Ding-a-Ling

"Ding-a-long, ding-a-ling, find the bell with the very best ring."

―Freddie^[src]

Ding-A-Ling is the twenty-sixth (twenty-fifth in Australia) episode of the eleventh season.

Plot

James has delivered a new bike for Mr. Percival's hiking trip, but it does not have a bell. Freddie does not know where to find one, but so as not to look silly, he pretends he knows where to find one, and sets off.

He sees a cow's bell and has it put on the bike, but Mighty Mac notes that the cows do not look at it. Freddie quickly sets off for the station and borrows Kuffy the Clown's necklace of bells. Peter Sam remarks that the children are not taking any notice, and Freddie runs off. He decides to return to the wharf, but when he sees James, Mighty Mac and Peter Sam, he backs off. He sees a bell destined for the school and has it put on too, but it falls over and it creates such a noise that the others come to investigate.

Freddie sheepishly leaves, when he sees Thomas with an old foghorn. He has an idea and once it is cleaned and polished, the bell from Mr. Percival's old bike is attached to the new bike.

Characters

• Thomas
• James
• Peter Sam
• Mighty Mac
• Freddie
• Mr. Percival
• Kuffy the Clown (does not speak)
• Bridget Hatt (cameo)
• Mrs. Percival (cameo)

Locations

• The Wharf
• Transfer Yards
• Mountain Village Station
• Sodor Castle

Trivia

• This episode was the last of a few things:
  • Sharon Miller's last episode as script editor.
  • The last episode to exclusively use models before using CGI.
  • The last episode narrated by Erik de Zwart in the Netherlands.
• Going by production order, this is the twenty-fifth episode of the eleventh season.
• This was originally supposed to be Michael Angelis and Michael Brandon's last episode as narrators in the UK and US respectively, but both returned for the twelfth season after it aired without Pierce Brosnan's narrations.
• In the US narration, Freddie's voice has a southern accent.

Goofs

• As Freddie arrives at the farm and stops, his steam platform is visible.
• Red and blue wires can be seen underneath Freddie's tank when he is standing outside Mountain Village Station.
• This episode is out of production order as Mr. Percival's new bike was seen in the previous episodes.

Merchandise

• TrackMaster - Freddie and the bicycle on a flat truck (discontinued)
• Magazine Stories - Ding-a-Ling!

In Other Languages

Home Media Releases

Episode

07:00

Ding-a-Ling-American Narration

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