Thomas & Friends annuals

Last updated

Thomas & Friends annuals are books relating to the British children's television series Thomas & Friends . After the Railway Series was published, many Thomas Annuals were printed and sold. They are still being made in print to this day. The Annuals have contained many activities, stories, and information about Thomas and his friends. The annuals are usually in hardcover format, with colour pictures and photos abundant throughout the book. The annual also featured a number of exclusive characters.

Children's television series are television programs designed for and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evening, allowing younger children to watch them after school. The purpose of the shows is mainly to entertain and sometimes to educate.

<i>Thomas & Friends</i> British childrens television series

Thomas & Friends is a British-American children's television series. In the United Kingdom, it had its first broadcast on the ITV network in Great Britain in 1984. In the United States, it had its first broadcast on Shining Time Station in 1989. It is based on The Railway Series of books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry.

Contents

Characters

Algy the Blue Bus

A bus who is stationed on the Island of Sodor. When he first arrived, he teased Bertie, another bus, but soon became friends with him after breaking down. Algy now helps Bertie take passengers around the island to where they want to go.

Other People only in annuals

Animals only in Annuals

Annuals

1985 Annual

Percy to the Rescue Thomas has the job of taking the children to the school Christmas party. The Vicar has promised to dress up as Father Christmas, but hurrying for his train makes him leave his costume behind at Ffarquhar Station. Percy has to bring the costume to the party or the children will be disappointed.

Edward Cracks a Nut Edward finds himself unable to move with his evening passenger train. The problem turns out to be because the guard has seized his brake handle on. Edward has to work extra hard in order to get to the junction to make his connection with Henry.

Thomas and the Important Visitor An important visitor has to attend a meeting with Mrs Kyndley. The roads and railway lines are blocked in heavy snowdrifts. Thomas goes to see Terence for help to clear the line. The Fat Controller is pleased with Thomas and Terence for helping out.

Oliver Gets the Bird Oliver's guard is cross when he starts without him blowing the whistle. Oliver is surprised because he thinks he heard the whistle. It turns out it was Cocky the parrot. He has learned to copy the sound of the guard's whistle.

Donald's Duck Dilly the duck lives at Haultraugh Station on the Little Western branch line. Duck and Oliver are worried when Dilly goes missing and no-one can find her. Dilly gives everyone a nice surprise when she returns unexpectedly.

Gale Warning James teases Henry about the time he stopped inside the tunnel. Henry saves James from a nasty accident when a tree falls onto the line. James agrees it is useful to be able to stick when it is important to do so.

The Twins's Passing Problem One part of Edward's branch line has a single track with a passing loop halfway along. The trains are usually short enough to pass each other. This is not the case when Donald and Douglas arrive at opposite directions, each with a long goods train full of china clay. They amaze the signalman when they think of a clever solution to get their trains through.

The Strawberry Special Toby tells Thomas and Percy another story about his old tramway. Toby ended up having to take 48 vans full of strawberries! He was running low on water. He left the vans at one station and went to refill his tank. He went back to deliver all the strawberries safely.

James's Rest Cure James complains about having to do too much shunting and not getting to go out on journeys as much as he used to. Edward has to take some trucks full of stone to The Harbour at Brendam. He offers to swap jobs with James. James has a difficult journey with the trucks all the way! He realises he should prefer to stay at Tidmouth yards.

Bertie Saves the Day Bertie was looking to taking the naturalist society out on a picnic. He is upset when he can't go anywhere because of engine troubles. Algy has to fill in for him instead. Algy's engine causes lots of problems along the way. It breaks down altogether when it is time to go home. Bertie is repaired all ready to take the stranded passengers home.

Whistle Trouble Sir Handel continues complaining about being overworked. He bounces about a lot and shakes the bolt from the top of his cab loose. He hopes for a rest, but still has to continue pulling his train.

Unhappy Landing Thomas thinks parachutists are silly for jumping out of aeroplanes. He still goes to the rescue when one lands in the river.

1986 Annual

Percy and the Christmas Tree On Christmas Eve, the lorry delivering the Christmas trees to Tidmouth Market has broken down. Percy has to collect the Christmas trees from Hackenbeck in order to get them to market on time.

Old Groaner James complains about getting old, but the other engines just ignore him. An inspector tells him people living nearby are complaining about a groaning noise keeping them awake at night. It turns out James's brake blocks have been rubbing together from shunting. James is pleased to get a rest, but not when he is nicknamed Old Groaner!

