Bye George!

"Whoever caused this disturbance will have me to answer to."

- The Fat Controller

Bye George! is the seventh episode of the fifth series. In the US, it aired with Double Teething Troubles during an airing of Storytime with Thomas.

Plot
George has been working with the little engines and is waiting for Percy to take him to a new workplace. George is insulting Skarloey and Rheneas when Percy arrives. When they leave, the two engines are pleased to see George go. Percy, however, is annoyed when George grumbles all the way to an old branch line which is being turned into a new road. Percy is still fuming when he meets Thomas, who advises him to ignore George's rude remarks.

George is enjoying himself as he tears up the old branch line when Thomas races by. George calls to him to admire his work, but Thomas takes no notice. George feels insulted and yells to Thomas he is a useless blue puffball, but Thomas still does not hear. Believing that he was ignored, George vows to pay Thomas back.

Upon reaching the crossing that intersects the unused railway with the active one, George deliberately tells the workmen to tarmac it, knowing that they had not properly finished it. Thomas soon runs through on the same line with a vegetable train; the signalman has forgotten to warn his driver about the tarmacked crossing, and had fallen asleep. Thomas sees the signal is green, and is delighted thinking they do not need to stop, but his driver sees the tarmacked crossing and realises they do. However, it is too late, and Thomas ends up derailing and crashes through a barn.

The next day, Percy explains to Gordon what had happened with his experience with George, but the big engine takes no notice. Later on, George is working in a station yard at Crosby when Duck arrives with some empty trucks. Unfortunately, George is blocking Duck's way resulting in the last truck on his train to rest on the points on the main line. Despite Duck’s pleas, George stubbornly refuses to move out of the way, which only angers Duck as well as his driver, who goes to complain to the stationmaster, only to find out that the points had already been set by the signalman to let Gordon pass. Before Gordon and the express can be alerted, Gordon, who is already in a hurry, rushes through and hits the truck, causing it to launch into the air and smash into pieces upon landing, much to Duck's horror.

At the next station, Gordon is worried about being in trouble with the Fat Controller. He is cross, but he knows that it was neither Gordon nor Duck's fault and declares that whoever is behind all the trouble on the railway will have to answer to him. A few days later, George is found out and punished with being sent to saw wood at the timber yard for an entire week, leaving him feeling miserable. Thomas and Percy arrive to see him and despite the fact that Thomas jokes that George will just be rude as before once his punishment is over, George sports a smile that may say otherwise.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * Percy
 * Duck
 * Skarloey
 * George
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Rheneas
 * Edward
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Butch
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Jem Cole
 * Farmer Trotter
 * The Mid Sodor Railway Manager
 * Duke

Locations

 * Boulder Quarry
 * Boulder Quarry Sheds
 * Norramby Fishing Village
 * The Intersection Station
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Tower Windmill
 * Crosby
 * Crosby Yards
 * Wellsworth
 * Wellsworth Crossing
 * The Flour Mill
 * The Scrapyards

