Thomas and Gordon

"Well, little Thomas. Now you know what hard work means, don't you?"

- Gordon

Thomas and Gordon, retitled Thomas Gets Tricked in American releases, is the very first episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, excluding the Unaired Pilot, and the first episode of the first season. It first aired on Shining Time Station in the episode: A Place Unlike Any Other in 1989, and later reaired in Stacy Forgets Her Name in 1993.

Plot
Thomas is a blue tank engine who acts as a station pilot for the bigger engines. His job is to fetch coaches for the other engines and then take them away when the engines need to go to the sheds and rest. Thomas thinks no engine works as hard as he does and is often very cheeky to the bigger engines, especially Gordon, the big blue engine who pulls express trains.

One day, Gordon returns from a long journey and wants a rest, so he finds a siding to sleep in. Then Thomas comes up in his cheeky way, telling Gordon to wake up and work harder. This wakes the big engine up, but instead of falling back asleep, he vows to teach Thomas a lesson by showing him what hard work really is.

The next morning, Thomas' crew is unable to make him start. Gordon impatiently waits outside the station for Thomas to bring him his coaches. Finally, Thomas starts. He hurries to get the express coaches and brings them to the station platform behind Gordon. Gordon then enacts his plan and quickly backs down, couples to his train and hurries his passengers to get in. Thomas usually pushes from behind the big trains get to help them get a good start, but he is always uncoupled from the coaches first. This time, however, Thomas' crew forgot to uncouple him and Gordon quickly starts off, with little Thomas behind. Gordon races through the Sudrian countryside as fast as he can to show Thomas how hard it is to pull the express. It is not long before Thomas is quite out of breath.

After a while, the two blue engines come to a stop at a station. Thomas has never gone that fast before and is very tired and feels very silly. He has a nice long drink from the water tower and puffs wearily home as learns to never be cheeky to Gordon again.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * Henry (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)
 * Jeremiah Jobling (cameo)

Locations

 * The Quarry Tramroad
 * Wellsworth
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * The Bus Yard
 * The Viaduct
 * Henry's Tunnel

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Thomas the Tank Engine, which is based on a real event that was happened at Liverpool station with an express train who left with the pilot.
 * The George Carlin narration wasn't released on DVD until 2006, when it was part of Thomas' Halloween Adventures.
 * The events of this episode were remade in CGI for the 2015 special, The Adventure Begins.
 * Gordon is seen backing down on his train as Henry leaves Knapford at the beginning of the restored version.
 * In the original version, the studio equipment and edge of sets are not seen, but in the restored version, there are.
 * Music cues from this episode were used in some audiobooks of Thomas & Friends, which were only released in Germany.

Goofs

 * In the very first shot of Thomas, studio equipment is reflected off of his smokebox and the edge of his boiler is chipped. In the same shot when he starts rolling his eyes, his face moves just a little bit.
 * In the first shot of Thomas' wheels, the paint on his middle wheel is chipped and his smokebox is scratched.
 * When the narrator says "It was nearly time for the Express!" there are no coaches on the track next to Gordon. When Thomas puffs in, they suddenly appear.
 * Gordon was waiting outside platform 2 for his coaches, but when Thomas puffs in, Gordon and his coaches are outside platform 3 and 4.
 * In one scene, there is a set of points leading from the track outside platform 5 to the track outside platform 4. In the next scene, it disappears.
 * Just before Thomas reaches the water tower, the background shows trees and bushes instead of Wellsworth.
 * When Gordon backs down on his train and shouts, "Get in quickly please!" something can be seen moving behind the station.
 * When Gordon is sleeping in the siding, his buffers are crooked.
 * When Thomas stops inside Knapford at the beginning, Henry is in his new shape.
 * When Thomas wakes Gordon up the second time, the tracks in the siding in front of Gordon aren't connected to the buffers, Thomas moves a little and his smoke vanishes due to a film cut.
 * In a rare picture, there is no one in Gordon's cab as he and Thomas cross the Viaduct.
 * When Henry leaves the station, Gordon's eyes are a bit wonky.
 * When Thomas says "Hurry (up) yourself!" the coaches cannot be seen in front of him.
 * When Henry and James puff out of Knapford, two of Henry's wheel arches are missing.
 * When Thomas puffs into Knapford in the opening scene, Henry has no coaches. In the next scene, he leaves the station with coaches, a van and a brake van.
 * In the restored version:
 * The top of the set can be seen over the church when James and Henry pass by.
 * Studio equipment can be seen as Gordon pulls Thomas around the bend.
 * When the train crosses the viaduct, the edge of the set is visible.
 * When Thomas backs up to the turntable, a camera stand is visible and a small white mark is visible on his tank in the UK narration.
 * Just before Thomas starts puffing to the water tower, the track ends behind him.
 * In the closeup of Gordon smiling, there is studio equipment in the back, Thomas and the Express disappear and his tender bounces a little.
 * On the Amazon Prime digital release of the Classic Series, this episode features an excerpt of one of Ringo Starr's narrations when Gordon stops at Wellsworth.
 * When Thomas puffs up to the coaches at Knapford, a workman is seen next to the coaches, but in the shot where Thomas puffs backwards, the workman disappears.
 * Henry and James appear briefly, but they were not introduced until The Sad Story of Henry and Thomas and the Breakdown Train respectively.
 * According to the writings of Awdry the Express is not meant to stop at Wellsworth.

