomas, Percy and the Coal: 5

2. Cows: 8

3. Bertie's Chase: 9

4. Saved from Scrap: 9.5

5. Old Iron: 10
6. Thomas and Trevor: 9
7. Percy and the Signal: 9
8. Duck Takes Charge: 8
9. Percy and Harold: 8.5
10. The Runaway: 8.5
11. Percy Takes the Plunge: 6.5
12. Pop Goes the Diesel: 9
13. Dirty Work: 8
14. A Close Shave: 8.5
15. Better Late Than Never: 9
16. Break Van: 8
17. The Deputation: 10
18. Thomas Comes to Breakfast: 9.5
19. Daisy: 9
20. Percy's Predicament: 8.5
21. The Diseasel: 9.5
22. Wrong Road: 9
23. Edward's Exploit: 10
24. Ghost Train: 9.5
25. Woolly Bear: 9

RWS #33: Thomas and the Twins

Happy Earth Day, everypony! Today, we're going down to Edward's branchline to see what's up with Thomas and the Twins!

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 #33

Thomas and the Twins

Written by Christopher Awdry

Illustrated by Clive Spong

Published September 11, 1989

Starting from this book and ending with Thomas and his Friends, there will be no TV series episodes to compare against the books, but I think I'll manage!

Dear Friends,
Bill and Ben keep asking if they can be in a book again. Well, in Cornwall during 1988, I met Bill and Ben's twins and talked to the Driver of one of them at Par. He set me thinking, and this is the result: if our china clay twins enjoy being in a book again, they should thank him not me. I hope you will enjoy the stories too.
The Author

Scrambled Eggs

Because of a weight limit on one of the bridges on his branchline, Thomas is sent to Edward's instead, and there, Bill and Ben tease him for his blue paint. Later, a farmer's lorry breaks down near a crossing while taking some dairy to market, but Thomas crashes into the trailer, and is covered in broken eggs. When he gets home, Bill and Ben tease Thomas even further, much to the blue engine's fury.

This is probably the funniest way to start a Railway Series book. Thomas' accident was extremely amusing, and so is Bill and Ben's sense of humor. They should've considered this for TV!

Rating: 10 out of 10

What a Picture!

Bill and Ben stop teasing Thomas when Edward threatens to not bring them enthusiasts to see them. On that day, Ben is sent to help pull a ship into deeper waters before the tide goes out. Everyone goes to watch, but a man stays behind to take the perfect shot of Bill. However, he's sent to help his twin and afterwards, a picture is found with only Bill's funnel showing.

Another funny story. If I was Bill, I'd be annoyed with the photographer as well. I mean, couldn't he wait until Bill was done helping Ben? I did also like Edward's small role here; almost like a parent threatening to ground their kid if they didn't behave.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Trevor Helps Out

Trevor isn't feeling well, but his owner can't afford repairs. When Edward passed by the orchard, he later forgets to inform the breakdown gang about the bumpy rails, and that results in his last few trucks derailing. Trevor, upon hearing the guard's whistle, calls out to Edward, and he is rewarded with an overhaul by the Fat Controller for preventing an accident.

Like Bill and Ben, it's nice to see Trevor make a comeback after an absence of over thirty years - liking his new green paint! It's said that the last six trucks on Edward's train were derailed, but in the illustration above, only THREE came off the rails and Edward was actually pulling six. Unlike the problems with Triple Header, this could be down to error on Clive Spong's part. Other than that, a good story.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Down the Drain

It's raining one day, and whilst Ben takes some trucks to Brendam from the China Clay workings, strong wind blows a wave into his cab on the Drain, dousing his fire. Thomas is then called in to help, and he pulls Ben away from the Drain. A few days later, Bill is able to return from the quarry, and he and Ben agree not to tease Thomas again.

I like how at the start, it explains what the Drain is, and the story also shows Bill and Ben's maturity by promising not to tease Thomas again, especially considering that he had come to Ben's rescue. Definitely a great way to end the book, but it is a shame it was never explained that Thomas returned to his own branchline...

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Stray Observations

What's happened to Bill and Ben? They've shrunk!

Where's BoCo? Isn't he an engine on Edward's branchline?

Overall

A really funny book, and it's probably thanks to Bill and Ben's humor. Then again, they are among my favorite characters and their cheekiness can make for great storytelling. I like how it's plot points were utilized for Tale of the Brave, although it's a shame the twins didn't appear very much in the books.