Trivia

 * According to the film slate:
 * The scene of Gordon arriving at Wellsworth Station was filmed on 20th October 1997. The close-up shot of the Fat Controller speaking with Gordon's crew was filmed on 28th October 1997.
 * The scene on the Crosby Station set was filmed on 17th and 18th November 1997. The close-up shot of the signal going down was filmed on 19th November 1997, the close-up shots of the Crosby signalman changing the points was filmed on 20th November 1997, and the close-up shot of Gordon's whistle as he approaches Crosby was filmed on 27th November 1997.
 * The scene of Percy taking George through the Fishing Village was filmed on 20th, 21st and 22nd January 1998.
 * The close-up shots of the passengers inside an express coach were filmed on 9th February 1998.
 * The scene with Thomas, Percy and George on the Flour Mill set was filmed on 12th February 1998.
 * The shot of Thomas passing the Windmill was filmed on 6th March 1998.
 * The scene on the Intersection Station set was filmed on 12th and 13th March 1998, while the close-up shots of Thomas' driver inside Thomas' cab and the workmen on the level crossing were filmed on 18th March 1998.
 * The first scene of the episode with Percy, George, Skarloey and Rheneas was filmed on 26th and 30th March 1998.
 * This episode marks:
 * George's last speaking and leading role. This should have been his last speaking role until the twenty-third series episode, Free the Roads and his last speaking role in the model series.
 * The only appearances of Skarloey's angry face and George's sad face, both of which were unused from the fourth series, although George's sad face first appeared in a deleted scene from Lady Hatt's Birthday Party.
 * The last episode to use Thomas' original wincing face, although it would later be used in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. A new one will be gained from the seventh series all the way to The Great Discovery.
 * The first time an engine pulling a goods train flies off the tracks and crashes through a barn in the process. The second was the sixth series episode, Gordon Takes a Tumble.
 * The last appearance of Duck's shocked, concerned and cross face in the Britt Allcroft Company Era. Duck's shocked face was also used in the sixth series song Boo! Boo! Choo-Choo.
 * Pre-filmed unedited footage from Oliver's Find and a deleted scene from A Better View for Gordon is used.
 * The close-up shot as well as the deleted scene of the Crosby signalman pulling the leaver in this episode had become a real popular footage and was used in several music videos from this and the following series up until the eighth series, as well as stock footage from the episodes Thomas the Jet Engine and Thomas Saves the Day.
 * Just before Thomas derails, a brake sound effect is heard in the US and international dubs of the episode but not the UK dub.
 * The picture of Duke from Bulldog is seen in the signal box.
 * The waiter on Gordon's express is the Elephant Keeper from Henry and the Elephant repainted with the head of the Inspector with the bowler hat, and a passenger is Mrs. Kyndley's seated figure with Elizabeth II's head.
 * When Gordon says, "I'm the greatest! Just watch me fly by!" the footage is sped up, Plus it was a deleted scene from A Better View for Gordon.
 * Duke's old shed can be seen in the background when Thomas and Percy talk to George at the mill.
 * According to the 1998 website, George had his roller taken away for a while after this episode.
 * This and Something in the Air were the only fifth series episodes to not be released on VHS in New Zealand at all. Both episodes would instead appear on The Complete Series 5 DVD.
 * A storyboard depicted that after Thomas crashed through the barn, he was to end up in a muddy river where some cows watched him suspiciously.
 * A map of the east of Sodor, which features Crovan's Gate and the Skarloey Railway, is seen inside the signal box. It is also seen in Sleeping Beauty, Oliver's Find (which uses pre-filmed footage from that episode) and Busy Going Backwards. The map was made in the fourth series and was used as geographical reference for the locations in concept arts.
 * George's pupils are bigger when he was blocking Duck's way (the same size they were in the fourth series). This was due to the scenes on the Crosby set being filmed before every other set where George appears. His pupils were reduced in size during filming on the Fishing Village set.

Goofs

 * When the narrator says that George was being rude to Rheneas and Skarloey, they are smiling.
 * Percy is shown arriving to pick up George in one of the first few shots, then, after George is done insulting Rheneas and Skarloey, he is shown arriving again.
 * When Skarloey talks to George, his right eye (viewers' left) jitters at one point, and his face moves a bit.
 * When Percy passes through the fishing village, his train gains a brake van. In addition, when Percy meets up with Thomas, the brake van changes and he loses his lamp, and in Thomas' shot, the model of a driver or a fireman can be seen lying down in the background.
 * In the close up shot George's eyes appear to have scratches on his pupils.
 * As the narrator says, "Thomas didn't hear," the face of the last truck is crooked.
 * Studio equipment is visible at the top screen in Thomas’ point-of-view of the tarmac rails.
 * When Thomas derails at the crossing, he veers to the right, from his point of view. In the next shot, he instead veers to the left. The barn also switches sides from the right to the left side of the track. In addition, the track from Thomas' point of view ends at the bushes.
 * When Thomas breaks through the barn, his wheels appear to have no movement at all.
 * In the shot where Thomas bursts out of the barn, the planks briefly change positions, and smoke is suddenly bursting out indicating a film cut.
 * In a long shot of George in the yard, the track which Gordon runs on dead ends.
 * In some shots of Gordon, he is not pulling any coaches.
 * Gordon has Duck's whistle sound when he whistles at the station.
 * In the close up shot of Gordon whistling, his whistle has red stuff on it, and one of his brass fittings appears to be crooked.
 * Studio equipment is briefly visible on the top of Gordon's point of view when he first enters the station. In an extended scene of Gordon before he passes through the station, studio equipment is visible behind him.
 * In the shot of the truck flying through the air, it has already lost one pair of wheels, but both pairs are shown coming off when the truck hits the ground.
 * In the Danish dub, the last line was said by George instead of the narrator.
 * The Mid Sodor Railway Manager has visible dust on his hat.

