recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Caddenmark

**Caddenmark** is a country that makes up a part of the Remnant Isles. It is the origin of the Caddmen and is by far the weakest of the five nations. It's current capital is the ancient fortress of Cadar's Keep and is ruled by Lord Harald.

## History

Caddenmark is one the main countries that makes up the Remnant Isles but has maintained a reputation for being the weakest and isolating themselves from affairs that do not concern them. They do however engage in trade with the Rosthelm Trading Company and using their vast amounts of silver mines are able to train and equip their troops to be the best in the Remnant Isles. As a result of having the best trained army, Caddmen mercenaries are quite common but powerful nations like Skarford continue to try and recruit regular soldiers in the Caddenmark army to serve their own needs.

Caddenmark has most notably been involved in the Nordic Conquest, being in close proximity to Nordland. And the Kastorland civil war fighting under the banner of House Tekmor.
Tharon-Tekmor

Tharon fully armoured

**Tharon Rekmor** is a giant seven-foot tall Kastorman and the ruling Great Lord of Kastorland. He is one of the most feared men in all of the Remnant Isles after earning himself a reputation of fighting since he was a youth of 5 years, his present self is a massive armoured giant who incites fear into the souls of anyone to witness him. Tharon favours a giant battle-axe which is taller than himself and is rumoured to be lifted only by him, his axe is said to be so powerful that a full swing of it would slice a man clean in half.

He is currently the Great Lord of Kastorland, Ruler of the city of Kalstgate and Head of House Rekmor.
Branch Line Engines

**Branch Line Engines** is the sixteenth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"As the author says, "We never have a dull moment on our Branch Line." The stories here show this. First Thomas got into trouble and then a Diesel Rail-car called Daisy came to do his work. She then caused trouble, Toby chased a bull, Percy added to the problems . . . And so it went on until the Fat Controller once again came to the rescue, and all ended happily."
Tekland

**Tekland** is one of the five major countries that make up the Remnant Isles. It is the homeland of the Teklanders, noble and honourable warriors and strategists who derive much of their history from an unending cold war with the neighbouring country of Kastorland. It's capital is the trading city: Helmsburg which is rumoured to be more than a thousand years old, with Tekland itself being older.
Duck and the Diesel Engine

**Duck and the Diesel Engine** is the thirteenth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Duck, the saddle-tank engine, has appeared earlier in the series, but this is the first time he has had a whole book to himself. As usual, he has fun with the other engines, in particular Gordon, Edward, James, Henry and a newcomer, the Diesel Engine. Diesel is a troublemaker and soon after his arrival makes Duck unpopular with the other engines. Duck is very miserable, but in the end the Fat Controller puts everything right, as only he can."
Kastorland

**Kastorland** is a country within the Remnant Isles and is by far the most conflicted of the many nations. It is ruled by the Kastmen, renowned warriors known for their vicious and brutal fighting techniques in combat. Kastorland is divided into rivalling houses who are separately ruled by Warlords, however from time to time they are unified by a Great Lord and cooperate together. It's capital is the mountaintop fortress of Kalstgate.
Toby

## Toby the Tram Engine

* CGI Series
* Model Series

## Voice Actors

### UK voice actor

Ben Small (*2009-2015*)
Rob Rackstraw (*2015-present*)

## Character Overview

### Country

* England (*built*)
* Island of Sodor

### Affiliation

* North Western Railway
* Toby's Branch Line
* Ffarquhar Branch Line
	+ Thomas
	+ Percy
	+ Daisy
	+ Mavis
	+ Henrietta
* Steam Team (*formerly*)

## Technical Details

### Railway

* North Western Railway
* Toby's Old Tramway (*formerly*)

### Owner(s)

Sir Topham Hatt

**Toby**is an old tram engine.
James the Red Engine

**James the Red Engine** is the third book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Here we meet some old friends - James, Thomas, Edward, Henry and Gordon. The Fat Director is here too, but he is now known as the Fat Controller. How cross he is with James in the first story, but how pleased he is when James proves himself to be really useful."

"In these stories, James, who has been given a shining new coat of red paint to cheer him up after his accident, gets hiccoughs, needs a bootlace, has trouble with his trucks and pulls the Express after Gordon loses his way."
James and the Diesel Engines

**James and the Diesel Engines** is the twenty-eighth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"James didn't like diesels: 'Mixed-up engines - how can they know if they're coming or going?' he demanded. Sometimes his dislike was certainly justified, but then one day one of the Fat Controller's new diesels came to his rescue. After that James had to agree that even diesels had their uses."
Tharsgard

**Tharsgard** is a small archipelago of islands and a massive city. It serves as the governing power and de facto capital of the Remnant Isles, being directly ruled by the High Emperor. It is one of the few islands that was formed directly by the earthquakes of the Great Devastation (alongside Rosthelm), it consists of five islands with the main one being in the centre and surrounded by the other four. This formation of the islands makes Tharsgard a very difficult place to attack as in order to get to the main island, an attacking force will have to go through all of the other islands and exhaust their forces to be finished of by Tharsmen troops.
Gordon the High-Speed Engine

