Hunt the Truck

Hunt the Truck, also known as Hunt the Car in North America, is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the twenty-second series.

Plot
Edward arrives at Brendam Docks with trucks for Bill and Ben to take to the Clay Pits when he finds a frustrated Nia searching for a covered truck, which had disappeared while she went to refuel. The details given allow him to immediately deduce that Bill and Ben hid it while Nia was absent. Unsurprisingly, the twins loudly deny it and while Nia throws in an argument, Edward spots her missing truck, and after a round of laughter from the twins, threatens to take away their trucks if they do not give Nia hers back. They relent, and Bill goes to fetch it, but not before calling Edward a spoilsport. Edward apologises to Nia, saying that their latest game consists of hiding trucks and making other engines hunt for them. Ben then gloats that nobody can hide truck better than he and Bill, who gives Nia her truck back. Thanking Edward, she sets off, and the twins promptly tease Edward about being no fun and very boring as he leaves rolling his eyes.

The twins find a red van with a wreath on the side at the docks the next morning, and thanks to Porter, they find out that the truck was for Edward to collect. Still sore about Edward ruining their fun the last time, the twins decide to hide his truck as payback, leaving it in a empty yard. But that's where their troubles start.

Later that day, as a smirking Edward arrives for his truck, as soon as he spotted the twins, he begins acting shocked, worried, and sad. A confused Porter then replies that he was certain that the truck was at the docks earlier, with Bill and Ben snickering at their supposed success. But Edward then reveals the truck's contents, the Earl’s Christmas party supplies and the consequences without them, leaving the twins both shocked and horrified. After realising they were spotted, they make an excuse and leave. Porter is confused by this behaviour, but Edward just smiles smugly.

The twins race to the spot where they hid the truck, but to their horror, the sidings are completely empty. Bill then lists the main concerns and notes one thing: they have to find the truck before Christmas is ruined. The twins then get into a short-lived argument on who is to blame, which is interrupted by Salty's horn. They then ask if he has seen the truck, and he gives a monologue and a joke, saying that the truck could be anywhere on the island by now. This last statement horrifies the twins, and busy as bees, they rush off to hunt the truck, leaving a confused Salty behind.

They look everywhere for the truck, through Knapford Station, in a shunting yard, where they briefly bash a truck in frustration, and finally, a tunnel that Bill enters to try and find the truck before being chased out by Gordon, who made enough vibrations to cause a small pile of snow fall on top of a very annoyed Ben.

Going over their options, the twins decide to tell Edward the bad news. When they spill the beans, Edward surprises them by revealing the truck was at Ulfstead Castle the whole time. Bill and Ben are left with a loss of words, and just after Thomas arrives with the party guests, Edward reveals that he had set things up to give the twins a taste of their own medicine, revealing he knew all of their hiding places as well. The twins were left both relieved and disappointed, something that Edward, Thomas, Annie and Clarabel have a laugh at as soon as the party begins.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * Bill and Ben
 * Porter
 * Nia
 * Salty
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Bridget Hatt
 * Sir Robert Norramby
 * Duck
 * Rebecca
 * Cranky
 * Carly
 * Big Mickey
 * The Ginger-haired Boy
 * The Blond-haired Boy
 * Diesel
 * Paxton
 * Max and Monty
 * Den
 * Sidney

Locations

 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Ulfstead Castle
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Station Yard
 * Knapford Yards
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * Wellsworth
 * Wellsworth Sheds
 * Vicarstown Dieselworks
 * Sodor China Clay Company
 * The Mainland

UK

 * John Hasler as Thomas
 * Keith Wickham as Edward, Gordon and Salty
 * Rasmus Hardiker as Bill
 * Matt Wilkinson as Ben
 * Steven Kynman as Porter
 * Yvonne Grundy as Nia
 * Teresa Gallagher as Annie, Clarabel, Stephen Hatt and Bridget Hatt

US

 * Joseph May as Thomas
 * William Hope as Edward
 * Kerry Shale as Gordon
 * Rasmus Hardiker as Bill
 * Matt Wilkinson as Ben
 * David Menkin as Porter
 * Yvonne Grundy as Nia
 * Keith Wickham as Salty
 * Teresa Gallagher as Annie, Clarabel, Stephen Hatt and Bridget Hatt

Trivia

 * At the end of the episode, Thomas mentions the events of the eighteenth series episode, Disappearing Diesels, and the twentieth series episode, Mucking About. Stock footage from both episodes is used.
 * There are a few references to past episodes from the Classic Series:
 * The term "Hunt the Truck" comes from the Railway Series book, Tramway Engines and the third series episode, Mavis.
 * Edward threatens to take away the trucks he brought Bill and Ben, which is what BoCo does in the second series episode, Wrong Road.
 * When Bill and Ben leave to look for Edward's truck, they say the same line as Thomas did in Ghost Train, "...got to see a coach about a train."
 * This episode aired before Confusion Without Delay in the US, so the audience would not know who Rebecca is.
 * The original script for the episode featured a different fantasy sequence, which was changed due to being "way too depressing".
 * This is the last episode produced by Micaela Winter.