Calling All Engines!

"Steamies and diesels need to work together!"

- Thomas

Calling All Engines! is a feature-length Thomas and Friends special. It was distributed by HiT Entertainment in 2005.

Plot
Summer is coming and the engines are looking forward to taking holiday makers around Sodor. One day, the Fat Controller announces that an airport is to be built on Sodor, which will bring more holidaymakers than ever. Thomas and Percy go to the site of the new airport, only to discover that 'Arry and Bert are on the same job.

That afternoon, Thomas goes to the timber yard and finds 'Arry and Bert there. They boast that their job is very important, but Thomas doesn't think so and biffs their flatbeds just before the crane drops the timber. Whilst Thomas and Percy are shunting trucks, Diesel confronts Thomas about the trouble he had caused for 'Arry and Bert, and boasts that he too has an important job.

After shunting trucks of bananas for Diesel as a prank, Thomas and Percy go to the Smelters to collect some steel girders. Upon arrival, they see that Diesel 10 has returned, and are so scared that they run away. On their way home, Thomas and Percy are surprised to see the Sodor Suspension Bridge is not painted and the new airport is only half-built. Worse still, Tidmouth Sheds have been demolished to make way for the new sheds, but since Thomas gave Diesel bananas the renovation is running late. That night, a fierce storm sweeps across Sodor and causes havoc. The next morning, the Fat Controller tells the engines that the storm damage must be cleared up before the work on the new sheds and the airport can continue.

The next morning, Thomas is sent to collect some iron beams for the suspension bridge from Brendam. Upon arrival at the suspension bridge, Thomas feels tired and the beams need to be placed. Diesel wants to do it, but the foreman decides to let Thomas do it. Thomas manages to lower the beams into place, much to Diesel's fury.

When Thomas goes to collect paint for the bridge, Diesel biffs Thomas's flatbed so hard that paint splashes all over Thomas. When Thomas sees 'Arry, he biffs him into a pile of gravel. In retaliation, 'Arry biffs James under the coal hopper. The matter escalates until all the engines are fighting. By the end of the day, everyone is dirty and no work has been done.

The Fat Controller is angry at the delays and warns the engines that anymore disturbances will put the railway out of business. This leaves the engines deeply worried over their recent actions. As a result, several of them dream what might happen to them should The Fat Controller's warning come true and the railway is closed forever. As for Thomas, he has a dream on how to make things better. In the dream, he sees Lady and Rusty working together. Lady tells Thomas about teamwork and Thomas goes off to find Mavis as soon as he wakes up.

Thomas finds Mavis at the wash-down and tells her about his plan: the Diesels and steam engines must work together to save the new airport and their home. Mavis explains that they must talk to each other first, so Thomas suggests to have a meeting at the coaling plant the next day. Thomas and Mavis tell the engines about the meeting, and Thomas decides to tell Diesel 10, but gets cold wheels and backs down. The next day, Thomas races to the coaling plant and gets there, just to see 'Arry and Bert almost calling the meeting off as the engines start to argue about who is to blame for starting the trouble. Thomas explains that they must work together, and at last the engines put their differences aside. When Harold brings the Fat Controller, Thomas explains that the steam engines and Disesels have finally agreed to work together.

Very soon, the new airport is complete and the first aeroplane is sent to Sodor, but when Thomas' trucks come off the rails, they hit the water tower, which falls to the ground and cracks the runway. The workmen quickly fix the runway, but they need George to finish the job and with Harvey on the other side of Sodor there is no chance of the aeroplane landing. Thomas quickly has an idea and rushes off to find Diesel 10. Thomas asks Diesel 10 to help them and tells him that he will be the most useful engine of the day. Diesel 10 is hesitant at first, but eventually agrees and he follows Thomas to the airport. Mavis, Percy, 'Arry and Bert are surprised to see Thomas and Diesel 10 working together. Seeing Diesel 10 working alongside a steam engine convinces 'Arry and Bert to finally respect the steam engines themselves. With the aid of the other engiens, they clear up the mess and Thomas collects George.

