For other uses, see Snow Tracks (disambiguation).

Snow Tracks is the seventeenth episode of the thirteenth series.

Plot

A snowstorm has covered Sodor, and Gordon is told to take trucks needed for an important coal delivery to Brendam Docks and Thomas, to take firewood to all the stations. The Fat Controller tells Gordon to go the long way because of how slippery the snow is, though Gordon thinks of himself as special and strong and decides to take the shorter, hilly route. He is able to get up the first hill he comes across, but he slips down the other side very quickly, spraying Spencer with snow.

Gordon comes across another hill which is harder and attempts to also go over it. He is successful, but the snow gets into his face and he accidentally crashes into some slate trucks in a siding while going down the other side. Gordon still tries to go on, even though the snow is very deep, when he approaches his hill. Gordon also tries to climb it and is determined to get over it, all the while Thomas is following behind with his trucks. Unfortunately, Gordon inadvertently creates a giant snowball that starts to roll back and smashes into Thomas who derails.

Gordon apologises for what he has done and tries to get Thomas back on the rails himself, but he is unable to and so he brings Rocky over from the docks, delivering his trucks and getting cleaned in the process, to put Thomas back on the rails. Having delivered the coal, Gordon then helps Thomas deliver the firewood to all the stations. That night, Gordon announces that no engine is special, and they are all the best.

Characters

• Thomas
• Henry
• Gordon
• Percy
• Emily
• Spencer
• Rocky
• Sir Topham Hatt
• The Duke and Duchess of Boxford (do not speak)
• Edward (cameo)
• James (cameo)
• Sir Topham Hatt's Assistants (cameos)

Locations

• The Watermill
• Three-Track Level Crossing
• Tidmouth Sheds
• The Double Junction
• The Double Hills
• Gordon's Hill
• Knapford
• Maithwaite
• Maron
• Great Waterton (poster)
• Brendam Docks (mentioned)

Cast

UK

• Ben Small as Thomas
• Keith Wickham as Henry, Gordon, Percy and The Fat Controller
• Teresa Gallagher as Emily
• Matt Wilkinson as Spencer and Rocky

US

• Martin Sherman as Thomas and Percy
• Kerry Shale as Henry, Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt
• Jules de Jongh as Emily
• Glenn Wrage as Spencer
• William Hope as Rocky

Trivia

• This episode was shown in select US theatres.
• Mark Moraghan re-narrated this episode for the Santa's Little Engine DVD in 2013.
  • He would later go on to re-narrate shortened versions of four episodes from the next two series in 2015 for the PBS Kids website.
• Various music pieces from the special, Hero of the Rails are reused in this episode, such as Spencer's theme and the racing theme.
• This is the first episode since the sixth series episode, Edward the Very Useful Engine to have three English narrations. This is also the last episode to have this particularity (at least, in full).
  • Four more episodes from the next two series would also receive this treatment, albeit shortened.
• Henry's line "I don't like snow, you can get stuck in it." may be a possible callback to the first series episode, The Flying Kipper and second series episode, The Deputation.
• This episode marks the last of a couple of things:
  • The last time a character says, "Bust my boiler!" in the original television series, although the quote would be said again in the first series All Engines Go episode, The Can-Do Submarine Crew!
  • The last episode that was first shown in the 2000s.
• This is the only episode with a few things:
  • The only episode of the thirteenth series narrated by Mark Moraghan in the US.
  • The only time the writers' credit and the director's credit were on top of the episode title until the twenty-third series.
  • The only episode of the thirteenth series where snow appears.
• The Korean title of this episode is the same on both dub and subtitles.

Goofs

• When Gordon puffs up to apologise to Thomas, the track Gordon is on is not ploughed as his wheels are seen morphing through the snow. After the narrator says, "Gordon steamed slowly to Thomas," the positions of Gordon's siderods change.
• The yellow signal is red; but that type of signal is only fitted with yellow and green lamps.
• At Maron, the workmen are called stationmasters.
• The narrator says Thomas and his truck of firewood were lifted high in the air and derailed, but Thomas is pulling two trucks and only Thomas is lifted up.
• In Mark Moraghan's re-narration of the episode, Thomas' cry for help as the snowball is about to crash into him is omitted.
• When Thomas reverses into a siding, the points do not change when Gordon carries onto the main line.

Merchandise

• Wooden Railway - Rumble-Race Mountain Set (discontinued)
• Take-n-Play - Gordon's Snowy Special 3-pack (discontinued)
• Minis - Chillin' Gordon
• Books - Snowy Tracks
• Magazine Stories - Snow Tracks/Snow Tracks

In Other Languages

View content

Language Title Arabic الثلج Catalan Vies nevades Czech Zasněžené koleje Danish Vinter Gider Dutch Sneeuw op het Spoor Finnish Lumen Vallassa French La boule de neige géante German Verschneite Gleise Greek Ίχνη στο χιόνι Hungarian Hófödte sínek Icelandic Förin í snjónum Indonesian Jalur Salju Italian Binari Innevati Japanese ゆきのひのできごと Korean 눈 덮인 기찻길 Mandarin (China) 雪道 Norwegian Snøspor Polish Sodor w śniegu Portuguese (Portugal) Neve na Linha Romanian Șine Înzăpezite Russian Снежное приключение Serbian Pruge pod snegom Spanish (Latin America) Vías Nevadas Swedish Spår i Snön Welsh Eira Trwm

Home Media Releases

UK Splish, Splash, Splosh! The Complete Series 13 1st Class Stories DVD Packs Steam Team Collection US Splish, Splash, Splosh! Santa's Little Engine (Mark Moraghan's narration) MYS Splish, Splash, Splosh! Santa's Little Engine DVD Packs Steam Team Collection AUS/SWE/DK/FIN/POL/LATAM Splish, Splash, Splosh! AUS DVD Packs The Lion of Sodor and Splish, Splash, Splosh! Double pack POL DVD Boxsets Splish Splash Splosh/Misty Island Rescue 2-Pack LATAM DVD Boxsets The Adventures of Thomas FRA Creaky Cranky (DVD) Series 13 (digital download) NOR Friends in the Snow Splish, Splash, Splosh! CHN Snow Tracks THA Snow Tracks Santa's Little Engine JPN Playing in the Water and Fun with Thomas GER The Master of the Muddles ITA Merry Winter Wish KOR Thomas & Friends Five Specials Set

---