The fifth series of Thomas & Friends first aired on sprite in September 1998. It had forty-seven episodes narrated by Stephen Patton.
Production[]
With Series 5, the decision was made to write a full series of original, staff-written stories, evn the Railway Series' books as a source. One reason for this was producer Britt Allcroft's desire to create a theatrical Thomas the Tank Engine film and requested that director David Mitton show off his modelling skills. Series 5 also took on edgier and darker plot lines and included much more intense action and crashes.
Some inspiration for the episodes came from a former LMR manager named David Maidment. In 1997, Maidment met with Steven Wright about the possibility of supporting the Railway Children charity and while Wright told him the series' staff commonly received such requests, they would consider. During their meeting, Maidment relayed stories about his railway experiences working in South Wales and as the manager at Crewe station. Maidment received a call asking if he would allow some of his stories to be used as material – the stories from the Railway Series were frequently based on true events and Allcroft and Mitton preferred this. Maidment agreed and was also asked to review each story to make sure that the railway in the show operated realistically. As a result, Maidment received writing credit alongside Allcroft and Mitton. 10,000 British pounds were later donated to the Railway Children for his work.
Episodes[]
- Cranky Bugs
(Release date: 14th September 1998)
(A new crane called Cranky arrives at the docks and causes trouble for Bill and Ben, but he eventually needs their help after a storm.) - Horrid Lorry
(Release date: 15th September 1998)
(Three very Horrid Lorries arrive on Sodor and start taking over the engines' jobs. Eventually, the tables are turned and the lorries get their comeuppance.) - In Demand
(Release date: 16th September 1998)
(Butch gets an exciting new job at the timber yard, but Diesel doesn't think Trevor is very important at all.) - A Better View for Gordon
(Release date: 17th September 1998)
(Gordon complains about the plainness of a new station and longs for a panoramic view, which he gets unexpectedly.) - Thomas and the Old Oak Tree
(Release date: 17th September 1998)
(Thomas and his driver would stop nearby an old oak tree near the windmill.) - Toby Remembers
(Release date: 18th September 1998)
(Thomas, Percy and Toby were looking at the night sky after a storm had passed through. The sky was so clear that it made Toby think about an old friend he had on his old line before it was closed.) - Baa!
(Release date: 21st September 1998)
(A "Best Dressed Station" contest is being held across Sodor. However, as Percy is helping decorate Maithwaite station, a hungry ram is found at the station and the decorations are ruined.) - Oliver The Famous Engine
(Release date: 21st September 1998)
(The Fat Controller tells Oliver and Duck that they are expecting an important visitor who was the controller of the Other Railway, which makes Oliver so worried.) - Stepney and Spencer Stepney meets a splendid but arrogant streamliner named Spencer who is Gordon's cousin and taking the Duke and Duchess of Boxford to a party. Stepney advises Spencer to take on water, but he refuses to listen.
- Stepney and the Duke and Duchess
(Date: 23rd September 1998)
(Stepney takes the Duke and Duchess of Boxford instead of Spencer.) - Toby and the Flood
(Release date: 22nd September 1998)
(Toby is sent to inspect a dam and discovers a few leaks in it. It eventually collapses and causes an unsafe bridge to break, causing him to drift towards a waterfall and it's up to Percy and Harold to save him from falling down a waterfall.) - Haunted Henry
(Release date: 23rd September 1998)
(Henry refuses to believe in ghosts, until he and his crew encounter a series of spooky events during the night.) - Double Teething Troubles
(Release date: 24th September 1998)
(Bill and Ben are worried when they hear that Derek, a malfunctioning diesel, is going to help them work in the clay pits. But it turns out that Derek is a friendly diesel.) - You Can Do it, Derek!
(Release date: 25th September 1998)
(Derek has to look after Wellsworth yard while Edward is at Brendam, but is nervous about being Gordon's banker engine.) - Liz and the Mail Train
(Release date: 28th September 1998)
(Percy falls ill, so his sister Liz is tasked with pulling the mail train in his place.) - Thomas and the Old-Timers
(Release date: 29th September 1998)
(Edward is helping Toby in the yards while Thomas gets too big for his wheels thinking he does more of the work while the two old engines, in his opinion, is dawdling and being unreliable.) - Toby's Discovery
(Release date: 2nd October 1998)
(Toby takes the Hatts on an expedition, finding a castle and an old mine. The destinations are reopened, but Toby is spooked by Thomas' story about "The Old Warrior".) - Bertram the Brave
(Release date: 30th September 1998)
(Bertram’s friends always like going to the Wharf, but Bertram is told to take some coal to the Wharf, he helped his friends out of their predicament. Then he remembers that an Old Warrior is brave enough to do what he needs to do.) - Something in the Air
(Release date: 1st October 1998)
(Henry is cross when Thomas delays him and refuses to listen to his warning about a line eroded by high tides, which he ended up plunging in the sea.) - Duck and the Slip Coaches
(Release date: 2nd October 1998)
(James steals Duck's idea of bringing special slip coaches to the railway.) - James' Second Chance
(Release date: 5th October 1998)
(The Diesel ignores Duck's advice of take the slip coaches to Tidmouth.) - Lady Hatt's Birthday Party
(Release date: 6th October 1998)
(On his way to his wife's birthday, the Fat Controller runs into a series of problems like his car getting a flat tire, Caroline being broken down, and falls from George into a muddy ditch, which ruins his suit.) - Thomas and the Rumours
Thomas and the Rumors
(Release date: 7th October 1998)
(The engines discover that Harold has been hired to show a special visitor around the island and fear being replaced until Sir Topham Hatt told Thomas that it’s not true and that listening to rumors is bad after Daisy’s accident.) - Stepney's Find
(Release date: 8th October 1998)
(Stepney is put on mail duty but ends up going down to an old branch line, due to a dozing signalman, forcing Sir Topham Hatt to search for Stepney and discovering an old abandoned house.) - Washout!
