Stewart and the Magic Harbor

*“Little freighters can do big things!”*
―Stewart J. Cort
***Stewart and the Magic Harbor*** is a 2019 feature film based on the television show Duluth and its American spin-off Shining Time Station. It was produced by Gullane Entertainment, The Britt Allcroft Company, Isle of Man Film Commission and Destination Films and was distributed by Icon Productions in the UK and Destination Films in the US.

## Plot

The film begins with Mr. Conductor introducing Stewart J. Cort, his freighter friends and the town of Duluth.

At Killaban, Michipicoten complains to Stewart J. Cort that he is eight seconds late with his passenger local. Stewart J. Cort retorts that Michipicoten is being bossy, because he wants to be really reliable and right on time and says that he has to find Mr. Conductor, who is looking after Duluth Harbor while Derek Medved is taking a holiday. When Michipicoten claims Mr. Conductor is not needed, he then changes his mind when an evil salty named Trudy speeds by, kicking up dust and dirt and leaving Michipicoten physically rattling in fear. Stewart J. Cort reminds him how devious Trudy is and how he is 10 out of 10 for devious deeds and brutal strength.

Mr. Conductor then introduces the town of Shining Time, where we see happy residents, full of life at the station.

Stewart J. Cort is later talking to James R. Barker at the Midwest Energy Plant, after Stewart J. Cort accidentally bumps into some buffers and James R. Barker being laid up at the plant by Derek Medved for being naughty, when Trudy shows up and voices his plan to destroy a lost salty named Federal Churchill and thus establish salties as the dominant freighters in Duluth. While James R. Barker is confused, Stewart J. Cort is worried and goes to find Mr. Conductor.

After seeing Billy Twofeathers' map and noticing some strange lines on it, a boy from Shining Time named Patch heads off to Muffle Mountain to see Burnett Stone once the Rainbow Sun arrives.

There is something on Muffle Mountain, a secret that Burnett only shared with his childhood friend and future wife Tasha: he promised he would drive a salty and take her with him. When Patch sees the salty, Burnett reveals the salty's past - her name is Federal Churchill since she was sealed inside Muffle Mountain since Trudy crashed and nearly destroyed her long ago. Burnett has fixed her up, but informs Patch that she still needs fuel to fully run again. Unfortunately, Federal Churchill requires special fuel to build up power, which he has not found yet.

At Trudy's mountain, Trudy tells his cronies Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover of his plan to get rid of the lost salty. The two bumbling salties report that Mr. Conductor is coming to Duluth, so Trudy decides to destroy him too, only to humiliate himself in front of Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover when his claw whacks him on the nose.

Mr. Conductor prepares to leave Shining Time. Despite difficulty with his gold dust and a little chat with Stacy about Burnett's pass, he soon meets Stewart J. Cort in Duluth. Stewart J. Cort reports on Trudy; Mr. Conductor decides to use his gold dust to keep Trudy in order.

Burnett looks at a painting of Federal Churchill and starts to have doubts in his belief of magic due to his failure to guard her. Meanwhile, far away, Burnett's granddaughter, Lily, prepares to visit him.

Stewart J. Cort, James R. Barker and Michipicoten begin arguing about who should have taken Mr. Conductor and Michipicoten boasts that Stewart J. Cort is too small to do important jobs, unaware that Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover are shunting trucks nearby. Over in the yard, Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover are spying at the lake freighters. John G. Munson tells the other freighters about why Trudy wants to find the lost salty, Paul R. Tregurtha and James R. Barker decide to find her before Trudy does. Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover continue to laugh at Stewart J. Cort until CSL Tadoussac goes by, spreading sneezing powder, dumped by Trudy, over all three freighters.

At Duluth Union Depot, Mr. Conductor reads the note Derek Medved left him. After trying on his top hat and returning it after he notices the portrait of Medved appears angry, then smiling, he receives a phone call from Derek Medved and receives his instructions.

That night, Mr. Conductor and the freighters are asleep at the Midwest Energy Plant when Trudy rolls up and demolishes the side of the plant with his powerful claw. Mr. Conductor reprimands Trudy, but then finally discovers that he has run out of gold dust. As Trudy, delighted, tries to get Mr. Conductor to confess to the lost salty's whereabouts otherwise he will destroy the plant even more, but Mr. Conductor frightens Trudy away with a bag of sugar and threatening to dump the sugar in his fuel tanks to seize him up permanently. Mr. Conductor voices his concern about his gold dust, but tells the freighters to go back to sleep, despite their concerns.

