Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure

"But I wasn't quick enough to save the treasure, sir." "Please don't worry about the treasure, Thomas. My engines are much more important to me than any treasure. And you, Thomas, are my number one."

- Thomas and The Fat Controller

Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure is the second (first in Australia) 2015 Thomas and Friends special.

Plot
It is a bright sunny day on Sodor, as Thomas chuffs along his branch line with Annie and Clarabel. When he sees Bertie, he decides to have a race with him, but nearly gets into trouble along the way, narrowly avoiding rail work and nearly having a head-on collision with Toby when he passes a red signal. Bertie believes that he will win, due to him being in first place for the majority of the race, but his chances of winning become slim when he has to slow down for Oliver the excavator, who is slowly trundling along the small countryside road. Thomas gets the upper hand in the race, and Bertie finally gets past Oliver, who takes a shortcut, passing by a familiar man on a bicycle. When he stops at Ffarquhar, Annie and Clarabel berate Thomas for racing despite the fact the Fat Controller does not want him to, but Thomas dismisses it, remarking that he has been racing on his branch line for years. Bertie arrives at the station, cross that he has lost, remarking that ever since the new branch line's construction site, he has been held-up by construction vehicles. Annie and Clarabel fear their branch line will be closed in favour of the new one, but Thomas dismisses it.

Meanwhile, Marion is on her way to the construction yard, fascinated by the enchanted scenery of the forest at Arlesburgh. As she chuffs along, two small engines dart pass her, taking her by surprise. She shuts her eyes, and bumps into Toad and Oliver, who are waiting at the ballast chute. A small red engine races up the chute with some hoppers, frightening Marion. Toad introduces Marion to Rex, Mike, and Bert, three miniature engines. Marion is interested by the little engines' size, asking if they are real. A cross Mike tells her they are real, and that they deliver ballast, wool, and passengers for the big railway. Toad and Oliver then leave for the construction yard, just as a black tender engine races past Marion.

At the construction yard, Duck is shunting trucks, just as Donald and Douglas arrive. Duck is delighted to see them, remarking that it has been ages since he has last seen them, but the twins tell him they have only been away to fetch new rails and sleepers for the construction. Meanwhile, Jack and Alfie are getting to work, just as Oliver arrives, apologising for being late as he took a wrong turn.

The next morning, Thomas cannot wake up. His fire goes out, and there is not enough steam to get him going. The other engines all wake him up, reminding him that he needs to shunt Gordon's coaches, but Thomas is in no hurry to do that. Meanwhile, Gordon grumpily waits at Knapford for Thomas, just as he finally arrives. Annie and Clarabel remind Thomas it is time for their first train, but Thomas tells them he has to get Gordon's coaches first, criticizing Gordon for being lazy for not getting his own coaches. Gordon tells Thomas that he knows full well that tender engines are too large for shunting, telling him that is what common little tank engines do. Determined to prove Gordon wrong, Thomas decides that he will pull the express today, and thunders out of the station with the coaches. Unfortunately, this results in an accident occurring when he fails to slow down, as the coaches come off the rails.

Meanwhile, at the construction site, Marion tries to play 'Guess What's in My Shovel' with Donald, but he does not have time to play. She then turns her attention to Oliver the excavator, but he tells her that all he has in his bucket is dirt and rocks. When she asks what his name is, Marion is surprised to find out that the excavator's name is Oliver, believing that he turned himself from a railway engine into a digger. Oliver tries to explain the situation to her, but his attempts to do so are futile, as she believes the Arlesdale engines really are magic and granted him a wish, deciding that she will make a wish as well.

Back at Knapford, the Fat Controller has arrived to inspect the damage. Thomas tries to pin the blame on Gordon and Emily, but the Fat Controller already knows that it was him who caused the accident. He tells Thomas that he will be sending him to the construction yard as his punishment. When Thomas asks who will look after his branch line, a new purple tank engine called Ryan shows up. The Fat Controller welcomes Ryan to his railway, while Thomas looks on, surprised.

At the construction site, work goes on as usual. However, trouble arises when the ground beneath the tracks begins to crumble, and the workmen flag down Donald just before he can pass over the line. Some engineers are called, and after inspecting the area of bad track, they deem it unsafe, forcing the workmen to re-route the track.

