Trust Thomas

*“He's sick."*
"*Yes, he is - I mean, I am!”*
―Gordon and James
***Trust Thomas*** is the thirteenth episode of the third series. It is partially based on the magazine story, Bertie's Bumpy Roads.

## Plot

It is a beautiful day and Thomas is puffing along his branchline with Annie and Clarabel, enjoying himself enormously. He soon meets Bertie, who is having a most unpleasant journey driving over the bumpy roads. At the station, Thomas finds out that Bertie has lost his trust in the railway's service after it failed to deliver tar to mend the roads two weeks earlier, and resolves to find the source of the problem.

Meanwhile, James is complaining about having to shunt while Percy is at the harbour, and takes his anger out by bumping his trucks, who vow to pay him out. Gordon advises James that if he pretended to be sick, he wouldn't have to shunt trucks, and James happily decides to try it. When Thomas arrives James tells him he is ill, and Thomas offers to take his trucks for him to the Quarry. The trucks, who are still cross at James for bumping them, decide to take their anger out on Thomas, deciding that one engine is as good as another. On the way back from the quarry, the trucks push Thomas over some points and onto a jetty, which floats across a muddy pond and sinks. Thomas finds the unexpected incident humiliating, especially since the day started so well too.

Duck takes the unhurt trucks away and Edward brings Thomas home on a flatbed. On the way, Thomas then remembers about the missing tar and informs Edward about it; he recalls a tar tanker was left at Wellsworth and offers to collect it to ensure it reaches Bertie's road. James and Gordon apologise for their trick, and Bertie arrives saying the road is being mended and he has regained his trust in the railway. Gordon and James slowly leave for the shed, but Thomas is still not alone for it so happens that a toad from the pond has stowed away on his valence for company.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Gordon
* James
* Troublesome Trucks
* Bertie
* Percy *(does not speak)*
* Duck *(does not speak)*
* Annie and Clarabel *(cameo)*

## Locations

* Knapford Yards
	+ Sodor Shipping Company
* Anopha Quarry
* The Quarry Tramroad
* Toryreck
* Ffarquhar River Bridge
* Callan Pond
* Arlesdale Lake and Mountains Line
	+ Arlesdale Castle
* Tidmouth Sheds *(deleted scene; mentioned)*
* Wellsworth *(mentioned)*
* Brendam Docks *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* James' subplot of pretending to be ill, as suggested by Gordon is loosely adapted from Sir Handel's subplot in Trucks. The story of origin would be adapted in the following series.
* A deleted scene of Thomas running on Toby's Branch Line from the first series is used at the beginning of this episode.
* This marks the last appearance of the red lining on the back of Thomas' coal bunker until The Adventure Begins.
* In most releases the US version, the trucks laughing is omitted after Thomas had his accident. The echoed version does include the trucks laughing.
* In the early narration of James snorting about in the yard, the music is omitted.
* The music heard when Thomas crashes onto the jetty would later be reused for Thomas and the Special Letter.
* The steel rig from the TUGS episode High Tide can be seen at Knapford Yard.

## Goofs

* Although James says that he has to do Percy's work while Percy's at the harbour, Percy can be seen in the background in a close up of Gordon smiling in the yard.
* While Thomas passes the camera while taking the trucks to the quarry, the last truck's face is falling off.
* When Thomas leaves the quarry and when Thomas crosses the bridge, his trucks have no faces, even though they had them before and after.
* Thomas passes the points leading to the muddy pond before the narrator has time to say so.
* While Thomas was being pushed by the troublesome trucks into the pond, Thomas' weight moved the track slightly.
* At the pond, the front truck's right eye is covered in white residue.
* The narrator said that Thomas' driver applied the brakes, but his wheels are still moving.
* In a rare picture, a camera can be seen at the top left amongst the trees before Thomas runs onto the jetty.
* In the close-up of Thomas after he rides the jetty, his wheels have already sunk into the pond, but in the next shot of his wheels, they have not sunk yet.
* Edward says a truck of tar was left at his station, but two appear in the flashback.
* The toad on Thomas' front at the end has adhesive underneath its feet.
* In the US version, the narrator says that the trucks pushed Thomas past the points even though this had happened long before the scene had begun.
* In the restored version, the camera shakes in one of Gordon's close-ups.
* In the restored version, James goes past the camera completely when pushing the trucks, resulting in the sound being heard later after James hits the trucks and James' actions being repeated when he meets Gordon in the next scene.
* In the first scene, Clarabel is facing the wrong way.
* In the first shot of the yard, Edward is seen pulling express coaches and there is a goods train passing through next to him, but in the next shot, both trains have disappeared.
* During the exchange between Gordon, James and Thomas, Edward and Duck's whistle sounds and a guard's whistle are heard many times.
* When Bertie arrives at the yard to thank Thomas for helping to find the tar, some stone trucks are in the siding to Bertie's right. However, when the shot switches to a close up of Bertie, the trucks have disappeared.
* The camera slightly moves in the first shot of the jetty.
* In the Finnish dub, during the scene where Thomas talks about bad luck to Bertie, Thomas says "steam machine" by accident.

