Signals Crossed

"Look out, you silly little tram! And learn your signals!"

- Gordon

Signals Crossed is the fifth episode of the eighteenth season.

Plot
One morning, Toby is rolling very slowly along the line towards Knapford with Henrietta. Toby is going so slow that Henrietta is concerned that they won't be on time to pick up the workmen at Knapford for the quarry. Toby says he is going slow to admire the view, but Henrietta knows the real reason; Toby is worried about the complexity of Knapford Junction. Toby admits that she is right, but Henrietta assures him that everything will be fine.

When they arrive at Knapford Junction, Toby is confused. He does not know which signal on the gantry is his. Henrietta reminds Toby that red means stop and green means go. When a signal turns green, Toby rolls forward and almost collides with Gordon. Toby reverses for another go and when two signals turn green, he rushes forwards. This time, he narrowly avoids hitting Henry. Toby tries again and almost hits Hiro this time. All morning, Toby tries to get to the station, but keeps getting cut off by other engines. Toby finds himself getting more and more confused as the signals keep changing. Henrietta starts to get impatient so Toby shuts his eyes and charges towards the station. He keeps his eyes closed and speeds straight past the platform, abandoning the workmen and ignoring Thomas.

Toby ends up on a siding, behind a signalbox. Henrietta asks if they are hiding, but Toby insists he is just resting. Then, Thomas arrives and also asks if Toby is hiding. Toby pretends he is counting the bricks in the signalbox, but eventually admits that he is indeed hiding. Thomas knows that it is because of Knapford Junction. Toby explains that the place confuses him and is so busy. Thomas tells Toby that he only needs to look at the signal directly above his line. Toby still thinks getting to Knapford Station is too big of a challenge for such a small tram until Thomas reminds him that he is not just any tram; he is the number seven brown tram engine who can do anything.

Toby soon arrives at Knapford Station where the Fat Controller is waiting for him. The Fat Controller is concerned that the workmen will not get to the quarry on time, but Toby assures him that he will get them there. Toby pulls away and stops at the junction which is now busier than ever. Henrietta reminds him about Thomas' piece of advice and Toby checks the signal directly above his line and it is red. Toby waits, but the signal doesn't turn green. The workmen start to get annoyed, as does James who pulls up right behind Toby. James is sure the signal must be green by now and pushes Toby who slams on his brakes and refuses to move. Then, the Fat Controller arrives and speaks severely to Toby who still insists that his signal is red. As the Fat Controller is giving Toby a lecture about signals, one of the Fat Controller's assistants whispers in the controller's ear. The Fat Controller realises that Toby had been right all along; the signal is still red. The Fat Controller realises that the signal must be broken and praises Toby for not going through a red signal.

Soon, the Fat Controller arranges for the signal to be fixed while a signalman works the junctions using flags. Ever since that day, Toby has never been afraid of Knapford Junction again.

Characters
One of Sir Topham Hatt's assistants is heard whispering. He is voiced by Keith Wickham in the UK narration and Glenn Wrage in the US narration.
 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Toby
 * Henrietta
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Some Workmen
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Percy (cameo)
 * Oliver (cameo)
 * Emily (cameo)
 * Spencer (cameo)
 * Rosie (cameo)
 * Stanley (cameo)
 * Hiro (cameo)
 * Ferdinand (cameo)
 * Scruff (cameo)
 * Mavis (cameo)
 * 'Arry and Bert (cameo)
 * Toad (cameo)
 * The Teacher (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Ffarquhar Quarry

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first of several things:
 * Henrietta's first appearance in the television series with a face, and her first speaking role since the second season episode, Daisy.
 * Oliver and Toad's first appearances since the twelfth season episode, Gordon Takes a Shortcut and their first appearance in full CGI.
 * The first time one of Sir Topham Hatt's assistants speaks, although he was just whispering.
 * Ferdinand's first appearance since the sixteenth season episode, The Christmas Tree Express but without Bash and Dash.
 * Maggie Ollerenshaw joins the voice cast.
 * The complexity of signal gantries at bigger railway stations is also a problem in real life. Sometimes it's not always obvious which signal is for which track. Signal visibility when approaching Paddington station and its many signals contributed to the Ladbroke Grove rail crash in 1999.

Goofs

 * As Toby leaves Knapford Station to take the workmen to the quarry, Henry passes him through the junction. However in the next shot, Henry puffs back into the station; this also occurs with Edward and Hiro.
 * When Toby rushes through Knapford, Hiro has Connor's whistle sound.
 * When Gordon passes Toby the first time, he speeds out of a siding which is too small for him and his train's length to fit in. In addition, he was not in the siding when it was previously shown.
 * When Emily departs from the station, a brake coach is at the front of the train, but in the next shot, it is at the back of the train.
 * When Toby is about to go onto the junction, Henry whistles as if he is behind him, but he isn't until a few shots later.
 * In the scene where Gordon and Toby almost collide, Henrietta disappears from behind Toby.
 * When Gordon is entering Knapford after almost colliding with Toby, Spencer can be seen leaving platform one with Branch Line coaches, but his brake coach appears to be an express coach.
 * When Toby reverses back to the signal before colliding into Gordon, he appears to be on track five and not on the crossover to track four.
 * As Gordon chuffs into Knapford before colliding into Toby, Toby is seen to be on the crossover on track four where Gordon could have hit Toby.
 * When Toby speeds past Thomas, his steam appears to go through Henrietta.
 * There is an orange truck with scrap in the shed at Knapford completely missing its undercarriage and is floating in mid air.
 * After James shunts Toby and Gordon nearly misses in his close up it shows him coming from the wrong direction and appears to be on their line.
 * The distant signals have red lights on them, but such signals have amber lights instead of red ones.

Merchandise

 * Magazine stories - Signals Crossed

UK/US

 * Signals Crossed

Thailand

 * Not So Slow Coaches

China

 * Disappearing Diesels