RWS #18: Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine

Now we're getting to the really dark stuff in the Railway Series, and we kick off with the book that promoted the first standard gauge heritage railway in Great Britain!

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 #18

Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by Gunvor and Peter Edwards

Published 1963

By this point, a certain Liverpool rock band was emerging, Doctor Who made its debut on the BBC, and mass-scrapping for steam engines was well underway. However, some steam engines have been saved for preservation, and among them was a Terrier by the name of Stepney...

Dear Friends,
Percy is a kind-hearted little engine. He feels sad because many fine steam engines are cut up on the Other Railway (B.R.).

Percy's ideas, however, though natural for an engine, are a little muddled. British Railways Officials are not cruel. They are sad to lose faithful steam friends, and glad to help engines to go to places like the Bluebell Railway at Sheffield Park in Sussex, where they can be cared for, and useful, and safe.
The Author

Bluebells of England

Percy tells Douglas about the Bluebells of England after being told that his song is daft, and he explains that Stepney is coming to Sodor with his owner.

If you've read my Rusty to the Rescue review, you'll know that this story did right what the TV episode didn't; it explained Stepney's real history and there was no sugarcoating the scrapping of steam engines. Granted, it was a book of it's time, but that's not the point. The story is short, but given the reflection of British Railways back then, I would take this story over the season four episode any day.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Stepney's Special/Thomas and Stepney

Season 4, Episode 16

After he speaks with Edward about the Bluebell Railway, Stepney works at the yards with Duck, but when a V.I.P. needs help, Stepney takes him and Thomas is cross with his last train being delayed. In the morning, Stepney compliments Thomas' knowledge of branchline life and the blue tank engine feels better.

Because of Rusty to the Rescue, the first half of the story is extremely screwed up. The opening scene with Thomas and Percy is pointless, and we never see Edward and Stepney interacting. And what was wrong with the original title? I don't know, but this adaptation was extremely loose and should've been handled better.

RWS Rating: 8.5 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 2.5 out of 10

Train Stops Play

Season 4, Episode 17

Percy offers to let Stepney share his trucks with him, as the Bluebell engine misses trucks greatly. At the cricket field, the only ball lands in one of Stepney's trucks and the cricketers give chase in Caroline the old car all the way to Ffarquhar. Caroline is exhausted, so Stepney helps her and the cricketers back to Elsbridge and he and his crew watch the match.

Here we go; now there's a good adaptation! I know it's not perfect visually, but remember - I don't look for 100% perfection. The plot did remind me of Bertie's Chase, and I feel sorry for Caroline after her chase with Stepney - no wonder her engine conked out. :P I actually saw Lady Hatt's Birthday Party before this episode (I didn't own the Thomas Meets the Queen VHS - I wish I did, though!) and thought Caroline was TV series exclusive, I don't know why?

RWS/TV Series Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Bowled Out

Season 4, Episode 18

Stepney's visit comes to an end, but in his place, a rude diesel comes and insults the steam engines. He gets his comeuppance before he can take his express when a bowler hat is sucked into his air intake and Duck and Stepney take the train for him. Stepney goes home in style, while the diesel leaves in disgrace.

In the TV adaptation at least (we never fully saw what he looked like in the books; I could be wrong though) I really like the modeling of the Class 40 diesel; a big mainline diesel is what we need more often in the TV series and not just more small diesel shunters. Same with electric engines. Pity they didn't explain why the diesel came in the RWS; looks like the TV adaptation took care of that.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Stray Observations

This is the illustrating debut of Gunvor Edward and her husband Peter. They were impressionistic artists and Wilbert loved their work. Sadly, Gunvor died from dementia in 2014.

In Bluebells of England, the second illustration is based upon a Peter Edwards illustration for Graham Greene's A Gun for Sale (I've not read the book, for the record). The third illustration is based on this photograph of Stepney and Adams.

Overall

Surprisingly, Caroline and the diesel made their only appearances in this book. Seems like Britt didn't start the one-character trend; Wilbert did. Christopher contributed to that as well, but that's another set of stories altogether. As for this book, it isn't my most favorite, but I do respect it for treating Stepney like a real engine, unlike the TV series where he's treated like a Sodor resident. I don't look forward to seeing Stepney in CGI, but if he is brought back, I hope they fix him up and make him a mainland engine.

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

Thomas and Friends Season 4 Scorecard

5. Four Little Engines: 7
6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 6.5
7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 9.5
8. Trucks!: 8
9. Home at Last: 8.5
10. Rock 'n' Roll: 9
11. Special Funnel: 7.5
12. Steam Roller: 9
13. Passengers and Polish: 9
14. Gallant Old Engine: 9
15. Rusty to the Rescue: 2
16. Thomas and Stepney: 2.5
17. Train Stops Play: 8.5
18. Bowled Out: 9
19. Henry and the Elephant: 7
21. Bulls Eyes: 6.5
22. Thomas and the Special Letter: 8.5
23. Paint Pots and Queens: 8

TTTE S4E15 - Rusty to the Rescue

Before we get to Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine which I'll review on Thursday, I'm going to review the most controversial episode out of the fourth season of Thomas and Friends, and the episode Awdry hated most next to Henry's Forest.

