Double Trouble

"Please, Sir. We can't stay long. The children mustn't be late for the party.""Oh, party, schmarty, Thomas. We have plenty of time! You worry too much!"

- Thomas and Sir Lowham Hatt

Double Trouble is the fourth episode of the thirteenth season.

Plot
It is the Fat Controller's birthday, and Thomas is sent to Maithwaite early to collect the Fat Controller and Lady Hatt to take them to his birthday party. However, when Thomas arrives, he is very surprised to see the Fat Controller already there - and that he has a moustache and calls Thomas his friend. The Fat Controller is very jolly too and tells Thomas to take him to Whispering Woods. Thomas finds the Fat Controller's behaviour very strange and wants to ask him about his moustache, but he does not so as not to look so silly.

At Whispering Woods, the Fat Controller decides to play hide and seek with the children, much to the confusion of Thomas and Edward as they know the Fat Controller does not usually play with children. Once the Fat Controller is back on board Annie, he tells Edward to let the children have some more play time even though Edward is taking them to the party. Then, when Thomas stops at a junction, the Fat Controller jumps out and goes up to the signalbox and messes around with the levers, causing Gordon who is taking the important visitors to the party to go on an old line. Thomas finds this very strange indeed, but once again, he does not ask the Fat Controller about his behaviour because he does not want to look silly.

Thomas goes back to Maithwaite where the stationmaster scolds him for being late. The Fat Controller and Lady Hatt waited for Thomas, but as he did not turn up, they had to take Bertie, who, unfortunately, had broken down. Thomas is very confused, but realises that his passenger cannot be the Fat Controller; so he asks the question that he wanted to ask all day, and, to Thomas' surprise the passenger reveals himself to be Sir Lowham Hatt, the Fat Controller's brother. Sir Lowham Hatt wants to have some more fun, but Thomas knows that this is not the time for playing games, as they are late.

Thomas finds Bertie broken down, and the Fat Controller is cross with him until he sees his brother and scolds him instead for causing so much confusion and delay. Once the Hatt family are at the party, Thomas finds Edward and Gordon and helps them get to the party just in time. At the party, the Hatt brothers have fun, which makes Thomas happy.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Sir Lowham Hatt
 * The Maithwaite Stationmaster
 * Lady Hatt (does not speak)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * Bertie (does not speak)
 * The Ginger-haired Boy (does not speak)
 * James (cameo)
 * Percy (cameo)

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Maithwaite
 * Whispering Woods
 * Kirk Ronan Junction

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first appearance of Sir Lowham Hatt.
 * This episode Was Named After The Season 2 Episode Double Trouble.

Goofs

 * Bertie's radiator is missing.
 * The points change far too quickly after Thomas tells Gordon to go to the party.
 * In the UK version, at Maithwaite, Thomas calls Sir Lowham "Fat Controller", but this is a nickname. Thomas should have called him "Sir Topham Hatt" to his face.
 * Clarabel is facing forwards in some shots.
 * Annie and Clarabel's eyes are closed when Thomas arrives at the party.

UK

 * The Complete Thirteenth Series

UK/US

 * The Birthday Express

AUS

 * ABC For Kids - Counting 1, 2, 3
 * Thomas in Charge!

Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland

 * Creaky Cranky