funding for this program was provided in
part by the corporation for public
broadcasting and by the financial
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 a shining time station
where dreams can come true
waiting there for you
stacy i don't care what you say i'm
voting to re-elect as good bob flop
dinger for mayor now mitch there are
still so many things that the mayor
hasn't talked about
that's because you only agree with
yourself if you agreed with me then it
would be two against one and we win oh
midge but there are so many problems
here now what does that have to do about
anything everything oh midge oh
mr conductor
stacy are you going to like
tell me that she can't come to the
station anymore why would i do that
becky
because you just had a big fight oh no
just because midge and i don't agree it
doesn't mean that we're still not
friends and we do agree on the most
important thing and that's the vote
because the vote is power only if you
use it
i just wish i knew more about the
mayor's opponent he's a very mysterious
figure i know i've seen his picture and
he looks awfully familiar
but what's wrong with mayor flossinger
he's always been nice to us i think we
should vote for him oh the mayor is a
nice man and he's very honest and that's
very important for a politician
but he hasn't been talking about the
issues and he hasn't been listening to
people's complaints and i think that
that is a big mistake
yes it is but it's hard to admit when
you've made a mistake look what happened
to james the big red engine team isn't
running for mayor mr conductor
no he's not running for mayor but he is
running too fast for the freight cars
come on i'll tell you what happened
[Applause]
james was enjoying his life on the
island of sodor but he still had a lot
to learn
you're a special mixed traffic engine
set sir topham hatt you can pull coaches
or freight cars quite easily but you
must learn by your mistakes
james knew what sir topham hatt meant
he could well remember that dreadful
accident on his first day
be careful with the coaches james said
kind little edward they don't like being
bumped everyone came to admire james
i'm really a splendid engine he thought
and suddenly let off steam
a shower of water fell on sir topham's
nice new top hat
just then the conductor blew his whistle
and james thought they had better go
go on go on he puffed to edward don't
push don't push replied edward
the coaches were grumbling too don't go
so fast don't go so fast but james
didn't listen
[Music]
when at last they stopped at the next
station two coaches were beyond the
platform
they had to go back to let the
passengers out
but no one seemed to know about sir
topham's new hat so james felt happier
presently they came to the station where
thomas was waiting with his two coaches
hello james said thomas feeling better
that's good
oh that's my conductor's whistle i must
go i don't know what sir topham hatt
would do without me to run this branch
line and he puffed off importantly
edward and james passed the field where
james had had his accident the fence was
mended and the cows were back again
[Music]
they ended their journey and rested
before setting off for home
james was still wondering what sir
topham would have to say about his new
hat
[Music]
next morning he spoke severely to james
if you can't behave i shall take away
your red coat and have you painted blue
james didn't like that at all
he was very rough with the grumbling
coaches as he brought them to the
platform don't talk come on
gordon never has to fetch his own
coaches he thought to himself and he's
only painted blue
to make james even more cross this time
no one came near him
i'll show them he thought they think
gordon is the only engine who can pull
coaches
[Music]
[Applause]
hurry hurry hurry puff james you're
going too fast you're going too fast
replied the coaches james laughed and
tried to go faster but the coaches
wouldn't let him
we're going to stop we're going to stop
[Music]
[Applause]
what's the matter james asked his driver
the brakes are on leaking the pipe most
likely you've banged the coaches enough
to make a leak in anything
how shall we mend it said the conductor
we'll do it with newspaper and a leather
boot lace replied the driver
but where is the boot lace coming from
ask the conductor ask the passengers
said the driver
[Music]
you have a leather boot lace there said
the conductor to a smartly dressed man
please give it to me
i won't
then i'm afraid the train will just stop
where it is
the passengers all said what a bad
railway it was then they told the man
how bad he was instead everyone was very
cross
at last he handed his laces over
the driver tied a pad of newspaper
tightly round the hole in the brake pipe
and james was able to pull the train
but he was a saturn wiser james and took
care never to bump coaches again
you know mr conductor i wish the mayor
could have heard that story because then
maybe he'd start to learn from his
mistakes the way james did then i'd be
proud to vote for him mr mayor uh mr
mayor well i'm here i'm here and you can
quote me
oh
citizens
where are all the citizens
oh steamer schemer
schemer you're sort of a citizen and
kids you're going to be old enough to
vote in a few years i'll give you my
flag speech
you know when
when i even think of the flag
i get this feeling oh mr mirror speaking
of feelings in the latest poll you came
in second place how does that make you
feel could be worse i could be last uh
mr mayor there are only two people
running you are in last place oh
oh well i hadn't thought of that and you
can quote me
oh
mr mayor
take it from somebody who knows
you
are a loser
does that mean you think i'm not going
to win this election well let me put it
to you gently yes absolutely you're not
gonna win this election you're finishing
