Jack and the Sodor Construction Company

Template:Infobox Series**Jack & the Sodor Construction Company** (or **Jack and the Pack**) was a mini-series devised by Phil Fehrle to be a spin-off of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. All thirteen episodes were narrated by Michael Angelis in the UK and Michael Brandon in the US.

## Production

Plans for this mini-series were soon scrapped following HiT Entertainment's takeover in 2002, likely due to it being "considered too similar to *Bob the Builder"*, the company's existing construction-themed series. two 13-Episode Series were planned, but only one series was filmed due to the takeover and budget constraints. The characters of the Sodor Construction Company (With the exception of Patrick, Buster, Nelson, & Monty) first appeared in two sixth series episodes, Jack Jumps In and A Friend in Need, which were written as the pilot episodes for the mini-series. On August 24, 2006, a US DVD called On Site with Thomas and Other Adventures was released, containing six episodes of the series. Later, on October 2nd of that same year, a UK DVD called Thomas' Trusty Friends was released, containing eleven episodes of the series, including all the remaining ones that had not yet been released. Since then, The Pack has made appearances in The Great Discovery special and the twelfth series episode Percy and the Bandstand.

Jack returned in CGI form in the 2013 special King of the Railway and appeared again in the second 2015 special Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, in which Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty also returned. They have since become recurring characters, and starting with the twenty-third series, new members, (specifically as Darcy & Brenda) have started being introduced, to (Just like Season 22 of Thomas & Friends), add a gender balance.

For this series, large-scale models of Thomas, Percy and Trevor were built. Thomas and Percy's Gauge 3.5 models are now on display at Thomas Town in Japan (occasionally display at the Hara Model Railway Museum). Trevor is preserved to Twitter user ThomasTankMerch. They also own a 7 plank truck that was used during the show's production. However, Thomas' Gauge 3.5 model had made apperence in one Series 8 episode, a Calling All Engines! Learning Segment, and two Series 10 episode. Trevor's model for this series had apperened in a Learning Segment, a series 8 episode and a Series 9 episode.

## Songs

Sodor's always busy with jobs that must be done
Thomas has so many friends.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Percy
* Jack
* Alfie
* Oliver
* Max and Monty
* Kelly
* Byron
* Ned
* Isobella
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Miss Jenny
* The Foreman
* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Salty Template:Cameo
* Annie and Clarabel Template:Cameos
* Trevor (cameo)
* Jem Cole Template:Cameo
* Toby (*stock footage cameo*)
* Emily (mentioned in music video)
* Harvey (mentioned in music video)
* Mavis (*music video cameo*)
* 'Arry and Bert (*music video cameos*)
* Skarloey (*music video cameo*)
* Rheneas (*music video cameo*)
* Peter Sam (*music video cameo*)
* Duncan (*music video cameo*)
* Rusty (*music video cameo*)
* Henrietta (*music video cameo*)
* Troublesome Trucks (*music video cameos*)
* Bertie (*music video cameo*)
* Elizabeth (*music video cameo*)
* Harold (*music video cameo*)
* Tiger Moth (*music video cameo*)
* Cranky (*music video cameo*)
* Stephen Hatt (*music video cameo*)
* Sodor Brass Band (*music video cameos*)
* Big Mickey (*faceless, music video cameo*)
* The Horrid Lorries (*dropped*)
* The Vicar of Wellsworth (*cancelled episode*)

### Characters Introduced

* Nelson
* Patrick
* Buster
* The Photographer Template:Does not speak
* The One-eyed Truck Template:Mentioned
* The Loader Template:Mentioned
* Nigel (*dropped*)

## Trivia

* This series takes place after the events of A Friend in Need, although it was filmed alongside the seventh series in 2003, but was not released until 2006.
* This mini-series, if classified as a series in its own right, is the shortest series to date, having only thirteen episodes.
* Lots of the episodes had different titles (e.g. Oliversaurus; Who's the Boss; Scaredy, Scaredy; Five Easy Pieces; Byron Saves the Day; The Lightning Tree; Buster 1, Moles 0; Nelson Gets Carried Away; Another Fine Mess) but they were renamed by HiT Entertainment to include Thomas or Percy. In fact, only 4 episodes kept their original titles. (Jack Owns Up, The Tortoise and the Hare, Alfie Has Kittens and Mud Glorious Mud).
* This is the second series directed by Steve Asquith, following the sixth series.
* The opening and closing credits for the spin-off series use the eighth series intro sequence and credit scene.
* The Official Website, as well as various magazine articles and file facts, state that the Horrid Lorries were "especially built to work at the Sodor Construction Company". It is therefore possible that they may have been originally intended to be a part of the Pack.
* This is the only series to feature Alfie's horn sound.
* This was David Mitton's second and final series as model consultant, counting the sixth series episodes Jack Jumps In and A Friend in Need.
* If classified as a series, then this the only series in which where Toby and Salty appear, but never speak.
	+ Also, if that being the case, this is the only series in which where Toby does not appear outside of stock footage and the only series to date where Salty does not appear.
* This series was never shown in Latin America, Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, France, Hungary, Indonesia, South Korea, Russia, Norway, Finland, Japan, Greece, Israel, the Middle East, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Sweden or Wales.
	+ A temporary Japanese title is displayed in the ending credit of 2003, probably because it was planned to be released in Japan. But for unknown reasons, plans for the dub have been cancelled. Mainly due to the fact Britt Allcroft, Mike O'Donnell, Junior Campbell, David Mitton, and Phil Fehrle retired after production of the seventh series in 2003.

## References

1. ↑ T&F Storyboard for "Jack and the Pack: Series 1, EPS 21"
2. ↑ T&F Storyboard for "Jack and the Pack: Series 1, EPS 23"
3. ↑ T&F Production board for "Episode 6"