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- “It was a bitter cold winter. The brave little ship was stuck, until the ice melted the next spring. He barely made it around the cape. After 100 scary days at sea without a scratch, he sailed into port and crashed his bow, not 15 feet from my buffers! Luckily, no one was hurt!"
"Except my ears!” - ― Salty and Cranky
No Sleep for Cranky is the third episode of the sixth series.
Plot
Brendam Docks is one of the busiest places on Sodor. Visitors come and go, and cargo comes to be unloaded. This causes trouble for Cranky the Crane, who is forced to work day and night without any breaks. The only company he has is the seagulls who rest on his crane arm. That is why Cranky is always cranky.
One day, Salty arrives late, and Cranky snaps at him. Bill and Ben pull up, and Cranky demands them to hurry up. The twins tell him he is no fun, to which he retaliates. The twins suspect that he is lonely, and Salty compares this hypothesis to an old, lonely Grand Banks lighthouse keeper, which leads to a story much to Cranky's dismay, but becomes so cranky that his mood gets the better of him that he accidentally drops some pipes onto the tracks instead of the flatbeds. They roll into and collapse the shed, trapping everyone.
The Fat Controller is being measured for a new suit when he gets the news. Knowing that any mishap at the docks can cause troubley, he sets off. He reprimands Cranky for his carelessness and behaviour and tells the engines that they will have to wait for help. Cranky groans as Salty explains that it reminds him of a story. All through the night, Salty tells sea stories, hurting Cranky's ears and delighting Bill and Ben.
In the morning, Salty is still telling tales. Cranky is about to lose it when Harvey finally arrives. Cranky is happy and claims he will never be rude again in exchange for not listening to Salty's stories. Soon, Cranky is a happy crane, saying "please" and "thank you." Thomas and Percy are amazed, and Thomas says that this is new. However, he speaks too soon, as Cranky cannot help dropping more pipes onto the tracks. Thomas, Percy, and Harvey find this funny, but Cranky is just cranky.
Characters
- Thomas
- Percy
- Bill and Ben
- Harvey
- Salty
- Cranky
- Sir Topham Hatt
- James (cameo)
- Sir Topham Hatt's Brown-haired Assistant (cameo)
- The Tailor (cameo)
- The Dockyard Manager (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
- Gordon (stock footage/deleted scene cameo)
- Stephen Hatt (stock footage cameo)
- Bridget Hatt (stock footage cameo)
- Refreshment Lady (stock footage cameo)
- Cyril the Fogman (stock footage cameo)
- The Storyteller (stock footage cameo)
- The Lighthouse Keeper (mentioned)
- Henry (deleted scene cameo)
- Bulstrode (deleted scene cameo)
Locations
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the first episode of the sixth series. Because of this, this episode aired before Salty's Secret and Harvey to the Rescue in Canada, Australia and on CiTV in the UK, so viewers would not know who Salty and Harvey are.
- Stock footage from Cranky Bugs, Something in the Air, Salty's Secret and Harvey to the Rescue is used, as well as some deleted scenes from the former episode and a flashback of said episode.
- This is the first episode written by Paul Larson.
- The scene when Sir Topham Hatt was driving to the docks was the only scene in this episode filmed in 16:9 widescreen, excluding the stock footage from Harvey to the Rescue.
- When the episode aired in the half-hour airing, Night and Day on PBS Kids and Nick Jr., the widescreen version is used as the top and bottom of the scenes are cropped, as are the left and right sides of the scenes.
- 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.
- The scene where Cranky drops the pipes for the second time is sped up.
- In Salty's story in the stock footage from Cranky Bugs, it is obvious that the waves pelting the steamer are being sprayed by a hose.
- Salty refers to "the Grand Banks," an island off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
- This is the only episode where Salty's shut-eyed face mask was used.
- The shed that Cranky knocks over was never rebuilt following this episode, possibly as a result of its placement being deemed too dangerous and the risk of having such an accident occur again.
Goofs
- When the narrator says, "...so cranky that he swung his arm around," a wire is used to swing Cranky around.
- Salty’s right eye moves improperly throughout the episode.
- The camera shakes a bit when Salty says, "Reminds me of a lonely old Grand Banks lighthouse keeper!"
- Because earlier footage of the episode is used, at the end of the episode, Cranky is mad when he drops the pipes, but in the next scene, he is smiling.
- In the close-ups of Cranky, his eye mechanism is visible in his cab.
- The man who told Sir Topham Hatt about the news does not have any eyebrows.
- In a close-up of Thomas, wires can be seen in Percy's right window.
- When Bill and Ben are at the docks at night, Bill's eyes are wonky and his pupils are smaller than usual.
- The truck that Cranky places the pipes on in front of Salty disappears after he arrives.
- Because stock footage is used, at the start of the episode, the chains' positions on Cranky's load of wood change between shots, and the metal strips supporting Cranky's arm are replaced with chains and Brendam Docks has four tracks next to Cranky.
Quotes
- (after Cranky accidentally knocks over the shed)
- Cranky: Whoops...
- Salty: You've blown the main now, matey!
- Bill & Ben: (sing-song) You're gonna get into trou-ble!
_________________________________________________
- Salty: It was a bitter cold winter. The brave little ship was stuck, until the ice melted the next spring. He barely made it around the cape. After 100 scary days at sea without a scratch, he sailed into port and crashed his bow, not 15 feet from my buffers! Luckily, no one was hurt.
- Cranky: Except my ears!
Merchandise
- Books - No Sleep for Cranky and Excitement at the Port (Germany only)
- Magazine Stories - No Sleep for Cranky
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
UKDVD Packs
USDVD BoxsetsAUS
DVD Boxsets
JPNPHLSWENORMYSITAHKTHATWN |
| #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 | |