Trouble in the Shed

*“We won't shunt like common tank engines. That was Thomas' job. We are important tender engines. You fetch our coaches and we will pull them. Tender engines don't shunt*."
"*Oh, indeed! We'll see about that. Engines on my railway do as they are told.”*
―Gordon and the Fat Controller
***Trouble in the Shed*** is the sixteenth episode of the first series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Troublesome Engines.

## Plot

At Knapford, there is no sign of the morning train, causing the passengers to become angry. The Fat Controller is told by the stationmaster that Henry is refusing to leave his shed, so he goes to find out what is going on. Gordon tells him that he, James, and Henry will no longer fetch their own coaches or shunt in sidings, declaring that tender engines do not shunt. The Fat Controller is very surprised that the bigger engines are trying to tell him what they are willing to do and leaves for Wellsworth to enlist Edward as a station pilot to ensure that the day's trains run as normal, noting to himself that the yard has never been the same since Thomas left to run his branch line. Edward is happy to shunt the coaches and the rest of the day's trains run as usual.

The next day, the Fat Controller visits the yard to see how Edward is getting along. To his dismay, he sees Gordon puff by and hiss loudly at Edward, who tells the Fat Controller that all the big engines hiss him and say he has black wheels, thinking he is a traitor since he is a tender engine as well. The Fat Controller kindly assures Edward that he has nice blue wheels and is very proud of his work, saying that tender engines do shunt. All the same, he decides that they do need a new tank engine to find a permanent solution to the problem.

Visiting an engine workshop, the Fat Controller is shown all kinds of engines. Soon he sees a smart green saddletank and knows this is the one he wants. The Fat Controller asks the engine if he is willing to work hard. The engine eagerly responds that he is. With that, the matter is settled. The Fat Controller names him Percy and takes him back to the yard.

The Fat Controller asks Edward to get Percy acquainted with the yard and the pair set off for work. Edward is very impressed by Percy's hard work and loud wheeshing - something he learned in the workshop so as to be heard, which startles Henry when he attempts to insult Edward again. The Fat Controller then decides to send for Thomas and calls all three engines to the yard for an announcement. He tells them that he has shut up the big engines in the shed for their little mutiny until they learn to behave and that, in their absence, the two tank engines and Edward will run the railway.

Edward and Thomas are put in charge of the main line, while Percy takes care of the branch line as well as looking after Annie and Clarabel. While there are fewer trains, the passengers understand that the two tank engines and Edward are doing their best to keep the railway running and that the big engines are in the middle of learning a lesson.

In the sheds, Gordon, James, and Henry are left cold, lonely and miserable. The three finally start to realize just how silly they have been.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Gordon
* Percy (debut)
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Henry *(does not speak)*
* James *(does not speak)*
* Workshop Engines *(wheels and buffers only; do not speak)*
* Annie and Clarabel *(do not speak)*
* Märklin Engine *(cameo)*

## Locations

* Island of Sodor
	+ Tidmouth Sheds
		- The Works
	+ Knapford
		- Sir Topham Hatt's Office
	+ Wellsworth
		- Wellsworth Yards
		- Wellsworth Bridge
	+ The Woodland Runby
* The Mainland
	+ The Workshop

## Trivia

* This marks the first appearance of Percy in the television series.
* From right to left or the viewers' left to right, the other engines under the tarps in the workshops are Gordon, Thomas, James, Henry and Edward, the latter three without their tenders.
* Stock footage from Thomas' Train is used.
* The scene of the Fat Controller putting his hat on is cut in the restored version.
* The shot of the Fat Controller with Edward before the fade into the workshop is a freeze-frame.
* The close-up of the Fat Controller in front of two piles of coal when confronting the engines at Tidmouth Sheds was used for the "Next Story Coming Up Soon!" card in between double bills and early American videos. This was also used in HBO's parodic news series, *Last Week Tonight with John Oliver*, in a YouTube exclusive segment on endorsements.
* In the UK version of this episode, the big engines in the earlier night told Edward that he had black wheels. This insult is a play on the word *blackleg*, which is a derogatory term for someone who works during a strike. However, the insult might seem odd coming from the big engines as James actually has black wheels. In both US versions, the insult was changed to "grey" wheels, likely to avoid confusing American audiences.
* On the Shining Time Station episode, Schemer's Robot, Thomas Comes to Breakfast and Other Thomas and Adventures and Thomas and His Friends Help Out, the first few seconds of the opening are cut.

