Toby & the Stout Gentleman

This article is about 'the episode'. You may be looking for 'the steam tram, the Buzz Book, the Story Library book, the Engine Adventures book, the song, the 1988 magazine story or the 1998 magazine story'.

“Electric indeed! Electric indeed!”

― Toby

Toby and the Stout Gentleman, retitled Toby the Tram Engine in American releases, is the twenty-first episode of the first season. In the US, this episode aired on the Shining Time Station episodes Ring in the Old in 1989 and How the Station Got Its Name in 1993.

Plot

Toby is a tram engine, who lives and works on his own little railway. He has cowcatchers and sideplates to help prevent accidents, causing him to look quite unlike a steam engine. He has his own coach called Henrietta, who always rides along with him. Sadly, Toby and Henrietta have both seen better days since the amount of passengers and trucks they take have been reducing due to the increase of roads. The passengers would rather travel by bus, while companies send their cargo by lorry.

One day a stout gentleman, his wife and two grandchildren visit the railway while on holiday. The two children note that Toby looks unusual for an engine and the gentleman tells them that he is a tram engine. After accidentally offending Toby by thinking he was electric, the two children want a ride. The gentleman agrees and the whole family take a ride in Henrietta, who could not be happier to have passengers again.

Afterwards, the gentleman speaks to Toby and thanks him for a lovely journey. Toby notes to himself that the gentleman knows how to speak to engines. The family returns everyday for two weeks of their holiday, sometimes riding with the guard, or sometimes inside empty trucks. On the last day, they ride with Toby's crew in his cab.

Everyone is sorry when the family has to leave and Toby asks them to come back some day; the family promises. As the months pass, Toby finds himself carrying even fewer passengers and goods. Soon the inevitable happens and Toby's controller decides to shut the line down, much to Toby's grief.

Later that day, a lot of people come for the chance at a last ride on Toby's line and fill up Henrietta. Although the passengers treat the occasion like a celebration, Toby and his driver know it is anything but. Afterwards, the passengers wish Toby a sad goodbye and he returns to his shed, then falls asleep feeling lonely and unwanted.

The next morning, Toby is woken by his excited crew, who has just received some very good news; an important letter from the stout gentleman.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

This episode is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book, Toby the Tram Engine.
In the restored version, the footage sometimes overlaps.
A foreshadow to Thomas in Trouble is made.
In the Ukrainian dub, the English credits are used instead of the Ukrainian ones.
In a deleted scene and some behind the scenes footage, there is a turntable in front of Toby's shed. However, there is no turntable in the episode itself.
This is the only time until the nineteenth season episode Henry Spots Trouble that Stephen and Bridget Hatt are referred to by name.
When George Carlin's narration aired on Shining Time Station, the first shot was skipped.

Goofs

When the passengers say, "We are sorry your line is closing down," Toby's cowcatcher is slanted.
In the restored version, Toby's bell is silver rather than gold in close-ups.
A small piece of blu-tak can be seen on the Fat Controller's shoes when Toby first meets him at Lower Arlesburgh.
In the second to fourth close-ups of the Fat Controller, the camera shakes slightly.
In the Welsh translated version, a few bits of footage were removed, such as Toby leaving the station on his last day and when Toby goes to his shed.
In the opening scene, studio equipment can be visible in the top left corner.

Merchandise

In Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
German	Toby und der elegante Herr	Toby and the Elegant Man
Spanish	Toby y el Caballero Corpulento / Toby el Tranvía	Toby and the Stout Knight / Toby the Tram
Dutch	Toby en de Dikke Meneer	Toby and the Big Sir
Norwegian	Toby og den fyldige herren	Toby and the Stout Gentleman
Welsh	Tobi a'r Dyn Tew	Toby and the Fat Man
Croatian	Bruno i krupni gospodin	Toby and the Portly Gentleman
Japanese	トビーとハットきょう	Toby and Sir Topham Hatt
French	Toby et le gros monsieur	Toby and the Stout Gentleman
Danish	Toby og den fine herre	Toby and the Fine Gentleman
Hebrew	טובי ואדון גדול גוף	Toby and Sir Big Bodied
Finnish	Topi ja Tanakka Herrasmies	Toby and the Stout Gentleman
Russian	Тоби и толстый джентльмен	Toby and the Stout Gentleman
Ukrainian	Тобі і огрядний джентльмен	Toby and the Burly Gentleman
Hungarian	Toby és a zömök úriember	Toby and the Stout Gentleman
Czech	Toby a tlustý pán	Toby and the Fat Man
Italian	Una Strana Locomotiva	A Strange Locomotive
Chinese	托比和胖绅士	Toby and the Fat Gentleman
Korean	토비와 노신사의 만남	Toby and the Gentleman Meet
Slovenian	Tobi in debelušni gospod	Toby and the Chubby Gentleman
Romanian	Toby şi Domnul Cel Solid	Toby and the Bulky Lord
Slovak	Toby a Tučný prednosta	Toby and the Fat Superintendent
Polish	Tobik i Gruby Dżentelmen	Toby and Fat Gentleman
Swedish	Toby och den fyllige herren	Toby and the Rich Lord
Serbian	Tobi i obvožne gospodin	Toby and the Diversional Gentleman
Brazilian Portuguese	Toby o bonde	Toby the Tram
Thai	โทบี้รถรางน้อย	Toby the Tram Less