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“It isn't wrong but we just don't do it.”
― Gordon and Henry

Whistles and Sneezes is the twentieth episode of the first series. It is based on Gordon's Whistle and Henry's Sneeze from the Railway Series book Henry the Green Engine.

Plot

Henry has recently returned from Crewe. One morning, Gordon is jealous that Henry now gets to pull the Express, remarking that he did not need a new shape and complaining that Henry left the others all of his work as well as their own. He also claims that Henry whistles too loudly at stations, saying, "It isn't wrong, but we just don't do it." Henry is upset by this remark, but Percy says that he is glad that Henry is back and likes his whistling.

Later, when Henry arrives at Wellsworth, Edward tells him that he was glad to hear his whistle the day before, cheering Henry up. Suddenly, to the engines' confusion, the sound of a high-pitched, droning whistle can be heard in the distance. It turns out to be Gordon, whose whistle is jammed. He flies down the hill and vanishes through the station. Edward is surprised, while Henry tells him what Gordon had said about whistling.

Gordon speeds down the line, the awful noise from his whistle continuing even when he reaches the Big Station. This makes everyone, including the Fat Controller, hold their ears and Gordon leaves the Express behind. He is then taken to a siding and some fitters hammer his whistle valve back into place, which finally stops the noise. That night, Gordon finds the Sheds empty, to his relief. As the other engines arrive at the Sheds, Henry softly says to no one in particular, "it isn't wrong but we just don't do it," and says nothing about whistles.

WhistlesandSneezes29

Henry's coaches with smashed windows from the thrown rocks.

The next morning, Henry, feeling better than ever, takes a passenger train and soon approaches a bridge where some boys are waiting. Henry whistles in greeting but suddenly feels pain as the boys do not answer but instead throw stones on him and his train, breaking some of the coaches' windows.

While unhurt, the passengers are furious. They want to call the police but are interrupted by Henry's driver who has a plan to get their own back. After getting everyone to promise to keep the plan a secret, the driver tells them. The plan is to have Henry sneeze, releasing the ashes that are built up in his smoke box. The passengers are excited and on the way back from the other end of the line, the driver makes sure everyone is ready and warns them to keep their windows shut until the train has passed the bridge because Henry is about to sneeze. Although the driver says that Henry is just as excited, Henry feels too stuffed up to answer.

Soon Henry approaches the bridge, where the boys are waiting with more stones. Judging the moment, the driver has Henry sneeze at exactly the right time, covering the boys from head to toe in soot. Henry goes home satisfied; he knows that thanks to a whistle and a sneeze, he has taught both Gordon and the boys a lesson they will not soon forget.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • Events from the previous episode are mentioned.
  • This is the only episode of the first series that is not re-narrated by Ringo Starr for Shining Time Station in the US, as well as the first Series 1 episode narrated by George Carlin in said show. The original UK dub with Ringo's narration was released on The Early Years US/Canadian DVD in 2004, giving US and Canadian viewers a first time exposure of him narrating the episode.
  • This is Henry's last episode with a leading role until the third series episode, Henry's Forest.
  • When Gordon leaves Knapford, music can be heard in the US and international dubs but not in some versions of the UK one and the Ukrainian voice-over.
  • This episode marks the first appearance of Lower Tidmouth in the television series (in this episode seemingly replacing Crosby from the original book).
  • A close-up model of Henry's fireman with a bumped head (like in the book) was made but left unused. It was once owned by Jonathan Saville.
  • The Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox replaces Crosby Road Bridge in the original book, while Crosby Road Bridge does not appear until the second series episode Old Iron.
  • In the restored version:
    • The scenes of Percy coming back to the shed at night, Henry pulling the express, arriving at Lower Tidmouth and the last scene have no fade effects.
  • Stock footage from Coal is used as a deleted scene from the said episode.
    • When Henry approaches the bridge, the scene where he looks angry before sneezing at the boys was omitted.
  • In a promotional picture, Gordon (with his jammed whistle) is seen passing through the pond.
  • This episode and The Flying Kipper were the last two episodes to be repeated in a ten minute block on 9 September 1987; at this point, the series was broadcasted on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ending its runtime in Australia on 28 December. Two days later, Thomas' Christmas Party was aired individually in the UK on 30 December 1987.
  • This episode was never released on home video in South Korea.
  • This episode marks the only appearances of Gordon's sulky face until the fifth series episode A Better View for Gordon (not counting a deleted scene appearance), Henry's wincing face until the eighth series episode Henry and the Wishing Tree and the last appearances of Henry's stuffed-up face until the tenth series episode It's Good to Be Gordon, albeit in a different expression.

