Great Race Friends Near and Far is a series of online videos released on the official YouTube channel with each video released once a month, (excluding June and October) in 2017, with August and December being the only months to have two shorts.
These videos show what happened to the contenders who participated in the Great Railway Show following its end.
All of the videos are narrated by Mark Moraghan with the opening and ending narrated by John Hasler (UK) and Joseph May (US) as Thomas.
The series was animated by Kong Studio.
Gina The Smart Steam Engine
- “You say you're a strong; but I bet you're not even as strong as a me!”
- ― Gina teasing Vinnie about his strength
Gina the Smart Steam Engine is the first video in the series. It was released on 24th January 2017. A South Korean dub was uploaded on 5th November 2021 on YouTube.
Plot
Gina is heading home when Vinnie rushes in and tells Gina that he is the strongest engine in the world. Gina has had enough of Vinnie's rudeness and she is determined to teach Vinnie a lesson. When she sees Shane arrive; Gina's plan starts to form. She teases Vinnie back and goes to tell Shane the news.
Shane couples up to Vinnie and Vinnie thinks he is going to be going up against Gina. The two start off, their couplings snap and Vinnie shoots forward into a crate of watermelons. The three engines share a laugh and Vinnie admits that even the smallest engines can outsmart him.
Characters
Two cranes with faces that look identical to Cranky also cameo.
Locations
Goofs
- The narrator mistakenly says "trains" when referring to the engines that were returning home.
- Axel is depicted as a 4-6-2.
- Instead of the shaft on Vinnie's knuckle coupler, he has a flimsy handle and Shane's coupling hook is not actually connected to it.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Korean | 현명한 지나 |
Video
Frieda The Grumpiest Engine
Frieda The Grumpiest Engine is the second video in the series. It was released on 21st February 2017. A South Korean dub was uploaded on 8th November 2021 on YouTube.
Plot
Frieda and Ivan are returning home through Germany, but when they pass through stations, people cheer for Ivan and not Frieda which makes her grumpy. Ivan tells Frieda that they cheer for him because he smiles at them while she just grumps and he teaches Frieda how to smile while going through crowded stations.
Characters
- Frieda
- Ivan
- The German Express Coach (cameo)
Locations
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Korean | 심술궂은 엔진 프리다 |
Video
Shane Surfs in the Slippery Snow
Shane Surfs in the Slippery Snow is the third video in the series. It was released on 28th March 2017. A South Korean dub was uploaded on 12th November 2021 on YouTube.
Plot
Shane and Yong Bao are travelling home from the Great Railway Show, but as they puff through the Himalayas, it starts to snow and Shane thinks it is fun, so he starts to race up and down hills dangerously on the slippery rails and ignores Yong Bao's warnings. As of this, Shane ends up racing off the track and after that, he learns that snow can be dangerous.
Characters
Locations
Trivia
- This video marks Yong Bao's first speaking role in the franchise.
- Yong Bao saving a engine from a cliff in the snow is similar to when he did the same thing in both the animated short and the twenty-fourth series episode, Yong Bao and the Tiger.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Korean | 미끄러운 눈 속의 쉐인 |
Video
Rajiv the Best Decorated Engine
Rajiv the Best Decorated Engine is the fourth video in the series. It was released on 25th April 2017. A South Korean dub was uploaded on 15th November 2021 on YouTube.
Plot
Rajiv has just returned to India from the Great Railway Show and is eager to show off his trophy. To his surprise, he finds that no one is waiting for him. He searches the goods yard and the sheds to find a man ordering him to go to City Centre Station. On the way, he finds a man beside the track who also needs to go to City Centre Station. Upon his arrival, he finds a large crowd gathered to celebrate his accomplishment.
Characters
Locations
- India
- City Centre Station
Trivia
- This video marks Rajiv's first speaking role in the franchise.
- Two diesel engines appear at the end, however, one is faceless.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Korean | 가장 멋지게 꾸민 엔진 라지브 |
Video
Carlos Races Raul!
Carlos Races Raul! is the fifth video in the series. It was released on 23rd May 2017.
Plot
Carlos and Raul arrive in Mexico and get into an argument over who's country loves soccer more. When some fans from both their countries ask the two to take them to a soccer match, the engines decide to have a race. Due to not concentrating where they were going, the two arrive at a baseball stadium instead. The two eventually manage to arrive at the soccer stadium just in time. As they wait for the match to finish, Carlos and Raul come to the conclusion that both their countries love soccer equally.
Characters
Locations
Trivia
- The plot is similar to the nineteenth series episode, "Reds vs Blues".
