Thomas and Gordon

"Thomas is a tank engine who lives at a big station on the Island of Sodor. He's a cheeky little engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome."

- the narrator

Thomas and Gordon, retitled Thomas gets Tricked in American releases, is the pilot episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. It first aired on Shining Time Station in the episode A Place Unlike Any Other in 1989 and re-aired in Stacy Forgets Her Name in 1993.

Plot
When Thomas surprises Gordon whilst he's sleeping, he gets revenge by starting before Thomas can be uncoupled from his coaches and whisking him across Sodor at very high speeds.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * Henry (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Clarabel (cameo)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (cameo)

Locations

 * Wellsworth
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * The Viaduct
 * Henry's Tunnel

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Thomas the Tank Engine.
 * The line "He went home very slowly, and was careful afterwards never to be cheeky to Gordon again" has been changed in the US version to "'Maybe I don't have to tease Gordon to feel important', Thomas thought to himself. And he puffed slowly home".
 * Gordon is seen backing down to his train at the beginning of the restored version.

Goofs

 * In the very first shot of Thomas, studio equipment is reflected off of his smoke box.
 * When Henry leaves Knapford his brake coach is backwards. A van and a brakevan have also joined his train.
 * The top of the set can be seen over the church, when James and Henry pass by.
 * When Ringo Starr says "It was nearly time for the Express" there are no coaches on the track next to Gordon. When Thomas puffs in, they magically appear.
 * Gordon was waiting outside platform 2 for his coaches, but when Thomas puffs in, Gordon and his coaches are outside platform 3 and 4.
 * In one scene there is a set of points leading from the track outside platform 5 to the track outside platform 4. In the next scene, it disappears.
 * When Gordon comes out of Henry's Tunnel the track bounces up and down.
 * In the close-ups of Thomas and Gordon, they aren't pulling anything.
 * Studio equipment is seen when Gordon says "Come on, come on!".
 * When the train crosses the viaduct, the edge of the set is visible.
 * At one point Thomas isn't being pulled along.
 * When Thomas puffs into the siding a camera stand is visible on the left of the screen.
 * When Thomas goes on the turntable a camera stand is visible and a small white mark is visible on his tank.
 * The end of the set can be seen when Gordon puffs with the express with Thomas behind him.
 * Clarabel's name can be seen when Thomas backs down to platform 2.
 * Thomas doesn't have a face when Gordon pulls him on the viaduct.
 * When Gordon pulls Thomas around the bend, studio equipment can be seen at the right of the screen.
 * Gordon and Thomas went from Knapford to Wellsworth, which is in the opposite direction.
 * Just before Thomas reaches the water tower, the background shows trees and bushes instead of Wellsworth station.

Episode
Video:Thomas and Gordon - British narration|UK narration Video:Thomas gets Tricked - Ringo Starr American narration|Ringo Starr US narration Video:Thomas gets Tricked - George Carlin American narration|George Carlin narration