20x15 - Cautious Connor

[bunniefuu]

[bouncy music]

♪ ♪

children:

♪ They're two, they're four ♪

♪ They're six, they're eight ♪

♪ Shunting trucks

and hauling freight ♪

♪ Red and green

and brown and blue ♪

♪ They're the really

useful crew ♪

♪ All with different roles

to play ♪

♪ Round Tidmouth Sheds

or far away ♪

♪ Down the hills

and round the bends ♪

♪ Thomas and his friends ♪

♪ ♪

[whistle toots]

[steam hisses]

[upbeat music]

narrator: Cautious Connor.

♪ ♪

male narrator: There are

some very fast engines

on the Island of Sodor.

There's Gordon, of course,

who pulls the Express.

And Spencer,

the private engine

of the Duke and Duchess

of Boxford.

♪ ♪

And then, there are

Caitlin and Connor...

[whistle toots]

who come from the mainland.

- I'm bang on time.

I'm bang on time.

I'm bang on time!

I'm bang on time.

I'm bang on time.

I'm bang on time.

I'm bang on time...

narrator:

Connor and Caitlin

are even faster

than Spencer and Gordon!

[whistle toots]

- Bang on time again, Connor.

Oh, [laughs]

you remind me of me

back in my heyday.

So fast I won every race.

- [chuckles] I'd say you still

got it in you, Stephen.

- Oh, yes.

[whistle toots]

Pee-yow!

Greased lightning.

[chuckles]

[whistle toots]

[harp glissando]

[horn blares]

narrator: One day,

Connor had to

wait at the Vicarstown Bridge

for a ship that was

passing through the channel.

- [balks]

Hurry up, hurry up.

My passengers are waiting.

[sighs]

[ship horn blares]

Finally.

[bell dinging]

[whistle toots]

narrator:

And then there was trouble.

- I'm running late.

I'm running late.

I'm running--ah!

[gear clanks]

[screams]

- Ah.

- Oh.

[uneasy music]

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

narrator: One of Connor's

coupling rods had come loose,

and he'd nearly

been derailed.

- Maybe I was going too fast.

narrator: Poor Connor had

to be taken to the steam works,

where the engineers

quickly replace

the damaged coupling rod.

But Connor was not happy.

- Nothing like this has ever

happened to me before, Victor.

I've never broken down.

I must have been

going too fast.

- Nonsense, my friend.

This has nothing to do

with going fast.

The assembly became loose

and a pin snapped.

That could happen

at any speed.

- We've given you

a thorough safety check, Connor.

There's really

nothing to worry about.

- Okay, then.

If you say so.

[whistle toots]

narrator: But Connor

was still a bit worried.

[whistle toots]

- Hello, Connor.

- Oh. [laughs]

Good to see

you back at work again,

after your little accident.

- Oh, Millie,

it was kind of scary.

I mean, I heard a big bang

and felt something snap.

[whistle blows]

I'm going to be

much more careful from now on.

[whistle toots]

- Oh.

[languid music]

♪ ♪

- Oh.

[whistle toots]

[brakes squealing]

Hello, Connor.

Um, why are you going so slowly?

Is something wrong?

- No, not really.

I just need to be

more careful now.

I don't want my coupling rods

coming loose again.

- Oh.

But I thought you'd been

repaired at the steam works?

If you're really worried,

Connor, perhaps

you should go back and have

yourself checked over again.

- Good idea, Thomas.

Better safe than sorry.

Right?

[whistle toots]

Better safe than sorry.

Better safe than sorry.

Better safe than sorry...

narrator: So Connor

went back to the steam works

just as soon as he could.

- Victor, I'm going

extra slowly and carefully,

but I still think

there's something wrong with me.

- There is nothing

wrong with you, Connor.

You are a fast

streamlined engine.

You should be going

at full speed again.

- [sighs] I know

what you're saying, Victor,

and--and you're probably right,

but I'd rather not

risk it all the same.

narrator: The next day,

Connor was still going slow.

- Better safe than sorry.

Better safe than sorry.

Better safe than sorry.

[whistle toots]

- Hi, Connor!

- Oh, hi, Thomas.

- [laughs]

Oh, Thomas,

you are impressive!

Overtaking that big

streamlined engine like that.

[chuckles]

- [chuckles]

And leaving him far behind!

[chuckling]

- Oh.

But it's not really funny,

Annie and Clarabel.

I wish I knew some way

to help Connor

be more like Connor again.

- I quite agree, Thomas.

- I suppose his racing days

are over now.

narrator: And then an idea

flew into Thomas' funnel.

- Here we are.

[whistle toots]

Ulfstead Castle.

Sorry we're late, everyone,

but better safe than sorry,

as I now like to say.

- This is a terrible railway.

- It would have been

quicker by camel.

- [huffs]

- Oh.

Hello, Thomas.

What are you doing up here?

- I wanted to find you.

I wondered whether you

might be up for a challenge?

- [laughs]

You know me, Thomas.

Always up for a challenge.

- Great, Connor.

Let's have a race.

- Uh--a race?

Oh--I don't know.

My coupling rod might

come loose again and--

cause an accident.

No, Thomas,

I can't have a race with you.

- Not with me, Connor.

I'm much too fast for you.

I thought you might

race against Stephen.

- That's right, pal.

[whistle toots]

How would you like

to take on

The Rocket?

- Huh?

- On your marks,

get set,

go!

[dramatic music]

[squeaking]

Pee-yow!

- But--I'm far too fast

for you, Stephen.

No offense.

- None taken!

And no offense to you either,

but you're not too fast

for me anymore!

I could race laps around you!

[laughs]

- [sighs]

No.

I--I can't race.

Not after what happened

with my coupling rod.

- Coupling rod?

Coupling rod?

Don't talk to me

about coupling rods.

Back in my day, Connor,

we wouldn't have worried

about coupling rods.

I mean, we had parts snap off

and bits come loose.

Some engines I worked with

even exploded!

Ka-pow!

[dramatic music]

But did they give up?

No!

They picked themselves up,

got their parts back together,

and carried on racing,

like the heroes they were:

hard-working steam-driven

railway engines

who liked to go fast.

Not like you, Connor.

- But I do like to go fast.

- Then get out there

and prove it!

Go on!

You can do it!

You can be bang on time,

all over again!

[whistle blows]

[triumphant music]

- You're right.

I can do it.

I can do it.

I'll be bang on time again.

- Whoo-hoo!

[whistle toots]

[all cheering]

- Go Connor!

[cheering]

- [cheers]

[cheering]

♪ ♪

- Wow, Stephen.

That was a great pep talk.

Did those engines you worked

with really

put themselves back together

after they exploded?

- Don't be silly, Thomas.

[chuckles]

I made that bit up.

But sometimes,

you need a good story

just to get things

back on track again.

And it got Connor going,

didn't it?

- [laughs]

- [laughs]

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

narrator:

At last,

Connor felt like himself again.

He was fast.

[whistle toots]

He was happy.

[whistle toots]

And he was eager

to be bang on time.

- [laughs]

[gentle woodwind music]

♪ ♪

[children singing]

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