Thomas and the Colours

"But you pulled the team's carriages last year!" "And I'm pulling them again this year!"

- Thomas and James

Thomas and the Colours, retitled Thomas and the Colors in North American releases, is the twenty-second episode of the tenth series.

Plot
One day, the Fat Controller tells the engines that there is to be a big football game, and the Sodor football team is to play against a team from the Mainland. The first engine to finish their jobs will pull the Sodor team. Last year, James was the engine who took them, and everyone had cheered for him. Thomas tries to finish his jobs quickly so that he can take the team this year, but once he gets to the yard, he finds James has already finished his work and has been decorated in the team flags. Thomas is upset that James gets to pull the team again this year, and he decides to try making James change his mind.

At a signal, Thomas suggests to James that he could take the Fat Controller and the trophy to the game, which he believes is the best job of all, so he can take the team. But James believes that pulling the team and wearing the coloured flags is much more exciting, so he continues to collect them. Then, as Thomas and James pass by the canal, Thomas tries to use James' vanity against him by informing James that the green and white flags spoil his smart red paintwork. But for once, James thinks he looks even more splendid, so he continues on his way, feeling very pleased.

As Thomas follows James, he suddenly has an idea - have James be diverted. He arrives at the signal box before James does and tells the signalman to change the points, to which he responds. However, the siding James runs onto is overgrown, and Thomas suddenly hears scratching, scraping, and tearing noises. When he goes to investigate, Thomas sees the flags are now torn and ripped apart, and James is very unhappy that the colours are ruined.

Thomas goes for help, now feeling terrible for making everything worse. He then stops when he sees Bertie broken down, beside the line. Bertie had been taking children to the football game, and they are wearing green-and-white scarves and flags. Bertie asks Thomas to take the children for him, but Thomas says he has to help James. Now, Thomas feels very bad, as he has just got James into trouble, and now Bertie is in trouble as well. But suddenly, Thomas sees a way for him to take Bertie's passengers and help James.

Thomas, thinking fast, collects Annie and Clarabel to take Bertie's passengers to James, so he can have James decorated with the children's scarves and flags, making him look splendid once again. James brings the team to the match on time, and he admits he looks even better than last year. While the two engines are watching the football game, James offers to let Thomas take the football team the next year - but teases if only he gets to the yard first.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Bertie
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Emily

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Sodor Fuel Depot
 * Brendam Canal
 * Maron FC

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the twenty-first episode of the tenth series.
 * When released on the HiT Favorite's School Days US DVD, the eighth series version of the Engine Roll Call was used.
 * Due to scenes on one particular set across the season being filmed in one go, during the scene of the engines at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines are in the same berths as in Percy and the Funfair.
 * An edition of James based on this episode was made in Wooden Railway, which ended up being among the toys that were part of the 2005 Lead Paint Crisis.
 * This is the first episode to use the both words colours (in the UK dub) and colors (in the US dub). The second would be An Engine of Many Colours.

Goofs

 * In some scenes, Thomas' face is crooked.
 * When Thomas arrives at the signal box, his steam platform is visible.
 * James jerks up and tilts roughly while passing by the old siding.
 * When the children decorate James, their hats disappear. Though they just decorated James with their scarfs and flags, no hat is visible on him when he is re-dressed.
 * Both the signalman's large and small scale figures have two different appearances.
 * During the scenes with Thomas and James at the signal, Thomas' eyes are looking in different directions.

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway
 * Capsule Plarail

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * Thomas and the Colours/It's Good to be Gordon
 * The Complete Series 10
 * Back to School

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

US/CAN

 * School Days

AUS

 * The Complete Series 10
 * Back to School

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * The Essential Collection
 * Series Nine and Series Ten Double Pack
 * The Complete Series Ten and Hero of the Rails Double Pack

NOR

 * Play and Learn
 * Percy and the Funfair

SWE/DK/FIN

 * Percy and the Funfair

DVD Boxsets

 * Danish DVD Boxset

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 45

MYS

 * Thomas and the Colors and Other Adventures

ARA

 * Hero of the Rails

POL

 * Thomas and the Colours

SPN

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 11

DVD Boxsets

 * Second Season

HUN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 15 - The Pirate Assets

JPN

 * Thomas and the Birthday Delivery
 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 10 Vol.6

KOR

 * Thomas the Little Engine and Friends Season 5 Vol. 3

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 22

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 20

Thomas y los Colores תומס והצבעים Tomek i Barwy Klubowe Томас и цвета команды