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“Well, we've both had some seaside surprises today but driver says that I'm a 'Special Attraction' anyway and so are you every time we go on our own line."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, all we have to do is smile and blow whistles at everyone!”
― Toby and Percy

Special Attraction is the twenty-fifth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the stories Toby's Seaside Holiday and Bulstrode from the Railway Series book Toby, Trucks and Trouble.

Plot

One day, Toby the Tram Engine, wearing a shiny new bell, is sent to a seaside village to be the "Special Attraction" in the parade they hold every year. Toby asks his driver what a "Special Attraction" does and his driver replies that he "smiles and blows whistles at everyone." Later, when he arrives at the seaside station, his driver learns from a man on the platform that there is no room for Toby in the parade.

After Toby sadly returns to the junction, Percy pulls in and sees how upset he is. Before Toby can tell him why, the Fat Controller tells Percy to take care of an emergency at the harbour. Percy's driver says that it will be trouble with Bulstrode, a disagreeable barge who never stops complaining.

At the harbour, Bulstrode and the trucks are arguing about who is in the wrong place. When Percy arrives, the trucks ask to be shunted into a siding so that Bulstrode can be loaded with their stone and can leave, which Percy agrees to do. But, while pushing five loaded stone trucks, Percy accidentally pushes the trucks through a set of buffers and sends them toppling off the high wharf and into Bulstrode's hull, which nearly sinks him, much to the other trucks' amusement. After the mess is cleaned up, Percy watches as a disgraced Bulstrode is towed to a nearby beach. The workmen leave him there, telling him that he can stay for children to play in all day and, at last, he will be useful.

When Percy returns, Toby has been able to get over his own disappointment when both he and Percy exchange their news. He tells Percy that his driver says that both of them are "Special Attractions" wherever they go. After all, a "Special Attraction" simply has to smile and blow whistles at everyone.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

Goofs

  • Studio equipment can be seen when Toby puffs through the seaside.
  • Before Percy's driver takes him down to the Docks, he has dark brown hair. But, as Percy puffs away, his driver has a different facial feature and a light brown hair colour.
  • When the troublesome trucks say "There's no engine and we can only go where we're put! You're in the wrong place, not us!" one has misangled eyes and another truck's face is loose.
  • When Percy's trucks land in Bulstrode's hull, Percy's wheels derail and he is crooked on his chassis.
  • The buffers Percy destroys are placed quite a distance ahead of where the track actually ends. As a result, the first truck derails after running over the remains of the buffers.
  • In a close-up of Toby at the seaside, his left window (viewer's right) appears to be burnt.
  • In the close-up of the trucks' wheels when they wail "Help! Help!" the track bounces slightly.
  • When Percy reverses with the trucks, they are facing him but when he is lining them up, they are facing away from him.
  • When Percy whistles just before buffering up to the trucks, a fast puffing noise can be heard.

Quotes

Driver: Well, if that doesn't take the biscuit! They've run out of room in the parade and don't need a special attraction after all. We've got to go home, Toby. I'm sorry, old boy.
Toby: So am I.

Bulstrode: C'mon, c'mon! Why aren't you trucks where you should be?
Trucks: There's no engine and we can only go where we're put! You're in the wrong place, not us!

Bulstrode: Oooof! I'm sinking!
Trucks: Serves you right! You were always barging in and moaning!

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Albanian Tërheqja speciale
Chinese Mandarin 特殊的吸引力
Czech Velká atrakce
Danish Særlig seværdighed
Dutch Speciale attractie
Finnish Vetonaula
German Die Hauptattraktion
Greek Ένα μοναδικό θέαμα
Hungarian Különleges attrakció
Italian Attrazione speciale
Japanese ちょっとしたみもの
Korean 토비와 퍼시의 하루
Latin American Spanish La atracción del desfile
Norwegian En spesiell attraksjon
Polish Nadzwyczajna atrakcja (TVP3)
Specjalna atrakcja (JimJam)
Romanian Atracţia specială
Russian Специальный аттракцион
Slovenian Posebna zanimivost
Swedish Särskild sevärdhet
Ukrainian Особлива приваба
Welsh Rhwybeth Arbennig

Merchandise

Home Video Releases

UK

UK DVD Boxset

WAL

US

CAN

  • The Gallant Old Engine and Other Thomas Stories/Henry and the Elephant (Direct-to-VHS)

AUS

AUS DVD Packs

NZ

  • Thomas and Stepney and Other Stories

ZA

MYS

PHL

ITA

NL

GER

NOR

DK

SWE

SVN

GRC

GRC DVD Boxset

THA

JPN

KOR

HK

TWN

Episode

Reference



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