U.S. Title: Timothy and the Rainbow Car
Air date: July 28th, 2015 (UK), May 9th, 2016 (US)
Of all the engines on Sodor, Bill and Ben love playing tricks on Timothy the most. One day, they tell him that they need him to find a lost truck for them. The truck in question is all the colours of the rainbow and is needed for something important. To cover themselves, Bill and Ben warn that the truck is a surprise so he must not tell the Fat Controller about it. Timothy, thinking he is helping his two friends, sets off in search of this special wagon.
Outside the Clay pits, Timothy passes Thomas and explains that he is looking for a rainbow-coloured truck. Thomas is dubious; he does not think there is a truck like that on the whole island, but Timothy is convinced there is and he is going to find it.
At Brendam Docks, there are lots of different trucks in lots of different colours, but Timothy cannot find one that looks like the rainbow truck that the twins had described. As he passes the Animal Park, Timothy sees a colourful parrot. Next, he passes Boxford and sees the Duchess wearing a very colourful dress. Finally, he passes a field and sees some children flying rainbow-coloured kites, but there is no sign of a multi-coloured truck anywhere.
Eventually, Timothy ends up at the shunting yard. Then, the little oil-burning engine spots the Fat Controller who is confused to see Timothy who is supposed to be working at the clay pits. Timothy doesn't know what to say and reverses away nervously, leaving the Fat Controller pondering.
Timothy is feeling very upset about not being able to find the special truck and nothing at all can cheer him up. Timothy decides to try the docks one last time. He calls out to Cranky and explains that he is looking for a truck that is all the colours of the rainbow. Then, Salty rolls up and says that he knows where the truck can be found.
Salty takes Timothy to the dockyard and shows him a messy rubbish truck, covered in different colours of paint. Timothy doesn't think that a rubbish truck can be the same truck Bill and Ben were describing, but then it dawns on him; Bill and Ben have been playing a trick on him all along. The rubbish truck does match Bill and Ben's description and Salty says if they wanted a multi-coloured truck, they are going to get one. Salty sends Timothy back to the Clay pits with the smelly rubbish truck.
Back at the Clay pits, Bill and Ben can smell something horrible as Timothy puffs in pushing the multi-coloured truck of rubbish. Bill and Ben tell Timothy that they were only playing a trick on him and there is no such truck as the one they described. Then, there is trouble as the Fat Controller arrives and reprimands Bill and Ben for sending Timothy on a fool's errand. By way of punishment, the Fat Controller puts the twins on waste collecting duty and demands that they start with the multi-coloured truck of dockyard scrap. Timothy and Marion can't help chuckling to themselves.
Bill and Ben do as they're told and take the pongy wagon to Whiff's Waste Dump, complaining all the way there.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Jerkass to One: The narration states that Bill and Ben love playing tricks on Timothy more than they do with the other engines.
- Laser-Guided Karma: For tricking Timothy, Bill and Ben's punishment is to collect waste starting with the same multi-colored truck they tricked Timothy with.
- Snipe Hunt: Bill and Ben send Timothy off on one. Timothy doesn't realise until Salty 'found' a rainbow truck for him.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: When trying to think of a special truck, Ben and Bill both say random colours before just deciding that Timothy needs to find a rainbow truck.
- Trickster Twins: Bill and Ben as usual. They were found out by the Fat Controller however.