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

Okay, now before you gang up on me, let me state that I have absolutely nothing against the classic era of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and I never did. I consider it a good era for the show, but every now and then, a good show is bound to have a few duds here and there. For example, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic gave us Swarm of the Century, Dragon Quest and Trade Ya!, and classic SpongeBob gave us I'm with Stupid and The Great Snail Race. Classic Thomas and Friends, of course, gave us Rusty to the Rescue, so let's talk about it.

Season 4, Episode 15

Rusty to the Rescue

Written by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton

Let's start with the premise; Rusty travels to the other railway to find an engine (Stepney) to run the Bluebell Railway. Already, there's several problems:

1. In no way would a small narrow gauge engine run all the way from Crovan's Gate to Vicarstown and beyond. A Garratt possibly could, but that's another matter.
2. The Bluebell Railway is a real preserved railway in England, not a Sodor branchline running next to the Skarloey Railway.
3. Stepney is a real engine who lives on the Bluebell Railway, not a Sodor resident. For that, I'm probably glad City of Truro and Flying Scotsman never had roles in the TV series.
4. Stepney was an engine, in the RWS, who could rival any diesel, and he was mended by workmen and saved by the manager of the Bluebell Railway.
5. The plot is similar to Escape. (Yes, I'll review that soon enough.)

All in all, the episode completely forgot what Bluebells of England established and screwed up Stepney's character and background. So that's it; review over, right?

Nope! It'd be stupid to stop there, as my criticisms don't stop there; after his (I'm going to refer to Rusty as a boy; the episode never specified the little diesel's gender) driver explains that the Bluebell line needs an engine, Rusty speaks with Douglas about finding an engine on the other railway, and it's said that only diesels go there now. (Even though it ripped off Escape, they did at least reference it.)

Rusty tells his driver about his idea, and the manager agrees to his plan, and it takes Rusty all day to get to the other railway - I hope he at least refueled on diesel fuel on the way! The other railway diesels confront Rusty and demand for his business, and he states that he's a sidings inspection diesel, asking if there are any engines in the sidings; there's only one, so he goes there to inspect.

Rusty comes across Stepney - yes, I'm going to call him that, and not just an unnamed engine - and asks if he likes bluebells, which Stepney does, and Rusty offers to help him escape to safety. Now to be fair on the episode, Rusty willing to help another engine is one of the better parts of the episode, but how did he move without a driver if he was Stepney's fireman? Anyway, they make it past the diesels onto the "Bluebell Railway" where I imagine Stepney is fully restored and works there full time, and is known to people as the Bluebell Engine.

The only positives from the episode were Rusty's characterization and the scene with him confronting the diesels, but that was it. Rusty to the Rescue was simply bad, and the annoying bit is that it could have actually worked in one of the following scenarios:

1. If another engine (say, Molly, for instance) was in Stepney's place, and the "Bluebell Railway" was simply just another North Western branchline. Yes, it would still be illogical for Rusty to go that far, but at least it wouldn't have butchered Stepney's true backstory!
2. If BoCo was in Rusty's place in the above scenario. BoCo had been severely underused in season four and deserved a speaking role there. Mavis or Daisy could've also been used, but they have their own jobs to do on Thomas' branchline.

If they couldn't do either, then why not adapt Bluebells of England as it should've been, or better yet, hold back the whole book to film a thirty minute special? Awdry said he hated the episode, and although I liked Henry's Forest, I agree with Awdry about Rusty to the Rescue screwing up the original value Bluebells of England had.

I don't know about you, but I feel that Rusty wasn't intended to be a starring character in either the books or the TV series. Every leading role he had after this episode was severely flawed in their own ways - Rusty and the Boulder, Rusty Saves the Day, Trusty Rusty, Tuneful Toots, and Which Way Now? all feature him as main character. I just hope that Andrew Brenner and the writing crew can save grace for Rusty, and possibly give him and the likes of Sir Handel more time in the spotlight, possibly like in One of a Kind. Watching that again, WildNorWester showed that Rusty was not just a maintenance diesel; he was a Skarloey engine.

As for Rusty to the Rescue, the episode is one that I'm not all for. The plot was contrived and the sad part is that it didn't have to be! Before you mention the likes of Skarloey the Brave or Push Me, Pull You, that's no excuse for how bad the season four episode was.

Rating: 2 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 4 Scorecard

5. Four Little Engines: 7
6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 6.5
7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 9.5
8. Trucks!: 8
9. Home at Last: 8.5
10. Rock 'n' Roll: 9
11. Special Funnel: 7.5
12. Steam Roller: 9
13. Passengers and Polish: 9
14. Gallant Old Engine: 9
15. Rusty to the Rescue: 2
19. Henry and the Elephant: 7
21. Bulls Eyes: 6.5
22. Thomas and the Special Letter: 8.5
23. Paint Pots and Queens: 8

RWS #17: Gallant Old Engine

We've got a couple of loose ends to tie up on the Skarloey Railway - Peter Sam's funnel and Rheneas' return! How well do they fare? Let's see...

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 #17

Gallant Old Engine

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by John T. Kenney

Published 1962

Rheneas had been taken to the works far away by the events of Four Little Engines, and since then, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Rusty, and Duncan have joined Skarloey on Sodor's oldest running railway, but now Rheneas has finally come home, and these stories show how...

Dear Friends,
On the second page of Four Little Engines Rheneas was taken away to be mended. He was away for a long time, but has now come home.

