Double Trouble

"Please, sir. We can't stay long. The children mustn't be late for the party.""Oh, party, schmarty, Thomas. We have plenty of time! You worry too much!"

- Thomas and Sir Lowham Hatt

Double Trouble is the fourth episode of the thirteenth season.

Plot
It is the Fat Controller's birthday, and Thomas is sent to Maithwaite early to collect the Fat Controller and Lady Hatt to take them to his party. However, when Thomas arrives, he is very surprised to see the Fat Controller already there - and that he has a moustache and calls Thomas his friend. The Fat Controller is very jolly too and tells Thomas to take him to Whispering Woods. Thomas finds the Fat Controller's behaviour very strange and wants to ask him about his moustache, but does not so as to not look silly.

At the Whispering Woods, the Fat Controller decides to play hide and seek with the children, much to the confusion of Thomas and Edward as they know the Fat Controller does not usually play with children. Once the Fat Controller is back on board Annie, he tells Edward to let the children have some more play time even though Edward is taking them to the party. Then, when Thomas stops at a junction, the Fat Controller jumps out and goes up to the signalbox and messes around with the levers, causing Gordon who is taking the important visitors to the party to go on an old line. Thomas finds this very strange indeed, but once again, he does not ask the Fat Controller about his behaviour because he does not want to look silly.

Thomas goes back to Maithwaite where the stationmaster scolds him for being late. The Fat Controller and Lady Hatt waited for Thomas, but as he did not turn up, they had to take Bertie, who, unfortunately, had broken down. Thomas is very confused, but realises that his passenger cannot be the Fat Controller; so he asks the question that he wanted to ask all day, and, to Thomas' surprise the passenger reveals himself to be Sir Lowham Hatt, the Fat Controller's brother. Sir Lowham Hatt wants to have some more fun, but Thomas knows that this is not the time for playing games, as they are late.

Thomas finds Bertie broken down in the middle of the road. The Fat Controller is cross with Thomas until he sees his brother and scolds him instead for causing so much confusion and delay. Once the Hatt family are at the party, Thomas finds Edward and Gordon and helps them get to the party just in time. At the party, the Hatt brothers have a lot of fun, which makes Thomas happy.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Sir Lowham Hatt
 * The Maithwaite Stationmaster
 * Lady Hatt (does not speak)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * Bertie (does not speak)
 * The Ginger-haired Boy (does not speak)
 * James (cameo)
 * Percy (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)
 * The Blond-haired Boy (cameo)
 * The Schoolchildren (two only; cameo)
 * The Lady with the Big Hat (cameo)
 * The Female Puppet Show Entertainer (cameo)

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Maithwaite
 * Whispering Woods
 * Kirk Ronan Junction
 * The Coal Hopper

UK

 * Ben Small as Thomas
 * Keith Wickham as Edward, Gordon, The Fat Controller, Sir Lowham Hatt
 * Matt Wilkinson as The Maithwaite Stationmaster

US

 * Martin Sherman as Thomas
 * William Hope as Edward and The Maithwaite Stationmaster
 * Kerry Shale as Gordon, Sir Topham Hatt, Sir Lowham Hatt

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first and only appearance of Sir Lowham Hatt to date.
 * It also marks Bertie's only appearance in the thirteenth season.
 * This episode shares the same title as the US version of the first episode of the second season.

Goofs

 * The 'branch line' that Gordon was directed onto is really a siding, and later when he was sulking on the 'branch line', it is a different siding near the coal hopper.
 * In the UK version, at Maithwaite, Thomas calls Sir Lowham "Fat Controller," but this is a nickname. Thomas should have called him "Sir Topham" to his face like in the US version.
 * Clarabel faces forwards in some shots.
 * Bertie's radiator is missing.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Double Trouble

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * The Birthday Express
 * The Complete Series 13
 * Journey with Thomas

DVD Boxsets

 * 10 DVD Boxset (2015)

US

 * The Birthday Express
 * Awesome Adventures Vol. 4: Preschool Party Surprise

AUS

 * ABC For Kids - Counting 1, 2, 3
 * Thomas in Charge!

FRA

 * Series 13 (digital download)

MYS

 * A Blooming Mess (Malaysian DVD)

JPN

 * Outstanding Performances of Hiro and Thomas

NOR/SWE/DK/FIN/THA/ITA

 * Creaky Cranky

CHN

 * Slippy Sodor (Chinese DVD)

GER

 * The Lion of Sodor (German DVD)

DVD Boxsets
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 * With 15 Great Stories