support of viewers like you
reach for the speed
reach for the whistle go where the rail
may run
reach for the words
reach for the story
follow the rainbow sun
to his shining time station
where dreams can come true
[Music]
i'm here for my lessons uncle schemer
i mean professor schemer that's better
give me that
all right
scheming school is now in session now
today is friday the 13th and people all
over this world of ours become total
yo-yos and get all
wiggly because they're afraid of bad
luck and why be yourselves exactly
fierce
beer
sells right now on this day you can sell
any piece of useless junk to even smart
people as long as they think that it is
a lucky junk
uh yes boy in the front row
what uncle schemer i mean professor
that's too good to be true i don't turn
that easy at fool ah so young yet so not
old
take a gander at this
stuff genuine plastic four-leaf clovers
vinyl horseshoes and
rabbit's feet made from my mommy's wool
coat all useless junk to be sold at
optical prices oh yes yes yes yes boy in
the back row oh uncle schemer
i mean professor supposed to have even
more ideas on how to make nickels on
friday the 13th well all's i can say to
that is school's dismissed i'll be right
back
all right and the kid's pretty bright
someday he might even be as
bright as his old uncles came from
what do you think
oh
boy
but what if someone asks for it tex well
maybe we should just hog tie the toon
makers and keep it silent city yeah what
are you guys talking about the unlucky
song man the unluckiest song
every friday the 13th when someone
requests engine
one fall three
something downright crazy has happened
not just because it's friday the 13th
doesn't mean bad things happen
oh yeah well
schemie's here isn't he that's bad
enough
the lucky ducky pond
throw in nickels to avoid bad luck aha
i see that my first suckers i mean
customers have arrived quick before
something bad happens throw a nickel
into the lucky ducky pond or perhaps you
might get into one of these
schemee you don't think anyone's gonna
fall for any of this to you oh yeah i
happen to know that when it comes to
friday 13th
adults will fall for anything
well maybe some adults but not all
adults
dan dan did
watch listen and learn
my dear miss smoot why i couldn't help
noticing that you had a train tick in
your hand
i hope you're not planning on going on a
train on friday the 13th are you my dear
schemee do you really think a woman of
my maturity would worry about friday the
13th
how ridiculous
does it mean you're not worried
why would i be worried
when i have my lucky rabbit's foot i
have my lucky four-leaf clover i have my
lucky horseshoe and best of all i have
my lucky plastic crochet hook really
schemey you should have a little more
respect for your elders
but surely you're not thinking of going
on with only one rabbit's foot after all
trains are really dangerous and
what was that
what was that it must be the ghost train
the ghost train hey wait a minute you
can't do that you have a temper yes miss
moot you see a long time ago a training
off the tracks bam it haunts the station
to this very day in fact this whole
place this whole station is ghost
central station
i know it
i knew it even though i knew it was not
my place to say i'd heard rumors that
was haunted
you heard them too yeah
no miss skinny's not telling the truth
i mean there are no ghosts at shining
time station i mean there's nothing
weird at all that
oh
what was that
that that vase
fell
from nowhere
this station is haunted rich
what can i do for you mom dear dear miss
jones
i have heard so many rumors not that i
want to gossip
but
i have heard for a fact that there are
hundreds of ghost trains and you poor
poor child
having to work in this station and stacy
skinny's been making up stories trying
to scare people so he can sell his good
luck churn am not
[Music]
break it up break it up what's going on
around here huh uncle schemer
they're mad at me because i'm trying to
make a few nickels okay what would you
be quiet you two this is very serious
stacy
i saw
that vase
fall
from nowhere
and it is a known fact there are 100
ghost trains but don't you worry i have
all sorts of ways to help you now i'll
be right back but midge
schemer why do i think you're behind all
this
i don't know
habit
we're just trying to protect people from
train wrecks there's never been a train
wreck on the indian valley railroad
scheme never knock on wood
uh miss jones are you prepared to back
up that uh amazing fact certainly i i've
got the records right here in this this
box of old things i'll show it to you
right now
she broke a mirror she broke a mirror up
though seven years bad luck seven years
of bad luck quick let's make a deal 5
cents each
five cents for a plastic four leaf
clover
we've got real ones out back for free
yeah maybe that's what i'll do i'll get
a real one right after i clean this up
hey why waste time looking for a real
one when you're gonna have a plastic one
for five cents come on
did i just see what i think i saw
yeah
and stacy was yelling at schemer and
schemie
for fooling people
that was like she believed in four-leaf
clovers
uh dan why don't you go talk to billy
before this really gets out of control
yeah i'm gonna stay out here and make
sure schemie doesn't trick anyone again
[Music]
hi dad
billy do you ever get superstitious
do i what
well everybody's acting weird because
it's friday the 13th
ah
i see
you better tell me more
i just don't get it
none of these superstitions make any
sense
that's true
but some of them do come out of
experience you know i mean
take you walking under a ladder for
example i mean
it's not a good idea one way or the
other but whether it's bad luck or good
luck i mean who knows
i mean railway people are superstitious
the number nine
that's bad luck to railway people to
other people it's just a number but you
know why
because one time there was a westbound
train
and it had the number nine on the engine
and that train crashed
and that wasn't enough
