Rusty and the Boulder

"I think it's Boulder wanting us to go away."

- Rusty

Rusty and the Boulder is the twenty-fifth episode of the fifth series. In the US, it aired with Stepney Gets Lost in an episode of Storytime with Thomas.

Plot
High up in the mountains of Sodor, there is a giant boulder that has stood mysteriously alone for a long time. One day, a new quarry is built near the mines on the land below and Rusty is afraid the boulder will fall onto the line. He confesses his fears to Thomas and Percy. Percy thinks is nothing, but Rusty is convinced there is something mysterious about the boulder. Edward arrives with a new machine named Thumper to help with the mining process. Thumper soon starts working, which the men are pleased with, but nobody bothers to check the boulder. However, it starts raining and the workmen leave. Rusty gazes up and shivers at the boulder above. Suddenly, a large slab of rock lands on the tracks. Rusty's driver says that the rock was loosened by the rain, but Rusty believes the boulder is telling them to go away. As they leave, a mysterious face briefly appears on the boulder and glares hatefully at Rusty.

The next day, Thumper begins working harder than ever. Suddenly, Rusty sees Boulder starting to move, but his driver does not believe him until Boulder falls down and lands in front of them with a thud and begins rolling along the tracks as Rusty quickly rolls backwards to get away from it. Rusty and his driver stop at a junction and wait for Boulder to pass by, but it is nowhere to be seen. Then, they soon realise that Boulder is suddenly behind them and continues to pursuit them. Just ahead, they see a small junction with a line that goes uphill, so Rusty takes it while the Boulder thunders past them.

Meanwhile, Skarloey is on his way to the quarry shunting trucks, but he sees Boulder heading for him and immediately reverses. He soon slips into a siding, while the Boulder passes by, destroying the water tower in between the tracks. Skarloey tells Rusty that they have to warn the yards, but Rusty does not know how seeing how the line is blocked now. Boulder rounds a bend and charges towards Rheneas, who races back across the viaduct as fast as he can to get away from Boulder until he crashes into a siding with the Boulder just passing by him, much to the relief of his mildly injured driver. At the yards, Percy is collecting trucks when he hears and sees Boulder approaching. Thinking Boulder is about to crush him, he shuts his eyes and his driver and fireman jump out. It rolls past, narrowly missing Percy and destroys the neighbouring sheds, engulfing them in flames and sparks (fireworks-like), finally coming to a stop.

When the Fat Controller inspects the destruction, he decides to close the mine and looking at Boulder amidst the destruction it had caused, he lamentably concludes that they should have left this part of the island alone. Boulder is later moved to a small hill close by the yards so it will never harm anyone or anything on the island anymore. Rusty is sure that, on a clear night, it is gazing high up at the mountains in the distance and that its sighs are being carried on to the wind where it once used to stand, proud and silent.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Percy
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Rusty
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thumper
 * Boulder
 * Terence
 * George
 * Butch
 * Charlie Sand
 * Sidney Hever

Locations

 * Boulder Quarry
 * Boulder Quarry Sheds
 * Ulfstead Junction
 * Shane Dooiney
 * Rheneas Viaduct
 * Echo Pass Ravine
 * Boulder Hill

