Railhead (at first titled Railroad) was an early concept and draft for the Tugs episode High Tide.
Plot[]
From Story Subjects for Tug Episodes[]
The importance of a railroad in a harbour port during the 1920's. This story will show the harbors dependency on the fast movement of railroad cars. A near disaster shows the fast thinking of the Starr Tugs.
From Storyline Sheet[]
The bow of one of the tugs floats under a dock over which passes the train taking passengers to the liners on the far side of the harbor. As the tide comes in the bow rises beneath the dock and breaks it causing the rail tracks to bend and rip out of the sleepers. The tug is trapped beneath the dock, Ten Cents sees the danger and heads across the Bay at full speed to try and warn the train. He does not quite make it and has to chase the train along the docks and with only yards to go he manages to get alongside the quay and call to the train which only just stops in time.
From Story Synopsis Sheet[]
Top Hat is a railroad tug he is also the most vain and self centered of the Star Tugs. When an accident caused by the stupidity of two Z- Stacks endangers the dock side locomotive (Little Owl), it is Top Hat's quick thinking that saves the passenger train. But he cannot save Little Owl and the freight train. Full of emotion, Top Hat gets help and even he sheds a tear when the Star Tugs and floating cranes lift Little Owl back onto the tracks.
Early Draft Synopsis[]
Ten Cents and Big Mac are unloading coal barges with Snatcher and Jack the Grappler at the Railhead's Coal Yard; while the contract to service the railhead is valuable, it's dirty work with a freshly washed Ten Cents being blasted with clouds of coal dust. Jack says "dirt never hurt no one", while Big Mac remarks "if you're not digging dirt, you're scooping garbage!". Little Owl arrives from a lengthy night of work to fill up with coal, dusting Ten Cents some more before heading back on his way. Big Mac leaves a fascinated Ten Cents to head back to the Star Dock.
At the dock, Top Hat mocks his dirty appearance before Captain Star's megaphone clicks on. He orders Top Hat to get to work on the car ferries, then a garbage barge pickup through the canal to the dump, much to the railway tug's disgust. He sets off, shoving Big Mac aside along the way. The other tugs soon receive assignments: O.J. is to pick up a new propeller for a liner in dry dock and pick up schooner tow contracts in the bay, with Sunshine (sent to help Ten Cents) to have both of them join him later. Warrior and Big Mac are sent to the old foundry to help secure an important steel contract; the Steel Company has been working with both tug companies in the harbour, and the final load will be a dealbreaker for the rest of the year. He warns them of the high tides of this point of the year before they set out to work.
At the Railhead, Top Hat is teased by Frank and Eddie before being loaded, to his horror, with dry coal cars by Little Owl. After the loads are ready, Top Hat surges backwards with the teasing barges to teach them a lesson, nearly running into O.J. and his propeller-loaded flat barge. He criticizes Top Hat for his recklessness. Both get on their way again, with O.J. behind time and hoping to get some contracts, and Top Hat turning round and surging forward with the wisely silent car ferries.
Little Owl (having no time to watch the near-collision) gets back to work to collecting empty coal cars, with Ten Cents feeling a little sorry that he's only got his the rails on the docks to take (instead of being able to go anywhere). Sunshine arrives to help out, with Ten Cents remarking that it'll be a melee to get schooners, until they hear an alarm out in the bay; a launch is out of control, with a ferry loaded with passengers heading in its path. Quick-thinking Ten Cents (using himself and Sunshine) guide the launch out of the way, sending it on the mud banks of a shoring company where the engine at last clunks to a stop. The ferry praises them, promising to tell everyone and the authorities about their bravery. Ten Cents tells Sunshine to take the launch back to the Star Dock, for a potential salvage and for worry of the shoring company raising a fuss; Sunshine is disappointed he'll miss out on the schooners, while Ten Cents hurries back to the open bay to meet with O.J.
Meanwhile, at the "Old Area" where the rundown Iron Foundry is, Zebedee and Zak have already loaded up by Big Mickey. As Big Mac and Warrior pull up, they remark that they have the contract sewed up and count Warrior on their side for not "doing much to get in the way" before pulling off. Big Mac isn't worried, as Warrior's barge is loaded up fully (with his own nearly ready) and Scuttlebutt Pete has informed him of Zak's engine giving out. The two head out with their loads, with Big Mickey wishing them luck.
Back in the bay, O.J. angrily watches Ten Cents pull up, with the Pilot Boat signalling to follow him into the Estuary. Zorran, Zip and Zug have already made it to the Esturary Bouy beforehand, with the former mocking O.J.'s tardiness and the three Z-Stacks cutting ahead of them. O.J. (noticing Ten Cents' disappointment) soothes him remembering the Pilot Boat may have seen what happened and slow them down. He asks about what happened to make him late, leading to Ten Cents telling him about the launch and ferry rescue.
