Jack

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

## Contents

* 1Biography
* 2Personality
* 3Technical Details
	+ 3.1Basis
	+ 3.2Livery
* 4Appearances
* 5Official Description
* 6Audio Files
* 7Trivia
* 8Quotes
* 9Merchandise
* 10References

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## Biography

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.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Between the sixth and twelfth series, Jack was based on a Nuffield tractor with an added front loader and enclosed cab.

Since the special, King of the Railway, Jack was designed as an International 454 tractor with said modifications. Because of this, his face shape has changed dramatically from round to rectangular.

Jack's (possible) basis

### Livery

Jack 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

* Television Series
* Other Media

* **Jack and the Sodor Construction Company** - Alfie Has Kittens, Jack Owns Up, On Site with Thomas, A Visit from Thomas, Mud Glorious Mud, Thomas and the Moles, The Tortoise and the Hare, Percy's Scary Tale, Kelly's Windy Day, A Happy Day for Percy and A Tale for Thomas
* **Series 12** - Percy and the Bandstand
* **Series 19** - The Other Side of the Mountain (*cameo*)
* **Series 20** - Mucking About
* **Series 21** - A Shed for Edward (*cameo*)
* **Series 22** - School of Duck (*cameo*)
* **Series 23** - Mines of Mystery, Out of Site, First Day on Sodor! and Deep Trouble

Jack had a role in the cancelled episodes, Bossy Byron, Alfie Has a Secret, Treasure Hunt, All Work, No Play, Grass is Greener, Jack and the Quack, The Importance of Being Patrick, Isobella Gets Steamed, Kelly's Heroes, Pop Goes the Diesel and Jack's Snow Rescue.

Specials* **2008** - The Great Discovery
* **2013** - King of the Railway
* **2015** - Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure

Music Videos* **Jack and the Sodor Construction Company** - The Work Song and One Friendly Family
* **The Great Discovery** - There's a Job for Everyone, Where, oh Where is Thomas? and Thomas, You're the Leader
* **King of the Railway** - Working Together Again, Searching Everywhere and It's Gonna be a Great Day
* **Thomas' YouTube World Tour** - Never, Never, Never Give Up
* **Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure** - We Make a Team Together
* **Series 23** - Legend of the Lost Engine and The Sodor Construction Crew
* **Series 24** - How Does it Work?

Videos* **2019** - Meet Gina of Italy (*cameo*), Meet the Sodor Construction Company! and Meet Ester of Italy! (*does not speak*)

## Official Description

* 2005-2007
* 2005-2009
* 2010-2021

**From Official Media**[1]

## Trivia

* According to Robert Gauld-Galliers, Jack was originally going to be called **Helpful Harry**.[2]
* 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.
* A semi-complete face mask of Jack was preserved by the Top Props preservation group.
* 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 series.
* Jack had a total of fifteen facial expressions, five of which (confused, drowsy, intrigued, anxious and yawning) were not used on-screen.[3]
* 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's horn sound is similar to Caroline and Bertie’s current horn sound. It was reused for Brum in The Adventures of Brum, Dodger in Bob the Builder: Project: Build It and for PUTT-PUTT in the computer game series "PUTT-PUTT" developed by Humongous Entertainment.
* 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.

## Quotes

"Spot on, Jack! You'd make a mother proud!"
"And a tank engine grateful!"
- Miss Jenny and Thomas praising Jack, A Friend in Need, sixth series

## Merchandise

* ERTL (*UK only; discontinued*)
* Wooden Railway (*discontinued*)
* Take Along (*discontinued*)
* Take-n-Play (*discontinued*)
* TrackMaster (*motorised and un-motorised; discontinued*)
* My Thomas Story Library (*discontinued*)
* Thomas Engine Collection Series (*discontinued*)
* Mini Die Cast Collection (*discontinued*)
* Thomas Town (*discontinued*)
* Capsule Plarail (*original design discontinued; redesigned*)
* Pocket Fantasy (*discontinued*)
* Nakayoshi (*discontinued*)
* Adventures (*sold only in Jack and the Pack 4-Pack; discontinued*)
* Push Along
* Motor Road and Rail (*sold with Gina in graphic form*)