- “Oliver's no use at all; thinks he's very clever.
Says that he can manage us; that's the best joke ever!
When he orders us about with the greatest folly,
We just push him down the well... Pop goes old Ollie!” - ― S.C. Ruffey and the trucks singing
Toad Stands By is the twentieth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Oliver the Western Engine.
Plot
Oliver returns from the works after an earlier accident when some trucks pushed him into a turntable well. Now, he is as good as new but is still worried about trucks, thinking that he would rather not use them. The trucks, prompted by their ringleader, S.C. Ruffey, sing a rude song to spite him. Thomas, Percy and Duck are shocked and angrily order them to be quiet but they cannot be everywhere at once and the trucks continue singing whenever and wherever the engines are not around.
Toad, feeling sorry for Oliver and worried about the trucks' disrespect for the engines, asks Douglas if he may stay in the yard to help Oliver, to which Douglas agrees. Then, Toad explains his plan to Oliver who feels that the trucks' behaviour is his own fault. He also agrees to follow Toad's plan, in spite of Duck's hesitation to agree. Oliver's driver arranges it with the stationmaster and the plan is soon set in motion.
Following Toad's advice, Oliver marshals the worst trucks two by two and handles S.C. Ruffey last, which leaves S.C. Ruffey closest to himself. Once he is shunted in front of the other trucks, S.C. Ruffey whispers to them to hold back and pass the word around, which they do. Oliver, however, gets a good grip due to sand on the rails and gives a great heave. With Oliver pulling S.C. Ruffey forward and all of the other trucks pulling back, S.C. Ruffey is stretched in two opposite directions and begins to feel very strained. Within a short time, he is stretched to his limit and breaks apart, much to the horror of the other trucks and to the delight of Oliver, Toad and Duck.
The Fat Controller arrives and asks Oliver if he doesn't know his own strength. He, then, inspects S.C. Ruffey's remains, attributing the truck's broken state to rotten wood and rusty frames and decides to have him rebuilt. The other trucks become fearful of Oliver and whisper to each other not to anger him as they fear he will pull them apart. S.C. Ruffey, on the other hand, after having been rebuilt, has learned his lesson and says nothing at all.
Characters
- Thomas
- Percy
- Duck
- Douglas
- Oliver
- Troublesome Trucks
- Troublesome Vans
- Toad
- Troublesome Tankers
- S. C. Ruffey
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Henry (cameo)
- James (cameo)
- Gordon (scrapped model cameo)
- Donald (scrapped model cameo)
- Märklin Engine (scrapped model cameo)
Locations
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the twenty-third episode of the fourth series.
- Despite its placement in the fourth series, this episode picks up right where the third series episode Oliver Owns Up leaves off as it did in the Railway Series. Stock footage from said episode is used, as a flashback to that episode is seen at the beginning of this episode as well.
- This episode marks the fifth time where Douglas appears without Donald; the first being in the third series episode Escape and the others being in the previous fourth series episodes Four Little Engines, Rusty to the Rescue and Thomas and Stepney. This is also the last episode that Douglas has had a speaking role without Donald.
- At the beginning of the episode, the scrapyard Oliver passes is really the Skarloey Engine Sheds set redressed with scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, the Märklin Engine and one of the Scottish twins.
- This episode marks the first occurrences of a few things:
- This is the first time tankers have faces. The faces are the same ones used on the Skarloey Railway's slate trucks.
- This is the first episode to feature LNER 12 Ton Vans with faces.
- Toad's first speaking and leading roles in the television series.
- The first episode the trucks are called "Troublesome Trucks", although only in the UK dub. It would not be until the sixth series episode The World's Strongest Engine until it was said in the US dub. However, in the fifth series episode Rusty and the Boulder, the British term "trucks" was first used in the US dub.
- This episode marks Oliver and Toad's only speaking roles in the fourth series.
- The song the trucks sing when Oliver arrives at the yard has the same tune as Pop Goes the Diesel.
- This is the first appearance of Toad's worried and laughing faces from the third series.
- In the UK dub and the Ukrainian voice-over, the voice clip of Oliver saying "It's really my fault," when speaking to Thomas, Percy and Duck is reused when he tells Duck that Toad's plan should be carried out.
- The loud crashing sound effect heard when S.C. Ruffey falls apart would be reused in several other episodes, notably in the fifth series episode Rusty and the Boulder, up until the episode Mountain Marvel.
- A scrap piece of the Goods engine and the steel company from Tugs can be spotted.
- Starting from this episode, two of the engines’ whistles have changed:
- From the ending scene until Thomas and the Special Letter, Douglas' whistle sound is Thomas' but a seventh lower in pitch and it would later be reused for Donald in the mobile game app, Read and Play!, and Fun Cubes only.
- Oliver's whistle sound is Duck's but a tone lower in pitch.
- Not counting the mention in Duncan Gets Spooked, this episode marks the last appearance of Crovan's Gate Yards.
Goofs
- In a deleted shot of the trucks singing, one of the trucks has lost its left buffer.
- Before the trucks start singing, there are two trucks in-between Duck and Thomas. However when the trucks stop singing and are told to be quiet, they disappear.
- When the line "with the greatest folly" is said, an insect can be seen on one of the trucks' face.
