Tender Engines

"Pah! What's this? Educating Gordon Day? Firsh James, and now you, Duck! Big engines have big needs, and little engines are just annoying!"

- Gordon

Tender Engines is the twentieth episode of the third season. In the US, it aired on the Shining Time Station episode, "Mr. Conductor's Movie".

Plot
Gordon is impressed when he sees a visitor with two tenders, but becomes depressed when Diesel gloats the Diesels' victory over steam on the mainland. He perks up when he is told that he will never be scrapped on Sodor and that the visitor had two tenders due to the lack of coal and water on the mainland, but Henry is cross and grumbles he deserves two tenders for his work. Duck, planning a trick, coerces Henry into pulling some spare tenders. Henry is delighted, but is less than thrilled when he finds they are all filled with boiler sludge.

Characters

 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Duck
 * Donald
 * Diesel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas (cameo)
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Percy (cameo)
 * Flying Scotsman (cameo; not named)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Bertie (cameo)
 * Jem Cole (cameo)

Locations

 * Brendam Docks
 * Tidmouth
 * The Coaling Plant
 * Shunting Yards

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story "Tenders for Henry" from The Railway Series book, Enterprising Engines.
 * One of Henry's tenders has LMS written on the side, a possible reference to his model, the LMS Black 5 Class. Some of the other tenders have "NE" on the sides, indicating that they are North Eastern Railway tenders.
 * Flying Scotsman was originally intended to have a larger role in this episode, but due to budgetary constraints the entire locomotive model could not be constructed.

Goofs

 * When James leaves the coal loader, his eyes are wonky.
 * When James first arrives at the coal chute to speak to Gordon, his pony truck is off the rails.
 * When Henry bangs the trucks one bounces upward.
 * Before Henry comes out with the tenders, look at James; his first wheel is crooked.
 * Henry passes Thomas twice while pulling the tenders.
 * A camera tripod is seen when Gordon says "Don't be vulgar!"
 * What is Diesel doing on Sodor?
 * A brakevan should have been added to Percy's train.
 * Studio equipment can be seen when Gordon leaves Tidmouth.
 * Flying Scotsman's second tender is a standard LNER corridor tender when it should be an auxiliery water tender.