Fish

"Hello, Duck. Going fishing? I'd take care if I were you." "Why?" "Well, for one thing, if fish get into an engine's boiler, they always cause trouble. And for another, fish can be awfully smelly. And I know what I'm talking about. Good night."

- Thomas and Duck about fish

Fish is the twenty-fourth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Really Useful Engines.

Plot
A special load of fish is ordered, for which extra vans are needed for The Flying Kipper. To Henry's frustration, the only ones available are old and unused. Duck shunts them into position and moments later, Thomas arrives with the post train. He warns Duck to take care, telling him of his own experience with fish. Henry is still complaining about his extra load, but his driver tells him that at least another engine will be helping them up Gordon's Hill. Henry soon sets off from the harbour and makes good time along the coastal run.

At Wellsworth, Duck is waiting for Henry while workmen light up his lamp and his water tank is filled. After Henry arrives, Duck moves to the back of the train to help him to the top of Gordon's Hill without being coupled up so Henry can continue on. As the train nears the top of the hill, Henry begins to inadvertently pull away from Duck while the tail lamp on the last van falls off, causing Duck to lose sight of the train as he tries to catch up. Worse still, Henry slows down as he feels his train growing heavier. Duck then accidentally crashes into the last van, causing loads of fish to spill out, and derails himself in the process. Henry soon stops as soon as he hears the crash.

The mess is cleaned up later that morning and the fallen tail lamp is found at the bottom of the hill. The Fat Controller tells Duck that the accident was not his fault and that the crew should have fitted the tail lamp on properly, and assures him that he will be in working order again. Duck reflects that Thomas' earlier advice about fish was right, and tells the Fat Controller that they got him in "a right pickle."

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Duck
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward
 * James
 * Percy
 * Charlie Sand
 * Sidney Hever
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Narrow Gauge Coaches
 * Gordon

Locations

 * Tidmouth Beach
 * Tidmouth Lighthouse
 * The Seaside Village
 * Mountainside Runby
 * Road Beside Rail and Canal Runby
 * Knapford Harbour
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Wellsworth
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Lakeside
 * Lakeside Bridge
 * Lakeside Junction
 * Neptune Refreshments

Trivia

 * This episode marked the last of a few things:
 * Duck's last leading role until the seventeenth series episode, The Thomas Way.
 * The last time the music first heard at the start of Thomas, Percy and the Post Train is used; it is played at the start of this episode as the narrator introduces the story similar to the said episode.
 * The last time Thomas uses Edward's whistle in an episode.
 * The last appearance of Thomas' confused face until the sixth series.
 * The last appearance of Duck's cross face.
 * Edited stock footage from A Bad Day for Sir Handel is used.
 * On PBS Kids Sprout airings, when the Fat Controller says "We should've checked that this tail lamp was fixed on properly", it does not show a big zoom in on the tail lamp; instead, it shows a wide out zoom (which was seen before the Fat Controller's appearance).
 * A Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Van used in this episode is currently owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
 * This is the only episode to feature Knapford Harbour station.
 * Crates labelled "Fulton's" can be seen during the episode. These are used as either a reference to Fulton's Fish Market in New York City or set dressing props from the sister television series TUGS. O.J.'s model, Lakesider III, from said series also appears in the episode.
 * This is the only episode where Henry's smiling face is used in the fourth series.
 * A reference to the first series episode, Thomas Goes Fishing, is made.
 * This is the first episode of a few things:
 * The first episode in the series to use deep chuffing sound effects for big engines.
 * The first episode to feature Duck's speechless face since the second series episode, Dirty Work.
 * The first appearance of Henry's unused astonished face from the second series, although it was in a deleted scene in Edward's Exploit.
 * The first episode where Henry's surprised face is used more than once in a single series.
 * Michael Angelis' line, "Then there was trouble," was re-used from Steam Roller.

Goofs

 * Duck's eyes are wonky in some scenes.
 * Throughout the episode, Thomas has Edward's whistle sound.
 * Thomas' eyes are wonky in the first close up shot of him.
 * When the narrator says, "Henry was pulling his train harder than he realized," Henry's eyes are wonky.
 * Henry's lamp is not on his lamp iron.
 * In a close-up shot of Duck, his lamp has no light.
 * In the Finnish dub, Gordon's English name is used by accident.
 * As Duck is shunting the vans, two of them switch places.
 * When they reach Gordon's Hill, the middle two of the old vans switch to the other direction.

Quotes

 * Thomas: Hello, Duck. Going fishing? I'd take care if I were you.
 * Duck: Why?
 * Thomas: Well, for one thing, if fish get into an engine's boiler, they always cause trouble. And for another, fish can be awfully smelly. And I know what I'm talking about. Good night.




 * [after Duck's unexpected mishap with the train the night before]
 * The Fat Controller: The accident wasn't your fault; we should have checked if this tail lamp was fixed on properly. We'll soon have you in working order again.
 * Duck: Thank you sir, Thomas told me to be careful about fish. They got me in a right pickle, didn't they?

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas' Train and 17 other stories
 * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories
 * The Complete Series 4

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Help and 15 other stories

US

 * The Gallant Old Engine and Other Thomas Stories/Henry and the Elephant
 * Fun With Thomas
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 4

CAN

 * The Gallant Old Engine and Other Thomas Stories/Henry and the Elephant

AUS

 * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories
 * The Complete Series 4

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ/NOR

 * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories

JPN

 * New Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.3
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.2
 * Crash and Smash! Look Out!
 * Best of Henry

PHL

 * Thomas and Friends Collection
 * Thomas and the Special Letter

GER

 * Thomas Animal Adventure

SWE

 * The Engine and the Gremlins

NL

 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry
 * Thomas and the Special Letter

MYS

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

DK

 * The Brave Engine and Other Stories

ITA

 * The Queen Arrives

SVN

 * James and the Trouble with Trees

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends
 * Thomas and Friends - Series 4 (Ukrainian DVD)

GRC

 * A Day at the Station

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 DVD Boxset 2

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

KOR

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 6

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 11
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 9

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 15

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2

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