Escape

"Trevor and I are old friends, and you and he have a lot in common, too." "Aye?/We do? And what would that be?" "Scrap." "Don't mention that word! It makes my/me wheels wobble!"

- Edward and Douglas

Escape is the twenty-first episode of the third series. It is based on the stories Escape and Little Western from the Railway Series book Enterprising Engines.

Plot
One day, Edward is talking to Trevor when Douglas steams past and scolds Edward for talking instead of working, much to the latter's annoyance. Edward later meets Douglas again and tells him that both he and Trevor have a lot in common as they were both nearly scrapped. The mere mention of the word makes Douglas shudder. Edward continues, explaining how Trevor is now Really Useful, but thinks that the railway could use another steam engine, to which Douglas agrees.

Later that night, Douglas has taken a goods train to a faraway part of the Island where only the diesels work. He is shunting for his return journey when he hears a hiss of steam. He pauses, and hears the hiss again. A voice comes from nearby, asking if he belongs to the Fat Controller. The engine reveals himself as Oliver, who has run away from being scrapped with his brake van Toad, but has run out of coal. Douglas is still nervous at hearing the word "scrap," but then remembers Edward's story about Trevor, and decides to help. Both engines' crew work hard to rescue Oliver and Toad. Douglas begins the journey by running tender-first of bringing the two to the Fat Controller's railway. Just before they clear the station, a foreman and his watchdog stop them. Douglas' driver explains that Oliver and Toad belong to them, and although wary at first, the foreman lets them continue. It is daylight when they finally arrive. Douglas' driver finds a place at the works for Oliver, who thanks them all.

The next day, Douglas tells the engines all about Oliver. They think Douglas should tell the Fat Controller about him at once, just as he arrives. He explains that unless a steam engine is saved from scrap, there is little hope to find one. Luckily, the Fat Controller already knows about Oliver and decides that he will work on Duck's branch line. The engines whistle and cheer in delight.

Oliver and Toad are restored, and painted in Great Western colours. The other engines laugh and call the branch line "The Little Western" at first, but it delights Duck and Oliver and so it will always be referred to as that.

Characters

 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Duck
 * Douglas
 * Oliver
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Goods Depot Foreman
 * Toad
 * Trevor
 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Percy
 * Diesel
 * BoCo
 * Mavis
 * Jem Cole
 * British Railways Diesels
 * The Vicar of Wellsworth

Locations

 * Upper Brendam
 * Tidmouth
 * Tidmouth Yards
 * Ffarquhar Sheds
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * The Works
 * Vicarstown Goods Depot
 * The Cliffs Runby

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first of several things:
 * The first episode where Douglas appears without Donald, as well as the return of his cynical face with modified eyebrows representing a cross face.
 * The first appearance of Donald and Douglas' shocked face. However it is possible that this face was made for the cancelled adaptation of The Missing Coach from The Railway Series book The Twin Engines for the second series since in the last illustration of the book, Douglas had a shocked face which would have been at the end of the episode.
 * The first appearance of Oliver and Toad.
 * The first appearance of the Vicarstown Goods Depot in the television series.
 * The first appearance of two of Edward's face masks:
 * The only time his angry face gains some teeth as well as the last appearance of it until the seventh series episode, Edward's Brass Band.
 * The first time his annoyed/cross face is used, which would later be frequently used between the seventh to the end of the model era excluding The Great Discovery.
 * According to Mike O'Donnell, when he and Junior Campbell presented David Mitton "Oliver's Escape" theme, Mitton was so pleased with the end result he invited everyone from the T stage to listen to the theme.
 * This episode marks the last time a driver's face without eyebrows is seen until A Better View for Gordon.
 * In some of the early versions, the title has an added exclamation mark.
 * In the restored version, the scene of Duck passing Oliver and Toad is extended, making a few seconds of the beginning of the last scene cut off.
 * This episode marks the only appearance of the Goods Depot Foreman, not counting a mentioned appearance in the eighteenth series episode, Toad's Adventure.
 * The works set is the Ffarquhar Sheds set redressed.
 * The Other Railway is Tidmouth station redressed.
 * A reference to the second series episode, Saved from Scrap is made.
 * This episode and the next one feature musical variations on the theme from the 1963 film The Great Escape.
 * The LT building, the three berth garage, the large brown building and the steel company from TUGS appear in the episode.
 * This episode was paired with Diesel Does it Again on Storytime with Thomas.

