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| Directed by: | John Ferraro |
| Written by: | Sean Kelly |
| Release date: | May 5, 1993 |
| Running time: | 25 minutes |
| Available on: | VHS YouTube |
Mr. Conductor's Fourth of July is an Independence Day episode of Shining Time Station, aired in the show's third season.
Synopsis[]
While people are outside listening to Stacy's speech on freedom, Schemer and Schemee turn the station upside down to look for gold. Schemee vacuums away Mr. Conductor's magic dust and he can't disappear anymore.
Thomas Story: Escape[]
As Edward is talking to Trevor one day, Douglas steams past with a train of coal and scolds Edward for not working. An upset Edward later meets Douglas again and tells him that both he and Trevor have a lot in common as they (along with Donald) were both nearly scrapped. The word "scrap" makes Douglas shudder and his wheels wabble. Edward continues, explaining how Trevor was saved from scrap and he is now Really Useful with the Vicar of Wellsworth. Edward also adds that Sir Topham Hatt could quickly use another steamie for Sodor too, to which Douglas agrees.
Douglas is taking a goods train that night to the Island's faraway part for just the diesels to work where. He is shunting for his return journey when he hears a faint hiss of steam. He pauses and hears the hiss again. A voice comes from nearby, asking if Douglas is one of Sir Topham Hatt's engines. The "voice" comes from a tank engine named Oliver with his brake van, Toad, who have both run away from being scrapped but have run out of steam from lacks of coal. Douglas is still nervous at hearing the word "scrap" again but then remembers Edward's story about Trevor and decides to help. With no time to turn around, Douglas buffers up to Oliver and runs tender-first. Just before they clear the station throat, a watchdog barks and a foreman stops them. Douglas' driver explains that Oliver and Toad belong to them and although wary at first, the foreman lets them continue.
It is early morning when they finally arrive. Secretly, Douglas' driver points out that the works are nearby and he finds a place for Oliver there, who thanks them all. The next day, Douglas tells the engines all about Oliver. As they are talking, Sir Topham Hatt arrives. The engines tell him that they really do need another engine, preferably a steamie. But Sir Topham Hatt explains that unless a steam engine is saved from scrap, there is little hope. Luckily, Sir Topham already knows about Oliver and decides that once he is repaired, he will be the perfect addition to Duck's branch line. The engines whistle and cheer in delight.
After restoring Oliver and Toad, Sir Topham Hatt gives them a new paint job of the Great Western colors. While Duck and Oliver are happy to run their new branch line together, the other engines laughed and called it "The Little Western" at first. However, the name delights Duck and Oliver, and so their branch will be called nothing else.