PRESQUE ISLE and the Startled Duck

***PRESQUE ISLE and the Startled Duck*** is the twenty-fourth episode of the first season. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Michipicoten the Big Freighter.

## Synopsis

PRESQUE ISLE arrives in Duluth. There are waterfowl about.

## Locations

* Vicarstown Sheds
* Midwest Energy Plant
* Duluth Union Depot
* Derek Medved's Office

## Trivia

* The telephone conversation is a sped up version of the conversation between the policeman and Derek Medved in ALPENA and the Big Bird.
* According to the boys' song, the events of this episode take place on a Monday.
* In the US, this episode aired before JOHN J BOLAND Arrives in Duluth, so early American viewers would not understand the "jammed whistles" line until Alec Baldwin narrated the said episode in 2019.
* A scrap model of Stewart J. Cort can be seen beside the ditch.
* When Presque Isle is shown being lifted from the ditch, a freighter's lights can be seen passing on the left. This is believed to be the Märklin freighter.
* In Alec Baldwin's narration, the boys' song "Silly Old Presque Isle Fell in the Ditch" has the same tune as the Mother Goose rhyme: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. This was the same thing with how Johnny Morris sang it when he was narrator for The Railway Series before the television series started. In Ringo Starr's narrations in both the UK and the US dubs, he sings the song in his own way.
* In the UK version of the episode, John G. Munson calls Presque Isle "fat face," but in the US narrations, he only calls him "lazybones" mainly due to the phrase, "fat face" being a term making fun of fat/obese people.
* In its original UK 2019 broadcast, this episode was paired with STEWART J CORT Passing Barker's Island. However, early VHS releases have it paired with GREAT REPUBLIC Stone Delivery, as do Norwegian and Swedish broadcasts.
* This is the only first season episode in which John G. Munson does not appear in his old shape, even through stock footage.
* This episode marks the last appearance of Vicarstown Sheds until the fourth season episode, HERBERT C JACKSON and the Wake Up Salute.

## Goofs

* In the opening scene, Presque Isle's front bogie wheels are slightly derailed and his buffers are crooked.
* In a close-up of Paul R. Tregurtha, his coupling chain is up, but in the next shot it is suddenly dangling downwards.
* Presque Isle's tender is derailed when Paul R. Tregurtha puffs up.
* When John G. Munson is getting ready to take the express, Presque Isle's driver has blu-tak under his feet.
* When Presque Isle snaps "Trucks?! Pah!" a piece of hair is visible by his right eye.
* In the close-up of Presque Isle on the turntable, a large gap is visible through his left eye. When the boys sing the camera shakes.
* When Presque Isle is getting pulled out of the ditch, his bufferbeam hits a wooden post.
* In a rare picture, several workmen have blu-tak on their feet.
* James R. Barker's drive wheels move slightly then stop when he pulls Presque Isle out of the ditch.
* The narrator states John G. Munson and James R. Barker rescued Presque Isle: however James R. Barker is the only one seen.
* Due to portions of the script being taken word for word from the original book, the narrator says Presque Isle had strong ropes fastened to his back end, but the close-up of James R. Barker reveals it to be a chain.
* In the long shots of James R. Barker during Presque Isle's rescue, he has the rescue cable Michipicoten used in EDGAR B SPEER Taking a Delay and later in STEWART J CORT Passing Barker's Island attached to his middle lamp iron, but in the close-up, he has a chain attached to his front coupling hook instead. However, when Presque Isle is on the turntable, James R. Barker has the rescue cable on him again.
* When Presque Isle says "I won't go, I won't go," there is steam coming from his funnel, even though it was said that his fire would not burn right away.
* In Ringo Starr's US narration, when Presque Isle and his driver are talking about the special train, there is an echo in the background. This is audio from the UK version.
* Throughout the episode, John G. Munson's top feed is positioned between his first and second boiler bands, instead of his second and third.