Thomas

Thomas

* Current
* Debut

Background information

**First episode**
"The Trouble With Trucks"

Character information

**Full name**
Thomas the Tank Engine

**Other names**
* Little Thomas (*by Gordon, The Fat Controller and Beresford*)
* Blue Puffball (*by George, Diesel 10, and Splatter*)
* Tiny Thomas (*by Cranky*)
* Boss (*by Kevin*)
* Mr. Blue Tank Engine (*by Nia and a Batucada Player*)
* Big Blue Tank Engine Thomas (*by Nia*)
* Tommo (*by Shane*)
* Big Thomas (*by Little Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt*)
* Mr. Number One Engine (*by Professor Friedrich*)

**Age**
Unknown (*Engine*)

**Occupation**
Branch line engineGoods engine

**Goal**
To travel around the worldTo become a leader

**Home**
Island of Sodor

**Friends**
* Edward
* Henry
* Percy
* Toby
* Mavis
* Annie and Clarabel
* Terence
* Bertie
* Gordon
* James
* Emily
* Nia
* Rebecca

**Likes**
Being a leaderHanging out with PercyWorking with Annie and ClarabelTraveling the worldVisiting different countriesRacing with Bertie

**Dislikes**
When other engines tease him due to his sizeAce's selfish waysRajiv's boastfulnessJames' pranksGetting derailedDaydreamingSir Topham Hatt scolding him

**Quote**
"Thomas is a tank engine who lives at the big station on the Island of Sodor. He's a cheeky little engine with six small wheels, a short, stumpy funnel, a short, stumpy boiler, and a short stumpy dome."

**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".

Personality
Thomas is described as being a cheeky engine. He 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' life and he is soon bustling about again, playing his part in the yard and on his very own branch line, of which he is extremely proud.
He loves teasing the others, especially the bigger engines, such as Gordon and on occasion brags about his superiority, but is always brought down to earth in due course by anyone willing to correct him, especially the Fat Controller and his two coaches, Annie and Clarabel. If Thomas has one major character flaw, it is that he is forgetful and rather impatient. However, he is also cheerful, optimistic, idealistic, altruistic, kind-hearted, supportive and helpful.
A friend to all engines and a popular member of the Fat Controller's railway, Thomas is No.1 and does his best every day to live up to that through helping his friends and those that he cares about. He lives to be a Really Useful Engine and encourages everyone else to do the same. He likes to be better than James and Bertie in races. He can, however, also get annoyed about being useful such as the time when Rosie followed him around because she used to idolise him so much.
Because of his popularity amongst his fellow engines and the people of the railway, Thomas often likes to view himself as a leader to the other engines. He is quick to take action when necessary and - despite the dangers or fears he might experience - has a strong sense of bravery and will never leave any of his friends behind, even despite any previous conflicts. Because of this, the other engines often follow in his tracks. However, he can feel jealous or threatened if he feels a newer tank engine is trying to replace him, as shown with Stanley and Ryan. But in the end, Thomas is always willing to make amends with those whom he previously distrusted, proving his leadership.
Thomas was infamously known for his dislike of wearing a snowplough, often claiming his to be heavy and uncomfortable. On numerous occasions, he has shown he has no problems with doing anything to avoid wearing one, from banging it around to leaving it in disrepair and leaving it on a siding by claiming it did not fit properly. He does always get his comeuppance for these deeds, however, and knows that having a snowplough is important in bad snowy weather. He tolerates wearing a plough much better in the present day, but Thomas will still groan about it if given the chance, particularly when other engines make fun of him for this.
While most of the other engines and especially Annie and Clarabel tolerate his slight ego to a bare minimum, Thomas has often found himself going too far, driving away even close friends such as Percy, Toby, and even Edward. When these occasions happen, Thomas is very good at luring back friends when motivated, often pulling through his personal distastes to help others out and rekindle friendships.
Despite all this, he does have his pride and will sometimes take wrong advice at the wrong time - such as from Sailor John or Ace, as well as refusing help even when he needs it. Thomas also highly despises the smell of fish, and as such, when he once had the job of delivering fish, he wanted to finish quickly to avoid the smell, and ignored instructions, causing confusion and delay doing so. His dislike of fish is most prominent in the model series made by HiT Entertainment, and less prominent in the model series made by Gullane Entertainment and the CGI series.
In other cases, Thomas can be highly curious and positive, with slight hints of scepticism, stubbornness, and forgetfulness, including tendencies to daydream. He is also however depicted with a subtle tone of wisdom, helping engines like Sonny and Rajiv be really useful, despite their difficulties or insecurities in the past. Thomas also has a high perspective on odd objects or people, quickly growing suspicious upon seeing the tiger hunters' hidden cage, Diesel 10's plans to take over the railway of steam engines with his fellow diesels and Baz and Bernie's whispering. Backing up his perception is a very high sense of creativity, allowing him to quickly adapt to a tricky situation.

