Best Dressed Engine

"I can't see! Stop!" "You can't stop Gordon, you're the express!"

- Gordon and his driver

Best Dressed Engine is the twenty-second episode of the seventh season.

Plot
The Engines are celebrating May Day. Knapford Station is being decorated and Sir Topham Hatt agrees to let the engines be decorated, but Gordon states that decorations are dignified for an important engine like him and puffs away.

At Tidmouth Sheds, everyone was being decorated. Percy had flags and streamers, Thomas had big red banners and Murdoch was decorated, even though he was shy. James gets the idea of having a competition for the "Best Dressed Engine." When Gordon arrived and heard about a competition, he wanted to join in, but James tells him that he needs to be decorated and that it's a Best Dressed Engine contest. Gordon rejects the competition after hearing everything.

Later, Gordon is crossing a bridge when a banner is blown onto his front. Since Gordon is pulling the express, he can't stop and so remains "dressed up." Trevor was pulling a cart of apples for the children's apple bobbing. When Trevor heard Gordon's whistle, he tried to go as fast as he could, but it was no use and Gordon smashed all the apples. James was the last to reach the station for the contest, until Gordon arrived. Everyone wasn't expecting Gordon to be decorated, but Gordon said he didn't, but James says that he's defiantly the Best Dressed Engine, everyone agreed and Gordon was announced the winner of the "best dressed" competition.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Murdoch
 * Trevor (does not speak)
 * Salty (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Harold (cameo)
 * Lady Hatt (cameo)
 * Bridget Hatt (cameo)
 * Jem Cole (cameo)
 * Farmer Trotter (cameo)
 * The Tailor (cameo)
 * Henry (stock footage cameo)
 * Oliver (stock footage cameo)
 * Bulgy (stock footage cameo)
 * The Vicar of Wellsworth (stock footage cameo)
 * Refreshment Lady (stock footage cameo)
 * The Crovan's Gate Policeman (stock footage cameo)
 * The Dryaw Policeman (stock footage cameo)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * Maron
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * Three Tier Bridge
 * Rolf's Castle
 * The Works
 * Tidmouth Tunnel
 * Tidmouth Bay
 * Balladrine
 * The Seaside Village (stock footage)

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the seventeenth episode of the seventh season.
 * Stock footage from Special Attraction, Really Useful Engine, and Bulgy Rides Again is used, as well as mirrored stock footage from Thomas and the Breakdown Train and extended stock footage from Percy's Chocolate Crunch; it is extended because Oliver is not onscreen right away, and James and Thomas are further back from the platform (even more than in Bulgy Rides Again). Unlike Percy's Chocolate Crunch, Oliver has his own whistle sound in this scene rather than Duck's.
 * It is currently unknown why the competition is referred to as a contest in the US narrations.
 * The Headmaster Hasting's pipe organ from the sixth season episode, Faulty Whistles, is visible at the beginning of the episode; Thomas was pulling it when the narrator says "They knew there'll be music and lots of fun."
 * This episode is seen briefly in the 2004 film 離婚弁護士(Rikon Bengoshi). In the same film, Wooden Railway toys of Henry, Gordon, Donald and Douglas are seen.
 * This episode marks Murdoch's last speaking role until the twelfth season.

Goofs

 * It is said that the banner wraps around Gordon's firebox, but it actually does so on his smokebox.
 * When Trevor is chuffing along, studio equipment is reflected in his paintwork.
 * When Gordon breaks through the crossing gates, Trevor's cart isn't hit, but in the next scene the cart is smashed.
 * After Gordon collides with the cart, his left (viewer's right) buffer becomes severely damaged, but later at Knapford, it's still intact.
 * When Trevor passes the farm, the shot is mirrored. You can see because Trevor's flywheel is on his right side, where it should be on his left side.
 * The stock footage from Bulgy Rides Again causes a few inconsistencies:
 * Bulgy is in his red livery.
 * When Gordon leaves Knapford, he's pulling four coaches, but in the next scene, he's pulling three.
 * Gordon goes under the same bridge twice. However, an effort: the removal of the upper part of the bridge, is made to disguise it the second time.
 * Because stock footage from Thomas and the Breakdown Train is mirrored, Thomas' number 1 is mirrored.
 * When Murdoch asks Gordon "What decorations will you have Gordon?" his left eyebrow (viewer's right perspective) is scratched.
 * In the shot of Trevor chuffing along before Gordon hits the crossing gates, Gordon cannot be seen behind him puffing.
 * If you look closely and slowed the episode in the part where Gordon collided with the banner, you can see the banner actually rolled up in Gordon's funnel like when he was at Knapford by the end.
 * In the close-up of Murdoch before Gordon was shown with his proud face by the end, the banner wasn't on Gordon as you can tell due to one of the cords of the banner being missing.
 * At the level crossing where Gordon hits the cart, there is only one set of gates on one side of the crossing, whears there should be a set of gates on both sides.

Merchandise

 * Books - Gordon and the Competition and A Hooray for Thomas! (Brazil only)

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Pulling Together!
 * The Complete Seventh Series

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection
 * Pulling Together!/The Chocolate Crunch Double Pack
 * Peep Peep Party/Pulling Together! Double Pack

WAL

 * Machines Co-Extract

US

 * Hooray for Thomas and Other Adventures
 * Season 7 (Digital Download)

DVD Boxsets

 * On-the-Go Pack
 * Totally Thomas Volume 5

AUS

 * The Complete Seventh Series

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Series Seven and Series Eight Double Pack

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 7 Vol.4

KOR

 * The Story of Getting to Know Nature

DK

 * Snow Engine and Other Stories

DVD Boxsets

 * Danish DVD Boxset (2008)

SWE

 * The Snow Engine

MYS

 * Something Fishy and Other Adventures
 * Fergus Breaks the Rules and Other Adventures

TWN

 * Confident Brave Little Engine
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 18 (Taiwanese DVD)

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 26 (Thai DVD)

ITA
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 * Hooray for Thomas (Italian DVD)