Terence Takes a Bath Terence has to remove a branch blocking the stream at Hackenbeck Halt. Terence slips on the damp earth. The riverbank slips and Terence falls into the water! Thomas comes to his rescue with the breakdown train. Thomas and Terence think they are both quits after Terence rescued Thomas from the snowdrift.

Terence's first accident.

Funnel Trouble Oliver feels stuffed up in his smokebox, but the inspector can't work out what the problem is. Duck has to take the ballast instead of Oliver. Duck gives the trucks a bump and makes his water gauge run low! It turns out he loosened a plate and made his tank leak. Algy comes to take the passengers away. Oliver comes to help Duck home. Something shoots out of Oliver's funnel! Oliver is well enough to take his ballast after all.

Golden Oldies One of the Ffarquhar Schoolteachers falls in whilst on a Sunday School outing. It would take too long for an ambulance to travel all the way to Ffarquhar. Bertie is there to help out. He takes the Sunday School all the way to Wellsworth Hospital. Edward is there to take the children home.

Gordon's Stowaway Gordon makes fun of Oliver's friend Dilly the duck because animals don't help run railways. Gordon has to make a visit to the mainland when he feels a scrambling under his tender. It turns out to be a cat and it surprisingly becomes a new friend.

You Never Know Toby tells Thomas and Percy another story about his old tramway. Toby and Henrietta were not happy about the buses taking all their passengers. They got their passengers back when one bus crashed into some roadworks!

1987 Annual

Donald and the Lost Tarpaulin There is no turntable at the end of Duck's branch line. This means Donald and Douglas have to run backwards in one direction. Donald is cross about this, especially when the rain falls into his cab. His crew put a tarpaulin over to keep the rain out. They keep it the back of the tender when it stops raining. The tarpaulin goes missing, but Donald's crew know where it is when his injector fails.

Signal Failure James wishes there would be no signals since he was having trouble with them. His wish comes true when a hurricane damages a signal.

Timber! The old elm tree on Wellsworth Orchard has to come down because it is too dangerous. Trevor and Jem have to help out when the tree-cutting machine breaks down. They work hard cutting it into small pieces to be taken away.

Lost in the Snow Thomas is cross about having to wear his snow plough. A cat has gone missing at Dryaw Station. Thomas has to stop here for water. His crew have to use melted snow to refill his tank because the water column is frozen. This makes them find the cat in a pile of snow!

Percy's Passengers Percy is sorry for his guard having no passengers travelling in his brake van. The guard has to let some foreign visitors on board because they have missed their stop.

1988 Annual

Percy and the Brake Van Percy thinks he has no need for brake vans at the end of his goods trains. Percy sets off with his goods train without realising his brake van has not been coupled. A weak coupling breaks and the trucks run downhill! The guard quickly jumps in to put his brakes on and jumps straight out! He manages to halt the trucks and the brake van stays on the rails. Percy realises brake vans are useful after all.

Responsibilities Percy has to spend the night at Tidmouth Sheds. Gordon tells him about the responsibilities he has of pulling the express in order to keep the railway running efficiently. Gordon has to push Percy to the water column the next day. Gordon finds his valve gears jammed when he tries to go for his drink. Percy has to push him back to the sheds and thinks it is better to say nothing at all.

Thomas and Trevor Edward takes Trevor to the junction to meet Thomas. Thomas has to take some steel pilings for the construction of Knapford Harbour. Thomas isn't sure about Trevor being different from a railway engine. Trevor gets to work and clears the mess at the harbour. Thomas brings some children for him to give some rides to. Trevor is sad when Thomas has to take him home again, but is soon happy again when Thomas makes him realise the Vicar will look after him and keep him busy. Trevor may even be needed at the harbour again one day.

Terence Turns Pot Hunter Some archaeologists are busily digging for some old stuff for Tidmouth Museum, but are not able to find anything. Terence is busily ploughing in the opposite field. His plough comes across some old pottery! The Tidmouth Museum curator comes to investigate into Terence's discovery. The archaeologists were digging on the wrong side of the railway because their map was too old.

On Your Guard Bill and Ben have been warned to be on their guard, but don't understand what it means. Ben hears some noises overnight and sees a dark shadow. It turns out to be some thieves! They are shocked when Bill and Ben make them think they are seeing the same engine over and over again. They make a run for it instead. Bill and Ben tell their drivers about it the next day. They think the thieves were trying to play hide and seek with them!

