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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the magazine story or the similarly titled vinyl record.
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"So you're not going to scrap me?"
"Scrap Gordon? The fastest engine on Sodor? Who would pull the express?"
― Gordon and the Fat Controller

Squeak, Rattle and Roll is the fifteenth episode of the eighth series.

Plot

Gordon thinks that pulling the express makes him the most important engine on Sodor. While departing from Brendam Docks with the express, he angers Diesel, who has to move to let Gordon through. To spite him, Diesel tells Gordon that steam engines will soon be scrapped. Gordon dismisses the claim as nonsense, but when he starts to hear a squeaking noise from his wheels, he begins to fear that Diesel may be telling the truth. However, when he climbs his hill, he discovers that the squeak disappears if he goes slowly.

The next day, Gordon is given the job of taking the Fat Controller and some children to Brendam for a boating trip. On his way to Knapford, he picks up speed and the squeaks begin again, soon followed by a rattle. Gordon slows down, torn between being late by going slowly or risking being scrapped if he goes too fast. This causes the Fat Controller to question Gordon about his slow pace and remind him that he is the fastest engine on Sodor. Proud of these words, Gordon picks up speed once more, but now hears the squeak and rattle, followed by a knocking noise. Enraged, Gordon ignores them, deciding that if this is going to be his last trip, he will make it count by going as fast as he can.

At Brendam, the children arrive on time. The Fat Controller, having noticed the noises, does not have Gordon scrapped but instead sends him to the repair yard. The following day, Gordon has his pistons polished and his axles and wheels thoroughly lubricated. At last, the noises are gone, and Gordon can once again run quickly without worry.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • Going by production order, this is the sixth episode of the eighth series.
  • This episode is named after the Joe Turner song "Shake, Rattle and Roll".
  • A deleted scene implies that Thomas, Annie and Clarabel were due to appear in the episode. Had the scene not been deleted, the eighth series would have been the first series in which Thomas appears in every episode. This also marks the second episode where Thomas only appears in a deleted scene. The first being in the fifth series episode A Surprise for Percy.
  • In the All Aboard with the Steam Team DVD, the narrator saying "One day, Gordon was pulling the express out of Brendam Docks. But Diesel was on the same line," is heard later than in television airings and other DVDs with the UK dub.
  • This episode marked the last of several things:
    • The last episode until the tenth series episode Duncan Drops a Clanger not to feature Thomas.
      • Had the deleted scene been kept in, the seventh series episode Trusty Rusty would have been the last to do so.
    • The last episode to have Daisuke Gōri as part of the Japanese voice cast as well as the original, prior to his death on 17 January 2010, which is six years later after the UK and US debuts of the episode, but a four years after the Japanese debut of the episode in 2006.
    • The last appearance of the arched bridge on the other side of Gordon's Hill until Hero of the Rails.
    • The last appearance of Gordon's surprised and tired/embarrassed faces, as well as the last appearance of his ashamed face in an episode.
    • The last appearance of the Rolling Gantry Cranes in an episode.
  • An edited scene shows the Fat Controller smiling in Gordon's cab.
  • This episode aired on 7 March 2005 when repeated on CiTV.
  • Gordon's squeaking noise was originally a Disney sound effect that was sourced from Cartoon Trax Volume 1; the sound was used in other sources, such as the Shaun the Sheep episode, Two's Company in 2009, and the Mickey Mouse short, Doggone Biscuits in 2015.
  • The Fat Controller's Gauge 1 figure head from the third to seventh series can be seen in Gordon's cab when he questions Gordon for going slow.
  • On the subtitles for Squeak, Rattle and Roll on the Playtime Children's Favourites DVD, when Diesel says his line: "Sounds like another engine ready for the scrap yard", the subtitles say "Sounds like you're ready for the scrap yard." It's unknown if this is really a scripting error or if this was from the episode's original script, but was not said aloud by Michael Angelis when the episode was recorded.

