Thomas (T&F)

Thomas is a blue tank engine who works on the North Western Railway and is the railway's number 1 engine.

When he first came to the Island of Sodor, Thomas worked as the station pilot at Knapford. He now runs the Ffarquhar Branch Line with his two faithful coaches, Annie and Clarabel and has his own train along The Main Line called "The Local".

## Biography

### Railway Series

Details of Thomas's arrival on the North Western Railway in 1915 show he arrived by mistake. How this happened is unknown, but it is believed he was sent to Sodor in a wartime mix-up. His driver and fireman got along well with the local people and married Sudrian women. By 1920, neither one wanted to leave the Island or their beloved engine.

Through an inquiry, Sir Topham Hatt found out that the LBSCR had written off Thomas as being "lost on war service". Rather than face complications resulting from a change in their books, the LBSCR quietly sold Thomas to the North Western Railway for a "nominal sum".

Thomas formerly worked as the station pilot at Vicarstown, shunting trains for the bigger engines on the Main Line to take out. He enjoyed teasing the other engines, especially Gordon, who he would quietly sneak up on and whistle loudly while Gordon dozed in a siding. Eventually, Gordon managed to get back at Thomas by pulling out of the station before he could be uncoupled from his coaches, dragging him down the line at a tremendous speed. Thomas vowed to never tease Gordon again. Perhaps as a result of his brief excursion beyond his boundaries, Thomas longed to see more of the world and become a part of it and became jealous of the bigger engines for having the chance to pull trains.

On an occasion when Henry felt ill, Thomas took his morning passenger train since there were no other engines available, much to his delight. However, for unknown reasons, Thomas left the station before he could be coupled to his train, leaving behind the coaches, the passengers and their luggage. Thomas was not aware of his mistake until he was stopped by a signalman who asked where his train was. Ashamed and confused, Thomas returned to the station and collected his coaches. Subsequently, the incident made him a laughing stock among the other engines.

Thomas continued to grumble to the other engines, though they took no notice of him. However, Edward felt sorry for him and allowed him to take his goods train to Wellsworth while he handled his shunting duties in the yard. Although Edward had warned him to be careful around the trucks, Thomas took no notice and bumped the trucks as he started. When they reached Gordon's Hill, the trucks pushed him down the line, causing him to lose control. He only just managed to stop the train before hitting a set of buffers in Wellsworth Yard, where he was confronted by Sir Topham Hatt. So that Thomas could learn about trucks almost as much as Edward, Sir Topham Hatt kept Thomas there, continuing the swap with Edward, and could easily keep an eye on things, as he lives at Wellsworth.

While Thomas worked there, he saw the Breakdown Train. Shortly after he learned what its purpose was, James ran right past him, out of control thanks to his trucks, and derailed in a field west of the station. Thomas fetched the Breakdown Train and rushed to James's aid, helped to clean up the broken trucks and bring James back to the shed when he was re-railed. As a reward for his actions, Thomas was given two new coaches named Annie and Clarabel and the responsibility of running the Ffarquhar Branch Line, much to his delight.

Thomas loved his branch line dearly and had many adventures during his first days on the line. He once left his guard behind by accident and on another occasion he accidentally swallowed a fish in his tank when he took on water from the lake, causing him tremendous pain. During the autumn season, Thomas met Terence and teased him for his caterpillar tracks, though he soon came to regret this after he became stuck in the snow and had to be pulled out by him. Thomas later met Bertie and was challenged to a race to Ffarquhar. Although he was behind for most of the race, Thomas managed to overtake Bertie and won.

In 1960, Thomas crashed into the Ffarquhar Stationmaster's house after a careless cleaner had meddled with his controls. Being unable to stop on his own, this incident taught Thomas that he still needed his driver to control him, as opposed to when an earlier compliment by his driver had gone to his smokebox. Thomas was sent to Crovan's Gate Works to be mended and received some changes to his design, including a new footplate that was now level from smokebox to bunker. When Thomas returned to the branch line, he began looking after the passenger trains with Daisy.

In 1990, Thomas was invited by the National Railway Museum to represent the North Western Railway in the Great Railway Show, an event showcasing many famous engines across the UK. Thomas was excited, but the journey to York was shaky; he damaged his front buffer beam when he hit a crossing gate and the lorry he was traveling on was booked for parking illegally. Thomas was repaired when he arrived at the Museum and befriended Green Arrow while he was being mended, though he continued to have bad luck when he ran into a bag thrown onto the line and frightened a small child. Fortunately, Thomas managed to make up for his bad luck when, as he was double-heading a rail tour with Green Arrow, he noticed the line up ahead was damaged and stopped the train. As a reward for his actions, Thomas was made an honorary member of the National Railway Museum and received a commemorative plaque. Afterwards, Thomas left York and returned to Sodor.

