Steam Team to the Rescue

**Steam Team to the Rescue!** is a double-length special episode and the eleventh episode of the twenty-third series.

## Plot

While Harold is checking over Sodor one evening, Porter is getting ready to pick up some deliveries. With more ships coming in, Salty offers to help but accidentally bumps some trucks Cranky attempts to use. When Salty attempts to pull them back in, Carly accidentally knocks some pipes Cranky is lowering which knock Salty off the tracks and into the sea.

The next day, Sir Topham Hatt wakes Thomas up early to get a flatbed and rescue Salty - who is being fished out by Cranky - and to take him to the Dieselworks, while having Den do Salty's job. Meanwhile, Porter gets covered in flour because of the increased workload.

While Salty is on the hoist, he shakes off some seaweed on him. Den then accidentally slips on it, which ends up leading to the Dieselworks and it's sheds to close and trap the Diesels in it. This leads to Percy being asked to help out at the Docks with Salty, Porter and Den out of action. He asks Thomas to help, but The Fat Controller tells him and the rest of the Steam Team about most of the Diesels being stuck in their sheds and that they're going to need to work extra hard to do all of the work.

Despite Percy desperately needing Thomas at the Docks, Sir Topham Hatt tells Thomas to instead get to the Blue Mountain Quarry and then to take some Diesel fuel to the Dieselworks. All the work soon overloads at the Docks with Percy unable to get it done, and it ends up collapsing in on him and Carly almost falling into the sea.

The Sodor Search and Rescue Team are called out to the Docks to help. Harold tells Thomas what's going on, leading Thomas to rush to Tidmouth Sheds for help. Although the other engines are very tired from the increased workload, Thomas is able to convince them to help save Percy.

The Steam Team and Harold soon race to the Docks to help and are able to get all the work done, while also helping to save Carly and Percy. It takes them all night to get it all done, after which they are praised for their efforts by The Fat Controller. After he does so, he begins to think if there was something he's forgetting (the Diesels still being trapped), but decides he hasn't.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Toby
* Emily
* Belle
* Caitlin
* Porter
* Nia
* Rebecca
* Diesel
* Salty
* Den
* Dart
* Sidney
* Paxton
* Norman
* Flynn
* Luke
* Annie and Clarabel
* Harold
* Captain
* Cranky
* Big Mickey
* Carly
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Rosie (*cameo*)
* Stanley (*cameo*)
* 'Arry and Bert (*cameo*)
* Winston (*cameo*)
* Troublesome Trucks (*cameos*)
* Butch (*cameo*)
* Owen (*cameo*)
* Merrick (*cameo*)
* Willie (*cameo*)
* The Dock Manager (*cameo*)
* The Blue Mountain Quarry Manager (*cameo*)
* Philip (*cameo; fantasy*)
* Ferdinand (*portrait cameo; fantasy*)
* Victor (*portrait cameo; fantasy*)

## Locations

* Bluff's Cove
* Knapford Station Yard
* Brendam Docks
* Sodor Shipping Company
* Tidmouth Sheds
* The Railway Works
* Vicarstown Dieselworks
* Vicarstown Diesel Sheds
* Diesel 10's Shed
* Knapford
* Knapford Yards
* Crosby Tunnel
* Blue Mountain Quarry
* Wellsworth
* Gordon's Hill
* Farmer Trotter's Pig Farm
* Vicarstown
* Sir Topham Hatt's Office
* MC BUNN
* Sodor Search and Rescue Centre
* Black Loch (*portrait*)
* Maithwaite (*portrait*)
* The Washdown (*mentioned*)
* Sodor Steamworks (*map only*)
* Norramby (*map only*)
* Ballahoo (*map only*)
* Sodor Castle (*map only*)
* Kellsthorpe (*map only*)
* Maron (*map only*)
* The Mainland (*map only*)

## Cast

### UK

* John Hasler as Thomas
* Keith Wickham as Edward, Henry, Gordon, Salty, Den, Norman, Harold, Captain and Sir Topham Hatt
* Rob Rackstraw as James, Toby, Flynn and Big Mickey
* Nigel Pilkington as Percy
* Teresa Gallagher as Emily, Belle, Annie and Clarabel
* Yvonne Grundy as Nia
* Rachael Miller as Rebecca
* Kerry Shale as Diesel and Iron 'Arry
* Steven Kynman as Porter, Dart and Paxton
* Bob Golding as Sidney
* Matt Wilkinson as Cranky
* Lucy Montgomery as Carly
* Jules de Jongh as Caitlin (*uncredited*)
* William Hope as Iron Bert (*uncredited*)
* Michael Legge as Luke (*uncredited*)

