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- “Thomas and Toby are old friends and now, Percy, you are my friend too!”
- ― Mrs. Kyndley
Thomas' Christmas Party (originally Thomas's Christmas Party) is the twenty-sixth episode of the first season. In the US, this episode first aired on Shining Time Station's Christmas special 'Tis A Gift in 1990 and aired on the last airing of Storytime with Thomas on FOX Family.
Plot
It is Christmas time and Thomas and Toby are very busy carrying people and parcels along the branch line. Despite Annie and Clarabel complaining that they are overloaded, Thomas retains his festive spirit.
Near his branch line is a little cottage. This is the home of an older woman named Mrs. Kyndley. Thomas always whistles "Happy Christmas!" to her and agrees that Christmas would not be the same without her.
At the sheds, all the engines have been polished but Thomas does not mind and tells them he wants to throw Mrs. Kyndley a party to thank her for saving him from a landslide the year before. When she was ill in bed, she waved her red dressing gown out the window to warn Thomas and the Fat Controller sent her to Bournemouth to get better as a reward.
All the engines agree that a party is a great idea and hope that the Fat Controller agrees as well. He does, but on the day of the party, there is a heavy snowfall, trapping Mrs. Kyndley in her house. Thomas bravely puts on his snowplough and sets off with Toby to rescue her and soon, they arrive at the cottage which is covered in snow. Thomas whistles to Mrs. Kyndley to tell her they have arrived when suddenly, Terence arrives with his snowplough to help clear a path from the cottage to the railway. Once everything is cleared away, Percy takes the workmen home and Terence stays behind to look after Mrs. Kyndley's cottage.
Thomas and Toby take her to the shed, where the party is supposed to be, but as they arrive home, they find the sheds in darkness. Suddenly, a switch is thrown and the sheds are covered in lights. The Fat Controller congratulates the two engines, everybody sings carols and Mrs. Kyndley says it is the best Christmas party ever.
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Annie and Clarabel
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Mrs. Kyndley
- Terence (speaks only in Japanese dub, does not speak in other dubs)
- Bertie (cameo)
- Henrietta (cameo)
- Farmer Finney (cameo)
Locations
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Tidmouth Goods Station
- Mrs. Kyndley's Cottage
- Hackenbeck Tunnel
- The Viaduct (deleted scene)
- Knapford (deleted scene)
- Bournemouth (mentioned)
Trivia
- This episode is based on the story of the same name, released alongside the series in 1984. It also features a flashback from the story Mrs. Kyndley's Christmas from The Railway Series book, Toby the Tram Engine, although that story was never adapted as an episode.
- Stock footage from Thomas' Train and Thomas, Terence and the Snow is used.
- The platform that the Fat Controller stands on is made out of LEGO bricks.
- The Christmas lights are real Christmas tree lights.
- The text in the end credits is red in the original version.
- When George Carlin provides the narration, Ringo Starr can be heard in the background when the engines sing at the end. Every foreign version, except the Spanish version, has this as well, meaning Ringo's singing is built into the soundtrack for some reason. The Spanish version lacks it as the instrumental was likely taken from Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree, where it is also heard.
- George Carlin's narration of this episode was never featured on an episode of Shining Time Station. It first appeared on Thomas' Christmas Party and Other Favorite Stories. It aired on television on the final airing of Storytime with Thomas in 2000.
- In the Japanese dub, Gordon says Percy's lines during Thomas' flashback.
- This is the last episode filmed at the Clapham Junction. All future episodes would be filmed at Shepperton Studios up until 2008.
- This is the last episode to have Thomas with his British Railways style brake pipe.
- This is the first Christmas themed episode.
- This is the last episode dubbed in Slovakian, as well as the last episode narrated by Dário de Castro until the eighth season.
- On its original broadcast, this episode was paired with Dirty Objects. However, early VHS releases have it paired with Down the Mine, as do Norwegian and Swedish broadcasts.
