Toad Stands By

“Well Oliver, so you don't know your own strength, is that it?"
"N-N-No, sir.”

― The Fat Controller and Oliver

Toad Stands By is the twentieth episode of the fourth season. It first aired in the US on the Shining Time Station special One of the Family in 1995 and re-aired in the Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales episode, Wildlife in 1996.

Plot

When Oliver returns from the Works, the trucks, prompted by their ringleader, S. C. Ruffey, sing a rude song to spite him, and refuse to stop even when threatened by Thomas, Percy and Duck. Toad, fearing that the matter may escalate, asks Douglas to speak with Oliver and gives him an idea. Oliver, feeling a sense of responsibility after what the trucks did to him previously, agrees with Toad. Following Toad's advice, Oliver handles the worst trucks two by two so he can handle S. C. Ruffey last. Oliver soon shunts S. C. Ruffey and his lieutenants and prepares to pull them, but S. C. Ruffey whispers to the trucks to hold back, and they do. Oliver, however, is determined and simply pulls S. C. Ruffey apart, much to the horror of the other trucks. When the Fat Controller scrutinizes the remains, he attributes it to S. C. Ruffey's poor build and decides to have him repaired. After the incident, the trucks become fearful of Oliver and whisper to each other not to anger him. S. C. Ruffey, who was repaired, wisely keeps his mouth shut.

Characters

Thomas
Percy
Duck
Douglas
Oliver
Toad
S. C. Ruffey
Sir Topham Hatt
Henry (cameo)
James (cameo)

Locations

Trivia

Going by production order, this is the twenty-third episode of the fourth season.
This is S. C. Ruffey's only speaking role in the series.
This episode is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book, Oliver the Western Engine.
Stock footage from Oliver Owns Up is used.
At the beginning of the episode, the scrapyard Oliver passes is really the Crovan's Gate set redressed with scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, Donald, and Douglas.
In the American narration, Oliver no longer has a Brooklyn accent.
This was the first and only time in the television series that the tanker trucks have faces. The faces are the same ones used on the Skarloey Railway's slate trucks.
This episode is a continuation of Oliver Owns Up from the previous season.

Goofs

In a close-up of the trucks singing, one truck has a broken buffer.
Before the trucks start singing, there are two trucks behind Duck and in front of Thomas. However when the trucks stop singing and are told to be quiet, they disappear.
When Oliver stops after going in between two rows of trucks, in one shot he is stopped just before two vans on either side, then in the next shot he is between the two vans.
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.
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 metres ahead of Toad.
When S. C. Ruffey collapses, his axles are gone.
In the American narration, George Carlin accidentally says "'N-n-no, sir,' said said Oliver nervously", saying "said" twice.
S. C. Ruffey, at the end of the episode, has two chains on his hook.
James and Oliver have different whistle sounds.
In the Japanese and Italian narrations, the trucks' voices are still in English.

In Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Norwegian	Stol på Toad	Trust Toad
Swedish	Padda hjälper ut	Toad Helps Out
Japanese	トードのめいあん	Toad's Good Idea
Spanish	El Plan de Toad	Toad's Plan
Italian	Il Piano di Toad	Toad's Plan
German	Toad's Plan	Toad's Plan
Hungarian	Toad Segít	Toad Helps
Finnish	Tomi-Jarruvaunun Neuvo	Toad-Brake Wagon Advice
Russian	Поддержка Тоуда	Support Toad
Ukrainian	Тоуд пiдтримує	Toad Supports
Czech	Toad přihlíží	Toad Stands By
Dutch	Paddie helpt	Toad helps
Slovenian	Žabec predlaga načrt za maščevanje	Toad Proposes a Plan for Revenge
Greek	Ο Τοντ βοηθάει τον Όλιβερ	Toad Helps Oliver
Romanian	Toad Dă un Sfat	Toad Gives Counsel
Slovak	Toad chce stáť	Toad Wants to Become
Polish	Pomysł Anatola	The Idea Toad
Chinese	陶德准备行动	Toad Ready for Action