Merchandise

 * Books - Thomas and Gordon
 * Board Books - Thomas and Gordon
 * Magazine Stories - Thomas and Gordon
 * My Thomas Story Library - Thomas (discontinued)

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
 * Thomas and Gordon and other Stories
 * Children's T.V Favourites Volume 2
 * Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * My Little MiniVid
 * Edward and Gordon
 * Thomas Gets Bumped and 17 Other Stories
 * Peep Peep Party (DVD only)
 * The Complete Series 1
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * My Little Thomas and the Royal Visitor
 * The Best of Thomas
 * 1st Class Stories
 * Thomas and Gordon/Percy's Promise

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection
 * Peep Peep Party and Brave Little Engines Double Pack
 * The Fogman and Other Stories and The Very Best of Thomas and Friends Double Pack
 * Peep Peep Party/Engines to the Rescue/The Chocolate Crunch Triple Pack
 * 10 DVD Boxset (2014)
 * The Best of Friends

WAL

 * Thomas and Gordon and other Stories (Welsh VHS)

US

 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories
 * The Early Years
 * Thomas' Halloween Adventures
 * The Greatest Stories
 * Thomas and Friends Classic Volume 1

VHS/DVD Boxsets

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Totally Thomas Volume 8
 * Thomas' Halloween Adventure/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories/Thomas' Halloween Adventures Double Feature
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection

AUS

 * Thomas and Gordon and other Stories
 * My First Thomas with Thomas
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1
 * The Complete Series 1

DVD Boxsets

 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * My First Thomas
 * My First Thomas (3 Disc Set)
 * Classic Collection
 * Series One and Series Two Double Pack

FRA

 * The Adventures of Thomas

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.1 (Japanese VHS)
 * Thomas and Gordon
 * Keep It Up Thomas!
 * Nice to Meet You Thomas!
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.3
 * The Complete DVD Box 1
 * I Love Thomas DVD Collection
 * Best of Gordon (Japanese VHS)

SA

 * Volume 1 (VHS)

SE

 * Thomas and the Guard (Swedish VHS)

NOR

 * Thomas-Festival (Norwegian VHS)
 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)

BRA

 * Learning with Thomas

MYS

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Adventures

FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)

GER

 * All Beginnings Are Difficult
 * Thomas and Gordon and 4 Other Adventures

SVN

 * Thomas' Train (Slovenian DVD)

NL

 * ...Taken by the Nose!
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon

NZ

 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 1
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 4
 * Thomas and Gordon and other stories (New Zealand VHS)

ITA

 * A Vicious Train

PHL

 * Thomas Gets Tricked (Philippine DVD)

ROM

 * Thomas and the Trucks (Romanian DVD)

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

DNK

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories (Danish DVD)

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

ISR

 * Welcome Thomas!

HRV

 * Thomas and Gordon (Croatian DVD)

IND

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories (DVD)

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD)

TWN

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 1 (Taiwanese DVD)

THA
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 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 1 (Thai DVD)