Edward the Very Useful Engine

"Duck should play with other ducks, 'coz he's no good at pulling trucks! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Hold back! Hold back!"

- The troublesome trucks

Edward the Very Useful Engine, retitled Edward the Really Useful Engine in American releases, is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season.

Plot
Percy is concerned when the big engines begin saying that Edward needs to be retired and when he tells the Fat Controller, Edward is sent to show Stepney around a new loop line. Duck does Edward's work, but the trucks hold him back on Gordon's Hill and not even Gordon can push them up. Edward is sent to help and, when he helps both up, no one says Edward needs retiring anymore.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * Percy
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Duck (does not speak)
 * Stepney (does not speak)
 * James (cameo)
 * Oliver (deleted scene)

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Maithwaite
 * Maron
 * The Windmill
 * The Viaduct
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Shunting Yards

Trivia

 * This was the final episode to be written by David Mitton.
 * This is one of the few episodes of the sixth season to be narrated by Michael Brandon.
 * Two posters at Knapford read "Alicia Botti in concert tonight at the castle".
 * In Norway, this episode is named "Edward the Useful Engine". In Denmark it is called "Edward the Old Engine".

Goofs

 * Gordon was only a few minutes behind Duck. So even if Duck had not stopped, Gordon would have either crashed into Duck or would have to slow down to follow him.
 * When Edward, Gordon and Duck arrive at Knapford, Duck is frowning as if he did something wrong, but he did not; he could not help stalling on Gordon's Hill.
 * In the American narration, listen closely after Alec Baldwin says, "Sir Topham Hatt spoke severely to Gordon". A voice can be faintly heard saying "Take six".
 * Stepney has Skarloey's whistle sound.
 * Once Gordon stops behind Duck, he could have backed down the hill and then be switched onto the middle line.
 * In the US version, the term "guard" is accidentally used at one point.
 * When Edward buffers up to Gordon a white wire is visible in the windows of the express coach.
 * Duck has Oliver's whistle sound at the beginning.
 * How do Duck, Gordon, and Edward end up at Knapford after descending Gordon's Hill?
 * Percy states that Edward does not have tyres, which is quite wrong because, as stated in Henry and the Express, railway engines and rolling stock have a steel rim called a tyre to prevent the metal wheels from wearing out.
 * In Michael Angelis' remastered narration, the term "freight cars" is used at the beginning.