Meanwhile, at Arlesburgh Junction, the small engines are delivering ballast for the new branch line, when Thomas solemnly puffs in. When asked what is wrong by Bert, Thomas crossly tells them all about Ryan replacing him and what Gordon told him. The small engines tell him that bigger engines always act superior than smaller engines, even if they come out on top. The small engines then burst into song to cheer Thomas up, but unknowingly boost his overconfidence. When Thomas arrives at the construction yard, he remembers what the small engines told him about rails and sleepers coming before ballast, and eagerly shunts some flatbeds of sleepers and rails along to the construction site. He immediately believes the workmen are excited to have him help them, not knowing that they are actually trying to stop him because he is heading to the danger zone. He bursts through the danger barriers and rolls over the crumbling ground, just as the ground gives way and a large sinkhole forms. Thomas tries to escape, but a flatbed hanging from his coupling hook and his crew bailing out causes him to fall into the cavern. One truck after another, Thomas rolls down into the cavern, badly damaging himself. As he looks up, Thomas finds an abandoned pirate ship in the cavern.

At Knapford, Ryan pulls into the yard, introducing himself to Annie and Clarabel, who wonder where Thomas is. Meanwhile, at the cavern, Thomas is lifted out by Rocky, the Fat Controller reprimanding him for ignoring the danger signs. Thomas tries to tell the Fat Controller he was not responsible for the accident and tries to tell him about the pirate ship, but the Fat Controller is not interested in his excuses, telling Emily to send him to the Steamworks. As this goes on, an elderly man watches Thomas being recovered from the cavern with his telescope, stomping on his sailboat for bobbing about in the water.

Thomas is sent to the Steamworks, but is in no hurry to get back to work, telling Victor and Kevin that the Fat Controller has already replaced him. However, Victor reassures Thomas that the Fat Controller would never replace him, and that he wants him to get back to work as soon as he can, while Kevin tells Thomas that despite all his accidents, he still works at the Steamworks. Just then, Edward arrives and tells the engines about Rocky discovering the pirate ship, much to Thomas' fury. At the sinkhole, Rocky lifts the pirate ship out, much to everyone's amazement. Jack believes that the ship was put into the cavern like a paper ship in a bottle, but Donald and Douglas both dismiss it, believing that it must have sailed in when the cavern was open to the sea. Marion believes that if there is a pirate ship around, then there must be buried treasure. This gives her an idea for a wish, and she sets off to Arlesburgh Junction at once.

At the junction, the small engines are still at work, just as they hear Marion coming. Both Rex and Bert immediately flee, leaving Mike to escape for himself. Before he can get off of the chute, however, Marion stops him and begins telling him her wish. Mike immediately breaks free and escapes, but this only fuels Marion's belief that the small engines are magical. Meanwhile, Donald and Douglas deliver the pirate ship to Arlesburgh Harbour, the same man and sailboat from earlier watching them.

That night, Henry is puffing along with the Flying Kipper, when he suddenly sees a white sailboat gliding down the rails. Surprised, he runs down a siding and hits the buffers, but when he looks back, the boat has gone. The next morning, he tries to tell the other engines at Brendam Docks, but most of the engines think he was just seeing things. Salty then shows up and tells the engines the legend of the Lost Pirate, who sailed into a cavern, buried his treasure, and never found it again. He says that the Lost Pirate is still out there on his ghostly ship, trying to find his treasure, but Cranky scoffs at the idea of a ghost pirate. The other engines all leave, with Henry still protesting that he saw the ghost. Meanwhile, Thomas passes through Arlesburgh when he sees the pirate ship, angrily saying that he was the one who found the ship, not Rocky. While he is not looking, the man from earlier climbs onto the ship and looks around.

Thomas arrives back at the construction yard and fills up on coal, surprised to find Ryan there. He asks the Fat Controller if he can now go back to his branch line, but the Fat Controller tells him that Percy is already doing his work, and tells Thomas to collect some more ballast, leaving Thomas to lament at the fact he is no longer the Fat Controller's No. 1 engine. Meanwhile, Marion is helping Oliver and Alfie dig at a cliffside, telling them about how she made a wish to Mike.