Back in Bigg City, Big Mac and Warrior have nearly caught up to Zebedee and Zak, the latter's engine troubles causing problems. They decide to cut through the canal to get there first and cut them off with an inability to pass. As they chug through, Big Mac notices their plan, with Warrior keen to follow, only to let them go remembering the spring high tide.
At the other end of the canal, Top Hat is taking his usual shortcut after the first job of the day with the car ferries, when he notices the Z-Stacks heading for the rail bridge across the canal. Top Hat whistles a warning, but the Z-Stacks take it as a challenge and speed up. Top Hat reverses out in time before, to the horror of the Z-Stacks' late realization, the steel load of Zebedee tears into the frail structure of the bridge, leaving in the rails in mid-air. The Z-Stacks head off for help, only for Top Hat to hear the whistle of a passenger express about to come over it. With Frank and Eddie in tow (insisting he prioritize saving the train), he moves the girder barge under the bridge just in time for it to roar across. However, the weight of the train causes the barge to sink, with Top Hat quickly moving Eddie to save him from danger...just as the dockside train rolls in and falls onto the deck of car ferry just in time! Top Hat (while in surprise) is quick to cover up the unintentional rescue as quick thinking, as Zebedee and Zak (towing in Mighty Mo) arrive to their surprise.
Back in the Estuary, Zorran, Zug, and Zip beat the Stars to the first schooner. While they're initially disappointed, O.J. perks up noticing one of the flags on the Schooners...with the Pilot Boat ordering them to stay where they are, and Zorran noticing too late that all the schooners have the quarantine signal flag! Ten Cents and O.J. head for home, while a fuming Zorran and wisely silent Zip and Zug forced to quarantine for twenty-four hours.
That evening, the tugs listen in amazement to Top Hat's story, though when Big Mac asks how he thought where to put Eddie so quickly, he remarks it to being up to "natural talent, something none of you will ever have" to their annoyance. Captain Star quickly reminds him all his tugs have natural talent, praising them for a good day's work, "but I expect nothing less from the best tugs in the port."
Characters[]
From Storyline Sheet[]
- Ten Cents
- Unknown Tug
- Unknown Engine
From Story Synopsis Sheet[]
- Top Hat
- Two Z-Stacks (Zak and Zebedee in the final episode)
- Little Owl
From Early Draft[]
- Ten Cents
- Sunshine
- Top Hat
- O.J.
- Warrior
- Big Mac
- Captain Star
- Zorran
- Zip
- Zug
- Zak
- Zebedee
- Frank and Eddie
- Snatcher
- Jack the Grappler
- Little Owl
- A Ferry
- A Small Launch
- Mighty Mo
- Pilot Boat
Trivia[]
- The "Story Subjects for Tug Episodes" document lists the episode as set at "Start Summer".
- While much of the concept and early draft was reworked into High Tide, the Ferry rescue and schooner subplot would be reworked into the episode Quarantine. Both had major changes from one another:
- An opening following the work montage with a scene establishing Snatcher, Jack the Grappler (who worked at both the Coal Yard and the Garbage Corporation) and Little Owl; this was seemingly filmed for High Tides' twenty-minute cut, but it is unknown to what extent.
- Rather than Ten Cents and Sunshine assisting with the flooded docks, they would've been sent to help secure schooner contracts; the high tide was only a minor plot point in the draft.
- A scene (introducing Frank and Eddie) also filmed for the twenty-minute cut; Top Hat racing backwards with them after being loaded with dry coal cars to teach them a lesson, nearly hitting O.J. and the liner propeller.
- The ferry rescue having Ten Cents and Sunshine safely sending the launch aground on a mud bank and saving the ferry; the ferry thanking them and letting everyone and the authorities know of their bravery.
- The steel contract being established as a lengthy deal each tug company already had, with the featured tow being the deciding factor for who they'd go with for the rest of the year.
- Rather than charging at each other at the canal bridge, Top Hat would recognize how dangerous the Z-Stacks' load was and whistle a warning.
- Lord Stinker wasn't included in the early draft; instead, after saving the first train (a "passenger express" instead of mail in the draft), Top Hat would've towed along Frank and Eddie and the latter would've inadvertently caught the "dockside train", much to the bewilderment of Zak, Zebedee, and Mighty Mo.
- Zorran, Zip and Zug would've all been in quarantine after unintentionally buttoning onto a quarantined schooner, to the orders of the Coast Guard (known as the Pilot Boat in this point of production). Also changed in the final version of Quarantine was the period being extended from a mere 24 hours to 40 days.
- Instead of ending on the bridge cleanup, the original ending saw the tugs listening to Top Hat's rescue story, with Captain Star praising them for a good day's work.