Jack-in-the-Box A mysterious crate gets loaded into James' brake coach. The guard tries to find out what is inside it. James sets off in a hurry after this delays him. There is no sign of the guard when James makes his next stop. His crew look around and find the guard locked inside the crate! He was trying to look inside the empty crate. He fell inside when James set off and it locked itself!

1989 Annual

Trapped By Trees Gordon boasts to Henry and James about how he crossed the viaduct in a heavy wind. He got across with some difficulty. He had to stop at Wellsworth Station when a fallen tree blocked the line. Gordon was trapped when another tree blocked the line. Trevor has to come to his rescue, but Henry has already came by to see Gordon!

The Trouble With Sheep A stray dog is chasing sheep in the valley. Thomas has to make an emergency stop when he comes across the dog. He finds himself unable to move when he tries to set off again. He is able to set off again when his driver repairs his brakes, but Thomas ends up leaving his guard behind again!

Post Early For Christmas Percy has to take the Christmas post along his branch line. He has a snow plough, but can't go any further when he gets to the valley because the snow is too heavy! He has to stay there overnight. Harold comes to collect the post the next day, but Percy has to wait there another day.

Harold and the Landslide Heavy rain has caused a landslide on the Little Western branch line. Harold has to go to the rescue when a hiker has a broken arm from falling over some cliffs. Harold flies him safely all the way to Wellsworth Hospital to recover. Duck is not happy about having to stay at Arlesdale for a week whilst his branch line is under repairs.

Quick Thinking Donald has to take some china clay trucks along Edward's branch line. The trucks push him downhill towards the passing loop. Boco is coming the other way with some empty trucks! His driver does some quick thinking just in time to prevent Donald from crashing!

1990 Annual

Thomas and the Cricketers There is a strong cold wind as Thomas sets off for work. A tree falls onto the line by Elsbridge Cricket Field. The cricketers prevent Thomas from crashing into it!

Hosepipes and Shunters Mavis is away at the works for repairs after getting hit by the farm lorry at the level crossing. Percy has to go to Knapford Harbour to help out with an emergency with Bulstrode. The Ffarquhar Stationmaster calls Terence to help out with the shunting. Toby has problems of his own up at the quarry. The water tower has been removed and he has to take on water via a hosepipe connected to the tap in the quarrymen's restroom.

Old Square Wheels Diesel is trying to get back at Duck for making the trucks misbehave. Henry's trucks push him downhill too fast. His wheels lock when his driver applies his brakes. Henry slides downhill and stops at the junction. His driver finds out he has a flat place on each of his drive wheels. This makes Diesel nickname Henry as Old Square Wheels! Diesel will make it sound like Duck told that joke to the trucks.

Donald and the Breakaways Donald brings some loaded trucks back from the mainland. The empty ones behave well, but the loaded ones get up to trouble because they are just visiting the Island of Sodor. One truck develops a hot axle and another truck keeps slipping its brakes on. Donald gets cross about the delays. A coupling breaks on top of Gordon's Hill and the trucks chase Donald down the other side!

Points of No Return James would like a branch line of his own like Thomas has. His wish comes true when he gets switched onto Edward's branch line. The points get jammed behind him. This means James has to stay at Wellsworth to do odd jobs until the points are repaired.

1991 Annual

Near Miss Henry complains about the trap points outside Tidmouth Sheds. They derail runaways to prevent collisions with main line trains. A careless firelighter meddles with Henry's controls the next day. Henry runs out of the sheds and into the yard without a driver! He derails just in time to prevent crashing into Gordon's express!

Trucks for Scrap The scrap train is made up of the oldest, rudest and noisiest trucks from the mainland. None of the engines like taking it. Boco has a bad time when he has to pull this train. One of the older trucks collapses and has to be scrapped, but it teaches the others to behave.

Thomas and the Sunday School Outing Thomas has to take the Vicar's Sunday School on their outing into the mountains when Bertie breaks down. He nearly misses his path home when the Sunday school is late returning to Ffarquhar Station.

In the Drink Trevor loves to be given unusual jobs. Trevor and Jem have to uproot some old cherry trees. Trevor has to refill his tank at a stream. He nearly falls into the water when the mudbank slips!

Rusty Red Scrap Iron James is cross with Diesel when he makes a mistake whilst arranging some trucks. Diesel tries to think of a nickname for James to get back at Duck. The trucks tell Diesel about the time Edward had to give chase after James. This gives Diesel the idea to nickname James as Rusty Red Scrap Iron.