Goofs

 * At the beginning of the episode, Edward's whistle is severely crooked.
 * When Edward confronts Douglas, a small hair can be seen above Edward's right eye (viewers' left).
 * Wires can be seen behind Douglas' wheels while talking to Edward.
 * Throughout the episode, Douglas has Donald's whistle sound, and Thomas and Edward have the same one.
 * When Douglas reverses into the sheds, Henry's eyes are misaligned.
 * When Oliver introduces himself, the word "SCRAP" is already painted on the side of his water tanks, even before Douglas tells the drivers and firemen to do so.
 * When Douglas' point-of-view is shown of him backing away from his trucks before he finds Oliver, the track in front of him is crooked.
 * For most of the episode, Douglas' nameplates are loose.
 * George Carlin gives Douglas' driver a Scottish accent when he speaks to the foreman, but he loses it when they all arrive at the Works.
 * Douglas has a black dot on his right cheek when he says "That was a near thing."
 * When the narrator says that all the engines whistled and cheered after they heard the good news, Thomas has Edward's whistle sound.
 * Duck's face is crooked when he puffs by Oliver with the express coaches.
 * In the scene where the engines are in the sheds, black glue is wrapped around James' funnel.


 * White paint can be seen on the top of the front of Duck's boiler when he says, "Beg pardon sir, but we do need another engine."

Quotes

 * Douglas: Come on, Edward. Stop gossiping in the sun when there's work tae be done. [Edward reacts in annoyance]




 * Edward: Trevor and I are old friends, and you and he have a lot in common too.
 * Douglas: Och, aye/We do? And what would that be?
 * Edward: Scrap.
 * Douglas: Don't mention that word! It makes my/me wheels wobble!
 * Edward: It does the same to Trevor. He was being sent to the scrap yard, but the vicar and I saved him, and now, he's Really Useful again. Even so, the Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt certainly does need another steam engine here.
 * Douglas: Aye (, he does). And quickly!




 * Douglas: That sounds like a steam engine. [hearing the hiss carefully] Who's there? [hears a whisper]
 * Voice: Are you a Fat Controller's/Sir Topham Hatt’s engine?
 * Douglas: Aye, and prood/proud of it.
 * Voice: Thank goodness./Well, I'm Oliver and I'm with my break van, Toad. We’ve run out of coal and have no more steam.
 * Douglas: But what are you doing?
 * Oliver: Escaping?
 * Douglas: From what?
 * Oliver: Scrap.
 * Douglas: [shivers before remembering Edward's story about saving Trevor] I'll be glad to help you. It'll have to look as though you're ready for scrap and I'm taking you away.
 * [the drivers and firemen work fast]
 * Douglas: No time tae turn round. I'll run 'tender furrst'. Come on!




 * [a foreman catches Douglas escaping with Oliver and Toad]
 * Foreman: Aha! A Great Western engine, and a brake van, too. You can't take these!
 * Douglas: Aye! But they're all for us. See for yerself.
 * [the foreman looks all over Oliver]
 * Foreman: Seems in order. Right away, Guard.




 * Douglas: That was a near thing.
 * Oliver: We've had worse.




 * Douglas: We're home!
 * Driver: Shh! There are the works. We'll find a place for Oliver.




 * James: The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt would have to know.
 * Gordon: Douglas should tell him at once.
 * The Fat Controller: Well, here he is. Now what's this all about?
 * Duck: Beg pardon, Sir, but we do need another engine.
 * Gordon: Yes sir. A steam engine, sir.
 * The Fat Controller: Well, unless one saved from scrap, there's little hope.
 * Douglas: But Sir, one has...!
 * The Fat Controller: Yes indeed. And thanks to you, Douglas, he is now at our works. Oliver is just what we need for Duck's branch line.

Merchandise

 * My Thomas Story Library - Oliver
 * Engine Adventures - Oliver
 * Magazine Stories - The Play Train!

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * Escape and Other Stories
 * Children's Pre-School Favourites
 * Chases, Races and Runaways
 * The Complete Series 3
 * 1st Class Stories

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Help and 15 other stories

US

 * Percy's Ghostly Trick and Other Thomas Stories
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

CAN

 * Percy's Ghostly Trick and Other Thomas Stories

DVD Boxsets

 * Adventure On the Tracks
 * Thomas' Halloween Adventures/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature
 * Thomas Gets Tricked/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature

AUS

 * Escape and other stories
 * Rescues on the Railways
 * The Complete Series 3

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * 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 Volume 16
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.1
 * Look Out! Look Out! A Great Crisis
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

GER

 * It Goes Around on the Turntable and 4 Other Adventures

KOR

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 1
 * For the Story of Determination

NOR

 * Anniversary
 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party

FIN

 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party

GRC

 * The Twin Engines Were Confused!

IN

 * The Trouble with Mud and Other Stories

ITA

 * Locomotive in Trouble

MYS

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

NL

 * Rely on Thomas
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Edward, Toby and the Diesels

DK

 * The Great Escape and Other Stories

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

Die Flucht El Escape בריחה オリバーのだっしゅつ Ucieczka (seria 3) Бегство