there was another engine another number
nine another train
and another crash
so you see
that kind of thing sort of sticks on
people you know
but
i mean not all superstitions are silly
i mean not all of them are
uh bad
i mean it's really what you think of
them that matters and
it's what you what you let them do to
you
you know what i mean
stacy dear i really wish you'd take my
extra-large lucky rabbit's foot well
thank you so much mitch but i already
have my four-leaf clover only one oh
that's not enough i really think
what what what is a mitchy it's jones
big black cap oh
what happened well mitch was was just
looking out the window and she thought
she saw a black cat and then she fainted
excuse me
that's all right kids she just needs
some fresh air come on miss motor big
black cat
following me
on take stations
there was no black cat and even so how
would you know that it was bad luck no
black cat i saw it i saw it
now i know no what mitch now i know
there is only one person to help you
helga boone swaddle the official medium
of the flowering cactus ladies
[Music]
for auxiliary we're fishing for nickels
while fishing for we're fishing
for nickels
okay here's the plan you go in there and
fish out all those nickels that the
fools threw in for good luck and i'll
stay here and put the nickels right here
in my queen
what happened to my coin changer where's
my coin changer my somebody juicing them
this is my coin changer
isn't that in there where
in there if you just look a little bit
closer
oh this water is really wet i guess i
was wrong but gee what bad luck you're
having i think you would bear throw a
nickel in the lucky ducky pond what are
you kidding me that for suckers
gotta get home and have my mommy help me
change
[Music]
just in case
right i'll tell you what's right i'm
making nickels off people getting scared
and you're not you know what
i have even got enough nickels too
to play the jukebox all day if i want
yeah but
please
don't interrupt me while i make my
selection
i can't look text what did he choose
well
the little squirt chose engine 143
wow
we short circuit yet not yet sticks but
you never know
i think we should just do it and hope
for the best
you mean
we're gonna ride this bull to the finish
that's the only way to go
ready
one
and two and three
[Music]
along came the ffv
the swiftest
line
running over the ceo road just 20
minutes behind
running into southville
headquarters on the line
receiving their strict orders
from a station just behind
george's mother came to him
a bucket on her arm
saying to her darling son be careful how
you run
many a man has lost his life
trying to make lost
[Music]
she crushed
[Music]
his head against the firebox door the
flames were rolling
[Music]
the doctor said to georgie
my darling boy be still
your life may yet be saved if it is
god's blessed will
oh no said george that will not do
i wanna die so free
i wanna die for the engine i love 143.
[Music]
hey
nothing happened
guys
guys
they all fainted
right um
mr conductor can you tell us what's a
person who's a medium
a medium
well a medium is someone who's not too
large not too small not too thin not too
tall it's someone who doesn't rock the
duck as it were
no it's not that kind of medium mr
conductor
this one's friends with miss mood midge
says the medium's gonna stop all these
accidents
oh
well that kind of medium is someone who
reads crystal ba*ls and knows all about
bad luck
the truth is though that most bad luck
happens because people are careless
well tell that to midge smooth i could
for instance i could tell her about the
time gordon went off the rails
what would you say to her i'd say
miss smoot
[Applause]
gordon was resting in the siding
sometimes he thought it's really tiring
to be such a large and splendid engine
one does have to keep up appearances so
[Music]
hello lazy bones whistled henry
what cheek splotted gordon that henry is
too big for his wheels fancy speaking to
me like that me who has never had an
accident
art jammed whistles and burnt safety
valves accidents ask percy innocently
[Music]
no indeed high spirits might happen to
any engine but to come off the rails
like henry did well i ask you is that
right
is it decent
then it was henry's turn to take the
express gordon watched him getting ready
be careful henry you're not pulling the
flying kipper now mind you keep on the
rails today
[Music]
henry went off in a huff and gordon
yawned and went to sleep but not for
long
wake up gordon said his driver a special
train's coming and where to pull it is
it coaches or freight cars
cars said his driver cars said gordon
[Music]
gordon's fire was slow to start so
edward had to push gordon to the
turntable to get him facing the right
way
i won't go i won't go grumbled
gordon don't be silly don't be silly
puffed edward
at last gordon was on the turntable the
movement had shaken his fire it was now
burning nicely and making steam
gordon was cross and didn't care what he
did he waited till the table was halfway
round
i'll show them i'll show them he hissed
he moved slowly forward to jam the table
but he couldn't stop himself and
slithered into a ditch whoosh he is
get me out get me out
not a hope set his driver into firemen
you're stuck you silly great engine
don't you understand that
they telephoned sir topham hatt
so gordon didn't want to take the
special train and ran into a ditch
what's that you say the special's
waiting
tell edward to take it please and and
gordon leave him where he is we'll get
him out later
[Music]
on the other side of the ditch some
little boys were chattering oh doesn't
he look silly they'll never get him out
they began to sing
sileo gordon fell in the ditch fell in a
ditch fell in the ditch silly old gordon
fell in the ditch all on a monday
morning
gordon lay in the ditch all day
oh dear he thought i shall never get out
but that evening they lifted gordon and
made a road of sleepers under his wheels
to keep him from the mud
strong ropes were fastened to his back
