Next Up: Part 2: The Good, the Bad, and the Alfred
The Engine Who Saved Sodor Part 1: Welcome (US Version)
We are introduced to the Island of Sodor and Thomas. Sir Topham Hatt tells his engines that he will be away for a short while to help his friend, and for the summer, he borrows two locomotives.
Characters: (in order of appearance)
- Thomas
- Annie and Clarabel
- Molly
- Emily with Martha and Jennifer
- Gordon
- Donald and Douglas
- Toby with Henrietta and Victoria
- Henry
- Edward
- Percy
- Stanley
- James
- Eagle
- Neville
- Duck
- Oliver
- Sir Topham Hatt
- George
- Bertie
- Diesel
- Boco
Transcript[]
Destination Films
and Gullane Pictures present
A George Georgeson Film
Based on the Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry
and Thomas and Friends (TV Series)
William Hope
Jules de Jongh
Glenn Wrage Keith Wickham
Matt Wilkinson
Michael Brandon
Glenn Wrage
Kerry Shale
and Martin Sherman as Thomas the Tank Engine
THE ENGINE WHO SAVED SODOR
{pitch black}
Narrator: I believe that most folks - like yourselves - understand that on a train journey, great adventure may never be very far away and that long after the sound of a train whistle has vanished, it's romance will be safe in every human heart - whatever age, whatever the time. Most folks are happy to know this - sadly, a few are not - which is a pity because that’s all it takes to cause a lot of trouble to some of the most precious things in life. This is a story about trains working together; as they were meant to be.
{We see Thomas puffing out of a tunnel with Annie, Bertha, and Clarabel. Cut: Thomas is puffing behind some bushes.}
Narrator: Every story, like a railway, has it's heroes.
{Thomas is puffing down the rails.}
Narrator: This is Thomas. He's the number one tank engine.
Thomas: {whistles} Hello!
Narrator: But he's running a little late today.
{Thomas is pulling his coaches past the river mill.}
Narrator: This is the North Western Railway, sometimes known as the Island of Sodor, where Thomas and his friends live. Most of the story takes place here.
{All the engines working and talking: Molly pulling red coaches to Henry's tunnel and whistles to Emily pulling Martha and Jennifer, going out the tunnel; Gordon pulling the express with Donald and Douglas working in the harbor; Toby pulling Henrietta and Victoria at Edward's station, Edward in a siding, and Henry pulling the express and the three whistle at each other; Percy pulling the mail, Stanley shunting trucks; James and Eagle pulling a goods train; Neville helping Edward at the docks.}
Narrator: It is a great place, even when a man named Sir Topham Hatt is running it.
{Thomas is chuffing happily along the branch line, which happened to belong to him. Annie and Clarabel (his coaches) are full of passengers as Thomas pulls them happily along the line.}
Narrator: It was on this particular morning, Thomas was puffing down his branch line, with his two coaches Annie and Clarabel. Annie can only take passengers, but Clarabel takes passengers, luggage, and the guard. Thomas was singing to them.
Thomas: {singing happily} I am Thomas the tank engine, Puffing happily down this track. Annie follows close behind, And Clarabel is at the back!
{Thomas stops at Knapford Station. He meets with two engines, a small 0-4-0 saddle tank engine, painted green with thin red stripes, a small brass dome, the number "6" painted each side of his bunker; and a 2-6-0 tender engine, with black wheels, a brass dome, the number "5" painted on his tender side, and the rest of the 2-6-0 is painted bright, shiny red. The engines are James (pulling a train of coal trucks) and Percy (pulling mail and milk).}
Thomas: Hey guys, what's up? I haven't seen you for a while.
Percy: That's just because we've been working.
James: Yeah, you've just been screwing around on your branchline - having races and going fishing. Me and Percy have been busy with these goods trains.
Thomas: Hey, no more about the fishing, it was one time. I work just as hard as you guys, but I mean yesterday, I had to pull, like, five trains. I only needed three hours to rest.
Percy: Thomas, yesterday, I pulled ten trains.
James: I pulled fifty trains!
Percy: Don't be a liar James.
James: {sighs} Fine. I pulled eight.
Narrator: Just then, Sir Topham Hatt arrived. He is the man in charge of the North Western Railway. He stood in front of them, looking important, dressed in his black coat, white waistcoat, black tie, grey trousers and black top hat.