- In the US, this episode was the last story told by Ringo Starr on Shining Time Station not counting the second season episode, Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree, which was just a butchered edit of the original UK dub.
Goofs
- Clarabel is facing the wrong way in the opening shot.
- When Thomas has his snowplough fitted, blu-tak is on one of the workmen's legs.
- Throughout the episode, Toby keeps losing his brake van.
- In the George Carlin narration, when the engines whistle, only Thomas, Edward and Henry's whistles can be heard. In the Ringo Starr narration, Thomas, Edward and Henry's whistles are heard with the last part of James' whistle heard intact before the others.
- At the Christmas party, Henry is in his old shape.
- In the Sprout Channel broadcast, around the time the engines save Mrs. Kyndley and the time Thomas gets back to the sheds, the narration is dramatically out of sync.
- In a deleted scene, Thomas' eyes are wonky.
- When The Fat Controller stands on the platform, some blu-tack can be seen under his feet.
- At the beginning when Thomas whistles "Happy Christmas" to Mrs. Kyndley, Clarabel is the front coach and facing forwards.
- When the engines sing Merry Christmas in the George Carlin version and foreign versions, Ringo Starr can be heard in the background.
- Sir Topham Hatt is standing on a platform made out of Legos.
Merchandise
- Books - Thomas's Christmas Party
- Buzz Books - Thomas's Christmas Party
- Ladybird Books - Thomas's Christmas Party
- Magazine Stories - Thomas's Christmas Party
In Other Languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | La Fiesta Navideña De Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Norwegian | Juleselskapet til Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Welsh | Parti Nadolig Tomos | Thomas's Christmas Party |
| German | Die Weihnachtsfeier | The Christmas Party |
| French | La Noël de Thomas | Thomas' Christmas |
| Brazilian Portuguese | A Festa de Natal de Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Japanese | トーマスのクリスマス・パーティー | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Hungarian | Thomas Karácsonyi Partija | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Dutch | Thomas' kerstfeest | Thomas' Christmas |
| Croatian | Tomičina božićna zabava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Danish | Thomas holder julefest | Thomas Holds a Christmas Party |
| Russian | Рождественская вечеринка Томаса | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Ukrainian | Томас святкує Різдво | Thomas Celebrates Christmas |
| Czech | Tomášův vánoční večírek | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Italian | La Festa di Natale di Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Slovenian | Tomaževa božična zabava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Finnish | Tuomas-Veturin Joulujuhlat | Thomas the Tank Engine's Christmas Party |
| Chinese | 托马斯的圣诞聚会 | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Korean | 토마스와 크리스마스 파티 | Thomas and the Christmas Party |
| Romanian | Petrecerea de Crăcuin a lui Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Polish | Świąteczne Przyjęcie Tomka | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Slovak | Thomasova vianočná oslava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Swedish | Thomas och Julfesten | Thomas and the Christmas Party |
| Serbian | Tomasova božićna zabava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
| Thai | โธมัสฉลองคริสมาส | Thomas Celebrates Christmas |
Home Media Releases
Episode
| #01 Thomas and Gordon | #10 James and the Express | #19 The Flying Kipper |
| #02 Edward and Gordon | #11 Thomas and the Guard | #20 Whistles and Sneezes |
| #03 The Sad Story of Henry | #12 Thomas Goes Fishing | #21 Toby and the Stout Gentleman |
| #04 Edward, Gordon and Henry | #13 Thomas, Terence and the Snow | #22 Thomas in Trouble |
| #05 Thomas' Train | #14 Thomas and Bertie | #23 Dirty Objects |
| #06 Thomas and the Trucks | #15 Tenders and Turntables | #24 Off the Rails |
| #07 Thomas and the Breakdown Train | #16 Trouble in the Shed | #25 Down the Mine |
| #08 James and the Coaches | #17 Percy Runs Away | #26 Thomas' Christmas Party |
| #09 Troublesome Trucks | #18 Coal | |