Rolling stock (Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends)
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No railway would be complete without coaches and trucks, and those appearing in the children's television series Thomas and Friends are no exception. Coaches and trucks are used to carry passengers and goods respectively in the series and often form the central plot point of an episode.
The engines prefer coaches, which are smooth-running and well-behaved. The trucks, on the other hand, are nothing but trouble. In the words of Rev. W. Awdry, "they talk a lot and do not attend to what they are doing and, I am sorry to say, they play tricks on an engine who isn't used to them." ('Thomas the Tank Engine')
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[edit] Coach Characters
[edit] Annie & Clarabel
Main article: Annie and Clarabel
These two coaches work with Thomas the Tank Engine on his branch line. Although they are old-fashioned, Thomas loves them very much and the three of them are quite inseparable. They, and Narrow Gauge Coaches are the only ones who have there faces on their direct front, rather than having a gray shape like the engines.
[edit] Henrietta
- See also: Henrietta (Railway Series character)
Henrietta is Toby's faithful coach. She worked with Toby the Tram Engine on their old railway, and when that line closed Toby could not bear to leave her behind. The stationmaster had wanted to turn her into a henhouse, but Sir Topham Hatt agreed that "that would never do." The two are absolutely inseparable, and whenever they are apart they worry about each other. She carries passengers and is used to bring quarrymen to and from work. She has even been used as Sir Topham Hatt's private coach. Henrietta is the only named character not to have a face.
Henrietta is based on a Wisbech and Upwell Tramway four-wheeled coach.
[edit] Old Slowcoach
An elderly express coach who has seen better days. She was found in a scrapyard by Thomas and Percy, and was later refurbished to be used as a workman's hut. She wears the "chocolate-and-cream" paintwork of the Great Western Railway, upon which she was based before coming to Sodor.
She was also a part of a special train for Mrs Kyndley's daughter's wedding, as the "Something Old" of "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue".
[edit] Truck Characters
[edit] Troublesome Trucks
The Troublesome Trucks are the trucks, wagons, vans, brake vans, and flatbeds in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. In the American version, they are known as Freight Cars, or simply Cars. They love to play tricks on the engines who pull or push them. Not many engines like them, and they have been the cause of many accidents on the railway. Their behavior could perhaps be best described in the following statement:
"Every wise engine knows that you cannot trust trucks".
The Trucks mostly carry coal, rocks and gravel, but on some occasions, they also carry chocolate powder, slate, flour, and fruit & vegetables.
There have, however, been some cases where the trucks and engines are on the same side, like in the episodes 'Special Attraction' and 'World's Strongest Engine'. Although they have often caused confusion and delay, the trucks are an important part of Sodor's industry.
Incidents involving the Troublesome Trucks include:
- Making James crash into a field (Thomas and the Breakdown Train).
- Pushing James into two tar tankers (Dirty Objects).
- Pushing Percy into the quay (Percy Takes the Plunge).
- Teasing Diesel by singing a song at him, after refusing to move (Pop Goes the Diesel).
- Making Duck run into a Barber Shop (A Close Shave).
- Being pushed into the sea by Diesel (Diesel Does It Again).
- Pushing Toby onto a collapsed bridge (Toby's Tightrope).
- Pushing Oliver into a turntable well (Oliver Owns Up).
- Being pushed through a set of buffers and crashing onto Bulstrode the barge (Special Attraction).
- Being pushed by Percy into a mine, causing an avalanche (Put Upon Percy).
- Pushing Toad out of control and into a pond (Busy Going Backwards).
- Caused Henry to derail (The World's Strongest Engine).
- Holding back when Diesel attempted to pull them, causing the coupling to snap (The World's Strongest Engine).
- Causing Arthur to crash into Duck's goods train (Spotless Record).
- Being pushed by Emily into a duckpond (Emily's New Route).
- Making Thomas crash into Salty (Fish (Season 8)).
- Making Percy crash into Mavis (Emily Knows Best).
