The Fat Controller invites a visitor to Sodor - an engine with 2 tenders! Henry gets jealous of this and thinks he should have more tenders. Duck offers to give Henry his tenders - but they don't quite turn out to be what Henry expected...

Tender Engines

Michael Angelis

George Carlin

Rev. W. Awdry

Escape

One Good Turn

The Island of Sodor is in the grips of winter. Percy, complaining about his funnel being cold, wishes for a long, woolly scarf to keep it warm. He soon knows why engines never wear scarfs when he has a surprise collision with a baggage trolley...

A Scarf for Percy

It's holiday time and the Vicar's Sunday School is spending the day at the seaside. Percy promises Thomas that he'll get Annie, Clarabel and the children home safe and sound; but floods spell disaster for the little engine until...

Percy's Promise

The Fat Controller feels that Gordon is being worked too hard and so decides to give him a rest and let James take his place for a while: This makes James feel proud and boastful. However, his bragging soon fades when he has an unexpected run in with Toby, who has run out of water on the Main Line.

Time for Trouble

Everyone is excited at the arrival of the celebrity engine, 'City Of Truro' - all except Gordon, who sniffs at the fact that C.O.T. is a "domeless engine". However, when trying to break C.O.T.'s world record, he receives total humiliation thanks to a teasing wind.

Gordon and the Famous Visitor

As a reward for his hard work, Duck is given his own branch line; he starts boasting endlessly about it and Donald teases his that he quacks "as if he laid an egg!" So Duck's driver and fireman decide to play a trick on Donald - with "quacking" results!

Donald's Duck

After helping some children out of a sticky predicament, Thomas gets behind his timetable and is very late. Then things go from bad to worse when his Branch Line gets damaged by hot weather and has to be closed whilst it is being repaired. Bertie the Bus offers to takes Thomas's passengers while he shunts in the yard; and this makes the little engine worry that his passengers will forget about him.

Thomas Gets Bumped

Percy teases Thomas about the time that he got scared in "Ghost Train". But one afternoon, Percy gets stuck in a siding after a points failure and has to spend the night there, where he encounters a terrifying dragon! But will anyone believe him?

Thomas, Percy and the Dragon

Duck and Percy are exhausted with the extra work in the harbour so the Fat Controller sends for another engine to help them. What a shock they receive when it turns out to be Diesel!

Diesel Does it Again

Henry's favourite place on Sodor is the forest; he loves the trees, the animals and the peaceful nature sounds. He is heartbroken when storms damage the trees and the broken timber gets cut up and turned into furniture. Luckily, help is at hand...

Henry's Forest

Gordon is smothered in mud, but refuses to be cleaned. So the Fat Controller, as punishment for disobeying orders, orders him to pull trucks, whilst James looks after the Express. But in the end, after Gordon helps James, he learns that "Having a wash down is essential to every engine."

The Trouble with Mud

When Gordon annoys James by saying he's not as important as him, James decides to get revenge by telling Thomas that the Fat Controller wants James to pull the express and that Gordon should pull the trucks. Confusion ensues...

No Joke for James

Thomas and Percy pull the Post Train most nights. When the trains start to run late though, the future of the Post Train is put in jeopardy as the Post Office decide to start using Harold instead. Luckily a special passenger - and some strong winds - save the day.

Thomas, Percy and the Post Train

James is groaning because he has to deliver trucks to the quarry. Gordon tells him that he should pretend to be ill so he doesn't have to do the job. Thomas soon pulls in and offers to deliver the trucks instead and so the two big engines slyly agree.  Later, Thomas unfortunately doesn't realise that trouble is ahead just down the line and he wouldn't have been put in such a situation if it weren't for Gordon and James...

Trust Thomas

Mavis is a young diesel engine who is starting work at the quarry. Unfortunately her way of shunting is a lot different from Toby's and he gets annoyed. A bit of false encouragement from Diesel gets Mavis into trouble.

Mavis

Mavis is told that she is not allowed anywhere near Toby's line, so when the trains get bigger she develops a plan for the trucks to push her there. But Toby accidentally takes those trucks and they decide to push him instead. As Toby speeds down the line, he realises that the bridge ahead is collapsing and he knows that he can't stop in time!

Toby's Tightrope

The Vicar is having a garden party so that he can raise money for a seaside trip for the children. Trevor is the star attraction, but Edward wishes he had something to do to help out too. In the end he helps the vicar with the posters advertising the party.

Meanwhile, Bertie is teasing Trevor about being old, but Trevor has the last laugh when Bertie gets into a sticky situation.

Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party

James is chatting to Trevor about some bees who Trevor is looking after. Boco warns them to not to annoy the bees, which annoys James. The next day, some bees escape from the station and cling onto James's warm boiler... and refuse to let go!

Buzz, Buzz

Duck wishes he could sail to far away lands but Percy tells Duck he'd rather stay on his dry rails. So, when Duck helps Harold out in an emergency situation, he decides that Percy is right and that he would be much happier on his own rails.

All at Sea

Bill and Ben are sent to the big yard by the Fat Controller to help the other engines with important goods. They work well but when it comes to going onto a turntable for the first time, things get out of hand.

Douglas attempts to rescue a frightened engine called Oliver, and his brakevan, Toad, from the place all steam engines fear to go - THE OTHER RAILWAY!

The story about Oliver's rescue soon goes around the island, and the other engines compliment Oliver about how clever he is. This gets him rather big-headed until the trucks teach him a lesson...

Oliver Owns Up

A doubledecker bus called Bulgy thinks he knows a shortcut to get to the Big Station quicker but doesn't go far when he ends up becoming stuck beneath a rail bridge.

Bulgy

At the docks, the Troublesome Trucks play tricks on and confuse Bill & Ben which makes them late to deliver the coaches for Gordon's Express, making him very late indeed.

The next day, a rockslide threatens the quarry and only Bill & Ben are the ones who can save the workmen in danger...

Heroes

Percy and James soon learn that pride comes before a fall when they have a rather bad day that involves fruit.

Percy, James and the Fruitful Day

It's Christmas time on the Island of Sodor and Thomas is looking forward to delivering letters and parcels to his friends in the towns and villages. But it's been snowing again and one of the villages has been snowed up. It's up to Thomas, Percy, Harold and Terence to help save the day!

Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure

Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series, which had its first broadcast on the ITV network on 4 September 1984. It is based on The Railway Series of books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. These books deal with the adventures of a group of anthropomorphised locomotives and road vehicles who live on the fictional Island of Sodor. The books were based on stories Wilbert told to entertain his son, Christopher during his recovery from measles. From Series one to four, many of the stories are based on events from Awdry's personal experience.

Tender Engines

Seasons24

Season 3 Episodes26

Cast2

Crew1

Discussion

Episode Summary