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the twenty-sixth episode of the fifth series and the series finale of the fifth series.
 * According to a film slate, the scenes on the Boulder Quarry set were filmed on the 14th of April 1998. The scene where Skarloey diverts into a siding was filmed on the 17th. The film slates also refer to the episode as "Episode X", indicating episode 24.
 * Boulder's face is based on Gordon's sad face.
 * This episode marks the last appearance of Rusty's small-scale suspicious, sad and shocked face as well as Percy's smiling face. Although Percy's smiling face does appear in a deleted scene from the next episode Snow.
 * The same model for Boulder is used for both the large-scale and normal-scale sets.
 * This is the only episode of several things:
 * The only appearances of Thumper and Boulder.
 * The only episode where Terence appears without his driver.
 * The only episode of the fifth series where Rheneas speaks in both English dubs.
 * This is the last episode to use the straining metal sound effect for the engines' brakes excluding the UK dub.
 * The scenes where Boulder chases after Rusty, Skarloey and Rheneas are references to the boulder chasing scene in the Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. This reference was later used again in the Thomas' YouTube World Tour short, Thomas Goes for Gold, and the twenty-third series episode, Mines of Mystery.
 * Rusty's small-scale model is used at the beginning and end of the episode, whilst his large-scale model is used for the remainder of this episode.
 * Rheneas' small-scale model is used when he is crossing the viaduct, whilst his large-scale model is used for when he starts escaping from the Boulder and crashes. In addition with the small-scale model, Rheneas' unused fourth series aghast face is used which was the first and only episode to feature the face mask.
 * As shown in a film slate, Rheneas would have backed away from Boulder and eventually off the set that is shown. He is, however, caught by a male crew member.
 * A small connector is attached to Rheneas when the camera gets close-ups of him, while the boulder chases after him.
 * This is one of Davey Moore's favourite episodes alongside the first series episode, Thomas' Train and the seventeenth series episode, Luke's New Friend.
 * This is one of the three episodes to feature Thomas' unused third series jolly face, the other two being Something in the Air and Snow.
 * In the US and international dubs:
 * Music can be heard when Edward introduces Rusty to Thumper, during the runaway when Boulder is behind Rusty and after the broken water tower pieces fall on Skarloey.
 * The sound of Boulder thudding on the ground is much different than in the UK dub of this episode. Also a second thud was heard only in the US dub.
 * The sound of Skarloey braking when he sees the Boulder is different.
 * The sound of the Boulder destroying the water tower beside Skarloey is less audible than the UK dub of this episode.
 * The crash sound is heard when Rheneas crashes into a siding with Boulder just passing by him.
 * In the UK dub, James' line "EYYOIIIKES!!!" was re-used from the fifth series episode, Busy Going Backwards for Skarloey and Rheneas, when Boulder charges after them.
 * Butch gains a face in this episode, as in his other appearances besides Horrid Lorry, he faced away from the camera.
 * This episode is the last time that Percy's original wincing face was used on-screen.
 * Despite not being seen or featured in this episode, Oliver is in the Wooden Railway set based on this episode.
 * After the boulder crashes into the sheds, a fireworks shot and explosion sound effect is heard.
 * This is the second and last episode of the fifth series where a building catches fire (after Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach).
 * The title is shortened to just Boulder on The Roku Channel
 * A blooper shows that when Boulder hits Rheneas, his face comes off. The face was actually revealed to be his large scale wincing/sleeping face.
 * There are some scenes that went unused in the final cut of the episode. These include:
 * A deleted scene Of Edward bringing Thumper to the quarry.
 * A close-up shot of Thumper.
 * A deleted shot of Thumper's drills crushing the rocks.
 * A deleted scene of the rock dust dropping from the mountain.
 * An alternate and deleted take of Thumper crushing the rocks.
 * An upper shot of Rusty and Boulder.
 * Rusty getting bumped into the camera when Boulder hits him.
 * A deleted scene of Rusty reversing when Boulder wants him and his driver to go away.
 * An extended scene of Rusty getting away from Boulder
 * An alternate scene of parts of the water tower landing on Skarloey's roof and cab.
 * Skarloey wearing his horrified face while telling Rusty about Boulder.
 * A deleted scene of Rusty wearing his large-scale sad face while worrying about Boulder.
 * A deleted shot of Rheneas diverting into the siding away from Boulder.
 * A scene of Rheneas stopping and didn't crash into the siding. Usually that take was originally going to be used, but was cut.
 * A deleted close-up of Percy's driver.
 * Alternate shots of Boulder smashing the shed.
 * A deleted and alternate scene of Boulder coming while the camera is on Percy's roof.
 * A deleted scene of Percy looking shocked after Boulder destroyed the shed. It was shown on the Spills and Chills and Other Thomas Thrills VHS/DVD front cover.