In 1995, during the Golden Jubilee of the Railway Series, Thomas derailed on his branch line after rabbits had been undermining the track. He was rescued and managed to attend the Jubilee at Tidmouth albeit after being delayed at Knapford Junction after a set of points and a signal failed.

In 2007, during which Toby was having to handle the overflow of quarry workers, Thomas discovered an old carriage named Victoria, who he asked to be restored and help Toby. He brought her up from the Junction to Ffarquhar to meet Toby, after having to bypass Terence's toppled cart that had nearly blocked the line.

In 2011, Thomas had been crossing the river bridge near Elsbridge, when he was forced to stop due to an injured swan laying on the rails. He escorted it to Ffarquhar where it was taken to a vet and after recovery, Thomas brought it back to Elsbridge where the swan was freed. Later, he attended the Thin Clergyman's centenary.

### Television Series

Thomas started his life on the Island of Sodor as a cheeky little tank engine who shunted coaches for the Main Line engines, such as Henry and Gordon. He enjoyed playing tricks on them, including Gordon, "the biggest and proudest engine of all". He was taught a lesson when Gordon tricked him into being coupled to him during his express run. Tired out, he vowed never to tease Gordon again, realizing he did not have to be important. Soon he desired to pull his own passenger train too, much to the bemusement of the other engines. He got his chance when Henry became ill, and no one could pull the passenger train. However, Thomas was so excited that he accidentally left his train and his passengers behind, believing he was pulling it easily. He soon realized his mistake and returned to pull the train. The engines laughed at him, though, and soon Thomas wanted to get out of the shunting yards and see the world. Edward offered him a chance to pull trucks, and Thomas excitedly took the job, not realizing how troublesome trucks could be. The trucks pushed him down Gordon's Hill into a siding, where Sir Topham Hatt told him to practice so that one day he would become as good as Edward. Thomas soon proved himself when he rescued James after his accident with the trucks, using the Breakdown Train. As a reward for his quick and heroic action, Sir Topham Hatt promised him his own branch line.

Thrilled, Thomas soon began running his branch line with his two new coaches named Annie and Clarabel who he grew to love very much. He soon considered his branch line to be the most important part of the entire railway, a fact he would constantly remind the other engines of. However, he continued to make mistakes and dream big, and sometimes this got him into trouble, such as when he was so impatient that he left his guard behind at Elsbridge or when he wanted to fish, not realizing the implications of a fish being in his boiler. His greatest mistake was when he got his snowplough broken in the winter and ended up stuck in a snow drift, having to be rescued by Terence, whom he had insulted earlier for not having "real" wheels. He soon proved himself again, though, when he beat Bertie the bus in a great race. He quickly became friends with both Terence and Bertie, despite their differences.

Although Thomas's branch line was indeed the pride of the line, on the main line, things were not going well for Sir Topham Hatt, who was having to deal with Gordon, Henry, and James's sulking, refusing to do Thomas's former work of shunting themselves. After they went on strike, Thomas was brought back to help alongside Edward and their new friend, Percy, who quickly became Thomas's closest friend. Thomas also became friends with Toby after he was asked by Sir Topham Hatt to help their railway avoid a lawsuit from an angry policeman. But Thomas still had some cheekiness in him, returning to teasing Gordon after Gordon slid into a ditch. He soon needed Gordon's help after he blatantly went past a danger sign and fell down a mine. They soon became friends after that and promised never to tease each other again. Thomas and Toby later helped Mrs. Kyndley at her cottage after she was snowed in and helped her celebrate Christmas with a very special Christmas party.

The following year, Thomas shared a shed on his branch line with Percy and Toby. However, he became conceited about his brilliant blue paint and soon paid the price when Percy accidentally caused a coal hopper to pour coal all over him. Thomas was angry at Percy, but the two friends soon made up after Percy had an accident with some coal trucks. Thomas soon met Trevor, a friend of Edward's, who proved his usefulness when he helped Thomas at the newly constructed harbor. Unfortunately, Thomas became ill a few months later and had to be sent to the Works, while Duck looked after his branch line. When Thomas came back, his brakes were stiff, and made it seem as if they were hard on. As a result, one day, when his fireman was ill, a substitute accidentally caused Thomas to run away, and Harold had to help stop him. Later, when the Viaduct needed to be repaired, the main line engines became late to drop off Thomas's passengers and, as a result, made him late for Bertie. Thomas continued to be of great service to Sir Topham Hatt's railway, although he still remained a cheeky little engine.

