Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
Register
Advertisement
This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book or the magazine story.
Main Page

“Look! It's Duncan the Musical Engine!”
― Rusty

Faulty Whistles, shortened to Faulty Whistle in one North American release, is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the sixth series.

Plot

Duncan waits at a junction one morning for Peter Sam to deliver his goods to take to Strawberry Grove. He is also assigned the task to take the headmaster and the new organ. After having steamed overnight all the way to the morning to deliver Duncan his goods, Peter Sam is approaching the junction his whistle is knocked off by a branch. As a result, Peter Sam cannot run anywhere without a whistle as it would be unsafe. Duncan brags that an engine is not an engine without a whistle and lets off a big blast with his whistle, but the other engines ignore him. Duncan becomes offended while he sets off with his goods because he thinks the other engines are jealous of his whistle.

On the way, Duncan whistles at some sheep, but they are too busy eating to pay attention. Duncan becomes frustrated and thinks he needs to whistle louder and longer. He approaches a crossing where Elizabeth is carrying the Farmer's Prize Bull. As Duncan approaches the crossing, he whistles loud and long, startling the bull. Elizabeth scolds Duncan but to no avail as he finds it fun, not knowing that his whistle has become loose. When he sees Terence ploughing a field, he prepares to give him the same surprise. Unfortunately, he blows his whistle so hard that it simply flies off and lands out of sight.

With his whistle nowhere to be found, Duncan's driver tells him they are stuck and cannot continue on. However, with Duncan carrying the organ destined for Strawberry Grove School, Duncan's crew cleverly decide to have Headmaster Hastings play the organ in lieu of Duncan's whistle, which alerts every person at stops during the delivery, despite Duncan not thinking so. When Duncan reaches home, he is teased by Rusty for being a "musical engine" while Rheneas and Skarloey whistle along. Peter Sam, having been in the works for a new whistle, tells Duncan that he was brave to go on and make his deliveries without a whistle, which cheers Duncan up. The headmaster makes one last "toot" on the organ and all the other engines whistle back in reply, except Duncan who just happily grins.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • This episode appears to be a loose adaptation of the Railway Series story, Mike's Whistle. Peter Sam and Duncan take the roles of Duck and Mike respectively. The actual story was later adapted in the twentieth series episode of the same name.
  • In the US dub, when Duncan passes Elizabeth at the level crossing, the chuffing sound is different from the UK dub.
  • The organ plays the song "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" while Duncan puffs on the cliffside.
  • When Duncan delivers his trucks, music is played only in the UK dub.
  • Headmaster Hastings is named after the episode's writer, Ross Hastings.
  • Peter Sam's large scale wincing face may have been used when he runs into the branch and gets his whistle knocked off but is off-screen.
  • This episode is the first series finale in which Thomas and Percy do not appear.
  • This episode marks the last of a few things:
  • This episode marks a couple of things for Peter Sam:
    • His first speaking role since the fourth series episode, Gallant Old Engine.
    • His only speaking role in the sixth series.
    • The first time his large scale fifth series sad face is used on-screen.
    • The second time he loses a part of his body that was then replaced with a better one in the same episode; the first was his funnel in Special Funnel.
  • This is the first appearance of Duncan's joyful face.
  • There are a few deleted scenes from this episode including:
    • A scene that showed where Duncan's whistle actually landed, however the scene is featured in the music video for the Whistle Song.
    • A scene of Peter Sam pulling the train he had in the opening with a sad face after he lost his whistle. This scene was in the Take Along Faulty Whistles Movie Car.
    • A scene of Duncan going around a bend possibly before reaching the field. This scene was also featured in the Faulty Whistles Movie Car.

Goofs

  • In the beginning and the end of the episode, Peter Sam has Duncan's whistle sound.
  • When Peter Sam crosses the bridge at the beginning of the episode, his cab is empty, and his whistle is also already missing.
  • The narrator says, "The rest of the engines just ignored [Duncan]," but Peter Sam was the only one there.
  • In the first shot of the camera "pulling" Duncan, at the bottom of the screen a wire is seen bouncing up and down.
  • When Elizabeth is carrying the bull, her eyes are misaligned.
  • Terence's model is out of scale compared to Duncan due to the former's gauge one model being used.
  • In the close-up of Duncan's whistle flying off, his crew are not in his cab.
  • A steam platform is visible when Duncan comes to a stop after losing his whistle.
  • When Rheneas says "let's whistle along," Skarloey had Peter Sam's original whistle sound.
  • On Percy's Chocolate Crunch and Other Thomas Adventures, the episode's titled Faulty Whistle.
  • In the Finnish dub, Skarloey was mistakenly called "Severi". which is the Finnish name for Stepney.

Quotes

Peter Sam: [without his whistle] I can't run on the tracks without my whistle. It'd be too dangerous.
Duncan: An engine is not an engine without a whistle.

[after the whistle-less Duncan has returned with the headmaster, who is still playing his organ]
Rusty: Look! It's Duncan the musical engine!
Rheneas: Let's whistle along!
Skarloey: Toot Toot!

Peter Sam: You really did well to deliver your goods without a whistle.
Duncan: Did you think so?
Peter Sam: Absolutely, even though an engine's not an engine without a whistle. (whistles)
Headmaster: Or an organ. (toots the organ)
(the other engines whistle back in reply, except for Duncan, who just smiles)

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Chinese Mandarin 坏掉的汽笛
Czech Porouchané Píšťaly
Danish Fløjteforviklinger
Dutch Fluitconcerten
Finnish Väärät vislaukset
Hungarian Síppal és Orgonával
Italian Fischi Fasulli
Japanese かわったきてき
Korean 특별한 기적 소리
Norwegian Duncans Nye Fløyte
Polish Zepsute Gwizdki
Romanian Fluiere Defecte
Russian Испорченные свистки
Serbian Pogrešan Zvižduk
Slovenian Brez Piščalke ne Gre
Swedish De Trasiga Vissloma
Welsh Colli Chwiban

Merchandise

Home Media Releases

UK

DVD Packs

WAL

US

CAN

  • Percy's Chocolate Crunch and Other Thomas Adventures

DVD Boxsets

AUS

DVD Packs

JPN

MYS

NOR/DK

DK DVD Boxsets

SWE

PHL

ITA

KOR

HK

THA

TWN


Advertisement