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- “Well done, Thomas! That was fun, but to beat you over that hill, I should have to grow wings and be an aeroplane!”
- ― Bertie
Thomas and Bertie, retitled Thomas and Bertie's Great Race in American releases, is the fourteenth episode of the first season. In the US, it aired on the Shining Time Station episodes Agree to Disagree in 1989 and Field Day in 1991.
Plot
Thomas is waiting at a junction when a bus drives up alongside him. The bus introduces himself as Bertie, who remembers Thomas from the time he took his passengers home after Thomas crashed into a snowdrift, and tells Thomas that he has come to help his passengers today. Thomas claims that he can go faster than Bertie. Bertie then challenges Thomas to a race. The drivers agree to the race, and Thomas and Bertie begin their race.
Bertie draws in front at the beginning of the race, until he reaches the level crossing, where Thomas passes him and takes the lead in the race, and after that, the road leaves the railway, and Thomas stops at the next station to collect passengers. He tells them to get in quickly, and as he starts off again, he seeing Bertie zooming over the bridge and taking the lead. Thomas tries to catch up, but he has to stop at the next station. Thomas now feels sure that he will lose the race, but he feels better after a drink and starts off once more.
Thomas manages to catch up to Bertie and takes the lead as he passes Bertie at the tunnel and makes it to the last station, winning the race. Everyone celebrates Thomas' victory, but they give Bertie a big cheer too. Bertie congratulates Thomas and tells him that to beat him over that hill, he would have to grow wings and be an airplane.
The two friends often talk about their race, but Bertie's passengers do not like to be bounced like peas in a frying pan, and The Fat Controller warns Thomas not to race at dangerous speeds. Although it doesn't seem likely the two will ever race again, secretly Thomas and Bertie would like to again some day.
Characters
- Thomas
- Bertie
- Annie and Clarabel
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- The Storyteller (cameo)
- Terence (mentioned)
- Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)
Locations
- Elsbridge
- Ffarquhar
- Dryaw
- River Els
- The Windmill
- Hackenbeck Tunnel
- The Bus Yard
- Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
- Lower Arlesburgh
Trivia
- This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Tank Engine Thomas Again.
- Stock footage from Thomas and Gordon and Thomas and the Guard is used.
- A reference to Thomas, Terence and the Snow is made in this episode.
- The shot of Thomas passing the windmill, was featured in the show's original opening.
- The Korean name of Better Late Than Never is the same as the original UK title of this episode: Thomas and Bertie.
Goofs
- Thomas has Percy's tired face mask on when he puffs into Elsbridge.
- The plane seen as Thomas leaves Dryaw has a clear disc for its propeller.
- The narrator says "...the road left the railway...", but there is a road right next to Thomas.
- At one point, Thomas is on Toby's old tramway.
- Annie and Clarabel keep changing position throughout the race.
- When Thomas and Bertie start their race, a camera's shadow can be seen.
- In the restored version, studio equipment can be seen when Thomas pulls into Ffarquhar after the race.
- The narrator says Bertie was fuming at the gates, but Bertie looks happy.
- Because stock footage is used, sometimes Annie and Clarabel are not behind Thomas.
- When Thomas meets Bertie at the beginning the end of the set is visible on the far left.
Merchandise
- Wooden Railway - Thomas and Bertie Story Pack, Lets Have a Race set and 65th Anniversary Thomas and Bertie Story Pack
- Motor Road and Rail - The Big Race set and Thomas and Bertie set (discontinued)
- Hornby - Thomas and Bertie Set
- Take Along - Let's Have a Race Set (discontinued)
- Books - The Great Race
- Buzz Books - Thomas and Bertie
- Board Books - Thomas and Bertie
- Magazine Stories - Thomas and Bertie!/Thomas and Bertie
- Ladybird Books - Thomas and Bertie and Thomas Down the Mine
- My First Thomas Books - Thomas and Bertie
- My Thomas Story Library - Bertie (discontinued)
In Other Languages
Language | Name | Meaning |
---|---|---|
Norwegian | Thomas og Bertie | Thomas and Bertie |
Welsh | Tomos a Berti | Thomas and Bertie |
Spanish | Thomas y Bertie / La Gran Carrera De Thomas y Bertie | Thomas and Bertie / Thomas & Bertie's Great Race |
Italian | Il Trenino e la Corriera | The Train and the Bus |
German | Bertie, der Bus | Bertie the Bus |
Japanese | トーマスとバーティーのきょうそう | Thomas and Bertie's Race |
Brazilian Portuguese | A Corrida | The Race |
French | Thomas et Bertrand | Thomas and Bertie |
Danish | Thomas og Bertie | Thomas and Bertie |
Dutch | Thomas en Bertie | Thomas and Bertie |
Hebrew | תומס וברטי | Thomas and Bertie |
Hungarian | Thomas és Bertie | Thomas and Bertie |
Slovenian | Tomaž in Berti | Thomas and Bertie |
Chinese | 托马斯和柏蒂巴士 | Thomas and Bertie the Bus |
Russian | Томас и Бэрти | Thomas and Bertie |
Ukrainian | Томас і Берті | Thomas and Bertie |
Swedish | Thomas och Bertie | Thomas and Bertie |
Croatian | Tomica i Bero | Thomas and Bertie |
Finnish | Tuomas-Veturi ja Lassi | Thomas the Tank Engine and Bertie |
Korean | 토마스와 버티의 경주 | Thomas and Bertie's Race |
Czech | Tomáš a Berty | Thomas and Bertie |
Romanian | Thomas şi Bertie | Thomas and Bertie |
Slovak | Thomas a Bertie | Thomas and Bertie |
Polish | Tomek i Bercia | Thomas and Bertie |
Serbian | Tomas i Berti | Thomas and Bertie |
Greek | Ο Τόμας και Ο Μπερτι | Thomas and Bertie |
Thai | โธมัสวิ่งแข่ง | Thomas' Race |