Air date: October 21st, 2002 (UK), October 13th, 2003 (US)
Duncan waits at a junction one morning for Peter Sam to deliver his goods to take to Strawberry Grove. He is also assigned the task of taking Headmaster Hastings and his new organ.
Peter Sam has steamed all through the night to deliver Duncan his goods, but as he approaches the junction, he strikes a low-hanging branch which knocks his whistle off. As a result, Peter Sam can no longer work until he gets a replacement. Duncan brags that an engine is not an engine without a whistle and lets off a big blast with his own whistle, but the other engines ignore him. Duncan becomes cross while he sets off with his goods because he thinks the other engines are jealous of his whistle. On the way, he whistles at some sheep, but they are too busy eating to pay attention. Duncan becomes frustrated and thinks he needs to whistle louder and longer. He approaches a crossing where Elizabeth is carrying the farmer's prize bull. As Duncan approaches the crossing, he whistles loud and long, startling the bull. Elizabeth scolds Duncan but to no avail, as he finds it fun, not knowing that his whistle has become loose. When he sees Terence plowing a field, he prepares to give him the same surprise, but he blows his whistle so hard, that it simply flies off and lands out of sight.
With his whistle nowhere to be found, Duncan's driver tells him they are stuck and cannot continue. However, with Duncan carrying the organ destined for Strawberry Grove School, Headmaster Hastings decides to play the organ as a substitute, which alerts every person at stops during the delivery. When Duncan reaches home, he is teased by Rusty for being a "musical engine" while Skarloey and Rheneas whistle along. Peter Sam, having been in the works for a new whistle, tells Duncan that he was brave to go on and make his deliveries without a whistle, which cheers Duncan up. Headmaster Hastings makes one last "toot" on the organ and all the other engines whistle back in reply, except Duncan, who just grins.
This episode contains examples of:
- End of an Age: This was the last episode to be narrated by Alec Baldwin in the US dub. It is also the last episode to be produced solely by Gullane Entertainment.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After bragging that an engine is not an engine without their whistle, Duncan loses his own when it comes off thanks to him whistling too much.
- MacGyvering: Can't find your whistle, Duncan? A pipe organ might do the trick...
- Same Story, Different Names: The episode's plot is the same as "Mike's Whistle" from the The Railway Series book, Small Railway Engines, with Peter Sam and Duncan taking the roles of Duck and Mike respectively. "Mike's Whistle" would be properly adapted fourteen seasons later.
- Season Finale: Of Series 6.
- Tim Taylor Technology: To get noticed, Duncan keeps blowing his whistle harder and louder. This comes back to bite him when all the hard whistling causes his whistle to blow off into a field.
- Tuckerisation: Headmaster Hastings is named after the episode's writer, Ross Hastings.
