Gordon Takes a Shortcut

"Are you lost?" "Would you like some help?" "No, thank you. I'm not lost."

- Duck, Oliver, Toad and Gordon

Gordon Takes a Shortcut is the fifteenth episode of the twelfth series.

Plot
Gordon is waiting for Stanley at Knapford Station to collect his passengers for him to take to Brendam Docks, but he's running late. Stanley soon arrives and apologises for being late, having taken a shortcut but got lost (to Gordon's annoyance). The Fat Controller then announces that some workmen and a group of important passengers are waiting at Great Waterton and that whoever gets there first will take the important passengers. Determined to beat Stanley at Great Waterton, Gordon drops off his passengers and tries to take a shortcut to beat Stanley there.

Gordon's attempt at a shortcut leads to him meeting Duck at a washdown. Duck offers him advice on directions, but Gordon turns down his help because he believes that he knows the island enough. He soon sees a bridge which he believes to be the bridge from Great Waterton, but he instead ends up in a repair yard, where he sees Oliver and Toad. They too offer him help, but he again declines it. Gordon starts getting more and more worried as his shortcut keeps getting him nowhere when he sees another bridge, but it too isn't the Great Waterton Bridge; it's the shunting yard of a logging station.

After hearing Stanley's whistle from the track below, Gordon attempts to catch up to him. Unfortunately, he instead ends up banging into Ben's log truck, spilling logs onto Stanley's line, and he realises that trying to take a shortcut had not been such a good idea after all. Gordon knows he must stop Stanley from hitting the logs, so he asks for advice from Ben on how to get down to Stanley's line. Ben offers him some directions, but Gordon soon comes to a fork in the track when Oliver and Toad turn up and they tell him to take the left track. He soon comes to another fork, but is able to get advice from Duck who tells him to take the track on the right. Gordon soon sees the logs and manages to stop Stanley just in time. The two go to Great Waterton, and as a sign of friendship, Gordon allows Stanley to take the inspectors.

Characters

 * Gordon
 * Duck
 * Oliver
 * Ben
 * Stanley
 * Toad
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Rocky
 * Three members of the Railway Board
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Sir Topham Hatt's Assistants
 * Harvey

Locations

 * Great Waterton
 * The Water Works
 * Knapford
 * Brendam Docks
 * The Repair Yard
 * The Lumber Mill
 * Cabalnoo
 * Cabalnoo Bridge
 * East Maron Junction

Trivia

 * A sample of the episode with Pierce Brosnan's original dub is featured on Dino Athanassiou's website.
 * Stock footage from the eleventh series episode, Gordon and the Engineer is used.
 * This episode marks Oliver's first speaking role since the seventh series episode, Snow Engine as well as Toad's first appearance since then, not counting his faceless cameo appearance in the eighth series episode, Thomas and the Circus.
 * This is the fourth episode (third in the UK) to have the same half title Gordon takes, the others being the first series episode, Gordon Takes a Dip, the sixth series episode, Gordon Takes a Tumble and the eighth series episode, Gordon Takes Charge.
 * This episode aired before The Great Discovery premiered in the UK. It was originally supposed to be shown after The Great Discovery but was brought forwards for unknown reasons, meaning the audience may have not known about Stanley or Great Waterton.
 * Harvey appears in the annual story of this episode, which means he may have originally played a role in this episode.
 * A barn building from the fourth series can be seen in the Lumber Yard.
 * This episode marks the last of several things:
 * Ben, Oliver, 'Arry, Bert and Toad's last appearances in the model series; this also marks the last of a few things for these characters:
 * Ben:
 * His last appearance until the seventeenth series episode, Percy's Lucky Day.
 * His definitely second, possibly third, and last appearance without Bill.
 * Oliver and Toad:
 * Oliver's last appearance until Tale of the Brave.
 * Toad's last appearance and Oliver's last episode appearance until the eighteenth series episode, Signals Crossed and both of their last speaking roles until Toad's Adventure.
 * 'Arry and Bert:
 * Their last appearances until the fourteenth series episode, Victor Says Yes.
 * Duck's last speaking role until the seventeenth series episode, Henry's Hero and thus, his last speaking role in the model series.
 * The last appearance of The Railway Board, but three members only.
 * The last episode until the seventeenth series episode, Luke's New Friend and thus, the last episode in the model series, where Thomas does not appear at all.
 * The last episode written by Wayne Jackman, as well as the only episode written by him in the twelfth series.
 * The Korean title of this episode shares the same name on Kids 1 and EBS.

Goofs

 * Duck's face is smaller than usual.
 * Toad's face is bigger than usual in some scenes.
 * Gordon's tender shakes when he arrives at the logging station.
 * One of the vans in the siding with 'Arry and Bert is derailed.
 * When the narrator says, "But Gordon didn't know which track to take to find Stanley," Ben's eyes are wonky.
 * As the logs roll down the hill, the ground bounces.
 * When Stanley stops in front of the logs, his brake coach's roof is lifted.
 * Stanley also has Percy´s whistle some steps higher in the episode.
 * Towards the end of the episode, when Stanley pickup the inspectors, his siderods are misaligned a bit.
 * Right before Gordon says "Thank you" to Duck, his tongue clips through his teeth.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Gordon's Shortcut
 * Books - Gordon's Shortcut

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK/AUS

 * The Complete Series 12

AUS DVD Boxsets

 * The Essential Collection

US/CAN/LATAM/BRA

 * Railway Friends

US/CAN/ZA/LATAM

 * Team Up With Thomas

US DVD Boxsets

 * Adventure Pack
 * Full Steam Ahead
 * Extraordinary Engines and Railway Friends Double Pack

MYS

 * Tram Trouble and Other Adventures
 * Thomas Puts the Brakes On and Other Adventures

ZA

 * Percy and the Banstand

FRA

 * Best Friends

THA

 * Tram Trouble

KOR

 * Thomas the Little Engine and Friends Season 7 Vol. 3

TWN

 * Come On! Thomas

HK
}}
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 44

Gordon Toma un Atajo Gabryś Jedzie na Skróty Короткий путь Гордона