- “Come on! Come on! Why aren't you trucks where you should be?"
"There's no engine, and we can only go where we're put! You're in the wrong place, not us!” - ― Bulstrode and the troublesome trucks
Special Attraction is the twenty-fifth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the stories Toby's Seaside Holiday and Bulstrode from The Railway Series book, Toby, Trucks and Trouble.
Plot
One day, Toby is sent to a seaside village to be their "special attraction," as they have one every year, but when he gets there, he learns there is no room for him in the parade.
Toby chuffs sadly back to the junction, and when Percy sees how sad Toby is, he wants to know why, but before Toby can tell him, the Fat Controller tells Percy to take care of some important work in the harbour, and his driver says that it will be trouble with Bulstrode, a disagreeable barge who never stops complaining.
At the harbour, Bulstrode and the trucks are arguing about who is in the wrong place. Then, when Percy arrives, the trucks ask to be shunted into a siding to load Bulstrode up with their stone, so he can leave and they can be rid of him.
However, Percy cannot stop in time and he ends up sending the trucks toppling off the high wharf and right into Bulstrode's hull; which nearly sinks him much to the other trucks' amusement. It takes a very long time to clear the mess, and when the cleanup is over, a disgraced Bulstrode is towed to a beach. The workmen leave him there, telling him he can stay where he is for visiting children to play in, where he will finally be Useful.
When Percy returns, Toby is over his disappointment and tells Percy that his driver says that both of them are Special Attractions after all everywhere they go.
Characters
- Percy
- Toby
- Troublesome Trucks
- Bulstrode
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Trevor (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- The Vicar of Wellsworth (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- Refreshment Lady (cameo)
- One Little Boy (cameo)
- The Dryaw Policeman (cameo)
- The Crovan's Gate Policeman (cameo)
- The Painter (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless; cameo)
Locations
- Elsbridge
- Toryreck
- Tidmouth Beach
- Gordon's Hill
- Norramby Church Station
- Brendam Docks
- Road Beside Rail and Canal Runby (deleted scene)
Trivia
- The models for O.J., Izzy Gomez, Big Mickey, the Bigg City Port Fire Station, and a three berth garage from TUGS are seen.
- This episode marks the first and only appearance of Bulstrode to date, although his model and face were used in later episodes.
- This was the last episode to be featured on Shining Time Station, as the remainder of the fourth series would air on Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales.
- This episode marks the last appearance of Elsbridge to date, though it appears in a deleted scene in the next episode and would later be mentioned in the nineteenth series episode, Wild Water Rescue.
- This episode also marks the last appearance of Knapford Harbour until the Meet the Steam Team video "Meet Percy."
- This marks the last episode of Kōhei Miyauchi voicing Sir Topham Hatt in the Japanese narration before his passing.
Goofs
- In the US narration, after Bulstrode says "Come on! Come on!", George Carlin hiccups.
- Studio equipment can be seen when Toby puffs through the seaside.
- Before Percy's driver takes him down to the docks, he has dark brown hair. But as Percy puffed away, his driver has a different head mask and light brown hair colour.
- When the troublesome trucks say "There's no engine and we can only go where we're put! You're in the wrong place, not us!" one has wonky eyes and another truck's face is loose.
- When Percy's trucks land in Bulstrode's hull, Percy's wheels derail and he is crooked on his chassis.
- The buffers Percy hits are placed quite a distance ahead of where the track actually ends.
- In a close-up of Toby at the seaside, his left window (viewer's right) appears to be burnt.
- In the close-up of the trucks' wheels when they wail "Help! Help!" the track bounces slightly.
- When Percy reverses with the trucks, they are facing him. But when he is lining them up, they are facing away from him.
- When the trucks burst through the buffers, they come off the rails, but in another shot they derail again.
- When Percy whistles just before buffering up to the trucks, a fast puffing noise can be heard.
Merchandise
- My Thomas Story Library - Bulstrode (discontinued)
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
| #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 | |