Letters to Santa

Letters to Santa is the eleventh episode of the twentieth season.

Plot

It is almost Christmas Day on the Island of Sodor, and the children are sending their letters to Santa for Percy to pick up, who would then take them to Vicarstown, where Hiro would take them to the airport on the mainland for them to be taken to Santa at the North Pole.

Percy is delivering the letters to Hiro. It is not easy as there is snow on the line. Harold offers to help, but Percy declines, thinking he is trying to prove helicopters are better than steam engines, remembering the time he met Harold and Percy won against him in a race. Percy changes his mind as he comes to a tunnel which is blocked by a massive snowdrift. He asks Harold to take the letters to Hiro. Harold is more than willing to do so.

Later that evening, Hiro is waiting at the Vicarstown Bridge for Percy, but as he is already late, decides he must leave without the letters. He is just setting off when Harold catches up with him, who explains he has got Percy's mail. Hiro collects the letters and carries on with his delivery.

At Tidmouth Sheds, Percy is worried about the children's letters, but Thomas assures him that Harold is very responsible and will do what he is supposed to.

The next morning, Percy meets up with Toby who tells him that Harold did not return to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre the night before. Harold, who is out of fuel and stranded in a field, is worried he will have to spend Christmas stuck on the ground where he is. Percy remembers that Christmas is a time of good will to everybody, even whirly-birds. That evening, he brings him a tanker of fuel. Harold is overjoyed, and gives Percy his many thanks.

On Christmas Day, thanks to Percy, Harold and Hiro, all the children get what they asked for from Santa, and everyone has a Merry Christmas.

Characters

• Thomas
• Percy
• Toby
• Hiro
• Harold
• A Workman
• A Signalman
• The Postman (does not speak)
• Edward (cameo)
• Henry (cameo)
• Gordon (cameo)
• James (cameo)
• Duck (cameo)
• Emily (cameo)
• Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
• Henrietta (cameo)
• Slip Coaches (cameo)
• Jeremy (cameo)
• The Dock Manager (cameo)
• The Bird Watcher (cameo)
• The Blond-haired Boy (cameo)
• Albert's Wife (cameo)
• Father Christmas (mentioned)

Locations

• Island of Sodor
• Town Square
• Dryaw
• Dryaw FC
• Ffarquhar
• Tidmouth Sheds
• Sodor Suspension Bridge
• Brendam Docks
• Crosby Tunnel
• Vicarstown Bridge
• The Mainland
• Sodor Search and Rescue Centre (mentioned)
• Vicarstown (mentioned)

Cast

UK

• John Hasler as Thomas
• Nigel Pilkington as Percy
• Rob Rackstraw as Toby
• Keith Wickham as Harold and a signalman
• Togo Igawa as Hiro
• Kerry Shale as a workman

US

• Joseph May as Thomas
• Christopher Ragland as Percy
• William Hope as Toby
• Kerry Shale as Harold, a signalman and a workman
• Togo Igawa as Hiro

Trivia

• A recreated CGI flashback of the second season episode, Percy and Harold is used. This flashback is mostly based on Percy the Small Engine's illustrations, rather than the episode.
• This episode marks Jeremy's first appearance since the twelfth season episode, Excellent Emily. However, he is not a CGI model, but instead represented by an image of his TrackMaster toy.
• This currently marks Hiro's last speaking role to date.
• Going by production order, this is the second episode of the twentieth season.
• This episode is Jane Sobol's last episode as supervising producer.

Goofs

• Christopher Ragland is credited in the UK credits despite none of his characters speaking in that dub.

In Other Languages

Home Media Releases

UK/AUS

• Thomas' Christmas Carol (Direct-to-Home Video)

US

• Tinsel on the Tracks (Direct-to-Home Video)
• Season 20 (Digital Download)