Thomas and the Rumours

"Harold might think he's more important than me, but he's not! Harold can't fly through tunnels."

- Henry

"Thomas and the Rumours" is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season.

Plot
Some children are upset that their playground has been closed, but before Thomas can tell the others Percy butts in with news that Harold has been hired to show a special visitor around Sodor. A few days later, Gordon is travelling to Knapford when he sees Harold and goes down the wrong line into a tunnel being bored. Thomas is worried that Gordon will be scrapped, but the Fat Controller laughs and says Harold was hired so the man could find a new site for the playground from the air, and the man declares that the sand cleared from the tunnel will be perfect for the playground.

Featured characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Oliver (deleted scene)
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Harold (does not speak)
 * Duck (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)

Trivia

 * Stock footage from "Trucks" is used.

Goofs

 * When Thomas puffs into the yard the label on the milk wagon beside him is printed in the wrong place.
 * When Percy is on the turntable, part of its fencing is snapped.
 * Studio equipment can be seen in the top-left corner in the close-up of Henry before he enters the tunnel.
 * Percy does not have his own branchline, as opposed to this episode's script.
 * When the engines look up at Harold at the end, Henry's eyes look strange.
 * When Gordon heads for the tunnel he's wearing one of Henry's faces.