Henry and the Wishing Tree

"Passengers and freight do not mix!"

- Gordon

Henry and the Wishing Tree is an eighth season episode.

Plot
It was summertime on the Island of Sodor. Henry enjoys working in the peaceful forest but sometimes it can be lonely. That's why he likes to see the passengers boarding Gordon's express at Knapford. Gordon snootily orders Henry to keep his freight away from the passengers and with great sadness, Henry watches the express pull out of the station. Henry wishes that he could pull passengers - just for a change.

Later, Henry stopped at the water tower on the outskirts of the forest. Strangely, the children were standing near one of the trees. Henry asks Thomas what they are doing. Thomas tells Henry that they are probably making a wish on the old Sodor wishing tree. Henry decides to make a wish. He wishes that he could pull the express, instead of Gordon.

That evening, the Fat Controller visits Henry at the sheds. He tells the green engines that, the following day, he is to pull the express. Henry was delighted; his wish had come true! The following morning, Henry chuffs into Knapford with his express carriages. As soon as the passengers were on board, Henry blew his whistle and pulled out of the station. But, Henry puffed too carelessly and bumped the coaches. His driver reminds him that he cannot biff coaches like trucks. What Henry didn't know was that Gordon was in the repair yard being fitted with a new boiler. He was lonely and missing his passengers. The passengers were missing Gordon, too. They were being bumped and bounced around inside the coaches. When Henry returned to the sheds, the Fat Controller was waiting for him. The Fat Controller tells Henry that there have been complaints and reminds him to be more careful. Then, Henry spots Gordon at the works. Henry was horrified, he thinks his wish made Gordon go to the repair yard.

The next day, Henry had to collect the buffet car. He was trying hard to be gentle, but he shunted the dining car so hard that everything inside goes flying! This sparked more complaints than ever! Henry no longer wanted to pull passengers - he wanted everything back to normal. When Henry arrives at the forest, Henry cannot remember which tree was the wishing tree. So, he has no choice but to wish on every tree in the forest! Soon, an angry Fat Controller arrives aboard Thomas. He tells Henry that running a railway is his job - not the wishing tree's and that he sent Gordon to the works for repair and not because Henry had wished it to happen.

The next day, Gordon returns to work looking as good as new. The passengers were so pleased that they gave him three cheers! Meanwhile, Henry was pleased to be back working in the forest. At the end of the day, Henry stops near the wishing tree and makes a wish. He wishes to never have to pull passengers again - just in case!

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Percy (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Cyril the fogman (cameo)
 * The Refreshment Lady (cameo)
 * The storyteller (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)

Trivia

 * An Alicia Botti poster can be seen at the end of this episode.
 * Neptune Refreshments, the refreshment lady's shop, can be seen outside Knapford station.
 * If you go by production order, this is fourth episode of the eighth season.

Goofs

 * The forest is Henry's favourite place so it is unlikely that he would not have known what the wishing tree was.
 * It would have taken more than a few days to replace Gordon's boiler.
 * Gordon wouldn't have any of his boiler cladding still on him; the boiler cladding would've been removed before taking the old boiler out and replacing it with the new one.
 * The repair yard is too small in height and capacity to remove Gordon's boiler. Gordon should be placed outside so a crane could lift his boiler out.
 * Henry has pulled coaches with no trouble in episodes before and after this episode.
 * When Thomas leaves, a camera's shadow is seen as he passes.