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- “I'm too old to pull important trains."
"I'm in disgrace."
"He'll choose me, of course!"
"You?! You can't climb hills! He'll ask me to pull the train and I'll have a new coat of paint.” - ― Edward, Gordon, James and Henry debating who will pull the Royal Train
Paint Pots and Queens, retitled Thomas Meets the Queen on two North American home video releases, is the twenty-third episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Gordon the Big Engine.
Plot
Thomas and Gordon, who are both in disgrace following their recent accidents, are puffing home together after having reconciled and formed an alliance. They arrive back at the Sheds to discover decorations are being put up. Thomas wonders what is happening and Percy tells him to stay quiet because they are about to find out. Right on cue, the Fat Controller tells the engines that the Queen is coming to visit Sodor. The engines, then, wonder who will pull the Royal Train. Edward says he is too old and Gordon says he is still in disgrace. James thinks he will be chosen but Henry disagrees, claiming James cannot climb hills and brags that he will pull the Royal Train and have a new coat of paint too.
The next day, rain is pouring and Henry's driver and fireman cover the cab for shelter from the rain at Knapford. A painter is on a ladder above the line and, when Henry lets off steam, the painter loses his balance and he and his paint pot fall onto Henry, much to both Henry's shock and the painter's fury. So then, the Fat Controller decides that Henry's unexpected appearance will not be appropriate for the Royal Train and that he must make other arrangements, much to Henry's disappointment. Later, Thomas and Gordon are waiting for the Fat Controller, who can see that both engines are sorry for their wrongdoings and deserve a treat. He tells the two engines that Thomas will look after the coaches, Edward will go in front to clear the line and Gordon will pull the Royal Train.
The great day arrives and the engines are busy bringing in people from all over the Island to see the Queen. Edward soon steams in and announces that the Queen has arrived. Gordon then pulls into the station with the Queen and her train sporting white buffers and carrying the Royal Arms. The Fat Controller stands to attention and welcomes the Queen. She thanks him for a splendid ride and asks to see the engines. Ironically, when Percy whistles and Toby rings his bell to cheer for the Queen, Henry and James initially shush them angrily out of respect for the Queen, but Percy and Toby are too excited to care, thus they ignore them by carrying on their cheering, after which the other engines join in.
When it is time for the Queen to leave, she speaks specially to Thomas for providing her coaches, Edward and finally Gordon, who takes her home as the engines whistle happily. No engines have ever felt prouder than those on the Fat Controller's Railway.
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Sir Topham Hatt
- The Knapford Painter
- Elizabeth II (does not speak)
- Duck (cameo)
- Donald (cameo)
- Henrietta (cameo)
- Jeremiah Jobling (cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- The Crovan's Gate Policeman (cameo)
- The Portly Man (cameo)
- David Mitton (cameo)
- The Boy with His Father (cameos)
- Prince Philip (cameo)
- The Queen Mother (cameo)
- The Railway Society (cameos)
- The Parade Organizer (cameo)
Locations
- Tidmouth Beach
- The Lineside Cow Barn
- Wellsworth
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Knapford
- Knapford Sheds (stock footage)
- The Lead Mines (stock footage)
- Gordon's Hill (indirectly mentioned)
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the twentieth episode of the fourth series.
- Despite its placement in the fourth series, this episode is a direct continuation of the first series episode, Down the Mine.
- This episode marks the last of many things:
- The last proper appearance of Thomas' infamous aghast face was the second series episode, Ghost Train; it reappears in this episode with the use of stock footage from Down the Mine.
- The last episode to use stock footage produced by Clearwater Features until the seventh series episode, Emily's New Coaches.
- The last episode that was written by Wilbert Awdry until the twentieth series episode, Tit for Tat.
- The last appearance of Knapford Station until Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- The last appearance of Knapford Station in the series until the sixth series episode, It's Only Snow.
- The last appearance of Queen Elizabeth II until the twenty-fourth series episode, Thomas and the Royal Engine.
- The last episode to feature Gordon's winch.
- The last episode in which Sir Topham Hatt's original blue car appears; following this episode it is replaced.
- The last episode to have three dubs in South Korea.
- The last appearance of Edward's sad face until the sixth series episode, Harvey to the Rescue.
- Stock footage from Off the Rails, Down the Mine and Thomas and Stepney are used. References to the two former episodes are made, as well as a reference by Henry to the third series episode, The Trouble with Mud.
- Thomas' teeth appear to be slightly missing on his surprised face in this episode. Thus showing this is the only time in the series post-Clearwater and before Gullane eras and beyond that Thomas' surprised face has no teeth underneath his mouth.
- The flag of Saint George's Cross is visible in one scene. In real life, the same flag is used to represent England.
- From the scenes with Gordon pulling into the station with the Royal Train to the engines cheering for the Queen with a shush uttered by Henry and James (criticising Percy and Toby just for starting the spectacular noise) in between, Zadok the Priest, a British anthem, as well as the music that played during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, plays in the background.