### US

* Joseph May as Thomas
* William Hope as Edward, Toby and Iron Bert
* Kerry Shale as Henry, Gordon, Diesel, Iron 'Arry and Harold
* Rob Rackstraw as James, Flynn and Big Mickey
* Christopher Ragland as Percy
* Jules de Jongh as Emily and Caitlin
* Teresa Gallagher as Belle, Annie and Clarabel
* Yvonne Grundy as Nia
* Rachael Miller as Rebecca
* David Menkin as Porter
* Keith Wickham as Salty, Den, Norman, Captain and Sir Topham Hatt
* Steven Kynman as Dart and Paxton
* Bob Golding as Sidney
* Glenn Wrage as Cranky
* Lucy Montgomery as Carly
* Michael Legge as Luke (*uncredited*)

## Songs

* Don't Stop
* Don't Stop (Reprise)

## Trivia

* This marks the first of a few things:
	+ The first special directed by Joey So.
	+ Caitlin's first speaking role since The Great Race and her first speaking role in an episode since the twentieth series episode, Engine of the Future.
	+ Captain's first appearance in an episode since the twentieth series episode, Skiff and the Mermaid.
	+ The first episode since the seventh series episode, Three Cheers for Thomas, to not play a song at the end.
	+ The first production to have David Stoten as head writer.
	+ The first episode produced by Mattel Television since their rename.
* This episode marks the only things for several characters in the twenty-third series:
	+ Edward's only physical appearance (not counting his appearance in Thomas' thought bubble in The Other Big Engine) and speaking role.
	+ Belle, Porter, Luke, Carly and Big Mickey's only speaking roles.
	+ Caitlin, 'Arry and Bert, Captain, Flynn, Merrick and Willie's only appearances.
* A reference to The Great Race is made when Gordon tells Thomas to call him "The Shooting Star" in his sleep. The line is also a reference to the James Bond films.
* Percy's line of "Help me!" in the second fantasy sequence is a reference to the horror film *The Fly.*
* Thomas references *Braveheart* when he rallies the Steam Team.
* Three references to The Adventure Begins are made:
	+ Gordon moans about having to pull a goods train.
	+ Thomas calls "Wake up, lazybones!" to Gordon.
	+ Gordon leaves his coaches behind in a similar manner to Thomas, by mistaking another guard's whistle for his own.
* Salty sings a verse of "Drunken Sailor" when Cranky fishes him out of the sea.
* Yvonne Grundy, who performs Nia's speaking voice, performed her singing lines in this episode instead of Patricia Kihoro, who was her singing double in Big World! Big Adventures!
* The scene where Thomas, Emily and Rebecca are lifting Carly back up is similar to the fifth series episode, Cranky Bugs when Thomas and Percy are lifting Cranky back up.
* One of the ships' horns at Brendam Docks is the same as Captain's.
* The logo of the series overall was replaced by a stylized version of the episode's title, due to being the new special.
* Stanley is the only member of the Steam Team (current or former) to not speak in the episode. Had Duck been a member, he'd be the only one to not appear.
* 'Arry and Bert are the only diesel engines shown to still be working rather than being out of commission. Daisy, Mavis, Philip (not counting his appearance in the fantasy sequence) and Rusty are the only diesel engines to not appear in the episode.
* This is the only double-length special episode of the twenty-third series taking place on Sodor.
* An imprint of Paxton's face is left when he tries to ram the door, a common cartoon gag.

## Goofs

* Several characters and cast members were not credited in the UK end credits:
	+ Edward is not listed with Keith Wickham's characters.
	+ Toby is not listed with Rob Rackstraw's characters.
	+ Annie and Clarabel are not listed with Teresa Gallagher's characters.
	+ Jules de Jongh is not credited for voicing Caitlin.
	+ Michael Legge is not credited for voicing Luke.
	+ Kerry Shale is not credited for voicing Iron 'Arry.
	+ William Hope is not credited for voicing Iron Bert.
* 'Arry is seen travelling on narrow gauge track at the Blue Mountain Quarry, despite being a standard gauge engine.
* In the overhead shot of the docks becoming cramped, Big Mickey is not in his correct spot and appears to be clipping through the rails beneath him.
* When Harold says "Belle and Flynn are already on their way," the scene is not cut properly; Harold speeds up for a split second, and when the scene cuts back to both him and Thomas, they are both moving faster than before.
* Flynn has Dennis' horn sound.
* Belle has her US voice in the UK narration.