[Music]
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
[Music]
excuse me mister i'm just getting my
ball
thanks
anytime
my name is emmett oh i'm becky and this
is cara
well
the colors haven't faded have they
time can do that you know
make some colors fade
and other things get brighter
tell me
have you ever really seen this build
it's just an old painting of things that
happened a long time ago
yeah
i guess you're right
it was a long time ago
more yesterdays than i can count do you
want to buy a train ticket or something
stacy jones will be right back
no no no no thank you i'm just looking
around
i bet he's a hundred years old maybe
even older than that
i'm sorry stacy i can't fix it
you see this here
well it's missing a gear that moves the
wick up and down
oh no you know my granny used to say
it's because of this little lantern that
there's a shining time station here
today oh billy can't you can't you get
another gear no i'm sorry stacy they
stopped making parts for these lanterns
years ago i don't suspect you'll find a
part now
i'm sorry
[Music]
there's that old man again
he talks funny yeah kind of
old-fashioned
are you talking about toby
why would we call toby old-fashioned mr
conductor because he is old-fashioned
haven't i told you that story
i know i told someone well never mind
i'll just have to tell it again
toby is a tram engine he has cow
catchers and side plates and doesn't
look like a steam engine at all
he takes freight cars from farms and
villages to the main line and is
cheerful to everyone he meets
[Music]
he has a coach called henrietta who has
seen better days
it's not fair at all she grumbles
remembering that she used to be full and
nine cars would rattle behind her
[Music]
now there are only three or four for the
farms and factories send their goods
mostly by truck
toby is always careful the cars buses
and trucks often have accidents
toby hasn't had an accident for years
but the buses are crowded and henrietta
is empty
a lady and a stout gentleman stood on
toby's platform he was of course sir
topham hatt but toby didn't know this
yet
come on grandfather cried the children
do look at this engine
that's a tram engine steven said sir
topham hatt
is it electric ask bridget
whoosh
piss toby shh said her brother you've
offended him
but trams are electric aren't they
they are mostly but this is a steam tram
may we go in it grandfather please
stop said sir topham hatt to the
conductor they all scrambled into
henrietta
[Music]
hip hip hooray chanted henrietta but
toby didn't sing
electric indeed electric indeed he
snorted he was proud of being a steam
train
[Music]
what is your name asked sir topham hatt
toby sir
thank you toby for a very nice ride
thank you sir said toby
he felt better now
this gentleman he thought is a gentleman
who knows how to speak to vengeance
[Music]
the children came every day for two
weeks sometimes they rode with the
conductor sometimes in empty cars
on the last day of all the driver
invited them into his cab
all were sorry when they had to go away
[Music]
and sir topham hatt and his family
thanked everyone
come again soon replied toby we will we
will called the children
and they waved till toby was out of
sight
the months passed toby had few cars and
fewer passengers
our last day toby said his driver one
morning the manager says we must close
tomorrow
that day everyone wanted the chance of a
last ride
the passengers joked and sang but toby
and his driver wished they wouldn't
goodbye toby said the passengers
afterwards we're sorry your line is
closing down
so am i said toby
nobody wants me toby thought and went
unhappily to sleep
next morning the shed was flung open and
old toby woke with a start to see his
driver waving a piece of paper at him
wake up toby he shouted excitedly the
mail has just arrived and there is a
letter for us from the stout gentleman
maybe it's good news
what was in the letter mr conductor
you have to wait
all good things come to those who wait
and that includes you and toby
oh my goodness i'm running out of time i
have to get going
oh wait before you go mr conductor do
you know where we could get a part for
this signal lantern stacy's sad because
it doesn't work i see
well it's not a question of where to get
the part but when to get the part we'd
have to go back to the days of gracie
jones
stacy's granny do you mean go back in
time that's impossible
isn't it
difficult but not impossible in fact i'm
headed that way in just a few moments
there's something i need to take care of
back there oh could you take us with you
please oh please mr conductor
well
now that you mention it i could use some
company all right we'll all go together
i'll just put a little magic dust in
here oh i can't believe it we're going
back in time this is so cool
i'll bring the lantern
we'll stay until the magic dust runs
through the hourglass when it runs out
we'll have to come back here now close
your eyes and repeat after me
take us through the years
take us through the years
magic sand of time
magic sand of time
take us long ago
take us long ago
when we're finished with this rhyme
when we're finished with this rhyme
we're still in the station i thought
we'd be someplace else by now
look at your clothes
look wow
look at the shoes
hey where's mr conductor
i'm right up here
shh look over there
he's painting the mural
there's stacy
no it's stacy's grandmother when she was
young oh hello