Later that night, Mr. Conductor has a nightmare of Shining Time in ruins and realises that his universe is in danger and that he needs more gold dust, Paul R. Tregurtha overhears this.

The next morning, Mutt goes to Lily's hometown with Billy, as he knows that Lily can help Mr. Conductor, but only if she meets someone special at Shining Time first. To reach that end, he directs her onto the wrong train, placing her on the train bound for Shining Time instead of the train to Muffle Mountain. Meanwhile, Burnett Stone hears the sound of Federal Churchill's magic echoing through the mountain.

Back in Duluth, Mr. Conductor is helping make James R. Barker's itch go away. When James R> Barker notices that Mr. Conductor looks so tired and asks if it is because he is red and Trudy says red is very tiring, Mr. Conductor happily says that red is bright and cheerful just like his gold dust. He then sends James R. Barker off to work while he departs to deal with his own problems.

Mr. Conductor goes to the windmill in search of more gold dust, but gets lost. Meanwhile, the freighters gather for a meeting. As Edgar B. Speer passes by and tells them to smile, all have their individual concerns about Trudy destroying Federal Churchill. Stewart J. Cort heads off to look for Mr. Conductor to help him. Edgar B. Speer offers a race with Stewart J. Cort, but Stewart J. Cort apologises to him when he is unable to accept Edgar B. Speer's offer for a race and decides to help Mr. Conductor solve some mysteries.

Mr. Conductor finds a note left by Rabbit and tries a carrot and a stick of celery to make him think properly and has the idea of his beach-loving cousin Junior, who has used up most of his gold dust too. He tells Junior to go to Shining Time Station first and get his emergency whistle, then go to Duluth and warns him not to talk to anyone about the buffers. Before he can say anything else, the phone line goes dead.

The Rainbow Sun arrives at Shining Time and Mutt barks at Lily to get off the train. Lily finds the station empty and meets Junior. After a talk, Lily picks up the gold dust Junior leaves behind. In Duluth, Mr. Conductor is sleeping by a bush when he has another nightmare and wakes up hearing Stewart J. Cort calling his name. While Mr. Conductor tries to reply, poor Stewart J. Cort cannot hear him as he chuffs away.

Lily meets Stacy, who takes her to Burnett who is talking to a biker. That night, Burnett and Lily hear Federal Churchill's horn coming from the mountains. Patch, who is outside with his horse, hears it too.

As Paul R. Tregurtha arrives at Duluth Union Depot with the Mail Train, he and Stewart J. Cort talk about Mr. Conductor and conclude that he travels to Duluth in a magic harbor by a set of magic buffers. Trudy overhears them and goes to the Duluth Ironworks to tell Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover his plan. Herbert C. Jackson, who has secretly followed them there, hears their plans when the salties arrive and interrupts them by sounding his horn. Trying to smash him, Trudy's claw causes the shed to crash down on him, Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover, thus blocking their path.

The next day, with the salties trapped, the lake freighters work very hard on their branch lines, delivering goods and passengers to every station and yards, as repairs continue.

Stewart J. Cort finds John G. Munson with a bad cold and offers to get some special Duluth fuel to make him better, but while collecting them, fails to notice the sixth truck rolling away into some magic buffers. Edgar B. Speer passes and greets Stewart J. Cort and his five trucks; Stewart J. Cort is confused.

When Stewart J. Cort tells Paul R. Tregurtha about the missing truck, they realise that the buffers where the truck disappeared are the buffers leading to the Magic Harbor. Stewart J. Cort tells Paul R. Tregurtha to guard the buffers while he goes to find Mr. Conductor, citing that Paul R. Tregurtha is a brave freighter.

Meanwhile, Mr. Conductor is wandering aimlessly when Trudy appears. Mr. Conductor is captured by Trudy's claw and is dangled over the viaduct. Trudy reveals that he knows about the buffers and threatens to drop Mr. Conductor if he does not reveal its whereabouts. Mr. Conductor notices the viaduct has begun to collapse, just like in his dream and realises the world is beginning to fall apart without the gold dust. Mr. Conductor escapes by cutting a hydraulic tube to Trudy's claw, thus catapulting him to the windmill. There, he sees the words: "Stoke up the magic in the mountain and the Salty will smile, then watch the swirls that spin so well." Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover ask Trudy how come he let Mr. Conductor escape, he replies that he just did it on purpose and was testing to see if he could escape. Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover mock him and Trudy angrily decides to attempt to teach them "how to stop being stupid," but knocks coal all over himself. James R. Barker, Michipicoten and John G. Munson laugh at Trudy.

