The Spotless Record

"Arthur, it's - eh - "fruitless" for me to say more, but Thomas, you must help clean up this mess!"

- Sir Topham Hatt

The Spotless Record is the ninth episode of the seventh season.

Plot
A new tank engine with a "spotless record" named Arthur arrives. Arthur's first job is to take a train of fruit to market, but the trucks tease Arthur. Thomas, sensing a chance for mischief, advises Arthur to tell the trucks to stop singing. Arthur does and the furious trucks decide to pay him out. On Gordon's Hill, they bump forward and crash into Duck's train, spraying fruit everywhere. When Thomas arrives to help, he confesses the incident was his fault, and gets to work. Arthur is later having a washdown when Thomas apologizes and the two become friends.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Arthur
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Duck (does not speak)
 * Harvey (does not speak)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * Gordon (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Salty (cameo)
 * Butch (cameo)
 * The Fisherman (cameo)

Locations

 * Brendam
 * Maron
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * The Windmill
 * Three Tier Bridge
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * The Castle Tunnel

Trivia

 * In a picture of Thomas and Arthur at Tidmouth Sheds, James is not on the turntable.

Goofs

 * In Michael Brandon's narration, when he reads the title, he only says "Spotless Record".
 * When Thomas explains what a spotless record is, James is hurrying past in the background, but soon after, he and his train disappear.
 * When the shot fades to Thomas and Percy whizzing past Arthur, smoke is venting up from beneath the tracks before Thomas runs on them.
 * The trucks keep swapping places during Arthur's journey. In addition, their faces keep swapping sides.
 * When Arthur passes the windmill, the first van is missing his face.
 * If the laws of physics were observed correctly, then Arthur's velocity and weight should have caused the brakevan to crumple accordion-style, push Duck through the gates, and the driver and signalman should have been knocked over when the fruit hit them.
 * Arthur's first few wheels are lifted up during the collision, but in later shots they are back on the tracks.
 * When the fruit hits the signalman, his head jolts up.
 * When Thomas pushes some of the trucks, his wheels stop spinning and skid briefly.
 * A brakevan should have been added to Arthur's train.
 * When Harvey arrives, Duck is nowhere to be seen.
 * Arthur has Murdoch's whistle sound.
 * The narrator states that Arthur is a new engine, but he was already seen at the quarry in Bill, Ben and Fergus.
 * In Michael Brandon's narration the term truck is used.
 * When Arthur enters Maron, the end of the set can be seen at the top right.
 * In a close-up of Arthur, the track behind him leads to bushes.
 * At the docks, Percy pushes trucks past Thomas on the tracks right next to him. A few seconds later, Salty pushes trucks past Thomas on the same track, but in the other direction.
 * When this episode first aired on CITV, the Radio Times still referred to Arthur by his original name, Clarence.
 * In the shot of Arthur's wheels while he is braking, the signal pole can be briefly seen. However in the next point of view shot, the trucks pass the signal again.