end
and james and henry pulling hard managed
to bring him to safety
[Music]
late that night gordon crawled home a
sadder and wiser engine
[Music]
on second thought maybe i won't tell
that story to midge smoot i wouldn't
want her to fall into any ditches
do you think schemie will end up like
gordon did well
not exactly but i have a feeling he'll
get turned around like gordon did
come to think of it that sets my wheels
in motion what do you mean mr conductor
well i have an idea that could turn this
whole thing around
[Music]
got to be around here somewhere
i mean the coin changed you just get up
and walk away
now without a good reason anyway
schemer schemer what are you so excited
about promise jones it has come to my
attention that my coin changer is
missing and without pointing any fingers
of accusation i want to know who took it
schemer nobody took your coin changer
you probably just left it
presenting the official medium of the
flowering cactus ladies auxiliary
who is here to rid this awful place of
its terrible spirits which are causing
such terrible bad luck for this place
madame helga bon
from pelican falls
helgas is all helga nose
oh
i see right through this pony bologna
i'll take care of it georgie
don't
[Music]
how did you know
you
are
misunderstood by your friends
they don't realize the depths of your
deep thoughts
they don't know that you are so
so
brilliant
wow
incredible finally a medium who knows
her stuff yes well excuse me and madame
boone swaddle we're so happy that you
came and we really appreciate it but you
see shining time station is a railroad
station
right again incredible
[Music]
quick bad luck spirits have turned out
lights helga must hold seance oh i love
this part come on everybody hurry hurry
stand in a straight line that's right
now everybody take everybody's hand well
venom hell the boom swan is gonna take
away the bad spirit oh come on stacy
take his hand it's for your own good
bad luck spirits are you there
what was that i am the spirit of fooling
people
are you kidding me i know it was little
schemey who did everything who's little
scheming oh other that's that's my
nephew is he in trouble
he loves to play his nasty tricks with
crashing trains and cats on sticks of
course it's more than simply phony
matter of fact it's all baloney
no he's not just in any trouble he's in
big trouble
if you look under the ticket booth all
will be explained if we look under the
ticket booth all will be explained here
i'll show you here i'll show you
oh
oh
another perfectly good saiyan's ruined
because somebody had to turn on the
lights
i heard his spirit
i heard a real spirit me doris boone's
waddle heard a spirit well what was that
about looking under the ticket booth and
little steve oh look what i found hey
that's my coin changer oh wow look at
that
here's your black canvas look it's just
cardboard you mean it oh
oh why that little half pint of pickle
juice wait till i get him i'll sit with
him
there he is
wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait
wait wait wait come on he's just a child
and he's my nephew i don't think it's
appropriate that you punish him why not
because i'm going to all right get up
there get up pop up ha ha
i was just trying to make a couple of
deals
a couple of deals huh well what's on
your mind anyway you know scaring these
people half to death and everything like
that now i want you to apologize to
everybody
uh i'm sorry for what i did i guess it
was wrong
you guess you were wrong is that all you
have to say no i can say more like don't
count on your uncle back you up
you know someday schemee you're gonna
learn the difference between scheming
and being a jerk
now just watch me and you might be able
to tell the difference come on let's get
out of here
[Music]
it's cold and cold help me up here come
on
oh now look it up look my mommy's gonna
kick the man at me
[Music]
i am so disappointed
because it wasn't bad spirits only
schemey exactly i was having such a good
time with all the bad spirits but mitch
there were spirits i heard them oh
just save it doris come on for the club
crap of next friday's meeting of the
ladies auxiliary oh
very wet here oh boy i'm gonna have to
clean this up but still there's one
thing i don't understand how did miss
boone swaddle know about schemie and
looking behind the ticket counter did
you kids have something to do about that
well yeah no
you see we got mr conductor to tell the
medium all that stuff because it was the
only way we could get you guys to
realize that it wasn't ghosts or spirits
or anything
just little scheming yeah sometimes as
grown-ups huh get carried away with the
superstition stuff next time stop us
before we go too far is that a deal yeah
all right bye
how would you rate me as a medium was i
rare or well done
well mr conductor you were great but for
a minute there i didn't think it was
gonna work i knew our plan would work
all along how'd you know that mr
conductor it's simple i had my lucky
gold watch with me and when i have my
lucky gold watch things always work out
for the best
[Music]
reach for the speed
reach for the whistle
go where the rail may run
reach for the words reach for the story
follow the rainbow sun
to a shining tide station
where dreams can come true
waiting there for you
[Music]
hopes to hold on to who knows how far
you'll go
to a shining time station
where dreams can come true
your own imagination
[Music]
funding for this program was provided in
part by the corporation for public
broadcasting and by the financial
support of viewers like you
[Music]
this is pbs
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03x12 - Bad Luck Day at Shining Time Station
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A local named Horace Schemer, simply referred to as Schemer, runs the station's arcade and serves as the series' comic relief.
A local named Horace Schemer, simply referred to as Schemer, runs the station's arcade and serves as the series' comic relief.