Thomas and Gordon

"Well, little Thomas, now you know what hard work means, don't you?"

- Gordon

Thomas and Gordon, retitled Thomas Gets Tricked in American releases, is the first episode of the first series and the first episode of Thomas & Friends altogether. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Thomas the Tank Engine.

Plot
Thomas is a blue tank engine who works at a big station on Sodor. His job is to fetch coaches for the other engines and then take them away when the engines are done pulling them. Thomas thinks he works the hardest and is often very cheeky to the bigger engines, especially Gordon, the biggest and proudest engine, who pulls the express, Thomas likes to startle him by whistling loudly.

One day, Gordon returns from a long journey and wants a rest, so he finds a siding to sleep in. Then Thomas sneaks up and gives a cheeky whistle, telling Gordon to wake up and work harder, and runs off, laughing. This is the final straw for Gordon, and instead of falling back asleep, he vows to teach Thomas a lesson by showing him what hard work really is.

The next morning, Thomas' crew is unable to make him start. Gordon and the passengers impatiently wait at the station for Thomas to bring the coaches. Finally Thomas starts; he hurries to get the express coaches and brings them to the station platform behind Gordon. Gordon then enacts his plan, he quickly backs down, couples to his train and hurries his passengers to get in. Thomas usually pushes from behind the express to help them get a good start, but is always uncoupled from the coaches first. This time, however, Thomas' crew forget to uncouple him and Gordon quickly starts off, with Thomas being pulled along. Gordon races through the Sudrian countryside to show Thomas how hard it is to pull the express. It is not long before Thomas is quite out of breath and his wheels ache, but he is forced to go on.

After a while, the express comes to a stop at a station. Thomas has never gone that fast before. He is very tired and feels very silly. He is uncoupled from the train, gets turned around on the turntable and moves into a siding where he has a long drink from the water tower. Then he puffs wearily home; having learned not to act so cheeky toward Gordon ever again.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * Henry
 * James
 * Clarabel
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Mrs. Kyndley
 * Jeremiah Jobling
 * Märklin Engine

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Knapford Bus Yard
 * The Pond Runby
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Three-Track Bend and Signalbox
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * The Viaduct
 * Wellsworth
 * Wellsworth Yards

Trivia

 * The George Carlin narration was previously very hard to find on home video as the only release available was on the 1995 Thomas Gets Tricked re-release from Anchor Bay Entertainment featuring George Carlin's narration with four extra episodes, until it was released on Thomas' Halloween Adventures in 2006.
 * The events of this episode were retold for the 2015 special, The Adventure Begins.
 * Music cues from this episode were used in some audiobooks of Thomas & Friends, which were only released in Germany.
 * A clip from this episode was used in the 1995 CiTV special Simply the Best.
 * In the Japanese dub, the narrator says that Sodor is a part of the United Kingdom.
 * On the Amazon Prime digital release of the Classic Series, this episode features an excerpt of one of Ringo Starr's narrations when Gordon stops at Wellsworth.
 * On the Shining Time Station episode, A Place Unlike Any Other and the Thomas' Halloween Adventures DVD, the last few seconds of the episode are cut.

