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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the Railway Series book, the Slovenian VHS/DVD, the Malaysian VCD, the Ladybird book, the Jellybean book, the 2009 book, the 2013 book or the magazine story.
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“It's no fun getting stuck in the snow but it was worth it for this party. Happy Christmas, Percy! Happy Christmas, everyone!”
― Thomas

Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the second series. It is based on the Railway Series story of the same name.

Plot

It is 23 December and the final preparations are being made for a carol party to be held at Tidmouth. All the engines are working hard to set up the decorations. This year, the Fat Controller wants the carol party to be extra special.

The Fat Controller is waiting impatiently when Thomas arrives. The Fat Controller tells Thomas that their Christmas tree has come and Thomas has to fetch it while Duck watches over Annie and Clarabel. Thomas asks the Fat Controller if he and the other engines can sing carols too and the Fat Controller promises to think about it. Thomas is very excited and rushes off, collecting the tree safely. But, on the way home, he ends up stuck in a snowdrift. Thomas knows that he must arrive back in time and whistles for help but cannot back out of the heavy snow. Suddenly, an avalanche buries Thomas and the tree under thick snow.

Back at the yards, the engines are waiting for Thomas. His delay begins to make them cross but they are silenced by the Fat Controller, who tells them that snow has knocked the telephone lines down and they must assume that Thomas is stranded. Everyone now feels sorry for Thomas and Donald and Douglas go out to search for him. They soon reach a snow drift much deeper than the rest. A cry for help is heard and Donald thinks he hears something but Douglas thinks it may be the wind. Hearing the cry again, they realise that they are at the drift under which Thomas is buried.

Time passes as the workmen dig through the snow to free him. Thomas' driver and fireman, who had taken shelter in a nearby cottage, join the rescue and Thomas is freed from the snow. Thomas follows the twins home and they arrive by nightfall. The Fat Controller rewards the engines by granting them permission to sing carols. The engines happily chuff away to the station. Lights come on and the Fat Controller declares three cheers for Thomas and his friends.

ThomasandtheMissingChristmasTree44

"Happy Christmas, Percy! Happy Christmas, everyone!"

Harold soon joins the party bringing Father Christmas and everyone cheers. As the carols begin, Thomas tells Percy that, although getting stuck in the snow was no fun, it was all worth it for the celebration and wishes everyone a Happy Christmas.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • Father Christmas' large scale figure is a dressed-up Fat Controller. His small scale figure is the Fat Controller's overalls figure from Coal repainted.
  • Stock footage from Thomas, Terence and the Snow, mirrored stock footage from Thomas' Train and alternate stock footage from Thomas Comes to Breakfast are used.
  • This episode marks the last occurrences of many things:
  • This is one of three times in the television series that show Thomas without his headlamp, albeit in promotional images only, the others being the second series episode Thomas Comes to Breakfast due to damage from the crash and the fifth series episode Horrid Lorry.
  • This episode first aired on 17 December 1986 and was repeated on 13 July 1988 for the 1988 repeat double-bills. This episode was not shown on further repeats after 1988.
  • This is the only Ringo Starr-narrated episode released in the US without him properly re-recording certain lines. In this version, due to Starr's departure before he had a chance to re-narrate certain lines, all lines mentioning the Fat Controller were omitted but were not re-narrated with "Sir Topham Hatt" in their place, leaving some long pauses with music and sound effects present. The one line that was not omitted was the UK name for Santa Claus, Father Christmas. This version can only be found on the VHS release of Shining Time Station's Christmas Special 'Tis a Gift, which was originally released on October 27, 1992.
  • A promotional image shows Thomas laughing when he is pulled out of the snow drift.
  • George Carlin's dub of this episode was not featured on an episode of Shining Time Station. It first appeared on the Thomas' Christmas Party and Other Favorite Stories VHS on September 14, 1994.
  • Daisy and Henrietta are the only characters introduced in the first two series not to appear in this episode. The reason for the former's absence was due to the fact she and BoCo shared the same chassis.
  • Some of the passengers are represented by 1:32 scale Scalextric and Märklin figures.
  • The Ladybird book is differs from the episode and is actually closer to the original book instead, featuring scenes of Donald and Douglas passing Percy, Toby and Duck as well as mentioning how they wanted to rest at a station.
  • CEL Home Video did not release this episode, Edward's Exploit, Ghost Train nor Woolly Bear on any of their 1989 VHS releases in New Zealand. Instead, these four episodes later premiered on home video in New Zealand on Endeavour Entertainment's VHS release of The Deputation and Other Stories in 1992.
  • This episode's Korean title was just a transcription to Hangul of the "Christmas Party."