All the Little Engines are together at last. They are delighted. Rheneas is their hero. He had saved the Railway....

There is a real engine like Rheneas. His name is Dolgoch and his home is at Towyn in Wales.

Some years ago he saved the Talyllyn Railway. We are very proud of our gallant old engine.
The Author

Special Funnel

Season 4, Episode 11

A winter washout sweeps away a bridge, and it is repaired by market day; by this point, the weather has become frosty. Still with a loose funnel, Peter Sam takes the passenger train and looses his funnel due to an icicle in the tunnel, and it is replaced with a drainpipe, much to the engines' amusement. Peter Sam is later given a Giesl ejector funnel, and he comes out on top when the other engines become jealous of it.

That wasn't a Giesl funnel in the model series - it was just a squarish funnel. Thank goodness it became a proper Giesl in season 16... Also, how the hell did Britt mix up her locomotive terminology? I'll let this bit of dialogue explain how: "Peter Sam finished his journey with the drainpipe wired to his boiler." No, the drainpipe is roped to his smokebox. The boiler is used to heat water, and the smokebox is to release smoke out of the funnel from the firebox through tubes passing heat around the boiler's water. I know this sounds like nitpicking, but how do you not understand the basic parts of a locomotive when you've been working on a show about trains for at least a decade (at the time of episode airing)?

The general adaptation is fine, but the lack of understanding the basic components of a locomotive just confuses me...

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Steam Roller

Season 4, Episode 12

Sir Handel is given new wheels with broad tyres, and the engines tease him by calling him a "steamroller". Skarloey tells him about George, an anti-railway steamroller hoping to get Sir Handel to see sense, but when they do meet, Sir Handel claims he's better than George and later on, George refuses to let Sir Handel pass resulting in an accident. Sir Handel thinks he made George go away, but pride comes before a fall when some boys talk about the "race"!

A road vs. rail story is something we need to see more often and not just the constant steam vs. diesel rivalry, and this story proves why. I do like George Carlin's voice for the steamroller, and some time ago, I saw a parody video using audio from Napalm and Silly Putty with George as Carlin with Arry/Bert and Toby from the section, Cars and Driving: Part 2 under Oh Brother! Back to the episode; not much to say, really - the crash was brilliantly filmed.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Passengers and Polish

Season 4, Episode 13

Nancy the guard's daughter has just finished polishing Skarloey, but hasn't the time to polish Duncan since she'll be helping the refreshment lady, much to Duncan's annoyance. He is in a bad temper all day, but it gets worse when he takes Skarloey's remaining coaches and passengers home, and when he takes his own train, Duncan is so fed up he stalls deliberately on the viaduct, forcing Skarloey to bring him home. The passengers, however, are furious and call it a bad railway, but Duncan doesn't care...

A bit strange, I feel, that Skarloey's coaches were blue and white, and Duncan's coaches are the same livery as well. Couldn't one of them have taken different colored coaches? Other than that, a solid adaptation.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Gallant Old Engine

Season 4, Episode 14

Cross with Duncan's behavior, Skarloey tells him (and Peter Sam) about how Rheneas saved the Skarloey Railway from closure. The year before Sir Handel and Peter Sam came, Rheneas had to do all the work since Skarloey was worn out, but one day, his valve gear jams while pulling a passenger train, but the Thin Controller and Mr. Hugh fix him so he can make it to the next station. Rheneas does so, and the passengers praise his heroic efforts. Duncan apologizes for being selfish and the next day, Rheneas is met with a hero's welcome home.

This story really put Rheneas as one of my favorite characters; he may have been horribly butchered during S9-12 (as well as season seven to an extent), but before then, he was a hard working engine who would do his work regardless if he was crippled. A pity that the story wasn't replicated visually, but then you can't have it all. I do like the ending shot with the standard and narrow gauge engines together though...

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

Stray Observations

The accident in Steam Roller is based on an event that happened in Muskerry, County Cork, Ireland in 1927.

The events of Gallant Old Engine (story, not the book on whole) were inspired by events on the Talyllyn Railway in the late 1940s when Dolgoch (Rheneas' twin) ran the trains single-handedly.

The aforementioned stories were written by Mr. P.B. Whitehouse and Mr. L.T.C. Rolt respectively in their own books; Awdry acknowledged their permission to use these stories.

This was John T. Kenney's last book as illustrator; not because of a dispute, but because his eyesight was beginning to fail and he didn't want it to affect his illustrations. He died ten years later in 1972, the same year Tramway Engines was published.

In Steam Roller's sixth illustration, a blue car bears the number plate "JTK 62". Guess what it references.

Overall

Three great books in a row? No way! This is another book that is definitely in my Top 10 (once I've reviewed Tramway Engines, I'll get to that list soon enough). Of the Skarloey books adapted for TV, this was not only adapted wholly, but the stories are more or less carbon copies, even with a few... alterations. Although, I have to question why on earth Rheneas was on the railway in a few episodes prior to Gallant Old Engine when he should be at the works? That doesn't make any sense. Granted, season one did the same thing with James in the first six episodes, but still. I still personally believe that season four, out of the Allcroft seasons, had the worst structure, and I'll get to why soon enough.

Nonetheless, for tomorrow, I have a bee in my bonnet with a certain season four episode...

