Faulty Whistles

"Look! It's Duncan the musical engine!"

- Rusty

Faulty Whistles is the twenty-sixth episode of the sixth season.

Plot
Peter Sam is delivering some goods, but on the way home his whistle is knocked off by a branch. Duncan laughs and sets off with his goods. One the way, he startles Elizabeth and the bull she is carrying by Whistling loudly. When he passes Terence in a field he prepares to give him the same surprise, but he blows his whistle so hard it simply flies off into the field.

Luckily, one of Duncan's trucks is carrying an organ destined for Strawberry Grove School, and Headmaster Hastings plays the organ when and where Duncan should whistle. Duncan reaches home safely, but is teased by Skarloey, Rheneas, and Rusty. Peter Sam tells Duncan that he was brave to go on without a whistle. This cheers Duncan up.

Characters

 * Rheneas
 * Peter Sam
 * Duncan
 * Rusty
 * Elizabeth
 * Headmaster Hastings
 * Skarloey (does not speak in US version)
 * Terence (does not speak)

Locations

 * Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds
 * The Skarloey Railway Viaduct

Trivia

 * This story appears to be a loose adaptation of the Railway Series story, Mike's Whistle. Peter Sam and Duncan take the roles of Duck and Mike respectively.
 * The organ plays the song "Comin' Round the Mountain" while Duncan puffs on the cliffside.
 * Headmaster Hastings is named after the episode's writer, Ross Hastings.
 * This was the final episode narrated by Alec Baldwin in the US and Terje Strømdal in Norway.
 * Music is played when Duncan is making his deliveries in the UK version, but not in the US narration.
 * In the UK version, Skarloey says "Toot! Toot!", but in the US version, just whistles.
 * In Norway, this episode is named "Duncan's New Whistle". The Danish title is "Whistle Complications". In Japan it is called "Steam Whistle has changed". It is called "Lose Whistle" in Welsh. In Sweden this episode is called "The Broken Whistle".
 * In production order, this is the twenty-fifth episode of the sixth season.

Goofs

 * Rheneas has Peter Sam's whistle sound.
 * When Elizabeth is carrying the bull her eyes are wonky.
 * For the first shot of the camera "pulling" Duncan, at the bottom of the screen a wire is bouncing up and down.
 * It was very dangerous for Headmaster Hastings and the boy to travel on the flatbed.
 * The organ should have been properly secured to ensure it wouldn't fall off on the journey.
 * Duncan never takes the organ to Strawberry Grove during his deliveries. The organ winds back up at the Yards with him. However, he would not have anything to use as a whistle if he did so.
 * When making his deliveries, Duncan leaves the trucks and vans right on the main line. They should have been put in sidings so as not to hold up other trains.
 * In the US narration, Alec Baldwin does not give Duncan a Scottish accent.
 * Duncan's driver's hair is blonde for most of the episode, but brown when he is looking for Duncan's whistle.

Merchandise

 * Take-Along (four-pack and movie car; both discontinued)