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- “Edward is a useless old steam pot. He should be retired."
"But he doesn't have tyres."
"Retired means taken out of service."
"And not a moment too soon.” - ― Gordon, Percy, and Thomas going on about Edward
Edward the Very Useful Engine, retitled Edward the Really Useful Engine in a few North American releases, is the twenty-third episode of the sixth series.
Plot
The railway engines of Sodor are good at different jobs, like Gordon taking the main line express and Percy delivering the mail for example. And as for old Edward, he is very good at being a banker engine whenever he is not pulling goods trains. Edward pushes up Gordon's Hill when an engine's train is too heavy for one engine to manage.
Gordon's hatred of Edward resurfaces one day, but he takes it to greater extremes this time: he insists that Edward is worthless and deserves to be unceremoniously retired. The other big engines agree with him, but Percy is concerned and upset about this. He tells his driver about what Gordon said about Edward and the driver tells the Fat Controller, who will immediately attend to the matter.
The Fat Controller has a plan as he arranges for Edward to teach Stepney to run the complete loop line, while Duck looks after the goods. Henry is happy about this, but it makes no difference to Gordon. Edward enjoys working with Stepney, but Duck does not enjoy working with the trucks, especially when they make him go very slowly by holding him back halfway up Gordon's Hill. Duck is stuck on Gordon's line, and it is too late to switch Gordon, who is due any minute, to the middle line, so the guard tries to flag Gordon down. However, Gordon knows that he will struggle to start again on the hill if he stops. He ignores the flag and tries to push Duck up the hill, but it is no use.
Gordon's crew sends for Edward to help both engines, and as the strange train sets off and pulls into the station, Gordon feels rather embarrassed. The Fat Controller scolds him for saying very rude things about Edward, who has proven to be useful, reliable and very helpful. As a result, Gordon apologises to Edward by thanking him for his help the next day, telling him that he really is useful after all. The Fat Controller's plan has worked, and from this point on, there is no more talk about Edward retiring since he is glad to be back (meaning he's glad to be back at work in the yard).
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- Percy
- Troublesome Trucks
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Stephen Hatt (not named)
- Duck (does not speak)
- Stepney (does not speak)
- James (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
- Nancy (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- Tom Tipper (cameo)
- Sir Topham Hatt's Brown-haired Assistant (cameo)
- The Tidmouth Lighthouse Keeper (cameo)
- Allicia Botti (poster cameo)
- Oliver (deleted scene cameo)
Locations
- Tidmouth Beach
- The Viaduct
- Maithwaite
- Gordon's Hill
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Knapford
- Maron
- Callan
- Tidmouth Bay
- Tower Windmill
Trivia
- This is the only episode David Mitton wrote solo.
- An alternate shot from the previous episode is used.
- This is one of the six episodes of the sixth series re-narrated by Michael Brandon and Michael Angelis with music composed by Robert Hartshorne.
- Due to scenes on one particular set across the sixth series being filmed in one go, the scene at Knapford in this episode looks pretty similar to the scene at Knapford in Thomas, Percy and the Squeak. The same people are boarding the same trains, the same engines are in the same positions, and the same posters are up.
- The beginning scene of Duck and James looks very similar to the opening scene in the sixth series episode James and the Red Balloon. Due to Duck pulling the same three coaches, the only difference is that Henry passes him instead of James.
- Three posters at Knapford read: Allicia Botti in concert tonight at the castle.
- Despite Edward being the titular character, he only has two lines throughout the whole episode.
- This is the last episode until the thirteenth series episode, Snow Tracks, narrated by three people in the English dubs.
- This episode seems to be loosely based on the story Super Rescue from The Railway Series book, Enterprising Engines.
- Not counting stock footage used of them in the seventh series, this episode marks the last appearances of the following:
- Stepney's until the twelfth series episode, Rosie's Funfair Special.
- The Viaduct until the thirteenth series episode, The Lion of Sodor.
- A deleted scene that was used in the sixth series episode Little Engines, shows Stepney passing Oliver on the Viaduct.
- This episode marks the final appearances of Callan Station and Gordon's Hill Bridge.
- Percy says that Edward does not have tyres, which is ironic since all locomotives and rolling stock have metal tyres instead of rubber ones which road vehicles use.
- The episode plot would later be similar to the eighteenth series episode, Old Reliable Edward.
- This episode aired exactly eighteen years after The Sad Story of Henry and Edward, Gordon and Henry first aired.
Goofs
- Duck has Oliver's whistle sound at the beginning.
- For some reason, Gordon is referred to as "an express" instead of an express engine.
- In Michael Angelis' UK re-dub, the American term "freight cars" is used at the beginning instead of "trucks".
- James' eyes are misaligned for most of the episode.
- Percy's left lamp iron (viewers' right) is slightly crooked.
- Thomas' cab roof is slightly lifted at the sheds.
- In a deleted scene, Stepney can be seen shaking as he crosses the Viaduct.
- When Gordon gets closer to push Duck, the guard is seen waving a red flag, but in the very next shot, he is in the brake van.
- In Alec Baldwin's US dub, when Sir Topham Hatt "speaks severely" to Gordon, David Mitton can be faintly heard saying "Take 6".
Quotes
- Gordon: Edward is a useless old steam pot. He should be retired.
- Percy: But he doesn't have tyres.
- Thomas: "Retired" means taken out of service.
- Gordon: And not a moment too soon.
- Trucks: Duck should play with other ducks, 'cause he's no good at pulling trucks! Quack, quack, quack, quack! Hold back, hold back! Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!
Merchandise
- Books - Edward, the Very Useful Engine and Help from the Little Edward (Germany only)
- Magazine Stories - Edward to the Rescue! and Really Useful Edward
In Other Languages
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| #01 Salty's Secret | #10 Twin Trouble | #19 Buffer Bother |
| #02 Harvey to the Rescue | #11 The World's Strongest Engine | #20 Toby Had a Little Lamb |
| #03 No Sleep for Cranky | #12 Scaredy Engines | #21 Thomas, Percy and the Squeak |
| #04 A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter | #13 Percy and the Haunted Mine | #22 Thomas the Jet Engine |
| #05 Elizabeth the Vintage Lorry | #14 Middle Engine | #23 Edward the Very Useful Engine |
| #06 The Fogman | #15 James and the Red Balloon | #24 Dunkin Duncan |
| #07 Jack Jumps In | #16 Jack Frost | #25 Rusty Saves the Day |
| #08 A Friend in Need | #17 Gordon Takes a Tumble | #26 Faulty Whistles |
| #09 It's Only Snow | #18 Percy's Chocolate Crunch | |