Double Trouble

> Please, sir. We can't stay long. The children mustn't be late for the party."
> "Oh, party, schmarty, Thomas. We have plenty of time! You worry too much!
>
> Thomas and Sir Lowham Hatt

**Double Trouble** is the fourth episode of the thirteenth series.

## Plot

It is the Fat Controller's birthday, and Thomas is sent to Maithwaite to collect him and Lady Hatt to take them to his party. However, Thomas arrives early, and is very surprised to see the Fat Controller already there - and that he has a moustache and calls Thomas his friend. The Fat Controller is very jolly too and tells Thomas to take him to Whispering Woods. Thomas finds the Fat Controller's behaviour very strange and wants to ask him about his moustache, but does not so as to avoid looking silly.

At the Whispering Woods, the Fat Controller decides to play hide and seek with the children, much to the confusion of Thomas and Edward as they know the Fat Controller does not usually play with children. Once the Fat Controller is back on board Annie, he tells Edward to let the children have some more play time even though Edward is taking them to the party. Then, when Thomas stops at Kirk Ronan Junction, the Fat Controller jumps out and goes up to the signalbox and messes around with the levers, causing Gordon who is taking the important visitors to the party to go on an old line. Thomas finds this very strange indeed, but once again, he does not ask the Fat Controller about his behaviour because he does not want to look silly.

Thomas goes back to Maithwaite where the stationmaster talked to him about The Fat Controller and Lady Hatt waited for Thomas, but as he did not turn up, they ended up taking Bertie who unfortunately has broken down. Thomas is very confused, but realises that his passenger cannot be the Fat Controller; so he asks the question that he wanted to ask all day, and, to Thomas' surprise the passenger reveals himself to be Sir Lowham Hatt, the Fat Controller's brother. Sir Lowham Hatt wants to have some more fun, but Thomas knows that this is not the time for playing games, as they are late.

Thomas finds Bertie broken down in the middle of the road. The Fat Controller is cross with Thomas until he sees his brother and scolds *him* instead for causing so much confusion and delay. Once the Hatt family are at the party, Thomas finds Edward and Gordon and helps them get to the party just in time. At the party, the Hatt brothers have a lot of fun, which makes Thomas happy.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Gordon
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Sir Lowham Hatt
* The Maithwaite Stationmaster
* Lady Hatt Template:Does not speak
* Annie and Clarabel Template:Do not speak
* Bertie Template:Does not speak
* The Ginger-haired Boy Template:Does not speak
* James Template:Cameo
* Percy Template:Cameo
* The Bird Watcher Template:Cameo
* The Blond-haired Boy Template:Cameo
* The Schoolchildren Template:Note
* The Lady with the Big Hat Template:Cameo
* Barrow Football Fan Template:Cameo
* The Female Puppet Show Entertainer Template:Cameo
* Emily Template:Note

## Locations

* Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
* Knapford
	+ MC BUNN
* Maithwaite
* Whispering Woods
	+ Whispering Woods Halt
* Kirk Ronan Junction
* Great Waterton Template:Note
* Sodor Suspension Bridge Template:Note
* Black Loch Template:Note

## Cast

### UK

* Ben Small as Thomas
* Keith Wickham as Edward, Gordon, the Fat Controller and Sir Lowham Hatt
* Matt Wilkinson as the Maithwaite Stationmaster

### US

* Martin Sherman as Thomas
* William Hope as Edward and the Maithwaite Stationmaster
* Kerry Shale as Gordon, Sir Topham Hatt and Sir Lowham Hatt

## Trivia

* This episode marks the first and only appearance of Sir Lowham Hatt to date, as well as Bertie's only appearance in the thirteenth series.
* This episode marks the first appearance of the Rail under road bridge and signalbox in an episode since the first series.
* This episode shares the same title as the US version of the first episode of the second series.

## Goofs

* Maithwaite is painted in dark brown instead of Beige.
* Clarabel faces forwards in some shots.
* Bertie's radiator is missing.