**Gordon the High-Speed Engine** is the thirty-first book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Gordon wasn't satisfied with being 'the Big Engine' - he wanted to be the fastest engine as well. When he heard that the Other Railway had diesels which ran at 125 miles an hour he thought he could travel even faster than that. Gordon tried hard, but mostly seemed to be in trouble until one day the High-Speed Train broke down..."
Small Railway Engines

**Small Railway Engines** is the twenty-second book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"This book introduces a new Controller, called the Small Controller; a new branch line called the Small Railway; and new engines Rex, Bert and Mike. Young and old alike will thoroughly enjoy these enchanting additions to the Island of Sodor railway system."
Unicorns

Unicorns are ponies with horns. Some of them are even known to be students from Princess celestlia!

list of unicorns:

Twilight sparkle (s1-s3)

Rarity

Bluenote

Bracer britches

Chancealar neighsay

Cinnamon chai

Claude

Cornindader clum

Dandy grudar

Doctor horse

Fancypants

Fashion plate

Firelight

Flam

Fleur de lis

Flim

Hoo’far

Hoofdini

Jackpot

Jetset

Joe

Lily lace

Merry (rarity)

Mistmane

Moondancer

Party favor

Prince blueblood

Professor flint

Unicorn royal guards

Sable spirt

Saffron masala

Sassy saddles

Shining armor

Snowfall frost (starlight glimmer)

King Sombra

Starswirl the bearded

Starlight glimmer

Stellar flare

Stygian

Sugar belle

Sunburst

Sunset shimmer

Commander tempest shadow

Trenderhoof

Trixie lulamoon

Starswirl

Starry magic

Sophie

Diamond heart (half)

Diana (half)

Pumpkin cake

Sweetie belle
Edward's Day Out (RWS)

Edward is delighted to be taking the passengers.

**Edward's Day Out** is the first story from the book The Three Railway Engines.

## Plot

Edward is the smallest engine in the shed and has not been out for a long time, and the other engines tease him about it. The driver and fireman come and choose Edward instead of the bigger engines, which makes them very cross.

Edward collects his coaches and takes them to the station to pick up passengers. They wait for the guard to blow his whistle and wave his flag, but the guard is nowhere to be seen. Eventually he arrives and blows his whistle, and the train sets off.

That night Edward boasts to the bigger engines that he will be going out again tomorrow, but soon falls asleep before they have anything to say.

## Characters

* Edward
* Gordon (illustrated)
* 87546 and 98642 (illustrated)

While it had been assumed - and was likely intended by the artists - for the green engine in the sheds to be Henry, the dates later given for the stories in this book make this almost impossible, as The Sad Story of Henry takes place in 1922 while the rest of the book takes place in 1923, the year that Gordon arrives on Sodor.

In the William Middleton illustrations, the red engine seen in the sheds in the first illustration is drawn the same way as the engine in The Sad Story of Henry, but the later Dalby artwork gives the two engines unique designs.

The driver, the fireman, the coaches, the station-master, the porter, the guard and a little boy also appear.

## History

Edward's Day Out was the first story to be conceived, and started simply as a way for Wilbert to keep his two year-old son Christopher, who was ill in bed with measles, entertained. A rhyme about 'little engines down at the station' was then accompanied by a drawing of the engines, all with different expressions. Christopher asked his father why one engine looked sad, and his father told him that the engine was old and hadn't been out for a long time. When Christopher asked the engine's name, Wilbert used the first name that came into his head - Edward. From here, the story grew and more followed, and Christopher begged his father to tell them over and over again. Christopher soon knew the stories so well that he would correct Wilbert if he ever made mistakes, so Wilbert wrote the stories down on the back of old circulars to make sure he told them correctly.

In the years that followed the book's publication, Awdry received letters from readers asking about these other engines. Replying to one such letter in 1963, in which the writer identified four of the engines in the illustration - Edward, Gordon, Henry and James - Awdry gave the two remaining blue engines numbers: 87546 and 98642.

When the television series started, Edward's Day Out was not adapted as an individual episode, but parts of its plot were included in the episode Edward and Gordon.

## References

1. ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" pg. 10
2. ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" pg. 128
3. ↑ The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (1995) pg. 96-97, 100
4. ↑ The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (1995) pg. 110
Thomas & Friends Encyclopedia:Rules

## **Mission Statement**

Our goal is to be the **most accurate** source of Thomas information on the internet. Each piece of information has been meticulously researched and citations have been provided to ensure accuracy. The Encyclopedia staff have done their best to piece together any mistakes or contradictory information and assemble timelines that make logical sense. In such cases, footnotes are provided to state how these conclusions have been reached.

## **Rules**

As we strive to be a scholarly source of information, our rules must be strict to ensure that the Encyclopedia stays error-free. Please follow these rules or be subjected to their corresponding punishments. **All rules follow a 3 strike formula unless stated otherwise.**

**1.** Reference your information- Make sure your information comes from a reliable source, such as a book or an episode. If you are not sure what to reference or how to reference, **ask an admin.**

**2.** Adding or removing categories- Use already existing categories for pages. Categories must follow specific rules for character pages. After each category, (T&F) or (RWS) must be added depending on which canon the page belongs to.

