Bulgy Rides Again is the nineteenth episode of the seventh series.
Plot
When some holiday makers are coming to Sodor, Thomas and Emily are at the foundry for maintenance and find that there is no one to run the branch line during the summer holidays and the Fat Controller needs to find a way to carry more passengers. After Thomas said that this is "A double-decker problem," it gives the Fat Controller an idea by going to Bulgy, the double-decker bus who was turned into a hen house after an accident with a bridge. The Fat Controller gives Bulgy another chance to be back on the road and Bulgy is delighted.
Bulgy arrives at the foundry, meeting Thomas and Emily and tells them that he is going back on the road. When Emily thinks that he should help the new farmer to deliver his vegetables around the island, Bulgy insists on taking passengers instead. After being repainted, his driver takes him back to his field, where his previous residents, the hens, think he looks splendid. While Bulgy is sleeping, the hens miss their home. One by one they creep aboard and sleep in his luggage racks.
The next day, Bulgy picks up some passengers to take to the station, driving so smoothly that the hens don't wake up. Everything is going fine, until he has some trouble getting past Trevor. When Bulgy turns, he almost hits the Post Van and swerves; it suddenly wakes up the hens, which frighten the passengers and cover them with feathers and eggs. The passengers are angry over this incident and want to complain to the Fat Controller. Bulgy tells them that it was not his fault.
When Bulgy is sent to be cleaned, he is angry at both the hens and the passengers. Emily tells him that the farmer stills needs help to sell his vegetables, for which Bulgy thinks being a vegetable bus is a good idea. Thomas then adds that he and Emily are now maintained and ready to carry passengers again. As a result, Bulgy is repainted green and turned into a mobile vegetable stand. Bulgy cannot be happier, as now he does not have to put up with hens or passengers.
Characters
- Thomas
- James
- Emily
- Bulgy
- Sir Topham Hatt
- The Storyteller (not named)
- One member of the Railway Board (not named)
- Trevor (does not speak)
- Henry (cameo)
- Gordon (cameo)
- Percy (cameo)
- Arthur (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
- Lady Hatt (cameo)
- Bridget Hatt (cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- Tom Tipper (cameo)
- Refreshment Lady (cameo)
- Cyril the Fogman (cameo)
- Oliver (stock footage cameo)
- Peter Sam (stock footage cameo)
Locations
- Bulgy's Bridge
- Bulgy's Field
- Knapford Sheds
- Henry's Tunnel
- Rolf's Castle
- Wellsworth
- The Works
- Balladrine
- Tidmouth Bay (stock footage)
- Lakeside (stock footage)
- Neptune Refreshments (stock footage)
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the eighth episode of the seventh series.
- This episode is exactly 100 episodes after the third series episode Bulgy.
- This episode marks a few milestones for Bulgy;
- His first appearance since the fourth series episode Mind that Bike.
- His first speaking role, let alone starring role, since his introduction in the third series episode Bulgy.
- His last speaking role until the twenty-first series episode, Unscheduled Stops.
- His last starring role until the twenty-third series episode, Free the Roads.
- The episode marks the last time Peter Sam is seen with his old funnel, which was seen via stock footage.
- After Bulgy is refitted, both the signs on his top decker are "Railway Bus" signs.
- Stock footage from Bulgy, Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady and Percy's Chocolate Crunch is used, as are deleted scenes from Bulgy and No Sleep for Cranky.
- The events of the episode Bulgy are mentioned and shown.
- The US version uses the original music instead of the new music on Thomas and the Jet Engine and Other Adventures.
- Prior to being released on Amazon for digital download in 2016, Michael Brandon's narration of the episode with new music had only been broadcast on television, and the narration itself was never released on DVD.
- In the UK narration, Bulgy has developed a nasal voice.
- This is one of several episodes from the seventh series to have its title card read on Nick Jr. and PBS airings.
- Because of the use of stock footage, Percy's Chocolate Crunch, this episode and Best Dressed Engine have the same opening shot.
Goofs
- Oliver has Percy's whistle sound.
- Because stock footage is used, Peter Sam has his old funnel.
- Bulgy overtakes Trevor then swerves to avoid the mail van. In the next shot, Trevor and the mail van are nowhere to be seen and Bulgy appears to have backed up quite a bit.
- When Bulgy says, "A vegetable bus? That's not such a bad idea!" a crew member's movements are reflected in his front driver-side window and Bulgy's face is slightly crooked.
- When Trevor overtakes Bulgy after the hens wake up, Trevor's noise is suddenly absent when the passengers get a close-up; then, in the very next shot when Bulgy sulks, "It's not my fault!" Trevor is audible again.
- The storyteller's hat is severely damaged in one scene.
- When the passengers evacuate Bulgy, they are dirty, but when Bulgy sulks "It's not my fault!" they are spotless.
- The small scale model of Bulgy's driver has a moustache, but his large scale model is clean shaven.
- When James admires Bulgy’s new red paint work, behind him, Emily is derailed and appears to have hit a wall.
- When the Fat Controller comes to talk to Bulgy about his restoration, Bulgy is not in as much disrepair as he was at the end of his debut.
- The first scenes of the foundry take place at Knapford Sheds, but when Bulgy returns after his mishap with the hens, the setting for the foundry is changed to Wellsworth. Thomas and Emily are also in different positions.
- Bulgy's eye mechanism can be seen in his wheel arch when he says, "Thank you, sir! I'll be the best bus ever!"
- Sir Topham Hatt's car and Bulgy have the same horn sound.
- When Bulgy departs with his passengers, he leaves the storyteller behind. However, after the hens frighten the passengers, she can be seen on board.
Merchandise
- Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- Tomica (discontinued)
- Capsule Plarail
- Nakayoshi (discontinued)
- Books - Bulgy Rides Again and Thomas and the Double-Decker Bus (Germany only)
- Magazine Stories - Bulgy's Back!
In Other Languages
| Hide] View content | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home Media Releases
UK
- Pulling Together!
- The Complete Series 7
DVD Packs
- Classic Collection
- Pulling Together!/The Chocolate Crunch Double Pack
WAL
- Machines Co-Extract
US
- Thomas and the Jet Engine and Other Adventures (Original Music)
- Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 7 (New Music)
DVD Boxsets
- Totally Thomas Volume 8
- Adventure On the Tracks
- Play Date Pack
AUS
- The Complete Series 7
DVD Packs
- Complete Series 1-10
- Series Seven and Series Eight Double Pack
SWE
- Hooray for Thomas!
JPN
- Thomas the Tank Engine Series 7 Vol.3
- Animals and Fun
DK
- Hip Hooray for Thomas and Other Stories
DVD Boxsets
- Danish DVD Boxset (2008)
MYS
- Fergus Breaks the Rules and Other Adventures
- Something Fishy and Other Adventures
- Tooty Holiday Compilation
ITA
- Hooray for Thomas (Italian DVD)
KOR
- The Story of Getting to Know Nature
THA
- Thomas and Friends - Volume 25 (Thai DVD)
HK
- Thomas and Friends Volume 16
- Thomas and Friends Volume 2 (DVD)
TWN
- Long Live Thomas
- Thomas and Friends Volume 16 (Taiwanese DVD)