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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book.

“I hope the photographer will take some photographs of me delivering the mail!"
"I'll be photographed because I am the brightest red engine on the island!"
"And I will be photographed because I am the number one tank engine!"
"No, Thomas, I will be photographed more than you because I am Gordon! I'm fastest and best and pull the express!”
― Percy, James, Thomas and Gordon arguing over who will have their picture taken

Flash Bang Wallop! is the sixth episode of the sixteenth series.

Plot

One morning, the engines are at Tidmouth Sheds when the Fat Controller arrives, holding a big book. The book is entitled Great Railways and is full of photographs of engines on the Mainland. The Fat Controller goes on to tell the engines that a photographer is coming to the island to take some photographs for a book featuring Sodor's engines. When the Fat Controller leaves, the engines chat excitedly about having their photos taken for the book. Gordon is sure that he will have the most photographs taken, but Thomas is determined to prove Gordon wrong and get into as many photos as he can.

Later, Thomas is transporting some pigs to Farmer Trotter's pig farm and spots the photographer about to take a photograph of Percy. Thomas speeds up and blocks Percy out of the photograph. Percy is surprised and swerves into a siding and ends up in a big pile of coal. Thomas carries on, unaware of Percy's accident. On his way to the farm, Thomas passes through Maron as Gordon thunders past with the express. Thomas is sure that Gordon will not have been in a photograph yet and decides to find the photographer to have another photo taken. At a junction, the photographer is waiting to take a photograph of James. Thomas wants to be in James' photograph and speeds up, resulting in Thomas blocking James out of the photo. James is surprised and veers into a siding, destroying a set of buffers and derailing. Thomas is so busy feeling pleased with himself, he does not notice James' derailment.

Thomas arrives at Farmer Trotter's pig farm and Gordon steams by, boasting that he has been in two photographs. Thomas is now more determined to be featured in even more photographs. Thomas sets off to find the photographer and soon spots him standing on a bridge about to take a photograph of Henry. Thomas charges towards the bridge, trying to get into Henry's shot, but only succeeds in startling the photographer. He then drops his camera, which smashes on the ground and leaves the photographer distraught. The Fat Controller steps down from Henry's cab. The Fat Controller is cross and scolds Thomas for all the trouble that he has caused. Thomas is apologetic as now none of the engines can be photographed. The photographer tells Thomas that he has a spare camera at Brendam Docks, but there is not enough time to collect it. Thomas promises to fetch the camera and bring it back to the photographer in time.

At the docks, Thomas picks up the camera and heads back to the photographer. On the way back, Thomas sees Percy in the heap of coal. Thomas promises to come back and help his friend after he has delivered the camera. Next, he meets James and promises to rescue him as well. At the bridge, the spare camera is handed to the photographer, who thanks Thomas before the little engine sets off to help his friends. He finds Rocky, who is being pushed to the docks by Edward. Thomas asks if Rocky can help him, which Rocky is pleased with and the two set off to rescue James. Rocky lifts James back onto the rails and races away with Thomas to help Percy. Soon, a grateful Percy is back on the rails too.

That evening, Thomas returns to Tidmouth Sheds exhausted. Gordon is sure that he is in more photographs than Thomas. The little tank engine does not care; he has helped his friends and that is more important than being in a photograph.

A few days later, the engines are all gathered at Knapford. The photographer is there, holding a big book. The book is entitled Sodor: The Great Railway and he presents it to the Fat Controller. Thomas gasps when he sees the cover of the book. It features a photograph of him and Rocky rescuing Percy. Thomas decides that a photo of him and his best friend is the best photograph of all and all the engines whistle in agreement.

Characters

Locations

Cast

UK

US

Trivia

  • One of the photographs in the "Great Railways" book is of an R.R.'s Class 14A 2-6-2+2-6-2 Beyer-Garratt and another is of City of Truro. The front cover shows a Fowler 0-4-0 Diesel-mechanical locomotive.
  • Stock footage from Up, Up and Away! is used.
  • This episode's title is based on the song "Flash Bang Wallop" by British rock musician, Tommy Steele.
  • Even though he only appears in the book, this marks City of Truro's first appearance since the eighth series episode, Edward the Great, where he appeared in a picture inside one of Spencer's coaches.
  • This is the last episode written by Jessica Sandys Clarke.

Goofs

  • The points are set against Percy when he enters the siding and when Thomas collects Rocky.
  • Just before James crashes into the buffers, his wheels are going slower than he is going.
  • When the engines gather at Knapford near the end of the episode, the brown and white house on the far right side of the screen is layered behind the house which is supposed to be behind it.

Merchandise

In Other Languages

Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese Mirar, Apertar e Tirar!
Czech Kuk, bum, bác
French Thomas veut se faire prendre en photo
Galician Flash, Tumba e Dálle
German Bitte lächeln!
Hungarian Villan, kattan és megvan
Italian La Foto più Bella del Mondo
Japanese トーマスとしゃしん
Korean 번쩍! 펑! 찰칵!
Latin American Spanish Flash, Bang, Voilá
Norwegian Blink, flæsj, tjoho!
Polish Ale masz Zdjęcie!
Romanian Atenție la Poză!
Russian Лучшая Фотография
Spanish ¡Zas, Bumba y Listo!
Taiwanese Mandarin 预备 就位 笑一个

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