Technical Details
Basis
Like in *The Railway Series*, Thomas is based on a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) Class E2 0-6-0T. Thomas is one of the second batch of E2s, built with extended side-tanks.
These engines were built by Brighton Works between 1913-1916 to replace the aging Stroudley LB&SCR E1 class and were primarily used for heavy shunting and short-distance goods trains in the London area and on the south coast. During their final working years, the E2 class worked as shunting engines at Southampton Docks alongside the USATC S100 Tank Engines (Rosie's basis), until they were replaced by the BR Class 07 diesel shunters (Salty's basis). In real life, all of the E2s were scrapped, with none surviving into preservation.
Thomas' appearance differs heavily from his basis. His proportions are heavily modified and he is missing a lot of extra details present on the real engines, such as safety valves and front stepladders. Additionally, Thomas has an extra window on his cab sides, two whistles instead of the usual single whistle and added wheel splashers, something the original E2 class lacked.
His running board shape is also changed, with it only dipping at the front end. Unlike in *The Railway Series*, this is never fixed.

Thomas' basis
Livery
Thomas is painted in NWR cerulean 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.
In the first three series of the television series, Thomas had red lining on the back of his coal bunker, but during the production of the third series episode, *All at Sea*, the lining was removed. The lining was reapplied in *The Adventure Begins*.
When he first arrives to the North Western Railway in *The Adventure Begins*, Thomas is painted teal green with white lining. His railway's initials LBSC were painted on the sides of his tank and the number 70 was painted on the sides of his bunker, both in yellow with red lining. His wheel rims were painted white.
In *The Adventure Begins*, Thomas is also shown to have a pink undercoat, similar to the one worn by James in the thirteenth series episode Tickled Pink. Learning Segments have also shown him with a cream undercoat and painted red.

