- “My hat! You've sucked it through your air intake!"
"Bother your hat!” - ― The Inspector and Sir Topham Hatt
Bowled Out is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season. In the US, it first aired in the Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales episode, For the Birds in 1996.
Plot
An engine shortage has occurred and the only engine available is a diesel, who insults the engines almost immediately after arriving on Sodor. The engines are furious, but cannot think of a plan for revenge. There is no need though, as the Diesel sucks an inspector's bowler hat through an air-intake vent just after starting. Duck and Stepney take his train, and reach Crovan's Gate in record time. Stepney leaves the next day and, while the engines bid him farewell, the Diesel creeps sulkily away, leaving only two things to remember him by: a rather nasty smell, and a battered bowler hat.
Characters
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Duck
- Donald and Douglas
- Stepney
- The Diesel
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Thomas (speaks only in Japanese dub)
- Edward (does not speak)
- Percy (cameo)
- Skarloey (cameo)
- Sir Handel (cameo)
- Rusty (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
- Bertie (cameo)
- Stephen Hatt (cameo)
Locations
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Wellsworth
- Gordon's Hill
- Crovan's Gate
- Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds
- Shunting Yards
- Henry's Tunnel (deleted scene)
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season.
- This episode is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book, Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine.
- This episode marks the final appearance of Sir Handel until the tenth season. It also marks the last appearance of Crovan's Gate until the eighteenth season (excluding stock footage appearances in the seventh season).
- In a rare picture, Gordon is in Henry's place when the Fat Controller makes the announcement.
- According to the description on Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories, the Diesel was brought to Sodor to take over Daisy's work while she is ill.
- This episode marks the Diesel's only speaking role.
Goofs
- The goods train next to James is being pushed by a crew member, as a shadow is seen.
- Gordon's buffers are slightly crooked at different points in the episode.
- When the Diesel arrives, James swaps tracks from the left of Donald and Douglas to the right and then back again.
- A pipe can be seen on the Diesel's air-intake in the close-up of the inspector's hat.
- Stepney is missing his crew in the first shot.
- When the Diesel breaks down, he has his air-intake covered, but when the inspector notices his hat, his air-intake cover is off.
- In the close-ups of Duck and Stepney during the scene where the Diesel breaks down, the scenery changes.
- In the shot of Duck and Stepney puffing up Gordon's Hill, a red and blue wire can be seen in the middle coach. In the same shot, the track in front of the engines appears to sink just before they roll over it.
- James has Smudger's whistle sound when he leaves the station.
- Gordon has Duck's whistle sound when he leaves Crovan's Gate.
- Stepney has Rheneas' whistle sound.
- After the Diesel grinds to a halt and the camera switches to Duck and Stepney and then back to the Diesel, he is slightly farther away from the coaches.
- When Duck and Stepney reach Gordon's Hill, Duck gains a lamp.
- Gordon is missing his brake pipe.
- In a rare still image, Gordon has a crooked buffer.
- When the Diesel arrives at Tidmouth Sheds, the braking sound is heard long before he actually stops.
- When the engines are whistling at Tidmouth Sheds, Percy's whistle sound is heard, but he is not in the sheds. This is because stock audio from Thomas' Christmas Party is used.
- In the second shot, the camera lens can be seen at the top left hand corner.
In Other Languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| German | Ausgeschlagen | Knocked Out |
| Norwegian | Bowlerhatten | The Bowler Hat |
| Spanish | Diesel Tendrá que Aprender | Diesel Will Have to Learn |
| Hungarian | Kalap Kalamajka | Hats Muddled |
| Japanese | ディーゼルとぼうし | Diesel and Hat |
| Russian | Вышел из строя | Out of Order |
| Danish | Bowlerhatten | Bowler Hat |
| Italian | L'automotrice diesel | The Diesel Engine |
| Welsh | Helynt Yr Het | The Hat Trouble |
| Slovenian | Kje je klobuk? | Where is the Hat? |
Home Media Releases
UK
US
AUS
- Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories
- All Aboard October!
- The Complete Fourth Series
Gallery
UK title card
US title card
New Zealand title card
Spanish title card
Welsh title card
Gordon and Stepney
Henry, Stepney, Thomas, James, and Duck
Duck, Thomas, Henry, and Gordon
Donald and Douglas
Thomas and Duck
Henry and Gordon
Gordon's Crooked Buffer
Deleted scene
Episode
UK narration
US narration