1992 Annual

Percy and the Vicar's Prizes The same story as Percy To The Rescue from 1985 Annual, only it is a suitcase full of prizes instead of the Father Christmas costume.

A Problem for the Twins The same story as "The Twins' Passing Problem" from 1985 Annual.

Thomas and the Swans Percy gets a scare when a pheasant flies out and hits him. Thomas teases him about it and thinks it wouldn't bother him. He changes his mind when he comes across a swan with a broken wing.

Bertie to the Rescue The same story as 'Bertie Saves The Day' from 1985 Annual.

Galloping Sausage Duck has to spend the late morning in a siding when Gordon, Henry and James are cross about thinking he has told Diesel's nicknames to the trucks. Diesel has another talk with the trucks and seeing Gordon having problems with a water tower! This gives Diesel the idea to nickname him as Galloping Sausage. The Fat Controller has to send Duck to work with Edward whilst he tries to find out the truth. He finds out it was really Diesel's fault and sends him packing! Duck returns home and becomes friends with Gordon, Henry and James again.

1993 Annual

James's Traffic Jam James has to take some foreign visitors on a journey. They get confused and pull the emergency cord. This makes James grind to a halt. He tries to set off again, but his brakes have locked. He is stopped on a level crossing and causes trouble for the road traffic!

Thomas and the Snow Block The same story as Thomas And The Important Visitor from 1985 Annual.

Oliver Gets the Bird The same story from 1985 Annual.

The Hut That Walked By Itself Heavy winds keep the engines awake all night. Gordon sets off the next day and has a near miss with a workmen's hut. The hut walks along the platform by itself with help from the wind!

1994 Annual

The Merry-Go-Round That Wouldn't Percy and Trevor are excited about a funfair setting up. Trevor thinks he would like to help out with it. His wish comes true when the merry-go-round breaks down. He has to give the children a ride.

Thomas and the Tickles Thomas has some tickles overnight. The mystery is solved the next day when his crew find a mother cat and her kittens inside his cab.

Better Safe Than Sorry Harold tells Thomas all about safety by the sea. Thomas sees two children stuck out at sea on a lilo! He whistles to Harold to warn him. Harold flies straight to their rescue.

Air mattress A type of mattress.

An air mattress is an inflatable mattress/sleeping pad.

James' Rest Cure The same story from 1985 Annual.

Bertie the Snow Bus Bertie gets stuck in the snow on his way home. His driver goes off for help. Bertie gets covered in more snow and becomes a snow bus! Terence comes to his rescue and tows him somewhere the snow is less deep. Bertie is pleased to be in his warm bus station at Wellsworth.

1995 Annual

Easter Egg Special James is pleased to be taking the children on an Easter egg hunt on Easter Saturday. They end up searching the Bluebird café, a farmer's barn and Knapford Station. The children get a nice surprise when they find all the eggs inside James's cab!

The Picnic Express Thomas is upset when the Fat Controller gives the job of pulling the special picnic train to Gordon instead of him. Gordon isn't pleased about having to do this job either because he thinks he is too important. He pulls the train too fast. The passengers are cross about not getting to take in all the scenery. They make a complaint to the Fat Controller. Thomas, Annie and Clarabel get to do the job after all. They take the passengers at a more leisurely pace.

Oliver's Sparkler Oliver wants to know why 5 November is a special day of the year. He finds out when he gets to take some passengers to a bonfire party. It is of course the date when Guy Fawkes's Night is celebrated!

Thank You, Thomas and Toby The Fat Controller has arranged for Thomas and Toby to run extra passenger services whilst the main roads are under repairs. The passengers want to throw a party for the railway staff to thank them for helping them. Thomas and Toby are sad to not be able to go into the church hall, but the passengers give them a nice surprise too!

First Prize Jem gets ready to enter Trevor in a Best Kept Engine in a Wellsworth Agricultural Show. Edward brings the farmer's donkeys to give rides to the children. Trevor has to collect the donkeys when Edward breaks down. Trevor gets dirty and doesn't win a rally prize, but still gets to give the children some rides. Trevor gets a surprise the next day when the Vicar rewards him with a special rosette!

1996 Annual

James Gets Cracking James is very puzzled when he is ordered to collect a load from Farmer Finney's battery farm. He didn't think batteries came from farms! Some hens run across the line and the emergency stop causes his truck to derail. James now discovers what he's really carrying – eggs! Farmer Finney arrives with Terence and, while the mess is sorted out, cooks a delicious pancake with the eggs for James' driver and the workmen.

