Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
Register
Advertisement
Main Page

This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book.

Best Dressed Engine is the twenty-second episode of the seventh series.

Plot

The engines are celebrating May Day. Knapford Station is being decorated and the Fat Controller agrees to let the engines be decorated, but Gordon states that decorations are undignified for an important engine like him and puffs away.

At Tidmouth Sheds, everyone is being decorated. Percy has flags and streamers, Thomas has big red banners and even Murdoch is being decorated, despite his shyness. James gets the idea of having a competition for the "Best Dressed Engine." When Gordon arrives and hears about a competition, he wants to join in, but James tells him that he needs to be decorated since it is a Best Dressed Engine contest. Gordon rejects the competition after hearing everything.

Later, Gordon is crossing a bridge when a banner is blown onto his front, preventing him from seeing the line ahead. Since Gordon is pulling the express, he cannot stop and so remains running blind. Trevor is pulling a cart of apples for the children's apple bobbing over a crossing. When he hears Gordon's whistle, he tries to get off the crossing as fast as he can, but it is no use, and Gordon smashes all the apples. James is the last to reach the station for the contest until Gordon arrives. Everyone is surprised that Gordon is "decorated", but James says that he is definitely the Best Dressed Engine. Everyone agrees, and Gordon is announced the winner of the competition. Although Gordon does not want to admit it, he is pleased about it.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • Going by production order, this is the seventeenth episode of the seventh series.
  • Stock footage from Special Attraction, Percy's Chocolate Crunch and Bulgy Rides Again are used, as is mirrored stock footage from Thomas and the Breakdown Train, and a deleted scene from Thomas and Stepney.
  • Headmaster Hastings' pipe organ from the sixth series episode, Faulty Whistles is visible at the beginning of the episode, Thomas is pulling it when the narrator says "They knew there'll be music and lots of fun."
  • Footage from this episode is seen briefly in a 2004 episode of Rikon Bengoshi (離婚弁護士). In the same series, Wooden Railway toys of Henry, Gordon, Donald and Douglas are seen.
  • This episode marks last of a few things:
    • Murdoch's last speaking role until the twelfth series episode, Excellent Emily and his last speaking role in the Classic Series.
    • Murdoch, Bulgy (if stock footage counts) and Harold's last appearances in the Classic Series, excluding a stock footage appearance for Harold in Three Cheers for Thomas.
    • The last appearance of Harold's original model used throughout the second to seventh series, excluding stock footage in Three Cheers for Thomas, as it would be replaced by his brass model used from the eighth series onwards.
    • The last episode written by Polly Churchill, fifteen years before her death in 2018.
  • Because of the use of stock footage, Percy's Chocolate Crunch, Bulgy Rides Again and this episode all have the same opening shot.

Goofs

  • When Murdoch knows what decorations will Gordon have, his left eyebrow (viewers' right) is scratched.
  • The stock footage from Bulgy Rides Again causes a few inconsistencies:
    • When Gordon leaves Knapford, he is pulling four coaches, but in the next scene, he is only pulling three.
    • Bulgy is in his original scarlet livery instead of his green livery.
    • Gordon goes under the same bridge twice. However, the removal of the upper part of the bridge is made to disguise it the second time.
  • Because the stock footage from Thomas and the Breakdown Train is mirrored, Thomas' number is reversed and his lamp is on the wrong side of his running board.
  • In the shot of Gordon colliding with the banner:
    • He is not moving for a split second, as he jerks forward towards the banner.
    • The banner seems to rolls up into Gordon's funnel instead around his smokebox.
    • It is said that the banner wraps around Gordon's firebox, but it actually wraps around his smokebox.
  • When Trevor is chuffing along, studio equipment is reflected in his paintwork and the shot is mirrored, as his flywheel is on his right side instead on his left side.
  • In the shot of Trevor chuffing along before Gordon hits the crossing gates, Gordon cannot be seen behind him puffing.
  • When Gordon breaks through the crossing gates:
    • Trevor's cart is not hit. But in the next scene, the cart is smashed.
    • His left (viewers' right) buffer becomes severely damaged, but later at Knapford, it is still intact.

Quotes

Percy: I'm going to have flags and streamers.
Thomas: I'm going to have a big red banner.
Murdoch: What decorations will you have, Gordon?
Gordon: Decorations aren't dignified for an important engine like me! I pull the express!

James: We could have a competition for the Best Dressed Engine.
[Gordon arrives]
Gordon: A competition? I'm bound to win any competition!
James: You'll have to be decorated. This is a Best Dressed Engine competition!
Gordon: Not me! You'd never catch me looking so ridiculous!

Merchandise

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Chinese Mandarin 最漂亮的小火车
Danish Det Flotteste Lokomotiv
Hungarian A Legszebb Díszbe Öltöztetett Mozdony
Italian Le Locomotive Addobbate
Japanese ベストドレッサーはだれ
Korean 고든이 제일 멋져!
Polish Najlepiej Udekorowana Lokomotywa
Portuguese A Locomotiva Mais Enfeitada
Romanian Cea Mai Împodobită Locomotivă
Russian Самый красивый паровоз
Serbian Najbolje Obučena Lokomotiva
Swedish De Bäst Pyntade Lokomotiven
Turkish En İyi Giyinen Tren
Welsh Dillad Gorau

Home Media Releases

UK

DVD Packs

WAL

US

CAN

  • Hooray for Thomas and Other Adventures

DVD Boxsets

AUS

  • The Complete Series 7

DVD Packs

ZA

DVD Boxsets

JPN

KOR

DK

DVD Boxsets

SWE

MYS

TWN

THA

HK

ITA


Advertisement