P.A. Problems

"Oh, no! Why did I ever get this ridiculous new public address system? The old speakers worked perfectly well, now they're down at the scrapyard! I expect they've been crushed..."

- Sir Topham Hatt after the new P.A. System breaks

P.A. Problems is the sixth episode of the twenty-first season. It is also the 500th episode of the television series.

Plot
The Fat Controller bought a new TX-1000 public address system to replace the old ones at Knapford station, which he sends Edward to take them to the scrapyard. There, Edward sees Reg, who is happily singing about scrap.

Back at the station, the engines and passengers struggle to hear the announcements after the new P.A. System begins malfunctioning, and they all end up very confused. Toby takes some Holidaymakers to the quarry, Thomas takes the quarry workers to the beach, and Percy takes a delivery of pigs to Lord Callan at Callan Castle. Eventually, The Fat Controller realises that his new P.A. system isn't working properly, and ironically destroys it after attempting to fix it.

After much confusion and delay, it's Reg who saves the day. Rather than destroy it, Reg had put the P.A. system to good use by using it to play music. Reg happily hands it over, and the old P.A. system is returned to Knapford station, with everything going back to normal.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Emily
 * Reg
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Lord Callan
 * The Knapford Stationmaster
 * The Bird Watcher
 * The Great Composer
 * The Lady in the Yellow Dress and Hat
 * The Grumpy Passenger
 * Some Workmen
 * James (cameo)
 * Diesel (cameo)
 * Sidney (cameo)
 * Philip (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Henrietta (cameo)
 * The Teacher (cameo)
 * One of Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameo)
 * The Lady with the Big Hat (cameo)

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Knapford Station Yard
 * Anopha Quarry
 * Harwick
 * Callan Castle
 * Crocks Scrap Yard
 * Maithwaite (portrait)
 * Black Loch (portrait)
 * Brendam Docks (mentioned)
 * Bluff's Cove (mentioned)
 * Vicarstown (mentioned)
 * Maron (mentioned)
 * Kellsthorpe Road (mentioned)

UK

 * John Hasler as Thomas
 * Keith Wickham as Edward, the Fat Controller, Lord Callan, the Knapford Stationmaster, the Great Composer, the Grumpy Passenger and a quarry worker
 * Nigel Pilkington as Percy
 * Rob Rackstraw as Toby
 * Teresa Gallagher as Emily, The Lady in the Yellow Dress and Hat and some Passengers
 * Matt Wilkinson as the Bird Watcher and the Knapford Station Worker
 * Tim Whitnall as Reg and a quarry worker

US

 * Joseph May as Thomas
 * William Hope as Edward and Toby
 * Christopher Ragland as Percy
 * Jules de Jongh as Emily
 * Keith Wickham as Sir Topham Hatt, Lord Callan, the Grumpy Passenger and the Knapford Stationmaster
 * Tim Whitnall as Reg

Trivia

 * This is the 500th episode of Thomas & Friends.
 * Going by production order, this is the seventh episode of the twenty-first season.
 * This is the first time the Knapford station "announcement chime" is heard..
 * In the scrapyard, a bike, a blue car, and the bus stop sign from Samson Sent for Scrap can be seen.
 * One of Theo's flywheels can also be seen.

Goofs

 * Throughout the episode, all the teal 7-plank trucks appear to be glowing red on the bottom plank indicating that they were modified from the red trucks.