When Thomas arrives at Arlesburgh Junction, he is blowing sparks and black smoke from his funnel. The small engines conclude that he must have had some bad coal. That night, he takes on some fresh coal and heads to the sheds, but finds Ryan already there. Ryan tries to coax Thomas into the shed, but Thomas chooses to sleep on a siding by himself, upsetting Ryan. As he sleeps on a siding, he suddenly wakes up to see a sailboat sailing along down the line, so he decides to follow after it. Thomas stops at the sinkhole to find the sailboat and its owner there, accidentally getting their attention. The man turns his attention to Thomas, and asks him who he is, to which Thomas introduces himself and mentions how he found the pirate ship, but Rocky stole the credit from him. The man kindly introduces himself as Sailor John, while his sailboat also introduces himself as Skiff, telling Thomas that they are looking for treasure. Sailor John asks Thomas if he would like to help him find the treasure, to which he agrees to. Tying a harness around his waist and to Thomas' buffer, Sailor John lowers himself into the cavern. Skiff tells Thomas that they have been sailing around the coast for years to find the treasure, as well as telling Thomas about how Sailor John gave him rail wheels to search for the treasure on land. Sailor John finds Calles' map inside of the cavern, and is pulled back out by Thomas. Skiff reminds Sailor John that the sun is rising, and John tells Thomas that he and Skiff have to go back home, telling him they forgot their shovels. Since Skiff cannot move due to there being no winds, Thomas pushes him along back to the harbour, where he sails off with Sailor John back home.

Later that morning, Thomas returns back to the construction yard, just as Ryan begins questioning him on his whereabouts the previous night. Thomas tells Ryan that he must have been having a dream, and then questions him when he begins to fill up with coal. Thomas knows fully well that the coal in that hopper is bad, but does not say anything to Ryan about it. Meanwhile, Marion tries to work on the next cutting, but the rock is too hard. When told that they have to wait for a train of dynamite from Brendam Docks, Marion suggests to Oliver that he should make a wish and turn back into an engine, but Oliver, going along with what Marion says, tells her that may not work. When Ryan returns, he is emitting black smoke and sparks from his funnel. Just as he begins to puff away, sparks from his funnel set the dynamite in one of his trucks alight, leading him to panic. This causes him, Jack, Alfie and Marion to pass around a crate of dynamite with a lit stick, until it lands back into the trucks. Quickly thinking, Thomas buffers up to the trucks and shunts them into the cavern, causing the dynamite to explode. He is congratulated by the others, but the Fat Controller is extremely cross, thinking that Thomas was wasting the dynamite, and sends him to his shed for the rest of the afternoon, along with ordering everybody else to go back to work. The diggers attempt to carry out work on the cutting, but due to the lack of dynamite, there is only so much they can do. Marion finds a strange box in the cliffside and tries to tell Alfie and Oliver, but by then, they have already left.

That night, Thomas rests on a siding, just as he sees Skiff and Sailor John heading back to the sinkhole. He follows after them and agrees to help them try to find the treasure. But no matter where they look, they cannot seem to find them. Sailor John immediately accuses Thomas of finding the treasure first, citing that only they and Skiff have seen the map, and he has been with Skiff night and day. Skiff reminds Sailor John the sun is rising, and Sailor John leaves, but not before telling Thomas this is not the end of it. Upset, Thomas puffs away, bumping into Marion as she dumps the box on him, revealing the contents of the treasure chest. The Fat Controller is delighted with Marion's discovery and plans to show the treasure in the museum, while he sends Thomas to the waste dump to deliver some construction debris.

As Thomas puffs along the Coastal Cliffs, Henry thunders past, frightened by the Lost Pirate. As he rounds the bend, Thomas finds out that the Lost Pirate is Sailor John with Skiff, the former demanding to know where his treasure is. Thomas tells him that the Fat Controller has it and plans to give it to the museum, infuriating Sailor John, who had no plans to see the treasure end up in a museum, confusing Skiff. Sailor John demands to get his treasure back, but Thomas stands up to him, telling him that the treasure is going to the museum and that is the end of it. He shoves Skiff and Sailor John aside, leaving John to pout.

Thomas returns to Knapford, overhearing the Fat Controller speaking on the phone about the treasure. The Fat Controller tells whoever is on the phone that the treasure will be stored at Knapford overnight, worrying Thomas. When he returns to the construction yard, he is still worried, just as he sees Ryan there. The two make amends for what happened earlier, and Ryan once again tries to offer Thomas a space in the shed, but Thomas tells him he plans to stay at Knapford just in case, confusing Ryan.

That night, Thomas sleeps on a siding outside of the station, waiting for Sailor John and Skiff to show up. Hours later, as he is asleep, Skiff and Sailor John arrive. Skiff asks what they are doing, but Sailor John does not tell him. John then jumps off of Skiff, hides from a passing Henry, and then blows up the Fat Controller's office and steals the treasure. Skiff wants to have no part in his scheme, but has no choice but to follow along. The explosion and Sailor John stomping on Skiff wakes Thomas up, who begins pursuing him, albeit having troubles steaming up.

