Tender Engines

*“That's what I need! Now if I had two tenders I wouldn't have to stop so often, and I wouldn't have to listen to silly little engines!"*
"Those tenders belong to a visitor.”

―Gordon and his driver
***Tender Engines*** is the twentieth episode of the third series. It is based on the story Tenders for Henry from The Railway Series book, Enterprising Engines.

## Plot

Gordon gets fed up with being given advice by the other engines while taking on coal and water and claims that big engines have big needs and little engines are just annoying. Later, Gordon is impressed when he sees a visitor (The Flying Scotsman) with two tenders and says that if he had two tenders, he would not need to stop as often, nor be teased.

However, he becomes depressed when Diesel gloats the diesels' victory over steam engines on the mainland. His mood worsens when Duck and Henry tease him about boiler-ache. He perks up when he is told by the Fat Controller that he will never be scrapped on his railway and that the visitor had two tenders due to the lack of coal and water in between stations on the Mainland, but while Gordon feels much better, Henry is cross and grumbles that he deserves two tenders for his work.

Duck, planning a trick, coerces Henry into pulling some spare tenders. Henry is delighted but is less than thrilled when he finds out that they are dirty, old and filled with boiler sludge, much to the other engines' amusement. As Henry grudgingly pulls them through the station, he is teased back by Gordon with the same insults he had used earlier.

## Characters

* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Duck
* Donald
* Diesel
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Flying Scotsman *(not named; tenders and cab only; does not speak)*
* Thomas *(cameo)*
* Edward *(cameo)*
* Percy *(cameo)*
* Annie and Clarabel *(cameo)*
* Bertie *(cameo)*
* Jem Cole *(cameo)*
* Big Mickey *(faceless; cameo)*
* British Railways Diesels *(mentioned)*

## Locations

* Knapford Harbour
* Tidmouth
	+ Tidmouth Yards
		- Ffarquhar Sheds
	+ Tidmouth Tunnel *(deleted scene)*
* Wellsworth
* The Three Way Road

## Trivia

* A photograph from this episode was released as a Royal Mail stamp in 2011 to mark the Reverend W. Awdry's Centenary.
* One of Henry's "tenders" has LMS written on the side, a possible reference to his basis, the LMS Black 5 Class. Some of the other tenders have "NE" on the sides, indicating that they are North Eastern Railway 4,200 gallon tenders.
* Flying Scotsman was originally intended to have a larger role in this episode, but due to budgetary constraints, the entire locomotive model could not be constructed. As a result, Flying Scotsman was rewritten as a stranger to Gordon rather than his brother. This was the only episode until the twenty-second series episode, Confusion Without Delay, where the Flying Scotsman appears but in the aforementioned episode he was recognized as Gordon's brother.
* This is the last episode to use Gordon's grumpy music cue. This music cue was previously used in The Trouble with Mud and Gordon and the Famous Visitor.
* This episode marks the only appearance of the Flying Scotsman before The Great Race.
* This is the first episode where Donald appears without Douglas, as well as the first episode where either of the Scottish twins appears without the other.
* The modern television description refers to Flying Scotsman as 'a two-engine', instead of referring to him as having multiple tenders.
* Big Mickey, the fire station, a grey building, a large brown building, the steel company and steel rig from TUGS appear in the episode.
* On the Japanese ending, a pre-filmed image of Thomas appears in the Sixth series episode The World's Strongest Engine before it was aired.

## Goofs

* When James first arrives at the coal chute to speak to Gordon, his pony truck is derailed.
* When James leaves the coal loader, his eyes are wonky.
* Flying Scotsman's second tender is a standard LNER corridor tender when it should be an auxiliary water tender.
* When Henry bangs the trucks, one bounces upwards.
* Henry's face is loose when he complains about always working hard enough for two tenders.
* Before Henry comes out with the tenders, James' first wheel is crooked.
* Henry passes Thomas twice while pulling the tenders.
* In the restored version, a tripod camera is seen when Gordon says "Don't be vulgar!"
* Studio equipment can be seen when Gordon leaves Tidmouth.

## Quotes

* **James**: That's the third load of coal you've had today, Gordon. Some might say you're being rather greedy.
* **Gordon**: I'm an important engine. Important engines need plenty of coal, but I doubt if you would understand that, James.

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* *[Duck catches Gordon taking on water from an ordinary stand pipe, as the water tower is under repair]*
* **Duck**: I wouldn't drink too much of that water if I were you, Gordon. It might give you boiler-ache.
* **Gordon**: Pah! What's this? Educating Gordon Day? First James, and now you, Duck. Big engines have big needs. Little engines are just annoying.
* **Duck**: Don't say I didn't warn you.

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* **Diesel**: Everyone knows that tenders are a mark of distinction, but I'm afraid that no amount of tenders will save you in the end. We diesels are taking over, and we don't need tenders to make us important, not even one.

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* **Gordon**: *[disappointed after hearing Diesel's remark the day before]* I'm not happy.
* **Duck**: I know. It's boiler-ache.
* **Gordon**: It's not boiler-ache. It's...
* **Henry**: Of course, it is. That water's bad. Your boiler must be full of sludge. Have a good washout, then you'll feel a different engine. *(Last two sentences are switched around in the US dub.)*
* **Gordon**: Don't be vulgar.

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* **The Fat Controller**: Cheer up, Gordon.
* **Gordon**: I can't, Sir. Is it true what Diesel says, Sir?
* **The Fat Controller**: What does he say?
* **Gordon**: That diesels are taking over!
* **The Fat Controller**: Don't worry, Gordon, that will never happen on my railway.
* **Gordon**: And one more thing, Sir. Why did the visitor have two tenders?
* **The Fat Controller**: Because he lives on a railway with long distances between coaling depots.

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* **Henry**: *I* always work hard enough for two. I deserve another tender.
* **Duck**: *[plans a trick with Donald]* Henry, would you like *my* tenders?
* **Henry**: *Yours?* What have you got to do with tenders?
* **Duck**: Alright, the deal's off. Would you like them, Donald?
* **Donald**: I wouldna deprive ye of the honour.
* **Duck**: It is a great honour, but I'm only a tank engine. Perhaps James might--
* **Henry**: I'm sorry I was rude, how many tenders have you and when can I have them?
* **Duck**: Ah... hmmm... I have six and you can have them this evening.
* **Henry**: Six lovely tenders! What a splendid sight I'll be!

## Home Media Releases

### UK

* Escape and other stories
* Thomas Gets Bumped and 17 Other Stories
* Biggest Party Video Ever!
* My Little Thomas and the Royal Visitor
* The Complete Series 3

### US

* Daisy and Other Thomas Stories
* Best of Gordon
* Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

#### DVD Boxsets

* Best Tales on the Tracks
* Ultimate Thomas Collection
* Best of Collection

### AUS

* Escape and other stories
* All Aboard October!
* All Aboard!
* The Complete Series 3

#### DVD Boxsets

* Complete Series 1-10
* Classic Collection
* Series Three and Series Four **Double Pack**

### NZ

* Escape and other stories
* Bumper Video Collection Volume 5

### NL

* Rely on Thomas
* The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry

### JPN

* Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.16 (Japanese VHS)
* I Love Thomas DVD Collection
* Mischief Strategy
* The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.3
* The Complete DVD Box 1

### NOR/FIN

* Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party (Norwegian VHS)

### MYS

* Toby's Tightrope and Other Thomas Adventures
* One Good Turn and Other Adventures

### THA

* Thomas and Friends - Volume 11 (Thai DVD)

### HK

* Thomas and Friends Volume 8 (Hong Kong DVD)
* Thomas and Friends Volume 4 (DVD)