Goods is the fifth episode of Season 1.
Plot
The episode starts with Edward describing that goods work is the life blood of any railway and where a railway derives most of its revenues. After Gordon and James's mishaps with the express, Henry was the one who helped keep them afloat. Edward then explains about Henry's origins and how he came to Sodor and became the Nor'easter's heavy goods engine, much to the dismay of the Midis, who lacked such a figure in their fleet. Often, they had to share the goods work between them, sometimes double or triple-heading the larger trains. Most often, a pair of Caledonian Railway 812s, Donald and Douglas, were ones who handled the goods work, and were friendly ones, unlike most of the Midis, while James and Douglas didn't like each other at all, even they and Henry acted civil towards each other, sometimes.
One night, after coming back from his late night goods run, Henry spotted Donald and Douglas with a long goods train behind them after crossing the viaduct between Maron and Cronk. The twins are in a particularly bad mood, declining Henry's offer to help them. As Henry leaves, Donald is still irritated, but Douglas reminds him about the new arrival Mr. Zorro told them about this week. "Let's see how high and mighty Henry is when he arrives." Douglas said.
One morning, a few days later, Thomas and Toby are sleeping at Lower Knapford when they are suddenly awoken by a loud and unfamiliar whistle. Looking to their left, they hear an engine pulling a long and heavy goods train. Once the engine is gone, Toby assumes it's a new engine for the Midis, since Mr. Star would have surely told them about a new recruit in advance. "I hate it when you're right, Toby..." Thomas sighed.
Toby was right. The Midis had gotten a new engine, an LMS Stanier 8F named Peter. Edward remarks that this was a day they should've seen coming, because ever since 1935, the LMS had started churning out 8Fs from Crewe Workshops as their new goods engine and it would only be a matter of time before one would arrive on Sodor. Peter had a profound impact on Sodor's goods industry due to his strength and he was able to pull massive trains, often on his own. Henry began working hard to try to compete with Peter, but the Nor'easters began losing goods contracts to the Midis.
About a fortnight after Peter arrived, Edward woke up, ready to take out the first commuter service. At Lower Knapford, Edward began to feel sick and struggled to reach the next few stations. This was because Edward had taken on some bad water that was slowly clogging his pipes. The Preston Incline, now, Gordon's Hill, which lay beyond Wellsworth, would be a challenge for Edward. At Wellsworth, Edward's driver tries to convince the old engine that he should give up, but Edward doesn't want to damage their reputation even further. Presently, Peter arrives. Edward explains to Peter that he needs to get his passengers to Crovan's Gate where Skarloey is waiting. Since it's on the way to Barrow, Peter offers to pull Edward along. While skeptical, Edward decides to go along with it, and is surprised by Peter's kindness. Peter backs down onto Edward with his train and surges forward, pulling Edward and his train along like they were empty trucks. Colin, who was coming up from Brendam, is surprised to notice Peter helping Edward. The two engines make it to the foot of Gordon's Hill, and they give it all they've got, easily making it over the top. Soon, they arrive at Crovan's Gate where Skarloey is waiting, and like Colin, is surprised with Peter helping Edward. Peter continues on, while Edward explains to Skarloey about why Peter was pulling him. Edward mentions his opinion of the Midis have considerably improved, and could only agree with Skarloey saying "With so many of you sharing the same tracks, it's about time you learned to get along."
The next morning, Peter comes back to Brendam and explains to Diesel that the lift bridge had malfunctioned so he had to spend the night on the Mainland. Diesel tells Peter that Colin told him he saw him helping Edward yesterday, which Peter sees nothing wrong about, remembering Colin once helped out a Nor'easter. Diesel protests that there's a big difference between letting an engine get blown up and leaving a "museum piece" like Edward to rust in place. Presently, Mr. Zorro shows up, and, much to the disbelief of both engines, congratulates Peter for helping Edward because one of Edward's passengers was a reporter from the Sodor Tribute and had written an article about his run between Wellsworth and Crovan's Gate and selflessly helping the "Old Iron" Engine reach his destination. Peter answers that he only did it because it was right, not for publicity. Mr. Zorro leaves and Diesel growls angrily. Diesel wasn't the only angry engine on Sodor that day, as a workmen showed Edward and Percy the same article Mr. Zorro told Peter about, and Edward didn't like the name the reported referred him to. While the article did boost the return of passengers, impressed by Edward's pride to push on, it benefited the Midis the most because it vividly described Peter's strength. The Nor'easters continued losing contracts to the Midis, and, a week after the article was published, the Nor'easters lost the contract to Sodor Logging, and were only reduced to the quarry, dairy, coal mine and oil depot.
That night, Thomas, Edward, James, Percy and Toby are in the sheds talking. James is still furious about the Sodor Tribute and mentions that none of them or Henry can match Peter's strength, and they can't be working harder than they already are. Presently, Henry arrives, completely exhausted. Percy points out he'll knock himself to bits, but Henry is determined to try his hardest. Presently, Mr. Star arrives and informs them that he's arranged for another engine to join the Nor'easters. The engine, Eric, has been told to report to the Oil Depot at Lower Knapford and Mr. Star tells Thomas and James to be there. Mr. Star leaves, telling his engines how proud he is of them.
Edward describes the role of the Oil Depot, and that on that day, Thomas and James were assigned to the deliveries. Thomas remarks that the petrol is the biggest they've filled yet. James mentions it could be because of the increasing cars on the road and lorries and adds that the increasing road traffic is making him nervous. Presently, a workmen runs up to James and tells him Mr. Star needs him at Calden right away because there was a goods train Percy was meant to take, but he's been delayed. Thomas is to be left to handle the petrol on his own, when presently, he hears an unfamiliar whistle. It's the new engine, Eric. Thomas is surprised at Eric's appearance because Mr. Star didn't say Eric would be a tank engine. Eric decides to take all the petrol at once, but with Thomas double-heading with Eric so he can show him the way to Knapford.
After Thomas went to Elsbridge Harbour to turn around, he backs down onto Eric and the two tank engines set off, with Thomas being amazed by Eric's strength just as Edward was amazed by Peter's. The two tank engines speed towards Knapford Harbour and past gobsmacked Midis. Soon, they arrive at Knapford Harbour in record time where Thomas introduces Eric to Toby, who is also surprised at Eric's appearance and remarks Eric has made a very good first impression. Soon, the rest of the Nor'easters made their acquaintances with Eric and became good friends with him, especially Henry, who was thrilled to be working alongside another dedicated goods engine. With the two goods engines working together, the Nor'easters steadily regained their stolen clients and even made new ones. Eric would also prove to be a Really Useful Engine for the Nor'easters, especially on the Ffarquhar Branch.
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Donald and Douglas
- Eric
- Diesel
- Colin
- Peter
- Skarloey
- Mr. Star
- Mr. Zorro
- Thomas' Driver
- Edward's Driver (Harry)
- A Workman
- Another Workman
- Gordon (cameo)
- Lily (cameo)
- Adam (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
- Henrietta (cameo)
- Reginald (mentioned)
- James' Guard (mentioned)
- Sodor Tribute Reporter (mentioned)
Trivia
- This episode marks the first appearances of Eric and Peter.
- This is the only episode in which Peter's running board is white; in all subsequent appearances, it is black, as it is in the Intro.
- An older version of this video can be found on YouTube, but Victor Tanzig remade it (along with several others from Season 1) because he was unhappy with it and embarrassed by the fast narration.