Topped Off Thomas

"I can go faster than you, Mr. Wind!"

- Thomas

Topped Off Thomas is the fourteenth episode of the tenth season.

Plot
One of Thomas' autumn hobbies is to "race the wind". Thomas stops at a junction, but is surprised to find Spencer. He asks what is Spencer doing on Sodor, and Spencer explains he has to pick up the Fat Controller, Lady Hatt, and the Duke and Duchess of Boxford at Kellsthorpe and take them to the Scottish Castle for tea. Thomas is upset about this; he wants to take them in Annie and Clarabel. Spencer retorts that small engines like Thomas get small jobs, and big engines like him get big jobs. Thomas crossly says that he can go faster than the wind, which Spencer puts off as nonsense. This makes Thomas crosser and challenges Spencer to a race to Kellsthorpe. The signal drops and the engines race off.

At Kellsthorpe, the Fat Controller, Lady Hatt, and the Duke and Duchess of Boxford are waiting on the platform when Spencer screeches to a halt while Thomas races through the station and ends up blowing the Fat Controller's hat off. Thomas reverses back into the station, worried about what the Fat Controller would say. The Fat Controller asks Thomas why he was going so fast; engines should go slowly through the stations. Thomas apologizes, and the Fat Controller booms that he cannot go to tea without his hat. Thomas promises to find his hat in time, and he chuffs quickly away.

Thomas is sure he will find the hat easily. He looks at the Maithwaite level crossing, to find the Fat Controller's hat on Bertie's roof. Thomas is proud to have found it, but then Gordon rushes past, blowing the hat away. Thomas chases after the hat.

Thomas then sees the hat on top of Farmer McColl's scarecrow. Thomas is again proud to have found it, but then Harold hovers up from the other side of the hill. The wind from his blades blows the hat far away. Thomas quickly again sets off for the hat.

As Thomas steams along, he gets out of puff, and is out of places to look. Suddenly he sees the hat on one of the Windmill's sails. Thomas whistles happily, but then a great gust of wind blows the windmill's sails around, and the hat flies off. Thomas groans and races after the top hat.

It is now getting late, and Thomas still hasn't found the hat. Thomas surrenders to the wind, and lets out a sad wheesh of steam. Thomas starts back towards Kellsthorpe, and worries if he will ever be Really Useful again. He suddenly sees the hat in front of him, floating on the wind. Thomas says he was silly to think that he was as fast as the wind, and hopes it can help him. The wind hears Thomas and the Fat Controller's hat falls gently onto Thomas' funnel. Thomas chuffs slowly towards Kellsthorpe to return the top hat.

When Thomas arrives, everyone is waiting for him. The Fat Controller gasps and sees that his hat is on Thomas' funnel. He calls Thomas a Really Useful engine for finding it. Thomas blows a happy wheesh of steam out of his funnel, and the hat falls gently onto the platform right in front of the Fat Controller. Thomas learns that going slowly is just as good as going fast, and maybe even better.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Spencer
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Gordon (does not speak)
 * Bertie (does not speak)
 * Harold (does not speak)
 * Lady Hatt (does not speak)
 * The Duke and Duchess of Boxford (do not speak)
 * Edward (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (mentioned)
 * Farmer McColl (mentioned)
 * Bulgy (poster cameo)

Locations

 * Kellsthorpe
 * Kirk Ronan Junction
 * Maithwaite
 * The Windmill
 * The Scottish Castle (mentioned)

Trivia

 * From this episode onwards, Spencer has silver paintwork.
 * A poster of Bulgy is seen at Kellsthorpe station.
 * Thomas' large scale model is used for when the hat lands on his funnel.
 * Thomas and Spencer both gained face masks that only appeared in this episode.

Goofs

 * During close-ups of Thomas' funnel, its brim is not as wide as it normally is.

Merchandise

 * TrackMaster

UK/AUS

 * The Complete Tenth Series