Scruff's Makeover

"I can't stay clean while I'm working at that dirty, smelly, oily, dusty, old dump!"

- Scruff

Scruff's Makeover is the second episode of the seventeenth season.

Plot
One day, Scruff is sent to collect some rubbish trucks from a siding at Tidmouth Sheds. Once there, the big engines remark about how scruffy he is, but Scruff doesn't mind; he's happy just the way he is. On the way back to the Waste Dump, Scruff stops to say hello to the Fat Controller at Knapford Station. The Fat Controller is surprised to see Scruff in such a state, and orders him to be repainted at once. Scruff is not happy; he doesn't even like being washed, let alone being repainted.

At the Sodor Steamworks, Scruff is sanded and scrapped before being patched up and, finally, repainted and polished. Scruff does not enjoy the experience, and wants to get back to the Waste Dump. Outside the Steamworks, Scruff sees a reflection of himself, and is surprised by how wonderful he looks. On his way back to the dump, Scruff passes Gordon, Henry and James who now all compliment him. At the Waste Dump, Whiff is extremely busy, and is glad to see his assistant. Whiff asks Scruff to move some rubbish trucks, but Scruff refuses for fear that he will get his gleaming paintwork dirty. Whiff then asks Scruff to move some wagons of oil, but Scruff refuses to do this too. Scruff decides that it would be best if he were to look for a new job.

Scruff arrives at Knapford where Thomas is collecting passengers. Scruff politely asks Thomas if he can pull Annie and Clarabel today, but Thomas says that it's his job. Annie and Clarabel point out that Scruff's place is helping Whiff at the Waste Dump, but Scruff does not listen and puffs away to look for a different job.

Scruff catches up with Percy. who is pulling the mail train, and asks if he can take the mail today. Like Thomas, Percy states that pulling the mail is his job and that Scruff already has a job at the Waste Dump. Next, Scruff asks to pull Gordon's express. Gordon tells Scruff that he is too small and slow to pull the express. Scruff reminds Gordon that he is shiny and clean now, but Gordon tells Scruff that, whilst he might be shiny and clean, if he is not doing his job, he is not being really useful. Scruff knows that deep-down Gordon is right.

Back at the Waste Dump, Whiff is busier than ever, and is worried about what the Fat Controller will say when he sees the mess. Just then, Scruff clatters in and offers to help. Whiff is worried that Scruff will mess up his paintwork, but Scruff promises to be extra careful. Suddenly, a crane drops a load of rubbish onto Scruff, who is now back to his old, messy self. Scruff doesn't mind; getting dirty is part of the job.

Soon, Whiff and Scruff have sorted out all of the rubbish, and the Waste Dump is clear. Whiff is glad to have Scruff back on the team. But most of all, Scruff is delighted to be back. He now knows that it is better to be a really useful engine than a really clean one.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Whiff
 * Scruff
 * Victor
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Kevin
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward (cameo)
 * The Birdwatcher (cameo)
 * One of Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameo)
 * The Knapford stationmaster (cameo)

Locations

 * Whiff's Waste Dump
 * Sodor Steamworks
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * M.C. BUNN
 * Maron

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the fifth episode of the seventeenth season.
 * In the Norwegian and Australian versions of this episode, the shot where Scruff sees his reflection is in a different camera angle. This is also used on the UK DVD release of Railway Mischief.
 * This episode marks Scruff's first speaking role since the fourteenth season episode, O the Indignity.

Goofs

 * The brakevan at the end of Scruff's train changes from white to black between the shot of Scruff backing up to the train and when he pulls away with it during the Tidmouth Sheds scene.
 * The trucks with the oil barrels are actually narrow gauge trucks.
 * After the grabber drops the rubbish on top of Scruff, he looks the exact same way he did earlier in the episode before he was cleaned down.
 * When Whiff asks Scruff if he's ready to roll, the wheels of the truck in front of Scruff are too close to the truck's buffers.

Merchandise

 * Thomas Story Time - Scruff Gets Clean
 * Take-n-Play - Smelly Scruff

UK

 * The Complete Seventeenth Series (coming soon)

US/UK

 * Railway Mischief

Thailand

 * The Lost Puff