Little Western Legacy is the second episode of Season 5, and the fifty-fourth episode overall.
Plot
One morning, Duck arrives at Tidmouth and Thomas tells him about the hit and run incident from the previous episode. Thomas mentions Lily, an old Wellsworth and Suddery Railway engine who used to operate The Little Western, and subsequently tells Duck about the time that he got his own branch line.
Before he could start work, The Fat Director tells Thomas that Lily is to help him learn how to properly run a branch line, as it is much different from being a station pilot. Thomas collects his two new coaches, Annie and Clarabel, and Lily allows him to take the first passenger train of the day. Thomas is eager to start and during his journey, he is too busy sightseeing to fill up on water.
Winston shortly arrives and has to help by giving Thomas half of his water. Thomas is grateful and continues his journey to the next station, where he fills up his water tank fully. That night at the sheds, he apologises to Lily, who tells him that passengers are his number one concern. Over the next week, Thomas takes Lily's advice on board and is able to help run the branch line properly.
One stormy evening, Duke arrives late with his passenger train, and on the journey Thomas notices a fishing boat that is about to run aground. The injured fishermen were helped into Thomas' train, where a doctor treated their injuries. At Tidmouth, Annie and Clarabel tell Henry what Thomas did that made him late.
Duck compliments Lily's branch line philosophy and asks what happened to her. Thomas tells him that unfortunately due to the Great Depression, Lily and the rest of the older engines were taken to the scrap yard on Edward's Branch Line in 1934, with only Neil being preserved.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Duck
- Winston
- Roger
- Lily
- Duke
- Annie and Clarabel
- Sir Topham Hatt I
- Edward (does not speak)
- Gordon (does not speak)
- Donald or Douglas (cameo)
- Alice (cameo)
- Colin (cameo)
- Adam (cameo)
- Clive (cameo)
- Brian (cameo)
- Peter Sam (cameo)
- James (mentioned)
- Percy (mentioned)
- Toby (mentioned)
- Oliver (mentioned)
- Neil (mentioned)
- Trevor (mentioned)
Trivia
- Railway Series references include; Thomas and the Breakdown Train, Thomas' Train, Thomas and Gordon and Saved from Scrap.
- A Stranger in Need is referenced.
- This is the only episode to feature the end credits that include all of the engines at Knapford Sheds.
- SmudgersPKMN, TheScotsmanReturns and DTChapman1 join the voice cast.
- This episode marks Annie and Clarabel's first speaking roles.
Voice Actors
- WildNorWester as Narrator, The Fat Director, Duck and Roger
- Joe Gibbons as Thomas
- TheScotsmanReturns as Henry
- SmudgersPKMN as Winston
- ANB as Lily, Annie and Clarabel
- DTChapman1 as Duke
Gallery
Episode