Rings a Bell! Mavis has trouble with the trucks at the quarry when Toby has mysteriously disappeared. The sound of Toby's bell is heard, but no-one can find him. The Fat Controller finds out it was really a cow's bell! Toby is stuck in his shed with a broken wheel!

All Pull Together A heavy storm blows the post out of Percy's overnight train. Thunder and lightning also causes a power cut and puts everywhere into darkness! The Fat Controller is pleased when all his engines, Bertie and Harold work hard to keep the railway running.

The Wrong Shirt Gordon is stuffed up and blows soot onto a football shirt made by Mrs Kyndley. The shirt gets muddled up with a workman's overall. Everyone including the Fat Controller gets a laugh when a workman is seen wearing a boy's football shirt!

Pantomime Pranks The engines see some unusual things all day on Christmas Eve. This includes a talking horse, a flaming black pudding and a guard in woman's clothing. There is a big surprise in Tidmouth Sheds. Everyone is happy to see the railway staff performing a Christmas pantomime.

1997 Annual

Ice Magic Mr Bjork, an engineer from Lapland, comes to visit the Island of Sodor. Thomas has to take him round to repair the signal boxes. Mr Bjork makes an ice sculpture of Thomas and gives him it as a present. Thomas is sad when it melts inside his warm cab and makes the other engines laugh. He gets a surprise the next day when he sees some huge ice sculptures of Thomas, Percy, Duck, Oliver and the Fat Controller!

Percy in Print A famous author comes to visit the Island of Sodor to finish his famous steam engines book. He has to take his manuscript to the printers. A heavy storm blows in and gives Percy a hard journey along the coastal route to the other side of the Island of Sodor. The author takes Percy's photograph and makes him appear on the front page of the book!

Skarloey Gets a Scare Skarloey's driver leaves his tea mug, his sandwiches and his torch behind at the sheds. This makes Skarloey hear some loud rustling noises overnight. A policeman comes to investigate the next day, but can't find anything. Skarloey hears the noises again the next night. All the mysteries are solved the next day. The tea mug is inside a tool box, the torch beside the telephone and the sandwiches eaten by a family of hedgehogs!

Edward Saves the Day Sir Handel is cross about having to take some equipment for the Tidmouth Gymkhana. He goes to the harbour instead and has to take lots of plant pots. Edward comes along to take the equipment to the gymkhana.

Rusty's Revenge James and Rusty have to help out at the harbour. James doesn't think the Rusting old diesel could be any useful. He has to take some empty trucks to the windmill to be loaded with flour. James sets off back to the harbour. The trucks bump James off the rails on a bendy line! Rusty comes to pull James the rest of the way home. Rusty calls him Dusty and the other engines have a laugh at him!

Pipe Dreams It is nearly Burns' Night. This is when Donald, Douglas and Duncan love talking about all things Scottish. Peter Sam is scared when Donald tells him about the Loch Ness Monster. Peter Sam hears an eerie noise as he pulls his train by the lake. It turns out to be the wind whistling through the bagpipes on one of his trucks. Donald, Douglas and Duncan are happy when a party is held at the sheds on Burns' Night!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas Henry's driver Ted enjoys practising his carol singing for the Christmas Eve carol service. The engines want to sing too. They just whistle along because they can't sing. Ted allows them to toot their whistles to help him practice. There is a problem when the church organ breaks down, but the engine orchestra turns out to be a big success. The Fat Controller is pleased with them for saving the day!

  • Strangely, throughout this annual the narrow-gauge and standard-gauge railways and engines are seen to be the same size as each other without explanation, particularly noticeable in "Rusty's Revenge" where the narrow-gauge Rusty is able to tow the standard-gauge James back to the shed. This is most likely down to a mistake on the writer's part.
  • This is the first annual not to be written by Christopher Awdry.

1998 Annual

Engines to the Rescue One stormy night on Sodor the engines heard about a tanker ship that crashed on the rocks and leaked oil in the sea and the seagulls got covered in oil. They had to be taken to the animal rescue centre as soon as possible. Gordon had to take the express but Edward and Percy were too busy with trucks. Henry could go and so could James and Thomas. The three engines went to the beach to take the birds to the cleaning centre and Bertie helped too. Soon their special job was over and the birds were better and when they were released, Thomas, James and Henry came to see them off and peep goodbye.

