This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the Take Along DVD, the Malaysian VCD or the book. |
- "Well, Gordon, you wanted to show Salty a thing or two and you've certainly done that. You've shown him how silly it is to ignore 'go slow' signs."
"Sorry, sir." - ― The Fat Controller scolding Gordon
Gordon Takes a Tumble is the seventeenth episode of the sixth series.
Plot
The Fat Controller's engines are proud of how useful they are and they feel important but none of them feels more important than Gordon. When Salty rolls up to him one day at the Docks, Gordon warns him to not make him all sooty. Salty teases Gordon that he would not know that pulling trucks is a sooty job. Gordon brags that it would not be dignified for an express engine to pull trucks. He attempts to explain to Percy what "dignified" means but Salty interrupts, saying that it means someone is too big for their buffers and Gordon puffs furiously away.
Later that night, the Docks are packed with loaded trucks due to the fog covering the Island of Sodor causing confusion and delay. The Fat Controller comes to the sheds and orders Henry, Thomas and Percy to go to the Docks and to have Gordon take a goods train somewhere where they will not be in the way, to his anger. Gordon is waiting impatiently for the trucks, all to show Salty how an express engine pulls them. Salty teases him again, saying he should not get too big for his buffers but this time Gordon ignores him.
As Gordon is puffing along the Main Line next morning, a signalman forgets to switch a set of points from an old branch line. He sees Gordon going to the rickety branch line and panics, knowing that the express trains cannot go there but it is too late. The old branch line is weak and rusty and it has a sign to warn all trains to "go slow" but Gordon ignores the sign and goes even faster. The old rails start to buckle as they cannot hold Gordon's weight and he derails and tumbles down a hill with his train. He ploughs through a pile of mulch, a pile of tyres and barrels (leaving his tender behind in the process) and a chicken coop and finally comes to a halt in a field in front of a scarecrow. No-one is injured but Gordon feels very undignified and wonders what the Fat Controller will say. When the Fat Controller arrives, he tells Gordon off for only succeeding in showing Salty how silly it is to ignore "go slow" signs, to Gordon's embarrassment.
Gordon is soon repaired and returns back to work the next day but is very unhappy with himself. Thomas cheers him up by saying that everyone makes mistakes. James tells Gordon that Salty has apologised for all of his teasing and Gordon apologises for being too big for his buffers and all three engines give a jolly toot.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Salty
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
- Butch (cameo)
- Cyril the Fogman (cameo)
- The Crovan's Gate Policeman (cameo)
- One Railway Board member (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (deleted scene cameo)
- Stephen Hatt (deleted scene cameo)
- Bridget Hatt (deleted scene cameo)
- Refreshment Lady (deleted scene cameo)
- One Little Boy (deleted scene cameo)
- One stone-dropping boy (deleted scene cameo)
- Mid Sodor Railway Manager (deleted scene cameo)
- The Tidmouth Lighthouse Keeper (deleted scene cameo)
- The Storyteller (deleted scene cameo)
- The Hot Air Balloon Pilot (deleted scene cameo)
Locations
Trivia
- Stock footage from The Fogman is used.
- The model of the scarecrow is on display at Drayton Manor at the Thomas and Friends Exhibition.
- This is one of the six episodes of the sixth series re-narrated by Michael Brandon in the US and Michael Angelis in the UK with music composed by Robert Hartshorne.
- This episode marks:
- The first appearance of Gordon's tired face since the second series episode, Wrong Road.
- The second time an engine pulling a goods train flies off the tracks and crashes through a chicken coop. The first time was the fifth series episode, Bye George!. Coincidentally, both are partially accidentally caused by the signalman and use the same chicken coop for the accident.
- The only appearances of the Old Tracks and the Farm Field.
- The only sixth series episode released directly to home video, having been released on The Fogman and Other Stories VHS/DVD a day before airing on television.
- The last appearance of Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Vans, albeit only in the widescreen version.
- In all the narrations it is said there was more than one sign telling all the trains to go slow but only one is seen.
- When Salty teases Gordon before he leaves the docks with the trucks, a ditty of Salty's theme in the original UK version fades in later than the original US dub and other international versions.
- This episode was criticised for its crash sequence, as it was deemed too scary for young viewers.[1]
Goofs
- In the first scene, Clarabel is facing the wrong way.
- In the first two shots, people are standing to the right of Thomas and Gordon respectively but, in the third shot, they have been replaced by cars.
- In the close up of Gordon at the start, both his eyes and buffers are misaligned.
- In the UK re-dub, the American term "freight cars" is used where the waiting trucks at the docks are shown.
- After Gordon ignores Salty, he has his lamp but, in the next scene it is removed.
- The last van on Gordon's train changes between shots. At the docks, the van is a black NER Van. On the Main Line and Branch Line, the van is a dark grey GWR Ventilated Van. In the widescreen version, when Gordon begins to derail, the last van is a Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Van but later, the van is a brown LNER 12 Ton Van.
- In the shot of Gordon on the old branch line, a cable is attached to his coupling.
- During Gordon's crash:
- His trailing wheels are slightly coming off.
- Butch can be seen on the top left corner in the widescreen version but is later seen near the pile of mulch.
- The ground bounces up and down as the trucks derail and tumble down the slope.
- His trucks tumble down the slope differently in certain shots.
- A wire is visible pulling him when he crashes into the pile of mulch.
Quotes
- Salty: Pulling trucks is a sooty job. But, then, you wouldn't know.
- Gordon: Hurry up, hurry up!
- Thomas: Why the rush, Gordon?
- Gordon: If I must pull trucks, then I'll show Salty how an express engine pulls trucks.
- Salty: Careful, Captain. You don't wanna get too big for your buffers.
- Narrator: But Gordon ignored Salty.
- Gordon: (rattles through the junction) That's strange, I'm on the branch line.
- Signalman: Oh no! Express trains aren't supposed to go that way!
- Narrator: But it was too late. Gordon had already raced into the distance.
- Gordon: (looks at the "go slow" sign) I'm an express engine, I don't go slow!
- (He picks up his speed, causing the rails on the branch line to buckle, Gordon and his train derails)
- Gordon: OHHH, HELP!!! (tumbles off the tracks and into a field, crashing through buildings and debris)
- The Fat Controller: Well, Gordon, you wanted to show Salty a thing or two and you've certainly done that. You've shown him how silly it is to ignore "go slow" signs.
- Gordon: Sorry, sir.
- Narrator: And he let out a sad wheesh of steam.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Take Along
- Books - Gordon Takes a Tumble, Gordon in Need (Germany only) and Do Not Criticize Me (China only)
- Magazine story - Too Big for his Buffers!
Home Video Releases
UK
UK DVD Packs
US
CAN
US/CAN DVD BoxsetAUS
AUS DVD Packs
MYSPHLITANORDKDK DVD BoxsetSWESVNTHAJPNKOR
HK
TWN |
Reference
#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 | |