At Tidmouth Sheds, Henry races past, frightened by Skiff and Sailor John, who follow along shortly afterwards. Annie and Clarabel believe they are having a strange dream, up until Thomas thunders past, chasing after Sailor John and Skiff. The signal turns red, and Thomas charges past Gordon, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with him. Thomas passes through a tunnel and heads up a hill, shocked to find the pirate ship there and tied to Skiff and Sailor John. John picks up the anchor and lets the ship roll down the hill, the high speeds horrifying Skiff. Meanwhile, at Arlesburgh Junction, Ryan is worried about Thomas, but panics when he sees the ship approaching. Thomas passes by, and tells the small engines to stop the ship. Though Sailor John scoffs at the engines' miniature size, the three small engines bravely push some ballast hoppers off of the chute and onto the standard gauge line. Most of the hoppers are shoved aside, but one gets stuck under the flatbed and causes the pirate ship to lose momentum. A rope then gets fastened to Ryan's buffer, and the tank engine suddenly brakes, hitting a buffer stop and causing the ship to topple over. Thomas congratulates Ryan and puffs on.

As the morning sun rises, the chase is still going on. Thomas tries to tell Skiff to stop, but he cannot. Sailor John tries to stop Thomas, attempting to throw an anchor and shovel at him. He then tries to destroy Thomas by blowing him up with dynamite, but Skiff tips over slightly, causing John to lose his aim. Skiff encourages Thomas to derail him, just as John violently hits Thomas in the face with the oar, threatening to have Skiff in the dry dock sail-less. Thomas furiously bumps into Skiff, but accidentally sends him down a different line, much to Sailor John's delight. Though it seems as if there is no hope left, Thomas suddenly notices that his line crosses over Skiff's, immediately picking up speed and ramming into him. Skiff is re-railed onto Thomas' line, but their relief is short-lived, just as Thomas notices the line runs into the sea. Thomas falls into the sea and rests atop of Skiff's chassis, while Skiff and Sailor John sail away. Skiff tries to tell Sailor John to go back and help Thomas, but John threatens to destroy him if he tries to betray him. Suddenly, a wave pushes them along and causes them to lose the oar. Sailor John orders Skiff to stop it, telling him he is letting in water, but Skiff tells him that the treasure is too heavy and is making him sink, telling John to throw it overboard. Sailor John does not want to and forces Skiff to sail on, just as a huge wave forms. Skiff is capsized by the oncoming wave, and the treasure chest sinks to the bottom of the sea. Thomas watches on from the harbour, thinking this is the end of Skiff, just as Skiff turns back over.

Later that morning, the police arrive on Captain to arrest Sailor John. John tries to tell them he is innocent, but the police are not interested in his excuses. Thomas is lifted onto a flatbed by Rocky, and upon seeing the Fat Controller, he tries to apologize, thinking that he would be cross with him. However, the Fat Controller tells Thomas that he is proud of him for trying to stop Sailor John and that Ryan told him everything. Thomas is still upset that the treasure is lost, but the Fat Controller is not concerned about that, telling Thomas that his engines are more important to him than any old treasure, and that Thomas is his No. 1. Thomas smiles, and his number is shown to be back.

At last, the construction of the new branch line running to Harwick is now complete. Marion finds out that there are, indeed, two Oliver's on Sodor, and Thomas, fully repaired, arrives with Annie and Clarabel for the opening ceremony. The Fat Controller announces that Ryan will be handling the goods traffic, while an old friend will be looking after the passengers, revealed to be Daisy just as she arrives. The branch line is declared open, and Thomas breaks through the banner, as he and the other engines steam along down the new line, meeting up with Skiff again, who is now giving out railboat tours. The treasure is recovered by scuba divers, and that night, Thomas and Skiff watch from the harbour as fireworks go off.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Oliver
 * Bill and Ben
 * Emily
 * Daisy
 * Salty
 * Marion
 * Victor
 * Bertie
 * Cranky
 * Jack
 * Alfie
 * Oliver (The Pack)
 * Kevin
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Toad
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Blond Haired Girl
 * Workmen
 * A Policeman
 * Sodor Brass Band (band leader speaks only)
 * Rocky (does not speak)
 * Rosie (cameo)
 * Stanley (cameo)
 * Porter (cameo)
 * Samson (cameo)
 * Diesel (cameo)
 * Mavis (cameo)
 * Henrietta (cameo)
 * Max and Monty (cameo)
 * Captain (cameo)
 * Lady Hatt (cameo)
 * Bridget Hatt (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)
 * Sir Robert Norramby (cameo)
 * The Thin Clergyman (cameo)
 * Farmer Trotter (cameo)
 * Dowager Hatt (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)

