Three Cheers for Thomas

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“Three cheers for Thomas, the number one engine!"<br:/>"But I still won the race!”

― The children and Bertie cheering for Thomas

Three Cheers for Thomas, retitled Hooray for Thomas in some American releases, is the twenty-sixth episode of the seventh season.

Plot

Thomas has to take some children to their annual sports day. When they arrive, a boy tells Thomas that he hopes he is number one and wins a medal. Thomas agrees it is magnificent to win a medal and later imagines himself with a medal around his boiler.

Later, Thomas and Bertie are at the sheds, when Percy arrives. He tells the two he is taking Sir Topham Hatt to the venue. Thomas tells him he can see the egg and spoon race there, where children race with eggs on spoons. The winner of the race gets a medal. Thomas tells Percy and Bertie he wishes he could have a medal and Percy tells him he would have to win a race. Bertie challenges Thomas to a race to the next station. Thomas accepts the challenge and the race begins.

Bertie edges in front at first, but manages to get stuck behind a slowing Trevor and Thomas takes the lead. However, he does not keep the lead for long, as he has to stop to pick up passengers. Bertie regains the lead as he rumbles over the bridge. Then, Bertie has to stop at a level crossing and Thomas takes the lead once more.

Thomas is almost at the station when he spots a signalman with a red flag in his hand and Sir Topham Hatt. Sir Topham explains that the medals were left in his office and asks Thomas to retrieve them. Thomas, no longer caring about the race, puffs away to retrieve the medals.

Down the line, Bertie arrives at the station having won the race. Bertie waits keenly for Thomas, but he never comes. Thomas is steaming back for the medals. He arrives at Knapford, where the stationmaster gives Thomas' driver the medals. Thomas arrives at the venue, with the medals, just in time for the medals to be handed out.

The next day, Thomas is at Maithwaite station when Sir Topham Hatt and Bertie arrive with a surprise for Thomas. A boy gives Thomas his own medal and wraps it around his funnel. Sir Topham Hatt and the boy express their gratitude for Thomas' hard work during sports day and they thought Thomas deserved a medal all for himself. Thomas thanks them for the medal and all the children give him three cheers.

Characters

Thomas
Percy
Bertie
Harold
Sir Topham Hatt
Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
Trevor (cameo)
Butch (cameo)
Tiger Moth (cameo)
Stephen Hatt (cameo)
Bridget Hatt (cameo)
Jem Cole (cameo)
Farmer Trotter (cameo)
Nancy (cameo)
Miss Jenny (cameo)
The Storyteller (cameo)
James (stock footage cameo)
Harvey (deleted scene)

Locations

Trivia

Going by production order, this is the second episode of the seventh season.
Stock footage from Make Someone Happy, James and the Red Balloon, Percy Gets it Right, James and the Queen of Sodor and Bulgy Rides Again is used, as well as mirrored stock footage from It's Only Snow.
A London, Midland and Scottish Railway poster is seen at Maithwaite.
The majority of the footage of Thomas puffing along seems sped up, even after the race.
An instrumental version of Let's Have a Race can be heard during Thomas and Bertie's race in the UK and international versions.
This is the first episode where Bertie's eyes move.
This was the last episode of several things:
- The last episode of the classic series.
- The last episode narrated by Håkan Mohede in Sweden and Tommy Kenter in Denmark, the last episode narrated by Alexandru Rusu in Romania until the tenth season and the last episode until the thirteenth season narrated in Welsh.
- The last episode directed by David Mitton.
- The last regular episode produced by Phil Fehrle (he would return to produce the mini-series Jack and the Sodor Construction Company).
- The last to have music composed by Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell in the UK.
- The final episode to have the classic series opening scene in the UK.
- The final episode to use the shot of Thomas in Tidmouth Yard for the end credits in the UK.
- The last with Peter Urie as executive producer.
- Britt Allcroft's final episode as creative consultant and the final episode to have her involved in production.
- The last episode to be four minutes and thirty seconds long.
- The last episode in which a Thomas and Friends music video is heard instrumentally until the nineteenth season episode, Philip to the Rescue.
This marks the second time Thomas and Bertie have a race since the first season episode Thomas and Bertie.
A shortened version of this episode was made into a picture-read story for the passport in the My Journey with Thomas the Tank Engine book, titled Thomas and the Race.
It is likely the ending of this episode was filmed around the same time as A Visit from Thomas, as Miss Jenny can be seen waving on the platform.
When Thomas is flagged down, he is cross; in a deleted scene, he is worried.

Goofs

After Thomas stops to pick up passengers, his siderods change position.
In the rear shot of Trevor, the left wheels of his cart are not moving.
As Thomas races through Dryaw, a strange white object (presumably a film glitch) is seen as he goes off screen.
When all the children surround Bertie, his right eye is wonky.
Thomas is racing Bertie to the station where Sports Day is being held, but for some reason Bertie races to Wellsworth instead.
In the episode, there is a water tower right next to the shed that Thomas, Percy and Bertie were at, but in a deleted scene with Harvey, the tower has moved up and moved to the other side of the tracks.
In Michael Angelis' remastered narration, when Thomas is given his medal, Percy's whistle sound is heard, but he is nowhere to be seen.
Because stock footage is used, a close-up of Sir Topham Hatt is at Maithwaite.

Merchandise

Magazine Stories - Bertie and the Race
Books - A Hooray for Thomas! (Brazil only)

In Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	トーマスだけのメダル	A Medal Only for Thomas
Danish	Hip hurra for Thomas	Hip Hooray for Thomas
Welsh	Hip Hip Hwre i Tomos	Hip Hip Hooray for Thomas
Hungarian	Thomas érmet kap	Thomas Gets a Medal
Italian	Urrà per Thomas	Hooray for Thomas
Swedish	Hurra för Thomas	Hooray for Thomas
Russian	Да здравствует Томас	Long Live Thomas
Romanian	Trei Urale pentru Thomas	Three Cheers for Thomas
Slovak	Tri medaile pre Thomasa	Three Medals for Thomas
Chinese	托马斯万岁	Thomas Hooray
Korean	금메달을 받은 토마스	Thomas Received a Gold Medal
Polish	Potrójne Brawa dla Tomka	Triple Applause for Thomas
Thai	โธมัสได้เหรียญพิเศษงานแข่งกีฬา	Thomas Has a Special Medal for Sporting Events