| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the Dutch DVD or the magazine story. |
- “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 woman wearing a big green floppy hat is on the platform, saying goodbye to a friend in the brake coach. Gordon's fireman sees the woman's hat moving and mistakes it for the guard's green 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, while the Fat Controller has to sort out what happened and get the passengers to their correct destinations.
"BoCo, my dear engine! Save me!"
Bill and Ben arrive the 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
- Edward
- Gordon
- Bill and Ben
- BoCo
- Thomas (does not speak)
- Troublesome Trucks (do not speak)
- Sir Topham Hatt (does not speak)
- The Floppy Green Hat Lady (does not speak)
- Stephen Hatt (cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- Jeremiah Jobling (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- The Vicar of Wellsworth (cameo)
- The Little Boys (cameos)
- The Tidmouth Stationmaster (cameo)
- The Tidmouth Stationmaster's Wife (cameo)
- The Barber's Customer (cameo)
- The New Ffarquhar Constable (cameo)
- The Firelighter (cameo)
Locations
- The Watermill
- The Branch Line Bridge
- Knapford
- Crosby
- The Viaduct
- Brendam Docks
- The Scrapyards (mentioned)
- Suddery Junction (mentioned)
Trivia
- This is:
- The first time BoCo is moving and the only time in the Clearwater Features era where he is seen in action.
- The first episode to feature Gordon's tired/embarrassed and shocked faces, as well as the only appearance of these faces in the Clearwater Features era.
- The only episode from the first three series not released on multiple home video releases before the Complete Collection in the UK and Australia.
- The last appearance of Gordon's surprised face until the fourth series episode, A Bad Day for Sir Handel with different eyebrows, excluding in a deleted scene from the third series episode Gordon and the Famous Visitor.
- The final episode to air on Children's ITV in 1989. It was repeated in a double bill with The Diseasel a day before the Tugs episode, Quarantine, would premiere.
- The last episode released on VHS in 1989 by CEL Home Video in New Zealand. The remaining four episodes of the second series would make their New Zealand home video debut on the 1992 Endeavour Entertainment release of The Deputation and Other Stories.
- Bill and Ben's last speaking roles in the Clearwater Features era.
- 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 2014 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.
Goofs
- In the restored version:
- Studio equipment can be seen on the top of the set at the beginning.
- The top of the set is visible when Gordon and Edward leave the yard.
- 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 brake coach on the express is referred to as the guard's van. This is due to an error from the original book.
- The woman's old friend is seen in the compartment side of the coach as she says goodbye, but the corridor one was on the same side of the platform.
- 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 been snapped off, 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, and his buffers are crooked in some scenes 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, and his left eye (viewer's right) is 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: 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
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Merchandise
- Magazine story - Wrong Road
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 | ||