i'm gracie jones welcome to
uh
oh
the station
will you be staying here long
well just for today oh that's too bad
because tomorrow we're gonna have our
grand opening with bands and speeches
and
maybe by tomorrow i'll have thought up a
name for this place
do you know where we could get our
signal lantern fixed oh
dear i'm sorry honey no see i'm new in
these parts see you later
what now mr conductor
where do we usually go if we want to get
something fixed
the workshop
billy
what
billy
there ain't no billy around here my name
is william two feathers i'm a carpenter
and i was hired by the railroad to build
this here workshop
oh it's billy's grandfather what do we
do now mr conductor
make friends with him show him you like
the same things he does
[Music]
this looks like a nice book mr two
feathers ain't no brook
oh book
that's a book poetry
you children wouldn't uh wouldn't have
no appreciation for that
we like poems we read this one
read you one
something strange about you kids
you want something don't you
all right what is it
well we need a part for a signal lantern
oh
why didn't you say so
well do you think you could fix it
well let me see
oh
you see there
a gear for the wick
now
might just have what you need
right here
it sure was lucky mr two fenders had the
part to fix the lantern
look
look it's schemer
no it's schemer's grandfather without a
curl
ah
my dearest miss jones
the consternation of opening this fine
new train station has got you a threaten
and a hankering for a day when you're
not feeling quite so sickly only one
thing that'll be putting you right miss
jones jebediah schemers
famous snake oil any bottle only a
nickel
my dearest miss jones oh well my dearest
mr schemer i told you before and i'll
tell you again i don't feel sick in the
slightest
well see we
oh well
what have we here two sick young
youngins well my sick little lady
friends count your lucky stars for you
are now standing before
marvel of modern medicine a nickel cure
is all that ails you that machine can't
cure anything besides it looks kind of
dangerous and none of us are sick
anyways we both feel fine well you young
whippersnappers i'll show you what's
what
all right i'll be needing some
assistance one of you step right up here
and start cranking that crank
that's it around and around and around
she goes
that's it here we go
mr schemer are you all right
all right
i'm beautiful
i am beautiful look at that girl
this day is gonna go down in history
now i know why schemer is scared
i gotta call my mom tell her about this
operator operator this is jebediah
schemer can i please speak to my mom
hey ma it's jebediah take a look at this
curl
i got an inkling we're going to have
some fun with this schema fella here
yeah
way my chips just well
partners we got work to do
a cowboy song from our very own singing
cow pox
unos dos
tres
[Music]
last night as i lay on the prairie
and looked at the stars in the sky
i wondered if ever a cowboy
[Music]
roll on little doggies
[Music]
listen
as you sit on this great land of ours
remember
be kind to all creatures
love your neighbor and don't forget the
whole world is a birthday cake so take
your piece but not too much my home's in
montana i wear a bandanna my spurs are
of silver my pony is great
whatever the weather we travel together
there's work to be done
in the wide open spaces that's where we
would be
out here in the west is the life we love
best montana is
[Music]
mr conductor look your signal house is
gone
it can't be gone if it's never been
there we have to get him to paint it
that's why i came back here in the first
place
[Music]
uh
that's a nice painting well that's
mighty kind of you to say so i'm just a
little worried that the colors will fade
what are you gonna put there
there
nothing
nothing
you can't just leave it empty well i
don't know what to put there
got any ideas
paint a signal house
[Music]
did you hear that hear what
the muses are speaking
paint a signal house get the picture
a signal house
i am inspired i can see it
[Music]
those blasted horses of mine are run off
again and now my carriage won't budge
because of those confounded steel rails
you mean railroad tracks yes your
carriage is stuck on the railroad tracks
don't blame me blame my horses they're
the ones that ran away don't worry we'll
help you push your carriage mr schemer
no no there's no time we must stop it i
have to signal the engineer young ladies
i'm gonna need your lantern thank you
it's getting closer is there enough time
there must be
wonderful things are gonna happen in
this station i just know it hurry yeah
hurry okay i'm off hurry
oh she's sweeping the lantern i hope the
engineer sees it oh he
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
leonard oh yes yes sir gracie jones at
your service bj king is the name nice to
meet you mr king miss jones yes
that was very well done you saved my day
i saw your light shining just in time
shining
just in time
shining time
station
shining time station
shining time station that's what i'm
gonna call this place that's a mighty
fine name for a mighty fine station
you know miss jones there is just
something about this place
ah uh you know excuse me uh you know if
it wasn't for me uh this whole thing
really wouldn't have happened after all
so please
twiddly junction next
one ticket to twiddley junction and
beyond right away sir
oh no where'd you go
enjoy your journey sir fare thee well
