Awesome / The Adventure Begins

• When Gordon pulls Thomas along behind his train, he stops at Wellsworth Station...right as the clock changes (presumably to his normal arrival time). Gordon's line seals the deal. For that added touch, the scene is accompanied by an arrangement of Gordon's original theme, just like it was in the first episode of the series.
  Gordon: Oh, yes.
• The climax of the special is naturally a re-adaption of Season 1's "Thomas and the Breakdown Train"/"Thomas Saves the Day. But this time, there is an extended chase sequence as Thomas struggles to catch up to the runaway James and couple up behind him in hopes of slowing him down. Unfortunately, just as it looks the guard is about to couple Thomas up, James comes to a sharp bend and comes off the line. And the crash is brutal yet spectacular. To cap it off, the music for the sequence is a redone version of the Runaway theme.