Troublesome Trucks (episode)

Troublesome Trucks, retitled Foolish Freight Cars in North American releases, is the ninth episode of the first series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book James the Red Engine.

Plot
It has been several days since James damaged a coach brake pipe, and since then he has been shut up in the shed as punishment. Being left alone and not even allowed out to shunt, James begins to cry, thinking that no one will ever see his red paint again, but the Fat Controller finally returns, telling James that he hopes that he will be a better engine as his actions have caused great embarrassment for the railway. James sincerely apologises and promises to behave. The Fat Controller accepts his apology and assigns him to pull some trucks. James is delighted to be let out and eagerly goes to work.

At the station, Thomas brings James his trucks and teases him about bootlaces before leaving, to his annoyance. James couples himself to the troublesome trucks, who tease him for his red paint; James just ignores them and despite their protest, firmly sets off with them. During the journey, the trucks make several attempts to hold James back, but each time his crew manages to correct the problems, and then he continues on. The trucks then begin shouting at James to give up, but it is no use as James is determined to prove himself a better engine.

Finally, the train reaches Gordon's Hill and James tries to pull the trucks up as fast as he can, which is initially tricky. Then halfway up, the pulling suddenly gets easier, but his driver stops him and points out that the brake van and the last four trucks have broken away due to a snapped coupling and are running back down the hill. Fortunately, the guard manages to bring them to a stop at the bottom and gets out to warn oncoming engines.

James reverses downhill to retrieve the end of his train, while Edward has just been stopped behind it. Edward offers to help, but James politely declines, determined to do it himself. Edward obliges and encourages James as he makes his way up the hill. Pulling with every ounce of his strength, James finally reaches the top of the hill and safely continues to the destined station. Later as James rests, Edward arrives with the Fat Controller. James worries that the Fat Controller will be cross with him again. This time, however, the Fat Controller is happy with James, having seen everything from aboard Edward's train. Since James managed to make the trucks behave, the Fat Controller allows him to keep his red paint.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * James
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Gordon
 * Orange Coaches
 * Jeremiah Jobling

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Bus Yard
 * The Woodland Runby
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Maron
 * Signals Runby
 * The Cow Field

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first occurrences of several things:
 * The first episode not to have an engine's name in the title.
 * The first instance in the television series in which an engine (James) is seen crying.
 * The first episode along with introduced by Bonnie Langford on her first day of Children's ITV.
 * The first episode featuring Edward up to the seventh series to end with his second nameboard in Japan.
 * Stock footage from Thomas and the Trucks, alternate stock footage from the previous episode and some deleted scenes Dirty Objects is used.
 * In George Carlin's dub, on Thomas and His Friends Help Out, the line "After that performance, you deserve to keep your red coat", is cut. It was re-added in later releases of the episode.
 * In the restored version, an extended close-up shot of James at Maron is used.
 * This episode was cut out on the Nick Jr. version of the Shining Time Station episode, The Mayor Runs for Re-Election.

Goofs

 * When the Fat Controller first speaks to James, his head is turned away from him.
 * In the opening scene, James' right eye (viewers' left) moves on its own, and both his and Thomas' eyes are misaligned.
 * James' tender is derailed while Thomas arranges his train. Also, the siding that James is on has no buffers.
 * When Thomas says "Have you got some bootlaces ready?" there is blu-tak under his lantern. Knapford is also missing in that scene.
 * When Thomas puffs off, James' eyes briefly jitter.
 * When James puffs out of the yard, the truck at the front loses its face and regains it as James pulls the trucks up Gordon's Hill the first time. Also, the train next to James on a siding has a brake van in the middle of it.
 * When Thomas puffs away laughing, all the trucks are coupled to each other. But when James backs onto the trucks, one at the front is uncoupled.
 * When the trucks get to the bottom of Gordon's Hill, one disappears. However, it reappears in the first shot of James pulling the trucks up the hill the second time.
 * When James goes up Gordon's Hill the second time, a wire can be seen pulling him up.
 * James' puffing noise is not in sync with his speed.
 * When the narrator says the line "and sometimes their axles would run hot," a crew member's shadow is seen in the bottom left corner of the screen.
 * When Edward is first shown at the bottom of Gordon's Hill, he has no train. When James backs down and couples to the lost trucks, if inspected closely, Edward has at least one truck behind him.
 * In the close-up of James at Maron, the water tower next to him disappears.
 * In the last close-up of James going up Gordon's Hill, his driving wheels are not moving and when they start to move, they are going backwards.
 * When James couples up to his train, he is outside the station, but when he starts moving off, he is inside it.
 * When Edward is at Maron, his tender is not seated properly on its chassis.
 * When the trucks roll down the hill, a piece of stone falls out from one of them.

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Cassette 1
 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * Troublesome Trucks, Coal and other stories
 * The Sad Story of Henry and Other Stories
 * Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * My Little Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Video
 * The Complete Series 1
 * Truck Loads of Fun
 * Thomas and the Breakdown Train

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * Bumper Party Collection! and Truck Loads of Fun Double Pack

US

 * James Learns a Lesson and Other Stories
 * Thomas and His Friends Help Out
 * Thomas' Useful Stories
 * The Early Years
 * Thomas and Friends Classic Volume 1

CAN

 * James Learns a Lesson and Other Stories
 * Thomas and His Friends Help Out
 * The Early Years

VHS/DVD Packs

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Thomas' Trackside Tunes and Other Thomas Adventures/Thomas and His Friends Help Out Double Feature
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection
 * Totally Thomas Volume 3
 * Totally Thomas Volume 9

AUS

 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * ABC For Kids Favourites
 * Truck Loads of Fun
 * The Complete Series 1
 * My First Thomas with James

DVD Boxsets

 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Essential Collection
 * Trainloads of Thomas Fun
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * My First Thomas
 * My First Thomas
 * Classic Collection
 * Series One and Series Two Double Pack

NZ

 * James and the Express and other stories
 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 1
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 6

PHL

 * Thomas and Friends Collection

MYS

 * Thomas and the Breakdown Train and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Adventures

ZA

 * Volume 1

WAL

 * Troublesome Trucks and 8 Other Stories

BRA

 * Helping the Friends

ITA

 * A Freight Train Troublemaker

FRA

 * The Adventures of Thomas

ROM

 * Thomas and the Trucks

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

NL

 * ...Taken by the Nose!
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry

GER

 * The Freight Wagons and 4 Other Adventures
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 1
 * All Beginnings Are Difficult

NOR

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1
 * Favourites From Thomas and Friends

SWE

 * Thomas and the Guard

DNK

 * Thomas and the Trucks
 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories

FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

HRV

 * Thomas and Gordon

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

IND

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 2

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.3
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.8
 * Anytime With James!
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

KOR

 * Stories to Raise Cooperation

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 1
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 9

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