Quotes

 * [first lines]
 * George: You're just worn-out wheels on worn out rails!
 * Skarloey: You need rocks for your roads, and we're helping you.
 * George: I need to flatten little engines in the scrapyards.
 * [Percy arrives to collect George]
 * George: Railways are no good! Turn 'em into roads!
 * Narrator: [referring to Rheneas and Skarloey] The little engines were pleased to see him go.
 * Rheneas and Skarloey (UK): Rollers are rubbish, so good riddance!




 * George: Bumpy ride on rotten rails. I'm glad it's over.
 * Percy: So am I!
 * George: Huh!




 * Thomas: What's up, Percy?
 * Percy: It's George. He makes me feel down.
 * Thomas: Just ignore him.




 * George: Ripping up rails! What a life! [Thomas passes by] What did you think of this, Thomas? [Thomas ignores George and doesn't hear him] You're a useless blue puffball! I'll show him who's boss!




 * Workman: What shall we do here?
 * George: Tear it up, tarmac it!
 * Narrator: So they did. But not properly. And George knew it.




 * Thomas: That's nice, we don't need to stop.
 * Driver: Yes, we do!
 * Narrator: But it was too late.
 * (Thomas slides off the tracks, rolls down a field and crashes into a barn)




 * Gordon: [to Percy] Huh! You're just a small engine, that's why he's rude to you! He wouldn't dare cause me any trouble.




 * [George is obstructing Duck's way, causing the last truck at the end to be stuck on the main line]
 * Duck: Let me through!
 * George: (I'm too busy!) You'll just have to wait!
 * Duck: There's no time to wait. I must clear my trucks/freight cars from the Main Line to let Gordon through.
 * George: (PAH!) Then he'll have to wait too!




 * Gordon: I'm the greatest! Just watch me fly by! [whistles long and loud, notices the stuck truck ahead of him]
 * Narrator: Suddenly, he saw a truck/freight car on the line ahead.
 * Gordon: GET OUT OF MY WAY! [shuts his eyes]
 * Narrator: But the truck/freight car wouldn't move... (The truck flies through the air) ...Until Gordon forced it... (It crashes onto the ground smashing into pieces, much to Duck's shock) ...By accident.




 * [last lines]
 * Narrator: George had been found out by the Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt and punished. He looked miserable.
 * Percy: Now we'll get some peace at last.
 * George: I want to get rolling again, but I've got to wait a whole week until I do.
 * Thomas: And then you'll be just as rude as ever! Eh, George?
 * Narrator: I hope not, don't you?

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Big Bad Roller
 * Wooden Railway - Muddy Thomas & George

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * Happy Holidays
 * The Complete Series 5

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

US

 * Races, Rescues and Runaways and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 5

CAN

 * Races, Rescues and Runaways and Other Thomas Adventures

DVD Boxsets

 * On Site with Thomas and Other Adventures/Races, Rescues and Runaways and Other Thomas Adventures Double Feature
 * Sodor Friends Holiday Collection
 * Totally Thomas Volume 2
 * 3 DVD Lunchbox Set

AUS

 * ABC For Kids - Playbox
 * The Complete Series 5

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Five and Series Six Double Pack

NOR

 * Stepney Gets Lost

JPN

 * New Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.2
 * No, No Troubles!
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.5

KOR

 * The Stories that Gives Enlightenment
 * Character Special Edition Series Vol. 4

MYS

 * Toby and the Flood and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Thomas and the Special Letter and Other Adventures

GRC

 * The Trains Have Fun

GER

 * All Beginnings Are Difficult

SWE

 * Little Engines Help Out

DK

 * Thomas and the Ghosts and Other Stories

ITA

 * Time for James

WAL

 * Fleas and 15 other Stories

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 11
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 12

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 16

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 13

Adiós, George ביי, ג'ורג'! バイバイ ジョージ! Żegnaj Grzegorzu! Прощай, Джордж!