Goofs

  • Thomas' eyes are misaligned throughout the episode.
  • Donald and Douglas' nameplates are missing in several scenes.
  • BoCo's left eye is scratched and his face also moves a bit.
  • In the restored version:
    • Camera tripods are seen in the shot of the telephone lines and when Donald and Douglas set off to find Thomas.
    • In the shot of Thomas and Percy towards the end, a blue light behind them was covered up. This is likely to be a crew member standing in the background.
  • At Tidmouth Station and the Water Mill, Thomas' train has an SR 25 Ton Brake Van but, at the valley, it is replaced with a BR 20 Ton Brake Van.
  • The narrator says the engines were grumbling about Thomas being late but Henry and Gordon are clearly smiling and Donald also has Edward's angry face on.
  • When Donald and Douglas set off to rescue Thomas, the Fat Controller is standing by the track opposite them but, in the next shot, the Fat Controller has already got back to his car on the other side of the turntable long before the twins run round it.
  • When the narrator says, "Then they set off once more to finish their long journey," the space between the leaves and the tree is also green instead of white on the left side of the screen.
  • When the Fat Controller tells the engines they can go enjoy the carols:
    • Donald's left eyebrow (viewers' right) is missing.
    • Thomas' face is crooked and his head lamp is also not on.
    • The other engines are not wearing head lamps at all.
  • In the aerial shot of the station:
    • Terence's eyes are noticeably misaligned, as they are horizontally pointed away from each other.
    • Bertie is at the back of the shot but later is seen with Trevor, Terence, Annie and Clarabel.
    • Bertie, Annie and Clarabel do not have hats on but later gain them.
    • None of the trucks next to Annie and Clarabel have faces but later gains it in the shot of Trevor, Terence, Bertie, Annie and Clarabel.
  • In the shot of Bill and Ben with Diesel, Ben's nameplate is loose.
  • In the close-up of the people near the tree, some of them have some missing paint marks.
  • A wire can be seen to hold Harold when he lands.
  • When the narrator says, "Everyone cheered and the party began":
    • Thomas is next to Harold instead of in front of the station.
    • Edward is seen in the station instead of in front of the station.
    • Henry, Gordon and BoCo have disappeared.
  • When Thomas says, "Happy Christmas, Percy!", his face moves.

Quotes

  • The Fat Controller: Quickly, now. Our Christmas tree has arrived just in time! I want you to fetch it, Thomas. Duck can look after Annie and Clarabel until you get back.
  • Thomas: Will we be able to sing carols, too?
  • The Fat Controller: We'll see.
  • Thomas: It would be nice to sing carols again.

  • The Fat Controller: [to the engines whistling impatiently] Silence! Thomas left the Works safely but snow has brought the telephone lines down. We must assume he is stranded!

  • Thomas: [in snow] Help!
  • Donald: Hush! I can hear something.
  • Douglas: Probably the wind.
  • Thomas: Help!
  • Donald: No! Listen!
  • Thomas: Over here!
  • Donald: Och! It's Thomas! Come on! The poor wee engine must be frozen to the frames in there!

  • The Fat Controller: [to the engines] As a reward for all your hard work, you may go and enjoy the carols. Be quick now!

  • The Fat Controller: 1, 2, 3!
[the station then lights up as if it were magic, with decorations and Christmas lights]
  • The Fat Controller: Ladies, gentlemen and children! I give you three cheers for Thomas the Tank Engine and all his friends who have made this occasion possible!

In Other Languages

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Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese Thomas e a árvore de Natal perdida
Chinese Mandarin 托马斯和失踪的圣诞树
Czech Tomáš a zmizelý vánoční strom
Danish Thomas og det forsvundne juletræ
Dutch Thomas en de verdwenen kerstboom
Finnish Tuomas ja kadonnut joulukuusi
French Thomas et le sapin de Noël manquant
German Der fehlende Weihnachtsbaum
Greek Το χριστουγεννιάτικο δέντρο
Hungarian Thomas és az eltűnt karácsonyfa
Italian La notte di Natale
Japanese きかんしゃたちのクリスマス・キャロル
Korean 크리스마스 파티
Latin American Spanish Thomas y el árbol de navidad perdido
Norwegian Thomas og det bortkomne juletreet
Polish Tomek i zaginiona choinka
Romanian Thomas şi bradul dispărut
Russian Томас и пропавшая ёлка
Serbian Tomas i božićno drvo
Slovenian Tomaž in pogrešana novoletna jelka
Swedish Thomas och den glömda julgrannen
Turkish Thomas ve Kayıp Yılbaşı Ağacı
Ukrainian Томас і зникла ялинка
Welsh Tomos a'r Goeden Nadolig

Merchandise

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Books

Name Published Publisher Highlights Photo
Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree 29 January 1987 Ladybird Books
  • New promotional images
  • Some copies came with a cassette narrated by Ringo Starr
Ladybirdbook7
Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree July 1999 Jellybean Books
ThomasandtheMissingChristmasTree
Thomas and the Christmas Tree 2009 Random House Books
  • A lift-the-flaps book
  • 6 ornaments inside
ThomasandtheChristmasTree

Magazine story

Name Published Publisher Highlights Photo
The Missing Christmas Tree 10 December 1988 Marvel Comics
  • Released in Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: Issue 30
TheMissingChristmasTree(MagazineStory)10

Home Video Releases

UK

UK DVD Boxset

WAL

US

CAN

  • Thomas' Christmas Party and Other Favorite Stories
  • Thomas' Christmas Wonderland and Other Thomas Adventures
  • Thomas' Snowy Surprise and Other Adventures
  • Ultimate Christmas

US/CAN DVD Packs

AUS

  • The Deputation and Other Stories
  • The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
  • Series Two

AUS DVD Packs

NZ

ZA

IND

MYS

PHL

LATAM

BRA

ITA

FRA

ROM

ROM DVD Pack

NL

GER

GER DVD Boxset

NOR

DK

SWE

SVN

SRP

GRC

GRC DVD Boxset

TUR

THA

JPN

JPN DVD Boxset

KOR

CHN

HK

TWN

Episode

References



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