Bowled Out

"My hat! You've sucked it through your air intake!" "Bother your hat!"

- The Inspector and Sir Topham Hatt

Bowled Out is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season. In the US, it first aired in the Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales episode,  For the Birds in 1996.

Plot
Stepney's visit to the railway is coming to an end. Meanwhile, the Fat Controller tells the engines that they need help, so a diesel is coming to help. But the new diesel is very rude to the engines when he arrives, boasting that they should be scrapped and replaced by diesel engines like him. The engines all decide that the newcomer needs to be taught a lesson, but no one knows how to do it.

Luckily, their chance soon comes when the Diesel starts boasting to Duck and Stepney. He rolls towards his coaches and suddenly grinds to a halt. As Duck and Stepney push him back to the shed, an inspector sees his bowler hat lodged in the Diesel's air intake. The Fat Controller asks Duck and Stepney to take the Diesel's train to Crovan's Gate, where Gordon will take over. Stepney becomes excited to have a long run on his last day.

Soon, the two engines are whizzing through Edward's station, but they feel the drag of the heavy coaches on Gordon's hill. At last, they run smoothly along to Crovan's Gate where Gordon is waiting. The three engines can't help but joke about the Diesel's predicament.

The next day, everyone says goodbye to Stepney. He promises them that they are all welcome on his railway, and leaves. Meanwhile the Diesel slips away while no one is looking, leaving two things behind: a rather nasty smell, and a battered bowler hat.

Characters

 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Duck
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Stepney
 * The Diesel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas (speaks only in Japanese dub)
 * Edward (does not speak)
 * Percy (cameo)
 * Skarloey (cameo)
 * Sir Handel (cameo)
 * Rusty (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Bertie (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Wellsworth
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Crovan's Gate
 * Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds
 * Shunting Yards
 * Henry's Tunnel (deleted scene)

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season.
 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book, Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine.
 * This episode marks the final appearance of Sir Handel until the tenth season. It also marks the last appearance of Crovan's Gate until the eighteenth season (excluding stock footage appearances in the seventh season).
 * In a rare picture, Gordon is in Henry's place when the Fat Controller makes the announcement.
 * According to the description on Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories, the Diesel was brought to Sodor to take over Daisy's work while she is ill.
 * This episode marks the Diesel's only speaking role.

Goofs

 * The goods train next to James is being pushed by a crew member, as a shadow is seen.
 * Gordon's buffers are slightly crooked at different points in the episode.
 * When the Diesel arrives, James swaps tracks from the left of Donald and Douglas to the right and then back again.
 * A pipe can be seen on the Diesel's air-intake in the close-up of the inspector's hat.
 * Stepney is missing his crew in the first shot.
 * When the Diesel breaks down, he has his air-intake covered, but when the inspector notices his hat, his air-intake cover is off.
 * In the close-ups of Duck and Stepney during the scene where the Diesel breaks down, the scenery changes.
 * In the shot of Duck and Stepney puffing up Gordon's Hill, a red and blue wire can be seen in the middle coach. In the same shot, the track in front of the engines appears to sink just before they roll over it.
 * James has Smudger's whistle sound when he leaves the station.
 * Stepney has Rheneas' whistle sound.
 * After the Diesel grinds to a halt and the camera switches to Duck and Stepney and then back to the Diesel, he is slightly farther away from the coaches.
 * When Duck and Stepney reach Gordon's Hill, Duck gains a lamp.
 * Gordon is missing his brake pipe.
 * In a rare still image, Gordon has a crooked buffer.
 * When the Diesel arrives at Tidmouth Sheds, the braking sound is heard long before he actually stops.
 * When the engines are whistling at Tidmouth Sheds, Percy's whistle sound is heard, but he is not in the sheds. This is because stock audio from Thomas' Christmas Party is used.
 * In the second shot, the camera lens can be seen at the top left hand corner.

UK

 * Thomas' Train and 17 other stories
 * The Complete Fourth Series
 * Classic Collection

US

 * Thomas and the Special Letter

AUS

 * Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories
 * All Aboard October!
 * The Complete Fourth Series

JPN

 * New Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.6

NOR

 * On New Adventures
 * The Old Coach (Norwegian VHS/DVD)