Appearances
Television Series* **Season 1** - The Trouble With Trucks, Stepney's Problem, Thumper Saves the Day (cameo), A Scottish Tale (mentioned, cameo), Toby and the New Engine, The Trouble With Spencer (cameo), Lorry Takes A Tumble (cameo), Duties of The Diesels (cameo), Wilbert to the Rescue, Wilbert and Tigermoth (cameo), Frank and the Trucks (cameo), Wilbert, Frank, and the Milk (cameo), Thomas' 4th of July, Gordon Plays a Trick and Murdoch and the Express (cameo)
* **Season 2** - Skarloey & Rheneas Depart For Crewe (cameo), A Special Visitor, James' Tender Trouble (cameo), A Flying Surprise (cameo), Twin Trouble, Jealous James (cameo), Old Slow Coach (does not speak), The Flying Scotsman Returns, Save Sir Topham Hatt, Thomas Helps a Friend, Murdoch's New Coach (cameo) and Disaster on Sodor
* **Season 3** - Double Trouble (cameo), Hideous Henry, George the Steamroller, Cranky's Delivery (does not speak), Rusty Rocks the Railway (cameo), Diesel's Dilemma, New Engine Fever (mentioned, cameo), Toby's New Cowcatchers, Mike's Ice Cream Party (cameo), Clumsy Culdee (cameo), Rickety's Revenge (does not speak), S.C. Ruffey and the Foolish Freight Cars (cameo), Trouble on the Track, Donald Visits the Scrapyard and Frank and Fred the Orange Coal Car (cameo)
* **Season 4** - All For One and One For James (cameo), Catherine's Story (cameo), Duncan and the Passengers (cameo), Sir Handel and the Brakevan (does not speak) and Slippery Rails (cameo)
* **Season 5** - TBA
* **Season 6** - TBA
* **Season 7** - TBA
* **Season 8** - TBA
* **Season 9** - Tender Bender
* **Season 10** - TBA
* **Season 11** - Fergus' Day Off (cameo), Stepney and the Bluebell Branchline (cameo), Around the Railyard in 64 Seconds (cameo), The Great Western Way (cameo), Big City Rumor, Station Situation (cameo), Duncan in the Dumps (cameo), Just Duck's Luck, Hank and the Hatt St Crossing (cameo), Spencer Goes Too Far, Holly Jolly Molly, Trembling Trevor (cameo), Old Square Wheels (cameo), Wooden Brakes (cameo) and BoCo and the Cocoa
* **Season 12** - Greetings, Montague!, Stafford's Electric Slide (cameo), [[Scottish Blues] (cameo), The Importance of Being Billy, Truckus Ruckus (cameo), The Mavis Matrix (cameo), Gordon's Last Hurrah, Percy Gets a Promotion, Henry's Handcar Havoc (cameo), Rheneas and the Risky Rendezvous (cameo), If the Dome Fits, Bulgy Takes the High Road, The Mystery Train, Sidney the Renegade and Vicarstown Takedown
* **Season 13** - Duck and the Quack Attack, It's Good To Be Belle (cameo), Victor's Loco Motives, Bert's Arlesdale Fail (cameo), The Duke of Hazard (cameo), Rust or Bust (cameo), Go Boldly, Culdee, Oliver's Fossil Fright (cameo), Who Stole the Coal? (cameo), Sam I Am (cameo), Toad Gets Towed (cameo), Ivo Hugh's Day at the Zoo (cameo), Sideplates and Skirmishes (cameo), Hector and Logan's Hot Pursuit (cameo) and How Gator Stole Christmas
* **Season 14** - Millie's Castle Hassle (cameo), Henry Gets Stumped (cameo), Quarry Quest (cameo), Double-Decker-Wrecker (cameo), Freddie at the Ready (cameo), Hiro and the Heat Wave, Cabless Companions (cameo), Furious George, Hugo Takes Flight (cameo), Merlin the Magical Engine (cameo), Dirty 'Arry (does not speak), James in a Jam, S.C. Ruffey's Sweet Tooth, Flat Stanley and Hatt Trick
* **Season 15** - Roundhouse Roulette, Flash Gordon (cameo), Philip Finds a Friend (cameo), Harvey's Happy Accident (cameo), Tyrannical Rex (cameo), The Maron Station Makeover, Toby's Turntable Fable (cameo), For Whom The Belle Tolls (cameo), Nightmare on Sodor, Jock Beats the Clock (cameo), The Crosby Coalition (cameo), Polar Express Coming Through! (cameo), Ice Ice Daisy, The Island of Misfit Engines and A Christmas Caroline
* **Season 16** - Sweet Sixteen (cameo), Bulstrode Barges In (cameo), Henry's Hill (cameo), Marion Had a Little Lamb (does not speak), Bye Bye Bertie, Luke Dukes It Out (cameo), Painting the Rosie's Red (does not speak), Bad News Bear (cameo), Bowler Strikes Again, Paxman Pulls Through, Victor and Victoria (cameo), Knock it Off, Stanley (cameo), Throw Topham from the Train, Ace in the Hole and Finding Lorry
* **Season 17** - Unidentified Flying Scotsman (does not speak), Tender Love and Care (cameo), Dustin the Really Useless Engine (does not speak), Bold Slow Coach (does not speak), Hard to Handel (cameo), Sidney Transplant (cameo), Wellsworth the Wait (cameo), Big Trouble on the Little Western (cameo), Oliver Confusion (cameo), Diesel Gets the Bronze, James and the Giant Screech, Toby, Or Not Toby, Thomas' Crown Affair, Rocked by a Hurricane and Para-Norman Activity

Specials* Thomas and the Storm
* Lady the Lost Engine
* The Strange Case of Splatter and Dodge
* Battle of the Branchlines
* The Legend of Diesel 10
* Sodor's Last Stand
* Hiro's Origins
* Claw of the Law
* Oliver's Eleven
* Saving Pirate Ryan

Thomas has also appeared in many Discussions.

