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Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki
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in: Series 4 episodes, Episodes, Railway Series adaptations, Shining Time Station
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Mind that Bike

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“So I did help, but by accident, as you might say.”
―Percy

Mind that Bike is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Really Useful Engines.

Plot

Tom Tipper is the local Sodor postman who takes the mail from Thomas and Percy's post trains to deliver to the residents of Sodor. He is very friendly and always helps to load the mail vans, but knows he could never do his job without his trusty post van.

One morning, Tom is absent and his substitute - who is forced to use a bicycle - dumps the mail bags on the platform and leaves without explanation. Percy's driver attributes his bad mood to having to use the bike. When Tom does return, Percy discovers that he has also been given a bike as his van was considered too expensive to run. Due to this, Tom no longer has time to help load the trains, which makes him very upset. Percy wishes he could cheer Tom up, but is unsure how.

Just as Tom is about to leave, he is called to the Fat Controller's office to sign some important papers. Knowing this will make him very late, he rushes off and - in his haste - leaves his bike propped up against one of Percy's mail vans, despite the tank engine's attempts to stop him. Percy's driver does not know this and Percy can't do anything to keep himself from moving. When he starts, Tom's bike gets dragged beneath the train, destroying it in the process.

When Tom returns, Percy apologises for the predicament. Tom assures Percy that it is not his fault, but laments the fact that he will now have to deliver all the mail on foot. However, when Percy returns the next day, he finds that Tom has received a brand new van. Tom explains that the postmaster, after learning about the bike's destruction, decided that the van was worth the expense, and cheerfully goes back to work. Percy is delighted that he was able to help his friend after all, albeit by accident.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • This was the last episode of many things:
  • This episode marks the first of several things:
    • The first series finale that was not Christmas or winter-themed.
    • The first series finale where Edward, Henry, Gordon, Toby, Terence, the Fat Controller and Farmer Finney do not appear. Although the Fat Controller was mentioned at one point.
    • The first and only speaking role of Tom Tipper in the television series until the eighteenth series episode, Samson Sent for Scrap.
    • The first episode not to feature any of the narrow-gauge engines to use music associated with them as heard at the start and end of this episode excluding incidental music.
  • This episode was broadcast the same day Your Favourite Story Collection was released.
  • This episode was not released on DVD in the US, but it was later released for digital download on Amazon in 2016.
  • In the original book, Tom props his bicycle carefully against the fence and asks Percy to keep an eye on it. The little boys come along and one of them starts riding the bike just as Percy starts. The boy falls off and manages to get out of the way, while the bike is run over and destroyed. This change was likely due to not having access to CGI at the time and/or to censor the reference to child endangerment.
  • The New Postman and the Callan foreman share the same head.

Goofs

  • When Tom Tipper's van passes Bertie, his undercarriage is loose and a wire is visible.
  • In the sixth shot of the episode, the camera lens is visible in the top left corner.
  • After Percy crushes the bike there is a shot of his cab, judging by the amount of space and the shape of the side windows, it is actually Duck's cab.
  • When Tom drives away in his new van, part of the driving mechanism is visible underneath.
  • When Tom Tipper says, "This is going to make me later still," he is smiling. This also happens when he props his bike up against one of Percy's mail trucks.
  • After Percy arrives at Callan when he sees the dumped bags, his cab roof is loose.
  • Tom's van repeatedly switches between its "old" (scratched, faded paintwork and black hubcaps) and "new" (clean paintwork and red hubcaps) liveries in the beginning of the episode.
  • The font on the station signs change throughout the episode.
  • When Callan is in view from the stone bridge, on Thomas' line there is a van and a brake van in front of him.
  • Near the end of the episode, when Percy arrives at Callan, Oliver and Toad can be seen on some sidings, but a few seconds later, they pass Percy with a train.
  • The shed and siding at Toryreck are missing.
  • Percy's left-hand splasher is missing in several scenes.
  • In the shot of Tom Tipper's post van driving down the hill towards Callan, the track in front of Percy is broken.

Quotes

Percy: [sees nothing but mail bags on the station platform] What happened to Tom?
Driver: And his old van? No wonder the new postman looks cross. Trying to carry mailbags on a bicycle would make anyone miserable.
[after Percy unintentionally destroys Tom's bike]
Percy: I'm sorry, Mr. Tipper.
Tom: Never mind, Percy. It wasn't your fault, but now I've only got my legs to get the mail delivered. Whatever will happen next?

In Other Languages

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Language Title
Albanian Kujdes atë biçikletë
Brazilian Portuguese Cuidado com a Bicicleta!
Chinese Mandarin 注意自行车
Czech Pozor! Kolo
Danish Held i Uheld
Dutch Pas Op voor de Fiets
Finnish Pyörät Mutkalla
German Wer bringt die Post?
Greek Προσοχή στο ποδήλατο
Hungarian A Postásbicikli
Italian Tom Tipper il Postino
Japanese ゆうびんやとバン
Korean 집배원 아저씨
Latin American Spanish Un Favor Accidental
Norwegian Pass Deg for Sykkelen
Polish Uwaga na Rower (Original)
Uwaga Rower (Alternate)
Romanian Ai Grijă la Bicicletă
Russian Осторожно с велосипедом
Slovenian Pazi Na Kolo
Swedish Tur i Oturen
Ukrainian Зважай на велосипед
Welsh Gwylia'r Beic 'Na!

Home Media Releases

UK

DVD Boxsets

AUS

DVD Packs

US

NZ

  • Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories
  • Story and Song Collection

WAL

JPN

PHL

GER

DVD Boxsets

NL

UKR

ITA

NOR

DK

SWE

MYS

GRC

DVD Boxsets

CHN

  • Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

KOR

HK

THA

TWN

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