Bulgy (episode)

"Look! Look at Bulgy! He's a mean scarlet deceiver!" "Yah! Booh! Snubs!"

- Oliver and Bulgy

Bulgy is the twenty-third episode of the third series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Oliver the Western Engine.

Plot
A special holiday is being celebrated and many visitors are travelling on Duck's Branch Line. Bertie and the engines are all kept very busy taking them to and from their destinations. One day, Duck is waiting at Tidmouth when he spots a large and unfriendly looking double-decker bus. The bus grumbles as he sees the happy passengers boarding Duck's train and states he would not have brought them had he known they would be travelling on a railway. He bluntly tells Duck that one day, the railways will be torn up and replaced by roads. Duck is shocked by this; Bertie would never have made such claims.

At Haultraugh, Duck meets Oliver and tells him about the bus. Oliver explains that he calls the bus "Bulgy" and simply laughs off his threats. That afternoon, however, Oliver is much more serious since another equally rude bus has arrived and is taking Bulgy's passengers so Bulgy himself can take the two Great Western engines' to the big station. Duck insists that the route is quicker by rail, but Oliver explains that Bulgy apparently knows a shortcut.

Later, Duck prepares for the afternoon rush but is surprised to discover he has no passengers. Then, Oliver spots them in Bulgy, who has a sign on his side claiming he is a "Railway Bus." Bulgy leaves and Duck quickly follows after him. Sometime later, he is flagged down at a bridge where the line crosses a narrow road, where he discovers that Bulgy has wedged himself under the bridge. The passengers explain that they had been tricked by Bulgy, who wanted them to think railways were no good. He claimed to be a "Railway Bus" but would not accept their return tickets. Duck and his crew agree that helping the passengers outweighs the risk of the damaged bridge and cross it carefully. Bulgy begs him to stop, fearing it might collapse on top of him. It, fortunately, does not, but Duck states it would have served him right for lying if it had.

Duck soon arrives back at the big station and all his passengers catch their trains on time. The bridge is eventually repaired, but Bulgy's ways remain unchanged until he is eventually taken out of service. He is now a henhouse in the field beside the bridge and any lies he does tell are ignored by the resident hens.

Characters

 * Duck
 * Oliver
 * Bulgy
 * Lady Hatt
 * Mrs. Kyndley
 * Jeremiah Jobling
 * Jem Cole
 * Farmer Trotter
 * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's Wife
 * Bertie
 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy
 * BoCo
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Bridget Hatt
 * One Little Boy
 * Bulgy's Friend

Locations

 * Tidmouth
 * Haultraugh
 * Ulfstead
 * Bulgy's Bridge
 * Bulgy's Field
 * The Lighthouse
 * The Three Way Road

Trivia

 * A few scenes were either extended or cut short in the restored version:
 * Thomas and Duck passing each other is extended.
 * Duck leaving Tidmouth is cut short at the end.
 * Duck arriving at Haultraugh is extended.
 * Oliver leaving Haultraugh is extended.
 * Duck leaving Tidmouth a second time is cut short at the end.
 * Duck crossing the bridge at the Three Way Road is extended.
 * The scene after Duck left the bridge is extended.
 * The last few seconds of Thomas leaving the station near the end of the episode is cut off.
 * Exactly what holiday that is being celebrated is not revealed. A banner in the background of one shot even reads "Special Holiday."
 * In the Greek version, the opening scene is cut out.
 * This episode marks the first time Lady Hatt has a speaking role.
 * In the US, this episode aired on Shining Time Station before Escape. This means that the audience would not have known who Oliver was.
 * This episode marks the only appearance to date of Haultraugh in the television series, as well as Bulgy's only speaking role, let alone starring role, until the seventh series episode, Bulgy Rides Again, which is exactly 100 episodes after this one.
 * This episode marks the last appearance of Tidmouth in the television series to date.

Goofs

 * At the beginning of the episode, Duck is seen crossing a bridge indicating it is a rail bridge, but later in the episode, Bulgy is seen crossing the same bridge despite being a road vehicle. However, it is possible that this bridge is actually a tramway, which both road and rail vehicles can ride on.
 * Throughout this episode, Oliver has Edward's whistle sound.
 * Throughout the episode, the roofs of Oliver's coaches are dented.
 * When Duck first meets Bulgy, his ANTI-RAILWAY sign is on his right-hand side, and the RAILWAY BUS sign is on his left. When Bulgy steals Duck's passengers, the signs have swapped sides.
 * Oliver tells Duck that only he calls the bus Bulgy, but when Duck is talking with Bulgy at Tidmouth Station, the name Bulgy can be clearly seen placed on the bus's left side.
 * Lady Hatt appears in her first series form.
 * The narrator says that Duck is taking his passengers to the Big Station clearly meaning Knapford, but in the end, he takes them back to Tidmouth.
 * When the passengers were complaining about Bulgy's lies, two of the passengers, Farmer Trotter and Jeremiah Jobling are looking happy.
 * In the station scene, Percy has James' whistle sound. In the restored version, the sound was heard before the scene of the engines at Tidmouth station appeared because the scene after Duck crossed the bridge was extended.
 * Bulgy has his English name in the German title, despite his German name being "Pfau" ("peacock").

Merchandise

 * My Thomas Story Library Books - Bulgy

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Escape and other stories
 * Thomas Gets Bumped and 17 Other Stories
 * The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
 * The Complete Series 3
 * My Little Thomas and Bertie Adventures
 * Seasonal Scrapes

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Help and 15 other stories

US

 * Shining Time Station Vol. 3: Bully for Mr. Conductor
 * James Goes Buzz Buzz and Other Thomas Stories
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

DVD Packs

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

AUS

 * Escape and other stories
 * The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
 * The Complete Series 3

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Escape and other stories
 * The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 5

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Volume 17
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.2
 * Engines’ Big Success
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

NL

 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon
 * Merry Christmas!

GR

 * The Twin Engines Were Confused!

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 DVD Boxset 2

DK

 * The Great Escape and Other Stories

NOR/FIN

 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party

MYS

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

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

ITA

 * Locomotive in Trouble

IN

 * Oliver Owns Up 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 1