Up River (TUGS episode)

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"Up River" was the eighth episode of the British children's television series TUGS.

[edit] Brief Synopsis

It is winter in Bigg City Port. The worst of it is over, and the snow is starting to melt. It’s a very busy time.

One of the big tasks is logging, which under Captain Star’s held contract, the Star Tugs must take thousands of logs from Down River to the sawmills.

A large jam has formed, which Big Mac and Sunshine are finding difficult to overcome. Big Mac advises Sunshine to take care. Sunshine continues to ram, unluckily causing a chain-reaction which starts the logs to tumble down and trap him. Puffa steams up, who goes to get help from Down River. Big Mac is concerned about how the logs are heating up.

Puffa, meanwhile, has found Ten Cents, and tells him everything.

Big Mac tries to shift the logs to free Sunshine, but can’t. Big Mac and Sunshine find that smoke is starting to rise from the logs! Ten Cents arrives. Big Mac says for Ten Cents to help try and shift the logs, to get Sunshine out. Then Billy Shoepack arrives – with a small load of dynamite! Ten Cents suggests Billy set off a little blast to free Sunshine. The smoke continues to build, and the logs are now well on fire. Billy Shoepack sets up his dynamite. Upon countdown, up the logs go, and Sunshine is free! It was a very big bang though, which has caused the whole jam to break up. The logs charge Down River. They could wreck Uptown! Puffa arrives. Ten Cents tells Puffa to warn Uptown, who steams off as fast as he can. The tugs set off down the way.

It’s difficult to puff along the icy rails, but Puffa presses on. He toots warnings all the way down the line, and soon arrives in Uptown Docks, where Top Hat, O.J. and Warrior are working. Puffa tells them everything. Top Hat says how the logs will wreck the whole quayside and themselves! Warrior comes up with a plan to build a “dam” across the river entrance.

Once all are in place, including Little Ditcher, they prepare themselves for the logs.

The logs continue to charge along, demolishing a small quay along the way. Some logs are stopped by the wreckage, but many more still continue. Ten Cents, Sunshine and Big Mac follow along still.

At Uptown, the church bells are ringing to warn everybody. The logs begin to approach – but Warrior is on the wrong side of the dam! O.J. says they should all rev their engines to try and push back the logs, diverting them. The logs glance off and take out a factory due for demolition in spectacular, “explosive” fashion. At least the owner won’t have to pay now!

Ten Cents, Sunshine and Big Mac arrive to the others. Warrior is dubbed a hero, and the tugs head to clear up.

[edit] Notes

First time Billy Showpack changed his face.
First time Billy Shoepack the alligator tug moves his head and eyes - in his debut Trapped, his features stayed immobile.
The original model of Boomer can be seen working in the background of this episode, which leads to speculation that this episode was in fact, aired before Jinxed, or it could be a chronological error.
First appearance of Puffa the steam train since the sunshine, & ghosts episodes of the series.
Hercules and all the Z-Stacks are not featured in this episode
This episode may not be Puffa's first appearance, as the train in Sunshine, and Ghosts had the same whistle sound as him. Also, other trains appearing had this feature as well.
This is the only episode where all the Z-Stacks are absent
This individual episode features the least amount of characters throughout the entire series.
Watch clip here [[1]].
This was Puffa's only major speaking appearance.