The Runaway

The Runaway is the tenth episode of the second season and the thirty-sixth episode of the series. It first aired on Shining Time Station in the episode Mapping it Out in 1989. In this epsiode, Thomas returns from the Works with a stiff handbrake that almost causes disaster when he runs away.

Plot
One day, Thomas wakes up feeling ill. Workmen are unable to make him feel better, so the Fat Controller was forced to send Thomas to the works for a while. He then asks Duck to take over Thomas' duties on the branch line. Duck was delighted to give such a responsibility.

Duck was already friends with Percy, and quickly befriends Toby, Bertie and Terence, who tells Duck to take extra special care with Annie and Clarabel. Duck is very gentle with them, and both coaches are left very impressed with the Great Western engine and remark on what a pleasure it's to go out with him. When Thomas returns from the works, the two coaches tell him how well Duck had managed on the line. Thomas doesn't feel jealous, as he was just happy to be back home.

Although he was back from the works, Thomas isn't in complete working order. His handbrake had been left very stiff, meaning it can feel like his brakes are hard-on when they aren't. Because of this, Thomas begins to overrun the station platform, embarrassing him greatly. Eventually, Thomas' crew learns to compensate for the handbrake, and they stop in just the right place.

Thomas' fireman falls ill one day, and a relief man takes his place. Thomas arrives at the station, and the new fireman couples him to Annie and Clarabel, then joins the driver and stationmaster on the platform while they wait for Henry to deliver his passengers. However, the relief fireman has forgotten about the stiff handbrake. Soon, Henry starts to approach with the passengers. But as Thomas' brakes aren't completely on, his wheels start to move, and Thomas can't stop or whistle a warning without his crew. Before anyone realises what's happened, Thomas had left everyone stranded on the platform.

Annie and Clarabel scream for Thomas to stop, but he has plenty of steam and keeps going. Soon, an alarm goes out about the runaway train. An engine inspector boards Harold the helicopter, and flies to a station where Thomas was due to pass by and makes a plan.

When Thomas reaches the station, he was very tired and was moving far slower than normal. The inspector then makes it to the platform. And when Thomas passes, the inspector scrambles aboard the cab and puts Thomas' brakes on, finally bringing the tank engine to a stop. Both Thomas and the inspector are very relieved and thank Harold, who tells them it was no problem.

The inspector tells Thomas that they must make sure this never happens again. Thomas, exhausted, couldn't agree more.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Terence
 * Harold
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward (does not speak)
 * Henry (does not speak)
 * Percy (does not speak)
 * Toby (does not speak)
 * Duck (does not speak)
 * James (cameo)
 * Bertie (mentioned)

Locations

 * Elsbridge
 * Tidmouth
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Ffarquhar Sheds
 * The Watermill
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * The Works (mentioned)

Errors

 * The brakevan behind Duck appears to be derailed when Thomas passes.
 * When the Fat Controller speaks to Duck, the right buffer of the breakdown train was broken.
 * Duck's eyes look wonky when he stops next to Terence.
 * When Duck leaves Terence, his eyes jitter for a few seconds.
 * Annie was facing the wrong way when Duck passes Tidmouth Sheds.
 * When Thomas returns to the sheds, Percy's eyes are wonky.
 * The ill fireman's arm starts very low down on his body.
 * During the shot of the ill fireman, the cab was actually James'. This is because the scene was shot at the same time as Old Iron.
 * Many of the small scale railway staff figures have paint chips.
 * Henry's eyes are wonky.
 * Henry was smiling when Thomas runs away. Annie and Clarabel are also smiling throughout the runaway.
 * Just before he runs away, Thomas' "1" seems to have peeled off slightly.
 * When Harold lands at the station, studio equipment is reflected on his "blades".
 * After Harold has landed at the station, a piece of paper was stuck to his side.
 * Thomas enters the station when the inspector was on the platform, but comes into the station again a few seconds later.
 * In a close-up of Thomas' wheels, a red wire can be seen near his middle wheel.
 * The stock footage of Harold flying through the valley was improperly cut, because Percy can be seen for a split-second from the episode "Percy and Harold".
 * Thomas' eyes are wonky for most of the episode.

US Home Video Releases
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