Trouble on the Tracks (PC Game)



Trouble on the Tracks is a PC game developed by Minds Eye Productions and published by Hasbro Interactive, released in 2000.

Plot
Sodor is running low on coal, so the Fat Controller sends James to collect some. But on his way, James goes too fast and derails at a very sharp bend. The Fat Controller is worried about James so he sends Harold out to search for him. Harold finds James and his pilot calls the Fat Controller for the breakdown train. But as the engines have no coal, what is the Fat Controller going to do?

The Fat Controller calls one of the Horrid Lorries over and tells him to go to the mine and collect coal for the engines. But the lorry doesn't want to help the engines. After the Fat Controller explains that James has crashed and that it is an emergency the lorry grumbles to work.

When the engines are steamed up again, the Fat Controller asks Thomas to rescue James. But on his way, the crane's cogs come off on a bumpy track. However, the crane is soon fixed and James is lifted back on the rails, and Thomas pushes him back to the engine shed to be repaired.

Later the engines help the Fat Controller to find a new whistle for James. Percy brings the new whistle to the Fat Controller and, after his tiring job, goes for a rest. Thomas, meanwhile, goes to the docks to pick up new parts for James from Cranky, but he finds it hard to do his work when the trucks cause trouble. Thomas then returns triumphantly to the yards.

The Fat Controller sends Percy to the lamp shop to collect a new lamp for James and soon arrives back at the yards. Percy finds a very sad James waiting to be fixed, thinking he will never be splendid again. James thanks Percy for helping him out and Thomas shunts James into the shed to be repaired.

A few hours later James steams out like a brand new engine; feeling very splendid. Gordon is determined for some help with the hard work, but James is still not ready; he has to be filled with water and coal. When James is fully ready, Thomas shunts his coaches into place for him, saying he is pleased to have him back on the tracks. James then steams away from the coal yard.

James and the others are back in the shed. James is feeling proud and tells the engines that the passengers enjoyed themselves and that he was very careful to not have another accident. The Fat Controller then tells the engines they have all been really useful.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Harold
 * Cranky
 * Lorry 1
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Tiger Moth
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Terence (cameo)
 * Bulstrode (cameo)

Levels
There are three levels of each activity.
 * Finding James - Help Harold search the Island for James. Watch out for Tiger Moth the Biplane - he can help you!
 * Lorry at the Quarry - Help load the Horrid Lorry with coal, but don't get any tools!
 * Fix The Broken Breakdown Crane - Choose the right cogs and put them into place to make the crane work.
 * Find a Whistle for James - Find the right whistle for the engines in the shed, the whistle that's left will be for James.
 * Dockside Trouble - Match the weight of the Troublesome Trucks with the crates of new parts for James.
 * Find a new Lamp for James - Help put the lamps back on the shelf, the lamp that is left will be for James.
 * Repair James - Repair and repaint James so that he can be a shining new engine!
 * Get James Ready - James needs coal and water before he can start his passenger run.

Trivia

 * Michael Angelis narrates and voices the characters in this game in the UK and Robin Smith does so in the US version.
 * Original music by Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell is used in the game.
 * The plot is similar to the episode Thomas and the Breakdown Train.
 * A Railway Series map of Sodor can be seen when the Fat Controller is talking to the Controller at Harold's airfield.
 * The game's manual features screenshots of the game's prototype where some of the pictures have the original cursor from The Great Festival Adventure instead of the one used in the final version.
 * During the Dockside Trouble mini game, at one point audio from Dirty Work will play.
 * In the UK version of the game the Breakdown Train is referred to as the Breakdown Truck for unknown reasons.
 * Within the games files, audio files featuring:
 * Unused voice clips such as:
 * A few of them reveal that Toby was to appear in all three levels of the "Find a Whistle for James" game.
 * Several US voice clips from Robin Smith's narration are in the UK game files.
 * Several voice clips featuring an unknown narrator can be found within the files for "Fix The Broken Breakdown Crane".
 * Unused sound effects (some of which are from The Great Festival Adventure).

Goofs

 * In nearly all the scenes, Edward is wearing his grumpy face.
 * A second arch is visible on The Watermill.
 * When James is on his side in the opening video, the track beside him is upside down.
 * When Thomas pushes James back to the shed, a second Thomas can be seen in the shed.
 * Edward has Oliver's whistle sound.
 * Some scenes have the engines' side rods missing or wheels not turning. This is most common with Thomas.
 * When Thomas shunts James' coaches, they are both brake coaches, but when he backs away the coaches' wheels are still moving and when James pulls out of the yards they are now Annie and Clarabel.
 * When James tries to brake, sparks fly, but his wheels still keep moving.
 * When James is placed back on the rails, he moans that his lamp is broken, but he is not wearing a lamp; in fact, he was not wearing a lamp at all when he first crashed.
 * Cranky has been shortened to about half his height.
 * Harold's pilot contacts the Fat Controller from a radio to the Fat Controller's candlestick telephone, but in reality, this is not possible because the devices would not recognize each other, so they aren't compatible.
 * The track arrangement where James crashed changes.
 * Like in The Great Festival Adventure, Tidmouth Sheds has back doors.
 * In the "Find a Whistle for James" activity, Toby's number and headlamps are missing. Additionally, in the easy level he has two sets of buffers.
 * When Thomas tells James, "We'll soon have you back on the rails again", the track he is on leads into the trees.
 * Harold has six blades instead of three.
 * James lands several feet from the bend where he derailed.
 * James' right side is scratched after he derails, but he landed on the ground on his left side. To add to that, nothing that could have hit James's right side is seen.
 * James' parts would not fall off easily without a scratch.
 * In the end video, a third eye can be seen beside Edward in the shed.