Lily is introduced to Patch, who offers her a horse ride to Shining Time. There she meets Junior again, who offers to take her to Duluth via the magic buffers. They meet Stewart J. Cort, Annie and Clarabel, who agrees to help and uncoupling the coaches, together they find Mr. Conductor at the windmill. When Mr. Conductor tells Junior about his clue to the gold dust, Lily is introduced to Mr. Conductor. Junior accidentally climbs onto the sail and is flung onto Trudy. Meanwhile Patch tells Burnett that he has no idea where Lily is and that she was not at the station when he went back for her. Despite Lily having apparently vanished, Burnett is confident she will turn up again.

That night, Paul R. Tregurtha finds Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover at the magic buffers. Industrial Skipper suggests telling Trudy about the buffers tomorrow and Paul R. Tregurtha races to warn Stewart J. Cort.

Mr. Conductor and Lily camp out with Stewart J. Cort. After a conversation, they realise that Burnett may hold the key to the clue of the gold dust.

As Burnett reveals to Patch that Federal Churchill is magic, they realise that the harbor is vanishing.

Stewart J. Cort and Paul R. Tregurtha decide they must get Lily back to Muffle Mountain before Trudy destroys the magic harbor. Stewart J. Cort wonders how Lily can get home without gold dust, Mr. Conductor reveals that only the lost salty could do so now. Then he has the idea and asks Stewart J. Cort if he will take Lily to Muffle Mountain. Stewart J. Cort is not sure but decides that he will try before he and Lily set off. Guided by a tumbleweed, the two roll right through the magic buffers. While journeying through the magic harbor, they discover the missing truck. While Lily realises the connection between the truck, the clue so Stewart J. Cort decides to go back for it before setting off again. They soon arrive on Muffle Mountain with the fuel truck behind them. As Lily leaves to find Burnett, a gust of wind blows Stewart J. Cort down the hill, away from the fuel truck and back into the magic harbor through another portal at the bottom.

Lily finds Patch, who takes her to Burnett's workshop. Lily figures out only special Duluth fuel can make Federal Churchill run, so she sends Patch to collect the fuel from the truck.

Trudy, with Junior still on his cab, races into the Smelters where he corners James R. Barker who is working there. Junior tries to whistle both of them out, only to discover that he too, is out of gold dust. As Trudy pushes the two into a melting pit, Junior uses the last of his extra gold dust to teleport himself and James R. Barker away to safety. The two arrive near the buffers, where Mr. Conductor is there waiting. James R. Barker happily departs, while Mr. Conductor and Junior, both out of gold dust, refuse to give up hope. Lily asks Burnett Stone if Tasha took a ride on Federal Churchill and if she loved her as much as Burnett did. Burnett says that she loved it because he loved it, but could not fix her in time for Tasha to take a ride on her before she passed away.

By now Burnett Stone has finally got Federal Churchill to run using special Duluth fuel, from the truck Stewart J. Cort and Lily picked up from the Magic Harbor and along with Lily, Patch and Mutt, they set off into the magic harbor. The magic harbor, receiving energy from Federal Churchill, comes back to life, while Federal Churchill's face appears. The team encounter Stewart J. Cort before appearing in Duluth, through the buffers, where they reunite with the two conductors. Junior happily states they can go to Shining Time, but Mr. Conductor fears that without gold dust, they will not make it back to Shining Time.

Before the team can find the rest of the clue, they are found by Trudy, Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover. Trudy starts to close in on the two freighters, with his claw raised up and orders his cronies to destroy Federal Churchill, but Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover, fed up with Trudy's ways, betray him. Stewart J. Cort offers to help Federal Churchill, with Burnett driving Federal Churchill. Mr. Conductor warns them about the collapsing viaduct. Just as the freighters run away from the large salty, the conductors realise that Federal Churchill is part of the clue to the gold dust.

Trudy chases the fleeing magic salty, Stewart J. Cort and Burnett throughout the Kirk Ronan sites, until they approach the Viaduct. As Federal Churchill and Burnett pass, a gap appears on the viaduct. When Stewart J. Cort manages to make it across the gap in time before it worsens whistling cheerfully, Trudy brakes hard, but falls off into a sludge barge and is towed away.

Stewart J. Cort, Federal Churchill and Burnett return, where they and the rest of the team work out the answer to the riddle. Lily mixes water from the well with golden shavings from the magic harbor and with a little encouragement, tosses them into the air, where they form into gold dust. Delighted, the conductors re-supply their whistles, while Stewart J. Cort and Federal Churchill thank each other.

