Big Strong Henry

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Big Strong Henry
Episode Overview
Writer	Simon Nicholson
Director	Steve Asquith
Producer	Simon Spencer
Narrator	Michael Angelis (UK) Michael Brandon (US)
Release Details
Series	10
Series no.	10.13 (US) 10.17 (UK)
Number	251
Released	12th September 2006 (UK) 15th October 2006 (US) 5th June 2007 (GER) 15th March 2008 (AUS) 14th January 2009 (JPN) 27th February 2010 (HUN)
Episode Guide
← Previous	Thomas and the Shooting Star
Next →	Sticky Toffee Thomas/Sticky Taffy Thomas

“Here comes Gordon!"
"And here comes big strong Henry!”

― Thomas and Henry

Big Strong Henry is the seventeenth episode of the tenth series.

Plot

Winter is coming to the Island of Sodor, and all the engines are preparing for the cold weather. Farmer McColl is building a new shed for his cows, and he needs lots of bricks, iron, and concrete to finish building it.

At Tidmouth Sheds, Sir Topham Hatt declares that he needs a strong engine to fetch them. Henry volunteers immediately, but Gordon intervenes, boasting he is stronger and that he will do the job. Even though Gordon and Henry are just about the same size, after careful thinking, Sir Topham Hatt decides that Gordon will pick up the building materials, and Henry will deliver the empty trucks for Gordon to collect. Henry is upset, but Percy, Emily, and Thomas all reassure Henry they know he is big and strong. Percy says Henry could pull ten trucks of sand, Emily says he could pull twenty coal trucks, and Thomas states that he could pull fifty flatbeds of iron and steel, and calls him "Big Strong Henry." Gordon is unimpressed, but Thomas tells him that Henry will show him, and Gordon sets off.

After delivering the empty trucks, Henry sets off, wondering how he can prove that he is strong like Gordon. He meets Percy at the water tower, and Percy tells Henry to pull five heavy trucks from the nearby line. So, Henry switches tracks and couples up, and he pulls the trucks forward just as Gordon pulls up. Gordon angrily orders Henry to put the trucks back, as they are his trucks to pick up for Farmer McColl later, and he steams away. Percy still believes that Henry is stronger than Gordon, making Henry feel much better.

Henry derails off the line

Further down the track, Thomas is waiting. Thomas tells Henry of the many trucks loaded with hay bales on the siding, and Henry decides to pull them. He couples up and pulls them out of the siding, but because Henry is pulling so many heavy trucks at one time, he cannot stop them from pushing him down the hill. At a bend at the bottom of the hill, Henry derails and the trucks are smashed, leaving hay bales everywhere. Henry is left very upset.

Edward brings Rocky to help lift Henry back onto the track, as well as Sir Topham Hatt. He orders Henry to return the hay bales to where he found them, taking only one truck at a time. Henry is very miserable, as now he realises he's not as strong as he thinks he is.

A cow mooing at an angry Gordon

Meanwhile, Gordon has delivered all the materials for Farmer McColl, and Sir Topham Hatt tells him to go collect his cows. Gordon feels very proud of himself, boasting that he is indeed stronger than Henry but does not realise that the cattle truck doors are improperly shut. At the signal, Gordon meets up with Henry, who is still returning hay bales. Henry notices the cows escaping from Gordon's wagons, and Gordon does not know what to do. However, Henry sees that the cows are heading towards the hay on his flatbed, and he gets an idea. Henry slowly chuffs down the track towards Farmer McColl's farm, and the cows hungrily follow him all the way. Farmer McColl is very pleased that all his cows are safely home... except for one, who is blocking Gordon’s path.

That night, Thomas and Percy apologise to Henry for getting him into trouble, but Henry accepts it as his fault for wanting to be "Big Strong Henry." However, Emily responds that he's something even better: "Very Helpful Henry." Henry smiles and states that even the strongest engine needs help sometimes, and asks Gordon if he agrees. But Gordon, embarrassed, does not answer and his face turns red as a signal.

Characters

• Thomas
• Henry
• Gordon
• Percy
• Emily
• Sir Topham Hatt
• Edward (does not speak)
• Rocky (does not speak)
• Farmer McColl (does not speak)
• James (cameo)
• Molly (cameo)
• George (cameo)
• Jem Cole (cameo)
• Farmer Trotter (cameo)
• Cyril the Fogman (cameo)

Locations

• Tidmouth Sheds
• McColl Farm

Trivia

• Going by production order, this is the thirteenth episode of the tenth series.
• It is possible that the field where Henry derailed is the same that James and Molly pass at the beginning of the episode, just removing the tree and putting a third track in its place.
• This marks George's last appearance until The Great Discovery, his final episodic appearance to date, and his only appearance in the tenth series.
• In the US, this episode aired before Edward Strikes Out, so the audience would not know who Rocky is.
• This is the last episode written by Simon Nicholson.
• This is the first episode where a brass model of an engine is crashed.

Goofs

• In a deleted scene where Gordon, Molly, and James are passing by, the snowy tree is replaced by a third track.
• The narrator says Percy collected trucks of logs, but there was only one truck.
• Gordon's puffing sound is heard when Thomas says "Here comes Gordon" but it is not heard before or after Thomas said that.
• The narrator says that Henry pulled the trucks out of the sidings, even though they were in a mainline and he just pulled the trucks few centimetres from their original place.
• The track where the five trucks of hay stand dead ends in the bushes.

Merchandise

• Books - Smart Henry

In Other Languages

View content

Language Title Catalan Gran i Fort Henry Chinese 又大又强壮的亨利 Croatian Super Jaka Hrvoje Czech Velký Silný Henry Danish Store Stærke Henry Dutch De Groot, Sterk Henry Finnish Voimakkaalle Henri French Le Grand et Fort Henry German Der Große, Starke Henry Hungarian Többet Ésszel Mint Erővel Italian Il Grande e Forte Henry Japanese おおきくてつよいヘンリー Korean 헨리의 할약 Norwegian Store, Sterke Henry Polish Wielki Silny Henio Portuguese O Grande Forte Henry Romanian Henry cel Mare și Puternic Russian Большой сильный Генриа Slovak Veľký Silný Henry Spanish Henry El Fortachón / El Grande y Fuerte Henry Swedish Store Starke Henry Thai เฮนรีผู้แข็งแกร่ง

Home Media Releases

UK The Complete Series 10 Big Strong Henry/Edward's Brass Band DVD Boxsets Classic Collection AUS The Complete Series 10 DVD Packs Complete Series 1-10 The Essential Collection (5 DVD Boxset) Series Nine and Series Ten Double Pack The Complete Series Ten and Hero of the Rails Double Pack US Thomas and the Treasure DVD Boxsets Best Tales on the Tracks Thomas and the Treasure/Thomas, Percy and the Dragon and Other Stories Double Feature Ultimate Thomas Collection THA Thomas and Friends - Volume 43 (Thai DVD) SAU Rocky to the Rescue NL The Great Race on Sodor SPN Thomas and Friends - Volume 10 (Spanish DVD) DVD Boxsets Second Series (Spanish DVD) HUN Thomas the Tank Engine 13 - The Trip JPN Thomas the Tank Engine Series 10 Vol.5 Thomas' Surprise! KOR Thomas the Tank Engine 5 - Vol. 2 MYS Big Strong Henry and Other Adventures

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