| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the German VHS or the magazine story. |
- "They have their uses. They can save the wear on a poor car's wheels!"
- ― Caroline changing her opinion on trains
Train Stops Play is the seventeenth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine.
Plot
Stepney has been enjoying his visit to Sodor and, one day, he is busy talking to Thomas, Percy and Toby. Stepney compliments the engines and says that Sodor has lots of things that make the Island feel special, especially since he enjoys long runs. Stepney also mentions that he misses pulling trucks. Percy tells Stepney that he can help with his goods train. Both their drivers agree and the two tank engines set off for their deliveries, leaving Thomas and Toby speechless. Stepney delivers his loaded trucks to the Harbour and then leaves to take some empty ones to the Quarry.
Later, Stepney stops at a red signal by a cricket field where a game has just started. A batsman hits a "six" when the signal drops and the ball lands in one of Stepney's trucks. Stepney does not notice this and, when the signal drops, he puffs away. The cricketers shout at him to stop but neither Stepney nor his crew hear them. The cricketers have no spare balls to continue the rest of their game, so they climb into their old car Caroline to pursue Stepney.
Stepney is not hurrying and Caroline, honking her horn, chases after them with the desperate cricketers inside. The driver mistakes them for joyriders wanting to race and increases Stepney's speed, to Caroline's annoyance, as she easily overheats when travelling at high speed. When Caroline finds that Stepney has disappeared into a tunnel, she hopes the players will give up and take her home but her driver instead drives her over the hill and onwards to the next station.
Stepney has placed his train in a siding when Caroline wearily arrives at the station with the cricketers, who tell Stepney's crew that they need their ball back. The ball is found in the third truck from the brake van hidden under some straw, to the delight of the cricketers. They are now ready to return to the cricket field but Stepney's driver notices Caroline is completely overheated. After discussing with the stationmaster and the signalman, they roll Caroline onto a flatbed so she can rest during the return journey. The cricketers ride back to the field in a brake van. Stepney and his crew enjoy watching the rest of the game. Caroline, pleased, changes her mind about trains being silly.
Characters
- Percy
- Stepney
- Caroline
- The Cricket Club
- The Tailor
- Thomas (does not speak)
- Toby (does not speak)
- Troublesome Trucks (faceless, do not speak)
- Henry (cameo)
- James (cameo)
- Duck (cameo)
- Donald or Douglas (cameo)
- Bulgy (cameo)
- Stephen Hatt (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- The Vicar of Wellsworth (cameo)
- The Vicar of Wellsworth's Son (cameo)
- Prince Philip (cameo)
- The Hatts' Second Butler (cameo)
- The Bowler Hat Inspector (cameo)
- The Cart Horse Rider (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
Locations
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Knapford Harbour
- Haultraugh Cricket Field
- Road Beside Rail and Canal Runby
- Terence's Field
- Hackenbeck
- The Lead Mines (mentioned)
- Ffarquhar Quarry (mentioned)
Trivia
- Because this episode is the eighteenth episode of the fourth series by production order, it was produced after Bowled Out, which is the seventeenth episode by production order, thus scuppering the continuity of Stepney's visit to the Fat Controller's railway.
- The Elsbridge Cricket Club set was filmed on 28 November 1994. Notably, this was three weeks after the first fourth series episodes were released on the Rock 'n' Roll and Other Stories VHS in the UK on 7 November 1994.
- This episode marks the Elsbridge Cricket Club members' only speaking roles.
- This episode marks the first of a few things:
- Caroline's first appearance and only appearance in the fourth series. Thus, Hiroko Emori joins the voice cast in the Japanese dub and this is the only episode in said series to feature her as part of the Japanese voice cast.
- The first fourth series episode in which neither the Skarloey Railway nor any of its engines appear.
- The first physical appearance of Hackenbeck Tunnel since the first series episode Thomas' Christmas Party, not counting its stock footage appearances in the second series episodes Bertie's Chase, Better Late than Never and Edward's Exploit.
- The first appearance of Knapford Harbour since the first series episode The Flying Kipper.
- In certain scenes when the cricket field is shown, Bulgy can be seen still in the field where he was left in the third series episode Bulgy, his debut episode. He can also be seen in the fourth series episode Mind that Bike.
- Edited scenes from this episode are used in the song The Red Balloon. One shot superimposes the red balloon above the cricket field and another shows the cricketers smiling.
- This episode was shown alongside the third series episode No Joke for James in an airing of Storytime with Thomas.
- This episode was not released on DVD in North America but it was released digitally on Amazon in 2016 as part of Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 4.
Goofs
- After Percy arrives with his trucks, his roof is lifted and one of his lamp irons is crooked.
- Duck and Donald are behind Thomas, Stepney, Percy and Toby at the beginning but, a few scenes later, some trucks and a green express coach have taken their places.
- When Percy talks to Stepney, his eyes are misaligned.
- In the shot of Thomas and Toby being speechless, Thomas' funnel is a bit crooked.
- When Stepney arrives at the harbour, Thomas' trucks wobble and nearly come off the rails.
- At the harbour, Henry and James' eyes are misaligned and the guard figure in Stepney's brake van also appears to have fallen backwards.
- During Stepney's POV of the cricket field, Caroline is not parked by the pavilion.
- Studio equipment is visible in the shots of the cricket field.
- In two scenes of the cricket players leaning out of Caroline, they visibly do not have lower bodies.
- After Stepney's driver tells Stepney to speed up, Caroline is nowhere to be seen.
- At the end of the episode, the roof of the brake van is bent.
- Paint chips are visible in Stepney's running board when he or the narrator says that Caroline, "doesn't think trains are silly now."
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
Caroline (2007 My Thomas Story Library book)
- Caroline (1997 postcard)
Home Video Releases
Episode
US narrationReference
| #01 Granpuff | #10 Rock 'n' Roll | #19 Henry and the Elephant |
| #02 Sleeping Beauty | #11 Special Funnel | #20 Toad Stands By |
| #03 Bulldog | #12 Steam Roller | #21 Bulls Eyes |
| #04 You Can't Win | #13 Passengers and Polish | #22 Thomas and the Special Letter |
| #05 Four Little Engines | #14 Gallant Old Engine | #23 Paint Pots and Queens |
| #06 A Bad Day for Sir Handel | #15 Rusty to the Rescue | #24 Fish |
| #07 Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady | #16 Thomas and Stepney | #25 Special Attraction |
| #08 Trucks | #17 Train Stops Play | #26 Mind that Bike |
| #09 Home at Last | #18 Bowled Out | |