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

Thomas and Friends Season 4 Scorecard

5. Four Little Engines: 7
6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 6.5
7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 9.5
8. Trucks!: 8
9. Home at Last: 8.5
10. Rock 'n' Roll: 9
11. Special Funnel: 7.5
12. Steam Roller: 9
13. Passengers and Polish: 9
14. Gallant Old Engine: 9
19. Henry and the Elephant: 7
21. Bulls Eyes: 6.5
22. Thomas and the Special Letter: 8.5
23. Paint Pots and Queens: 8

TTTE S12E20 - Best Friends

The final paragraph in the final chapter of the model era of Thomas and Friends is reviewed in full detail by yours truly!

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

Season 12, Episode 20

Best Friends

Written by Anna Starkey

Thomas and Percy are working at the quarry when Neville tells them that the brass band is at Brendam docks; Percy goes for a washdown, hoping to look his best if he's chosen, by Thomas' suggestion. However, the Fat Controller asks Thomas to take the brass band, and Thomas worries because he doesn't want to hurt Percy, and does what he can to avoid him, especially after Percy returns from his washdown, shiny as a trumpet. Thomas has his own washdown, but when he sees Percy coming, he hides in the shed.

Later, Thomas picks up Annie and Clarabel, but he still doesn't know how to tell Percy without upsetting him, so he takes a different route to the docks. Then he sees Percy again (how is he reappearing a lot, I wonder?) and hides behind Duck and his goods train. Soon enough, he arrives at the docks, but the trumpet player has left his trumpet behind, and it's too late for Thomas when Percy shows up to pick up his mail trucks. Percy is upset at Thomas for not telling him about picking up the brass band, and Thomas feels worse than ever.

At Great Waterton, Thomas asks the Fat Controller if Percy can pick up the brass band after the concert and in turn, Thomas can take Percy's mail train. Percy is pleased with the arrangement, and Thomas is happy to have made amends and promises to always tell Percy everything.

I've said a while ago Best Friends this was my #1 Miller Era episode, and I still stand by it. It isn't perfect, but the story is very close to it. If you could put this episode and Wonky Whistle at two ends of the scale, Best Friends would be at the high end (good episodes), and Wonky Whistle at the low end (bad episodes). Sure, the plot is cliched, but it actually works so everyone can relate to this scenario. For the models, it was truly their finest hour and last hurrah.

Rating: 10 out of 10

You'll notice that Tram Trouble is a 5/10. I missed it out in the reviews that I'll never do because it didn't come to mind. Everyone thinks it's the worst of season 12, but not me - that goes to either Push Me, Pull You, or Don't Go Back. I guess I don't hate Tram Trouble that much because, I can't really relate to the events of said episode or Flora as a character. Even if I do review it, I probably wouldn't do so without angering those who hate the episode.

So yeah, Tram Trouble won't be given a review, and if I have indifference to an episode (like Toby's Discovery) then I can't review it.

Thomas & Friends Season 12 Scorecard (out of 10 possible points)

13. Tram Trouble: 5
20. Best Friends: 10

RWS #16: Branch Line Engines

I think we've seen enough of the mainline engines for the time being. How about a journey back on Thomas' branchline?

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 #16

Branch Line Engines

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by John T. Kenney

Published 1961

Rarely is there a dull moment on Thomas' branchline, especially when the engines there get into mishaps!

Dear Friends,
We never have a dull moment on our Branch Line. Thomas was silly and got into trouble, so a Diesel Rail-car called Daisy came. She caused trouble, but has now promised to be good, so the Fat Controller has kindly given her another chance.

Meanwhile Toby chased a bull, Percy got into a predicament and...

But you must read the stories for yourselves.
The Author

Thomas Comes to Breakfast

Season 2, Episode 18

Thomas becomes conceited after his driver remarks that he might not need him anymore, but when a careless cleaner meddles with his controls in the morning, Thomas runs away into the stationmaster's house and is made to go to the works for a while.

I love this episode! It's funny to how after Thomas crashes into the stationmaster's house, the stationmaster doesn't freak out, but instead, with a sigh of annoyance, he shuts off the blue tank engine's steam while the wife scolds Thomas for his carelessness. (Granted, the cleaner was involved, but that's another matter.) Strange that Donald and Douglas weren't repainted blue in this episode, but what the heck, you can't have it all, and I'll get to why later.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Daisy

Season 2, Episode 19

After Thomas' accident, a diesel railcar named Daisy is brought in to do his work, but is hard to please when she refuses to share the carriage sheds with Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta, and especially at the thought of pulling the milk wagon - it's bad for her swerves, apparently!

Poor Daisy; she's only had three speaking roles in the series (as well as two cameos) and was completely ignored. I would love to see her make a full comeback in CGI; she would the Ffarquhar crew, and maybe she'll look more like her RWS counterpart. Her debut was incredible, and she does what Diamond Tiara most likely won't - she learns that being a brat will get you nowhere in life. Interestingly enough, the females dominated the number of males in the episode - Daisy and the coaches to Percy, Toby, and the Fat Controller.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Bulls Eyes

Season 4, Episode 21

Daisy teases Toby for his cowcatchers and sideplates, thinking that he's afraid of getting hurt, even if he explains that they're to keep him safe from hurting animals should they stray onto the line; Daisy, however, thinks that they'll move if you toot and look them in the eye. However, when a runaway bull named Champion strays close to the line, Daisy eats her words when she can't scare him off, and to add insult to injury, Toby shoos Champion by wheeshing at him.

