Samson at Your Service

"Fancy bringing Gordon's coaches up the quarry! The stones would have been very comfortable!" "Every stone would have had a seat to itself!"

- Peter Sam and Rheneas

Samson at Your Service is an eighteenth season episode.

Plot
Samson is a very proud tank engine and when he first arrived on Sodor, bringing Sir Robert Norramby's dinosaur models from the Mainland, it was dark. Samson ended up getting lost as he was too proud to ask for help and ended up spending the night at the Blue Mountain Quarry. Samson did not reach the Earl's estate until the following morning.

One day, the Fat Controller gives Samson the job of collecting stones from the Blue Mountain Quarry and delivering them to the Mainland. Samson is very eager, but says he must refill with coal first. The Fat Controller warns Samson to ask for help if he needs it, but Samson says he will not make another mistake and he knows where the Blue Mountain Quarry is.

At the coal hopper in the shunting yard, Samson pushes his way to the front of the queue; stating that he has a very important job. Thomas can't resist teasing Samson and tells him not to get lost. Samson is not very pleased when Duck and Percy start laughing at him.

Samson's trucks are ready to be collected, but Diesel cannot resist teasing Samson first. Samson is so busy replying to Diesel's taunts, that he backs up to Gordon's express coaches instead. Stanley tries to warn Samson, but the proud tank engine takes no notice and pulls away with the coaches instead of the trucks.

Presently, Thomas arrives to fetch Gordon's coaches and Stanley explains that Samson has already taken them. Thomas assumes that Samson must be trying to prove a point by doing everyone else's jobs.

At Knapford, Gordon is surprised to see Thomas pull in without his coaches. Thomas asks if Samson has brought the coaches and Gordon says that he hasn't and the express is already twenty minutes late. Thomas jokes that Samson must've decided to pull the express himself, but Gordon states that only big tender engines can pull the express.

Meanwhile, Samson puffs through Wellsworth pulling the express coaches. Much to the passengers' annoyance, he clatters straight through the station without stopping. James catches up with Samson and tries to tell him that he has made a mistake, but Samson is insistent that he knows what he is doing and puffs away.

Shortly, Samson has to stop at a junction to let Bill and Ben pass through. Bill and Ben tease Samson, but Samson doesn't take the hint and thinks Bill and Ben are seriously calling him useful and he carries on with the express coaches.

Back at Knapford, the express is getting very late as the clock strikes eight o'clock. The Fat Controller is very cross and orders Gordon to take Annie and Clarabel. He also tells Thomas that he will have to use Henrietta. Both engines are very shocked by this.

Elsewhere, Samson enters the Blue Mountain Quarry with the express coaches. The narrow gauge engines are pleased to see Samson, but Skarloey is surprised; he was expecting Samson to bring empty trucks, not passenger carriages. Samson realises his mistake and feels very silly indeed.

Out on the mainline, Annie and Clarabel are being pulled along at high-speeds by Gordon and they do not like it one bit. When Gordon arrives back at Knapford, the coaches are very grateful. Suddenly, Gordon sees Samson charging towards the station with his express coaches. Gordon calls out to Samson, but the proud tank engine ignores him.

On his way back to the shunting yard, Samson meets up with the Fat Controller in Winston. The Fat Controller is very surprised to see Samson with the express coaches. Samson explains that he is returning the coaches to the yards, but the Fat Controller tells him he has caused a lot of confusion and delay. Samson apologises and says that he has made a mistake and it will not happen again. The Fat Controller tells him that everyone makes mistakes, but they make even more mistakes when they don't ask for help when they need it.

As the sun begins to set, Samson picks up the empty trucks from the shunting yard and takes them to the Blue Mountain Quarry. The trucks are loaded up with stone, but it is too late to take them back to the Mainland. Samson is forced to spend the night in the quarry again. The narrow gauge engines start to tease Samson and, this time, even Samson sees the funny side.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Duck
 * Bill and Ben
 * Stanley
 * Samson
 * Diesel
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Peter Sam
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Sir Robert Norramby (does not speak)
 * Rosie (cameo)
 * Stephen (cameo)
 * Millie (cameo)
 * Winston (cameo)
 * Marion (cameo)
 * Merrick (cameo)
 * Owen (cameo)
 * The Teacher (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)
 * Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameo)
 * The Welsh Bird Watcher (cameo)
 * Toby (mentioned)
 * Henrietta (mentioned)

Locations

 * Vicarstown Bridge
 * Ulfstead Castle
 * Blue Mountain Quarry
 * Knapford
 * Shunting Yards
 * Maron

Trivia

 * This episode marks Stanley's first speaking role since Day of the Diesels. David Menkin also takes over the role in the US dub of this episode.
 * This is the last episode where both Percy and Diesel are voiced by Martin Sherman in the US dub.
 * The first minute and a half of this episode takes place during the events of the episode Marion and the Dinosaurs.

Goofs

 * Matt Wilkinson is not credited in the UK end credits for voicing Stanley.
 * When Samson arrives at the Castle, the lighting suggests that it is early morning. However, in Marion and the Dinosaurs (the episode at the end of which this scene occurs), it is broad daylight.
 * The Teacher can be seen on the platform at Knapford, but a few scenes earlier she was at Maron.
 * James' chassis is not rendered properly when he passes Samson.
 * While Samson did collect the incorrect train, he was not the only one at fault:
 * The signalman was at fault for not setting the points correctly
 * Both Samson's driver and fireman should have noticed that they had not gotten the right train.
 * The foreman should have ensured Sampson had the right train before Sampson left.
 * When Sampson rushes by James, he mentions that Sampson didn't stop at any of the stations. However, Samson was on the center track; even he was going to stop and pick up passengers, he would have been physically unable to as James was on the track Samson needed to be on.
 * Given their older designs, one could say Gordon was being a bit careless with Annie and Clarabel.