## Quotes

* **Thomas:** Bad luck Bertie. Now if you were a steam engine, you would run on a pair of reliable rails.
* **Bertie:** Hmmph! The railway was supposed to deliver tar to mend the road two weeks ago! You can't trust a thing that runs on rails!
* **Thomas:** I run on rails. You can trust me, Bertie. I'll see if I can find out what's happened.

* *[Thomas sees James and Gordon looking miserable]*
* **Thomas**: Cheer up. It's a beautiful day.
* **Gordon**: Yes, but not for James.
* **Thomas**: What's the matter?
* **Gordon**: He's sick!
* **James**: Yes, he is. I-- I mean, I am! I don't feel well at all.
* **Thomas**: Don't worry. I'll help out if you're ill.

* **Edward**: *[after being reminded by Thomas about the missing tar]* That's strange. A truck/car full of tar has been left in my station. That must be it. Driver will make sure it gets to Bertie now.

* **James**: I'm sorry about your accident. And so is Gordon. We didn't mean to get you into trouble.
* **Gordon**: No, indeed! A mere misunderstanding, Thomas. All's well that ends well.

## Merchandise

* Buzz Books - Trust Thomas
* Magazine Stories - Thank You, Thomas!

## Home Media Releases

### UK

* Trust Thomas and Other Stories (Direct-to-Home Video)
* Children's Pre-School Compilation
* The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
* The Complete Series 3
* My Little Thomas and Bertie Adventures
* The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
* The Best of Thomas

#### DVD Packs

* Classic Collection
* 10 DVD Boxset
* The Best of Friends
* The Fogman and Other Stories and The Very Best of Thomas and Friends **Double Pack**

### WAL

* Thomas the Tank Engine: Bumper Special 1

### US

* Trust Thomas and Other Stories
* Thomas and His Friends Get Along
* Thomas' Trainyard Adventures
* The Greatest Stories
* Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

#### VHS/DVD Packs

* Special Video Collector's Set
* Trust Thomas and Other Stories/A Big Day for Thomas **Double Feature**
* On-the-Go Pack
* Totally Thomas Volume 2
* Totally Thomas Volume 6

### AUS

* Trust Thomas and Other Stories
* The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
* The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
* The Complete Series 3
* The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1
* My First Thomas with Bertie and Harold

#### DVD Boxsets

* 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
* Essential Collection (Five Disc Collection)
* Complete Series 1-10
* Classic Collection
* Series Three and Series Four **Double Pack**

### NZ

* Trust Thomas and Other Stories
* The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
* Bumper Video Collection Volume 4
* Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 6

### JPN

* Thomas the Tank Engine Volume 15
* The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.5
* Bertie and Harold Fellow Friends
* The Best Collection
* Thomas and his Lovely Friends

### DK

* Now There Will Be Trouble and Other Stories

### MYS

* Thomas' Christmas Party and Other Thomas Adventures
* Donald's Duck and Other Adventures

### NOR

* Thomas, Percy and the Post Train
* Thomas-Festival

### NL

* Rely on Thomas
* The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas

### HK

* Thomas and Friends Volume 7
* Thomas and Friends Volume 1 *(DVD)*