In season two, several stories were skipped, and Bulls Eyes is a prime example; in the following story, Daisy had changed her ways, but here, it feels like she reverted to her old personality when it was held back for season four. I would've had books 9-16 for season two, and books 17 and 20-26 (barring 25) for season three, to more or less follow the original book order, with Stepney's and Duke's respective books being specials. Nothing wrong with the adaptation; it's in the wrong place, and the fact that Daisy feels like she went backwards doesn't help at all.

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Percy's Predicament

Season 2, Episode 20

Percy is in a bad mood when Daisy leaves the milk behind, so Toby offers to let Percy take his trucks for him from the quarry, but it doesn't end well when Percy is rude to the trucks, and they push him into a train of stone trucks for revenge. Percy and Daisy are both scolded by the Fat Controller, but he agrees to give Daisy another chance when she worked hard after Percy's accident. Thomas returns home with his running plate straightened and all are now friends.

Two things:

1. Percy has been to the quarry before in Percy and Harold (TV series, at least), so to see he's never been there before makes no sense.
2. Because Bulls Eyes wasn't adapted before this, how is Daisy afraid of bulls and cows?

Even though the original and the adaptation are of the same quality, the adaptation loses a point due to the second fault I have.

RWS Rating: 9.5 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Stray Observations

Thomas being scolded in Thomas Comes to Breakfast might sound unfair, but here's the key thing - he tried to move on his own, plus he was being arrogant and got punished for it. As for the wife caring more about the breakfast than her house? Well, let's just say that she probably wasn't thinking straight. And Donald (or is it Douglas?) still in black? They probably didn't have the blue paint ready for them, or they couldn't be repainted until the workload on the mainline had died down.

Thomas Comes to Breakfast had been arranged so Awdry could alter the shape of Thomas' running plate. I wonder how it'd have gone if he remained a J50...?

The crash depicted in Percy's Predicament had been met with indignation from a railwayman writing to Awdry that the accident wasn't possible; he was wrong, and Awdry was right - Percy's Predicament was based on an incident on April 13, 1876 where a 0-6-0 Class H No. 123 "Phyllis" lost control and ran into the back of a stationary coal train and came to rest on two coal trucks. Like Awdry said: "Whatever happened to Thomas, Gordon, Henry and the others had to have actually happened to some engine at some time somewhere, and have a railway-like explanation which fitted."

Overall

Another fantastic book featuring the Ffarquhar engines (must be another of my personal biases!), and an equally fantastic introduction to Daisy, a great, underused character. I guess what I like about the books focusing on the Ffarquhar branchline written by Wilbert is that the line was used sporadically - Tank Engine Thomas Again and Percy the Small Engine, as well as one or two stories from Toby the Tram Engine, Gordon the Big Engine and The Eight Famous Engines each were all focused on this famous line. The other books by Wilbert featuring the line as the central focus in at least one story are Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine and Tramway Engines; this is in contrast to Christopher's era, where the branchline was focused upon a lot, but I'll get to all those soon enough.

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

Thomas and Friends Season 2 Scorecard

2. Cows: 8

3. Bertie's Chase: 9

4. Saved from Scrap: 9.5

5. Old Iron: 10
7. Percy and the Signal: 9
8. Duck Takes Charge: 8
9. Percy and Harold: 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
16. Break Van: 8
17. The Deputation: 10
18. Thomas Comes to Breakfast: 9.5
19. Daisy: 9
20. Percy's Predicament: 8.5

Thomas and Friends Season 4 Scorecard

5. Four Little Engines: 7
6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 6.5
7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 9.5
8. Trucks!: 8
9. Home at Last: 8.5
10. Rock 'n' Roll: 9
19. Henry and the Elephant: 7
21. Bulls Eyes: 6.5
22. Thomas and the Special Letter: 8.5
23. Paint Pots and Queens: 8

TTTE Season 6: Twin Trouble and Dunkin Duncan

Well, here's two season six episodes under my microscope; Dunkin Duncan for The Little Old Engine and Twin Trouble for... well, The Twin Engines.

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

Episode 10: Twin Trouble

Written by Brian Trueman

Now, Donald and Douglas are said to have nearly always worked together, but they have appeared without one another in stories like Escape (which I'll get too soon enough), Mountain Engine, Bluebells of England/Rusty to the Rescue, and possibly more that I may have forgotten. Anyway, while they're taking a goods train, Donald sees Trevor's cart on the crossing (a wheel broke off), and applies his brakes, but Douglas doesn't, and they have a falling out - Donald accuses Douglas for pushing him into the cart, and Douglas argues that Donald pulled him. Sounds like One Good Turn, only the conflict ignites around forty seconds in, and Donald and Douglas are in Bill and Ben's place.

The next day, the Fat Controller needs an engine to help Duck at the smelters yards, and Donald volunteers, preferring to work alone. Here, Thomas' role isn't needed, but it had somewhat of a purpose when he says "Won't you (referring to Donald and Douglas) miss one another? I know I'd miss Annie and Clarabel." Donald works fine with Duck, but when the pannier tank misunderstands by shunting trucks onto the other line, Donald thinks that Douglas would've understood what he meant. Speaking of whom, Douglas is working alone, but he feels lonely and that night, he tries to apologize to Donald, who is still cross, and he asks if Douglas is going to apologize for causing the accident, which gets him angry,

In the morning, Donald is still in a bad temper, and doesn't watch where he's going, and smashes the buffers, derailing completely, much to his crew's annoyance. Duck leaves to find Douglas... wait, what?