**3.** Keep Railway Series and Thomas & Friends information separate- They have separate canons and each engine, person or location that has appeared in the Railway Series has its own RWS page, accessible through the bar at the top of their article.

**4.** Vandalisation- Defacing this wiki will result in an **immediate permanent ban.**

**5**. Adding fan content to pages- Fan content counts as **vandalisation** and is subject to the same punishment. If you cannot distinguish fan information from the real thing, you are not a good fit for this wiki. If you are unsure about the credibility of your information, refer to Rule 1.

**6**. Images- Do not upload images to the Encylclopedia unless they are intended for use on an article, and ask an admin before uploading new versions of existing images.
New Little Engine

**New Little Engine** is the fortieth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Skarloey and his friends are getting so many visitors to their railway that they can't manage them all. Peter Sam came back from Wales to help, but something else was happening too - Mr Hugh and the Thin Controller had secret plans to build a new little engine."
Gordon the Big Engine

**Gordon the Big Engine** is the eighth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Gordon, that proud and pompous Express Engine, has appeared in all the earlier books in this series, but this is the first time that he has had a book named after him. He has many adventures with Thomas the Tank Engine and the other engines on the Fat Controller's famous railway. There is some trouble on the line as usual, but all turns out better than even Gordon himself had hoped."

"Gordon, that proud and pompous Express Engine, appeared in all the earlier books in this series, but this is the first time that he has had a book named after him."
James/RWS Article

## James the Red Engine

* Current Livery
* Upon Arrival

**James** is a mixed-traffic tender engine who works on the North Western Railway, normally on the Main Line.

## **Biography**

### ***The Railway Series***

James was constructed in 1912/13 at the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway's Horwich Works by chief mechanical engineer George Hughes. James' design was intended to solve the nose-heaviness problem that plagued the L&YR's Class 28s, but did not produce a significant improvement. James made it into the hands of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway through the Grouping Act, but was sold to the North Western Railway at a later date.

## **Technical Details**

### **Basis**

James is an unique member of George Hughes' Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 28s, a group of 0-6-0 mixed-traffic tender engines designed to be an improved version of Aspinall's Class 27s. The Class 28s were constructed in Horwich Works between 1909 and 1912 with 63 of the 83 engines being rebuilds of existing Class 27s. The 28s differed from the 27s in that each were fitted with a Schmidt/"twin-plug" superheater, a Belpaire firebox, an extended footplate, and longer sandboxes.

James posesses several features not found on any other Class 28s. For starters, he was given 5'6" driving wheels, which are substantially larger than the 5'1" wheels on the other members of his class. His sandboxes are not part of his front splashers, and instead, appear to be located under his footplate. The main feature that sets James apart from the others, however, is his unique 2-6-0 wheel arrangement; James was built with a longer footplate and a leading bogie to combat the front-heaviness issue plaguing the 0-6-0 Class 28s. It can be assumed that sometime after the L&YR grouped with the London Midland and Scottish Railway and before his sale to the North Western Railway, his original tender was replaced with one of Fowler design.
Edward and Gordon (RWS)

Gordon boasts to Edward.

**Edward and Gordon** is the second story from the book The Three Railway Engines.

## Plot

Gordon, one of the bigger engines in Edward's shed, boasts to Edward about pulling the express. But later, when Edward is shunting trucks, he sees Gordon pass by - not with the express, but with a goods train.

Later a porter comes and tells Edward to go and help Gordon up the hill. Gordon grumbles and doubts the little engine, but Edward manages to push Gordon to the top of the hill.

Gordon leaves without thanking Edward, but as a reward Edward's driver promises him a new coat of paint.

## Characters

* Edward
* Gordon

Some trucks, a porter, some drivers and firemen also appear.
Thomas and the Twins

**Thomas and the Twins** is the thirty-third book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"When Thomas went to help on Edward's branch line he didn't bargain for Bill and Ben, the china clay twins, as well. His stay there was more exciting than he had expected, and by the time he left he had certainly earned the twins' respect."
Thomas and the Trucks (RWS)

The troublesome trucks play their tricks on Thomas.

**Thomas and the Trucks** is the third story from the book Thomas the Tank Engine.

## Plot

Thomas is still bored of life as the station pilot, but most of the other engines ignore his grumbling. Edward, however, feels sorry for him, and offers to swap jobs with Thomas - Edward will shunt the coaches in the yard for Thomas, while Thomas will take Edward's train of trucks. Their drivers agree.

Thomas is not used to trucks, and the trucks enjoy playing tricks on unsuspecting engines. Thomas is enjoying his journey despite the trucks' wailing, but when his driver begins to apply the brakes at the top of Gordon's hill, the trucks see their chance and push Thomas down the hill instead.

The train slips out of control down the hill, through the station and into a siding, and Thomas manages to stop just in front of the buffers. The Fat Director is there and asks Thomas why he came so fast, then tells Thomas that he must learn more about trucks, and spend a few weeks shunting at Edward's station.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Henry (illustrated)
* The troublesome trucks
* The Fat Director

An unnamed blue engine also appears.
Gordon/RWS Article

## Gordon the Big Engine

* II
* I

**Gordon** is a big blue passenger engine and the pride of the North Western Railway. Being the most powerful engine on Sodor, his job is to pull the express train called the "Wild Nor' Wester". Gordon is very boastful and proud, much to the other engines' annoyance.

