Letters to Santa

"Slow and out-of-date, eh? I'll show him! Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!"

- Percy

Letters to Santa is the eleventh (second in Australia) episode of the twentieth season.

Plot
It is almost Christmas Day on the Island of Sodor, and the children are sending their letters to Santa for Percy to pick up, who would then take them to Vicarstown, where Hiro would take them to the airport on the mainland for them to be taken to Santa at the North Pole.

Percy is delivering the letters to Hiro. It is not easy as there is snow on the line. Harold offers to help, but Percy declines, thinking he is trying to prove helicopters are better than steam engines, remembering the time he met Harold and Percy won against him in a race. Percy changes his mind as he comes to a tunnel which is blocked by a massive snowdrift. He asks Harold to take the letters to Hiro. Harold is more than willing to do so.

Later that evening, Hiro is waiting at the Vicarstown Bridge for Percy, but as he is already late, decides he must leave without the letters. He is just setting off when Harold catches up with him, who explains he has got Percy's mail. Hiro collects the letters and carries on with his delivery.

At Tidmouth Sheds, Percy is worried about the children's letters, but Thomas assures him that Harold is very responsible and will do what he's supposed to.

The next morning, Percy meets up with Toby who tells him that Harold did not return to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre the night before. Harold, who is out of fuel and stranded in a field, is worried he will have to spend Christmas stuck on the ground where he is. Percy remembers that Christmas is a time of good will to everybody, even whirly-birds. That evening, he brings him a tanker of fuel. Harold is overjoyed, and gives Percy his many thanks.

On Christmas Day, thanks to Percy, Harold and Hiro, all the children get what they asked for from Santa, and everyone has a Merry Christmas.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Hiro
 * Harold
 * A Workman
 * A Signalman
 * The Postman (does not speak)
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * Gordon (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Duck (cameo)
 * Emily (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Henrietta (cameo)
 * Slip Coaches (cameo)
 * Jeremy (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)
 * The Blond-haired Boy (cameo)
 * Albert's Wife (cameo)
 * Father Christmas (mentioned)

Locations

 * Island of Sodor
 * Town Square
 * Dryaw
 * Dryaw FC
 * Ffarquhar
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Crosby Tunnel
 * Sodor Suspension Bridge
 * Brendam Docks
 * Vicarstown Bridge
 * The Mainland
 * Sodor Search and Rescue Centre (mentioned)
 * Vicarstown (mentioned)

Trivia

 * A recreated CGI flashback of Percy and Harold is used. This flashback is mostly based on Percy the Small Engine's illustrations, rather than the Classic Series episode.
 * This episode marks Jeremy's first appearance since the twelfth season episode, Excellent Emily. However, he is not in CGI, rather, a modified TrackMaster toy of him is used.
 * Going by the Channel 5 guide listing, this is the twentieth episode of the twentieth season.

Goofs

 * Christopher Ragland is credited in the UK credits despite none of his characters speaking in that dub.

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway

UK

 * Thomas' Christmas Carol (Direct-to-Home Video)

US

 * Tinsel on the Tracks (Direct-to-Home Video)