Thomas Goes Fishing

"I want to fish!" "Engines don't go fishing!" "Silly stick-in-the-muds!"

- Thomas and James

Thomas Goes Fishing is the twelfth episode of the first season. It aired in the Shining Time Station episodes Faith, Hope and Anxiety in 1989 and Is Anybody There? in 1991.

Plot
Along his branch line, Thomas often looks forward to the sight of the river, and the people that fish there. He often wants to stay and watch, but his driver decides against it, worrying what would happen if they fell behind schedule by stopping to fish. Whenever he meets another engine, he shares with them his desire to fish, but they all tell him that "engines don't go fishing." However, he unknowingly gets the chance when he finds the water tower at the junction out of order. Thomas is cross, but his crew decide to get water from the river.

The crew find a bucket and rope and hurry to the bridge. There, they lower the bucket down to the river, but unfortunately the bucket has five holes, and water leaks out fast, meaning that they have to hurry before the water drains out. The crew repeat this several times before at last Thomas' thirst is quenched.

Before long, Thomas develops a pain in his boiler. Steam rushes from his safety valve, and Thomas is alarmed that he may burst. The crew dampen the fire and struggle on to Ffarquhar. Annie and Clarabel are uncoupled and Thomas, still aching, is stopped in a siding as the guard phones an inspector and the Fat Controller. Workmen put signs saying "DANGER KEEP AWAY" all around Thomas. The inspector and the Fat Controller arrive, who consul Thomas of the situation. The driver explains what had happened, and the inspector concludes that the feed pipe is blocked.

The inspector looks inside Thomas' tank, he climbs down and asks the Fat Controller take a look in the tank as well. What the Fat Controller sees shocks him, and both agree that it was fish. They deduce that fish were collected in the bucket along with the water. Thomas' crew fish them out with instructions from the Fat Controller and afterwards have a meal of fish and chips. The Fat Controller asks if Thomas has learned his lesson, to which Thomas replies that he now understands why engines don't go fishing: "it's too uncomfortable."

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Engine Inspector
 * James (not named)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)

Locations

 * Elsbridge
 * Elsbridge Viaduct
 * River Els
 * Terence's Field
 * Ffarquhar

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Tank Engine Thomas Again.
 * Stock footage from Thomas' Train and Thomas and the Trucks is used.
 * This is the first episode to have the same title in both the US and the UK.
 * The episode can be seen in a Japanese game, Magical Adventure.
 * In the Welsh narration, only one of the "DANGER KEEP AWAY" signs is translated into Welsh, while the others remain printed in English.

Goofs

 * In one scene, Annie and Clarabel are facing the wrong way.
 * Thomas' driver was said to have hung "DANGER" signs on Thomas' front and back, but they are propped in front of and beside him.
 * The narrator says the bucket has five holes, but a close-up shot shows six holes on the bucket.
 * When the bucket is lifted from the river, the water is shown to be brown and muddy. However, when the water is poured into Thomas's tank, the water appears to be clean.
 * Thick pencil marks are visible on the "DANGER KEEP AWAY" signs.
 * In the George Carlin narration, when the Fat Controller says "That was good!" Ringo Starr can be heard in the background very faintly.
 * When the men are first seen with the "DANGER" signs, the red lining around Thomas' number is peeling away.
 * Thomas is wearing Percy's tired face in four shots.
 * In the restored version, studio equipment can be seen when Thomas says "Bother! I'm thirsty!" and when the Inspector looks inside Thomas' tank.
 * When Thomas puffs on to the siding, steam continues to vent from the tracks even after he leaves, but in the next shot, it all disappears. Later, when the inspector clambers up to check Thomas' tanks, Thomas abruptly stops hissing steam, but when the inspector comes down, he is hissing steam again and once the Fat Controller climbs up, the steam vanishes. Then, when the Fat Controller asks Thomas' driver how the fish got there, the steam reappears. Throughout all of this, the hissing sound continues even when Thomas is not letting off steam.
 * When Thomas is at Elsbridge, the siding usually seen at the water column is not there, except in the close-up of the out of order sign. When it is seen, it ends in the grass.
 * There's a tiny hole in Thomas's smokebox when the inspector looks into his tank.

Merchandise

 * Books - Thomas Goes Fishing
 * Buzz Books - Thomas Goes Fishing
 * Board Books - Thomas Goes Fishing
 * Ladybird Books - Thomas Goes Fishing and James and the Troublesome Trucks
 * Pop-Up Books - Thomas the Tank Engine Goes Fishing
 * Activity Books - Thomas Goes Fishing
 * Engine Adventures - Thomas

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
 * Thomas the Tank Engine (VHS)
 * Bumper Special
 * Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * Thomas Gets Bumped and 17 Other Stories
 * Your Favourite Story Collection
 * Playtime
 * The Complete Series 1
 * Thomas and the Breakdown Train (DVD)

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Troublesome Trucks and 8 Other Stories

US

 * James Learns a Lesson and Other Stories (Ringo Starr's narration)
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories (George Carlin version only in 1992 release)
 * The Early Years (Ringo Starr's UK narration)
 * Thomas and Friends Classic Volume 1 (George Carlin's narration)

DVD Packs

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Totally Thomas Volume 9

AUS

 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * ABC For Kids Favourites
 * Playtime
 * The Complete Series 1
 * My First Thomas with Thomas

DVD Boxsets

 * 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 2

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.3
 * Let's Sing Thomas Songs Together Vol.1
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.7
 * Nice to Meet You Thomas!
 * Fun Stories Popped Out from Picture Book
 * Best of Thomas (Japanese VHS)
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

PHL

 * Thomas and Friends Collection

FRA

 * The Magic of Sodor

NOR

 * Thomas-Festival (Norwegian VHS)
 * Thomas the Tank Engine 2 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)
 * Sports Special

NL

 * The Great Race! (Dutch DVD)
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas

FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 2 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)

DNK

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories (Danish DVD)
 * Thomas the Tank Engine 2

SA

 * Volume 1 (VHS)

SE

 * Thomas in Trouble (Swedish VHS/DVD)

GER

 * Thomas Animal Adventure
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 2
 * Thomas and the Guard and 4 Other Adventures

ITA

 * A Freight Train Troublemaker

ROM

 * Thomas and the Trucks (Romanian DVD)

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

SVN

 * Thomas and Conductors (Slovenian DVD)

HRV

 * Thomas and Brakesman

MYS

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Adventures

IND

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories (DVD)

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD)

TWN

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2 (Taiwanese DVD)

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 2 (Thai DVD)
 * }}

Video Games

 * Magical Adventure