Thomas and Gordon

"Well, little Thomas. Now you know what hard work means, don't you?"

- Gordon

Thomas and Gordon, retitled Thomas Gets Tricked in American releases, is the pilot episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. It first aired on Shining Time Station in the episode A Place Unlike Any Other in 1989 and re-aired in Stacy Forgets Her Name in 1993.

Plot
Thomas is a blue tank engine who acts as a station pilot for the bigger engines. His job is to fetch coaches for the other engines and then take them away when the engines need to go to the sheds and rest. Thomas thinks no engine works as hard as he does and is often very cheeky to the bigger engines.

One day, a big blue express locomotive named Gordon had returned from a long journey and wanted a rest, so he found a siding to sleep in. Then Thomas came up in his cheeky way, telling Gordon to wake up and work harder. This woke the big engine up, but instead of falling back asleep, he plotted revenge on Thomas to show him what hard work is.

The next morning, Thomas' crew could not make him start. Gordon impatiently waited outside the station for Thomas to bring him his coaches. Finally, Thomas was able to start. He hurried to get the express coaches and brought them to the station platform behind Gordon. Gordon then enacted his plan and quickly backed down and coupled to his train. Thomas usually pushes from behind to help the trains get a good start, but they always uncouple him from the train first. This time, however, Gordon had rushed him so much, Thomas' crew forgot to uncouple him and Gordon quickly started off, with little Thomas behind. Gordon raced through the Sudrian countryside as fast as he could to show Thomas how hard it was to pull the express. It is not long before Thomas became quite out of breath.

After a while, the two blue engines came to a stop at a station. Thomas had never gone that fast before and was very tired and felt very silly. He got a nice long drink from the water tower and puffed wearily home. Thomas learned to never be cheeky to Gordon again.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * Henry (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Clarabel (cameo)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)

Locations

 * Wellsworth
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * The Bus Yard
 * The Viaduct
 * Henry's Tunnel

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Thomas the Tank Engine.
 * Gordon is seen backing down to his train at the beginning of the restored version.
 * When Thomas pulls into Knapford at the beginning, a poster for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus can be seen on the wall.
 * The title card was used on the first eight seasons in the Greek dub.
 * This episode may have been filmed alongside Off the Rails, as Gordon is resting on the same siding, and the trucks next to him are the same in both episodes.

Goofs

 * In the very first shot of Thomas, studio equipment is reflected off of his smokebox and the edge of his boiler is chipped. In the same shot when he starts rolling his eyes, his face moves just a little bit.
 * In the first shot of Thomas' wheels, the paint on his middle wheel is chipped and his smokebox is scratched.
 * The top of the set can be seen over the church, when James and Henry pass by.
 * When Thomas pulls up next to Gordon, Thomas' smoke vanishes as Gordon wakes up; this is due to a cut in the film.
 * When the narrator says "It was nearly time for the Express" there are no coaches on the track next to Gordon. When Thomas puffs in, they suddenly appear.
 * Gordon was waiting outside platform 2 for his coaches, but when Thomas puffs in, Gordon and his coaches are outside platform 3 and 4.
 * In one scene, there is a set of points leading from the track outside platform 5 to the track outside platform 4. In the next scene, it disappears.
 * The express leaves from Knapford, but first goes through Henry's Tunnel before arriving at Wellsworth, which is at the opposite end of the railway line.
 * When Gordon comes out of Henry's Tunnel, the track bounces up and down.
 * In the close-ups of Thomas and Gordon on their journey, the train is missing.
 * When the train crosses the viaduct, the edge of the set is visible.
 * When Thomas puffs into the siding a camera stand is visible on the left of the screen.
 * When Thomas goes on the turntable a camera stand is visible and a small white mark is visible on his tank.
 * When Gordon pulls Thomas around the bend, studio equipment can be seen at the right of the screen.
 * According to the Awdry writings, the express is not meant to stop at Wellsworth.
 * Just before Thomas reaches the water tower, the background shows trees and bushes instead of Wellsworth station.
 * At the end, Thomas is puffing rather fast when the narrator says, "Poor Thomas couldn't answer".
 * A brakevan should have been added to James' train.
 * Henry and James appear briefly, but they're not introduced until The Sad Story of Henry and Thomas and the Breakdown Train respectively.
 * When Gordon backs down on his train and yells, "Get in quickly please!", something can be seen moving behind the station.
 * In the shot of Thomas puffing into Knapford, Henry does not have a train. But a few seconds later, he has coaches, a van, and a brakevan.
 * Also when Henry is pulling out, the edge of the set is visible if you look through Knapford station.
 * When Gordon is sleeping in the siding, his buffers are crooked.
 * A tripod can be seen in the background when Thomas goes to the turntable.
 * In the shot of Thomas stopping inside Knapford with his coaches, Henry is in his new shape.