Troublesome Trucks (episode)

"Give up! Give up! You can't pull us! You can't! You can't!" "I can and I will! I can and I will!"

- The Troublesome Trucks and James

Troublesome Trucks, retitled Foolish Freight Cars in American releases, is the ninth episode of the first season. It aired in the US on the Shining Time Station episodes, Show and Yell in 1989 and The Mayor Runs for Re-Election in 1993.

Plot
After having damaged a coach and causing a lot of trouble recently, James has been confined to the shed for several days. James starts to cry, thinking that he will have to stay in the shed indefinitely and no one will see him again due to the incident. However, the Fat Controller finally comes back to speak to him and tells him that his recent actions have caused a lot of embarrassment for the railway. James sincerely apologises and the Fat Controller decides to allow him out to pull some trucks. James could not be happier to be let out and eagerly goes to work.

At the station, Thomas brings James his trucks and, after teasing him about bootlaces, runs off. James angrily couples himself to the troublesome trucks, who tease him for his red paint. James just ignores them and sets off; however, the trucks do not want to go and attempt to hold back. James does not allow them to and drags them out of the station. As the journey continues, the trucks try everything they can to get James to give up, but it is no use as James is determined to prove himself.

Finally the train gets to Gordon's Hill and James tries his hardest to run it up as fast as he can, which is initially tricky, but with a sudden jerk it gets easier and James makes it up the hill, but his driver stops him and points out that the brake van and the last four trucks became detached and ran down the hill. They stop at the bottom of the hill, and the guard gets out to warn approaching engines.

James reverses down the hill to pick up the uncoupled trucks, where Edward has stopped due to the blockage. Edward offers help, but James is determined to do it himself and politely declines. Pulling with every ounce of his strength, James finally makes it to the top of the hill and easily continues on to the station where Edward later arrives with the Fat Controller. James is very worried, knowing the Fat Controller may be cross again. This time, however, the Fat Controller is happy with James, having been aboard Edward's train and seeing everything. Since James made the most troublesome trucks on the line behave, the Fat Controller allows him to keep his red coat.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * James
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Gordon (mentioned)
 * Jeremiah Jobling (not named; mentioned)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Knapford
 * The Bus Yard
 * Maron
 * The Main Line
 * The Quarry Tramroad

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, James the Red Engine.
 * In George Carlin's narration on Thomas and His Friends Help Out, the line, "After that performance, you deserve to keep your red coat," is cut. It was heard in Thomas and Friends - Vol. 1 for digital download in 2008, but it was only for a limited time. However, it is currently heard for digital download from Amazon in Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 1.
 * Stock footage from Thomas and the Trucks is used.
 * In the restored version, an extended close-up shot of James at Maron is shown.
 * This episode marks James being the first engine to cry in the television series.

Goofs

 * When the Fat Controller first speaks to James, his head is turned away from him.
 * James' tender is derailed while Thomas arranges his train and the siding that James was on had no buffers. Also, in that same scene, the track James is on comes to an end.
 * When Thomas says "Have you got some bootlaces ready?", there is blu-tak under his lantern.
 * When James puffs out of the yard, the truck at the front loses its face and regains it as James pulls the trucks up Gordon's Hill the first time. Also, the train next to James on a siding has a brake van in the middle of it. Also, in the bottom left corner of the screen, a crew members shadow can be seen.
 * When Thomas puffs away laughing, all the trucks are coupled to each other. But when James backs onto the trucks, one at the front is uncoupled.
 * James' dome is very scratched up
 * When the trucks get to the bottom of Gordon's Hill, a truck disappears. It, however, reappears in the last shot of James pulling the trucks.
 * When James goes up Gordon's Hill the second time, a wire pulls him up.
 * James' puffing noise is not in sync with his speed.
 * When the narrator says the line, "Sometimes their axles would run hot," a crew member's shadow is seen at the end of the set.
 * When Edward is first shown at the bottom of Gordon's Hill, he has no train. When James backs down and couples the lost trucks, look carefully and you can see Edward has at least one truck behind him.
 * In the close-up of James at Maron, the water tower next to him disappears.
 * In the last close-up of James going up Gordon's Hill, his driving wheels are not moving and when they start to move, they're going backwards.
 * When James couples up to his train, he is outside the station, but when he starts moving off, he is inside.
 * Thomas' eyes are wonky in the opening scene.
 * The close-up of James' crew working on the trucks is on the Quarry Tramroad.

Merchandise

 * Buzz Books - James and the Troublesome Trucks
 * Ladybird Books - Thomas Goes Fishing and James and the Troublesome Trucks
 * Board Books - James the Red Engine
 * My Thomas Story Library - James (discontinued)
 * Engine Adventures - James

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (Betamax/VHS)
 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * Troublesome Trucks, Coal and other stories
 * The Sad Story of Henry and Other Stories
 * Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * My Little Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Video
 * The Complete Series 1
 * Truck Loads of Fun
 * Thomas and the Breakdown Train (DVD)

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * Bumper Party Collection! and Truck Loads of Fun Double Pack

WAL

 * Troublesome Trucks and 8 Other Stories

US

 * James Learns a Lesson and Other Stories (Ringo Starr's narration)
 * Thomas and His Friends Help Out
 * Thomas' Useful Stories
 * The Early Years (Ringo Starr's UK narration)
 * Season 1 (Digital Download)

VHS/DVD Packs

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Thomas' Trackside Tunes and Other Thomas Adventures/Thomas and His Friends Help Out Double Feature
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection
 * Totally Thomas Volume 3
 * Totally Thomas Volume 9

AUS

 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * ABC For Kids Favourites
 * Truck Loads of Fun
 * The Complete Series 1
 * My First Thomas with James

DVD Boxsets

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

NZ

 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 1
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 6

FRA

 * The Adventures of Thomas

KOR

 * Stories to Raise Cooperation

SE

 * Thomas and the Guard (Swedish VHS)

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.3
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.8
 * Anytime With James!
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

PHL

 * Thomas and Friends Collection

SA

 * Volume 1 (VHS)

GER

 * All Beginnings Are Difficult
 * The Freight Wagons and 4 Other Adventures

MYS

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Adventures

NOR

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)
 * Favourites From Thomas and Friends (Norwegian VHS/DVD)

FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

BRA

 * Helping the Friends

NL

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

ITA

 * A Freight Train Troublemaker

ROM

 * Thomas and the Trucks (Romanian DVD)

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

DNK

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories (Danish DVD)

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)

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 2 (Thai DVD)

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 1 (Taiwanese DVD)

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