Overall Book Rating: 9.3 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
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3
10. Four Little Engines: 8.8
11. Percy the Small Engine: 8.9
12. The Eight Famous Engines: 8.8
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 8.5
14. The Little Old Engine: 8.9
15. The Twin Engines: 9.1
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.3
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.3
18. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine: 8.5

19. Mountain Engines: 8.9
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1
21. Main Line Engines: 9
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.3
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.5
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 8.9
25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.4
26. Tramway Engines: 9.1
27. Really Useful Engines: 8.3
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.5
29. Great Little Engines: 9
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.5
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.3
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.3

TTTE S8E22 - You Can Do it, Toby!

I haven't been reviewing much of season eight, have I? Don't worry, I'm going to be rectifying that by reviewing You Can Do it, Toby!

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

Season 8, Episode 22

You Can Do it, Toby!

Written by Paul Larson

Toby is delivering some milk tankers and he comes across Gordon's hill, chuffing very slowly. I have no idea how two milk tankers (plus a brakevan) can slow him down, considering he's pulled heavy loads before and came out okay. Meanwhile, Gordon slows to a stop on his hill with three express coaches and has to wait for Edward's help - why does he need to now? Gordon is able to make it to the top, and he criticizes Toby for being slow and tells him he's not a proper engine. That sounds a lot like James to the Rescue, but let's move on and leave that aside for now...

Later that evening, Toby is told to work at Wellsworth yards whilst Edward is needed at the docks, and the Fat Controller assures Toby that he must be useful. Huh, I wonder if he told off Gordon for mocking Toby... Speaking of whom, Toby feels nervous for working at the yards, but with Thomas' encouragement, Toby is able to shunt trucks for Henry and the Scottish twins - that'd keep the fans quiet... for now, at least.

Gordon passes by and he gets stuck on his hill again. How often is he getting stuck there, honestly? Toby is sent to be Gordon's banker, and once again, with Thomas' encouragement, Toby sets off to help. Gordon isn't pleased when Toby shows up, and even less when Toby doesn't push hard enough. Initially, Toby is about to give up, but remembering Thomas' words, he puts his wheel down and pushes Gordon and the express as hard as he can. Gordon is able to reach the top, and Toby feels proud for helping out.

Whilst I find Henry and the Wishing Tree to be good, I'm afraid I found You Can Do it, Toby! to be quite weak. I dislike how Toby was portrayed throughout the Barlow era - he's supposed to be confident and proud for who he is, not a cowardly wimp who's afraid of woods and steam whistles. Even though Signals Crossed wasn't great, it's a small sign that Toby's old character might be resurfacing, and his fears are believable to an extent. To be fair, it was a nice show of Toby's strength and the moral about not giving up was nice as well, but the story didn't suit him at all. It could've worked better for Percy instead of Percy's Big Mistake where... well, I'll get to that eventually.

Paul Larson has a mixed reputation when it comes to his writing, and this is a prime example of that. Not the worst episode overall, but it isn't that great either.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 8 Scorecard

4. Henry and the Wishing Tree: 7.5
22. You Can Do it, Toby!: 4.5

RWS #32: Toby, Trucks and Trouble + Season 4 Overall

A new week begins with another book being reviewed; this time, it's Toby, Trucks and Trouble! Plus, I'll be giving my final thoughts on season four.

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 #32

Toby, Trucks and Trouble

Written by Christopher Awdry

Illustrated by Clive Spong

Published September 19, 1988

Here we are with the last book to feature stories adapted for television, and the first book not to feature "engine" or "engines" in the title.

Dear Friends,
Trucks are silly things. They rattle, bang and chatter to each other so much that they can never hear what their engine says. Even if they did, they probably wouldn't take any notice. They pushed Mavis into a lorry, and that made extra work for Toby and Percy while she was being mended.

But on the other hand, perhaps they're not all bad - after all, they did teach Bulstrode a lesson. See what you think.
The Author

Mavis and the Lorry

Mavis runs late due to the trucks being in all the wrong places, and when bringing them down from the quarry, she and her driver encounter a lorry at the crossing. Unfortunately, the lorry's driver hadn't expected to see an engine turn up, and ends up in a ditch after colliding with Mavis. The lorry driver is okay, but Mavis' cowcatcher is bent and she has to go to the works for repairs, resulting in more work for Toby and Percy.

Definitely good to see Mavis back in the spotlight after a sixteen year absence in the books, apart from a fleeting mention in James and the Diesel Engines. It's another of those slice-of-life stories with a bit of action towards the end when Mavis collided with the lorry. However, it's said the lorry ended up in a ditch but it's actually on its side on the road, as the illustration above demonstrates. Either Clive wasn't paying attention or Christopher wanted it to be a little more dramatic, I have no idea. Still, it would've been great for TV, same thing with the last story.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Toby's Seaside Holiday/Special Attraction (Part 1)
Season 4, Episode 25A

Toby thinks about the old days working at Yarmouth harbor; one day, he has been allowed to go to a local village's seaside festival and gets a new coat of paint. Along the way, he helps another engine with his goods train. However, the following morning, Toby is told that there's no room for him, but really, they're afraid he would show everyone else up! In the present day, Toby is brought to work by his crew, and states that the Fat Controller could've organized the event much better.

