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- "Excuse me, do you like bluebells?"
"Yes. Bluebells are beautiful!"
"Then, you're soon going to see lots of them because I'm getting you out of here!" - ― Rusty and Stepney
Rusty to the Rescue is the fifteenth episode of the fourth series.
Plot
In springtime, Rusty loves to visit a faraway place filled with bluebells. The air is sweet and he thinks there is no better place to be. One day, while Rusty is being refueled, Thomas passes by, remarking that Rusty's driver looks worried. Rusty questions his driver, who replies that another engine is needed to run this special line. Rusty is intrigued by the idea of finding a "Bluebell Engine".
Later, Rusty consults with Douglas (who is with Percy) about finding another engine on the Other Railway, where Douglas had found Oliver. Douglas says that he would like to help but notes that only diesels travel there now. Rusty readily accepts the idea and decides to go there. That evening, his driver comes with news that the Manager will make a home for a "Bluebell Engine" if they find one. Rusty determines to find one the next day.
It takes them all of the next day to travel to the Other Railway and, when they arrive, it is nighttime with a cold wind blowing. Creaks of lonely scrap are heard and Rusty pulls up beside the diesels lined up on guard. He escapes the diesels' suspicion by bluffing about being an "inspection" diesel and asks if any engines are in the shed. The other diesels note there are none in the shed. Refusing to give up, Rusty asks about the sidings and the diesels state they do have one engine. Rusty plucks up courage and decides to find the engine in the siding.
A small tank engine with a tall funnel named "Stepney", which is written on his side tanks, stands sad and alone in a shadowy siding. His driver is huddled in the cab, keeping him company. Rusty rolls up beside him and asks him if he likes bluebells. Although startled, Stepney replies that he believes bluebells are beautiful. Rusty, then, tells Stepney that he will soon see lots of bluebells and promises to save him from scrap. Rusty's crew works quickly to get Stepney started. It is initially difficult to light the fire but it soon burns nicely with a good head of steam. Rusty's engineer agrees to act as Stepney's fireman and, together, the two engines run past the line of diesels and head off for the Bluebell Railway. The other diesels ask where Stepney is going and Rusty replies that he is just going "down the line." When Rusty and Stepney cross the border onto the Fat Controller's Railway, Rusty shouts, "Mission accomplished!" in triumph.
The next morning, Rusty and Stepney arrive at the Valley Station where a big welcome awaits. The Manager promises to have Stepney mended and given a new coat of paint, much to the delight of Stepney's driver. Stepney thanks Rusty for everything. After being mended and painted, Stepney is as happy as can be and helps all the passengers who visit when the bluebells bloom. He is colloquially nicknamed "the Bluebell Engine".
Characters
- Thomas
- Douglas
- Stepney
- Rusty
- The Mid Sodor Railway Manager
- British Railways Diesels (portrayed by Diesel, Daisy, BoCo, Mavis and Class 40)
- Percy (does not speak)
- Henry (cameo)
- Gordon (cameo)
- Skarloey (cameo)
- Rheneas (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
- Bertie (cameo)
- Stephen Hatt (cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- The Railway Society (cameos)
- Oliver (mentioned)
Locations
- Bluebell Valley
- Crovan's Gate Yards
- Skarloey Engine Sheds
- Rheneas Viaduct
- Vicarstown Viaduct
- Vicarstown Goods Depot
Trivia
- In real life, the Bluebell Railway is a heritage railway which runs for eleven miles along the border between East Sussex and West Sussex, England.
- This episode marks several things:
- The first episode to feature both standard gauge and narrow gauge diesels together.
- The first fourth series episode featured on Shining Time Station.
- Daisy's first appearance since the second series episode Percy's Predicament.
- The only fourth series episode not directly adapted from a story of The Railway Series. A few plot elements were adapted from the story Bluebells of England, which was also loosely adapted into the beginning of the next episode. Douglas and Percy mingling at the water tower is a remnant from the aforementioned story.
- Diesel's only appearance in the fourth series, as well as his last on-screen appearance until the sixth series episode The World's Strongest Engine. He does, however, appear in a deleted scene in the fifth series episode Cranky Bugs.
- The only episode in which Daisy and BoCo appear together.
- The second episode that Douglas has a speaking role but without Donald, although the latter appears as a scrap model.
- The last appearance of the second red bus.
- The set of the Other Railway is a heavily modified version of the Skarloey Engine Sheds set where Rusty met Percy and Douglas.
- In the US and Canada, this episode aired on Shining Time Station before Trucks, meaning the American and Canadian audiences would have been introduced to Rusty in this episode.
- This episode plot is similar to the second series episode Saved from Scrap and the third series episode Escape, in which an engine promises to save another from scrap before being scheduled to being broken up. The latter episode is also mentioned when Rusty asks where Douglas found Oliver.
- Scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, one of the Scottish twins, Toad and the Märklin Engine can be seen on the Other Railway.
- The engines of the Other Railway are represented by Diesel, BoCo, Daisy, Mavis and Class 40, all facing opposite to the camera.
- A non-motorised chassis was constructed for Daisy in this instance, as she and BoCo shared a chassis.[2]
- A 49-second long piece of music from this episode when Rusty rescues Stepney was released by Junior Campbell on YouTube on 7 March 2016.[3]
- After this episode, Bertie is given a different horn sound in Bowled Out up through the seventh series, excluding Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- This episode was shown alongside the third series episode Toby's Tightrope in an airing of Storytime with Thomas.
Goofs
- Some descriptions of this episode on home video releases featuring this episode claim that Rusty got advice from Oliver, when it was actually from Douglas.
- In the UK and international dubs:
- Thomas has Edward's whistle sound as he passes through Bluebell Valley Station.
- When Rusty and Stepney return, Thomas, Gordon and James' whistle sounds are heard, yet they are nowhere to be seen. This is because stock audio of the engines whistling is reused from the first series episode Thomas' Christmas Party.
- In the Danish dub, when Rusty is taking fuel, the narrator incorrectly says that Rusty is drinking water, despite him being a diesel.
- When Thomas passes Rusty, Clarabel is facing the wrong way.
- Rusty's truck and brake van disappear in the close-up shot of the driver in the cab.
- Dried-up glue is visible around Rusty's face during the line, "Right, we'll find one [a 'Bluebell Engine'] tomorrow."
- When Rusty first arrives on the Other Railway, some chains are hanging beside the signal box but, when Rusty asks "Oh, what's that?" the chains disappear.
- On the Other Railway, the diesels and rolling stock constantly change places:
- When the voice calls out, "Who are you?" Mavis has somehow moved from Rusty's right to behind Diesel.
- In the shot after Rusty says, "Then, I'll just go and inspect," Mavis is back to her original position, Diesel has somehow moved in front of her and Class 40 appears in front of BoCo.
- In the point-of-view shot of Rusty escaping, Mavis is on Daisy's track.
- In the following shot, Daisy is on the far right track, Class 40 has somehow moved to the smaller shed and Mavis and Diesel have moved to the narrow gauge track.
- In the final shot of the Other Railway, Daisy and Class 40 are back in their original positions.
- The tar wagon seen between BoCo and Daisy disappears in the last shot of the Other Railway.
- There is a visible chip in Rusty's paintwork when his engineer agrees to be Stepney's fireman.
- Rusty and Stepney pass a shed twice while escaping from the Other Railway.
- Stepney's eyes are misaligned in the final shot.
In Other Languages
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Home Video Releases
Episode
US narrationReferences
| #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 | |