Changes: The Afternoon Tea Express

Revision as of 20:10, 14 April 2015

This article is about 'the episode'. You may be looking for 'the magazine story or the Chinese DVD'.

“The visitors will wait a long time for their afternoon tea if Stephen is given the job!"
"I'll have you know they used to call me the Rocket, because I was so speedy!"
"Ha! Compared to a horse and cart, maybe!”

― Spencer and Stephen

The Afternoon Tea Express is the twenty-third episode of the seventeenth season.

Plot

Stephen becomes very excited when the Earl gives him the special job of collecting the ingredients for the afternoon teas at the Castle. But Spencer teases him about being too old and slow. Stephen is cross, but is soon steaming around Sodor picking up all the ingredients. But soon, Gordon puffs up behind him, and tells him to hurry up. He then pushes Stephen quickly along the rails up to the junction to Ulfstead Castle. Spencer is surprised to see Stephen back so soon.

Stephen pretends to have been really fast. Over the next few days, Stephen is pushed by, Thomas, James and Emily, making him super fast. But when he is collecting jam for the Earl, Lady Hatt and the Fat Controller, none of the engines are there to push him. However, he finds Spencer, who pushes him the fastest up to the castle. But he goes so fast, he can't stop and biffs into the buffers at Ulfstead Castle, making the jam fly all over the Earl, Lady Hatt and the Fat Controller.

After he apologises, he takes the visitors to the castle on a tour of Sodor whilst getting more jam, and realises that going slow is not that bad after all.

Characters

Gordon
Spencer
Stephen
Sir Topham Hatt
Lady Hatt
Sir Robert Norramby
Thomas (does not speak)
James (does not speak)
Emily (does not speak)
The Duke and Duchess of Boxford (do not speak)
Millie (cameo)
Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
Cranky (cameo)
The Teacher (cameo)
The Bird Watcher (cameo)
Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameo)

Locations

Trivia

Going by production order, this is the fourteenth episode of the seventeenth season.

Goofs

Stephen has his old, black funnel.
Stephen's trucks swap places during his journey.
The narrator uses the UK term "truck" at one point in the US narration.
When Stephen and Gordon go over the camera, Gordon seems to be pulling less than six carriages when in the next few shots he has six carriages.

Merchandise

Take-n-Play

Stephen's Sticky Delivery

Books

The Rocket Returns

In Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Dutch	Thee met een Sneltreinvaart	Tea with an Express Speed
Norwegian	Ettermiddagsteekspressen	The Afternoon Tea Express
Japanese	アフタヌーンティーきゅうこう	The Afternoon Tea Express
Spanish	El Expreso del Té de la Tarde	The Express of Afternoon Tea
Polish	Herbatkowy ekspres	The Tea Express

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