A close shave (Thomas the tank engine book club)

Product Information

When this episode was originally released on the Thomas Comes to Breakfast 1998 VHS in Canada, it had no narration and only included the music and sound effects. This was later corrected on the 2000 Thomas Comes to Breakfast and Other Thomas Adventures VHS tape released in Canada.

Driver: Another clear mile, and we'll do it. [sees James' train, which is right in the runaway's path] Oh, glory, look at that! The three lines "Disgraceful", "Disgusting" and "Despicable" were later said again in the fourth series episode Bowled Out. The line "Despicable!" was also said by James in the fifth series episode Horrid Lorry, as well as the lines "Despicable!" and "Disgusting!" by Gordon and Henry in the fifth series episode Thomas and the Rumours and "Disgraceful!" was said by Gordon in the sixth series episode Percy's Chocolate Crunch, having previously said it in the first series episodes Tenders and Turntables and Whistles and Sneezes. Series Continuity Error: Because this is from the book More About Thomas The Tank Engine, Thomas' impatience towards delays remains in "Woolly Bear", while this story and others in More From Thomas The Tank Engine marked his Character Development into a more patient and humble engine. He appears to be next to Gordon but in the next scene, he is steaming towards him due the shot being filmed after Diesel pulled up next to him. When Edward pulls out of the yard at Wellsworth with the train, the Lynton and Barnstaple van behind him does not have a face but later gains one as the train heads up Gordon's Hill.Berserk Button: Thomas was furious when Bertie teased him for being late and will beat him in a race the next time they met. No Sympathy: Thomas brushes off Henry and James' explanations on how the viaduct made them late and sees this as an excuse for laziness. He is also given this treatment when Bertie called him out for being late and teases him about beating him in their next race. Thomas complains that the engines are just going slowly to make him late; one morning he grumbles at Henry for his lateness. Henry defends himself by telling Thomas that they have to go at a reduced speed during the repair work, but Thomas is uninterested and he leaves to try to make up for lost time.

When Bertie is repaired, he and Thomas make up their argument and both agree that sometimes being late can actually be quite useful. In Ringo Starr's US dub, during the shed scenes, an odd hissing and squeaking sound can be heard. This can only be heard in the Shining Time Station episode, Word's Out and the DVD The Greatest Stories. However, the hissing was absent on the Better Late Than Never and Other Stories VHS and the Diesel's Devious Deed and Other Thomas the Tank Engine Stories audio tape and CD, respectively. Likewise, when Edward pulls out of the yard at Wellsworth with the train, the Lynton and Barnstaple van behind him does not have a face, but later gains one as the train heads up Gordon's Hill.Normally when Thomas stops at the station, Bertie arrives soon after and his passengers go straight from him to Thomas. However, when the larger engines are late for Thomas, then Thomas is late for Bertie's passengers and now they often find themselves waiting on the platform, causing Bertie to become angry with Thomas. When Thomas arrives that day, Bertie tells Thomas that he thought he could go faster than that. He then remarks they should have another race, thinking he could now beat him causing an exhausted Thomas to become angry and blame the main line engines for "dithering" on the viaduct and claims it to be an excuse for laziness. Work has become hard for the engines on the Island of Sodor. The viaduct on the main line is being repaired, with the arches being strengthened. As the Fat Controller is unwilling to close the railway during repairs, the work is taking a long time and all engines crossing the viaduct must cross slowly and carefully, lest they risk it collapsing under them. Because of this, the engines are often late making it to the junction where Thomas waits for his passengers.

The last episode an engine cries until the twelfth series episode Excellent Emily (although there are no tears coming out the engine's eyes).