Sir Topham Hatt: Hello Thomas, James, and Percy.
Thomas, James, and Percy: Hello, sir.
Sir Topham Hatt: There is to be a meeting tonight at Tidmouth Sheds tonight.
Percy: A meeting? What about, Sir?
Sir Topham Hatt: Well, if I told you here, then there would be no point in having the meeting, would there? {He smiles, and he walks down the platform to talk to the stationmaster.}
Percy: What do you think the meeting is about?
Thomas: I’ve no idea. It must be something very important.
James: Whatever it is, we’ll find out tonight.
Narrator: Just then, Thomas' guard blew his whistle.
Thomas: Oh, I have to go now. See you tonight. {He puffs away.}
Percy: Look at him - he's only pulling three measly coaches.
James: Takes a real strong engine to pull a train like this.
Percy: I guess that's why you couldn't pull yours at the harbor.
James: Hey, I was just getting warmed up!
Narrator: Later, Thomas arrived at a level crossing, the gates were closed to trains. On the other side was a 4-2-2 emerald green tender engine, with a number 12 on her tender side. She was named Emily, and had two coaches.
{George the steamroller passes by.}
Thomas: Hurry up George, I'm going to be late.
George: Too bad steamies. I got to pave this road. {his thoughts} I wish I could get rid of these engines.
Emily: George is a bossy boiler, that one.
Thomas: I wish he had never come to Sodor.
Emily: Have you heard, Thomas? We're being called to a meeting at Tidmouth Sheds this evening.
Thomas: I've heard about it. {The gates have now opened.} I gotta go now, see ya, Emily.
Emily: Bye then, Thomas.
Narrator: Thomas made good time as he continued his work along the branch line, stopping at each station to pick up and let off passengers. As dusk started to fall, he arrived at his final destination; Ffarquhar station. Thomas pulled into the station, and slowed to a stop. On the road beside the station, a small red bus was waiting. The remaining passengers on the train got off Annie, Bertha, and Clarabel, left the platform, and started to board the bus.
Bertie: Hello Thomas. Any news from your branch line?
Thomas: No, not really Bertie, except Sir Topham Hatt has told me, Percy and James that there is to be a meeting at the sheds.
Bertie: Really? What about?
Thomas: I don’t know. But I’ll have to go now to find out. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.
Bertie: Okay. Goodbye Thomas. See you tomorrow.
Narrator: And tooting on his horn, Bertie set off down the road, while Thomas left the station. He traveled to a large railway yard near the sheds. This was where all the coaches were kept. There were many coaches in the yard, large and small. He shunted his coaches into the yard.
Thomas: Goodbye, you three. See you tomorrow.
Annie: Goodbye, Thomas.
Bertha: Don't forget to tell us about the meeting tomorrow.
Clarabel: Oh, yes!
Thomas: I won't. {On one of the lines near where Thomas parked his coaches, we see a large 4-6-2 tender engine shunting four express coaches onto the line. The engine is painted blue with red stripes, the number "4" painted on his tender.}
Thomas: Hello, Gordon. Did you hear about the meeting we have to go to?
Gordon: Only just. He tried to tell me as I was racing through Edward’s station with the express. He was telling Edward about it, and as he saw me approach the station, he called out to me, trying to get the message to me. But I could barely hear him, and just raced through without stopping, and I caused his top hat to blow off his head. Edward managed to follow me, and tell me the message when I was at the next station. He also told me I was lucky that Sir Topham Hatt managed to find his top hat.
Thomas: I guess even being the fastest engine has its disadvantages, eh Gordon?
Gordon: Oh, no indeed, little Thomas! Being the fastest has all advantages, and no disadvantages! But you wouldn’t know! Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go off the meeting! I’ll be there long before you will arrive.
Narrator: With that, Gordon steamed out of the yard. Thomas started to make his way out too, but he began to feel thirsty.
Thomas: I’d better go to use the water tower.
Narrator: As Thomas made his way along the line leading out of the yard, he followed it up to where the nearest water tower was. {Thomas sees a commotion with two engines at the water tower. One of them is a black Class 08 shunter. And the other is a 4-4-0 tender engine, with yellow paint and red stripes and the number 23 painted on her tender sides.} But there was a great commotion there. Two engines were already at the water tower. However, the one parked right next to the tower was a diesel engine. He was facing the other engine (which was a steam engine), who he was stopping from using the water tower, and growling fiercely.
