Tenders and Turntables

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***Tenders and Turntables*** is the fifteenth episode of the first series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Troublesome Engines.

## Plot

Life in the yard has been harder for Gordon and Henry ever since Thomas left to run his own branch line. James starts to grumble too despite him and Edward doing odd jobs. Without a station pilot, they must shunt in sidings and fetch their own coaches. Their complaining causes the Fat Controller a lot of trouble. In addition, while Thomas (being a tank engine) does not need a turntable, the larger tender engines do, as it is dangerous for them to run fast backwards. However, Gordon soon starts acting as though his tender is a symbol of his importance.

One windy day, after talking to Thomas about the recent work, Gordon heads for the turntable at the end of the line. The turntable is near the ocean, so the wind is very strong, and it becomes difficult to turn unless an engine is perfectly balanced on the turntable. Gordon is in a bad mood and is unable to get perfectly balanced, and neither his crew nor the workmen are able to get him to cooperate. After several attempts, they give up and tell Gordon he would be a little engine like Thomas if it wasn't for his unbalanced tender, so now Gordon is forced to pull his next train backwards.

When Gordon arrives at Elsbridge, a group of schoolboys taunt him by calling him a tank engine. Thomas (waiting on the other side of the platform) laughs and suggests that Gordon should scrap his tender and get a nice bunker. James passes by with his train and laughs at Gordon as well. Gordon warns him that he may also stick on the turntable, to which James replies that he is not "fat" like him.

James later returns to the yard sheds and carefully lines up on the turntable, allowing it to move very easily. But the strong wind begins to spin James around like a top, making his face turn green. Gordon arrives and sees the whole thing. When the turntable finally stops spinning, Gordon laughs and asks James if he was playing "roundabouts" as James silently backs into the shed feeling dizzy, and completely humiliated.

 File:TendersandTurntables34.png
Gordon, James, and Henry hold an indignation meeting that night. After the day's events, they decide it would be best to go on strike.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Green Express Coaches
* Orange Coaches
* Old Coaches
* One Little Boy
* The Stone-dropping Boys
* Annie and Clarabel Template:Do not speak
* Sir Topham Hatt (*does not speak*)
* Bertie Template:Cameo

## Locations

* Tidmouth Sheds
	+ The Works
	+ Goods Station
* Elsbridge
* Vicarstown Template:Mentioned
* Knapford Template:Mentioned
	+ Sheds
	+ Yards

## Trivia

* Deleted scenes from Troublesome Trucks and Coal are used.
* This episode's opening exposition is taken from the story, Henry and the Elephant, which was not adapted for television until the fourth series.
* This episode is one of the few instances where the term "fat" is kept intact in the US dub; in other episodes such as Thomas and the Guard and Off the Rails, the word is replaced with less pejorative terms due to broadcasting concerns.
* James' whistle as he puffs onto the turntable and goes into the sheds after being spun is absent in both of Ringo Starr's dubs.
* A behind-the-scenes photo taken at the time of filming for this episode shows that the Märklin Engine was used. The photo also shows Thomas with the same train he pulled in Troublesome Trucks, indicating that the beginning of said episode was filmed alongside this one.
* Freeze frames are used when Thomas talks to Gordon about pulling his train backwards and for James' closeup in Tidmouth Sheds.
* The JEI TV version of the Korean dub added subtitles to inform viewers what tank engines and tender engines are.
* The ditch that Gordon later fell into is briefly seen when he tries to balance himself onto the turntable.
* This is the first episode where the Fat Controller appears and is named, but does not speak.
* This is the first episode where a character's name is not in the title.

## Goofs

* The Korean title of the episode is 고든, 제임스, 헨리의 꿍꿍이 (Godeun, Jeimseu, Helliui kkungkkungi). However, this is incorrect grammar, and the correct title should have been 고든, 제임스 그리고 헨리의 꿍꿍이 (Deun, Jeimseu Geurigo Helliui kkungkkungi).
* When the engines say they "get no rest", Henry has no crew in his cab and his train has no brake coach.
* The second coach slightly bounces a few times when the rest tell the big engines they are "lazy and slack".
* In the close-up of Sir Topham looking upset, his hat's brim has two chips in it.
* When Gordon is on the turntable the first time, some wires can be seen inside his cab.
* When Thomas and Gordon are at Elsbridge:
	+ Clarabel is facing the wrong way.
	+ Gordon's left buffer is crooked.
	+ Both engine' puffing noises are heard before they start to move.
* The narrator says that the fireman tried to turn the handle on the turntable, but there is a workman stationed at the turntable booth instead.
* When James puffs onto the turntable, he is facing the sheds, but in the close-up shot of him, he is facing away from the sheds.
* In the close-up of James moving on the turntable, the reflection of crew member Frank Schultz can be seen in his smokebox, and his dome is scratched.
* The turntable stops on the last berth to the right, but when James backs into the shed, the turntable is in the center.

## Merchandise

* Magazine Stories - Tenders and Turntables

## In Other Languages

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