shining time stations first ticket
wait stop him he's not the part way away
please hey hey hey hey elvis first
elders
it's too late we've run out of time
[Music]
oh no we're back
oh i didn't think it would end this way
that's the funny thing about endings
they can surprise you you think you've
come to the end but the story has hardly
begun
look what happened to toby he thought it
was all over the day they shut down his
line why don't i cheer you up with the
rest of the story i'd say you've waited
years to hear it
there's a line to a quarry at the end of
thomas's branch it goes for some
distance along the road
thomas was always very careful to
whistle here in case anyone was coming
[Music]
early one morning a large policeman was
sitting close to the line thomas liked
policemen he had been a great friend of
the officer who had just retired
he whistled good morning
thomas expected that the new officer
would be friendly too but he was sorry
to see that he didn't look friendly at
all
he was red in the face and very cross
disgraceful he spluttered i didn't sleep
a wink last night it was so quiet and
now engines come whistling suddenly
behind me
i'm sorry sir said thomas i only said
good morning the policeman pointed to
thomas where's your cow catcher he asked
but i don't catch cows sir
don't be funny snap the policeman
he looked at thomas's wheels no side
plates either and he wrote in his
notebook
engines going on public roads must have
their wheels covered and a cow catcher
in front to protect people and animals
from being dragged under the wheels if
they stray onto the line
you haven't so you are dangerous
rubbish said thomas's driver we've been
along here hundreds of times and never
had an accident
that makes it worse the policeman
answered he wrote regular law breaker in
his book
thomas puffed sadly away
sir topham hatt was having breakfast he
was eating toast and marmalade
the butler came in
excuse me sir you'll want it on the
telephone
bother that telephone said sir topham
hatt
i'm sorry my dear he said to his wife
thomas is in trouble with the police and
i must go at once
at the station thomas's driver told sir
topham hatt what had happened
dangerous to the public indeed we'll see
about that
sir topham hatt spoke to the policeman
but however much he argued with him it
was no good the law is the law he said
and we can't change it
sir topham hatt felt exhausted
i'm sorry driver he said it's no use
arguing with policemen we will have to
make those cow catcher things for thomas
i suppose
everyone will laugh sir said thomas
they'll say i look like a tram
[Music]
so topham hatt stared
then he laughed well done thomas why
didn't i think of it before we need a
tram engine
when i was on my holiday i met a nice
little engine called toby he takes
freight cars from the farms but the
trucks are taking over most of his work
and he needs a change
he has cow catchers and side plates i'll
write to his superintendent at once
[Music]
a few days later toby arrived
[Music]
that's a good engine said sir topham
hatt i see you've brought your coach
henrietta
you don't mind do you sir ask toby the
station master wanted to use her as a
hen house and that would never do
no indeed said sir topham hatt we
couldn't allow that
[Music]
toby made the silly cars behave even
better than thomas did
hey you
[Music]
at first thomas was jealous but he was
so pleased when toby rang his bell and
frightened the policeman they've been
firm friends ever since
[Music]
that was a good ending mr conductor but
it wasn't an ending for toby it was just
the beginning of being useful again toby
may be old but he still has lots of
tomorrows ahead of him and so do you
you know i see the mural a lot
differently now ever since we met that
painter
he sure did a good job on the signal
house
mighty kind of you to say so you like it
too oh some of my best work
get the picture
you mean you painted the mural well
that's part of it and of course the
signal house
has a long while ago but
there's times when it feels like
yesterday
ah
emmett we have this signal lantern yeah
and there's this part that's missing and
maybe it's still in your case now isn't
this the oddest thing
i do
believe i believe
that i have
what you're looking for
yeah
i didn't throw it out because i had a
sense that it might be important to
somebody somewhere
sometime
but how it ended up in my paint case
is a mystery to me
wow thanks emmy
let's go get billy to put it in yeah
[Music]
we found it we found the missing part
that looks like it all right
oh where did you get it emme gave it to
us emmett who's emmett he's right
outside really
what where where i don't see anyone
well he was there he was standing by the
mural just a second ago
help
there you go stacy
good as new
oh i've been waiting for this ever since
i can remember oh
just think the last person to like this
lantern was my granny all those years
ago
look at that
wonderful things are going to happen in
this station
i know it
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
[Music]
to a shining tide station
where dreams can come true
waiting there for
[Music]
[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
waiting there for you
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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03x25 - How the Station Got Its Name
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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.