Edward the Great

"Spencer's just a big silver show-off!"

- Gordon

Edward the Great is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season.

Plot
The Duke and Duchess of Boxford are visiting and Edward is to take their luggage to their summerhouse. Spencer challenges Edward to a race and soon gets in the lead. Spencer becomes puffed up with his lead and stops to allow the Duke and Duchess to take photographs, falling asleep in the meantime. Edward, however, passes him and gets onto the summerhouse branchline and beats Spencer, who naturally is very embarrassed by his loss!

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Spencer
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Henry (cameo)
 * Salty (cameo)
 * Donald and Douglas (deleted scene cameo)

Trivia

 * While the Duke and Duchess have refreshments, a poster advertising RMS Titanic and RMS Olympic is visible in the top left corner.
 * Stock footage from Gordon and Spencer is used.
 * The concept of Spencer falling asleep and unintentionally allowing Edward to overtake him is similar to Aesop's fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare".

Goofs

 * At the beginning, Henry has Gordon's whistle sound.
 * In the first overhead shot of Edward and Spencer racing, Spencer's steam platform is visible.
 * When Spencer's driver rings the bell, there is no bell in sight.
 * Salty has a different horn sound.
 * The furniture truck is coupled to Edward before he is even chosen to pull it.
 * A single truck of furniture should not have been enough to strain Edward.
 * Gordon's Hill is situated east of Wellsworth, not west.
 * In the last shot, Spencer appears to be smiling, when he should be sad.
 * It was very dangerous for Spencer to stop in the middle of the countryside, especially when his driver didn't inform any signalmen about it.
 * In the deleted scene featuring Donald and Douglas, Gordon's Hill has one more track than it normally does.