Daisy

Daisy is the nineteenth episode of the second series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Branch Line Engines.

Plot

Percy and Toby arrive at the station feeling worried. Thomas has been sent away to be repaired after his recent accident and the Fat Controller waits for them in order to introduce Daisy, the diesel railcar who will help run the branch line while Thomas is away. Percy asks if she will leave after Thomas returns and the Fat Controller responds that it depends on her performance. Regardless, he expects Percy and Toby to welcome her and help her settle in. The two engines happily agree, so they start by taking Daisy to the engine shed for a rest.

Arriving at the engine shed, Daisy snobbishly tells Percy and Toby that she thinks the shed is "dreadfully smelly" and states that anything smelly is "bad for her swerves." This makes Percy and Toby cross, but the two carry on and take her to the carriage shed. Daisy prefers it there, but asks what the "rubbish" is next to her. The "rubbish" she is referring to is Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta, whom are greatly offended by this. Percy and Toby are forced to take them out of the shed and stay up half the night trying to soothe their hurt feelings.

The next morning, Percy and Toby feel exhausted, while Daisy wakes up feeling full of energy as she goes to the station to take her first passengers. Arriving, she starts to show off to woo the passengers, but her attitude changes when she sees Toby coupling a milk tanker to her. Enraged, Daisy refuses to take it, and, despite her driver's arguments, starts to violently shudder and then lurches backwards, blowing a fuse. Everyone at the station argues with her but to no avail. Daisy explains that her fitter ordered her never to take any trucks because she is highly sprung and pulling is bad for her swerves. No one at the station believes her excuse and start to wonder why the Fat Controller brought an engine with a such attitude to the Island. By now, the train is late however, so the crew is left with no choice but to leave the milk tanker behind, allowing Daisy to enjoy her journey without doing any work. As she runs, Daisy chuckles at how well her story worked and decides that she will do only the work she wants to do.  

Characters

• Percy
• Toby
• Daisy (debut)
• Annie and Clarabel
• Henrietta
• Sir Topham Hatt
• The Ffarquhar Stationmaster
• Daisy's Fitter (debut)
• Jeremiah Jobling (not named)
• Mrs. Kyndley (not named)
• One Naughty Boy (cameo)
• The Spiteful Brake Van (faceless; cameo)
• Thomas (mentioned)

Locations

• Elsbridge
  • The Carriage Shed
• The Branch Line Bridge

Trivia

• For the US, this episode, along with Percy's Predicament were the only episodes that were never shown on Shining Time Station. They first appeared on Daisy and Other Thomas Stories in October 6, 1993.
• The crate of treacle that was later used in Woolly Bear is seen in the flashback of Daisy with her fitter.
• This episode marks Henrietta and Mrs. Kyndley's last speaking roles until the eighteenth series episode, Signals Crossed and the fifth series episode, Happy Ever After respectively.
• This is the first episode named after a single character, excluding the US titles of Thomas, Terence and the Snow and Toby and the Stout Gentleman.

Goofs

• The camera is shaking many times throughout the episode.
• When Daisy leaves the station, she has no driver until she reaches the engine shed.
• When Percy, Toby, and Daisy leave the station, Toby's eyes jerk to the right.
• Percy and Toby are smiling when Daisy insults Annie, Clarabel, and Henrietta.
• The carriage shed is right next to the engine shed, but the engines leave in one direction and arrive from another.
• When Daisy says the carriage shed is better, her face is slightly tilted.
• When the passengers say, "What is?" and also when they grumble, "Stop arguing! We're late already!" Mrs. Kyndley is smiling.
• When Toby, Percy, and Daisy leave the freight shed, a truck is seen in the siding to Daisy's left but when they arrive at the carriage shed it disappears.
• As Toby comes to take Henrietta away, Percy's steam suddenly disappears and the lighting changes slightly, thus indicating a film cut.
• Percy's face is crooked when he is sleeping.
• When Daisy leaves the carriage shed and backs into the station, her eyes jump around.
• Most of the small-scale railway staff figurines have severe paint chips.
• When Daisy shudders, a hand is reflected in her cab window.
• In some shots of the passengers on the platform, pieces of blu-tack can be seen on their shoes.
• Daisy's eye mechanism is visible through her front windows.
• Both narrations say a milk van is coupled behind Daisy, but a milk tanker is shown instead. This is likely a result of the episode's script being taken almost verbatim from the book.
• When the milk tanker is uncoupled, a few wires are seen behind Daisy's door.
• Before Percy, Toby and Daisy arrive at the engine shed, a utility wagon shown there is derailed.
• In several scenes, Percy's left (viewer's right) cylinder is loose.

Quotes

• The Fat Controller: Here is Daisy, the diesel railcar who has come to help while Thomas is, er, indisposed.
• Percy: Please, sir, will she go, sir, when Thomas comes back, sir?
• The Fat Controller: That depends. Meanwhile, however long she stays, I hope you will both make her welcome comfortable.
• Percy and Toby: Yes, sir! We'll try, sir!
• The Fat Controller: Good. Run along now, and show her the shed. She will want to rest after her journey.

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• Daisy: [about the engine shed] This is dreadfully smelly. I'm highly sprung, and anything smelly is bad for my swerves.

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• Daisy: [arrives at the station] Look at me! I am the latest diesel, highly sprung, and right up-to-date. You won't want Thomas' bumpy old Annie and Clarabel now.
• [the passengers begin waiting for Daisy to start, but she doesn't, as she finds a milk tanker being coupled to her]
• Daisy: Do they expect me to pull that?!
• Daisy's driver: Surely. You can pull one van.
• Daisy: I won't! Percy can do it! He loves messing about with trucks.
• [she shudders violently]
• Daisy's driver: Nonsense! Come on, now. Back down.
• [Daisy furiously lurches in reverse and stops]
• Daisy: Told you!
• [the passengers argue with Daisy, but it is no good]
• Daisy: It's fitter's orders!
• The passengers: What is?
• Daisy: My fitter's a very nice man. He comes every week and examines me carefully. "Daisy" he says, "Never, never pull. You're highly sprung, and pulling is bad for your swerves." So that's how it is.
• The stationmaster: Stuff and nonsense!
• The shunter: I can't understand. Whatever made the Fat Controller send us such a feeble...?
• Daisy: Feeble? FEEBLE?! Let me!
• The passengers: Stop arguing! We're late already!
• [the milk tanker is uncoupled, and Daisy finally pulls out of the station, very pleased]
• Daisy: [chuckles; saying it to herself] That's a good story. I'll do just what work I choose and no more.

Merchandise

• Ladybird Books - Daisy & Percy's Predicament & Woolly Bear
• My Thomas Story Library - Daisy
• Magazines - Daisy (magazine story)

In Other Languages

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