Goofs

 * Due to his model being changed, Rusty's face constantly changes size throughout the episode.
 * In the close-up of Rheneas' driver after the crash, his right (viewer's left) pupil appears to be sloppily painted. Also, he appears to be in Rusty's cab instead of Rheneas'. That was seen in the storyboard of Rheneas' driver in Rheneas.
 * In the US dub, when Percy is at the quarry before Boulder arrives, the British term "trucks" is used.
 * In the second close-up of Percy when Boulder is approaching, it appears that the shed has already been destroyed as the wood from the shed is laying on Percy's trucks. Also, the loads in Percy’s trucks change.
 * When Rusty says "It's rolling along our line!" Terence and some pipes can be seen behind him, but they disappear in the shots following.
 * Terence is missing a patch of his orange paint when Thumper starts working at the quarry.
 * In the Latin American Spanish dub, when Boulder chases Skarloey, the narrator says that Rusty veered into a siding, when it was Skarloey.

Quotes

 * Percy: Where's all this rock coming from?
 * Rusty: The new quarry. This mountain rock is good for many things, although it's dangerous up there.
 * Thomas: Why?
 * Rusty: Because of a big boulder. I think it's watching me.
 * Percy: How can it be? Boulders don't have eyes!
 * Rusty: That's as may be/Well, Percy, (but) there's something strange about this one.
 * [Edward arrives with a machine named Thumper for the quarry]

____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________
 * Rusty: What's that?
 * Edward: It's called Thumper. Apparently, it helps collect the rock faster.
 * Rusty: [to his driver] I think it's the boulder wanting us to go away.
 * (Skarloey makes his way up to the quarry with some trucks/cars, but encounters Boulder)


 * Skarloey: (reverses to safety)
 * UK dub: EYYOIIIKES!!!
 * US dub: HELP!
 * (Boulder catches up fast, destroying a water tower in the process but Skarloey safely reaches a siding) 

____________________________________________________________________________________
 * Skarloey: We must warn the yards!
 * Rusty: Yes, but how?
 * Rheneas: It's running loose!
 * US dub: Hurry!
 * UK dub: EYYOIIIKES!!!
 * [Rheneas races in reverse as the Boulder chases him, and then manages to safely race into a siding, but crash backwards]


 * Rheneas' Driver: (relieved) Rather/Better a smash than a squash!

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway - Boulder Mountain Set & Boulder Expansion Pack
 * Tomica
 * Take Along
 * TrackMaster
 * Wind-up Trains - Boulder
 * Motor Road and Rail
 * FELTKids - Boulder Mountain

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Spooks and Surprises
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Complete Series 5

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * The Fogman and Other Stories/The Very Best of Thomas and Friends Double Pack

AUS

 * Spooks and Surprises
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Complete Series 5
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1

DVD Boxsets

 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Essential Collection
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Five and Series Six Double Pack

NZ

 * Spooks and Surprises

ZA

 * Thomas and the Rumours

US

 * Spills and Chills and Other Thomas Thrills
 * Quarry Adventures on Sodor
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 5

CAN

 * Spills and Chills and Other Thomas Thrills

DVD Packs

 * Totally Thomas Volume 1
 * New Friends for Thomas/Spills and Chills Double Feature

JPN

 * Sing-Along and Stories 2
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.2
 * Thomas the Tank Engine Character Encyclopedia

KOR

 * The Stories that Gives Enlightenment

GRC

 * Time for Work

MYS

 * Salty's Secret and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Busy Going Backwards and Other Adventures

PHL

 * Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday

DK

 * Forward and Backward and Other Stories

GER

 * Heroes on Rails

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas and His Friends Box Set 1

ITA

 * Back All!

SWE

 * Hidden in Snow

WAL

 * Fleas and 15 other Stories

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 13
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 6

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 19

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 14

Rusty y la Roca ראסטי והסלע いわのボルダー Rudik i Głaz Расти и Валун