Snow Engine

***Snow Engine***, lengthen to ***Oliver the Snow Engine*** in one American release, is the fourteenth episode of the seventh series.

## Plot

Oliver hates the snow, but Toad believes that snow is splendid. While working, they see some children building a huge snowman and Toad observes that snow is magical, though Oliver still disagrees. After finishing all his work, Oliver is upset when the Fat Controller tells him he has to take a special to a mountain village, which he reluctantly does. However, a frozen set of points causes Oliver to slip on some icy rails, and he ends up crashing through the buffers of a siding and into the stomach of the children's snowman. It is too late to rescue Oliver, so he and Toad spend a cold and uncomfortable night in a snowfall while his driver spends the night in a Village Inn. When the children see Oliver fast asleep the next morning, they think the snowman has grown eyes in its stomach. This gives them an idea and dress Oliver up as a snowman. When Oliver wakes up, he is amused by all the happy children, and by the time Duck arrives to rescue him, he now appreciates the snow. Toad, on the other hand, has changed his mind.

## Characters

* Oliver
* Toad
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Stephen Hatt
* Bridget Hatt
* Duck (*does not speak*)
* Jeremiah Jobling Template:Cameo
* Nancy Template:Cameo
* Cyril the Fogman Template:Cameo

## Locations

* Rolf's Castle
	+ Rolf's Castle Goods Station
* Callan Castle
* Tidmouth Tunnel
* Sir Topham Hatt's Office
* Oliver's Shed
* Ulfstead Template:Note

## Trivia

* Going by production order, this is the sixteenth episode of the seventh series.
* A deleted scene from Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure is used.
* In the UK narration, the narrator meows when the cat first appears; while in the US version, the cat just meows on his own.
* In the UK and most international versions (excluding the Latin American version):
	+ Whenever Oliver passes the children building the snowman, an instrumental version of the Snow Song is heard playing in the background.
	+ Gordon's theme is playing when Oliver exits Tidmouth Tunnel until his crash into the snowman.
	+ The song "My Bonnie" can be heard when Oliver's driver leaves Oliver during the night.
* The footage of Oliver about to crash into the buffers at the village was slowed down.
* This episode marks the last of several things:
	+ The last appearances of Oliver and Toad until the twelfth series episodes Steady Eddie and Gordon Takes a Shortcut, respectively, excluding stock footage cameos for Oliver in Bulgy Rides Again, Best Dressed Engine and Not So Hasty Puddings.
	+ The last episode to have Oliver as the main character. He was originally meant to have the starring role in the twenty-second series episode, Samson and the Fireworks (which was originally titled "Oliver's Fear of Fireworks"), but he was ultimately dropped in favor of Samson and Bradford.
	+ The last episode until the eighteenth series episode, Samson Sent for Scrap to feature neither members of the soon-to-be-established Steam Team, nor the Skarloey Railway engines. It is also the first to do so after Emily was established as a character in the show.
	+ The last episode written by Jenny McDade.
	+ The final episode to have "real snow" for snowing effects in the model series. Starting from Not So Hasty Puddings onwards to the twelfth series, all scenes of snow falling would be done using CGI effects.
* The station Oliver and Toad are at in the beginning of the episode appears to be the set for Maron Station redressed, with sheds added and the canopy removed.
* CiTV repeated this episode early on Christmas Eve morning 2004; RusstyRuss had a post on Twitter which shown all the TV programme airings from the Christmas 2004 edition of Radio Times.

## Goofs

* Throughout the episode, Oliver is missing his right lamp iron.
* When Oliver passes the level crossing before he crashes, there is no one in his cab, despite the narrator saying that Oliver's driver applied the brakes.
* When Oliver says "Pah!", his train is missing.
* Just before Oliver crashes into the snowman, the corner of the set is visible.
* When Oliver arrives to his shed, there is a bodyguard stood next to the Fat Controller. However, the bodyguard is gone in the close-up of the Fat Controller. However, he suddenly reappears in the next frame.
* When Oliver is diverted onto the siding, the tracks behind him lead to a dead end in the bushes.
* When Oliver crashes into the snowman, his eyes are covered in snow, but after the snowman's head falls onto the ground, Oliver's eyes are suddenly clean.
* The amount of snow on Oliver changes between shots throughout the episode.
* When Oliver gets diverted onto the siding, he passes the crossing and station twice.

## Quotes

* **Oliver:** I'm a Great Western engine. I shouldn't have to shiver.
* **Toad:** Begging your pardon, Mr. Oliver. But I think snow is splendid.
* **Oliver:** Hurrumph!

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* **Toad:** Is there a problem, Mr. Oliver?
* **Oliver:** Yes! (*crashes into the buffers and the snowman*) There is!
* **Toad:** (*sliding alongside Oliver*) That could have been a little smoother...

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* **Girl:** Look! Our snowman has eyes in its tummy!
* **Boy:** No, it doesn't. It's Oliver!
* *[the children put the snowman's clothes on Oliver]*
* **Children:** Oliver's a wonderful snow engine!

## Merchandise

* Capsule Plarail Template:Note
* Magazine stories - Snow Engine/Snow Engine (2004)