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- “It's Donald and Douglas, sir. They say, sir, that if you send them away, sir, they'll be turned to scrap, sir. That would be dreadful, sir. Please, sir, don't send them away.”
- ― Percy to Sir Topham Hatt
The Deputation is the seventeenth episode of the second series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book The Twin Engines.
Plot
Snow has fallen on the Island of Sodor. Most of the engines hate it, but Donald and Douglas are used to these conditions and do a great job of clearing the lines. They soon encounter one drift which is deeper than the rest and hear a whistle; it turns out to be Henry, who is nearly buried. The twins promise to get him out.
"Losh sakes, Donald. It's Henry! Dinnae fash yourself, Henry! Wait a while. We'll have you out."
Henry is rescued and soon returns to the Sheds with Donald and Douglas, who are upset. The Fat Controller will be returning soon and they are worried that he will send them back to Scotland for their previous mishaps. The other engines agree that Donald and Douglas both deserve to stay and something has to be done, but no one knows what to do. Percy goes and asks Edward, who suggests that the engines nominate someone to be a deputation and talk to the Fat Controller. After Edward explains what "deputation" means, Percy returns to tell the others and they all immediately agree to this despite their prior ignorance of what a deputation is. Gordon nominates Percy to do the job, which he doesn't want to do.
"I had a deputation. I understand your feelings but I do not approve of interference."
After the Fat Controller returns, a nervous Percy stammers through his case for allowing the twins to stay, saying that they are likely to be scrapped if they are sent back to Scotland. The Fat Controller understands this and sends Percy away. Later, at the Sheds, the Fat Controller responds to the engines' request. He begins by telling them that although he understands their feelings, he does not appreciate them interfering with his plans. Then he surprises everyone by giving Donald and Douglas new coats of paint as a reward for their work in the snow and announces that their names will be painted on them so as to avoid any further mistakes. The engines realise that the Fat Controller is allowing both of them to stay and drown out the rest of his speech with cheers and happy whistles.
Characters
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Duck
- Donald and Douglas
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Bertie (cameo)
- The Spiteful Brake Van (mentioned)
Locations
Trivia
- Due to scenes on one particular set across the season being filmed in one go, some Christmas decorations from Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree can be seen at Tidmouth Station when Percy talks to the Fat Controller. Though, this is believable enough to say this episode does take place before Christmas with winter being the obvious giveaway, as well as the Christmas decorations briefly shown at Tidmouth Station, but not before the events of Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree.
- This episode marks the first time with a few things:
- The first time the works unit coach is seen without the Breakdown Train.
- The first on-screen appearances of Percy's smug and suspicious faces. The former would later be used again in the fifth series episode, Happy Ever After, as well as for promotional images for the third series episode, Thomas, Percy and the Post Train.
- The Fat Controller’s pilot model (albeit with a different mouth) is used in the final scene at Tidmouth Sheds.
- The chorus of whistles at the end of the episode was later reused in the fourth series episodes, Bowled Out, Thomas and the Special Letter and Paint Pots and Queens.
Goofs
- Throughout the episode:
- Gordon's right buffer is bent.
- Many of the engines' eyes are misaligned.
- Percy's left cylinder (viewers' right) is crooked.
- In the Finnish dub, Douglas' English name is mistakenly used twice.
- In the opening scene, Donald is not emitting steam and there is also green grass that is not covered in snow to the left of the watermill.
- The narrator says that Donald and Douglas had a van between their tenders but there is actually a work coach and an LBSC van is also derailed in the background.
- From the scene at Suddery Castle to before the twins find Henry, the twins have their nameplates on.
- When the twins find Henry buried in the snow, the one that says "Losh sakes, Donald! It's Henry!" is actually Donald himself.
- When James is talking about the Spiteful Brake Van, there appears to be a spot of paint above his right eye.
- When Percy reverses to talk to the engines, the track in front of him bounces upwards.
- After the narrator says "There was a long silence," Douglas' tender is derailed and Percy's cab roof is also lifted.
- When Henry says "Rubbish Percy!" at one point, his eyes do not move at the same time.
- When Percy talks to the Fat Controller, some glue holding his middle lamp iron can be seen.
- When the engines whistle, Donald is missing his left eyebrow and James' eyes also stop moving.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Motor Road and Rail - Donald and Douglas Snowplough set (Japan only)
- My Thomas Story Library - Donald and Douglas
Home Video Releases
Episode
References
| #01 Thomas, Percy and the Coal | #10 The Runaway | #19 Daisy |
| #02 Cows | #11 Percy Takes the Plunge | #20 Percy's Predicament |
| #03 Bertie's Chase | #12 Pop Goes the Diesel | #21 The Diseasel |
| #04 Saved from Scrap | #13 Dirty Work | #22 Wrong Road |
| #05 Old Iron | #14 A Close Shave | #23 Edward's Exploit |
| #06 Thomas and Trevor | #15 Better Late than Never | #24 Ghost Train |
| #07 Percy and the Signal | #16 Break Van | #25 Woolly Bear |
| #08 Duck Takes Charge | #17 The Deputation | #26 Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree |
| #09 Percy and Harold | #18 Thomas Comes to Breakfast | Cancelled: The Missing Coach |
| Cancelled: Gordon Goes Foreign | ||