Henry Scores a Goal One day Henry was taking the Flying Kipper when he stopped at a signal by a field where some boys were playing football. One boy kicked the ball so hard up in the air that it landed in Henry's funnel. His driver didn't know until Henry was getting stuffed up then he shot the ball out of his funnel. The ball landed in the goal post. The boys were pleased to have their ball back so they kept playing. Henry was pleased too.

Percy Plays a Joke Percy can't resist playing jokes. Once he played a trick on Gordon and told him that the Fat Controller wanted to see him. But the Fat Controller didn't expect to see him. Gordon thought Percy needed to be taught a lesson so Gordon decided to play a trick on Percy. That night Gordon moved Percy's trucks around the yard. When Percy got to the yard he got a surprise; the trucks were all in a muddle. Gordon played a trick on Percy but now Percy learned a lesson. (This story is similar to Percy and the Signal.)

Rescue Thomas and his driver rescue a horse that had got stuck in the mud.

The Star of the Show To celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of Tidmouth station, the Fat Controller organises a family fun day. All of the engines are given special jobs, except for Edward. But on the day of the event, Edward realises he had no reason to feel left out; he is to open the show.

Toby and the Mail Train Toby helps to deliver Mrs. Kyndley's letter to the mainland.

1999 Annual

Blooming Railways Thomas finds out there is a 'Blooming Railways' Competition on the island. He is excited, but continues his regular work. He ends up helping Mr. and Mrs. Flowers out, when their truck breaks down on the way to a carnival parade. Mr. Flowers repays him with flower seeds, and so the railway wins the competition.

Bill and Ben Bill and Ben are working at Brendam Bay, when their driver removes their nameplates for a clean. Bill and Ben play another trick on BoCo then, pretending they're each other. BoCo gets confused, but then figures out a way to get back at them. He pretends he is his twin, CoBo, and confuses the twins! Soon Edward arrives, and they all get the joke.

Leaves on the Line It's Autumn on Sodor, and many leaves have fallen on the line. Thomas continuously slips, and gets cross. The other engines tease him, but soon Thomas comes to the rescue when a tree falls on the line. With the help of the breakdown train, Harold, and Terence; Thomas saves the day. Thomas then gets congratulated, and says he'll never complain about leaves again.

Toby Saves the Day Toby is happy working on his line with Henrietta. But one day a new bus arrives, and the bus driver is very rude, making rude comments about Toby's shape and age. Toby and Thomas are cross, but then Toby saves the day when the bus loses a wheel. Then he takes them to the picnic, and takes them home again. The children thank Toby, and say he's better than any new bus. The bus driver isn't happy, but Toby is glad to be useful.

Blowing Bubbles Henry is proud of his paint. One day it has to get cleaned before a train to an Open Day, but he's in such a rush, the driver doesn't rinse the soap suds off Henry. At the open day, Henry blows steam for the children, but ends up blowing bubbles out of his funnel instead. The children are delighted, and Henry is happy too.

2000 Annual

Slow Down, Thomas! After listening to Edward, Thomas decides to go fast on his branch line, until he encounters a truck on the level crossing.

Thomas the Famous Engine A famous artist comes to the island to paint one of the engines.

Double Trouble Thomas helps tell two boys named David and Danny apart with help from Donald, Douglas, Bill, and Ben.

Buzzing Bees! Thomas and Henry help Farmer Mills calm down his bees.

The Flood The engines must help stop a flood on Thomas's branch line.

Star Engines A television company comes to the railway to film a movie.

2001 Annual

Stepney's first accident is in this annual.

2002 Annual

Thomas wishes to go anywhere other than his very own branch line.

Thomas saves the children's puppet show after a little tent is blown away by the wind.

When cheeky Percy goes too fast to stop, it's Terence to the rescue.

Trevor is happy to help giving children rides at a party organised by the Fat Controller and his engines.

Thomas tells a tired Percy his story about the time he saved James on his first day and was given his own branch line.

Harold and Thomas rescue Henry, who is derailed and stuck at a tunnel.

Like in other annuals, this was not written by Christopher. Percy has the wrong job. It is very noticeable on "Percy's Dream" where Thomas tells his story about saving James and getting a branchline. Percy is at the junction with Thomas saying he wants a branchline before Thomas tells the story.