## Biography

Gordon was originally built in 1919 in Doncaster for the Great Northern Railway. He was designed to be an experimental prototype for Sir Nigel Gresley's 4-6-2 Pacifics. As the prototype, he was used for correcting faults with the design, but was kept "hush-hush" and as such, no running number was given. After the Pacifics entered service, Gordon was no longer needed by the GNR, and was sold in 1923 to the North Western Railway with a spare boiler and firebox.

In 1939, Gordon was rebuilt at the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's Crewe works. Due to the problems Gordon had been facing with Gresley's conjugated valve gear, William Stanier replaced the chassis with his own two-cylindered design, making Gordon a Gresley/Stanier hybrid.

## References

1. ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways pg. 128 "
Mountain Engines

**Mountain Engines** is the nineteenth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Culdee and his friends are the engines on a different kind of railway - a mountain railway, not far from Skarloey's Line. The Mountain Line is steep, and there is trouble when Lord Harry becomes conceited and takes too many risks . . . . But he learns his lesson and he, too, helps to prove that, whatever the weather, mountain engines Will Get Through."
More About Thomas the Tank Engine

**More About Thomas the Tank Engine** is the thirtieth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"One day there was an accident in the yard at Ffarquhar. Thomas said it was Percy's fault. Percy said it wasn't. The quarrel wasn't really serious at first, but as time went on the two engines became crosser and crosser. Percy kept out of Thomas's way as much as he could, until one day he was called out to an emergency..."
Percy/RWS Article

## Percy the Small Engine

**Percy** is a little green saddle tank engine who works on the North Western Railway. He originally worked as the station pilot at Tidmouth, but is now in charge of freight traffic on the Ffarquhar Branch Line.

## **Biography**

To meet the demands of a locomotive strike, the Fat Controller sought out a new shunting engine for his railway. After inspecting many engines in a locomotive workshop on the Mainland, he settled on purchasing Percy, a small saddle tank engine who seemed eager for the job. Not much is known about Percy's prior working history, but much can be inferred about his build history. Although Percy doesn't seem to have an definitive class, most of his parts came from Avonside of Bristol and Hunslet of Leeds, two reputable builders of industrial locomotives. Although he shares parts from many other companies, it is most likely that he started his life out as an Avonside engine.

Percy was first put to work as a shunter in Tidmouth's yard, then was assigned to assist with the rebuild of Knapford Harbour. He now resides in Ffarquhar with Thomas and Toby and is in charge of the freight traffic on the Ffarquhar branch line. ADD DATES REFERENCES AND REVISE LATER

## **Technical Details**

### **Basis**

It is thought that Percy started his life out as an Avonside engine and was rebuilt with parts from Hunslet and other manufacturers at a later date. This makes Percy a unique engine and he does not belong to a definitive locomotive class. However, as stated in *Sodor: Reading Between the Lines* "Several Percy lookalikes can be found on preserved railways but none is identical." . One of these "Percy lookalikes" that shares
Avonside origins is the Great Western Railway's number 1340, "Trojan". Since Percy's current appearance is more reminiscent of Avonside locomotives, it is unknown which Hunslet engine he is similar to. Thus, it can be assumed that his main Hunslet features stem to his cab, which is absent on similar Avonside 0-4-0s.

## References

1. ↑ RWS "Sodor: Reading Between the Lines pg. 7 "
Edward, Gordon and Henry (RWS)

The three railway engines reunited.

**Edward, Gordon and Henry** is the fourth and final story from the book The Three Railway Engines.

## Plot

One day while pulling the express, Gordon's safety valve bursts - right by Henry's tunnel. The guard goes to find another engine, but Edward is the only one available.

Edward is unable to pull the train alone, so Gordon suggests to the Fat Director that he lets Henry try. He agrees, so Henry is brought out of the tunnel to help Edward with the express.

The passengers are delighted and the Fat Director promises Henry a new coat of blue paint with red stripes. The three engines are now great friends and Henry is no longer afraid of the rain.

## Characters

* Edward
* Gordon
* Henry
* The Fat Director

Gordon's driver and fireman, the guard, the coaches, the passengers, a goat and Henry's driver also appear.
Wooden Railway

**Wooden Railway** was a line of merchandise created by Learning Curve in 1993. In 2012, TOMY obtained the rights to manufacture the line. The following year in 2013, Mattel through Fisher-Price began to manufacture Wooden Railway products. The line was discontinued in 2017, with Wood releasing soon after to replace it.
The Railway Series

***The Railway Series*** is a series of story books about the railways on the fictional Island of Sodor. The books were created by the Rev. W. Awdry, who wrote the first stories back in 1943. He wrote twenty-six books from 1945 up until 1972. A further sixteen books were written by Christopher Awdry, his son. The final book was published in 2011.

The series would go on to be adapted for Thomas & Friends, with many of the episodes being based on stories from the books.

## Books

### Rev. W. Awdry

These volumes were later compiled into *Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection*.
*The Complete Collection* compilations were released by various publishers in different years and countries, all containing the same 26 volumes.