- The attire of the fans is more like those worn by modern fans.
Video
Vinnie Is Back in America
Vinnie Is Back in America is the sixth video in the series. It was released on 25th July 2017.
Plot
After a long journey, Vinnie finally returns to America. But before he can set off for home, the Dockmaster tasks him to take some trucks to the Big City. After seeing the short line of trucks, Vinnie boasts that he is more than capable of taking his load, much to the annoyance of the little dockyard engines. So they decide to teach Vinnie a lesson by adding even more trucks to his train. Vinnie tries his best, but is unable to move his long line of trucks. Vinnie then sheepishly suggests that the dockyard engines could help him take his train and so they agree to take away some of the trucks so Vinnie is now able to carry on with his journey.
Characters
- Vinnie
- Dockyard Engines
- The Dock Master
Locations
Goofs
- Despite being set in America, the engines have buffers and chain couplings. Also, the rolling stock is British.
- The yellow stripes on the dockyard engines keep disappearing and reappearing.
Video
Axel Goes to the Mountains
Axel Goes to the Mountains is the seventh video in the series. It was released on 8th August 2017.
Plot
Axel and Etienne arrive in France on their way home. While on their way, Etienne boasts about how quiet and efficient he is compared to Axel, much to his irritation. Soon, they arrive at a station, where the stationmaster tells them that they need to take some passengers to the mountains. Etienne starts boasting again only for the stationmaster to say there are not any electric cables on the mountain tracks, meaning Axel has to go it alone. He enjoys the peace and quiet at first, but starts to miss Etienne. Axel decides to show Etienne the mountains himself, which makes Etienne admit that steam engines are nearly as good as electric engines after all!
Characters
Locations
Video
Ashima Helps Rajiv
Ashima Helps Rajiv is the eighth video in the series. It was released on 29th August 2017.
Plot
Ashima and Rajiv make their way back to India through Austria. Rajiv is afraid of heights, but Ashima helps him up the mountain to see the spectacular view.
Characters
Locations
Trivia
- Ashima and Rajiv are heading back to India in this video, but in 'Rajiv the Best Decorated Engine', Rajiv was already back in India. This means that this video is out of production order.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Turkish | Rajiv sıkışmış! |
Video
Raul Is Back in Brazil
Raul Is Back in Brazil is the ninth video in the series. It was released on 19th September 2017.
Plot
Raul is happy to be home in Brazil. He helps the holiday makers see monkeys but they are all hiding. Raul has a great idea to gather up all the Brazil nuts they could find.
Characters
Locations
Video
Etienne Visits London
Etienne Visits London is the tenth video in the series. It was released on 29th November 2017.
Plot
After the great race, Etienne from France decides to make a stop in London.
Characters
Locations
- The Mainland
- London
- Big Ben
- The Tower of London
- The Tower Bridge
- Battersea Power Station
- France (mentioned)
Trivia
- Etienne is heading back to France in this video, but in "Axel Goes to the Mountains", he was already back in France. This means that this video is out of production order.
Video
Yong Bao and the Monster in the Tunnel
Yong Bao and the Monster in the Tunnel is the eleventh video in the series. It was released on 13th December 2017.
Plot
Yong Bao is making his way back to China through the Swiss Alps when he finds some engines standing nervously in a station, too afraid to continue their journeys for fear of a monster in the tunnel. Yong Bao ventures into the tunnel only to find that the monster is just a mountain goat.
Characters
Locations
- Switzerland
- China (mentioned)
Trivia
- At one point during the video, one of the Swiss Tank Engines gains eyelashes.
- The plot is slightly similar to the ninth series episode, Bold and Brave.
Goofs
- In some scenes, the tiger on Yong Bao's tender is facing the wrong way.
- In one scene inside the tunnel, lights are emitting from Yong Bao's buffers instead of his headlights.
Video
Ivan's Chilly Way Home
Ivan's Chilly Way Home is the twelfth and final video in the series. It was released on 26th December 2017.
Plot
Ivan returns to Russia to find two steam engines stranded in the snow with no coal. He pushes the two steamies to the station and fetches them plenty of coal for their fireboxes, but it uses up all of his diesel fuel. One of the steam engines returns the favour and pushes Ivan to the next fuel depot, where they both agree that steamies and diesels are both as useful as each other.
Characters
Locations
Video
Trivia
- This series was dubbed by Um Sang-hyun in South Korea.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Korean | 토마스의 그레이트 레이스 |
| Turkish | Tüm Dünya'dan Yarış Arkadaşları |