Gordon Goes Foreign was an episode planned for the second series, along with The Missing Coach. It was cancelled due to budgetary restraints, and was to be based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book, The Eight Famous Engines.
Plot[]
One day, Gordon is arguing with an unnamed engine from the Other Railway about the top station in London. Gordon believes the station to be King's Cross, while the Visitor insists it is Euston. Duck interrupts and believes London's top station is Paddington. The three engines argue all night and next morning. When the visitor leaves, Gordon and Duck continue to argue until James gets them to stop.
Determined to prove that London's top station is King's Cross, Gordon decides to travel there, rather than give his train to another engine. But whatever trick Gordon uses, his driver stops him every time.
One day, Gordon reaches the big station at the end of the line, is uncoupled from the train, and moves into a siding to rest before heading home. However, the other engine does not arrive. A porter runs up to Gordon's driver, telling him that an inspector on the platform wants to talk to him. A few minutes later, the driver returns and explains that the replacement engine turned over and the crew, having talked to the Fat Controller and gained his approval, want Gordon to take the train to London. Gordon backs onto the train and starts as soon as the guard blows his whistle and waves his green flag. Despite London being a long way away, Gordon likes the long run as a chance to stretch his wheels.
The next morning, the Fat Controller is in his office and looks at all the letters on his desk, one of them having a London postmark. The station master comes in and shows the Fat Controller that Gordon has made headlines in the newspaper. The Fat Controller reads the article. The next day, when Gordon comes home, the Fat Controller talks to him and his crew. While Gordon's crew enjoyed themselves, Gordon did not, as the top station is not King's Cross anymore, but St. Pancras.
Trivia[]
- According to a concept artwork by David Mitton, the argument between the three engines would have ocurred at Tidmouth, and the Big City Engine would have been made using a modified version of Henry's Gauge 1 model with a new face and smoke deflectors.
- If this episode were filmed and released, this would mark two things:
- The Big City Engine's first and only appearance in the TV Series.
- The first and only appearances of new locations in the TV Series.
- The script for this episode was leaked in 2022.
- Despite this episode being cancelled, a reference to it is made in the twenty-fourth series double-length episode Thomas and the Royal Engine, this means that the events of this episode happened in the TV Series' timeline.
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
Script (Pages 1-4)[]