Characters Introduced

 * Ryan
 * Bert
 * Rex
 * Mike
 * Skiff
 * Sailor John
 * Captain Calles (speaks only in German dub)

Locations

 * Ffarquhar
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Station Yard
 * Sir Topham Hatt's Office
 * Anopha Quarry
 * Arlesburgh
 * Arlesburgh Harbour
 * Arlesburgh Junction
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Coastal Cliffs
 * Calles Cavern
 * The Construction Yard
 * The Little Western
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Thomas' Branch Line
 * Harwick Branch Line
 * Sodor Steamworks
 * The Windmill
 * Harwick (mentioned)
 * Sodor Museum (mentioned)
 * Whiff's Waste Dump (mentioned)

UK and AUS

 * Mark Moraghan as the narrator
 * John Hasler as Thomas
 * Keith Wickham as Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Salty, Bert, Bertie, Sir Topham Hatt, Some Workmen, the Sodor Brass Band Leader, Thomas' Fireman, the Policeman and the Diver
 * Rob Rackstraw as Toby
 * Joe Mills as Donald, Douglas, Oliver and Toad
 * Teresa Gallagher as Emily, Daisy, Annie, Clarabel and Some Children
 * Steven Kynman as Duck and Jack
 * Olivia Colman as Marion
 * Eddie Redmayne as Ryan
 * John Hurt as Sailor John
 * Nathan Clarke as Alfie
 * Jamie Campbell Bower as Skiff
 * Matt Wilkinson as Cranky and Kevin
 * Tom Stourton as Rex
 * Tim Whitnall as Mike and Oliver the Excavator
 * Jonathan Broadbent as Bill and Ben
 * David Bedella as Victor

US

 * Mark Moraghan as the narrator
 * Joseph May as Thomas
 * Rob Rackstraw as James
 * Joe Mills as Donald, Douglas, Oliver and Toad
 * Kerry Shale as Henry, Gordon and Kevin
 * William Hope as Edward and Toby
 * Keith Wickham as Salty, Bert, Bertie, Sir Topham Hatt, Some Workmen, the Sodor Brass Band Leader, Thomas' Fireman, the Policeman and the Diver
 * David Bedella as Victor
 * Olivia Colman as Marion
 * Eddie Redmayne as Ryan
 * John Hurt as Sailor John
 * Teresa Gallagher as Daisy, Annie, Clarabel and some Children
 * David Menkin as Jack
 * Jamie Campbell Bower as Skiff
 * Steven Kynman as Duck
 * Tom Stourton as Rex
 * Nathan Clarke as Alfie
 * Glenn Wrage as Cranky
 * Tim Whitnall as Mike and Oliver the Excavator
 * Christopher Ragland as Percy
 * Jules de Jongh as Emily
 * Jonathan Broadbent as Bill and Ben

US/UK

 * We Make A Team Together music video
 * Never Overlook A Little Engine music video
 * Guess Who? puzzles - Ryan, Bert, Rex and Mike, Skiff and Donald and Douglas