### Christopher Awdry

Volumes 27-41 were compiled into *Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection.*
Edward/RWS Article

## Edward the Blue Engine

**Edward**is a blue mixed-traffic engine.

## **Biography**

At the outbreak of World War I, the North Western Railway was hindered by its small locomotive fleet. To solve this problem, they borrowed rolling stock from both the Midland and Furness railways. Edward was part of the aid sent by the latter railway, and arrived on Sodor in 1915. Since Edward was considered a 'shy steamer' by the Furness, he was sold to the North Western at a low price. Countless rebuilds at Crovan's Gate have solved Edward's steaming problems, but have made it difficult to determine the locomotive class that Edward originally belonged to.

## **Technical Details**

### **Basis**

There are relatively few pieces of information that can definitively confirmed as accurate about Edward's origin. It is accepted that Edward started his life out as a 4-4-0 tender engine on the Furness Railway but, after Edward was rebuilt at Crovan's Gate, all traces of his former shape were erased. Due to conflict between official sources, the accuracy of the following information is unknown.

(List conflicting information in the IOS, RBTL, and annuals here)

### **Livery**

Edward is painted North Western Railway blue with red lining.
Great Little Engines

**Great Little Engines** is the twenty-ninth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Sir Handel grew conceited when he was asked to help on the Talyllyn Railway, in Wales. He thought he should have a book to himself, but that wouldn't have been fair to Skarloey, Peter Sam and the rest. So these stories tell some of their latest adventures too."
You Can't Win! (RWS)

**You Can't Win!** is the third story from the book Duke the Lost Engine.

## Plot

Duke is taking a holiday excursion train called *"The Picnic"* Filled with vacationers who come to see the Mid-Sodor's Mountains, lakes (and Duke!)

One morning after a run Duke felt short of steam and was teased by Stuart that he's *"getting old"* And has to take care or he'll break down! To which Duke was indignant. *"impertinent".* But Duke would loose steam after he picked up his passengers. Heading along Ballamoody his valves started leaking steam So Falcon & Stuart come to rescue the Train.

They then split up at the next Station. Falcon took Duke's Passengers to the Port, While Stuart Headed Falcon's train with Duke Coupled behind back to Arlesdale. Stuart boasted the whole time *"we'll have to keep him in order. Poor old engine, poor old engine".* But Duke was NOT out-of-action, And he and his driver used it to play a prank on Stuart.

Going along the Mountain Road the Driver "laid on the Steam" And Duke puffed his hardest making such a noise as though he was working for two engines. So when they reached Arlesdale everyone thought that *"Stuart broke down, and Duke had to help him. he had a hard time to by the sound of things"*

"*well for Crying out LOUD!"* Stuart exclaims and vanishes in a cloud of Steam. Duke delights in his Prank working stating *"poor old engine! it's no good Stuart, You Can't win"* Throwing Stuart's earlier taunt back at him.
James and the Top-Hat (RWS)

James startles an old lady.

**James and the Top-Hat**is the first story from the book James the Red Engine.

## Plot

James is settling in well, but the Fat Controller decides he needs help with the coaches, so he asks Edward to help. But James is too excited at the station when the passengers are admiring his new red paint - and he suddenly lets off steam, sending out a shower of water which ruins the Fat Controller's top hat.

Impatient to leave before the Fat Controller can say anything, James hurries Edward and the train out of the big station. He is pushing so much that they stop beyond the platform at the first station.

At the next station, they rest and Edward tells James about the time he had to help Gordon up the hill. Unfortunately, James laughs so much that he hiccups and an old lady drops all her parcels in surprise. James is quiet in the shed that night, worrying about what the Fat Controller will have to say.

## Characters

* James
* Gordon (mentioned)
* Thomas
* The Fat Controller
* Edward

The coaches also appear.
James

## James the Red Engine

* III
* II
* I

**James** is a mixed-traffic tender engine who works on the North Western Railway, normally on the Main Line.

## **Technical Details**

### **Basis**

James is based on the L&YR Class 28, a class of 0-6-0 mixed-traffic tender locomotive designed by George Hughes for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and built by Horwich Works between 1909 and 1912. It was a rebuild of Aspinall's Class 27, with the addition of a Belpaire firebox, a Schmidt/"twin-plug" superheater and the extension of the footplate and front sandboxes.

According to *The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways*, James is an experimental member of the Class 28s; he is fitted with a front pony truck (thus making him a 2-6-0 instead of an 0-6-0), 5'6" driving wheels instead of the class' original 5'1" ones and a Fowler tender. His front sandboxes also appear to be mounted underneath his footplate rather than joined to his leading splashers.