Really, Duck? You just left your friend stuck in a predicament just to tell Douglas that his twin is in trouble? Why could you not have pulled him back on the rails yourself?! Or at least, made an attempt to do so? Oh, but then, the ending wouldn't have been happy.

And speaking of the ending, Douglas pulls Donald back to safety, and before they argue over who's sorry, Duck insists that they be glad they're back together and they are.

The episode is good... except for the ending, which wasn't thought through properly; if Douglas had been around at the time, he would've refused to help at first until Duck knocked some sense into him. It might have sounded like Rock 'n' Roll, but at least the ending would've made sense! The first accident was also strange as Donald would've simply gone through instead of derailing, but his second accident looked nice, even if his driver should've been involved. Oh, and Alec Baldwin did a frankly terrible job with Donald and Douglas' voices - he didn't even attempt a Scottish accent here, and yet he did in Duncan Gets Spooked!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Episode 24: Dunkin Duncan
Story by Simon Nicholson

Written by Jenny McDade

Rusty, Rheneas and Skarloey are sent to help Duncan with an important job at the incline, but the Scottish tank engine is in a bad temper and demands that the others hurry up so he can get back to the junction. Considering his past accidents (which are shown in flashback), the engines feel that it won't end well. Also, why would Rheneas and Skarloey call him "bossy boots" and "pushy puffer"? They've put up with his behavior before, so why make a big fuss about it now? Also, why four trucks for the incline at a time? We've seen six or seven trucks up there before, so why four? It's probably just me nitpicking again; in fact, I may do a blog post regarding if it's fair to nitpick or not!

Anyway, Skarloey, Rheneas and Rusty feel that Duncan isn't going to listen and give up trying to reason with him, while Duncan claims he can handle trucks. He soon eats his words when his chain is tangled with the front truck's coupling, and he is dragged up the incline just as Rusty arrives. As Duncan reaches the top, the chain breaks and he and the trucks run out of control into a swamp. He is rescued and scolded for his reckless behavior, apologizes to the others for being rude, and is made to work at the incline until he learns to be patient and careful.

So what can I say that I haven't already? Erm, not much, really. The crash was nicely filmed, just another way of showing reckless behavior having dire consequences. Although, I would like if they gave an explanation to the four truck limit; it just came from nowhere. Still, I think it's a good episode.

Rating: 8 out of 10

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

10. Twin Trouble: 7.5
24. Dunkin Duncan: 8

RWS #15: The Twin Engines

Losh sakes, laddies and lassies! It's tha Scottish twins, Donal' and Douggie in tha spotlite!

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 #15

The Twin Engines

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by John T. Kenney

Published 1960

With two more engines left to finish the Awdry 11 in the CGI series, and with their hopeful return in season 19, I feel it's high time I reviewed Donald and Douglas' book!

Dear Friends
Sir Topham Hatt has just been having a disturbing time! He ordered one goods engine from Scotland and was surprised to receive two!

They had both lost their numbers and no one knew which was which. So he didn't know which engine to keep.
The Author

"Hullo Twins!"

With the mainline busier than ever, the Fat Controller brings in a goods engine from Scotland to help, but is surprised when TWO arrive instead, having lost their numbers, and go by Donald and Douglas. Suspicious, the Fat Controller decides to give them numbers and will determine who's to stay.

Before you say anything about Duck not being here, he was the only other (known) engine working on the mainline, while Edward was on his branchline, as were the Ffarquhar Three (Thomas, Percy and Toby). That aside, it's quite short, but a good build up to the main events of the book.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

The Missing Coach

Cancelled Season 2 Episode

Donald and Douglas have been given numbers, 9 and 10 respectively. They work hard, but it all goes wrong one day when Douglas forgets to shunt Thomas' special coach, and so he swaps tenders with Donald. However, the Fat Controller isn't fooled and can see right through their trick.

Why was this cancelled?

Ah yes, the infamous episode that was cancelled due to being "too complicated" for kids. I say bull to that statement! The episode should never have been cancelled; it was a great build up to Donald and Douglas being desperate to stay together and avoiding scrap, and it was also an even stronger build up to the next two stories. Since David Mitton has died, God knows what's happened to the footage filmed for the episode. Maybe it'll be remade for CGI...?

In short, it's another of the greatest stories which has never been adapted, and the episode that replaced it was pretty pointless, which I'll get to soon enough.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Break Van

Season 2, Episode 16

With the threat of being sent away on their minds, Donald and Douglas resolve to be as good as each other, which isn't helped because of a rude brakevan who takes a dislike to Douglas, until Donald sets him straight. One day, Donald crashes into a signalbox, and James is made to take goods trains, much to his fury. The brakevan plays tricks on James, but when Douglas tries hard to push him up the hill, the brakevan falls apart, and the Fat Controller is unsure of what to do...