Trivia* Thomas was the first character to be introduced in the television series.
* In the American and Finnish cast, Thomas is the only character voiced by Joseph May and Juha Varis in the series.
* Thomas' LBSC number, 70, was actually carried by a real LB&SCR locomotive, an A1 named "Poplar" currently preserved by the Kent & East Sussex Railway. The number also represents the 70th anniversary of *The Railway Series*. All of the real E2s, however, were only numbered from 100 to 109.
* According to Sir Topham Hatt on the 2001 version of the official website, Thomas was given his name by the engine workshop which built him.
* Thomas is one of three characters to have a speaking role in every series and special, the other two being Henry and James.
* On early Spanish translations of the Random House books, Thomas was known as *Tomás*.
* Following Mr. Conductor in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Thomas became the second character to narrate in first-person.
* In Calling All Engines!, Thomas sleep-whistles. This is apparently the steam engine version of snoring; instead of typical snoring sounds, Thomas makes warbling whistles after pausing before the next toot.
* Thomas is the only vehicle character with headwear (a nightcap in the ninth to twelfth series closing segments, a party hat in the ninth series episode Thomas' Milkshake Muddle, an aviator pilot hat in the tenth series episode Sticky Toffee Thomas and a top hat in the same episode and the eleventh series episode Smoke and Mirrors (if one were to also count The Fat Controller's top hat in Topped Off Thomas), not counting Whiff's glasses or Darcy's visor (or the Santa caps on all the vehicles in the early Christmas episodes).
* Thomas is the first character in the show to have lost his voice onscreen with the twenty-third series episode, Too Loud, Thomas!. With this, he is the third character on the show with a speech impediment (albeit temporarily) after Fergus and Theo.
* Despite having lining present on his bunker, only a select few merchandise items have had it during their course. They were subsequently removed in renovations and items of Thomas with the bunker lining are currently rare to find.
* Thomas' whistle from *Thomas, You're the Leader* was previously heard in most parts of the official website from 2005.
* As the titled protagonist, Thomas has had the most appearances in the television series.
* Didi Conn has said that Thomas was her favourite engine.
* To celebrate Easter in 2017, a giant 140 kg chocolate sculpture of Thomas was displayed at Kings Cross Station. Made out of real Belgian chocolate, the display piece was sculpted in two-hundred-fifty hours by three master chocolatiers and was surrounded by TrackMaster engines running around. An actor dressed as Sir Topham Hatt was on hand to hand out Easter eggs.
* Thomas was the very first character on-screen to have a permanent lamp, though despite it being a key part of his design, some merchandise lines (the non-talking wooden and diecast ranges, early Hornby models, late 2011-early 2012 TrackMaster and numerous smaller toylines) omit the lamp completely.
* Thomas has the distinction of having the first speaking role in the series premiere and last line of the series finale. However, he does not have the last line in the produced series finale.
* Thomas is one of the three engines who were able to saved an engine from scrap (Hiro). The others include Douglas and Rusty.
* Various pieces of merchandise of Thomas have appeared in the background of other series; these include:
	+ A Wooden Railway toy of Thomas, along with one of Stepney's, appeared in the second series of *The Big Bang Theory* in an episode called "The Friendship Algorithm".
	+ An Ertl toy of Thomas along with one of James' appeared in the sixth series of the American sitcom TV series, Full House, in one of its episodes called "Be True to Your Preschool".
	+ A Bachmann G scale model of Thomas, wearing the face from the HO scale model, was featured in the Marvel film *Ant-Man*.
	+ In episode 5 of season 3 of *Gavin & Stacey* a ride of Thomas can be seen in the background of one of the scenes.
	+ A TrackMaster Thomas appeared in the first series finale of the streaming service exclusive show, *Titans*.
* According to Sir Topham Hatt's "Frequently Asked Questions" on the 1997-1999 Official Website page, Thomas was given his name by the Engine Workshop which built him. The remainder of his name (The Tank Engine) is considered his family name, as he belongs to the family of Tank Engines in the same sense Sir Topham Hatt belongs to the family of Hatts.
* Despite the fact that Thomas' LBSC livery from The Adventure Begins is fictional, it could have been inspired by the Southern Railway's green livery, as it looks similar to his coat, especially considering that several E2's worked there, although they were painted in the railway's unlined black livery.