### **Livery**

James is painted in NWR red with black lining and brass boiler bands. His dome is brass and his number is painted on the sides of his tender in yellow with black lining.
In the *Railway Series*, James' black lining became blue after *Main Line Engines*. His roof colour was also inconsistently illustrated as either black or red; since Clive Spong became illustrator, James has been consistently illustrated with a red cab roof.
Main Line Engines

**Main Line Engines** is the twenty-first book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Strange things always happen on the Fat Controller's Railway. Trucks disappear, some bees escape, and a green hat is mistaken for the Guard's flag! To make matters worse, two new mischievous twin engines, Bill and Ben, are introduced to the system. BoCo the diesel, is a newcomer too, but what a useful engine he proves to be."
The Three Railway Engines

**The Three Railway Engines**is the first book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"*The Three Railway Engines* is the first book in the well-known "Railway Series" by the REV. W. AWDRY. In it he tells of Edward, Gordon and Henry who lived in the same shed and who were always boasting and quarrelling amongst themselves until, after a series of adventures, they found that it is best to be good friends and help each other."
The Eight Famous Engines

**The Eight Famous Engines** (**Eight Famous Engines** between 2002 and 2011) is the twelfth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"All of the Fat Controller's eight famous engines appear in this book. Cheeky Percy is taught a lesson, Gordon takes a trip to London, and then all the engines are shown in an exhibition. How proud they were, too, especially the Fat Controller."
Thomas and the Breakdown Train (RWS)

James is derailed and needs Thomas' help.

**Thomas and the Breakdown Train** is the fourth and final story from the book Thomas the Tank Engine.

## Plot

One day, while shunting at Edward's station, Thomas spots what his driver calls the 'breakdown train', which is used to help in accidents by lifting engines, coaches and trucks.

The new engine James comes rushing through the station with brake failure, and the alarm comes a little later: James has had an accident, and the breakdown train is needed. Thomas quickly gathers the workmen and takes the breakdown train to help.

He clears away the trucks and the cranes put James back onto the rails. Thomas helps him back to the shed, where the Fat Director is waiting, and tells Thomas that he is a really useful engine. He promises James some proper brakes and a new coat of paint, and rewards Thomas with his own Branch Line.

## Characters

* Thomas
* The Fat Director
* James
* Edward (does not speak)
* Henry (mentioned)
* Gordon (does not speak)
* Annie and Clarabel (mentioned; one illustrated)

Thomas' driver, the workmen, James' driver and fireman, and some cows also appear.
Really Useful Engines

**Really Useful Engines** is the twenty-seventh book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends are still at work. They are being very helpful lately. Thomas helps the police, Percy helps a postman - and Duck, well, he helps Henry rather less than he intended. But in the end all three prove once again that they are *Really Useful Engines*.

The Railway books were originally written by the Rev. W. Awdry and told as bedtime stories to his son Christopher, who himself became a keen railway enthusiast. Now, after much encouragement from train lovers everywhere and as bedtime stories for his own son Richard, Christopher Awdry has written these new stories."
Edward the Blue Engine

**Edward the Blue Engine** is the ninth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Edward, who appeared with Gordon and Henry in *The Three Railway Engines* (the first book in this Railway Series), now has a book to himself. Here he is again joined in his adventures by Gordon and Henry, together with James the Red Engine, Bertie the 'Bus, and a new friend called Trevor, who is a Traction Engine. And, of course, the Fat Controller is here too!"
Thomas

## Thomas the Tank Engine

* Model Series
* CGI Green
* CGI Blue

**Thomas** is a cheeky blue tank engine who works on the North Western Railway. He originally worked as the station pilot at Knapford, but now routinely pulls his coaches Annie and Clarabel on the Ffarquhar Branch Line.

## **Biography**

Thomas was brought to the North Western Railway from Brighton to shunt in the yard at Knapford. He was repainted from his blue-green livery to NWR blue shortly after his arrival, and was given the number one.
Not long after Thomas had arrived, he started being cheeky to the bigger engines, which Gordon got him back for. He soon learned how to pull passenger and goods trains, and after showing his courage by rescuing James, he was given his own branch line and coaches, Annie and Clarabel.

## **Personality**

Thomas is a cheeky little engine who often gets into scrapes, usually by being over-eager to do things best left to bigger and more sensible engines. But clouds never last long in Thomas' world and soon he's bustling about again, playing his part in the yard and on his very own branch line. Thomas works hard and he always strives to be a Really Useful Engine.

## **Technical Details**

### **Basis**

Thomas is based on the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Billinton E2 0-6-0T. He was based on the second series, more specifically, which were fitted with an extension at the front end of the side-tanks for increased water capacity. 10 of these locomotives were built between June 1913 and October 1916, the latter 5 of which featured extended side-tanks. The E2 class locomotives were mainly used for the heavier shunting and short distance freight duties in the London area and on the south coast, as their small coal bunkers made them unsuitable for long trips.

LB&SCR Billinton E2 second series
Thomas' design has a few differences from his basis. He has two splashers, an extra window on either side of his cab, and he lacks the back curve in his running-plate which was present on the E2 class locomotives. He is also considerably shorter than his basis. There are numerous other minor details that are either different or not present entirely.

### **Livery**

Thomas is painted North Western Railway blue with red lining. His number is written on either side in yellow with red lining, and his window frames are painted yellow.

When Thomas first came to Sodor, he was painted blue-green with white lining. His porthole windows were painted yellow and his side window frames were painted white. He had London, Brighton & South Coast initials and his number "70" written on either side in yellow with red lining. His wheel rims also had a white outline.