Goofs

 * In the first shot of Thomas, studio equipment is reflected off of his smokebox. In the same shot when he starts rolling his eyes, his face moves just a little bit.
 * When Gordon is first seen pulling the express, the reflection of some studio equipment can be seen in the lake.
 * When the narrator says "It was nearly time for the Express," there are no coaches on the track next to Gordon. When Thomas puffs in, they suddenly appear.
 * Gordon was waiting outside platform 2 for his coaches, but when Thomas puffs in, Gordon and his coaches are outside platform 3 and 4.
 * In one scene, there is a set of points leading from the track outside platform 5 to the track outside platform 4. In the next scene, it disappears.
 * Just before Thomas reaches the water tower, the background shows trees and bushes instead of Wellsworth.
 * When Gordon and Thomas leaves Knapford Station they immediately go through Henry's tunnel, but that would be impossible since Henry's tunnel is located on the opposite end of the line. And when they exit the tunnel, the tracks bounce in the air.
 * When Gordon is sleeping in the siding, his buffers are crooked.
 * When Thomas stops inside Knapford at the beginning, Henry is in his new shape.
 * When Thomas wakes Gordon up the second time, the buffers in the siding in front of Gordon are not connected to the track, Thomas moves a little and his smoke vanishes due to a film cut.
 * In a rare picture, there is no one in Gordon's cab as he and Thomas cross the viaduct.
 * When Thomas backs onto the turntable at Wellsworth, he looks more annoyed than tired.
 * When Henry leaves the station, Gordon's eyes are a bit wonky.
 * When Thomas says "Hurry (up) yourself!" the coaches cannot be seen in front of him.
 * When Henry and James puff out of Knapford, two of Henry's wheel arches are missing.
 * When Thomas puffs into Knapford in the opening scene, Henry has no coaches. In the next scene, he leaves the station with coaches, a van and a brake van.
 * In the restored version:
 * An unidentified object obstructs the camera-lense in the top-left corner of the shot when James and Henry pass by at Knapford.
 * Studio equipment can be seen as Gordon pulls Thomas around the bend.
 * In the closeup of Thomas being tired out, the train in front of him is missing.
 * When the train crosses the viaduct, the edge of the set is visible.
 * Just before Thomas starts puffing to the water tower, the track ends behind him.
 * In the closeup of Gordon smiling, there is studio equipment in the background, Thomas and the express disappear, his tender bounces a little, and the tracks behind him end.
 * When Thomas backs onto the turntable, a camera stand is visible.
 * In a promotional picture when Thomas and Gordon are about to go through Henry's Tunnel, The Hills cut off to the background.

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
 * Thomas and Gordon and other stories
 * Children's T.V. Favourites Volume 2
 * Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * My Little MiniVid
 * Edward and Gordon
 * Thomas Gets Bumped and 17 Other Stories
 * Peep Peep Party
 * The Complete Series 1
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * My Little Thomas and the Royal Visitor
 * The Best of Thomas
 * 1st Class Stories
 * Thomas and Gordon/Percy's Promise

DVD Packs (UK)

 * Classic Collection
 * Peep Peep Party and Brave Little Engines Double Pack
 * The Fogman and Other Stories and The Very Best of Thomas and Friends Double Pack
 * Peep Peep Party/Engines to the Rescue/The Chocolate Crunch Triple Pack
 * 10 DVD Boxset
 * The Best of Friends

WAL

 * Thomas and Gordon and other Stories (Welsh VHS)

US

 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories
 * The Early Years
 * Thomas' Halloween Adventures
 * The Greatest Stories
 * Thomas and Friends Classic Volume 1

VHS/DVD Box sets (US)

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Totally Thomas Volume 8
 * Thomas' Halloween Adventure/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories/Thomas' Halloween Adventures Double Feature
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection

AUS

 * Thomas and Gordon and other Stories
 * My First Thomas with Thomas
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1
 * The Complete Series 1

DVD Box sets (AUS)

 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * My First Thomas
 * My First Thomas
 * Classic Collection
 * Series One and Series Two Double Pack

FRA

 * The Adventures of Thomas

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.1
 * Thomas and Gordon
 * Keep It Up Thomas!
 * Nice to Meet You Thomas!
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.3
 * The Complete DVD Box 1
 * I Love Thomas DVD Collection
 * Best of Gordon

SA

 * Volume 1

SE

 * Thomas and the Guard

NOR

 * Thomas-Festival
 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

BRA

 * Learning with Thomas

MYS

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Adventures

FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

GER

 * All Beginnings Are Difficult
 * Thomas and Gordon and 4 Other Adventures

SVN

 * Thomas' Train

NL

 * ...Taken by the Nose!
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon

NZ

 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 1
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 4
 * Thomas and Gordon and other stories

ITA

 * A Vicious Train

PHL

 * Thomas Gets Tricked

ROM

 * Thomas and the Trucks

DVD packs (ROM)

 * Triple Pack 1

DNK

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

ISR

 * Welcome Thomas!

HRV

 * Thomas and Gordon

IND

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 1

THA
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 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 1