through no one's gonna vote for you and
you can quote me on that oh
but why
why don't people like me
well technically speaking it's uh
because of your hair
my hair that's right and also your
clothes my beautiful hair the way you
walk the way you talk
well i i hadn't noticed
would you like some friendly advice
straight from the horse's mouth yes yes
if you want to win this election
you need a campaign manager yes yeah oh
that's what i do
i'm going to give you a new look yeah
that's a new image yes you need me you
yeah
you need to exhume that schemer look
that total air of
confidence you need schemer's system of
success
yes
there's no need to thank me we're
friends
but uh of course i can't actually do
this for free so um let's just say after
we win i mean
after you win the election
uh i become secretary of money
well
if that's what it takes that's what it
takes yeah
and that's what i'll take
is schemer kidding or what he doesn't
know anything about getting the mayor
elected and how good could the mayor be
if he just hired schemer
all right let's get some schemer buttons
around here too not just a flop dinger
ones let's keep the blue the blue pile
the yellow and the yellow and the pink
and the pink
oh speaking about being in the pink it's
the honorable mayor
[Music]
take a look everybody this man has
success written all over him kim i told
you your clothes are going to be too
small for me uh don't worry about my
clothes buy me some new ones after the
election pocket keeper i don't care
about your clothes this is ridiculous i
mean what are my voters going to think
you know something i think you might be
right
all right there
yeah that's better
oh that is much better schemer is this
really going to work listen once people
see you looking like me they're going to
vote for you it's guaranteed now let me
bring you up to speed on the campaign
we got buttons we got posters we got
stickers and did somebody say something
about a campaign song
no i don't think so you're gonna love
this one it is oh you know
i'm running a little low on nickels um
[Music]
you're gonna love it
[Music]
uh oh
here it comes
i hate the way schemer just plain
rewrote that song
we gotta do it a job's a job tex a
song's a song rex and a nickel's a
nickel people
and a one and a two
[Music]
railroad
[Music]
pacific railroad
[Music]
the great pacific
[Music]
for the railroad
railroad
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
is that is that you
this is the new and improved mayor flop
dinger and he owes it all to schemer's
system of success mr mayor what are you
gonna do about the garbage problems in
town
oh yes well i i would have you really
let me take care of this one i'm glad
you asked that question and let me
answer it by changing the subject and
referring to something else and that is
the mayor's new curl
now this is a look of today's politician
it says trustworthiness it says
decisiveness it says vote for me
the voters don't care what he looks like
they want to know what he stands for
hold it
[Music]
thanks
you're very very welcome
[Music]
just uh look natural
my fellow shining timers
hello
some of my enemies
have asked why am i running for mayor of
this great town of ours
what what enemies
so thank you very much and now it's on
to city hall
well he must know what he's talking
about i don't understand a word he's
saying
hey rich house i'd like you to meet the
real mayor of this town the honorable
osgood bob flopdinger this is the other
guy
uh listen rich house i understand that
you're new to shiny time station you're
new to shining time station and you
don't know anything about this town
well i know a heck of a lot more than
him hey hey that's my candidate
shall we settle this the usual way a
debate uh we'll let the kids run it they
can ask the questions uh we'll broadcast
it live on tv meet
the kids
meet the kids what a wonderful idea yes
yes yes we'll let the kids ask the
questions
that'll be easy
okay you got a deal
see you at the debates
[Music]
[Applause]
i yeah to ask the mayor about our
playground then i can ask him why the
library isn't open longer
mr conductor i need some help no thanks
cara
this is what you get when you lose
control of your own hot air you get all
puffed up like some of these politicians
around here
do you guys think the mayor is going to
lose the election i know he'll lose with
schemer helping him what do you think mr
conductor
i think this reminds me of a saying we
have on the island of sodor we say every
engine has to pull its own freight train
why do you always say that because it's
true
look what happened to james he learned
about it the hard way
[Applause]
[Music]
james had not been out to push coaches
or freight cars in the yard for several
days he was feeling miserable
[Music]
oh dear
i wonder how long i shall have to stay
in the shed will anyone ever see my red
coat again
why did i go so fast that i made a hole
in one of my coaches that had to be
mended with of all things a passenger's
boot lace
at last sir topham hatt arrived
i know you're sorry james and i know too
that you want to be a useful engine
people are laughing at my railway and i
do not like that at all
i will try hard to do my best said james
that's a good engine there's nothing
like determination i want you to pull
some freight cars for me
james was delighted and puffed away
here's your freight train james said
thomas
have you got some boot laces ready and
he ran off laughing
oh no said the freight cars we want a
proper engine not a red monster
james took no notice and started as soon
as the conductor was ready come along
come along he puffed we won't we won't
scream the freight cars but james didn't
care and he pulled the screeching car
sternly out of the station
[Music]
the cars tried hard to make him give up
but he still kept on sometimes their
brakes would slip on and sometimes their