Molly: Move out of the way, Diesel! We have to get to the meeting, and I need to take on water.
Diesel: {growling} Why should I move for a dirty engine like you, Molly?
Molly: Dirty?! You don't know what you're talking about! My yellow paint is a very beautiful color. It’s you who’s dirty, you smelly old diesel!
{Molly blows her whistle loudly. Instead of moving, Diesel just toots his horn.}
Diesel: You want a competition to see who can make the loudest noise, do you? Fine! But my horn is much better than your whistle!
Thomas: Diesel, what are you doing? You can’t use the water tower. It’s for steam engines.
Diesel: {growls} I know that! I’m just having fun, stopping you steam engines from using it. And it’s such fun! {smirks slyly} Especially seeing how annoyed it makes Molly.
{Another horn sounds. A green Class 28 diesel pulls up, with a train of coal trucks.}
Narrator: Just then, a Class 28 diesel pulled up pulling a load of coal trucks.
Boco: Be off, Diesel! You aren't helping by being rude!
{Diesel scowls.}
Diesel: No one speaks to me like that... {He oils away, muttering.}
Thomas: Thanks for that, Boco.
Molly: Indeed! Diesel's a real nuisance!
Boco: {absent-mindedly} Think nothing of it. {thinking as he leaves} I have a bad feeling about this...
Narrator: Soon, Molly had her drink of water, and after a few seconds - enough time for water to fill Molly's tank - her driver turned off the tap.
{Molly whistles an puffs out of the yard. Thomas steams forward, and stops when he's right by the water tower. The driver opens the water cap, and inserts the pipe. He turns on the tap. After a few seconds, the driver turns off the tap, takes out the pipe, and closes the cap. Thomas lets off steam.}
Thomas: That’s good, and now to go to the meeting.
{He blows his whistle, and puffs out of the yard.}
Narrator: Later, Thomas arrived at Tidmouth Sheds. It's where the engines live, where they rest their wheels, cool their boilers, and talk about the day's adventures. James, Percy, Gordon, Emily, and Diesel were already there. Along with them was a big green tender engine, with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement, and a number "3" on his tender. There was also an 0-6-0 pannier tank engine, painted green with black wheels. On each side of his boiler, the letters "G W R" were painted in yellow. On each end of his boiler, near his footplate, the number "8" was painted.
Gordon: What took you so long, little Thomas?! I did say I would be here before you!
Emily: {cheekily} Well, need I remind you that Percy and I arrived here long before you, Gordon.
Gordon: That’s just luck! You little engines get plenty of that, but a big fast engine like me doesn’t need luck; everything always goes right for us.
James: Actually, you do tend to get luck, that is, bad luck; such as getting stalled by a diesel, running into a branchline coach, bursting your safety valve, losing your tender coupling-
Henry: All right, James, I think you explained yourself enough. You tend to have bad luck too, going on branchlines, being proven wrong, and being shown what others can do!
Narrator: James was furious. Before he could retort, they heard whistles from behind. It was Molly, along with two other engines, one looked almost like James, and the other was an 0-6-0 tender engine painted black. The engine who looked like James had red wheels and dome, and no number.
Neville: Hello, James.
Eagle: We've been called to the meeting too.
James: {groans} This is just lucky.
Sir Topham Hatt: Silence! Now, are we all here? No; Oliver and Edward haven’t arrived yet.
Duck: Oh, wait sir, there they are.
{Two engines puff alongside the sheds. The blue tender engine with a number "2" on his tender moves onto the turntable, and backs down next to Thomas. The tank engine with the number "11" backs down next to the blue tender engine.}
Edward: Sorry we're late, sir. Oliver and I were held up at the docks.
Oliver: And those trucks were misbehaving yet again. But I reminded them of what I did with Scruffey.
Sir Topham Hatt: Well, now that we’re here, time to get down the business.
Diesel: You're finally getting rid of steam engines?
Sir Topham Hatt: No! No, I'm not!
Diesel: {angry} Curses!
Molly: So what’s the meeting about, Sir?
