This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the character, the UK VHS/DVD or the book. |
- "That's loud!"
"Too loud!"
"Sounds like a tugboat to me!" - ― Percy, James and Gordon's reactions to the railway foghorn
The Fogman, retitled The Fog Man on one North American release, is the sixth episode of the sixth series.
Plot
Misty Valley lies along a branch line which is often very misty. This is why Cyril, a friendly fogman who lives in Misty Valley, earns his keep by putting detonators on the rails to warn the engines of fog and landslides. Thomas enjoys seeing Cyril and puffing over the blasting caps because they make his axles tingle. That evening, the Fat Controller visits the engines at Tidmouth Sheds to tell them that he has acquired an electric railway foghorn. Once he tests it, the foghorn is so loud that the ground shakes, causing a few slates of the sheds' roof to fall. None of the engines are impressed, especially because it sounds very loud like a tugboat horn. When Thomas asks what will happen to Cyril, the Fat Controller says that Cyril will no longer be needed and will be given a much needed rest, which greatly disappoints Thomas.
The following day, the foghorn is installed on the hillside in Misty Valley and, while Percy is puffing through the valley, the foghorn sounds, much to his displeasure. Shortly after Percy is out of sight, the vibrations from the foghorn cause a rock slide. The deluge of rock sweeps onto the track and damages the foghorn beyond use. Thomas comes down the line with a goods train and, without a warning from the foghorn, he enters into a thick fog. Unable to see the rock slide until it is too late, Thomas derails on the rocks. Soon, however, Cyril comes to the rescue. As Toby and Henrietta are travelling along the track, they roll over a fog detonator and slow down just before crashing into Thomas and his wreck. Once the mess is cleared and Thomas is safely back on the rails, Cyril is reinstated as Misty Valley's fogman.
Characters
- Thomas
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Cyril the Fogman
- Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
- Henrietta (does not speak)
- Henry (cameo)
- Terence (cameo)
- Cranky (cameo)
- Farmer Finney (cameo)
- Sir Topham Hatt's Brown-haired Assistant (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless; cameo)
Locations
Trivia
- This episode was filmed on 23 and 24 January 2002.
- Mirrored stock footage from James and the Trouble with Trees is used.
- On the Thomas' Halloween Adventures DVD, this episode is parsed as "The Fog Man". The 2014 re-release corrects this on the back cover.
- The foghorn shares the same horn sound as Derek from the fifth series, later Mavis from the same series, Salty from Day of the Diesels to the twenty-fourth series, Diesel 10 in merchandise and two video games and Diesel in Fun Cubes.
- This episode marks:
- The last to be primarily shot in the 4:3 fullscreen aspect ratio.
- The first time Naomi Shindo is part of the Japanese voice cast.
- The only time that Cyril is referred to by name until the twenty-second series episode Samson and the Fireworks.
- In a promotional image, Percy is facing in the same direction as Thomas after rescuing him and also looking annoyed.
- The 2004 Talking Plarail Percy is based on this episode.
Goofs
- In the close-up of Percy at Misty Valley, the tracks in the background lead to the bushes. In the same shot, a wire can also be seen in Percy's right-front window. He is also not pulling any trucks in the surrounding shots. Finally, you can see where the camera is hooked on to him.
- At the beginning of the episode, Thomas' driver has blond hair, though after the crash, he has brown hair.
- In the second shot of Thomas puffing through Misty Valley and when Thomas runs over the detonator, Annie is facing the wrong way.
- Thomas' eyes are misaligned after he crashes into the rubble and also when he asks the Fat Controller what Cyril will do.
- Throughout the episode, the foghorn is switched on even when it is meant to be off. When the foghorn is first shown, the green light is flashing meaning it is on but the Fat Controller has not switched it on yet. In a close-up of the Fat Controller switching the foghorn on, the switch is already pointing towards the green light but the red light is still flashing. In another close-up of the foghorn horn blasting in Misty Valley, the red light is flashing even though the switch is pointing to the green one.
- In the close-up of James at Tidmouth Sheds, Gordon's tender is loose and a few inches away from his cab.
- When Thomas says "Ooh, that made my axles tingle!" his eyes are briefly off-centre from each other.
- In the shot of Brendam Docks, Cranky's ladder is on the wrong side.
- One of the cattle truck's roof from Thomas' train is damaged.
- In the very first shot of Percy puffing through Misty Valley, he has a noticeable wobble.
Quote
- Percy: Oh, bother! That foghorn is so loud it rattles my dome, and it doesn't even make my axles tingle.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Wooden Railway (Fog cars)
- Take Along (Fog cars)
- Book - Thomas and the Fogman
- Magazine story - A Foggy Friend
Home Video Releases
Episode
#01 Salty's Secret | #10 Twin Trouble | #19 Buffer Bother |
#02 Harvey to the Rescue | #11 The World's Strongest Engine | #20 Toby Had a Little Lamb |
#03 No Sleep for Cranky | #12 Scaredy Engines | #21 Thomas, Percy and the Squeak |
#04 A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter | #13 Percy and the Haunted Mine | #22 Thomas the Jet Engine |
#05 Elizabeth the Vintage Lorry | #14 Middle Engine | #23 Edward the Very Useful Engine |
#06 The Fogman | #15 James and the Red Balloon | #24 Dunkin Duncan |
#07 Jack Jumps In | #16 Jack Frost | #25 Rusty Saves the Day |
#08 A Friend in Need | #17 Gordon Takes a Tumble | #26 Faulty Whistles |
#09 It's Only Snow | #18 Percy's Chocolate Crunch | |