Gordon and the Famous Visitor

"Never trust domeless engines! They aren't respectable!"

- Duck

Gordon and the Famous Visitor is the fourth episode of the third season. It first aired on the Shining Time Station episode Win, Lose or Draw in 1991.

Plot
It is an important day at the yards, and everyone is busy and excited making notes and taking photographs. A special visitor had arrived and was now the centre of attention. Duck explains to Thomas and Percy that he is a celebrity, a very famous engine. Thomas, Duck, Percy and the other engines are very pleased about the Visitor, but Gordon is jealous as he thinks it is a lot of fuss about nothing.

Next morning, the visitor heads back to his railway, and Thomas tells Gordon that the engine is famous since he went 100 mph before Gordon was even thought of. Gordon is unamused and tells Thomas that the visitor has no dome and that domeless engines are not respectable or trustworthy, and that 100 mph would be easy for him.

Later that day, Duck takes some trucks to Wellsworth and tells Edward what Gordon had said about the visitor. Edward tells Duck not to take any notice, since Gordon thinks that no engine should be famous but him. Moments later, Gordon thunders past the two engines on the main line as his wheels pound the rails. Duck watches and tells Edward that Gordon will knock himself to bits.



Gordon's driver tells Gordon that he is not running a race, but Gordon takes no notice. Gordon then notices that the top of his boiler feels funny as something feels loose and decides to slow down, but it is too late. On the viaduct, he meets a teasing wind that makes him think it will push him off. But the wind has other ideas as it curls around his boiler and blows Gordon's dome off and into the valley below. Gordon is most uncomfortable as he feels silly without his dome, and to make matters worse for him, he is made into a laughing stock at Knapford Station by some trucks.

On the journey home, Gordon asks his driver to find his dome, but he tells Gordon that they will never find it and they will have to go to the works for a new one. Gordon is most upset and hopes that the sheds are empty tonight, but all the engines are there waiting. As Gordon turns around on the turntable, he hears a voice saying: "Never trust domeless engines. They aren't respectable."

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * Percy
 * Duck
 * City of Truro (not named, does not speak)
 * The Railway Society (do not speak)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Toby (cameo)
 * Donald and Douglas (cameo)
 * Bill and Ben (cameo)
 * Diesel (cameo)
 * Bertie (cameo)
 * Trevor (cameo)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)
 * Bridget Hatt (cameo)
 * Jeremiah Jobling (cameo)
 * Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
 * Jem Cole (cameo)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Tidmouth Goods Station
 * Henry's Forest
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Yards
 * Wellsworth
 * The Viaduct
 * Lower Suddery
 * The Country Line
 * Hawin Croka
 * The Valley Bridge

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story Domeless Engines from The Railway Series book, Duck and the Diesel Engine.
 * Stock footage from Time for Trouble is used.
 * In a picture of a deleted scene, Thomas, Percy, and Duck were at the other side of the shed.
 * In a picture of a deleted scene, City of Truro's tender can be seen at the left of Gordon (viewer's right).
 * In a rare photo, Gordon is pulling red express coaches.
 * In a rare photo, Edward and Duck are at the station instead of the yard and Gordon races through the station on the left track rather than the middle.
 * In the UK and international versions, when the narrator said "Gordon was most uncomfortable" the music is omitted.
 * In a deleted scene, Gordon is seen crossing the viaduct in the opposite direction without his dome.
 * This is the first time a real-life engine appears in the series.
 * There is a digger from TUGS next to Gordon when he arrives at Tidmouth Sheds.
 * Although City of Truro's name is never mentioned, it is seen on the banner at Tidmouth Sheds and his nameplate.
 * When first repeated on CITV in 1993, Duck's conversation with Edward at Wellsworth was cut out to fit the timeslot.

Goofs

 * In the close-up on Thomas and Duck at the sheds, Duck is derailed.
 * In one shot of Gordon talking to Thomas and Duck, he does not have any eyebrows.
 * Because of stock footage, Gordon seems to pass through Wellsworth twice.
 * When Gordon says "It feels as if something is loose," he hits a tree branch on the right. (Gordon's left)
 * After Gordon loses his dome, his coaches disappear.
 * When Gordon goes through Knapford, he is tilted to the right. In the same scene, the coach to the far left is seen with exposed wires around its buffers.
 * When Gordon races through the station, only one distant signal on its own can be seen, which is incorrect. Distant signals without home signals are only ever seen out on the open line.
 * When Thomas says "Who's that?" to Duck, Duck's right wheel is derailed.
 * When Duck talks to Edward, Edward's whistle is crooked.
 * When Henry passes Edward and Duck at Wellsworth, his eyes are wonky.
 * In the last shot of the episode, Gordon's eyes are wonky.

Merchandise

 * Buzz Books - Gordon and the Famous Visitor

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Time for Trouble and other stories (Direct-to-Home Video)
 * Ghost Train and other stories/Time for Trouble and other stories
 * Chases, Races and Runaways
 * My Little Thomas and the Royal Visitor
 * The Complete Series 3

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine: Bumper Special 1

US

 * Thomas Gets Bumped and Other Stories
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories (1992 release)
 * Best of Gordon
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

DVD Boxsets

 * Totally Thomas Volume 8
 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection
 * Best of Collection

AUS

 * Time for Trouble and other stories
 * The Complete Series 3
 * My First Thomas with Henry and Gordon

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10 (Boxset)
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Time for Trouble and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 4

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Volume 12
 * Best of Gordon
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.7
 * Gordon and Henry the Large Engines
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

PHL

 * Time for Trouble (DVD)

NL

 * The Ghost Train (Dutch DVD)
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Edward, Toby and the Diesels

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

IN

 * Ghost Train and Other Stories

ITA

 * On Christmas Eve

GER

 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 6
 * It's Great to be a Locomotive!

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas and His Friends Box Set 1

NOR/FIN

 * Thomas, Percy and the Post Train (Norwegian VHS)

DK

 * Now There Will Be Trouble and Other Stories

MYS

 * Diesel Does it Again and Other Thomas Adventures
 * The Deputation and Other Adventures

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD)

THA

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 6 (Thai DVD)
 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 8 (Thai DVD)
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