Trivia

 * The movie grossed £620,106 in box office hits.
 * This special takes place between the nineteenth and twentieth seasons.
 * This special marks multiple first speaking roles, appearances, and returns:
 * The first appearance of the Small Railway and the Thin Clergyman in the television series. The Awdry family was consulted for rendering the latter for the special.
 * The first time since the fourth season episode, Paint Pots and Queens, in which a real person appears (albeit not a historical figure).
 * Donald and Douglas' first appearances since the twelfth season episode, Saved You!.
 * Daisy's first appearance since Calling All Engines!, and her first speaking role since the fourth season episode, Bulls Eyes.
 * Alfie's first appearance since the twelfth season episode, Percy and the Bandstand, and his first speaking role since The Great Discovery.
 * Oliver the Excavator's first appearance since The Great Discovery, and his first speaking role since Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode, Alfie Has Kittens.
 * Max or Monty's first appearance since the twelfth season episode, Percy and the Bandstand, and the other's first since The Great Discovery.
 * Donald, Douglas, and Toad's first appearances in a special.
 * Duck, Oliver and Daisy's first speaking roles in a special.
 * Toby, Henrietta, Diesel and Victor's first appearances in a special since King of the Railway.
 * The special marks additional firsts as well:
 * The first time Harwick is mentioned in the television series.
 * The first full-length CGI special not to feature a stylized opening sequence, excluding The Adventure Begins.
 * The first special in which an engine sings an original song.
 * The first time in the television series that the mainland is explicitly shown to be England.
 * The first time all engines numbered 1 to 11 have appeared and spoken in a special or episode.
 * The first time the Pack is seen interacting with engines other than Thomas and Percy.
 * The first special where Rob Rackstraw voices Toby in the UK.
 * Drafts of the film's script were shown in the YouTube video, 70 Years of Friendship. According to these drafts:
 * "The Great Treasure Hunt" and "Legend of the Lost Treasure" were both working titles for this film.
 * The special was to open with Thomas passing the original windmill. The final film instead features the windmill from Season 5 onwards, possibly due to time constraints.
 * A rendition of the original opening theme was considered for the special. However, this idea ultimately did not materialize in the final film.
 * This is the last of a couple of things:
 * Jennifer Hill's last special as producer.
 * The last special where Keith Wickham voices Percy in the UK. Nigel Pilkington would later take over the role in the nineteenth season.
 * Nathan Clarke, Eddie Redmayne, John Hurt, and Jamie Campbell Bower join the voice cast.
 * This special aired in Hoyts cinemas and in New Zealand cinemas on August 9th, 2015. It also aired on Virgin Atlantic flights out of London from August 1st - 8th. The special was also shown in UK and Irish cinemas, starting July 17th.
 * A still from Emily's New Route appears in the Fat Controller's office.
 * Skiff sings part of the Banana Boat Song.
 * This special aired on PBS on October 12th and 16th, with some parts cut out to fit within the time slot.
 * This special aired on Discovery Kids in Mexico on November 22nd, 2015. It was also shown in select Mexican theaters on the same day. It aired again on December 5th, 2015.
 * This special aired on ABC Kids in Australia on December 13th, 2015.
 * This special was broadcast on Channel 5's Milkshake! in the United Kingdom on New Year's Day 2016.
 * On the week of its DVD release in the UK, Ben Dowell gave this special a four-star rating and branded it as the DVD of the week in the Radio Times.
 * A few references were made throughout the special:
 * The opening pays homage to the original television series opening, with Thomas passing a windmill, going under a bridge, and eventually pulling into Ffarquhar station.
 * Clarabel tells Thomas that his passengers do not like being bounced like peas in a frying pan. This is a reference to Thomas and Bertie.
 * Marion believing that the small engines were magical is similar to what James and Henry thought they were in the book, Small Railway Engines.
 * The way the other engines wake up Thomas is similar to Thomas and Gordon, primarily its retelling in The Adventure Begins.
 * Duck saying that it feels like Donald and Douglas have been gone for ages is likely a reference to the fact that, when the special was released, the twins had been completely absent from the television series for seven years.
 * Every time that the Arlesdale Engines appear, an instrumental snippet of Never Overlook a Little Engine plays.
 * Stock footage from Thomas the Babysitter is used.