[edit] Toad
Toad is Oliver's brake van, who was saved from scrap along with Oliver. He comes from the Great Western Railway, and has the greatest respect for engines. He is also one of the few well-behaved trucks on the railway.
[edit] Other Coaches
[edit] Emily's Coaches
These six-wheeled coaches were given to Emily as a reward for saving Oliver from an accident. They greatly resemble the six-wheel coaches given to Stirling 8ft Single No.1 and which now reside with it in its preserved state.
[edit] Gordon's Special Coaches
In Season 10, for breaking his record again, Gordon was to be rewarded with a new set of coaches. Emily collected them to deliver them to the ceremony. Crossly Diesel stole the coaches and hid them in a siding. His engine started to splutter, and Emily knew where the special coaches were, and he was cross that Emily did not listen. Gordon was rewarded with the special coaches at his ceremony. (See Photo)
[edit] The Refreshment Lady's Tea Room
Sodor's only mobile tea room, converted from an old coach by Jem Cole and taken up and down the narrow gauge railway. Peter Sam was to help The Refreshment Lady find a place for another tea room, and it was his idea to make the mobile teashop, after seeing an old coach swept upon the tracks, and being removed by Rusty and the breakdown train. Peter Sam now takes the 'Teashop Special' and the Refreshment Lady can serve tea and cakes at all her favourite places.
[edit] Express Coaches
These form all of the fastest and most important passenger trains on Sodor, and are normally pulled by Gordon, James or Henry, although these are by no means the only engines that have taken them.
The Express Coaches have two different colour schemes - green & cream, and red & cream.
There seems to be 3 different underframes (none, light and heavy) and 2 sets of bodies: 'surburban' and 'express'.
For extra special visitors, there are two maroon coaches. These are very luxurious, and are pulled by express engines like Gordon, Henry or James. Spencer pulled one of them as the Duke and Duchess of Boxford's private train. They were first used in Season 5.
[edit] Sodor Mail Coaches
These coaches carry all the letters and parcels around Sodor. They usually run at night in the charge of Thomas or Percy, as seen in Season 3's "Thomas, Percy and the Post Train." However, in more recent seasons, they are sometimes seen in broad daylight, and Percy is almost always in charge by himself.
[edit] Old Coaches
These green and cream coaches are used on slower trains due to their age. They have not been seen since Season 1.
In addition to these, there are a number of brown four-wheeled coaches resembling Annie and Clarabel that are used for branch line duties. Edward was seen pulling these when his crankpin broke. Not seen since Season 2.
[edit] Red Coaches
These red coaches are usually pulled by Duck & Oliver on their Branch Line. They have also been pulled on the Main Line and other branches by James, Thomas, Edward, Percy, as well as others.
[edit] Narrow Gauge Coaches
To carry the visitors on the narrow gauge railway, there are a number of four-wheeled coaches. They carry either a red livery, or blue and white. For more sunny days, there are some green and white coaches with open sides. The Green and white coaches are called open air coaches
[edit] Mid Sodor Railway coaches
The Mid-Sodor Railway has coaches for carrying passengers to the unique mountain areas on the railway. They were pulled by Duke, Falcon, and Stuart before their railway closed down.
It is uncertain what happened to them when the line closed, but most likely they were sold to a different railway. (In The Railway Series books, several of the coaches were sold to the Skarloey Railway.)
The Mid-Sodor Coaches were only featured in four season 4 episodes, and resemble those on the Skarloey Railway.
[edit] Other trucks
The trucks are commonly known as the "Troublesome Trucks", because they are indeed extremely troublesome. However, without them, there would be none of the goods trains that are so essential to the railway's well-being.
Trucks are designed for many purposes. Anything that can be transported in the open air is taken in open wagons. Anything that needs protecting is transported in closed vans. Liquids are transported in tankers. Some of the more prominent types of truck featured in the series include:
[edit] Cattle Trucks
These are used to carry cows and other animals around Sodor. Some of them even carry more exotic animals for the circus. A train of these was at the centre of some trouble in the episode 'Cows' when a herd of cows ran across the line, breaking a coupling and causing some of the cattle trucks to be left behind. Sir Handel has been known to insult his coaches by referring to them as "Cattle Trucks".