2003 Annual

The Ghost Train

Thomas, Percy and the Post Train

Thomas and the Trucks

The Woolly Bear

Thomas and Trevor

Thomas, Percy and the Coal

Thomas, Percy and the Dragon

Percy's Promise

2004 Annual

(it was released in 3 different versions)

Faulty Whistles

Edward the Very Useful Engine

James and the Red Balloon

Rusty Saves the Day

No Sleep for Cranky

Toby Had a Little Lamb

Percy's Chocolate Crunch

Trouble for Thomas (It's Only Snow)

2005 Annual

Three Cheers for Thomas It is time for the children for the Big Race. Thomas wishes he could win a ribbon, so he and Bertie have another race. When Thomas nearly wins, the Fat Controller tells Thomas the ribbons are still at Knapford, so Thomas races back as fast as he could. Then he gets a ribbon after all!

Harold and the Flying Horse Harold rescues a cart horse named Pegasus for a fete.

Bulgy Rides Again The Fat Controller brings Bulgy back onto the roads for passenger work, but the chickens who lived in him cause trouble.

Edward, Gordon and Henry Edward and Gordon often went through the tunnel where Henry was shut up. One day, Gordon breaks his safety valve outside the tunnel. Then Edward tries to push the coaches. But then, Henry comes out again, and pulls the train. As the train rushed, The Fat Director's top hat is blown away. Everyone is pleased with the two engines. Then Henry is given a new coat of paint. He and Edward helped Gordon back to Vicarstown Sheds.

What's the Matter with Henry? Henry has been feeling ill yet again, so Thomas and Percy play a mean trick on him.

Toby's Windmill Toby is fond of windmills, but one stormy night, a lightning bolt strikes it. Next morning Toby finds out it is broken.

Trusty Rusty Rusty sees the wooden bridge is broken, and tells Sir Topham Hatt that it needs to be closed until it is repaired. Duncan ignores the little diesel and decides to go on the bridge, until it begins to collapse. Rusty rescues Duncan just in time.

The Spotless Record The new engine, Arthur, is found out to have a spotless crash record. Thomas plays a trick on him and Arthur crashes, but all is well when Thomas apologises.

2006 Annual

Thomas and the Circus Thomas is chosen to take a long circus train. The others offer to help, but Thomas stubbornly does it himself. Meanwhile, his side-rods snap. Then James and Percy arrive to help. Thomas decides that everybody needs help.

Don't Tell Thomas The engines are hiding a present from their little blue tank engine friend, but what can it be?

Edward the Great Edward is to race Spencer to the Duke and Duchess' summer home. Edward takes the furniture, and Spencer takes his coach. When Edward is almost there, Spencer wakes up.

Emily's New Route Emily is chosen to take some flour. After a punishment, she is to go to Black Loch. Earlier, James warned her about the Black Loch Monster that lives underwater. But instead, it was a family of seals!

Percy and the Magic Carpet It's time for the Sodor Flower Show, and Percy is chosen to take a red carpet to be taken to Maithwaite Station before Alicia Botti arrives. But Percy is convinced the carpet is magic after it is blown away.

2007 Annual

Thomas's New Trucks

Tuneful Toots

Saving Edward

Thomas's Milkshake Muddle

Thomas and the Statue

Keeping Up with James

2008 Annual

Thomas and the Treasure

Big Strong Henry

Percy and the Funfair

Thomas and the Jet Plane

Wharf and Peace

Thomas's Frosty Friend

2009 Annual

Ding-A-Ling

Thomas Sets Sail

Percy and the Left Luggage

Thomas and the Runaway Car

Toby's Triumph

Cool Trucking

2010 Annual

Thomas in Trouble (S11)

Duncan Does it All

Hide and Peep

Gordon and the Engineer

Dream On

Edward and the Mail

2011 Annual

Hiro Helps Out

Creaky Cranky

The Lion of Sodor

Thomas and the Kite

Thomas and the Pigs

Snow Tracks

2012 Annual

Early Bird

Double Trouble

Tickled Pink

The Biggest Present

Henry's Good Deeds

2013 Annual

The Biggest Present of All

Creaky Cranky

Hiro Helps Out

Gordon's Shortcut

2014 Annual

Happy Birthday, Sir!

Muddy Matters

King of the Railway

Emily's Winter Party

2015 Annual

Not Now Charlie!

