Bust My Buffers!

"An engine's not an engine without a buffer. Them's the rules of the railway!"

- Salty

Bust My Buffers! is the ninth episode of the sixteenth series.

Plot
Gordon is at Brendam Docks dropping off passengers. Diesel, 'Arry and Bert are shunting there. Gordon orders Diesel to move out of his way, but Diesel is cheeky and orders Gordon to make way for his flatbed. Gordon argues that he is grand and that the Diesels are not. Gordon charges towards Diesel and bangs his flatbed hard, only for Gordon to end up damaging his bufferbeam. The diesels laugh as the Docks Manager walks up and orders Gordon to deliver some engine parts to the Dieselworks. The Docks Manager then tells him that once he has completed the delivery, he must come back to the docks to pick up passengers.

Later, Gordon steams into the Dieselworks, but he is far too busy being snooty to Paxton and Norman to notice what he is doing and collides with a truck. The impact makes his already broken bufferbeam drop off completely. Den and Dart are watching and think that Gordon needs his bufferbeam fixed. Gordon thinks it is improper for a diesel engine to fix a steam engine and declines their offer. Just outside the Dieselworks, Gordon meets Mavis, who tells Gordon to get his bufferbeam mended, as it is not safe. Gordon is sure he will be safe, but Mavis insists that he go back to let Den and Dart fix him. Gordon reluctantly agrees.

Inside the Dieselworks, Den and Dart show Gordon a replacement bufferbeam that he can wear until his can be mended. Gordon is horrified; his replacement bufferbeam is a diesel's bufferbeam. Gordon refuses to have the bufferbeam fitted and races away. Just as he is leaving, he meets Salty, who is surprised to see Gordon without his buffers. Salty tells Gordon that an engine is not an engine without buffers and insists that he go back into the Dieselworks, as it is against the railway rules to work without buffers. Gordon grumpily heads back inside the Dieselworks with Salty.

Later, Gordon has the hazard-striped bufferbeam fitted and heads towards the Docks to pick up his passengers. He decides he must pick up his passengers quickly. He hopes the docks will be quiet so that no one else will see him, but it is not. The docks is busier than ever. Diesel, 'Arry and Bert roll past and call Gordon a diesel, which makes him feel very depressed and embarrassed. Thomas puffs over and reminds Gordon that his bufferbeam means that he can still work and be really useful. Gordon does not pout any more, he knows Thomas is right and puffs proudly out of the docks.

Everyone sees Gordon with his diesel bufferbeam, but he does not feel silly at all. Some children even cheer for him and the diesels. After dropping off his passengers, Gordon returns to the Dieselworks. Den and Dart are waiting with Gordon's fixed bufferbeam. Den says that Gordon will no longer have to run away, which leads Gordon to admit that he had been silly and a little snooty earlier to think that diesel engines cannot fix steam engines. Gordon thanks the diesels and Dart tells Gordon that he is always welcome at the Dieselworks - with or without buffers.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * Diesel
 * Mavis
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Salty
 * Den
 * Dart
 * The Dock Manager
 * The Schoolchildren
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Emily
 * Rosie
 * Paxton
 * Norman
 * Henrietta
 * The Welsh Bird Watcher
 * Big Mickey
 * Derek

Locations

 * Knapford Iron Bridge
 * Brendam Docks
 * Vicarstown Dieselworks
 * Vicarstown Diesel Sheds
 * Diesel 10's Shed
 * Vicarstown Tunnel
 * Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox

UK

 * Ben Small as Thomas
 * Keith Wickham as Gordon, Salty and Den
 * Kerry Shale as Diesel and 'Arry
 * Teresa Gallagher as Mavis and the Children
 * William Hope as Bert
 * Rupert Degas as Dart
 * Matt Wilkinson as the Dock Manager

US

 * Martin Sherman as Thomas
 * Kerry Shale as Gordon and 'Arry
 * Michael Brandon as Diesel
 * Jules de Jongh as Mavis and the Children
 * William Hope as Bert and the Dock Manager
 * Keith Wickham as Salty and Den
 * Rupert Degas as Dart

Trivia

 * Stock footage from O the Indignity is used.
 * This episode was one of the engines' catchphrases.
 * Originally, Derek was going to return, but when animating the episode, "Paxman" in the script was mistaken for Paxton. If the script error had been corrected, this could have been Derek's first episode appearance since his debut in the fifth series and his first appearance in general since Calling All Engines!
 * An arrangement of Gordon's theme by Robert Hartshorne is heard.
 * Gordon's replacement bufferbeam is a retextured copy of Den's bufferbeam but yellow.
 * Ben Small recorded two lines for this episode and Thomas Toots the Crows on Wednesday 8th June 2011.
 * Most television guides in the UK refer to this episode as Bust My Bumpers.
 * Diesel says "Honking Horns," which happens to be Brewster's catchphrase from the show Chuggington.
 * This was the last episode of a few things:
 * 'Arry and Bert's last speaking roles until the twentieth series episode, Diesel and the Ducklings, and their last appearances overall until the eighteenth series episode, Signals Crossed.
 * The last episode to feature Rupert Degas as Dart.
 * The last appearance of the Ladle Trucks until Journey Beyond Sodor.
 * Arry, Bert, Den, Dart, Paxton and Norman's last appearances in the Nitrogen era.
 * Salty's line, "An engine's not an engine without a buffer" is similar to Duncan's line "An engine's not an engine without a whistle" from the sixth series episode, Faulty Whistles.

Goofs

 * In the UK dub, the narrator says that the diesels were shunting coal trucks at the docks, but they were shunting flatbeds. This error is corrected in the US dub.
 * In the first shot of Gordon entering the Docks, his tender is not rendered properly, as the first coach in his train seems to overlap it.

Merchandise

 * Take-n-Play - Gordon's Rattling Cargo
 * Books - Yellow and Black Pattern Buffers
 * Magazine Stories - Bust My Buffers

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * The Complete Series 16
 * 1st Class Stories

US

 * Wild Water Rescue and Other Engine Adventures
 * Season 16

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 16 Vol.2

GER

 * Bust My Buffers!

THA

 * Salty's Surprise

MYS

 * Muddy Matters

CHN
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 * Bust My Buffers