Don't Bother Victor!

"Why didn't you find me earlier?" "Because, the Thin Controller said not to bother you until your visit." "Bother me? it's my job to fix really useful engines in trouble! And it makes me very happy!"

- Victor and Peter Sam

Don't Bother Victor! is the eighteenth episode of the sixteenth season.

Plot
Peter Sam arrives at the depot after shunting coal all night. Thomas is there waiting to take the Thin Controller to Knapford to meet with Sir Topham Hatt. The Thin Controller soon arrives and puts Peter Sam in charge until he returns. The Thin Controller tells Peter Sam that Victor will be coming in the afternoon for his weekly repairs visit and that Victor is very busy and should not be bothered with trivial matters before his visit. Peter Sam is happy to be in charge and promises not to bother Victor. Thomas wishes Peter Sam good luck with making all the decisions and sets off to Knapford. Peter Sam is very excited and also a little scared at the prospect of making important decisions. Then Rheneas urgently puffs up and tells Peter Sam that Sir Handel is creaking at a halt and that he must fetch Victor. Peter Sam remembers the Thin Controller's order and decides that he must not bother Victor. Peter Sam sets off to find Sir Handel to assess the situation.

Peter Sam finds Sir Handel chuffing slowly at the halt. Sir Handel asks Peter Sam to fetch Victor for him, but Peter Sam is determined not to bother Victor and offers to repair Sir Handel himself. Peter Sam is sure that oil is what Sir Handel needs and his driver is soon pouring oil into Sir Handel. Peter Sam then asks Sir Handel to roll forwards, but Sir Handel cannot move at all. Peter Sam is worried as it appears that he has not fixed Sir Handel at all. Then Rheneas clatters in and tells Peter Sam that Skarloey has something wrong with his funnel and is waiting at the watertower. Rheneas thinks that Skarloey will require Victor's expertise, but Peter Sam does not want to bother him. Peter Sam sets off to find Skarloey.

At the watertower, Skarloey informs Peter Sam that his funnel is blocked and that he needs Victor's help. Peter Sam still does not want to bother Victor and decides to make an attempt at clearing Skarloey's funnel himself. Peter Sam thinks hard and soon has an idea. He gets his driver to put the watertower's hosepipe down Skarloey's funnel in hopes that the water will clear the blockage in the funnel. Peter Sam's method does not succeed and now Skarloey cannot puff at all as the water has extinguished his fire. Peter Sam is concerned and admits that maybe he made a mistake. Rheneas pulls up alongside and tells Peter Sam that Duncan is suffering from rattling rods and needs Victor. Peter Sam is still adamant about not bothering Victor and sets off to locate Duncan.

On his way to Duncan, Peter Sam comes to a halt himself. He was so busy not bothering Victor that he had forgotten to take on more coal after his busy night of shunting trucks. Peter Sam has failed to help his friends and now cannot fetch Victor anyway. Just then, Rheneas clatters up and Peter Sam asks him to fetch Victor. Rheneas is puzzled and remembers that Peter Sam had previously told him that Victor must not be bothered. So Rheneas refuses to fetch Victor, leaving Peter Sam feeling silly. Suddenly, Peter Sam remembers what Thomas had said about making important decisions. Peter Sam comes to the conclusion that he can decide whether or not a matter is serious enough to bother Victor. He calls to Rheneas who hears him and chuffs back. Peter Sam admits that he was wrong and tells Rheneas that he should have bothered Victor before. Rheneas is pleased to follow orders and fetch Victor.

Soon Victor had brought some coal for Peter Sam. Victor is confused as to why Peter Sam did not ask for his help sooner. Peter Sam explains that Thin Controller had told him not to bother him. Victor smiles and tells Peter Sam that it is his job to fix engines so he would not have been bothered at all. The pair then go to Skarloey and Victor fixes his blocked funnel. Next Victor fixes Sir Handel's creaking. Later on, Peter Sam and Victor arrive back at the depot as Thomas returns with the Thin Controller. Mr. Percival is keen to find out how Peter Sam's day had been. Peter Sam and Victor tell him that they had no bother at all.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Handel
 * Peter Sam
 * Victor
 * Mr. Percival
 * Rusty (cameo)
 * Duncan (mentioned)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)

Peter Sam's driver groans. It is unknown who voiced him.

Locations

 * Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds
 * Mr. Percival's House
 * Daisy Halt
 * Knapford (mentioned)

Trivia

 * The Skarloey Railway engines appear for the first time since the twelfth season. However, Blue Mountain Mystery, which also features the narrow gauge engines, takes place before this episode.
 * Going by production order, this is the ninteenth episode of the sixteenth season.
 * After Mr. Percival greets Thomas and Peter Sam, in the UK version only Thomas says "Good morning sir". In the US version, both engines speak the line.
 * When Peter Sam whistles for Rheneas, he blew his whistle four times, giving out the correct whistle-code for emergency.
 * This is the final episode to feature Matt Wilkinson as Victor.
 * In Germany, this episode is titled as "Chief to Be Is Not Easy". In Japan, it is called "Peter Sam in Charge".
 * Steven Kynman joins the voice cast as Peter Sam
 * As of this episode, the Skarloey Railway coaches are painted in Talyllyn Railway livery.

Goofs

 * Peter Sam and Rheneas both end up at the halt, but came from different directions.
 * Peter Sam and the drivers should know not to put water down an engine's funnel or to put oil in Sir Handel's sandbox.
 * Rheneas turned around much too quickly when he returned to Peter Sam.
 * Duncan's issue is never resolved.
 * Steven Kynman is not credited in the UK credits despite voicing Peter Sam.
 * A brakevan should have been added to Victor's train.
 * Victor only had a coal truck with him; he should have had a train with workmen and their tools from the Steamworks for his weekly repair visit.
 * How did Peter Sam blow his whistle when his firebox has gone out?

Merchandise

 * Books - Don't Bother Victor!