Gordon Runs Dry

Henry's Hero

Thomas's Shortcut

Luke's New Friend

2016 Annual

The Perfect Gift

Thomas and the Emergency Cable

Marion and the Dinosaurs

Emily Saves the World

Timothy and the Rainbow Truck

2017 Annual

Too Many Wheels

Slow Stephen

A Cranky Christmas

The Beast of Sodor

Henry Spots Trouble

Helping Hiro

2018 Annual

Sidney Sings

Percy and the Sheep

Best Engine Ever

The Whale Rescue

Henry Glows in the Dark

The Christmas Coffeepot

2019 Annual

The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor

The Big Freeze

Confused Coaches

Thomas and the Dragon

2020 Annual

The Animal Ark

Thomas in the Wild

Kangaroo Christmas

See also

Related Research Articles

The Fat Controller fictional character from The Railway Series

The Fat Controller is a fictional character in The Railway Series books written by the Reverend W. Awdry and his son, Christopher. In the first 2 books in the series he is known as The Fat Director. In the third book he becomes The Fat Controller, as the railway has been nationalised. His full name is revealed in the foreword to the book Henry the Green Engine.

Edward the Blue Engine Locomotive from The Railway Series books and Thomas the Tank Engine TV series.

Edward the Blue Engine is an anthropomorphic steam locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev W. Awdry, and the related TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender engine with red lining out, about the same size as James the Red Engine, and has the number 2 on his tender. Like James and Henry, he is a mixed traffic engine, meaning that he is designed to pull both freight and passenger services. He is one of the principal characters in both the books and the television series.

Terence the Tractor

Terence the Tractor is a fictional anthropomorphic crawler tractor from the children's book series The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends.

<i>Thomas & Friends</i> (series 1) season of television series

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.

<i>Thomas & Friends</i> (series 2) season of television series

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.

<i>Thomas & Friends</i> (series 3) season of television series

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.

<i>Thomas & Friends</i> (series 4) season of television series

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.

<i>Thomas & Friends</i> (series 6) season of television series

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.

My Thomas Story Library is a series of small books for children published by Egmont Publishing, in collaboration with Hit Entertainment, featuring Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Over the course of five years, the company published a collection of fifty titles, each one devoted individually to a character from the popular television series. The stories featured in some books are loose adaptations of those that feature in the original The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry, whilst others are adapted from the television series.

The Railway Stories are a series of audio adaptations of The Railway Series books by the Rev. W Awdry and his son Christopher.

The television series Thomas & Friends is mostly set on the fictional Island of Sodor. The children's books the series is based on, The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry and his son Christopher, feature a slightly different set of locations.

Thomas Land (Drayton Manor)

Thomas Land is a themed area at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire, England, based on the children's television series Thomas and Friends. It stands on the former site of Robinsons Land, a themed area sponsored by the soft drinks brand of the same name. The construction began while the park was still open in September 2007, and many of the Robinsons Land rides were moved to other areas of the park for the remainder of the season. Many of the rides housed in Robinsons Land except the Veteran Cars were sold to Funland in Hayling Island. Thomas Land officially opened to the public on 10 June 2008. An expansion of Thomas Land with additional attractions and private party rooms opened on 8 April 2015.

<i>Hero of the Rails</i> 2009 film by Greg Tiernan

Hero of the Rails is a 2009 CGI adventure family special and film of the British children's television series Thomas & Friends. The film introduces full CGI animation replacing live action models, and the addition of a voice cast for the characters alongside the narration to the TV series. The film features the voice of Ben Small and Martin Sherman as Thomas the Tank Engine for the UK and US respectively. It was first released on DVD and on iTunes on 12 January 2010. To promote the film a "Day Out With Thomas 2010: The Hero of the Rails Tour" was held at locations such as the Illinois Railway Museum, where guests could participate in activities such as arts and crafts or ride on a 15-ton replica of Thomas the Tank Engine. A mobile app, Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails, was released in May 2011. This was also the first feature-length Thomas and Friends special made since 2005.

Day of the Diesels is a 2011 CGI feature-length special and film of the TV series, Thomas & Friends. The film's CGI animation is by Nitrogen Studios Canada, Inc.

<i>Thomas & Friends: The Adventure Begins</i> 2015 film by Don Spencer

The Adventure Begins is a 2015 CGI-animated 45 minute direct-to video prequel film of Thomas & Friends. It is based on the first 2 books of The Railway Series: The Three Railway Engines and Thomas The Tank Engine. It commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Thomas & Friends franchise, making it the first installment to officially adapt a Railway Series story since Series 4. It is also based on the first 7 episodes of the 1st season of the TV show.