axle would run high at each time the
trouble had to be put right and each
time james would start again determined
not to let them beat him
give up give up you can't pull us you
can't you can't called the cars
i can and i will i can and i will puff
james and slowly but surely he pulled
them along the line
at last they saw gordon's hill
look out for trouble james warned his
driver we'll go fast and get them up
before they know it don't let them stop
you
so james went faster soon they were
halfway up i'm doing it i'm doing it he
panted will the top never come
then with a sudden jerk it all came
easier
i've done it i've done it hooray it's
easy now
but as drivers shut off steam they've
done it again we've left our tail behind
look
the last cars were running backwards
down the hill the coupling had snapped
but the conductor stopped the cars and
got out to warn approaching engines
that's why it was easy said james as he
backed the other cars carefully down
what silly things freight cars are there
might have been an accident
should i help you james call edward no
thank you i'll pull them myself
good don't let them beat you
you're doing well whistled edward as
james slowly struggled up the hill
i can do it i can do it he popped he
pulled and puffed as hard as he could
i've done it i've done it he panted
[Music]
james was resting in the yard when
edward pulled up
he whistled then james saw sir topham
hatt
oh dear what will he say he asked
himself
but sir topham hatt was smiling
i was in edward's train and i saw
everything you've made the most
troublesome train on the line behave
after that performance you deserve to
keep your red coat
[Music]
i like that story mr conductor james
beat the free cars he didn't give up
and neither should the mayor if he wants
to win this election but he'll never win
unless he learns to pull his own freight
train
oh i get it you mean the mayor has to
learn to run on his own without schemer
telling him what to do all the time he
has to take more responsibility for
himself or else no one should vote for
him isn't that what i just said
[Music]
welcome to a broadcast first meet the
kids today's topic the race for mayor
good evening and welcome to the shining
time station debate i'm your host ted
typo ace reporter for the indian valley
gazette and we'll start the questioning
with cara
mr rich house how will you fix up the
playground in the park
by making the hard choices and the tough
decisions
how about you merflop dinger
huh oh hi
we'll build a whole new playground
kids who want to play in it will pay
schemer a small admission fee
[Applause]
next question from becky
mr mayor what advice would you give to
kids about life
oh uh
uh
send your nickels to schemer and he'll
give you all the advice you need
[Applause]
he's telling me to say that he's telling
me to say that
[Applause]
[Music]
you're fired
[Applause]
friends
i want to apologize
we're going to buy all new equipment for
the playground yes yeah now i know i've
been slow to start recycling but if you
reelect me i'll get right on it but now
listen my biggest mistake was hiring
that schemer
me who's always saying things like every
engine has to pull its own freight cars
yes yeah well
i know sometimes i seem distracted but
i really do respect all of you
and there
thank you very much
[Music]
so
[Music]
so mr typo who to vote for cara you're
not supposed to ask that
voting is very private sorry that's okay
the answer is nobody and what's the
point one vote won't make any difference
well whoever wins will be your mayor
whether you vote or not
you
may have a point there
[Music]
but i still say won't make any
difference
[Music]
he won by one vote which was undoubtedly
mine
hey everybody everybody good to hear the
news hear the news we already know the
mayor has been re-elected which i guess
goes to show you that schemer's system
of success was a success after all
well i mean in the beginning
well a little bit kids
kids miss jones miss smoot yes i'll even
schemer it was close but we did it we
did it
no
by we i mean i listen i want to thank
all of you well most of you this and i
promise to keep all of my promises
oh that's another promise oh there's
another one that the oh dear oh dear
looks like you kids were right not only
did my vote make a difference but
everybody's dead
[Music]
you gave it a good try mr rich house are
you going on vacation no just moving
miss jones but you just got here
well
some people might say rich house
you just got here
and they'll call me a quitter well i'm
not a quitter
i'm just moving on to a new town to a
new election
but you just lost the election
why do you want to run in another one
kids
i want to make this
crystal clear
i've made some mistakes in the past
but if i ever win another election i
promise you
my only job will be to help all the
people and any politician who gets
elected who doesn't try to help all the
people doesn't deserve to win
now you remember that when you're old
enough to vote oh there's my train
don't worry
one day when you think i'm gone forever
i'll be back
goodbye good luck
have a good trip
[Music]
well everybody voted this time mr
conductor it's exciting isn't it maybe
i'll run for mayor next time oh that
would be great and you could give
speeches to big crowds and do a debate
on tv
and then if you win you'd have a huge
office where people come in and see you
every day and you'll never ever be left
alone
hey you know something i think i'll run
for may or someday
on second thought maybe i'll just go
fishing
[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
[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
this is pbs
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03x23 - The Mayor Runs for Re-Election
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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.