Goofs

  • Studio equipment is visible in both the second scene and the scene before the Fat Controller asks Gordon about his slow speed.
  • When Gordon tells Diesel to move, his lamp irons are crooked.
  • Diesel jolts down when he backs away of Gordon's line.
  • When Gordon becomes worried if Diesel was right about the Fat Controller scrapping him:
    • He hits a branch above the track.
    • In the widescreen version of the episode:
      • He loses a coach at one shot. In the next shot, he regains it.
      • The edge of the set can be seen.
  • When Gordon pulls into Knapford, the clock reads 10.10, but the boat was said to leave at 9.00.
  • When the narrator said "If he went slowly, the children would miss their boat trip," steam suddenly disappears from Gordon's face because of the face mask change, and in the shot of the children looking out the window, the scenery is moving the wrong way, as the coach window is not a bay window. The same mistake happens again when all the children are on board, the passenger window is facing the station.
  • In the German dub, Henry is called Harry by mistake.
  • Near the end, the Fat Controller says that Gordon needed to have his engine looked at, but steam locomotives/engines do not have power engines like how petrol/gas-driven cars or diesel locomotives and engines have them.
  • When Gordon is being repaired, his eyes are misaligned.

Merchandise

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Croatian Škripanje, klokotanje i valjanje
Czech Skřípot, chrastění a klepání
Danish Gordon får problemer
Dutch Hoor wie piept daar, kinderen?
Finnish Ratinaa rattaissa
French À la ferraille
German Reif für den Schrottplatz?
Greek Ο γρήγορος Τζόνι
Hebrew חריקה וקרקוש
Hungarian Gordon meghibásodik
Italian Cigolii, sferragliamenti e cinguettii
Japanese キーキー、ガタガタ、コンコン
Korean 이상한 소리가 나요
Mandarin (China) 嘎吱声咯咯声和隆隆声
Norwegian Piping, skrangling og banking
Polish Głośna podróż Gabrysia
Portuguese (Brazil) Barulheira
Portuguese (Portugal) Barulheira
Romanian Scârțâind și zdrăngănind pe șine
Russian Скрипя, треща, но не сдаваясь
Scottish Gaelic Diosgail is Gladadiach
Spanish (Latin America) Chirriar, crujir y rodar
Spanish (Spain) Chirriar, traquetear y rodar
Swedish Gnäller, skallra och knack

Home Media Releases

United Kingdom UK

All Aboard with the Steam Team (Direct-to-Home Video)
Playtime Children's Favourites
The Complete Series 8

United Kingdom UK DVD Packs

5 Adventurous DVDs
The Ultimate Collection
Classic Collection
Triple Pack

Australia AUS

All Aboard with the Steam Team (Direct-to-Home Video)
Series Eight

Australia AUS DVD Packs

Limited Edition Box Set
The Essential Collection
3 DVDs
The Great Adventures of Thomas and Friends
Classic Collection Series 6-10
Series Seven and Series Eight Double Pack
The Complete Series 1-10

USA Canada US/CAN

Steamies vs. Diesels and Other Thomas Adventures (Direct-to-Home Video)

USA Canada US/CAN VHS/DVD Packs

Steamies vs. Diesels/Bob the Builder: Bob Saves the Day! VHS/DVD 2-Pack
All-Aboard for Adventure!
Steamies vs. Diesels and Other Thomas Adventures/Thomas' Sodor Celebration! Double Feature
Action Pack
Adventure on the Tracks

South Africa ZA

Happy Little Helpers

South Africa ZA DVD Boxset

5 DVD Boxset

India IND

Thomas and the Firework Display

United Arab Emirates UAE

All Aboard with the Steam Team

United Arab Emirates UAE DVD Pack

Whistle Express Collection!

Malaysia MYS

Thomas Saves the Day and Other Adventures (VCD)
Percy's New Whistle and Other Adventures (DVD)

Indonesia IDN

Thomas and the Firework Display and other stories

Spain ESP

Thomas & Friends - Volume 1

Spain ESP DVD Pack

First Season

Romania ROM

Thomas & Friends 2
Steam Locomotives

Romania ROM DVD Packs

Triple Pack 2
Six DVD Set

Norway Denmark Sweden Finland NOR/DK/SWE/FIN

All Aboard!

Netherlands NL

Thomas Saves the Day

Germany GER

Powerful Locomotives Traveling

Germany GER DVD Pack

Thomas and his Friends Box Set 3

Czech Republic CZ

Rise and Shine
New Stories

Poland POL

Thomas and the Firework Display

Hungary HUN

The First Prize

Hungary HUN DVD Boxset

Thomas the Tank Engine & Gift Keys extension box

Greece GRC

The Proudest Train

Thailand THA

Thomas and Friends - Volume 34

Japan JPN

Thomas the Tank Engine Series 8 Vol.4

South Korea KOR

Thomas the Little Engine and Friends Season 3 Vol. 1
Character Special Edition Series Vol. 4

Taiwan TWN

Thomas & Friends Volume 8

Hong Kong HK

Thomas & Friends Volume 20 (VCD and DVD)