Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends - Chases, Races and Runaways

**Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends - Chases, Races and Runaways** is a UK VHS release by VCI on the 6th of October 1997. It features 18 episodes of the "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" T.V. Series - featuring 3 Season 1 episodes and 8 Season 2 episodes narrated by Ringo Starr, as well as 4 Season 3 episodes and 3 Season 4 episodes narrated by Michael Angelis.

## Episodes

1. **Percy Runs Away** - Percy is being careless on the mainline and gets a nasty shock.
2. **Dirty Objects** - James learns that it isn't wise to speak rudely to the other engines.
3. **Down the Mine** - Thomas tries some mischief at the mine and finds himself in a big hole!
4. **Thomas, Percy and the Coal** - Trucks and coal dust brings disaster all over the yard.
5. **Cows** - Gordon and Henry tease Edward about an accident until they find out why...
6. **Percy and Harold** - Harold is being a nuisance, but Percy and his driver surprise him.
7. **The Runaway** - Duck looks after Annie and Clarabel whilst Thomas is feeling ill.
8. **A Close Shave** - Duck pays a surprise visit to the barber's shop!
9. **Better Late Than Never** - Railway repairs make life difficult for Thomas and his friends.
10. **Break Van** - A brake van makes things worse for Donald and Douglas until James helps.
11. **Percy's Predicament** - Daisy is difficult, Percy is annoyed, and Toby tries to help.
12. **Gordon and the Famous Visitor** - Gordon doesn't trust the important visiting engine.
13. **Toby's Tightrope** - Mavis is very sorry to have put Toby in danger with her high spirits.
14. **Escape** - Douglas helps a frightened engine called Oliver and his brake van Toad.
15. **Oliver Owns Up** - Oliver is wiser after an uncomfortable derailment with some trucks.
16. **Four Little Engines** - Some awkward sheep and rude coaches bump Sir Handel off the rails.
17. **Steamroller** - Sir Handel and George the Steamroller squabble during their race.
18. **Train Stops Play** - Caroline the Car helps out when Stepney disrupts a cricket match.

## Episode Inner Sleeve

1. **Percy Runs Away** - Henry, James and Gordon decide to go back to work, but Percy is careless on the mainline and gets a nasty shock.
2. **Dirty Objects** - James the Red Engine learns that it is wise not to speak rudely to the other engines. You'll never know what will happen next.
3. **Down the Mine** - Thomas tries some mischief and gets in a big hole. Gordon has to help him out. Both engines are in disgrace, so they decide to form an alliance and never be cheeky to each other again.
4. **Thomas, Percy and the Coal** - Thomas becomes a little too cheeky for his own good. Trucks and coal dust bring disaster - 1st to Thomas - and then to Percy.
5. **Cows** - Edward has an accident. Gordon and Henry tease him about it when they learn why, but Edward has the last laugh.
6. **Percy and Harold** - Harold the Helicopter is being a nuisance. He thinks railways are out of date. Percy and his Driver surprise him.
7. **The Runaway** - Duck the Great Western Engine looks after Annie and Clarabel whilst Thomas is ill. When Thomas returns home, the coaches discover that Thomas is still in trouble.
8. **A Close Shave** - Duck has a chase with runaway trucks and pays a surprise visit to a barber's shop.
9. **Better Late Than Never** - The Railway Viaduct is being repaired onto the Mainline. Delays make life difficult for Thomas and his friends.
10. **Break Van** - Donald and Douglas are delightfully disorganized twin engines from Scotland, and when they arrive they cause the Fat Controller a great deal of trouble. They are worried that the Fat Controller will order 1 of them to leave his Railway. A brake van makes matters worse until James helps in a surprising way.
11. **Percy's Predicament** - Daisy is being difficult. Percy is annoyed, and Toby tries to help the situation with surprising results.
12. **Gordon and the Famous Visitor** - An important steam engine visits the yard. Everyone is busy and excited, except Gordon - who doesn't trust dome-less engines.
13. **Toby's Tightrope** - Mavis' high spirits put Toby in terrible danger. She is sorry for her actions and decides she will always ask experienced engines for advice in the future.
14. **Escape** - Douglas is pulling the Midnight Goods Train when he encounters an Great Western engine called Oliver and his brake van, Toad - escaping from the fate that all engines dread!
15. **Oliver Owns Up** - Oliver learns that trucks can be troublesome and after an uncomfortable derailment in the turntable well, he returns to Duck's branch line a wiser engine.
16. **Four Little Engines** - Sir Handel is having trouble with some coaches who are being awkward and rude.
17. **Steamroller** - One day, when Sir Handel is showing off about his big wheels, Skarloey decides to trick him into a race with George the Steamroller. Sir Handel and George squabble as they race down the line and the road, but who is the winner?
18. **Train Stops Play** - Stepney watches a cricket match while waiting at a signal. As he set off again, he doesn't realize that the ball has landed in one of the trucks.

## Trivia

* The front cover features images from **Thomas Comes to Breakfast, Off the Rails,** and **Trust Thomas.**
* Although Cows is an even-numbered episode, the ending credits uses the last scene from **Duck Takes Charge.** The same thing happened in another UK VHS PAL, Thomas' Christmas Party and 17 other stories.

## Goofs

* The description of Four Little Engines says Sir Handel has trouble with some trucks, when they are actually smart coaches.

## Opening (Original 1997 release)

1. VCI Children's Promo From 1997 with clips of "Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends", "Fourways Farm", "Sooty & Co.", "The Sooty Show: My Bumper Christmas Sooty", "Teddy Bear Sing-Along: My Christmas Play Rhymes & Songs", "Tots Video", "Roald Dahl's The BFG: Big Friendly Giant" and the New For '97 Overview.
2. VCI Tracking Control Screen (1995-2005)
3. VCI Warning Screen (1995-2005)
4. VCI Ident (1995-2005)
5. Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends: Chases, Races & Runaways Title Card
6. Britt Allcroft Presents Ident
7. Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends: Season 1 Opening Titles (Cartoon Network Version)
8. Start Of Percy Runs Away (1984)

## Closing (Original 1997 release)

1. End Of Train Stops Play (1995)
2. Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends: Season 4 Closing Credits
3. VCI Ident (1995-2005)

## Trailers and info

The VCI children's trailer from 1997 with clips of **"Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends", "Fourways Farm", "Sooty & Co.", "The Sooty Show: My Bumper Christmas Sooty", "Teddy Bear Sing-Along: My Christmas Play Rhymes & Songs", "Tots Video", "Roald Dahl's The BFG: Big Friendly Giant"** and the **'New for '97' overview.**