Calling All Engines!
Calling All Engines! is a 2005 British-American Direct-To-Video special produced by HIT Entertainment. a spin off of the TV series, Thomas (the Tank Engine) & Friends and the first feature length Thomas production since 2000's Thomas and the Magic Railroad. The film was produced by HIT Entertainment and released in the United States on April 22, 2005 and the United Kingdom on May 13, 2005.
| Calling All Engines! | |
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 Region 2 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Steve Asquith |
| Produced by | Simon Spencer |
| Written by | Paul Larson |
| Narrated by | |
| Cinematography | Terry Permane |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Although Lady and Diesel 10 appear in this special, it is not an exact sequel to Thomas and the Magic Railroad, in which those characters first appeared.
Plot
One summer day, the Fat Controller announces that a new airport is to be built on Sodor, to accommodate more holiday makers, but Arry and Bert biff their trucks into Thomas and Percy, angering them. At the timberyard later, they boast to Thomas that they got a very important job because Diesels are better than steam engines, and Thomas responds by biffing them so hard, their timber falls onto the tracks. When Diesel confronts them, giving a similar boast, Thomas replies by pranking Diesel and giving him bananas to pull, but as a result, Tidmouth Sheds, having been demolished for renovations, is not rebuilt on time. As a result, all the engines are forced to sleep on different parts on the Island. That night, a huge storm sweeps across the island and the Sodor Suspension Bridge collapses. The next morning, the Fat Controller orders the engines to clear up the storm damage before the work can continue.
At the suspension bridge, a beam needs to be placed and Thomas is nearly unable to carry it, but using all his strength, he manages to lower the beam into place. Later, Thomas is collecting paint for the bridge, but Diesel rams Thomas's flatbed and makes paint splash all over Thomas. The event escalates until all the engines are fighting. That evening, The Fat Controller is furious at such delays and warns the engines that any more disturbances may result in the airport being unopened and the railway being put out of business. Most of the engines dream of humiliating fates for them if the Fat Controller decides to also close the railway. In the dreams, James becomes a carnival game, Gordon becomes a playground, Edward becomes a scarecrow and Percy becomes a roller coaster ride. However, Thomas dreams of seeing Lady telling him about the need for teamwork. The next morning, Thomas finds Mavis, and they agree to arrange a meeting for the steam engines and Diesels at the coaling plant. The following day, at the meeting, Thomas proposes that the steam engines and Diesels finally put their differences aside and begin working together to save the airport.
Very soon, the airport is complete and the first aeroplane is sent to Sodor, but when Thomas accidentally derails some trucks due to rocky rails, they hit the water tower, which falls and shatters on the runway, cracking it. With even Harvey coming too late to fix it himself, Thomas gathers his courage and asks Diesel 10 to help them and he eventually follows Thomas to the airport. With the aid of even Arry and Bert, Thomas collects George to fix the runway and the aeroplane lands at last. That evening, the engines are happy to see Tidmouth Sheds rebuilt, especially Emily when she finds that an extra berth has been built for her.
Characters
All the members of "The Steam Team" (the main cast of characters as portrayed since Season 8) make appearances in the film. Diesels with major roles include Diesel, Mavis, 'Arry, and Bert. Various supporting characters make appearances in the feature's music videos. Daisy makes her first appearance in the series since Season 4, and Derek appears for the first (and only) time outside of "Double Teething Troubles" from Season 5. 2 engines introduced in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Lady and Diesel 10 play roles in the film, although no direct references are made to Magic Railroad.
External links
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