Hunt the Truck

Hunt the Truck, also known as Hunt the Car in the US, is an episode of the twenty-second season.

Plot
Edward arrived at Brendam Docks with trucks for Bill and Ben to take when he finds a frustrated Nia searching for a covered truck, which had disappeared while she went to refuel. The details given allow him to immediately deduce that Bill and Ben hid it while Nia was absent. Unsurprisingly, the twins loudly deny it and while Nia throws in an argument, Edward spots her missing truck, and after a round of laughter from the twins, threatens to take away their trucks if they don't give Nia her truck back. They relent, and Bill goes to fetch it, but not before calling Edward a spoilsport. Edward apologises to Nia, saying that their latest game consists of hiding trucks and making other engines hunt for them. Ben then gloats that nobody can hide truck better than he and Bill, who gives Nia her truck back. Thanking Edward, she sets off, and the twins promptly tease Edward about being no fun and very boring as he leaves rolling his eyes.

The twins find a red van with a wreath on the side at the docks the next morning, and thanks to Porter, they find out that the truck was for Edward to collect. Still sore about Edward ruining their fun the last time, the twins decided to hide his trucks as payback, leaving it in a empty yard. But that's where their troubles start.

Later that day, as a smirking Edward arrived for his truck, as soon as he spotted the twins, he begins acting shocked, worried, and sad. A confused Porter then replies that he was certain that the truck was at the docks earlier, with Bill and Ben snickering at their supposed success. But Edward then reveals the truck's contents, the Earl’s Christmas party and the consequences without them, leaving the twins both shocked and horrified. After realising they were spotted, they made an excuse and left. Porter was confused at this behaviour, but Edward just smiled smugly.

The twins raced to the spot the hid the truck, but to their horror, the sidings were completely empty. Bill then lists the main concerns and notes one thing: they have to find the truck before Christmas is ruined! The twins then get into a short-lived argument on who is to blame, which was interrupted by Salty's horn. They then ask if he's seen the truck, and he gives a monologue and a joke, saying that the truck could be anywhere on the island by now. This last statement horrifies the twins, and busy as bees, they rush off to hunt the truck, leaving a confused Salty behind.

They looked everywhere for the truck, through Knapford Station, in a shunting yard, where they briefly bashed a truck in frustration, and finally, a tunnel that Bill enters to try and find the truck before being chased out by Gordon, who made enough vibrations to cause a small pile of snow fall on top of a very annoyed Ben.

Going over their options, the twins decide to tell Edward the bad news. When they spill the beans, Edward surprises them by revealing the truck was at Ulfstead Castle the whole time. Bill and Ben are left with a loss of words, and just after Thomas arrives with the party guests, Edward revealed that he had set things up to give the twins a taste of their own medicine, revealing he knew all of their hiding places as well. The twins were left both relieved and disappointed, something that Edward, Thomas, Annie and Clarabel have a laugh at as soon as the party begins.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * Bill and Ben
 * Porter
 * Nia
 * Salty
 * Clarabel
 * Sir Robert Norramby
 * Duck
 * Rebecca
 * Annie
 * Cranky
 * Carly
 * Big Mickey
 * The Ginger-haired Boy
 * The Blond-haired Boy
 * Diesel
 * Paxton
 * Max and Monty
 * Den
 * Sidney

Locations

 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Ulfstead Castle
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Station Yard
 * Knapford Yards
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * Wellsworth
 * Wellsworth Sheds
 * Vicarstown Dieselworks
 * Sodor China Clay Company
 * The Mainland

UK

 * John Hasler as Thomas
 * Keith Wickham as Edward, Gordon and Salty
 * Rasmus Hardiker as Bill
 * Matt Wilkinson as Ben
 * Steven Kynman as Porter
 * Yvonne Grundy as Nia
 * Teresa Gallagher as Clarabel

US

 * Joseph May as Thomas
 * William Hope as Edward
 * Kerry Shale as Gordon
 * Rasmus Hardiker as Bill
 * Matt Wilkinson as Ben
 * David Menkin as Porter
 * Yvonne Grundy as Nia
 * Keith Wickham as Salty
 * Teresa Gallagher as Clarabel

Trivia

 * This is the first episode written by Michael White, along with the first episode to be written by a fan.
 * At the end of the episode, Thomas mentions the events of the eighteenth season episode, Disappearing Diesels, and the twentieth season episode, Mucking About. Stock footage from both episodes is used.
 * There are a few references to past episodes:
 * The term "Hunt the Truck" comes from The Railway Series book, Tramway Engines and the third season episode, Mavis.
 * Edward threatens to take away the trucks he brought Bill and Ben, which is what BoCo does in the second season episode, Wrong Road.
 * When Bill and Ben leave to look for Edward's truck, they say the same line as Thomas did in Ghost Train, "...got to see a coach about a train."

In other Languages
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