Trust Thomas

"He's sick." "Yes he is - I mean, I am!"

- Gordon and James

Trust Thomas is the thirteenth episode of the third season. It aired in the US on the Shining Time Station episode, "Achoo".

Plot
Thomas finds out that Bertie has lost his trust in the railway's service after it failed to deliver tar to mend the roads and resolves to get to the source of the problem. Meanwhile, James is complaining about having to shunt when Gordon advises him to pretend to be sick. When Thomas arrives James tells him he is ill, and Thomas offers to take his trucks. The trucks, who were cross at James for bumping them, decide to get revenge on Thomas. On the way back from the quarry they push Thomas over some points and onto a jetty, which floats across the pond. Duck rescues the trucks and Edward helps Thomas home. When Thomas tells Edward about the tar, he recalls several wagons were left at Wellsworth and collects them. James and Gordon apologise for their trick, and Bertie arrives to tell Thomas that his road is about to be mended.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Bertie
 * Percy (does not speak)
 * Duck (does not speak)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)

Locations

 * Wellsworth
 * Anopha Quarry
 * The Quarry Tramroad
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Knapford Harbour
 * Tidmouth Sheds (mentioned)
 * Knapford Yards

Trivia

 * This is the only episode in the entire series written by only Britt Allcroft.
 * In the restored version, James goes past the camera completely while bumping the trucks.
 * This is the last episode where Thomas has the red lining on the back of his bunker.
 * In the UK narration, when Thomas leaves Bertie, the narrator says "Thomas left Bertie and made his way down the branch line towards the big station by the sea." In the US narration, the narrator says "And Thomas puffed away towards the big station."
 * In the UK version, Thomas whistles after he agrees to help James. This is absent in the US.
 * In the US narration, the line "They pushed Thomas over the switches" is added.
 * In Germany, this episode is titled "Trust is Better". The Italian title is "Trust Me!".

Goofs

 * The causeway Thomas puffs across is the one on Toby's old tramway.
 * Although James says that he has to do Percy's work while Percy's at the harbour, Percy can be seen in the background in one of the shots at the yard.
 * While Thomas is puffing to the quarry, his trucks have faces; when he's crossing the bridge, they do not.
 * While Thomas passes the camera with the trucks on the way to the quarry, the last truck's face is falling off.
 * Thomas passes the points before the narrator has time to say so.
 * The toad on Thomas' front at the end has adhesive underneath its feet.
 * In one of the shots of Thomas passing the camera with the empty trucks, one of the truck's faces is off-center.
 * The narrator said that Thomas' driver applied the brakes, but his wheels are still moving.
 * During Thomas, Gordon, and James' conversation, Edward and Duck's whistle sounds are heard several times in the background, yet neither are seen.
 * When Thomas passes a signal on his branchline at the beginning, the signal is up.
 * Edward says a truck of tar was left at his station, but two appear in the flashback.
 * In the close-up of the trucks after the accident, the lead truck's right eye is scratched.