I don't get why this was merged with Bulstrode; they could've kept it as two individual stories and it would've been adapted much better. As for the story itself, it was nice to see Toby's past being expanded upon - we get to learn what it was like for him working at a harbor on the LNER! Now if only we could learn about how he got to work in East Anglia...

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Bulstrode/Special Attraction (Part 2)
Season 4, Episode 25B

Percy is sent to Knapford harbor to help load stone into a cantankerous old barge called Bulstrode. The trucks are cross with him and are grateful for Percy showing up. Unfortunately, a coupling snaps and four trucks run into Bulstrode, nearly drowning him, but luckily for him, the tide is out. The workmen rescue what stone they can, the broken trucks are taken for scrap, and Bulstrode is sent to the beach where children play in him.

Wait, the trucks are glad to have an engine being present? Tell me this is a joke...! No, it ain't no joke. Anyway, like I said, I'd prefer if Bulstrode had been adapted by itself - it took up around two minutes thirty seconds. They could've used the remaining two minutes to give Bulstrode more dialogue and have him make fun of Percy, like the Thomas Story Library adaptation did. Yes, it sounds like padding, but at least it wouldn't have given Toby a pointless role. Also, the crash was not how it was portrayed in the books, but it was amazingly filmed, I'll give them that. I don't think it was a terrible adaptation like Mind That Bike, but Special Attraction was just... meh.

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 4 out of 10

Toby Takes the Road

Terence has done the shunting in Percy's absence and jokingly suggests that he and Toby scrap their rails, commenting that steam engines once ran on roads. One frosty morning, the earth has swelled over the crossing to the quarry, and when Toby crosses it, he comes off the rails onto the road. With some quick thinking from the fireman, Toby is able to return to the safety of his own rails, and his crew spread some of his ashes to prevent another derailment. The Fat Controller does find out, but he simply tells Toby to stick to the railway.

I dunno why, but I liked Toby's face in the illustration I chose; it almost looks like one of his faces from the TV series:

Is it me, or do the faces look strikingly similar?

It was nice seeing Terence play a small role to himself, and if you're unsure to how he did the shunting, the annual story Hosepipes and Shunters explain everything. Like Mavis and the Lorry, it's another simple story with good humor and action, not much, but still enjoyable. I wonder how the Fat Controller found out - maybe the ruts on the road were a clue? Certainly would've been great for TV.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Stray Observations

Although the book is set on the Ffarquhar branchline, Thomas doesn't appear at all, excluding a mention in Mavis and the Lorry. Perhaps it took place at the same time as Thomas and the Twins?

Like I said, this was the first RWS book not to contain "engine" or "engines" in the title. Although Christopher has regretted breaking the tradition, he stated that it did create many new book title opportunities. I wonder what they were...

Overall

Definitely surprising to have a book set on Sodor's most iconic line, and yet it's starring engine made no physical appearance. But then, do you always need to feature Thomas just to make a good book? It was nice to give Mavis and Toby more time in the spotlight, as well as Percy and Terence. But next time, we're going to find out where Thomas is...

Overall Book Rating: 9.1 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
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3
10. Four Little Engines: 8.8
11. Percy the Small Engine: 8.9
12. The Eight Famous Engines: 8.8
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 8.5
14. The Little Old Engine: 8.9
15. The Twin Engines: 9.1
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.3
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.3
18. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine: 8.5

19. Mountain Engines: 8.9
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1
21. Main Line Engines: 9
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.3
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.5
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 8.9
25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.4
26. Tramway Engines: 9.1
27. Really Useful Engines: 8.3
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.5
29. Great Little Engines: 9
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.5
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.3
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1

Season 4 Overall

I don't see season four as the among the greatest seasons of the show. Sure, it had nice episodes, but the structure was extremely sloppy and the narrow gauge engines had too much focus (not that I dislike them). I would've preferred if Four Little Engines and The Little Old Engine had been adapted for season two, and then Gallant Old Engine, Very Old Engines, and Small Railway Engines for season three, and probably Duke the Lost Engine as a special or for season four. Instead, Duke was adapted first, and the first three Skarloey-themed books were adapted after, leaving a few gaps, adaptation wise. I don't hate this season, but out of the classic seasons, this is the least good.

