Bulldog

Bulldog is the third episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book Duke the Lost Engine.

Plot

One morning, Percy is feeling very impatient. He has a new coat of paint and is very eager to show it off but he is still fuming and complains that his driver is late. However, Gordon, Henry and James remind him the driver is not late, rather Percy is awake early. Thomas assures Percy it will soon be time for work but warns him not to be impatient; otherwise, he may run into danger and Duke will not be there to save him. Toby is surprised to hear their hero mentioned and Thomas decides to tell them a story his driver told him.

Long ago on the Mid Sodor Railway, back when Peter Sam and Sir Handel were still originally named "Stuart" and "Falcon", they worked alongside Duke. One day, the manager came along and told Falcon - who was still new and had a lot to learn - that he was pleased with his work and wanted him to learn about the Mountain Road, which was a difficult part of the line. The next day, Falcon would get a new coat of paint, then go on the Mountain Road with Duke to double-head a train. Falcon was not impressed that he was having to work with Duke, who he considered a fusspot.

The next day, Duke told Falcon he would head the train since the Mountain Road was tricky to travel over. Falcon refused and insisted on going in front, since he needed to learn the line and Duke would block the view. Duke warned Falcon not to admire the view since he needed to watch the track. As they went along the Mountain Road, Duke tried to keep them safe by going slowly but Falcon ignored him, thinking Duke was fussing over nothing.

Soon, the engines approached a curved tunnel, which Falcon disliked. He rushed through the tunnel and, while everything initially seemed normal, he suddenly derailed and dangled precariously near a cliff's edge. Duke held on to Falcon for dear life, as their crews quickly worked to anchor the two engines to the line. However, Duke's fireman found another problem; Duke was low on water. Luckily for them, a workmen's cottage was nearby and all the passengers assisted in fetching water. Duke's tank was soon refilled and he managed to build up enough steam to pull Falcon off the edge and back onto the track.

As they returned to the top station, the manager was waiting for the train. The passengers told him that Duke was a hero who stood firm like a bulldog and did not let go. Falcon thanked Duke for saving him, especially since he had been so rude to him. Duke was modest and told Falcon that it would have been a shame if his new coat of paint had been spoilt.

Characters

• Thomas
• Henry
• Gordon
• James
• Percy
• Toby
• Duke
• Falcon
• The Mid Sodor Railway Manager
• Stuart (does not speak)
• Blue Narrow Gauge Coaches (do not speak)
• Duncan (cameo)
• Red Narrow Gauge Coaches (cameos)
• Stephen Hatt (cameo)
• Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
• Farmer Trotter (cameo)

Locations

• Tidmouth Sheds
• Duke's Station
  • Duke's Shed
  • River Arle
• The Mountain Road
• Rheneas Viaduct
• Skarloey

Trivia

• The title is a reference to the symbolic dog breed of the United Kingdom. Even the quote "[Duke] stood firm like a Bulldog and wouldn't let go" comes from the stereotype of the type of dogs called bull breeds in which they are said not to let go of something they bite.
• This episode marks the first of some things:
  • The first appearance of Falcon/Sir Handel's cross face.
  • Falcon/Sir Handel's first accident/derailment.
  • Duncan's first appearance in the television series.
• This episode marks the last of two things:
  • The last episode to be featured on the Shining Time Station spin-off, Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales. This is also the last fourth series episode aired in the US.
  • The last appearance of Gordon's sleeping face until Thomas and the Magic Railroad and the last appearance of it in an episode until the eighth series episode Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough.
• In the original UK dub:
  • In the scenes when Thomas begins to tell the story about Duke, the music is omitted until the scene of Duke and Falcon starting their journey. Also, the first bit of music is heard earlier than the later UK dub and most international dubs.
  • When Duke pulls Falcon back onto the rails, his chuffing sound is faster.
  • Henry's line, "Rubbish!", sounds less enthusiastic.
  • One line, "But be careful or you might run into danger and Duke is not here to save you," is heard earlier. The music is also heard earlier.
  • Other lines "It was curved and he couldn't see," and "Duke bravely held on with all his strength. 'Stop shaking!' he called. 'I can't hold you if you shake!'" are heard later.
• The scenes in which the passengers fill up Duke's tank with water using pots and pans from a nearby cottage is possibly inspired by the 1953 film The Titfield Thunderbolt in which passengers do the same.
• In the Latin American Spanish dub, Thomas is the narrator for the rest of the episode since he tells the story from his point of view, which would become a thing for him later on from the twenty second to the final series of the show, especially in both English dubs.
• This episode was shown alongside the second series episode Thomas Comes to Breakfast in an airing of Storytime with Thomas.

Goofs

• Gordon is missing his brake pipe.
• Henry's face is tilted when he is dozing.
• Although the engines say the drivers and firemen are not there because it was still early, the drivers and firemen can be seen in the sheds.
• Toby's face is not positioned correctly when he stutters Duke's name.
• Falcon's left eye (viewers' right) is misaligned when the manager is talking to him about the Mountain Road.
• When Duke and Falcon enter the tunnel, Falcon has Smudger's whistle sound. This is particularly noticeable in the early UK narration.
• When Falcon crashes through the fence and Duke tries to save Falcon, Duke derails as well.
• In a close-up of Duke, his face is smaller than usual. This is because his larger scale model was used.
• In the close-up of Duke before he pulls Falcon back on the track, they are not coupled together.
• Falcon's nameplate is slightly peeled off when Duke pulls him back onto the rails.
• When the passengers say, "He stood firm like a bulldog and wouldn't let go," one of the passengers is missing their eyebrows.
• When Falcon thanks Duke for saving him, his left pupil (viewers' right) is scratched.

In Other Languages

Merchandise

Book

Bulldog (1996 Buzz Book)

Home Video Releases

Reference