Thomas' Christmas Party

"Thomas and Toby are old friends, and now, Percy, you are my friend too!"

- Mrs. Kyndley

Thomas' Christmas Party is the twenty-sixth episode of the first season. In the US, this episode first aired on Shining Time Station's 1990 Christmas special 'Tis a Gift.

Plot
It is Christmas time and Thomas wants to throw Mrs. Kyndley a party to thank her for saving him from a landslide the year before.

The Fat Controller agrees with him, but on the day of the party, there is a heavy snowfall, trapping Mrs Kyndley in her house. Thomas bravely puts on his snow plough and sets off with Toby to rescue her, and soon, with the help of Terence, who stays behind to look after the house, Thomas and Toby can return her to the shed, where the party is supposed to be.

But Thomas and Toby arrive home, they find the sheds in darkness. Suddenly, a switch is thrown and the sheds are covered in lights. Everybody sings carols, and Mrs Kyndley says it's the best Christmas party ever.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Mrs. Kyndley
 * Terence (does not speak)
 * Bertie (cameo)
 * Henrietta (cameo)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Mrs. Kyndley's Cottage
 * Hackenbeck Tunnel
 * The Viaduct (deleted scene)
 * Knapford (deleted scene)

Trivia

 * This is the first time, the Television series gets its own Christmas episode.
 * This episode is based on the story of the same name, released alongside the series in 1984. It also features a flashback from the story Mrs Kyndley's Christmas from The Railway Series book, Toby the Tram Engine.
 * Stock footage from Thomas' Train and Thomas, Terence and the Snow is used.
 * The platform Sir Topham Hatt stands on is made out of LEGO.
 * The Christmas lights are real Christmas tree lights.
 * The text in the end credits are red in the original version.
 * The German title of this episode is "The Christmas Party". In Japan this episode is called "Christmas Party of Thomas". The French title is "Noel Thomas". In Finland this episode is called "Thomas Locomotive Christmas Party".
 * A deleted scene shows that the christmas party may have originally been set at Knapford Station, instead of Tidmouth Sheds.
 * When George Carlin provides the narration, Ringo Starr can be heard in the background when the engines sing at the end. Every foreign version has this as well, meaning Ringo's singing is built into the soundtrack for some reason.
 * Ringo Starr's US narration of this episode has been broadcast on the Shining Time Station Christmas special "'Tis a Gift" and its VHS release, but has not yet been commissioned for a release on DVD.
 * George Carlin's narration of this episode was never featured on an episode of Shining Time Station. It first appeared on Thomas' Christmas Party and Other Favorite Stories.

Goofs

 * Clarabel is facing the wrong way in the opening shot.
 * When the workmen fit Thomas' snowplough, blu-tak is on one of the men's legs.
 * Throughout the episode, Toby keeps losing his brakevan.
 * When the engines whistle, only Thomas, Edward, and Henry's whistles can be heard.
 * At the Christmas party, Henry is in his old shape.
 * In the PBS Kids Sprout version, around the time the engines save Mrs. Kyndley and the time Thomas gets back to the sheds, the narration is dramatically out of sync.
 * Gordon's tender is missing in a close-up.
 * The Christmas tree at Tidmouth is far too tall compared to the engine shed.
 * In a deleted scene, Thomas' eyes are wonky.
 * The lights used at the sheds are noticably out of scale.
 * When Sir Topham Hatt stands on the Platform, some Blu-tak can be seen under his feet.
 * At the beginning when Thomas whistles "Happy Christmas" to Mrs. Kyndley, Clarabel is the front coach and facing forwards, but in the next shot she is at the back of the train and facing backwards.
 * In one shot of Toby puffing through the snow, the workmen's coach is not behind Henrietta.