With the runway smooth again, the aeroplane lands at last. The engines have learnt that teamwork runs a railway, not opposition about their differences. That evening, the engines are happy to see Tidmouth Sheds rebuilt, especially Emily when she finds that she is staying at Tidmouth Sheds from now on.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Lady
 * Emily
 * Diesel
 * Mavis
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Diesel 10
 * Harold
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Toby (does not speak)
 * Harvey (does not speak)
 * Daisy (does not speak)
 * Salty (does not speak)
 * Rusty (does not speak)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * George (does not speak)
 * Farmer McColl (does not speak)
 * Henrietta (cameo)
 * Caroline (cameo)
 * Butch (cameo)
 * Cranky (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)
 * Bridget Hatt (cameo)
 * Jem Cole (cameo)
 * Sodor Brass Band (cameo)
 * Bill and Ben (music video cameo)
 * Derek (music video cameo)
 * Jeremiah Jobling (music video cameo)
 * The Refreshment Lady (music video cameo)
 * Toad (faceless music video cameo)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * The Coaling Plant
 * Sodor Suspension Bridge
 * Centre Island Quarry
 * Sodor Ironworks
 * Ffarquhar
 * The Lumber Mill
 * The Washdown
 * Bulgy's Bridge
 * Sodor Airport
 * Knapford
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Kellsthorpe
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * The Castle Tunnel
 * Mr. Jolly's Chocolate Factory
 * The Windmill
 * Hackenbeck Bridge
 * Knapford Sheds

UK/AUS

 * Learn with Thomas - Which Things are the Same? and Differences
 * Exclusive Song - The Dream Song
 * Deleted Scenes - Biffed Again, Bert n' Arry Tease Thomas and The Windmill
 * Day Out with Thomas preview (Only featured in the UK release)

US

 * Calling All Engines! game
 * Diesel 10 Means Trouble - Read along
 * Character Gallery
 * Deleted Scenes
 * Music Video - Busy, Trying, Together and Dream Song
 * Web Fun
 * HiT Extras

Trivia

 * This special marked the first of several things:
 * The first full-length, one hour special.
 * The first special to be narrated by Jon Kabira in Japan as well as a brand new voice cast.
 * This is the first special to be filmed interlaced on Digibeta technology.
 * Daisy's first appearance since the fourth season and Derek's since the fifth.
 * The special to feature a narrow gauge engine (Rusty).
 * Stock footage from Fish, Emily's Adventure, Chickens to School, Thomas and the Firework Display, James Gets a New Coat, Edward the Great, and Emily's New Route is used, as is a deleted scene from Percy's Scary Tale.
 * This special aired on Channel Five's Milkshake in the UK in 2008 and then again on Christmas 2009.
 * This special was made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the franchise.
 * This was the only special to be written by Abi Grant and Paul Larson.
 * This is the second time an engine has been pushed onto the coal tipper. The first time was in Middle Engine.
 * A blackboard in the airport manager's office shows flights from Athens, Madrid, Brussels, Paris, Istanbul, Milan, Canterbury, Bristol, and London.
 * Toad's scrap model from Escape is seen when Henry and Percy are at the Smelter's Yard.
 * This special takes place between the eighth and ninth seasons.
 * Several props including one of the paint cans were sold to wiki user Daniel Coffey from The Prop Store.
 * Mavis receives a new horn sound.
 * To date, this is the only special not to introduce any new characters.
 * Rusty's small scale model is used when he is working in the hills with Lady.
 * This special was shown for one week only in Cinemax cinemas in Germany in September 2006.
 * In the Greek version, James' English name is used once by accident.
 * This special also marks Daisy's, Lady's and Derek's last appearances to date.
 * This is the only special that features Learning Segments incorporated into the narrative and the story line.
 * The stock photo of the VHS/DVD cover has a prototype of the bronze Toby which was changed to Diesel before released.
 * An edited image from Toby's Windmill is on the back cover of the UK DVD, with Toby's face changed from sad to happy.
 * This is the only special to be filmed in standard definition.
 * The cover of this special made a background appearance in one of the CBS's television show episodes of The Big Bang Theory during its second series.

Goofs

 * When Emily passes the windmill and in the last shot of Busy, one of her coaches' middle wheel is raised above the rails.
 * The narrator says Thomas and Diesel 10 puffed as fast as they could, but Diesel 10 is a Diesel and therefore does not puff.
 * In the third interactive segment, Annie is facing backwards.
 * The narrator refers to Harold as an "it" when he arrives at the airport.
 * When Diesel says "You gave me bananas!" his eyes are wonky.
 * Wires are visible through Daisy's windows.
 * Brakevans should have been added to Thomas, Percy, Diesel, and Mavis' trains.
 * On the back cover, it claims that Toby is a main character, yet he doesn't speak.
 * In the scene of Rusty and Lady, Rusty's eyes are wonky.
 * When the diesel engines honk their horns at the end of the movie, Salty's sixth season horn sound is heard, but he is not present at the airport.

Merchandise

 * Books - Calling All Engines!
 * TrackMaster - Thomas and the Airport set and Thomas Makes a Mess
 * Take-Along - Sodor Airport Set and Thomas and the Paint Car (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway - Paint-splattered Thomas and Calling All Engines pack
 * Wind-up Trains - Paint-covered Thomas and Roller-coaster Percy