Heroes

"Oh, thank you, sir! Being called heroes! Well, it's–it's–" "It's a really nice surprise!"

- Bill and Ben

Heroes is the twenty-fourth episode of the third series. It is based on the magazine stories In a Muddle and Heroes.

Plot
Bill and Ben are working at the quarry and are bored of doing the same thing. Ben asks Bill if he can hear something different, to which Bill replies that he cannot. Ben then states that it is because everything sounds and looks the same and that they need a surprise. Bill is puzzled but before Ben can say more, the Quarry-master comes with a message from the Fat Controller that they are to go to the harbour.

Bill and Ben hurry to the harbour worried that they did something wrong. When they arrive, the Fat Controller instructs them to shunt trucks at the station while Edward is taking the children on a trip. Next, Bill and Ben meet Gordon, who tells them to behave since they are on the main line. Ben jokingly says the sight of Gordon made them think that the harbour was the scrapyard. Gordon is furious and orders the twins to make sure that the express is ready by tonight.

The twins start shunting, thinking they know all about trucks, when they really do not. The trucks claim that they want to help Bill and Ben in organizing the yard; the twins accept the offer, unaware that the trucks are playing a trick on them. As a result, when evening falls, the yard has become a mess, causing the twins to be late in bringing Gordon's coaches to the station.

The next day, the twins are back in the quarry when they hear a rumble. Ben's driver realises that it is a rockslide. The alarm is raised and the quarry master alerts everyone to evacuate. Bill and Ben wait as the workmen board their trucks. As Bill leaves with his load, the quarry master having been left behind shouts for help. Ben waits until he is safely aboard his train, and the quarry yard is evacuated in time for the devastation to take its course. Seeing the wreckage shortly afterward, Bill and Ben hope that the Fat Controller will understand that it was not their fault. The next day, the Fat Controller arrives on board Edward and praises the twins as heroes for saving the workmen. Bill and Ben think that being called "heroes" is quite a nice surprise.

Characters

 * Gordon
 * Bill and Ben
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Quarry-Master
 * Edward
 * Jem Cole
 * Farmer Trotter

Locations

 * Sodor China Clay Company
 * Brendam
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Trading Co.
 * Brendam Drawbridge
 * Brendam Canal
 * The Waterfall
 * The Scrapyard

Trivia

 * In the original magazine story, In a Muddle, only the Fat Controller telling Bill and Ben what to do took place at Brendam. For some reason, the episode adaptation has the rest of that portion of the story still take place at Brendam, despite Gordon saying that they are on the main line.
 * The fanfare heard in the climax of the episode is almost identical to the one heard in TUGS.
 * The roof of the building is made of cardboard, as seen when it absorbs the water from the water tower.
 * A fishing boat, the large brown building, a double berth garage, a scrap steam shovel, the three-berth garage, the steel rig, a small factory, some gears and the coal hopper from TUGS appear at both the harbour and the quarry.
 * This episode marks the last appearance of the Sodor China Clay Company until the fifth series episode, Double Teething Troubles.
 * On CITV, a day before this episode aired, presenter Tommy Boyd mentioned that Thomas would be having trouble with the trucks, when the main characters were actually Bill and Ben.
 * A reference to the second series episode, Wrong Road is made.
 * This is the first time Gordon is seen pulling red express coaches.

Goofs

 * In the second shot of Bill and Ben shunting trucks at the harbour, a truck with half a load of coal is visible. When the twins shunt this truck the load shifts, revealing it to be a solid prop made to look like coal.
 * When the quarry master comes to tell the twins to go to the harbour, the coat on his small scale model is a different colour than the one on his large scale model.
 * The restored version in Japanese reveals Thomas in the English end credits before swiping into the character gallery.
 * One of the trucks has its face fitted on its back end. Additionally, its eyes are scratched.
 * The narrator says that Bill was the one who heard a strange noise, when it was actually Ben.
 * When the one shed gets destroyed during the rock slide, the entire set bounces up, even the hillside behind it.
 * When Gordon tells the Twins to get his express ready, his buffers are crooked.

Quotes

 * Gordon: [as the twins show up] You must behave here. You're on the Main Line now.
 * Ben: Actually, Gordon, when we saw you, we thought this was the scrap yard.
 * Gordon: [crossly] Just make sure that my coaches are ready for my evening train!


 * [the twins are shunting]
 * Trucks: No need for that! We'll show you around, we want to help.
 * Bill and Ben: Thank you very much!


 * [the twins hear a rumbling sound]
 * Ben: That's a strange noise. I've never heard a noise like that before.
 * Driver: I have. It sounds like a rock slide to me!

Merchandise

 * My Thomas Story Library - Bill and Ben

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * Escape and other stories
 * Thomas' Train and 17 other stories
 * Truck Loads of Fun
 * The Complete Series 3

DVD Boxsets

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

US

 * Shining Time Station Vol. 7: Mr. Conductor's Evil Twin
 * James Goes Buzz Buzz and Other Thomas Stories
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

CAN

 * James Goes Buzz Buzz and Other Thomas Stories

DVD Packs

 * Totally Thomas Volume 7
 * James Goes Buzz Buzz/Thomas and the Special Letter Double Feature
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection

AUS

 * Escape and other stories
 * Truck Loads of Fun
 * The Complete Series 3
 * My First Thomas with The Twin Engines

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Trainloads of Thomas Fun
 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Essential Collection
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Escape and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 5

ZA

 * Buzz, Buzz

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.17
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.5
 * The Engine Twins
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

GRC

 * The Twin Engines Were Confused!

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 DVD Boxset 2

KOR

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2
 * For the Story of Determination

NOR

 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party
 * Favourites From Thomas and Friends

FIN

 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party

GER

 * Heroes and 4 Other Adventures
 * Show What You Can!

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas and His Friends Box Set 2

DK

 * The Great Escape and Other Stories

MYS

 * Percy, James and the Fruitful Day and Other Thomas Adventures
 * One Good Turn and Other Adventures

IN

 * Oliver Owns Up and Other Stories

NL

 * Merry Christmas!
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Edward, Toby and the Diesels

SVN

 * Percy, James and the Fruitful Day

ITA

 * Locomotive in Trouble

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 7

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 11

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 8
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 12

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