## **References**

1. ↑ T&F "The Adventure Begins"
2. ↑ T&F |The Official Website
3. ↑ T&F |The Official Website
Four Little Engines

**Four Little Engines** is the tenth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"The Rev. W. Awdry now introduces four new engines. All are small engines running on their own special line, and they are looked after by the *Thin* Controller. Some of the *Fat* Controller's engines are here too, and between them they have some exciting adventures - and some anxious moments!"
Jock the New Engine

**Jock the New Engine** is the thirty-fourth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Frank the diesel was upset and got into trouble. Rex broke down, and Bert found he couldn't breathe properly. So the Small Controller had to do something about it. He decided that the Railway needed a new engine, but what was he to be called? Then one of the Fat Controller's engines had an idea..."
The Sad Story of Henry (RWS)

Henry is bricked up in the tunnel.

**The Sad Story of Henry** is the third story from the book The Three Railway Engines.

## Plot

Pulling the train during rain one day, Henry is worried that the rain will spoil his paint, so he stops in a tunnel and refuses to move.

His crew and the passengers attempt to reason with him until the Fat Director arrives. Despite the efforts of the passengers and another engine, Henry still refuses to move, so the Fat Director has a wall built in front of Henry as punishment.

## Characters

* Henry
* Edward (illustrated; Dalby editions only)
* The Fat Director

A red engine comes to try and move Henry. In the William Middleton illustrations, this engine resembles one seen in the sheds in Edward's Day Out, but when Dalby redrew the illustrations for the book the engine instead resembles James, although James would not have been on Sodor during the events of this story.

Henry's driver and fireman, the guard and the passengers also appear.

## References

1. ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" pg. 130
Wellington

**Wellington** is a railway station located in New Zealand's capital of the same name. Thomas once picked up the Sodor Rugby Team from here to take them to Auckland.

## Appearances

* Thomas Makes Scary Faces in New Zealand

## Trivia

* While Wellington has a railway station in real life, it bears little resemblance to its depicted counterpart, possessing multiple platforms and a larger station building.
Troublesome Trucks (RWS)

The trucks are about to play a trick on James.

**Troublesome Trucks**is the third story from the book James the Red Engine.

## Plot

James is left in the shed for several days, and begins to feel sad. Eventually the Fat Controller comes to see him - he knows James is sorry for the trouble he has caused, and lets him come out to take some trucks.

The trucks taunt James at the yard, but James doesn't care. The trucks continue to give him trouble on the journey - their axles 'run hot', or their brakes slip on - but James is determined not to let them beat him.

But on the hill comes more trouble. James struggles with the heavy train, but suddenly with a jerk it becomes easier. The last ten trucks had broken away and rolled back down the hill, where the guard brings them to a halt and warns oncoming trains. Edward arrives and offers his help, but James retrieves his trucks and struggles on alone.

At Edward's station, the Fat Controller is there to see James. James is worried but the Fat Controller is happy with him - he had been travelling on Edward's train and saw the way James dealt with the trucks. He is very impressed and allows James to keep his red coat

## Characters

* James
* The Fat Controller
* The troublesome trucks
* Edward

Some unnamed blue engines and the guard also appear.
Isla

**Isla**is an aeroplane part of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. She met Thomas when he came to temporarily work in Australia.

## **Technical Details**

### **Basis**

Isla is based on Beechcraft's King Air B200. Before entering civil use in 1974, King Air B200s were used by the military. Australia leases 30 B200s to the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force.

### **Livery**

Isla is painted white with a red underbelly, also featuring a blue tail and accents. The sides of her tail feature a logo that resembles the one for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.

## Trivia

* While Isla's tail features a similar logo to the one used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, it contains numerous differences from the actual one.
	+ Concept art for Isla features logos that are more similar to the real life version.

## References

1. ↑ |Royal Flying Doctor Service Website
Gallant Old Engine

**Gallant Old Engine** is the seventeenth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"In Four Little Engines, brave Rheneas was put on a truck to be mended. He has been away for a long time, but now is coming home, and all the Little Engines will be together at last.

Meanwhile Peter Sam gets a new Special Funnel, Sir Handel has a clash with a large and aggressive Steam-roller, and there is no lack of adventure on the Thin Controller's line!"
James and the Boot-lace (RWS)

One passenger in particular is reluctant to give up his bootlaces.

**James and the Boot-lace**is the second story from the book James the Red Engine.

## Plot

The Fat Controller is angry with James and threatens to take away his red coat. This makes James cross, and he takes out his frustration on the coaches. He orders them about and bumps them, and the coaches begin grumbling. The passengers even seem to avoid approaching him, and this makes James even crosser.

Once the train gets going, James begins to feel better, but the coaches continue to complain - at first that he's going too fast, and then that they're going to stop - and they do. The train comes to a halt, and the crew look for the problem. They find a hole in one of the brake pipes, caused by James' bumping and rough treatment, and need newspapers and a leather bootlace to mend it.

The guard spots a passenger with a leather bootlace and asks for it to mend the brake pipe, but the passenger refuses. The other passengers are cross and argue with the passenger with the leather bootlace, and he eventually hands his laces over. The brake pipe is mended and the train gets going once again, and James is wiser from the incident.