- As the narrator says, "When it was time to leave..." God Save the Queen, the British national anthem, begins playing. On a related note, another instrumental version of the same anthem also plays at the end of the Shining Time Station episode, Mr. Conductor's Fourth of July, under My Country 'Tis of Thee instead due to international differences. However, they coincidentally have the same melody.
- This episode, along with the fourth series episode, Special Attraction, were the last episodes featured on Shining Time Station.
- The other episodes from the same season would later be featured on Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales.
- The events of this episode were later mentioned by Gordon in the eighteenth series episode, Emily Saves the World, as well as by the Fat Controller in the twenty-fourth series double-length episode, Thomas and the Royal Engine.
- Behind the scenes footage for this episode was filmed for the 1995 documentary, The Thomas the Tank Engine Man. A television screen also shows a deleted scene of Edward passing Wellsworth.
- On 12 May 2015, which was the 70th anniversary of the Railway Series, behind the scenes footage of this episode was revealed in a report on BBC South Today.[2]
- This was the 100th episode to air in Norway.
- This episode was paired alongside the third series episode, Gordon and the Famous Visitor, in an airing of Storytime with Thomas.
- Both episodes, coincidentally, feature Gordon as a spotlight character.
- Footage from this episode can be seen in the Japanese game, Magical Adventure.
- When the rain comes, a thunderclap sound effect is heard in the UK dub and Ukrainian voice-over. However, the thunderclap sound effect is omitted in the US and other international dubs.
- This episode marks the only time of four things:
- The only appearance of Queen Elizabeth II until the twenty-fourth series double-length episode, Thomas and the Royal Engine.
- The only episode and the first time in which Thomas' upset face is used until the eighth series premiere. This also makes it the only Britt Allcroft episode to feature it.
- The only episode to feature James' sad face in the fourth series.
- The only time in the Britt Allcroft Company era and the first episode since the second series episode The Runaway to feature Thomas' shocked face without a bucktooth.
- The three berth garage from Tugs appears at Knapford. The Fuel Depot Manager's office from Tugs also appears at Wellsworth.
- The man and woman who come to Sodor with the Queen appear to represent Prince Philip and the Queen Mother.
Goofs
- Gordon's brake pipe is facing downwards as per the rest of the fourth series, while it was facing upwards in Down the Mine.
- Furthermore, he still has his winch despite it being removed before the two depart at the end of the aforementioned episode.
- The narrator said that Thomas and Gordon whistled into the shed but only Thomas' whistle is heard.
- When Thomas rolls his eyes, his face moves a little.
- As this episode was intended to be the direct sequel to Down the Mine since the Railway Series book, Gordon the Big Engine, was the basis for both episodes, Duck and Donald appear but both of them were not living on Sodor yet until the second series which comes after Down the Mine.
- When Henry states "You can't climb hills!" to James, Percy's cab roof is slightly lifted. It is also lifted in the close up of him and Toby at Knapford.
- At the end of the episode, a crowd of people can be seen at Knapford but in the close-ups of James and Henry, the people disappear and then reappear.
- When the engines whistle, Donald and Douglas' whistles can be heard but they are nowhere to be seen. This is because the audio of the engines whistling is reused from the second series episode The Deputation.
- When Gordon comes to a halt in Knapford, Edward's eyes are misaligned.
- In the close-up shots of Toby and Percy at Knapford:
- The buffers on Toby's line are crooked.
- A woman sitting on a bench does not have feet.
- Some sticky tac can be seen under a man with green coat's feet.
- When Toby brings the passengers to Knapford, his bell sounds completely different.
- Duck's train of coaches is missing a brake coach.
- In the close-up shot of Knapford station decorated in flags, one of the glass canopies is removed and seen in the corner.
- Despite their appearances in this episode, Edward and Toby do not appear in the nameboard sequence at the end of the episode in the Japanese dub.
- One passenger at Knapford is missing one of their arms.
- When James and Henry hiss "Shh!" at Percy and Toby, both tender engines have gaps between their face plates and eyes.
- The Greek dub of this episode mistakenly credits Ringo Starr even though it was redubbed and Michael Angelis was the English narrator at the time.
- In foreign dubs, George Carlin's voice is used when the painter falls.
Quotes
- Gordon: Remember, Thomas. United we stand, together we fall. You help me and I'll help you.
- Thomas: I'll remember but I hope the Fat Controller forgives us soon.
- Narrator: The engines wondered who would pull the Royal Train.
- Edward: I'm too old to pull important trains.
- Gordon: I'm in disgrace.
- James: He'll choose me, of course!
- Henry: You!? You can't climb hills! He'll ask me to pull the train and I'll have a new coat of paint!
In Other Languages
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Home Video Releases
PC Game
Episode
References
| #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 | |