(Release date: 9th October 1998)
(Percy and Toby look after the branch line while poor Thomas is mended at the works, but Percy soon runs in to trouble.) - Steamed Hams
(Release date: 12th October 1998)
(Thomas teases Duck that he's got an egg on his whistle and he sneezes the bacon out out of funnel and lands on his nose.) - Bye George!
(Release date: 13th October 1998)
(George the Steamroller causes a great deal of trouble for the engines.) - Donald, Douglas and Old Slow Coach
(Release date: 14th October 1998)
(Donald and Douglas discover an old coach named Harriet in the scrapyard and want to save her.) - Happy Ever After
(Release date: 15th October 1998)
(Mrs. Kyndley asks Douglas and his driver to make a "good luck package" for her daughter's wedding, which he succeeded in doing so.) - Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday
(Release date: 16th October 1998)
(The Fat Controller and his family go on holiday, even though things start to go wrong for him, his family and Tiger Moth.) - Duncan and The Biplane
Release date: 19th October 1998
When the engines get tired of hearing Duncan complain about Tiger Moth at the air show, Peter Sam and Rheneas come up with a plan to show Duncan just how exciting the air show really is. - Make Someone Happy
Release date: 20th October 1998
James sees Mrs. Kyndley, who is upset that her sister cannot come and visit. A "mystery tour" is arranged for her and James is chosen for the special job. - Busy Going Backwards
(Release date: 21st October 1998)
(Toad is feeling bored about going backwards all the time and confesses to Oliver that he wishes to go forwards for a change. On the hill, the coupling snaps and Toad goes on a wild ride with the Troublesome Trucks through the Little Western; all the way through Arlesburgh, Tidmouth Hault, and all the way to a pond at the Old Stone Bridge, while narrowly avoiding Duck and the Scottish Twins.) - Culdee the Mountain Engine
(Release date: 22nd October 1998)
A mountain engine named Culdee who tells the Skarloey Railway engines about his test run long ago. - Bad Look Out
(Release date: 23rd October 1998)
After being shamed by the Thin Controller, Duncan's arrogance is soon tamed with the help of a story from Culdee. - Danger Points
(Release date: 24th October 1998)
Lord Harry gets cocky and ends up in trouble! - Devil's Back
(Release date: 26th October 1998)
Lord Harry must help an injured walker who is at the top of the mountain. But he has to tackle 'Devil's Back' first... - The Importance of Being Ernest
(Release date: 27th October 1998)
Ernest and the workmen have hard work to ensure the Mountain Railway is able to reopen safely after Godred's accident. But they have to contend with a cantankerous old farmer, as well as his sheep when they escape from their field. - Duncan Gets Spooked
(Release date: 28th October 1998)
(Duncan teases Peter Sam after some trucks fall into a ravine, so Rusty tells Duncan a ghost story to make him eat his own words and the drivers of Peter Sam and Duncan plots to trick Duncan into thinking that the ghost is real, which they succeeded in doing so.) - Rusty and the Boulder
(Release date: 29th October 1998)
Rusty is suspicious of a strange boulder lodged in the mountains, which chases him, Skarloey, and Rheneas until it demolishes the nearby shed, which it narrowly avoided Stepney. - Speedkiller
(Release date: 30th October 1998)
(Rheneas has trouble with a heavy train and rails made greasy by the "Weed-killer".) - Sir Handel's Plan
(Release date: 2nd November 1998)
(Sir Handel is upset at Peter Sam for returning from the Talyllyn Railway when their new engine isn't ready, so he decides to teach him a lesson by intentionally damaging his firebars. But needless to say, his plan backfires on him.) - Dirty Water
(Release date: 3rd November 1998)
(While Skarloey and Rheneas are cleaning Peter Sam, he tells them how well they clean engines on the Talyllyn Railway where he had recently returned from. Rusty takes it the wrong way, but Peter Sam explains to her what he means by telling the two of them of his incident with the water on the Talyllyn.) - I Name this Engine...
