Thomas and Friends™
Behind the Rails
A Background on 60 Years of History

 

How Did Thomas and Friends™ Get Started? 

Created by a father for his son, Thomas and Friends was inspired by real-life steam engines, which, in the author’s rich imagination, were given names and personalities.  The tales captivated his family, as well as a publisher who had the foresight to see a great future for Thomas and Friends.  Today, children embark for fun and adventure with their engine friends, as these timeless stories and life-lessons are enjoyed by families in more than 100 countries.

 

Who is Thomas the Tank Engine™? 

Thomas the Tank is a cheeky, fussy blue engine who wears the #1 on his side and never lets anyone forget it!  He often gets into scrapes, usually by being over-eager to do things best left to bigger and more sensible engines.

 

Who are Thomas the Tank Engine’s Friends? 

Being “really useful” is hard work and Thomas the Train has many friends to accompany him on his adventures.  There’s cheerful green Percy, self-proclaimed “really splendid” red engine James, proud, but boastful Gordon, benevolent Bertie the Bus and high-flying Harold the Helicopter to name a few.  And who could forget Sir Topham Hatt™, Chairman of the Railway, who keeps the engines running right on time in a firm, but kindly manner.  Throughout our site, you will meet many more of Thomas Friends.

 

Where Does Thomas and Friends Take Place? 

Thomas and his friends are stationed on the enchanting Island of Sodor, a lush countryside where the sun invariably shines and clouds never last long.  Rich with green valleys and rolling hills, the Island of Sodor is a scenic backdrop for Thomas and Friends adventures.

 

What Lies Ahead for Thomas and Friends in 2005? 

Join the Celebration!  2005 marks the 60^th Anniversary and there are many opportunities for train enthusiasts of all ages to join the celebration.  To commemorate this milestone, Thomas and Friends is making tracks to great destinations with a year full of special events and a live tour, Day Out With Thomas™ 2005:  The Celebration Tour.  Limited edition products, new episodes on PBS KIDS®, and new direct-to-video releases, including Thomas’ first full-length feature, Calling All Engines! will make this anniversary one to remember!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may prefer to call this cute little blue engine Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas the Train, Thomas the Tank, Thomas Train, or Thomas and Friends.  You will see, in our shopping cart, we refer to him as all of these mentioned names.  Whatever, the name may be, he is still the cute little blue “useful” engine that we love to call our “railroad friend”. 

Expand and design your current track (tracks) into one fantastic layout.   Visit our “Wooden Railway Track Layouts” link and our “How to Expand Your Current Wooden Railway System”.  You can purchase expansion track packs and sets through our Learning Curve Wooden Railway System link.