- When the trucks are singing, a spider can be seen crawling on a van before the close-up of Duck, his face is tilted a bit and the van next to him also has a scratched eye.
- When Oliver stops after going in between two rows of trucks, in one shot he is stopped just before two vans on either side. But, then, in the next shot, he is between the two vans on either side.
- When Oliver says "It's really my fault. I shouldn't have fallen in the turntable well," Henry's trucks wobble and, then, derail.
- Douglas has Duck's whistle sound when he agrees to Toad's plan. At the end of the episode, Douglas has a different whistle sound starting from this episode throughout the rest of the series.
- In the close-up shots of Oliver when he is talking to Duck and Toad, plastic bases can be seen under his driver and fireman's feet.
- When Oliver starts pulling the trucks, S.C. Ruffey is right next to Toad. But in the head-on shot of him groaning, he is several meters ahead of Toad.
- During the head-on shots of S.C. Ruffey when Oliver attempts to pull the trucks, the number of chain links on his coupling doubles.
- The Fat Controller is missing his eyebrows when he speaks to Oliver and S.C. Ruffey.
- In the US dub, when Oliver says "N-n-no, sir," George Carlin accidentally says "said" twice.
- When the Fat Controller goes to inspect S.C. Ruffey, the coal load in Oliver's bunker is not correctly fitted.
- In the German dub, Toad refers to himself as a Great Western engine.
- A chunk of Percy's face is missing when the narrator said, "At last the engines gave up."
- Some of the trucks have very misaligned eyes, or titled faces.
- Oliver's right lamp iron (viewers' left) is crooked.
- Duck suddenly gains a lamp about halfway into the episode.
- In the close up of a tanker laughing after S.C. Ruffey tells them to hold back, his eyebrows are fading away.
- A cattle truck has a damaged roof.
Quotes
- S.C. Ruffey and the trucks: [singing]
- Oliver's no use at all; thinks he's very clever.
- Says that he can manage us; that's the best joke ever!
- When he orders us about with the greatest folly,
- We just push him down the well... Pop goes old Ollie!
- Narrator: Thomas, Duck and Percy were shocked.
- Thomas, Duck and Percy: BE QUIET!
- Narrator: But they couldn't be everywhere and everywhere they weren't, the trucks began again.
- S.C. Ruffey and the trucks: [singing again]
- Oliver's no use at all, thinks he's very clever.
- Says that he can manage us, that's the best joke ever! [all giggle]
- Narrator: At last the engines gave up.
- Thomas, Duck and Percy: We're sorry, Oliver.
- Oliver: It's really my fault. I shouldn't have fallen into the turntable well.
- Narrator: Toad the Brake Van felt sorry for Oliver too.
- Toad: I'm worried, Mr. Douglas. This disrespect for engines, where's it going to end?
- Douglas: Who knows?
- Toad: I've got a plan, Mr. Douglas. May I stay here today and help Mr. Oliver? We're both Great Western and must stand together.
- Douglas: Of course, Toad.
- Duck: Goodness gracious, Toad. I don't think you should suggest such a thing to Oliver.
- Oliver: No, Duck, Toad's right. It's really my fault. I must put this trouble right.
- Toad: I meant no disrespect, you understand.
- Oliver: Of course not, Toad. Anyway, Driver says the same and he's arranged it with the Stationmaster.
- Duck: Very well, Oliver. But I must hurry. My passengers'll be waiting. Good luck.
- Oliver: So long.
- Narrator: Oliver marshalled the worst trucks two by two.
- Toad: [seeing Oliver shunting trucks] That's the way, Mr. Oliver, and if you leave that S.C. Ruffey till last, you'll have him behind you. Then, you can bump him if he starts his nonsense.
- [Oliver shunts S. C. Ruffey]
- S.C. Ruffey: Hold back, hold back! And pass the word to the others.
- Narrator: The silly trucks giggled. But Oliver knew what to do. There was plenty of sand on the rails and his wheels gripped splendidly. He gave a great heave.
- S.C. Ruffey: Ooer! I don't like this!
- Duck: Go it! Well done, boy, well done!
- S.C. Ruffey: OHH! OOOOOHH! I'm coming apart! [breaks into pieces]
- Narrator: And he did. Then, there was trouble.
- The Fat Controller: Well, Oliver, so you don't know your own strength! Is that it?
- Oliver: (stuttering) N-n-no, Sir.
- Narrator: The Fat Controller inspected S.C. Ruffey.
- The Fat Controller: As I thought. Rotten wood, rusty frames. Maybe if we put you back together, you'll earn yourself a better name.
- Trucks: Take care with Mr. Oliver. If you play tricks on him, you'll never be the same truck again!
- Narrator: S.C. Ruffey has learned his lesson and says nothing at all.
In Other Languages
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Reference
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#02 Sleeping Beauty | #11 Special Funnel | #20 Toad Stands By |
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#04 You Can't Win | #13 Passengers and Polish | #22 Thomas and the Special Letter |
#05 Four Little Engines | #14 Gallant Old Engine | #23 Paint Pots and Queens |
#06 A Bad Day for Sir Handel | #15 Rusty to the Rescue | #24 Fish |
#07 Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady | #16 Thomas and Stepney | #25 Special Attraction |
#08 Trucks | #17 Train Stops Play | #26 Mind that Bike |
#09 Home at Last | #18 Bowled Out | |