The Afternoon Tea Express

"The visitors will wait a long time for their afternoon tea if Stephen is given the job!" "I'll have you know they used to call me the Rocket, because I was so speedy!" "Ha! Compared to a horse and cart, maybe!"

- Spencer and Stephen

The Afternoon Tea Express is the twenty-sixth (fourteenth in Australia) episode of the seventeenth season.

Plot
Stephen becomes very excited when the Earl gives him the special job of collecting the ingredients for the afternoon teas at the Castle. But Spencer teases him about being too old and slow. Stephen is cross, but is soon steaming around Sodor picking up all the ingredients. But soon, Gordon puffs up behind him, and tells him to hurry up. He then pushes Stephen quickly along the rails up to the junction to Ulfstead Castle. Spencer is surprised to see Stephen back so soon.

Stephen pretends to have been really fast. Over the next few days, Stephen is pushed by, Thomas, James and Emily, making him super fast. But when he is collecting jam for the Earl, Lady Hatt and the Fat Controller, none of the engines are there to push him. However, he finds Spencer, who pushes him the fastest up to the castle. But he goes so fast, he can't stop and biffs into the buffers at Ulfstead Castle, making the jam fly all over the Earl, Lady Hatt and the Fat Controller.

After he apologises, he takes the visitors to the castle on a tour of Sodor whilst getting more jam, and realises that going slow is not that bad after all.

Characters

 * Gordon
 * Spencer
 * Stephen
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Lady Hatt
 * Sir Robert Norramby
 * Thomas (does not speak)
 * James (does not speak)
 * Emily (does not speak)
 * The Duke and Duchess of Boxford (do not speak)
 * Millie (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Cranky (cameo)
 * The Dairy Manager (cameo)
 * The Two Bakers (cameo)
 * The Teacher (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)
 * Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameo)

Locations

 * Ulfstead Castle
 * Sodor Dairy
 * Sodor Bakery
 * Wellsworth
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Animal Park
 * Coastal Cliffs

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the fourteenth episode of the seventeenth season.
 * This is the final episode narrated by Kalle Øby in Norway.
 * This is also the final episode directed by David Baas.
 * This episode marks Lady Hatt's last speaking role until the twentieth season episode, Engine of the Future.
 * This episode marks the last appearance of the Sodor Bakery until the twentieth season episode, All in Vain.

Goofs

 * Stephen has his old, black funnel. Although, a rare picture shows him with his correct white funnel.
 * The open-topped carriage constantly changes height throughout the episode.
 * Stephen's trucks swap places during his journey.
 * Lady Hatt has her UK voice in the US.
 * When Stephen and Gordon go over the camera, Gordon seems to be pulling less than six carriages when in the next few shots he has six carriages.
 * When the narrator is talking about Stephen getting pushed by other engines, he says "The next day" even though Stephen's runs are weekly.
 * When the barrels of jam fly onto the platform at Ulfstead Castle, the narrator says that the barrels "smashed to the ground." However, the barrels never broke, they remained completely intact.

Merchandise

 * Take-n-Play - Stephen's Sticky Delivery
 * Books - The Rocket Returns
 * Magazine stories - The Afternoon Tea Express

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * The Complete Series 17
 * Spills and Thrills

DVD Packs

 * Special Edition Box Set
 * 10 DVD Boxset (2014)
 * Limited Offer DVD Box Set

AUS/NL

 * Spills and Thrills

US

 * Spills and Thrills
 * Season 17 (Digital Download)

CHN

 * The Afternoon Tea Express (Chinese DVD)

DVD Boxsets

 * 2 DVD Boxset

THA

 * Henry's Hero

GER
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 * The Ghost-Express