## Characters

* James
* The Fat Controller
* Gordon (mentioned)
* Jeremiah Jobling

The coaches also appear.
Gordon

## Gordon the Big Engine

* II
* I

## Character Overview

### Country

* England (*built and origin*)
* Island of Sodor

### Relative(s)

* Flying Scotsman (*brother*)
* Gordon's Brothers
* Spencer (*cousin*)Template:Ref

### Affiliation

* North Western Railway
* The Main Line
	+ Henry
	+ James
* Steam Team

## Technical Details

### Builder(s)

* GNR Doncaster Works (*originally*)
* LMS Crewe Works (*rebuild*)

### Railway

* Great Northern Railway (*formerly*)
* North Western Railway
Robyn Charteris

**Robyn Charteris** is a BAFTA-winning writer who wrote four episodes of Thomas & Friends.

Outside of Thomas & Friends, she has written for a variety of shows and plays and is the director of Quill Productions. Robyn has also served as a creative consultant for the LEGO Group.

## Episodes

### Series 6

* Percy and the Haunted Mine *(story by David Mitton)*

### Series 7

* Edward's Brass Band
* Not So Hasty Puddings
Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines

**Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines** is the thirty-ninth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"The Fat Controller was surprised to hear that it was 50 years since the first stories about his railway had been published. He set to work to organise a celebration, but, unfortunately, not everything went according to plan..."
Henry the Green Engine

**Henry the Green Engine**is the sixth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Henry the Green Engine has now recovered from his silly habit of staying inside tunnels whenever it rains, but he is still causing trouble to that strict but kind-hearted Fat Controller. All turns out well, however, and Henry has new and refreshing adventures with his fellow engines Thomas, Gordon, Edward, James and Percy."
Toby, Trucks and Trouble

**Toby, Trucks and Trouble** is the thirty-second book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"It was partly the trucks' fault that Mavis had her accident, but it meant more work for Toby and Percy while she was being mended. Then Percy was called away too, to an emergency at the Harbour. Never mind: Really Useful Engines take this sort of thing in their stride, and even the trucks helped when they taught a rude barge a lesson."
Toby the Tram Engine

**Toby the Tram Engine** is the seventh book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Toby the Tram Engine liked pulling his coach Henrietta, to whom he is very attached. With Henrietta and some trucks rattling behind him, Toby ran along beside roads and through villages and fields with passengers and goods for the main line. Then suddenly his line was closed, and here you will read how he was helped by the kind Fat Controller and the famous Thomas the Tank Engine."

"With Henrietta and some trucks rattling behind him, Toby ran along beside roads and through villages and fields with passengers and goods for the main line. Then suddenly his line was closed. Here you will read how he was helped."
Thomas and his Friends

**Thomas and his Friends** is the forty-second and final book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"The Fat Controller welcomes back Pip and Emma to help on his Railway. Thomas is delighted; Gordon is worried that his time as the Express is over. But every engine has its day! Thomas makes an important rescue, Gordon proves himself a hero, and all the engines celebrate a Very Important Event."
Percy

## Percy the Small Engine

* CGI Series
* Model Series

## Voice Actors

### UK voice actor

Keith Wickham (*2009-2015*)
Nigel Pilkington (*2015-present*)
Christopher Ragland (*2016; singing voice*)

### US voice actor

Martin Sherman (*2009-2015*)
Christopher Ragland (*2015-present*)

### Other voice actors

Linda Ballantyne (*2000*)
Michael Angelis (*2000; Workprints*)

## Character Overview

### Country

* England (*built and origin*)
* Island of Sodor

### Affiliation

* North Western Railway
* Thomas' Branch Line
* Steam Team
Terence/RWS Article

## Terence

* II
* I

**Terence** is an orange tractor who works near Thomas' Branch Line.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Terence resembles many crawler tractors of the period, yet a specific basis is unknown as he possesses some unusual traits. The fronts of crawler tractors usually stick out farther than the tracks, but most illustrators depict his tracks as jutting out farther than his radiator.

### Livery

Terence is painted orange, with a black engine and exhaust pipe.
Percy the Small Engine

**Percy the Small Engine** is the eleventh book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"Although he has not had a book to himself before, Percy the Saddle-Tank Engine is a lively personality who has had many adventures. Some of them are described in these stories, in which we also meet a newcomer to the Line - The Duck. As usual, there is much activity on the Line, especially when Harold the Helicopter comes on to the scene."
Troublesome Engines

**Troublesome Engines** is the fifth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"This book tells how the Fat Controller dealt with the bigger engines who were Getting Above Themselves, and how Thomas, Edward and a new engine called Percy came to the rescue. Percy is a willing little chap but, like Thomas, he is often cheeky to the bigger engines."

"This book tells how Henry meets an elephant and James spins round like a top, how the Fat Controller deals with the bigger engines who were Getting Above Themselves and being troublesome, and how a new engine called Percy comes to the rescue by running away."
Thomas Comes Home

**Thomas Comes Home** is the thirty-sixth book in The Railway Series.

## Blurb

"When Thomas went to the Great Railway Show, Daisy thought she was in charge of his branch line. But getting stuck in the snow wasn't a good beginning. Percy and Toby had their problems too, but between them, they kept things moving until Thomas came back."