Jack

* II
* I

**Jack** is a friendly and enthusiastic front loader who works for the Sodor Construction Company. He is Alfie's best friend.

## History

### Thomas & Friends

When Jack first arrived on Sodor, he worked with the Pack to clear room for railway lines. Jack did well with Alfie - that is until he tried to take some stone up a ledge but failed to pay attention to where he was going and accidentally drove onto an edge of a hill and tipped over. After Miss Jenny scolded him as soon as he was put back on four wheels, Jack learned his lesson and redeemed himself by holding up a collapsing bridge until Thomas was able to get off it, at the cost of damaging his arms. Jack has since become part of the Pack.

When Jack was being careless again at the warehouse, he accidentally knocked over some slate. Not wanting to be sent back to the yards, he left the mess not knowing that Ned had been blamed for it. Ned was about to be sent back to the yards when Jack admitted that he was the one who broke the slate, so Miss Jenny sent him back instead. Later, when Max and Monty carelessly crashed into the lightning tree, Alfie, Oliver and Kelly held the tree up while Jack ran to Thomas for the props. Luckily, he made it in time, and the tree was saved.

He, along with the rest of the Pack, helped with the restoration of Great Waterton and worked with Alfie to build a bandstand there. Jack also helped with the restoration of Ulstead Castle and later saved Stephen and Thomas after the tracks they were on started to collapse.

He also helped with the construction of the Harwick Branch Line, along with Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty and later attended the branch line's opening ceremony.

Later, he, Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty were working on Thomas' Branch Line and he, Oliver and Alfie helped clear the branch line around the Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox after Max and Monty dumped their loads on the line.

After James' accident at Tidmouth Sheds when his brakes malfunctioned, Jack assisted with the shed's reconstruction.

## Personality

Jack is brave and will not take any hassle, as seen whenever he stands up to Max and Monty when they bully him and Alfie, or when he rescued Thomas and Stephen. He is also kind and caring but tends to be rather impulsive. Despite being one of the younger members of the Pack, Jack has the makings of a good leader. He can also be a bit panicky like when Monty fell down into a mineshaft.

## Livery

ack was painted red with the top half of his cab and his wheels painted cream. He had the number 11 painted in cream on his sides. From *King of the Railway* onwards, the top half of his cab and his number are painted white, his back wheels are painted grey and his front wheels are painted red.

## Appearances

* Season 2 - Philip Gets Lost (*cameo*)
* Season 3 - Marion and the Three Olivers

## Trivia

* According to Robert Gauld-Galliers, Jack was originally going to be called **Helpful Harry**.
* In some promotional sketches of the Pack, Jack is seen with a backhoe arm and bucket. According to an SiF interview with Chris Lloyd, the arm was built but was too problematic as it was hard to store all of the radio gear inside the model. An interview with Phil Fehrle gives a very different reason: "...if a story required Jack to be digging (using his back-hoe) and interacting with another character working at the same time, his face would be facing away from the action. For story purposes, it was important to feature the faces as much as possible; thus, the backhoe was removed".
* Jack has had a few modifications in the television series:
	+ *King of the Railway*:
		- He gained hydraulics.
		- His exhaust pipe became taller and gained holes on the sides, as well as a handle.
		- He decreased in size.
		- His face changed from round to square.
		- His rear wheel wells were moved back.
		- The tread patterns on his tyres changed slightly.
		- The colour of his alloys also changed from cream to grey.
		- His roof became completely orange.
		- His number increased in size.
		- His bucket increased in size.
		- The colour of his cab changed from cream to white.
		- His wipers were removed.
* Nathan Clarke did an audio sample for Jack on his DAA Management Page.
* Jack's Trackmaster Push Along toy lacks his number, his larger wheel is also sized down.
* Jack is the only character to have his face change shape over the course of the *Thomas & Friends* series.
	+ It is unknown how his face changed shape.
* According to Meet the Characters!, Jack is now the leader of the Pack likely due to Kelly not returning in CGI.
* Jack shares his name with Hilary Fortnam's grandson. Fortnam was the youngest daughter of *The Railway Series* creator Wilbert Awdry.
* Jack is the only Pack member, as well as the only character introduced in the sixth series, to be made into the Thomas Engine Collection Series range. He was also the last character to be made into the aforementioned range.