Thomas and the Rumours

**Thomas and the Rumours** is the eighth episode of the fifth season and the 117th episode overall. It is based on the magazine story, Rumours and Speculation.

## Plot

One day, Thomas comes to a small station on his branch line and sees some children on the platform. The children are upset that their playground has been closed, as the sand pit is too dirty to play in. They ask Thomas to help, and Thomas promises to see what he can do as he sets off. Thomas hopes things are not as bad as they are described, but he soon passes the playground and realizes the children are right; there is a large sign saying that the playground is closed until further notice.

Later, Thomas arrives back at the sheds, but before he can tell the others about the children's playground, Percy rushes in with big news. The Fat Controller has chosen Harold to show a special visitor around Sodor rather than the engines. The big engines are shocked at this and proclaim that they are meant to show visitors around the island, not by Harold.

When Gordon sees Harold, he believes Harold thinks he is faster than Gordon. When Henry sees Harold, he believes that the Fat Controller chose Harold because he believes Harold is more important than he is. Finally, Percy sees Harold near a field where there are sheep grazing and decides that Harold must be counting sheep and feels much better.

That evening at the sheds, the big engines start to believe that Harold is trying to replace them. Gordon quickly brushes off Percy's sheep-counting theory, declaring that Harold is instead counting how many engines he can get rid of; he decides to show Harold how useful he is the next day. Thomas wants to bring up the children's dilemma, but he knows that solving the mystery of Harold and the visitor is the engines' top priority now.

The next day, Gordon is on his way to collect his train when he sees Harold, and he and his crew decide to prove that he is faster than the helicopter. However, they fail to notice that they are going down a line leading to a tunnel under repair. Gordon's driver reduces steam and applies the brakes, but it is too late. Gordon plunges into the tunnel and crashes into the blockage inside.

Thomas later arrives with the Breakdown Train and the Fat Controller scolds Gordon's driver for his recklessness. Worried that Gordon will be scrapped, Thomas tells him about the engines' belief that the visitor wants to see if Harold can replace them. The Fat Controller explains to Thomas that the visitor is actually making a new playground for the children, and he was using Harold because it was easier to find a suitable site from up in the air. The visitor notes that the blockage cleared from the tunnel - a large mound of sand "found by accident and rumour" - will be perfect for the playground.

The Fat Controller still uses Harold to fly above the island. Thankfully, the engines now all know Harold is not spying on them; he is, in his own way, just being very useful.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* The Fat Controller
* Harold *(does not speak)*
* Duck *(cameo)*
* Annie and Clarabel *(cameo)*

## Locations

* Toby’s Windmill
* McColl Farm
* Hackenbeck
* Callandale
* Tidmouth Sheds
* Henry’s Tunnel
* Terence’s Field
* Tidmouth
* Tidmouth Tunnel

## Trivia

* A close-up of the Fat Controller amused by Thomas' concern that Harold might replace them became a popular internet meme, using the caption "The Fat Controller laughed. 'You are wrong,'" as opposed to the actual line: “The Fat Controller laughed. ‘Oh-ho. Well, the engines are wrong and you shouldn't listen to rumours, Thomas.’”