Air date: September 16th, 2002
Gordon brags to Salty that it is not "dignified" for express trains to take trucks, but when The Fat Controller assigns Gordon to take trucks, he makes a point to do it the way express engines do, but things didn't go well after ignoring the "go slow" sign...
Tropes featured in the episode:
- An Aesop:
- Everyone makes mistakes.
- Always obey warning signs.
- Space Whale Aesop: ...or you'll end up tumbling off the tracks into an old farm.
- Break the Haughty: Gordon suffers this massively as he heads to an old rusty branch line, tumbling off the rails and bursting into a shed in the fields.
- Delusions of Eloquence: Percy pronounces the word "dignified" as "dinghy-fried", and Gordon has to correct him.
- Humble Pie: Gordon comes back from repairs humiliated, though cheers up when the other engines are sympathetic, with Salty even apologising for their argument.
- Karma Houdini: We never see the signalman get punished for sleeping on the job, resulting in Gordon going on the old branchline.
- Laser-Guided Karma: As Gordon going on the old branchline, he says "I'm an express engine, I don't go slow!" as he passes a "go slow" sign. Gordon then promptly tumbles down a hill, into a field, a pile of dirt, a pile of tires and into a barn.
- Oh, Crap!:
- "OH HEEEEELP!!!" cried Gordon. (As he flies off the tracks.)
- The signalman has one when he sees Gordon passing by the signal box.
- Rule of Three: After tumbling off the tracks, Gordon plows through a pile of mulch, jumped over a pile of tires and barrels, and crashes through the shed.
- Too Dumb to Live:The Fat Controller: Well, Gordon, you wanted to show Salty a thing or two and you've certainly done that. You've shown him how silly it is to ignore 'Go Slow' signs!
- A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: After accidentally being diverted onto a frail branch line, Gordon ignores a "go slow" sign, leading the rails to break under him and send him off the rails.
- Trash the Set: What happens to the farm during the crash.
- What the Hell, Hero?: The Fat Controller chastises Gordon that for proving to Salty that it was silly to ignore "go slow" signs.