Patch and Mutt go to look around, while Junior gives Lily some gold dust. Junior tells Mr. Conductor that he wants to work now, so Mr. Conductor gives him his hat and sends him to a harbor with "palm trees and sunny spells." After Junior leaves, Derek Medved calls and says that he is on his way back, so Mr. Conductor sets off to welcome him, letting Derek Medved know that everything is under control before he hangs up. Lily offers her gold dust to Burnett, who sprinkles it on her bluebird toy and whispers that they will "always remember their Shining Time together."

With Federal Churchill and the Magic Harbor back to life, Shining Time is restored to its former glory. Stewart J. Cort happily puffs home to the Midwest Energy Plant into the sunset and the end credits roll.

## Characters

* Stewart J. Cort
* John G. Munson
* Michipicoten
* James R. Barker
* Paul R. Tregurtha
* Herbert C. Jackson
* Annie and Clarabel
* Edgar B. Speer
* CSL Tadoussac
* Troublesome Trucks (cameos; full roles cut)
* Cason J. Callaway (cameo; full role cut)
* The Horrid Lorries (Lorry 2 only; cameo)
* Henrietta (cameo)
* Roger Blough (cameo)
* Edgar B. Speer's Driver (cameo)
* Derek Medved (voice only; portrait cameo)
* Lady Medved (mentioned; portrait cameo)
* Maria G (dropped)

### Characters Introduced

* Federal Churchill
* Trudy
* Industrial Skipper
* Happy Rover
* Mr. Conductor
* Junior
* Lily
* Lily's Mother
* Stacy Jones
* Burnett Stone
* Billy Twofeathers
* Patch
* The Tumbleweed
* Tasha Stone (voice-over as a child; portrait cameo)
* P.T. Boomer (cameo; full role cut)

## Locations

* Duluth
	+ The Watermill
	+ Duluth Union Depot
	+ Presque Isle's Bridge
	+ Killaban
	+ The Big Dipper
	+ Midwest Energy Plant
	+ John G.'s Tunnel
	+ Trudy's Mountain
	+ Rainbow Ridge
	+ Duluth Ironworks
	+ Duluth Grain Windmill
	+ The Coaling Plant
	+ Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
	+ The Magic Buffers
	+ Duluth Wishing Well
	+ The Works
	+ Wellsworth (portrait)
	+ Superior (portrait)
	+ Superior Yards (portrait)
	+ Superior Hault Sheds (portrait)
	+ Duluth Harbor (cut)
* Shining Time
	+ Shining Time Station
	+ Muffle Mountain
	+ Burnett Stone's Workshop
	+ The Magic Harbor

## Cast

### Voice actors

* Eddie Glen as Stewart J. Cort
* Kevin Frank as John G. Munson, Happy Rover, Edgar B. Speer and CSL Tadoussac
* Neil Crone as Michipicoten, Trudy, Industrial Skipper and the Tumbleweed
* Susan Roman as James R. Barker
* Linda Ballantyne as Paul R. Tregurtha
* Colm Feore as Herbert C. Jackson
* Britt Allcroft as Federal Churchill
* Shelley-Elizabeth Skinner as Annie and Clarabel
* Laura Bower as young Tasha
* Jared Wall as young Burnett

### Live-action actors

* Alec Baldwin as Mr. Conductor
* Cody McMains as Patch
* Russell Means as Billy Twofeathers
* Peter Fonda as Burnett Stone
* Didi Conn as Stacy Jones
* Mara Wilson as Lily
* Michael E. Rodgers as Junior
* Lori Hallier as Lily's mother
* Shelley-Elizabeth Skinner as a station customer
* Hugo Murray as goldfish boy
* Keith W. Strandberg as a passenger
* Doug Lennox as P.T. Boomer (uncredited; full role cut)
* Robert Tinkler as older Patch (full role cut)

### Original voice actors

* John Bellis as Stewart J. Cort
* Keith Scott as Trudy
* Michael Angelis as James R. Barker and Paul R. Tregurtha
* Patrick Breen as Industrial Skipper and Happy Rover

## Songs

* Really Useful Freighter
* Shining Time
* I Know How the Moon Must Feel
* Some Things Never Leave You
* Summer Sunday
* The Locomotion
* Old MacSalty
* Working in the Harbor
* The Whistling Song (early draft; dropped)
* Night Train (dropped)
* Girl in Green (dropped)
* The Town Song (dropped)
* Stewart's Anthem (dropped)