The Missing Coach (cancelled episode)

"Tugboat Annie!"

- Gordon

The Missing Coach was an episode partially filmed for the second season. It was cancelled in the middle of filming.

Plot
Donald and Douglas (now 9 and 10 respectively) realise they only have numbers painted on their tenders. One afternoon, Douglas is shunting in the yard and worries about being sent away, unfortunately forgetting to shunt Thomas' Special Coach. The twins decide to swap tenders so as to convince the Fat Controller that Donald has taken his goods train, but he is not fooled and reprimands Douglas severely.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * Duck
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)

Locations

 * Tidmouth
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Ffarquhar Sheds
 * The Coaling Plant

Trivia

 * This episode was based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, The Twin Engines.
 * In an interview with David Mitton released on SiF shortly before his death in 2008, he confirmed that the episode was in production and half way through filming when Britt Allcroft decided that it would be too difficult for young children to understand. So the crew filmed Thomas, Percy and the Coal instead. It is assumed that Donald and Douglas swapping tenders to fool the Fat Controller is what would have made the plot hard to comprehend for young children. David also mentioned that he was in possession of all the original footage filmed for this episode.
 * Five screenshots are all that is publicly visible of the filmed footage. A scene of Douglas shunting the coach can be seen in the 1989 annual. A close up of Douglas is seen in various books, posters, and on Douglas' Take-Along card. It is also seen on the cover of The Deputation and other Stories VHS. A very small image of the twins confronting Gordon and Henry at the sheds can be seen in a Japanese book. Another confirms Duck as a character and the final shows a portion of the opening.
 * This is the first episode known to have been cancelled. However, the first season episode, Down the Mine was originally planned to be the series pilot, but was reshot and pushed back to later in the season.