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“Gordon still believes that BoCo saved his life but we know the twins were only teasing, don't we?”
― The narrator breaking the fourth wall

Wrong Road is the twenty-second episode of the second series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Main Line Engines.

Plot

Thomas' and Edward's branch lines bring in valuable traffic. Both are very important to Sodor but their bridges and tracks are hardly as strong as the Main Line ones. This is why the Fat Controller forbids heavy engines, such as Gordon, to run on them. Although this is purely for safety, Gordon believes the rule is for another reason entirely.

One day, Gordon complains to Edward about BoCo being allowed to take Main Line trains when he is only supposed to work on the Brendam Branch Line. Edward jokingly suggests that Gordon can ask if he can take BoCo's trucks in return but Gordon refuses to consider that. Edward notes that it might be a nice change but Gordon claims the Fat Controller would never agree and states that branch lines are vulgar before snorting off, followed by an amused Edward.

Every evening, within five minutes, both Gordon and Edward take their night passenger trains from Knapford. Gordon takes the Main Line Express at 6:25 while Edward leaves for the branch with his 6:30 train. When it is nearly time for Gordon to start that night, a lady wearing a big green floppy hat is on the platform, saying goodbye to her friend in the brake carriage. Gordon's fireman (who is new to the job) sees the lady's green hat moving and mistakes it for the guard's flag. As a result, Gordon starts, leaving the guard and several passengers and their luggage stranded on the platform. They are surprised and cross.

When a humiliated Gordon is soon stopped and brought back, Edward sets off from the station, being behind schedule. However, this causes more trouble because nobody has told the junction signalman about the change and Edward is accidentally sent down the Main Line. When Gordon follows, he is sent down the branch and must sleep at the harbour on a siding.

Bill and Ben arrive next morning to pick up trucks from BoCo in the yard. When they find neither BoCo nor the trucks, they decide to tease Gordon instead. They joke that the large blue engine is not Gordon but a pile of old iron, as Gordon would never go on branch lines because he thinks them vulgar. Bill considers taking Gordon to the scrapyard while Ben suggests throwing him into the sea. Unaware that the twins are joking, Gordon freaks out and begs them to stop. Once BoCo arrives with trucks for the twins, Gordon pleads for the diesel to save him. BoCo manages to put the twins in their place by threatening to take the trucks away he brought for them. As a relieved Gordon thanks BoCo, the twins quickly run off. Gordon ends up thinking that BoCo saved him, whether or not the twins were just joking.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • This is:
  • Christmas lights are used for Gordon and Edward's headlamps. This would later happen in the following episode.
  • The events of this episode were later mentioned by Ben in the third series episode Heroes.
  • Gordon is shown pulling express coaches from the first series.
  • A reference to this episode is later made in the special, Tale of the Brave where Gordon says Bill and Ben are mischievous.
  • Several of the passengers are represented by 1:32 scale Scalextric figures.
  • The JEI TV version of the Korean dub added subtitles to inform viewers what Main Line and Branch Line are.
  • The "busy" theme is heard in the first shot of Knapford in the UK, Welsh, original Norwegian and Japanese dubs but not in the US dub and other international ones.
  • Going by filming order, this episode was filmed before Bertie's Chase, Saved from Scrap, Old Iron, and Thomas and Trevor, when Edward's joyful face didn't have teeth, but gained teeth afterwards when the aforementioned episodes were filmed.

Goofs

  • In the restored version, studio equipment can be seen on the top of the set at the beginning and when Gordon leaves.
  • When Gordon leaves after he finished talking with Edward, steam is continuing from his tracks.
  • At Knapford Station:
    • Edward's eyebrows are missing.
    • A gap is in Edward's right eye (viewers' left).
    • Wires are visible on Gordon's and Edward's buffer beams and light bulbs are also visibly sticking out from their lamps.
    • Ringo Starr's narration can faintly be heard in the background in the Japanese dub.
    • The woman's old friend can be seen among the guard and in the passengers when Gordon leaves.
    • Blu-tack is visible on the Fat Controller's shoes.
  • The back end of the coach's roof has snapped of, does not have any lighting and it also does not have a brake coach.
  • Edward does not cross the viaduct slowly despite it being under repairs.
  • Gordon pushes the buffers out of place when he comes into the siding.
  • Gordon's eyes are very misaligned at the docks.
  • In a close-up of Ben, his nameplate is loose on his right (viewers' left) side.
  • When BoCo threatens to take away the trucks for Bill and Ben:
    • His cross face is missing his eyebrows.
    • The twins are smiling.
    • Rolling stock sound effects are heard, even though the twins were not pulling any sort of train.
  • Gordon's front bogie wheels are derailed near the end. His left eye (viewer's right) is also scratched.
  • During the outro theme, static is audible.

Quotes

Gordon: It's not fair.
Edward: What isn't fair?
Gordon: Letting branch line diesels pull Main Line trains.
Edward: Never mind, Gordon. I'm sure BoCo will let you pull his trucks sometimes.
Gordon: I won't pull BoCo's dirty trucks, I won't run on branch lines!
Edward: Why not? It would be a nice change.
Gordon: The Fat Controller would never approve. Branch lines are vulgar!

Bill: What's that?
Ben: SHH! It's Gordon.
Bill: It looks like Gordon but it can't be. Gordon never comes on the branch lines. He thinks them vulgar.
Narrator: Gordon pretended he hadn't heard them.
Ben: If it isn't Gordon, it's just a pile of old iron.
Bill: Which we'd better take to the scrap yard.
Ben: No, Bill. This lot's useless for scrap. We'll take it to the harbour and dump it in the sea!
Narrator: Gordon was alarmed.
Gordon: I am Gordon! STOP, STOP!

Gordon: BoCo, my dear engine! Save me!

Gordon: Those little demons. How do you do it?
BoCo: Ah well. It's just a knack.
Narrator: Gordon still believes that BoCo saved his life but we know the twins were only teasing... don't we?

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese Fora da linha
Chinese Mandarin 歧途
Croatian Krivi put
Czech Nesprávná trať
Danish Gordon og sidesporet
Dutch De verkeerde weg
Finnish Väärä reitti
French La mauvaise voie
German Der falsche Weg
Greek Λάθος δρόμος
Hungarian A rossz út
Italian Linea sbagliata
Japanese しせんをはしったゴードン
Korean 어긋난 길
Latin American Spanish El camino equivocado
Norwegian På ville veier
Polish Nie tędy droga
Romanian Drum greşit
Russian Неверный путь
Serbian Progrešan put
Slovenian Na napačni poti
Swedish På villovägar
Turkish Yanlış Yol
Welsh Colli'r Ffordd

Merchandise

Home Video Releases

UK

UK DVD Boxset

US

CAN

  • James Goes Buzz Buzz and Other Thomas Stories (Direct-to Home-Video)
  • Best of Gordon (Direct-to Home-Video)

US/CAN DVD Packs

NZ

AUS

  • The Deputation and Other Stories
  • Series Two

AUS DVD Packs

ZA

IND

MYS

PHL

ITA

FRA

ROM

ROM DVD Pack

NL

  • Wrong Road

GER

NOR

DK

SWE

SVN

SRP

HRV

GRC

GRC DVD Boxset

TUR

THA

JPN

JPN DVD Boxset

KOR

CHN

HK

Episode

References



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