- “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 a local postman who collects letters and parcels from Thomas and Percy's post trains and delivers them to the residents of Sodor. He is very friendly and helps to load the mail vans whenever he can but knows he could never do his job without his trusty post van.
One morning, Tom is absent and his substitute dumps the mail bags on the platform and leaves on a bicycle without explanation. Percy's driver attributes his bad mood to having to use the bike for mail delivery. When Tom returns the next day, Percy discovers that he has also been given a bike as the postmaster decided that his van was too expensive to run. Tom is saddened that, because the rounds take longer on his bike, he no longer has time to help load the trains. 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. Percy is alarmed and tries to get Tom's attention to no avail. Percy's driver, not knowing about the bike, starts Percy moving and Tom's bike gets dragged beneath the train. Upon hearing crunching noises, the driver quickly stops the train but Tom's bicycle is in pieces.
When Tom returns, Percy apologises for the accident. Although Tom understands it wasn't Percy's fault, he laments the fact that he will have to deliver 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 demise, decided that a new van would do the job much better than another bike and was worth the expense. Tom is happy that he can always be on time again and cheerfully goes back to work. Percy is delighted that he did help his friend after all, albeit by accident.
Characters
- Thomas
- Percy
- Tom Tipper
- Bertie (does not speak)
- James (cameo)
- Duck (cameo)
- Oliver (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
- Toad (cameo)
- Troublesome Trucks (cameos)
- Bulgy (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- Refreshment Lady (cameo)
- The Crovan's Gate Policeman (cameo)
- Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)
Locations
- Road Beside Rail and Canal Runby
- Bulgy's Bridge
- Callan
- Sir Topham Hatt's Office (mentioned)
- Rheneas
- Tidmouth Beach
- Hackenbeck
- Lakeside
- Elsbridge (deleted scene)
Trivia
- This was the last episode of many things:
- The last episode adapted from a story written by Christopher Awdry, excluding the sixth series episode, James and the Red Balloon, which is loosely based on a story from a mini book with a similar title.
- The final episode narrated by George Carlin in the US dub due to him continuing on his comedy career until his death in 2008 thirteen years later, as well as Trine Lossius Borg in Norway, Povl Dissing in Denmark (until the eighth series), Valery Nikitenko in Russia, Mykola Koziy in Ukraine and Jang Gwang for JEI TV in South Korea.
- The last episode aired in Korean by KBS 1 until the sixteenth series in South Korea.
- The last episode translated by Lee Eun-suk for JEI TV in South Korea.
- The last episode directed by Kim Yu-joon for JEI TV in South Korea.
- The last episode recorded by Lee Hyun-min for JEI TV in South Korea.
- The last episode mixed by Park Gwang-ho for JEI TV in South Korea.
- The last episode video edited by Kang Hyun-gi for JEI TV in South Korea.
- The last episode based on a story from The Railway Series until the sixth series episode, Faulty Whistles, which was loosely based on a story from The Railway Series.
- The last time a character from The Railway Series was introduced until the 2015 special, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.
- The last appearance of Bulgy until the seventh series episode, Bulgy Rides Again, as well as the last time the field next to Bulgy's Bridge appears until said episode but Bulgy is only mentioned in the sixth series episode, Harvey to the Rescue.
- The last episode to air during Wilbert Awdry's lifetime before his death 2 years later in 1997.
- The last episode to be directly based on a Railway Series story to be four and a half minutes in length.
- The last episode dubbed at the studio Autoren-Synchron GmbH in Germany.
- The last episode to be translated by Johanna Viksten in the Finnish Dub.
- This episode marks the first of several things:
- The first series finale not to be Christmas nor winter-themed nor to feature any snow.
- The first series finale where Edward, Henry, Gordon, Toby, Terence, the Fat Controller and Farmer Finney do not appear, although the Fat Controller is mentioned in this episode.
- 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 without narrow gauge engines to use music previously associated with them, as heard at the start and end of this episode, excluding incidental music.
- 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 the crew unable to properly capture the actions with the models and/or to censor the reference to child endangerment.
- The new postman and the Callan foreman share the same head.
- This episode marks the only appearance of Percy's upset face in the fourth series.
Goofs
- When Tom Tipper's van passes Bertie, his undercarriage is loose and a wire is also 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 by Percy with a train.
- The shed and siding at Hackenbeck 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.
- When James passes Thomas and Percy before the man tells Tom to come to The Fat Controller's office, the roof of his front coach is crooked.
Quotes
- Narrator: The engines know that anywhere their rails won't reach, Tom Tipper will collect their post and deliver it safely, come rain or shine. He's always ready to help mail bags onto the trains too.
- Percy: Thank you, Tom.
- Thomas: Yes, indeed. You're a really useful postman!
- Tom: Ah, but where would I be without my van? We make a grand pair.
- 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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Home Video Releases
Episode
Reference
| #01 Granpuff | #10 Rock 'n' Roll | #19 Henry and the Elephant |
| #02 Sleeping Beauty | #11 Special Funnel | #20 Toad Stands By |
| #03 Bulldog | #12 Steam Roller | #21 Bulls Eyes |
| #04 You Can't Win | #13 Passengers and Polish | #22 Thomas and the Special Letter |
| #05 Four Little Engines | #14 Gallant Old Engine | #23 Paint Pots and Queens |
| #06 A Bad Day for Sir Handel | #15 Rusty to the Rescue | #24 Fish |
| #07 Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady | #16 Thomas and Stepney | #25 Special Attraction |
| #08 Trucks | #17 Train Stops Play | #26 Mind that Bike |
| #09 Home at Last | #18 Bowled Out | |