Clever play on words in the title, innit? :P

Because The Missing Coach was cancelled for very pointless reasons, the opening is rushed. However, you do feel bad for the twins; they were so prone to making mistakes, which tainted their good reputation to the Fat Controller's eyes. Also, if I'm honest, I thought the brakevan was used simply as a plot device, but he did have personality, at least. The way he was crumpled like an accordion was brilliantly filmed. The episode is good, but it loses a point due to the rushed opening.

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8 out of 10

The Deputation

Season 2, Episode 17

Winter comes early to Sodor, and Donald and Douglas help to clear the snow, especially when Henry gets stuck, but they still worry about being sent away. Edward tells Percy that they need a deputation, but Percy misinterprets the word and is chosen to be the "disputation". Percy tells the Fat Controller that Donald and Douglas could be scrapped if they're sent away, but he's already decided to keep them both and give them new coats of paint.

Donald and Douglas' best story to date, buffers down, and it was adapted perfectly. It really shows how desperate times call for desperate measures; you shouldn't try it at home, unless it's really necessary like it was here.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 10 out of 10

Stray Observations

The illustration I chose for The Deputation just feels... wrong. Edward is here, and yet he didn't correct the engines about how "deputation" was pronounced! Had it been James or Donald (or was it Douglas?) in his spot, it wouldn't have looked out of place. Also, how'd he get there before Percy?

"Now which of you is 57646?" No such engine, Charles - they only went up to 57465!

Gordon calls the twins "Tugboat Annie" - that's a 1950s Canadian television series about a tough old widow in charge of a tugboat.

Overall

Another great book, and the first to be 9/10 or higher since Edward's book. This was the first to show how passionate Awdry was about preserving steam engines in the series; just a shame he didn't save a lot in the 1960s, really - given that there's over eighty engines in charge of the NWR, who knows what other engines work there?

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

Thomas and Friends Season 2 Scorecard

2. Cows: 8

3. Bertie's Chase: 9

4. Saved from Scrap: 9.5

5. Old Iron: 10
7. Percy and the Signal: 9
8. Duck Takes Charge: 8
9. Percy and Harold: 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
16. Break Van: 8
17. The Deputation: 10

TTTE S14E7 - Diesel's Special Delivery

I was going to review this on Tuesday, just after Duck and the Diesel Engine, but I had been a little bummed on after reviewing The Thomas Way in the most harsh way possible and that day also marked the release of The Adventure Begins, which was a pretty underwhelming release. Now that I've gotten my bearings back, I feel confident enough to review Diesel's Special Delivery.

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

Season 14, Episode 7

Diesel's Special Delivery

Written by Jessica Sandys Clarke

One market day, Diesel is taking a truck of slate (without a brakevan) to the school because the roof is broken and it will rain soon. He meets with James at Maithwaite where the children cheer the red engine because his special special is piglets he's taking to Farmer Trotter's farm. Okay, two things:

1. Why are children at a railway station and not at school?
2. Cheering for an engine because of piglets? Pathetic.

Speaking of cheering, James tells Diesel that he never gets cheered for because, well, he's a diesel. Seriously?! First Thomas, and now James? We weren't even a fourth of the way through the episode, and we'd gotten off to a very terrible start! However, it gets worse...

Diesel wants to get clapped at and cheered for like the steam engines do, so he asks Thomas to borrow his truck of apples, even though he's to take them to market. I wonder if he'd gotten over Thomas' comments in Misty Island Rescue by now? Anyway, Diesel leaves his slate behind and takes the apples for Thomas. Again, James is cheered for and Diesel ignored. Already, this concept is really making me angry and it should've been thought over BEFORE going into production! To be fair, this isn't the first time anti-diesel tones have been spewed after season eight, but I'll get to those soon enough.

Later, Diesel sees Rosie with a flatbed of flowers for market and offers to take them for her. He sees James at a crossing, and is once again ignored. After making "his" market deliveries, Diesel sees the livestock van of piglets at Farmer Trotters' farm and takes them to the school, but no children notice him since the roof is leaking. Then Thomas shows up with the Fat Controller, who scolds Diesel, who vows to make things right. Sadly, Diesel returns the pigs to Farmer Trotter's farm and delivers the slate; the roof is fixed and the children clap and cheer for him.

Talk about a cluster-puff! Diesel is far too much a goody two-shoes, James is racist to Diesel and gets no consequences for it, and the plot with wanting to be cheered for is - in the words of Rik Mayall from The Young Ones - "absolutely pathetic!" The episode could've worked in a few ways:

1. Diesel pretends to have turned over a new leaf, and messes up the steam engines' jobs so they get the blame for messing up.
2. If Diesel was made fun of for being lazy and he works hard to prove himself.
3. If Diesel was closer to his more grumpy persona, and it'd be amusing to watch.

Or some other fourth plot; anything plausible would've been fine as long as the racism is removed! Yes, the racism presented throughout the Barlow/Miller era, especially in S14-16, as well as Misty Island Rescue and Day of the Diesels, is simply abhorrent. In the books, diesels were slowly emerging on British Railways and the Sudrian engines were fearful of what was to happen to them, but eventually, they were won over with good diesels like BoCo, Daisy, Mavis, and Bear. In this episode, and more to come, this was forgotten about and the steam engines are treated like the heroes and the diesels the villains. This doesn't work if the diesels are innocent and the steam engines are outright bullies! Because of the Steam Team concept, pretty much a lot of characters are left out, especially the diesels, and it spews so many unfortunate implications and makes children think that they're the best if they're "normal"! And considering what I've already reviewed, that's... yeah.