Goofs

  • At Tidmouth Sheds, some of the tracks are off-centred.
  • In the beginning of the episode, Gordon's buffer beam is dented and his right buffer is also slightly crooked.
  • Henry's face is not put on properly after Gordon criticises him.
  • When Henry approaches Wellsworth, his eyes jitter before he stops.
  • Henry tells Edward what Gordon said at the beginning of the episode but Edward was present when Gordon first said it.
  • Gordon is shown going up his hill from the Maron station side even though he had already passed through Wellsworth going away from his hill.
  • When Gordon goes down his hill, his wheels are moving a slower pace and studio equipment can be seen reflecting off his coaches.
  • When Gordon arrives at Knapford:
    • The tracks sinks.
    • His face moves slightly while his eyes move.
    • He also has several problems with eyes:
      • His eyes are misaligned.
      • They jitter multiple times.
      • They do not move at the same time at least twice.
      • They disappear for a split second due his eyes moving too far right.
  • In the shot of the Fat Controller telling Gordon to depart right away, there are three holes around his chin. Also, his right arm is chipped.
  • In the close-up of Gordon's whistle:
    • The shed beside him is gone.
    • There is a stain on Gordon's boiler.
    • Studio equipment is visible at the top of the screen.
  • Because stock footage is used, Henry is in his old shape in a close-up of himself before reaching the bridge, his coaches are not seen and the red stripe on his cylinder is also peeling away.
  • When Henry first passes under the bridge, a tree branch of the bottom right-hand corner of the screen can be seen shaking, giving the illusion that the boys are throwing stones. However, two shots later, it becomes clear how this effect was achieved: the branch is strategically placed over the track where Henry could run into it at just the right moment.
  • In the scene when the coaches complained about the boys throwing rocks at their windows, there is a chip on the lining of Henry's tender.
  • As Henry leaves the bridge:
    • The boys have disappeared from the bridge.
    • He has a different whistle, which is actually Thomas' but lower pitched.
  • In the scene of Henry departing Lower Tidmouth, the chuffing sound effect is slightly delayed until after Henry starts moving.
  • In the wide shot of Henry puffing towards the bridge each time, he is not moving for the first couple of seconds and when he finally moves, the telephone pole near him shakes in the second scene.
  • In the original version, when Henry sneezes, a bush near the bridge changes shape. The restored version shows Henry with his wincing face as he is passing by before he sneezes with the bush in the same position, indicating a take of Henry passing underneath the bridge with his angry face was filmed after the shot of him passing with his wincing face.
  • The boys are covered in ash prior to filming the shot of the steam coming towards them on the bridge to indicate the effect when Henry sneezes at them. However, the shot starts too early with the steam first hitting the boy in the middle, thus making it obvious what was done to the models.

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese O crime não compensa
Chinese Mandarin 鸣笛和打喷嚏
Croatian Zviždanje i kihanje
Czech Hvízdání a kýchání
Danish Med et fløjt og et nys
Dutch Fluiten en niezen
Finnish Vislauksuia ja aivastuksia
French Sifflements et éternuements
German Pfeifen und Niesen
Greek Οι μικροί σκανταλιάρηδες
Hebrew שריקות והתעטשויות
Hungarian Füttyszó és tüsszentés
Italian Fischi e starnuti
Japanese きてきとクシャミ
Korean 기적 소리와 재채기
Latin American Spanish Silbatos y estornudos
Norwegian Fløyter og nys
Polish Gwizdanie i kichanie
Romanian Fluierături şi strănuturi
Romansh Tschivlar e starnidar
Russian Свистуны и чихуны
Serbian Zviždanje i kijanje
Slovak Pískanie a kýchanie
Slovenian Piskanje in kihanje
Swedish Vissla och nys
Ukrainian Свист і чхання
Welsh Gollwng Stêm

Merchandise

Home Video Releases

UK

UK VHS/DVD Boxsets

WAL

US

CAN

  • Daisy and Other Thomas Stories (Direct-to-VHS)
  • Best of Gordon
  • The Early Years (UK dub)

US/CAN DVD Packs

AUS

  • Coal and Other Stories
  • Series One

AUS DVD Packs

NZ

ZA

IND

MYS

PHL

ITA

FRA

ROM

ROM DVD Pack

NL

NL DVD Boxsets

GER

NOR

DK

SWE/FIN

ICE

  • Thomas the Tank Engine 2

SVN

HRV

SRP

GRC

GRC DVD Boxset

TUR

  • Brave Hero (VCD)
  • Brave Hero and Hello Thomas (DVD)

THA

JPN

JPN DVD Boxsets

CHN

HK

Episode

Reference



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