Episodes From Least Favorite to Most Favorite

1/10
26. Mind That Bike

2/10
25. Rusty to the Rescue

2.5/10
24. Thomas and Stepney

4/10
23. Special Attraction

5/10
22. Sleeping Beauty

6.5/10
21. A Bad Day for Sir Handel
20. Bulls Eyes

7/10
19. Henry and the Elephant
18. Granpuff
17. Four Little Engines

7.5/10
16. Special Funnel
15. Bulldog

8/10
14. Paint Pots and Queens
13. Toad Stands By
12. Trucks!
11. You Can't Win

8.5/10
10. Thomas and the Special Letter
9. Home at Last
8. Train Stops Play

9/10
7. Steam Roller
6. Rock 'n' Roll
5. Passengers and Polish
4. Bowled Out
3. Gallant Old Engine

9.5/10
2. Fish
1. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady

Season four's official episode average is 7.1/10.

Final Season Rating: 6/10

TTTE: A Better View for Gordon and Gordon Takes a Tumble

Both episodes were requested by Omeed Mirhakkak. Any episodes you'd like me to review? Leave me a comment or a personal message?

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

Season 5, Episode 3

A Better View for Gordon
Written by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton and David Maidment

Gordon tells James that he can complain whenever he wants and calls him a small red engine with ideas above his station. That scene also marked the first instance of Percy's stupidity coming into play, but that doesn't really affect the rest of the episode for me since he has no effect on the plot. Anyway, Gordon decides to prove what a big engine can really do. The Fat Controller tells him that he'll be taking an empty express to test Kirk Ronan station, even though Gordon doesn't want to. At first, Gordon is impressed with the new station... but not with its blank wall, and wants a panoramic view.

Later on, Gordon suffers from a breakdown (they never say what's broken in him) and James takes over for him, telling Gordon that it serves him right for getting puffed up. Gordon is soon repaired and is taking the Fat Controller to the opening of Kirk Ronan station. However, his driver is unable to apply the brakes and Gordon himself is unable to slow down when he reaches the station, smashing into the wall, injuring the Fat Controller and his crew. Gordon is repaired again, and the station gets a second reopening. This time, Gordon arrives safely and out of his accident, he has been given a panoramic view and will see through it for the safety of his own rails.

It has its faults, yes, but for me, they don't really destroy the rest of the episode. The crash was very spectacularly filmed as it was based on an accident in France at Gare Montparnasse in 1895. It could be scary for kids, but then, real life isn't 100% harmony, is it? Plus, it heavily emphasizes that railways are dangerous environments and we should take care in them. On whole, I really love this episode.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Season 6, Episode 17

Gordon Takes a Tumble

Story by David Mitton

Written by Robin Kingsland

Gordon tells Salty that pulling trucks wouldn't be dignified for an express engine like him, but the diesel teases him for getting too big for his buffers. How Percy was able to get a word wrong two seconds after it was said, I have no idea either. Later in the evening, fog rolls in on Sodor and traffic slows down at the docks. Thomas, Percy and Henry are sent to help out at the docks, and Gordon is to take trucks where they won't be in the way, much to the big blue engine's disgust, but he decides to show Salty how an express engine would pull trucks.

In the morning, Gordon is accidentally switched onto the branchline - look at how rusty it is; it should be closed down! - and he ignores "go slow" signs. This proves a big mistake when he comes off the tracks and into a field through a dung pile (I think?), some tires, and a barn, stopping in front of a scarecrow. How did he go that far when there were obstacles in his way?! That's actually quite funny, honestly. The Fat Controller scolds Gordon for his reckless behavior, and the big blue engine feels foolish when he comes back from the works, but after James tells him that Salty apologized for teasing him, Gordon feels better and apologizes for getting too big for his buffers.

The moral is actually quite nice - everyone makes mistakes, but I find it unlikely that it'd take Gordon a whole day to deliver one line of trucks... unless it was stated that it was another train Gordon was taking, then it'd make more sense. The crash itself was amazing, although ridiculous, like I said, as he'd never go that far in reality.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 5 Scorecard

3. A Better View for Gordon: 9.5

5. James and the Trouble with Trees: 8.5

13. Stepney Gets Lost: 5.5

14. Toby's Discovery: 5

15. Something in the Air: 9

18. Oliver's Find: 7

25. Rusty and the Boulder: 5

Thomas & Friends Season 6 Scorecard (out of 10 possible points)

10. Twin Trouble: 7.5

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 8.5

24. Dunkin Duncan: 8

26. Faulty Whistles: 8.5