## Goofs

* Just before Gordon hisses, he is passing Edward, but when he stops hissing, he is passing Edward again.
* In a close-up of Gordon, his buffers are crooked.
* In the close-up of the Fat Controller to Edward at Tidmouth Sheds, the viewer can see he has some small holes in his chin.
* In the shot of Edward being "wheeshed" by Gordon, the Fat Controller is not seen on the platform.
* When Gordon passes Edward, he "wheeshes" at him, but in the next scene, Gordon is too far away to be able to "wheesh" at Edward.
* When Edward and Percy shunt, Edward's trucks push the buffers out of place.
* When Henry comes out of and reverses back into the shed, he is in his new shape.
* Because stock footage is used, the background in a close-up of the Fat Controller is Knapford.
* In the close-up of Edward, Henry, and Percy at the sheds when Percy "wheeshes" at Henry, The berths Henry, James, and Gordon were in are closed, Henry and Edward are off the rails, Percy's left eye is not a perfect circle, the track on the left of Henry comes to end, and two things happen with Edward:
	+ His tender is missing.
	+ He has Thomas' whistle sound.
* When Percy is running with Annie and Clarabel under the bridge, the first shot has them both facing backwards (with Annie positioned incorrectly) while the second shot has them both facing forwards (with Clarabel now positioned incorrectly).
* Henry, Gordon and James keep changing positions in the shed throughout the episode.
* When Thomas and Edward pass each other, Thomas' brake coach is backwards.
* Some of the people shouting at Knapford have blu-tak on their shoes.
* In the close-up of Henry looking angry and the close-up of him looking surprised, one of his wheel arches is missing.
* When Edward meets Percy, his tender is tilted.
* When Percy arrives at Knapford Station, there is a random piece of track beside him with no entrance or exit route.
* In the final scene, Henry, Gordon, and James had all moved one shed to the left.
* At one point of the Brazilian narration, Thomas was referred to as Percy.

## Merchandise

* Magazine Stories - Trouble in the Shed
* My Thomas Story Library - The Fat Controller *(discontinued)*

## Home Media Releases

### UK

* Further Adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
* Troublesome Trucks and other stories
* Troublesome Trucks, Coal and other stories
* Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
* Down the Mine and Other Stories (1992)
* Biggest Party Video Ever!
* The Complete Series 1
* Truck Loads of Fun
* Thomas and Bertie (DVD)

#### DVD Boxsets

* Classic Collection
* Bumper Party Collection! and Truck Loads of Fun **Double Pack**

### US

* Tenders and Turntables and Other Stories *(Ringo Starr's narration)*
* Thomas Comes to Breakfast and Other Thomas Adventures
* Thomas and His Friends Help Out
* Thomas' Useful Stories
* The Early Years *(Ringo Starr's UK narration)*
* Engine Friends *(Ringo Starr's narration)*
* Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 1

#### DVD Boxsets

* Totally Thomas Volume 3
* Totally Thomas Volume 9
* Adventure On the Tracks
* Thomas' Trackside Tunes and Other Thomas Adventures/Thomas and His Friends Help Out **Double Feature**
* Ultimate Thomas Collection

### AUS

* Troublesome Trucks and other stories
* Truck Loads of Fun
* The Complete Series 1
* My First Thomas with Percy
* My First Thomas with The Fat Controller

#### DVD Boxsets

* 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
* Trainloads of Thomas Fun
* Complete Series 1-10
* My First Thomas
* My First Thomas (3 Disc Set)
* Classic Collection
* Series One and Series Two **Double Pack**

### NZ

* James and the Express and other stories
* Troublesome Trucks and other stories
* Bumper Video Collection Volume 1

### JPN

* Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.4
* The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.3
* Anytime With Percy!
* Thomas and Percy and the Dragon
* The Complete DVD Box 1

### PHL

* Thomas, Terence and the Snow (DVD)
* Thomas and Friends Collection

### NOR

* Thomas the Tank Engine 2 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)
* Favourites From Thomas and Friends (Norwegian VHS/DVD)

### BRA

* The Earliest Adventures of Thomas
* Helping the Friends

### DNK

* Thomas in Trouble and Other Stories (Danish DVD)

### NL

* The Great Race! (Dutch DVD)
* The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon

### GER

* On the Buses and 4 Other Adventures
* Thomas and His Friends Vol. 2

### MYS

* Tenders and Turntables and Other Adventures
* Thomas, Terence and the Snow and Other Adventures

### THA

* Thomas and Friends - Volume 3 (Thai DVD)

### HK

* Thomas and Friends Volume 2 (VCD)
* Thomas and Friends Volume 3 (DVD)