Ghost Train (Thomas and Friends episode)

Ghost Train is the twenty-fourth episode of the second season. In the US, this story aired on the Shining Time Station episodes Things that Go Ga-Hooga in the Night and Scare Dares.

Plot
Percy is telling Thomas and Toby the story of a ghost train that his driver told him the night before. Percy is afraid to think of it, however Thomas does not believe a word and runs off calling Percy a silly little engine. Percy tells his driver that Thomas does not believe in the ghost and Percy's driver explains that he does not either; it was a story on television. Percy cannot help but be disappointed.

That evening, after his work in the harbour is done, Percy runs back to the shed. Percy enjoys running at night and knows exactly where he is despite the dark. What Percy does not know is that a broken cart of lyme is ahead on the tracks. While the farmer has gone for help, Percy comes down the line and smashes the cart to pieces and the lyme completely covers Percy, who runs to the nearest signal box.

At the signal, Percy meets Toby and his driver explains to the signalman what happened. The signalman arranges to sort out the hazard on the line, but suggests Percy be cleaned up as he looks like a ghost. This gives Percy an idea to scare Thomas and asks not to be cleaned yet. Toby promises to help.

At the shed, a scared Toby arrives and tells Thomas, who is preparing to take his evening train, that Percy has had an accident. Thomas is concerned for Percy, but also worries that this will make him late. Toby tells him the line has been cleared, but that he thinks he saw Percy's ghost. Thomas is unconcerned and tells Toby not to worry.

However, after this, a ghostly voice comes from outside demanding to be let in. Thomas is frightened as the shed doors open and reveal what appears to be Percy's ghost. Thomas, terrified, quickly runs off to collect Annie and Clarabel.

The next morning, Thomas finally returns and meets Toby at the station. Toby asks what happened and Thomas reveals he slept in the goods shed claiming he did not want to intrude as Toby would be sad about Percy. However, as he makes his excuses, Percy whistles in the distance and Thomas runs off.

Percy, now cleaned up and none the worse for his adventure, arrives having heard everything. Percy cannot help but be pleased as Toby remarks that Thomas is acting as if he had seen a ghost.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * Sam the Farmer (mentioned)
 * Terence (deleted scene)

Locations

 * The Viaduct
 * Tidmouth
 * Ffarquhar Sheds
 * The Watermill
 * Anopha Quarry
 * The Windmill
 * Knapford Harbour (mentioned)
 * Crowe's Farm Crossing

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Tramway Engines.
 * The ghost engine is just Percy covered in white streamers and with Edward's whistle.
 * In all narrations, when Toby says "Anyone would think that our Thomas had just seen a ghost", the word ghost is said with a spooky echo.
 * Percy and Toby's exchange at the shed spoofs "The Three Little Pigs".
 * The crate of treacle, later used in "Woolly Bear", is seen when Percy scares Thomas at the end.
 * In the UK version, Percy's driver said the ghost was a pretend one on TV. In both US versions, he said it was only a pretend ghost story.
 * In both of Ringo Starr's narrations, Thomas whistles after he says "Got to see a coach about a train." This is absent in the George Carlin narration.
 * In Japan, this episode is called "Ghost Engine". In Denmark, it is called "Thomas and the Ghost Train". The German and Welsh title of this episode is "The Ghost".
 * There was a deleted scene featuring Terence pulling the lime-cart.
 * A fade effect is missing when before Percy enters Tidmouth Station in the restored version.

Goofs

 * In the opening shot of the viaduct, a light on the scaffolding goes on a bit too late.
 * When Thomas interrupts Percy during his ghost story at the beginning, it's daytime in the original version of the episode, but in the remastered version of the episode, it's close to dusk.
 * The fog blowing around Thomas, Percy and Toby is obviously being vented out of the ground.
 * The lime is blown up just before Percy collides with it.
 * When Percy turns up at the signalbox, he is covered in lime but his driver and his fireman are spotless when they should be covered in lime too.
 * When Percy says "That'll teach him to say I'm a silly little engine!", his face moves.
 * In the shot of Toby telling Thomas about Percy's accident you can tell the film was cut, as his eyes jerk from up to down.
 * When Thomas puffs out of the sheds, a piece of studio equipment can be seen through the shed window, the shed door moves and a plank can be seen through the door.
 * For some reason, in the restored version, Toby leaves Percy to go to the sheds a little later than he did in the original version and the scene of him leaving is sped up.
 * Before Percy smashes the cart, a black box is attached to his cab.

US Home Video releases

 * Percy's Ghostly Trick and Other Thomas Stories
 * 10 Years of Thomas
 * Best of Percy