Have you ever wondered why “The Missing Coach” was so confusing in The Railway Series? It’s because it was all LIES! When Douglas misplaced the Special Coach, it caused a lot of trouble for James, Thomas, and Sir Topham Hatt - not to mention the huge trick the twins played on The Inspector! Will Douglas be able to rescue the Special Coach in time for The Express? Find out what REALLY happened in Episode #6 of Thomas & Friends: Back on Track!
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*(SPOILERS AHEAD)*
It’s finally, FINALLY here! After F I V E YEARS!!
If I can be dramatic for a moment, this episode has been in ‘production hell’ for years, at least as far as Thomas YouTube videos are concerned. I wrote the first draft and started filming in 2019, but I was never sure how I wanted the episode to play out. In the draft version, the climax of the episode was Douglas chasing after James, catching up to him at Elsbridge, and then bringing the coach back to Tidmouth. Womp womp. Pretty anticlimactic, and it didn’t warrant a nice, ‘storybook’ ending with all the engines in the shed together.
I realized that I was essentially making an incomplete story. “The Missing Coach” in The Railway Series is the second part of a longer story, and trying to make it into a standalone episode, told to Edward and Percy as flashback, felt hollow to me. I then got completely sidetracked with a much more exciting episode idea, that being “Diesel To The Rescue,” as well as “Little Engine Who Believed,” and “Character Gallery” over the past year, so this episode has been completely sidelined since 2022.
It was only last Summer, a few days after I finished “Diesel To The Rescue,” that I reimagined the entire plot during a single car ride on vacation. This included the demonstration with the Inspector, TWO tender swaps, bargaining with James, the crash, the chase, and putting Douglas at the heart of the story. At that point, I felt like I would be able to rewrite the episode with lots of jokes, a bit of action, a fun climax, and most importantly, a lot more heart and emphasis on Douglas that was sorely lacking in my draft version.
I decided to totally diverge from the original story and just go all-out wacky - with a bit of inspiration from “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Back To The Future: Part 2.” I knew I wouldn’t be able to top “Diesel To The Rescue” in terms of action, so I really tried to go for the laughs in this episode. Some of the jokes I’ve had in my system since 2019! I had to cut out SO much banter between the engines just to keep the story moving, but I still hope it gives you some laughs! This is the most fun I’ve had writing and narrating a video yet.
This episode isn’t nearly as crazy or as big a spectacle as “Diesel To The Rescue,” but it definitely has the most sets, the most shots, the most narration, and the most editing work put into it. I really hope you enjoy it, because it’s been quite a journey to see it finished!
If you’d like to watch more of my Thomas & Friends episodes, check out this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSND9odXrDeZyRE9p3AtEEsYrGoJNb9b9
In terms of future videos, I’m going to get right to work on Episode #7 and a Behind-The-Scenes for this episode as well. And be sure to stick around after the credits too… there might be a teaser of things yet to come... 👀
And last but certainly not least, a special thanks to YOU for watching! Until next time!
-Sooty Will (and Donald) (and Douglas)
_No special coaches were lost or harmed in the making of this film._
DISCLAIMER: This video is intended for a general audience. While it is safe for children to watch and does contain children's characters, children below the age of 13 are NOT the intended audience. While younger fans of Thomas & Friends can enjoy this video, it is directed and intended to be viewed by older Thomas & Friends fans over the age of 13, such as myself.
Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends is a property of Mattel, Inc and Hit Entertainment.
All Thomas & Friends characters, locations, music, sound effects, images, footage, and content belong to their respective owners.
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