Trucks

"Now if you were ill you couldn't shunt trucks, could you?"

- Gordon

Trucks!, retitled Rusty Helps Peter Sam in American releases, is the eighth episode of the fourth season. It first aired on Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales in 1996 in the US.

Plot
Harold is returning from his inspection when he spots a little Diesel coming round the mountain. The Diesel is Rusty and despite his friendliness, Rusty has little time to chat and regards Harold as being cheeky. Rusty's arrival pleases Sir Handel and Peter Sam, but Sir Handel remains his usual grumpy self. The trucks dislike Sir Handel and repeatedly play tricks on him, making him dislike working with them. Sir Handel is advised by Gordon that if he were ill, he could not shunt trucks.

Sir Handel takes the hint and, when he feigns an illness the next day, Peter Sam is allocated his trucks. He takes them to the slate mines and waits for his full ones, but the trucks mistake him for Sir Handel and brake their coupling, smashing into him and cracking his funnel and denting his boiler. Rusty helps clear the mess and the Fat Controller reprimands Sir Handel for lying. On the way home, Harold spots Rusty again. This time Rusty mimics Harold from their previous meeting and uses his phrase "cheers and keep up the good work".

Characters

 * Gordon
 * Sir Handel
 * Peter Sam
 * Rusty
 * Harold
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas (cameo)
 * Percy (cameo)
 * Rheneas (cameo)
 * Duke (cameo)

Locations

 * Skarloey Railway Slate Quarry
 * Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds
 * The Skarloey Railway Viaduct
 * Glennock

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, The Little Old Engine.
 * In the original UK VHS release, the impact of the trucks hitting Peter Sam is much louder than the re-released version of the episode.
 * In the US version, much of the music and whistle sounds are missing and Peter Sam's whistle is much higher pitched than usual after the crash.
 * In Germany, this episode is called "Rusty Helps". In the Netherlands, it is titled "Goods Wagons". In Italy and Poland, it is titled "Wagons". In Japan, the title is "Sir Handel Pretends to Be Ill". In Spanish is called "Vans".

Goofs

 * Rheneas appears in the first scene, but he is supposed to be at the works.
 * When Harold speaks to Rusty, his battery latch is visible underneath him.
 * When Sir Handel shunts trucks, the sound is noticeably off.
 * As Peter Sam puffs away with the trucks and coaches, he has Skarloey's whistle sound.
 * In the UK version, the narrator says, "Empty trucks at the bottom of the slope are hitched to a steel rope", but the rope isn't steel.
 * When the rope is connected to the empty trucks, it becomes taut like it is being pulled, but in the next scene, the trucks at the top of the slope are stationary.
 * In the Railway Series, both Sir Handel and Peter Sam were painted red upon coming to the Skarloey Railway, which is why the descending trucks were not able to tell that it was Peter Sam at the bottom.  Since the engines remained in their Mid Sodor Railway liveries in the Television series, the trucks should have easily been able to see that it was Peter Sam, not Sir Handel.
 * After the trucks crash into Peter Sam, they appear to crash into him again. More debris appears on the ground, indicating that the film was cut. In addition, the truck flying toward the aqueduct fades away at the last second.
 * The trucks' faces are missing when they crash into Peter Sam.
 * When Sir Handel says "I didn't think", his left eye sticks and drops back into his head.
 * In the close-up shots of Gordon, a large chunk of his cylinders are noticeably missing.
 * On the Thomas' Trackside Tunes and other Thomas Adventures VHS/DVD and PBS Kids Sprout airings, this episode is called "Trucks" instead of the American title.
 * Before Peter Sam leaves the yard with his coaches and trucks, a small hair can be seen by his wheels.
 * When the empty trucks say "No, no, it's Peter Sam!", the two in front bounce slightly.
 * Before Peter Sam is pulled out of the wreckage, his funnel isn't cracked like it is later.
 * When the coupling snaps in the US version, a voice can be heard saying "Whoa".
 * When the narrator says "He did so next morning." Percy quickly passes the little engines. In the next shot however, he is passing them again.
 * A brakevan should have been added to Peter Sam's train.