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- “Hello, Oliver! Are you being a 'good gracious' engine? Beg pardon, of course, but we really don't like this sort of surprise. Donald and Douglas will miss their turntable until it is mended.”
- ― Duck
Oliver Owns Up is the twenty-second episode of the third series. It is based on the story Resource and Sagacity from The Railway Series book Oliver the Western Engine.
Plot
Oliver is still new to Sodor and tells Duck how very grateful he is that Douglas rescued him and Toad from being scrapped on the Other Railway. Henry, James and Gordon praise Oliver one night in the sheds. Gordon even claims that Oliver is sagacious and is an example to the others. Unfortunately, Oliver, who has never been complimented by big engines before, soon becomes puffed up in the smokebox.
One day, Oliver is told by the Fat Controller that he must learn how to handle trucks. Every wise engine knows that Troublesome Trucks can never be trusted but Oliver is so confident in himself that he ignores the other engines' warnings. Duck tries to warn Oliver but Donald says it will be better for Oliver to learn on his own. After arranging some loaded trucks and shunting empty trucks to the hopper, Oliver returns to pull the loaded ones. However, they are comfortable where they are and do not want to move. They say that they prefer Duck or one of the Scottish twins instead of Oliver.
Oliver orders the trucks about and takes them anyway, to which they retaliate by pushing him backwards down the tracks towards the turntable. Oliver puts his weight against the trucks but they still push him on. Just when it seems Oliver is gaining control, he falls bunker-first into the turntable well. Duck, having seen everything, speaks is amused about the predicament but Donald and Douglas will not be able to work without the use of the turntable.
Late that evening, the breakdown train rescues Oliver. The Fat Controller kindly says that Oliver has a lot to learn about the troublesome nature of the trucks, to which Oliver agrees and is sent to the works to be mended. Duck sadly watches him being taken to the Works by Douglas and calls out to him to come back soon. Since Oliver's return, he is a much wiser engine and now knows to be more careful with trucks.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Duck
- Donald
- Oliver
- Troublesome Trucks
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Douglas (does not speak)
- Ben (cameo)
- Toad (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (deleted scene cameos)
- Bertie (deleted scene cameo)
Locations
Trivia
- The fourth series episode Toad Stands By takes place after this episode. Stock footage from this episode for when Oliver fell down the turntable well was also used in said episode.
- As Oliver falls into the turntable well, his cab windows are blacked out. This was probably done to hide the weights used to make him drop before his driving wheels reached the well.
- This is one of the few third series episodes to use the train brake sound effect from Fox Film Sound Effects and the first two series (also on "The International Sound Effects Library").
- This is the first episode of a few things for the trucks:
- The first episode to feature NER Vans with faces.
- The first episode to feature a van with a rectangular face.
- The first episode to feature a 4 plank truck with a face (albeit in an extended scene from Down by the Docks).
- This is also the first episode where Ben appears without Bill and also the first episode where either twin appears without the other. Although it maybe hard to hear at first, it is Ben's whistle that is heard in the background. This proves that Ben is the twin that makes the cameo.
- This episode marks the first time Oliver has an accident/derailment.
- This is the only episode to feature a utility van with a face. It can be found at the left of the screen in the shot where the camera is following Thomas at the harbour before focusing on Oliver.
- This episode marks the last appearance of Tidmouth Yard Sheds.
- In the restored version:
- After Oliver pushes the trucks underneath the hopper and before leaving them, there is a fade effect.
- The shot of Oliver crossing the Three Way Road is slowed down.
- The shot of Oliver puffing across the bridge uses an alternate take.
- The yard set with the turntable where Oliver fell into is the Upper Brendam set redressed.
- Big Mickey, S.S. Vienna, the steel company, a shed, a three berth garage, a large brown building and one of the caterpillar cranes from Tugs all appear at the shunting yard.
- The baggage trolley from Buzz, Buzz can be seen in the close-up shot of the Fat Controller at Tidmouth.
- This episode was shown alongside the fourth series episode Gallant Old Engine in an airing of Storytime with Thomas.
Goofs
- When Oliver crosses the bridge, it bounces. In the same scene, his eyes are also off-centre.
- In the scene where the engines are in the sheds, black glue is wrapped around James' funnel and he is also off the rails.
- Tidmouth Sheds had seven visible berths instead of the usual six at the time.
- The trucks are facing away from Oliver when he takes them away but, when they force him forward, they are all facing him.
- In the restored version, the edge of the set at the waterfall behind Oliver to the left is visible.
- In some scenes, Oliver has Edward's whistle sound.
- When the narrator says "Oliver heard nothing," the tracks lead to a dead end.
- When the trucks start to push Oliver, his wheels are not moving. Then, in the next shot, his wheels are moving backwards. Then, in the next shot, his wheels are moving forwards. Then, when he approaches the turntable, his wheels are not moving again.
- When Oliver's buffers hit the bottom of the turntable, the sound effect for it is out of sync.
- When the narrator says, "Every wise engine knows that you cannot trust trucks," a van on the left of the screen has a crooked face.
- When Douglas takes Oliver to the Works, Toad is missing his eyebrows.
- When Oliver arrives with his red coaches at the station, the track he is on bounces.
- When Oliver returns to collect the trucks after leaving them to be filled, his coupling chain is tangled with his middle lamp iron.
- The troublesome truck that says "Or Donald!" has a scratched out eye.
- Douglas has Donald's whistle sound.
- Due to portions of the script being taken verbatim from the original book, Duck says that the turntable needs to be mended, even though it appears to be perfectly fine.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
Oliver (2004 My Thomas Story Library book)- Oliver (Engine Adventures)
Home Video Releases
Episode
Other Languages
Russian dubReferences
| #01 A Scarf for Percy | #10 The Trouble with Mud | #19 One Good Turn |
| #02 Percy's Promise | #11 No Joke for James | #20 Tender Engines |
| #03 Time for Trouble | #12 Thomas, Percy and the Post Train | #21 Escape |
| #04 Gordon and the Famous Visitor | #13 Trust Thomas | #22 Oliver Owns Up |
| #05 Donald's Duck | #14 Mavis | #23 Bulgy |
| #06 Thomas Gets Bumped | #15 Toby's Tightrope | #24 Heroes |
| #07 Thomas, Percy and the Dragon | #16 Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party | #25 Percy, James and the Fruitful Day |
| #08 Diesel Does It Again | #17 Buzz, Buzz | #26 Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure |
| #09 Henry's Forest | #18 All at Sea | |