Goofs

 * When Thomas is about to run into Toby, and is switched onto the passing siding, Henrietta can be seen behind Toby. However, when Thomas is seen returning onto the branch line, Henrietta is missing.
 * Annie's wheels are already moving before Thomas starts when they leave Ffarquhar.
 * A hand can be seen through Percy's cab when he leaves Tidmouth Sheds. The same thing happens to Thomas in the first scene of "Never Overlook a Little Engine".
 * When Emily brakes at Knapford, her bogie wheels spark, but these wheels are not fitted with brakes. Ryan's trailing wheels also briefly spark when he tries to stop the pirate ship.
 * When Marion first sees Mike, his side rods are black.
 * When Donald passes Marion at Arlesburgh Junction, the rivets on his smokebox are red.
 * When Duck meets Donald and Douglas, he shunts some trucks and reverses slightly before greeting them. But at the end of the scene when the twins leave, the trucks have disappeared.
 * Rex's leading bogey disappears in several shots. Rex's trailing bogey also disappears in one shot, as does Mike's leading bogey in a different shot.
 * Just before "Never Overlook a Little Engine" begins, Thomas' trucks disappear. Just after the song ends, the trucks have reappeared, but have moved further away.
 * When the Small Engines turn into butterflies in "Never Overlook a Little Engine", Rex and Mike swap liveries.
 * During "Never Overlook a Little Engine", when the Small Engines' drivers' hats blow away, Rex's driver's hat disappears for a split second.
 * When Thomas arrives at the ballast hopper after taking the bad coal, his trucks are already filled with ballast.
 * When Thomas shunts the dynamite into the cavern, the trucks are still on the rails, but when the Fat Controller speaks from the hill and a shot is shown of him looking down at Thomas, the trucks have disappeared.
 * When Marion is asking Thomas to guess what is in her shovel as he passes by, he is lower to the ground than usual, with his wheels clipping through the rails and ground.
 * When Thomas stands up to Sailor John and shunts Skiff out of his way, his trucks are red. In a closeup, however, one turns green. In the next shot, they are all red again.
 * In one closeup of Thomas during the chase scene, he is no longer dirty or scratched up.
 * When Thomas passes Gordon during the chase, the points are set to allow him to follow Sailor John, but they are never set back for Gordon, who passes over them moments later.
 * Steam is shown to be emitting from Thomas' whistle when Gordon's whistle is heard during the chase.
 * When the Small Railway Engine push the ballast trucks off the chute, the buffers have disappeared.
 * When Sailor John drops Skiff's oar in the water, it does not make a splash.
 * When Thomas asks about Daisy at the opening of the branch line, Annie and Clarabel disappear.
 * In the end credits, Gordon is missing his tender wheels.
 * Christopher Ragland is credited in the UK credits despite none of his characters speaking in that dub.
 * During his scenes at Arlesburgh Junction, Oliver's eighteenth season render is used. During the grand opening of the new branch line, his nineteenth season render is used.
 * When Thomas pushes Skiff into the siding and Sailor John falls backwards, his hand merges through Skiff's sail.
 * When Thomas arrives at Knapford to collect Gordon's coaches, Annie and Clarabel have their voices switched.
 * When Ryan first arrives, Diesel can be seen in the background with some trucks. However, in a close up of Thomas, the trucks disappear.
 * During the branch line's ceremony, Donald is placed behind Marion. But when the engines leave for the harbour, Donald moves forward as if Marion is not there. A few shots later, he has switched to the same track as Douglas.
 * After "Never Overlook a Little Engine", Rex is on the track right next to Thomas and is pulling some wool trucks, but two shots later, he is on a different track and pulling some ballast trucks.
 * At the end of the film, in the Brendam Docks scene, Salty is set back into his trucks, clipping through the one immediately behind him.
 * When Annie remarks how good it is to have Thomas back before the grand opening and Thomas replies, Clarabel chuckles with Annie's voice.
 * When Donald comes around the bend and the men try to stop him before the unsafe cutting, he can be seen pulling a train with no brakevan, but when there is a closeup of Donald, the viewer can see the end of his train with a brakevan.
 * When Thomas leaves to take his trucks to the dump, Ryan passes him and whistles, but no steam emits from his whistle.
 * During the branch line's ceremony, Daisy is first seen behind the building. However, in the next shot, when she says "That's right, Thomas. Me!", she has moved forward a noticeable distance.
 * In the German version:
 * Through the whole movie tank engines are called tender engines.
 * It is mentioned that Duck is an American locomotive.
 * When Toby brakes to avoid Thomas, Henrietta's wheels spark, but she isn't fitted with brakes.
 * When Ryan collects Annie and Clarabel, the two coaches switch places from where they were earlier on.

Merchandise
{{Scroll box|

Wooden Railway

 * Ryan
 * Skiff
 * Mike
 * Bert the Miniature Engine
 * Pirate Ship Delivery
 * Oliver and Oliver
 * Pirate Cove Discovery Set

TrackMaster

 * Ryan
 * Mike
 * Treasure Thomas
 * Treasure Chase Set
 * Thomas' Shipwreck Rails Set

Take-n-Play

 * Ryan
 * Skiff
 * Mike the Miniature Engine
 * Rex the Miniature Engine
 * Pirate Salty

Mega Bloks

 * Hidden Treasure Set

Books
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 * Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure
 * Thomas and the Lost Pirate/The Sunken Treasure
 * Pirate Treasure
 * The Lost Ship

Quotes

 * Duck: Ah, well, I never! Donald and Douglas. Haven't seen you two around in a while.
 * Donald: We only went to collect some more rails and sleepers.
 * Douglas: Aye, so ye can build some more track, that's all.
 * Duck: (giggles) Well, I don't know, but it feels like you've been gone for ages.
 * Douglas: (as he and Donald puff away) Cheerio.
 * Duck: Oh, uh, cheerio, uh, don't leave it so long next time. (laughs)
 * Percy: Wake up, lazybones. (chucking)
 * James: (chuckles) Too much racing after buses, I'd say.
 * Henry: Gordon will be waiting for his coaches.
 * Thomas: (yawns) Let him wait.