(Release date: 4th November 1998)
(The engines on the Skarloey Railway are becoming more and more excited to see the new engine and find out what his name is.) - Fire Engine
(Release date: 5th November 1998)
(James and the other engines tease Henry about fire engines until one day an unfortunate incident happen to Henry.) - Oliver Gets Lost
(Release date: 6th November 1998)
(The Fat Controller sends Oliver to work with Bill and Ben at the Clay Pits on Edward's Branch Line. Oliver gets lost, eventually arriving at the Smelter's Yard with two diesels named 'Arry and Bert until BoCo defends him.) - Snow
(Release date: 9th November 1998)
(Stepney is cross with the snow, so Rusty tells him about Skarloey's own experience in an avalanche.) - Post Early for Christmas
(Release date: 10th November 1998)
(Percy is sent to deliver the post the week before Christmas Day until he gets stuck in a snowdrift and has to wait a long time to be rescued.)
Songs[]
- Thomas' Anthem
Release date: 14th September 1998 (UK) - Night Train
Release date: 2nd February 1999 Template:US; VHS - Accidents Will Happen
Release date: 10th August 1999 Template:US; VHS - Every Cloud has a Silver Lining
Release date: 1st October 1999 Template:UK; VHS - It's Great to be an Engine
Release date: 1st October 1999 Template:UK; VHS - The Snow Song
Release date: 1st October 1999 Template:UK; VHS - Donald's Duck
Release date: 1st July 1999 Template:JPN; VHS - Sir Topham Hatt
Release date: 1st July 1999 Template:JPN; VHS - Come for the Ride
Release date: 8th March 1999 Template:UK; VHS - Harold the Helicopter
Release date: 8th March 1999 Template:UK; VHS - Percy's Seaside Trip
Release date: 8th March 1999 Template:UK; VHS
Characters[]
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Duck
- Donald and Douglas
- Oliver
- Emily
- Stepney
- Bill and Ben
- Diesel
- Daisy
- BoCo
- Bear
- Mavis
- Class 40
- Skarloey
- Rheneas
- Sir Handel
- Peter Sam
- Duncan
- Duke
- Rusty
- Annie and Clarabel
- Troublesome Trucks
- Lola
- Toad
- Terence
- Bertie
- George
- Harold
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Lady Hatt
- Stephen Hatt
- Bridget Hatt
- Mrs. Kyndley
- The Little Boys
- The Firelighter
- Mr. Percival
- Harold's Pilots
- The Quarry-Master
- Farmer Trotter (not named)
- Mr. Walsh (not named)
- Henrietta (does not speak)
- Alice and Mirabel (do not speak)
- Spikey (does not speak)
- Pat (does not speak)
- Tom Tipper (does not speak)
- Isabel and Dulcie (cameo)
- Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice (cameo)
- Gertrude and Millicent (cameo)
- Trevor (cameo)
- Bulgy (cameo)
- Jermiah Jobling (cameo)
- Farmer Finney (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- The Vicar of Wellsworth (cameo)
- Refreshment Lady (cameo)
- Nancy (cameo)
- The Dryaw Policeman (cameo)
- The Ffarquhar Stationmaster and his Wife (cameos)
- The Second Butler (cameo)
- The Crovan's Gate Policeman (cameo)
- The Tailor (cameo)
- The Barber's Customer (cameo)
- One Member of the Railway Society (cameo)
- The Mid Sodor Railway Manager (cameo)
- Mrs. Last (cameo)
- The Inspector with the Bowler Hat (cameo)
- The Painter (cameo)
- The Portly Man (cameo)
- Bulstrode (faceless; cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless; cameo)
- Jerry (mentioned)
- S.C. Ruffey (deleted scene cameo)
- Vulcan (music video cameo)
- The Chinese Dragon (music video cameo)
- Elizabeth II (music video cameo)
- The Ffarquhar Policeman (music video cameo)
- The Stone-Dropping Boys (music video cameo)
- The First Butler (music video cameo)
- The Barber (music video cameo)
- The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's Children (music video cameos)
- The Injured Sailor (music video cameo)
Characters Introduced[]
- Spencer
- Liz
- Sam
- Belle
- Flynn
- Derek
- Arry and Bert
- Bertram
- Ivo Hugh
- Godred
- Ernest
- Wilfred
- Culdee
- Lord Harry/No. 6/Patrick
- Catherine
- Helena
- Jane
- Basil, Rose and Harry
- Harriet
- The Horrid Lorries
- Butch
- Cranky
- Dowager Hatt
- Old Bailey
- The Fire Brigade
- Mrs. Kyndley's Daughter
- Tiger Moth's Pilot
- The Lighthouse Keeper (not named)
- Rusty's Ghost Train (does not speak)
- Tiger Moth (does not speak)
- The Wedding Guests (do not speak)
- The Storyteller (cameo)
- Harry Topper (mentioned)
- The Fisherman (mentioned)
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