[edit] Thomas' New Trucks
Thomas got his eight new trucks after James got his new ones. Thomas' trucks are all green-colored. At first, Thomas' trucks wanted to have mischief, but soon decided they'd rather feel useful.
[edit] James' New Trucks
James got his new eight trucks before the Fat Controller gave Thomas his new ones. James' trucks are all blue-colored.
[edit] Slate Trucks
First introduced in Season 4, these Narrow Gauge Trucks are used to carry slabs of slate from the quarries. On more than one occasion they have "broken away", causing accidents.
[edit] Fruit & Vegetable Trucks
First introduced in Season 8, as red and light blue colored trucks, Toby shunted some for Douglas.
[edit] Brake Vans
The brake van, also known as the guard's van, is an important part of a goods train. It carries the guard and is equipped with a strong brake to assist with slowing and stopping the train. From here, the guard can keep an eye on the train in case of problems. In the series few brakevans have faces.
[edit] Tankers
These trucks are used to transport large amounts of liquids. Tankers have been seen in the series designated to carry milk, tar, fuel and oil, as well as cream, jam and toffee later in the series.
Perhaps the most notable incident involving tankers was in the Season 1 episode Dirty Objects, in which James crashed into two tar tankers.
These trucks don't have faces, but there was only one time that they did, in the Season 4 episode Toad Stands By, where they teased Oliver about falling into the turntable well.
[edit] D. Fusit Gunpowder Vans
These oddly-shaped trucks transport gunpowder around the narrow gauge railway. Because gunpowder is so dangerous, engines must be extra careful when shunting it. Gunpowder vans are usually shunted into the middle of trains just in case. Luckily, there have been no accidents -- yet.
Flatbeds, well wagons and bolster wagons These trucks are used for transporting special loads. Flatbeds and well wagons (also known as low loaders), carry large items such as cars and heavy machinery. One of these carried the rock crusher for Bill and Ben's quarry, and another carried the 'Queen of Sodor' Barge.
Bolster wagons carry long loads, like logs, steel girders and pipes.
Wagons such as these are generally used whenever there is a special load (see below).
[edit] Unusual Loads
Sometimes the Fat Controller requires an engine to pick up special goods trains. Some of the stranger loads include:
[edit] Rocky
Rocky is the island second Crane (third if one counts Harvey). Edward and Gordon where mean to him at first but is kind to him after he saves Gordon. He's usually the first choice when the lifting is too heavy for Harvey to handle. The Season 10 episode "Edward Strikes Out" officially introduces him, but he was seen and named in an earlier episode, "Big Strong Henry" by mistake.
[edit] The Jet Engine
In the Season 6 episode "Thomas the Jet Engine", this piece of machinery was supposed to be delivered to the airfield. But Cranky the Crane carelessly knocked the "ON" lever with his hook, causing the jet to fire up and Thomas to be shot down the track at high speed.
[edit] The Elephant Statue
For the opening of 'Elephant Park' on the narrow-gauge railway, the Fat Controller told Duncan to pick up an elephant statue, which was tied down on a flat truck (See Above under 'Bolster Wagons'). Duncan, being thoughtless as usual, left without the brakevan, and ended up being pulled out of control by the elephant statue right along the line! Duncan crashed near Elephant Park....
[edit] The Organ
Strawberry Grove School was to have an organ delivered to the school, and the narrow-gauge railway was to take it. Headmaster Hastings looked after it, and Duncan took the train. But he blew his whistle too hard, causing it to fly right off. Mr. Hastings had the idea of using the organ as a temporary whistle, and it worked very well. Duncan completed his work whistleless, and the school got its organ.
[edit] The Rock Crusher
The Rock Crusher arrived on the Island to help in the quarry. It only appeared in one season 7 story, in which Bill and Ben picked it up from the docks, and took it to the Quarry to get to work. Although the rock crusher is usual for crushing stone and rocks, it makes a very loud noise,