 * Gordon: You know full well that tender engines are too big for shunting. That's what silly little tank engines are for.
 * Thomas: Silly little tank engines? Well, maybe this silly little tank engine should take the express today. (pushes Gordon's coaches out of the station) Bye, Gordon!
 * Gordon: (gasps) Thomas! What are you doing?! Come back with my coaches!
 * Thomas: You'll have to catch me first!
 * Gordon: Stop, Thomas!
 * Toby: Uh-oh! Thomas, look out! The signal is red!
 * Gordon: Come back! Come back here!
 * Thomas: (gasps when going through the red signal)
 * Emily: (coming in) Thomas! (applies her brakes)
 * Thomas: (stops) Uh, oh.
 * (However, the coaches keep on going.)


 * Gordon and Annie: (both gasp)
 * Thomas: Uh-oh. What have I done?
 * (The coaches derail, and all of the signals on the gantry turn red.)


 * Gordon: THOMAS!


 * Sir Topham Hatt: (inspecting the accident) Oh, dear, oh, dear! How on Earth did this happen? Oh...
 * Thomas: But it's not my fault, sir. Gordon must have been at the wrong platform, sir, and Emily was coming in very fast, and Toby was...
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Oh, enough, Thomas! It wasn't Gordon or Emily who caused this accident. It was you!
 * Thomas: But, but, but, I...
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Perhaps you should spend some time shunting trucks in the construction yard.
 * Thomas: The construction yard? What do you mean, sir?
 * Sir Topham Hatt: I'm sending you to work on the new branch line, Thomas. Maybe that will help you think about being a little less cheeky.
 * (Gordon secretly smiles.)


 * Thomas: (gasps) But, sir, what about my branch line?
 * Ryan: Branch line? I think that's where I'm meant to be working.
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Ahh, Ryan, my new tank engine. You're here!
 * Thomas: New tank engine, but...
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Come on, Ryan, let's get started.


 * Workman: (as Thomas goes into the danger zone) Look out! You can't go down there!


 * Henry: (as the other engines leave him) But it's true! I saw the lost pirate! And he was just like Salty says he was!


 * Thomas: I used to be the Fat Controller's number one engine, but I'm not his number one any more.


 * Marion: (when Jack throws a box of lit dynamite into the trucks) Not back in the trucks, silly!


 * The Pack: (after Thomas saves them from the burning dynamite) Hooray!
 * Marion: Oh, hurrah! Whoo-hoo!
 * Sir Topham Hatt: (angrily) Thomas the Tank Engine!
 * Thomas: Uh-oh.
 * Sir Topham Hatt: What are you playing at now?! I thought you could learn to be more responsible if I sent you to work here.
 * Thomas: But, sir, this time it's really not my fault! I...
 * Sir Topham Hatt: No, Thomas! I've had quite enough of your excuses! Go to your shed immediately, and you can stay there for the rest of the afternoon! And everyone else can get back to work!


 * Henry: Oh, no! Oh, no! He's coming, he's coming! It's... It's... It's the ghost ship!


 * Thomas: (chasing Sailor John) Come back with that treasure!


 * Sailor John: (using the pirate ship) Superior sail power, Thomas, me lad. You'll never catch me now!


 * Ryan: I can't sleep. I keep wondering what Thomas was worried about. If he's in trouble he might need my... (notices the pirate ship) He... Help! PIRAAAAAAATES!


 * Policeman: Hello, hello, hello. What have we got here then?
 * Sailor John: But I'm innocent, I tell ya!
 * Policeman: Uh, tell that to the judge.
 * Sailor John: You've got the wrong pirate!


 * Thomas: (upon seeing the Fat Controller) I'm so sorry, sir. It's all my fault, I know it is. I...
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Thomas... There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm proud of you. Ryan told me everything, and I know you did your best to stop that pirate getting away.


 * Marion: (to Oliver the excavator) This is so exciting, isn't it, Oliver? We actually built a new branch line.
 * Toad: (to Oliver the engine) I think we're meant to be on that siding over there, Mr Oliver.
 * Marion: Oliver? Oliver! But I thought you made a wish. I thought you had changed into a digger! There can't be two Olivers.
 * Both Olivers: Yes, there can! (both laugh)

DVD Boxsets

 * 10 DVD Boxset (2015)