| For other uses, see Thomas and Bertie (disambiguation). |
- "Hello, who are you?"
"I'm Bertie. Who are you?"
"I'm Thomas. I run this branch line."
"So you're Thomas, eh? I remember now. You got stuck in the snow. I took your passengers and Terence the Tractor pulled you out. I've come to help you with your passengers today."
"Help me? I can go faster than you."
"You can't."
"I can."
"I'll race you!" - ― Thomas and Bertie
Thomas and Bertie, lengthened to Thomas and Bertie's Great Race on North American releases, is the fourteenth episode of the first series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book Tank Engine Thomas Again.
Plot
One day, Thomas is waiting at a junction where a bus drives up alongside him. The bus introduces himself as Bertie, who remembers Thomas from the time he took his passengers home after Thomas ended up in a snowdrift and tells him that he has come to help his passengers today. Thomas is cross and claims that he can go faster than Bertie, who challenges Thomas to a race. Their drivers agree and Thomas and Bertie begin their race.
"Goodbye, Bertie!"
As it takes Thomas a while to build up speed, Bertie takes a head start at the beginning. However, he reaches the level crossing where Thomas passes him and takes the lead. After that, the road leaves the railway and Thomas stops at the next station to collect passengers. He tells them to get in quickly and as he starts off again, he sees Bertie zooming over the bridge and retaking the lead. Thomas tries to catch up but he has to stop at Elsbridge because the signal is up. Bertie continues on gleefully while Thomas feels sure that he will lose the race but he feels better after a drink and is ready to continue just as the signal drops.
While crossing the bridge, Thomas finds that he still has a chance to win the race, seeing Bertie waiting at a traffic light. When the light turns green and Bertie starts again, Thomas reaches full speed and takes the lead as he rushes through a tunnel while Bertie must summit a hill next to the tunnel. Thomas makes it to the last station, winning the race. Everyone cheers for Thomas but they also give Bertie a big welcome. Bertie congratulates Thomas for the victory and remarks that he would need be an aeroplane in order to beat him over the hill by the tunnel.
The two friends now work together and often talk about their race but the passengers do not like to be bounced around, while the Fat Controller warns Thomas about running at dangerous speeds. Although it does not seem likely, the two still hope for a chance to race again.
Characters
- Thomas
- Annie and Clarabel
- Bertie
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- Terence (mentioned)
- Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)
Locations
- Knapford Bus Yard
- Knapford Crossing
- Rail Under Road Bridge and Signal Box
- Dryaw
- Lower Arlesburgh
- The Wide-Arched Bridge
- The Windmill
- Elsbridge
- Terence's Field
- Hackenbeck Tunnel
- Ffarquhar
Trivia
- Various pieces of footage not filmed for this episode are featured:
- The tracking shots of Clarabel and Thomas smiling were filmed for Thomas and the Guard.
- Thomas on the Elsbridge Signal Runby is a deleted scene from Thomas Goes Fishing.
- The close-up of Thomas' whistle is from the unaired pilot.
- The tracking shot of Thomas looking tired is stock footage from Thomas and Gordon.
- Two of many scenes filmed of Thomas on Toby's Branch Line are featured; he travels past Lower Arlesburgh and the Windmill. The latter shot was featured in the TV show's original opening.
- The events were referenced and mentioned by Thomas in the fourth series episode Thomas and the Special Letter and Bertie also did the same in the sixth series episode Harvey to the Rescue.
- The episode can be seen on the Japanese PC game Magical Adventure.
- This marks the last appearance of Terence's Field until the fourth series episode Train Stops Play, not counting stock footage in the second series episode Better Late than Never.
- The house by the level crossing is really the Lower Arlesburgh station building.
- The restored version of the episode uses an alternate take of Thomas and Bertie leaving Ffarquhar, during which Thomas starts a half-second sooner before Bertie's shadow is fully out of frame.
- When this episode was featured on the 2000 UK Tomica World Video, the end credits of the episode were omitted.
- This marks the first time Thomas and Bertie race each other. They would try to race each other again in the seventh series episode Three Cheers for Thomas and successfully race many more times in the CGI series.
- The music featured in Thomas and the Trucks when the trucks push Thomas is reused in this episode.
- A preview of this episode was featured in the 1991 The Video Collection children’s VHS promo.
Goofs
- Thomas' boiler has a chip in it when he meets Bertie.
- In the bottom left corner of the screen when Thomas and Bertie are about to start their race, a camera shadow can be seen.
- When Thomas puffs into Elsbridge, he has Percy's tired face mask on when he puffs into Elsbridge.
- Due to portions of the script being taken verbatim from the original book, the narrator says:
- "Thomas was waiting at the junction" when he is actually at a bus depot. This is because Knapford is the junction with the Main Line and Thomas' branch in the books, while Knapford in the television series is the big station instead of Tidmouth.
- "Bertie was fuming at the gates," but Bertie is smiling. This is because his cross face had not yet been made until the third series episode Trust Thomas; Bertie was given only one face in the first series.
- "After that, the road left the railway so they couldn't see Bertie," but there is a road right next to Thomas.
- The plane that is seen taking off as Thomas and his coaches leave Dryaw suddenly stops moving before they have passed the camera.
- In a close-up of Bertie, he has no driver.
- In the shot of Thomas racing past Lower Arlesburgh, the end of the set is visible in the background.
- In the top left corner, studio equipment can be seen as Thomas enters the tunnel.
- Annie and Clarabel keep changing positions throughout the race.
- In the restored version, studio equipment can be seen when Thomas pulls into Ffarquhar after the race.
- In a close-up of Thomas, a camera capture can be seen on his coupling.
- Because stock footage is used, sometimes Annie and Clarabel are not behind Thomas.
- When Thomas stops at Elsbridge, he passes the end of the platform. But when he is taking on water, he has moved backward.
- As Bertie congratulates Thomas, the number of people near Bertie differs between shots.
- In the final scene, studio equipment can be seen in the top left corner.
- After Thomas stops at Ffarquhar Station, in the background, Bertie's roof can still be seen behind the bushes before driving into the station.
In Other Languages
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Home Video Releases
PC Game
Episode
UK narration
US narration (George Carlin)References
| #01 Thomas and Gordon | #10 James and the Express | #19 The Flying Kipper |
| #02 Edward and Gordon | #11 Thomas and the Guard | #20 Whistles and Sneezes |
| #03 The Sad Story of Henry | #12 Thomas Goes Fishing | #21 Toby and the Stout Gentleman |
| #04 Edward, Gordon and Henry | #13 Thomas, Terence and the Snow | #22 Thomas in Trouble |
| #05 Thomas' Train | #14 Thomas and Bertie | #23 Dirty Objects |
| #06 Thomas and the Trucks | #15 Tenders and Turntables | #24 Thomas' Christmas Party |
| #07 Thomas and the Breakdown Train | #16 Trouble in the Shed | #25 Off the Rails |
| #08 James and the Coaches | #17 Percy Runs Away | #26 Down the Mine |
| #09 Troublesome Trucks | #18 Coal | |