Sir Topham Hatt: This morning, I received a letter from the controller of the railway of England; Howard Andrews. He’s a good friend of mine, and he’s currently having a problem.
Percy: What sort of problem, Sir?
Sir Topham Hatt: A similar problem to what I once had; his steam engines have gone on strike!
Edward: Strike? What for?
Sir Topham Hatt: He said in the letter that his steam engines feel they are being treated unfairly; because he is bringing diesel engines to work with them, and they are refusing to work.
James: Well, it’s no different to what we have to suffer here, {He looks directly at Diesel, who glares at him.} but you don’t see us going on strike.
Sir Topham Hatt: Well, I know you wouldn’t go on strike James.
Diesel: But, Sir, aren’t these diesel engines doing both their work – and the steam engines’ work, thus proving that diesels are better and more useful?
Thomas: Hey, no one asked you, smelly black box!
Diesel: HEY! Don't call me black box-!
Sir Topham Hatt: Actually, to answer your question, Diesel; no, the diesels are not proving to be useful. In fact, that’s where the problem continues.
Diesel: {frowns} What do you mean, Sir?
Sir Topham Hatt: The diesels just keep breaking down. They are poorly maintained and very expensive for Mr. Andrews to have repaired.
Eagle: {worried} Your friend really does have a problem then, Sir.
Sir Topham Hatt: Yes, Eagle, so that is why tomorrow, I am going to have to go to England-
Neville: {cuts in} -to help him.
Thomas: {surprised} You’re leaving us?
Percy: {frowns} But for how long?
Sir Topham Hatt: I don’t know, Percy. But it won’t be for that long. I really need to help my friend. He hasn’t been running his railway as long as I have been running mine. So as an experienced railway director, I need to offer him advice on how to solve this problem.
Emily: {worried} But who will look after us?
Sir Topham Hatt: {smiles} You’ll be looked after. Another friend of mine, Mr. Matthews will look after you. He used to work on a railway, and I have often told him all about you all. It’s been arranged that he will look after you while I’m away. He is very much looking forward to meeting you.
Narrator: This set the steam engines' minds at rest, but Diesel didn't actually care if Sir Topham Hatt would be leaving them for a while.
Sir Topham Hatt: In the meantime, I have borrowed two engines to help out for the summer. One steam engine, and one diesel. So Thomas, tomorrow, when you are beginning to run your branch line, you’ll meet me at Knapford Station. I will be on your train. You must take me to Dryaw, where Harold will then take me to England.
Thomas: Yes, sir.
Sir Topham Hatt: So, that's all now. I'm going home now to get a good night’s sleep, as I have a busy tomorrow. Be good while I’m away.
Steam engines: Yes, sir.
Narrator: With that, Sir Topham Hatt got into his car and drove out of the yard. James was furious.
James: I don't believe it! Why does Thomas get to take Sir Topham Hatt and not me? {glaring at Thomas} It's because you think you're the best out of all the engines.
Thomas: That's not true!
Eagle: James, Sir Topham Hatt's head of the railway, and he decides what goes. It's the same for Mr. Andrew's engines.
Narrator: James seethed in silence.
Eagle: Besides, he’s leaving to help his friend.
Diesel: No, he isn’t! He’s really going to arrange to have you all scrapped!
Henry: {bored tone} Yes, Diesel, that’s what you always say, but he never does.
Diesel: There’s always a first time.
Eagle: {also bored tone} Maybe if you keep saying it, it will happen.
Henry: Well, at least in your dreams Diesel!
Narrator: But no one else bothered listening to Diesel. With that, he scuttled away to the smelters yard.
Thomas: We’d better get some sleep. It’s getting late now.
Molly: We'll go back to my shed on our branch line.
Neville: You’re all inside the sheds, I don’t fancy sleeping outside.
Emily: {giggling} Should have taken a spare space while you could.
Molly: So We'll be going now.
Neville: See you tomorrow.
{Molly and Neville puff away.}
Eagle: Oh, yes, I better get home, too. I hope Marty doesn't keep Dennis up all night again.
Thomas: Never mind Marty, Eagle. He's an idiot.
Eagle: Right, see you, everyone.
The engines (minus James and Eagle): Good night, Eagle!
Narrator: Then, shutting their eyes, they all fell fast asleep at once.
To Be Continued