Thomas later became conceited again when he took his driver's compliment to heart and believed he no longer needed him to work his branch line. This was untrue, but Thomas was too puffed up with himself to not believe it and, one morning, found himself rolling along the line, when a cleaner had accidentally started him up. He soon broke into a stationmaster's house and ruined the family's breakfast. He had to be rescued by Donald and Douglas. As a result, Sir Topham Hatt angrily sent him to the works again. He arrived back a few weeks later just in time to take over for a battered Percy, who just had a predicament with some trucks. The following Christmas, Thomas was eager to sing carols with the other engines, though had to pick up a Christmas tree for Sir Topham Hatt. Unfortunately, on his way back, he was caught in a snow drift and was lost. Donald and Douglas soon rescued him in time to sing carols with all his friends.

From the Season 8 onwards, Thomas was given more duties on the Main Line.

### Thomas and the Magic Railroad

While Sir Topham Hatt was on holiday, Thomas was asked to pick up Mr. Conductor, who would be acting as controller until his return. After hearing that Diesel 10 was planning to destroy the lost engine and the buffers that lead to her, Thomas set out on a quest to find and help her.

With help from Percy, he was able to locate the Magic Buffers and went through them with Lily. While on the Magic Railroad, he picked up a truck of Sodor coal that he had previously accidentally sent through the buffers. At the end of the line, he was sent to Muffle Mountain, where he fell off the mountainside and rolled through another portal. He later reconvened with Lily - along with Patch, Burnett Stone and Lady - back on the Magic Railroad.

After returning to Sodor, Thomas was chased along with Lady by Diesel 10. During the chase, Thomas only just managed to cross The Big Dipper before it collapsed, leaving Diesel 10 to fall off the bridge and into a barge. Afterwards, he returned to the Sodor Wishing Well with Lady.

## Technical Details

### Basis

LBSCR E2 Class
 (Thomas's Basis)
Thomas is based on an LBSCR E2 Class with added wheel arches and extended side tanks.

### Livery

Thomas is painted NWR blue with red lining on his tanks and boiler and yellow lining around his windows. His number 1 is painted on his side tanks in yellow with a red outline. He has a white running board with red bufferbeams and valences.

## Appearances

* Railway Series
* Television Series

### *Railway Series*

* **Thomas the Tank Engine** - Thomas and Gordon, Thomas's Train, Thomas and the Trucks and Thomas and the Breakdown Train
* **Tank Engine Thomas Again** - Thomas and the Guard, Thomas Goes Fishing, Thomas, Terence and the Snow and Thomas and Bertie

### *Thomas & Friends*

* **T&F Season 1** - Thomas Gets Tricked, Edward Helps Out *(cameo)*, Come Out, Henry! *(does not speak)*, A Big Day for Thomas, Trouble for Thomas, Thomas Saves the Day, James Learns A Lesson, Foolish Freight Cars, A Proud Day for James *(cameo)*, Thomas and the Conductor, Thomas Goes Fishing, Terence the Tractor, Thomas and Bertie's Great Race, Tenders and Turntables, Trouble in the Shed, Percy Runs Away *(does not speak)*, Henry's Special Coal, Whistles and Sneezes *(cameo)*, Thomas Breaks the Rules, Down the Mine and Thomas's Christmas Party
* **T&F Season 2** - Double Trouble, A Cow on the Line *(cameo)*, Bertie's Chase, Saved From Scrap, Old Iron, A New Friend for Thomas, Percy and the Signal *(does not speak)*, Duck Takes Charge *(does not speak)*, Percy Proves A Point, The Runaway, Percy Takes the Plunge, A Close Shave for Duck *(does not speak)*, Better Late Than Never, Donald and Douglas *(cameo)*, Thomas Comes to Breakfast, Daisy *(mentioned)*, Percy's Predicament *(does not speak)*, Wrong Road *(does not speak)*, Percy's Ghostly Truck, Woolly Bear and Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree

#### Specials

* **1992** - Thomas and the UK Trip
* **2000** - Thomas and the Magic Railroad
* **2005** - Calling All Engines!
* **2008** - The Great Discovery
* **2009** - Hero of the Rails
* **2010** - Misty Island Rescue
* **2011** - Day of the Diesels
* **2012** - Blue Mountain Mystery
* **2013** - King of the Railway
* **2014** - Tale of the Brave
* **2015** - The Adventure Begins and Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure
* **2016** - The Great Race
* **2017** - Journey Beyond Sodor
* **2018** - Big World! Big Adventures!