If you want to see Diesel show a good streak, I recommend Sodor: The Early Years episodes like Galloping Sausage, Search Engines, and Bad Apple, as well as Winds of Change. At least in this fan-series, Diesel showed some character development and sobered up, as well as in Thomas and the Evil Diesel. As for Diesel's Special Delivery, it is just infuriating to watch, and it grew from the spark ignited by Misty Island Rescue and grew into a big fire that led to the pile of crap that is Day of the Diesels. Considering that this episode and Thomas and the Snowman Party were both season 14 "scripts" by Jessica Sandys Clarke, why should anyone be surprised that both scripts are just plain awful?

Rating: 1 out of 10

Thomas & Friends Season 14 Scorecard (out of 10 possible points)

7. Diesel's Special Delivery: 1
17. O the Indignity: 3

RWS #14: The Little Old Engine

Another day, another review! We're heading back to Crovan's Gate to see the return of Skarloey, The Little Old Engine!

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 #14

The Little Old Engine

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by John T. Kenney

Published 1959

After Skarloey left for an overhaul on the mainland, Sir Handel and Peter Sam ran the railway and were soon joined by Rusty the diesel and Duncan the rock 'n' roll engine. When Old Faithful made his comeback, boy did he get a surprise...!

Dear Friends,
You remember in Four Little Engines that Sir Handel Brown, The Owner, sent Skarloey away to be mended. These stories tell what happened when "The Little Old Engine" came home.

Skarloey is not real. You can only see him in these books. But there is a real engine just like Skarloey. He is very, very old, and has been mended. His name is Talyllyn, and he lives at Towyn in Wales.

You would all enjoy going to see him at work.
The Author

Trucks!

Season 4, Episode 8

Sir Handel takes Gordon's advise to feign illness to avoid doing work, but it leads to trouble for Peter Sam, especially since the trucks are cross with Sir Handel and break away on the incline.

Read that summary very carefully - in the books, the original Skarloey engines (barring Rusty, who was painted charcoal black) were painted red, so it gave the trucks credence to crash into who they thought was Sir Handel. But in the TV series, Peter Sam and Sir Handel are different colors, so why would the trucks think that Peter Sam was Sir Handel? (On a side note, Harold's role is pointless.) I must praise the accident though; it was excellently filmed, just a shame the colors weren't the same as in the books...

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8 out of 10

Home at Last

Season 4, Episode 9

When Skarloey returns after his overhaul, Peter Sam tells him about the most recent changes to the line, but then Skarloey is called in to help new engine Duncan who has stuck in a tunnel.

Another fine adaptation, despite the Fat Controller being here; a bit of a shame that Ada, Jane, Mabel, Gertrude and Millicent were never modeled, but what the heck - with CGI, who knows? I definitely chuckled at the Fat Controller's little pun at the end - "If it happens again, I shall find way of cutting you down to size. In other words, your career is, uh... *ahem* 'on the line'. Need I say more?"

RWS/TV Series Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Rock 'N' Roll

Season 4, Episode 10

Rusty warns Duncan about a bad bit before the first station, but the Scottish engine ignores Rusty and insults him. The following morning, James fibs about sending Diesel away which gives Duncan inspiration to send Rusty packing, only to derail and Rusty (after some reluctance) is called in to help.

Quite coincidental; the last book introduced a standard gauge diesel and this book introduced a narrow gauge diesel, and also coincidentally, both are painted black; (at least in the books, in Rusty's case). however, both Diesel and Rusty are of polar opposites - Diesel is oily and scheming while Rusty is kind and helpful, even after Duncan was rude to him. Definitely one of the better adaptations in season four.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Little Old Twins

Peter Sam and Sir Handel fret when some men look over the line, fearing that they'll be sold, until they're told that some television producers will be filming the engines. Sir Handel isn't pleased about this, and when faking illness again, he ends being taken apart to show the producers how an engine works, much to his horror. Peter Sam pulls the television equipment, and Skarloey makes a speech, revealing that he met his twin, Talyllyn, while being repaired.

This should've been made for TV, because it would've been one of the few buildups to Duke the Lost Engine, but instead, that book was adapted first and this was cut entirely. Seriously, the structure of season four is a complete mess; a lot of content could've been used for seasons two and three, and although season one has a strong structure, it is missing a few stories.

Other than that complaint, this is a really good story, and the opening scenes with Peter Sam and Sir Handel are why this should've been made for TV, although it'd be ironic since it is a TV show.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Stray Observations

Little Old Twins is the longest story at 790 words, and with nine illustrations, only matched by A Close Shave from last book.

Even after his accident in Trucks!, Peter Sam's funnel is straight in every other story. Why is that?

Overall

This is a good way to bring back the Skarloey engines, and it tied up the loose end of Skarloey being away, but there's still a few more loose ends to tie up, and we've got twelve more Wilbert Awdry books to get through...

Overall Book Rating: 8.9 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

Thomas and Friends Season 4 Scorecard

5. Four Little Engines: 7
6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 6.5
7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 9.5
8. Trucks!: 8
9. Home at Last: 8.5
10. Rock 'n' Roll: 9
19. Henry and the Elephant: 7
22. Thomas and the Special Letter: 8.5
23. Paint Pots and Queens: 8