Plank trucks are open-topped wooden trucks used to transport goods across the railways. Ones with faces may be Troublesome Trucks.
Notable Plank Truck Types
The following types of plank trucks have their own separate pages:
NBR Diagram 43 Tube Wagons
NBR Diagram 43 tube wagons are designed to transport long loads such as pipes, but are also used to carry stone and maintenance supplies.
Personalities
Sentient trucks fall under the category of Troublesome Trucks.
Technical Details
Basis
Only one model of this wagon type was owned and used by the production crew, having been acquired second hand like the "L M S" 4-plank wagon. This model is likely to have been scratch-built, bearing a resemblance to the North British Railway Diagram 43/LNER Diag 77B, 10-tons, four-plank tube wagon.
Alternatively, the model could also have been modified from a Milbro kit of the LNER 20-ton tube wagon.
Livery
These trucks are dark grey with the letters "N E", with "TUBE WAGON" written in small letters above, and weight code "10 Tons" on the sides in white.
Appearances
Thomas & Friends
- Series 1 - Thomas and Gordon, Edward and Gordon, Edward, Gordon and Henry, Thomas' Train, James and the Coaches, James and the Express, Thomas, Terence and the Snow (deleted scene), Trouble in the Shed and Down the Mine
- Series 2 - Cows
- Series 3 - Gordon and the Famous Visitor, Diesel Does it Again, No Joke for James, Oliver Owns Up (deleted scene) and Heroes
- Series 6 - Salty's Secret
Short Wheelbase Plank Trucks
Commonly used in quarries and mines, short wheelbase trucks are used for the transport of minerals and coal. Their short wheelbase allows them to traverse the sharper bends more easily than longer trucks, and their short height makes them ideal for use in mine tunnels.
Personalities
Sentient trucks fall under the category of Troublesome Trucks.
Types of sentient trucks in the television series
Technical Details
Basis
The models used for these trucks were built from Tenmille kits of a freelance short wheelbase open wagon design. Although intended for narrow gauge 16mm scale, the models would be rescaled to Gauge 1 and regauged to standard gauge for use on the show. The kit is described as "a freelance design but typical of NG railway practice".
Types of truck design
Technical Details
Livery
These trucks are most commonly painted black, brown or grey.
Appearances
Magazine Stories
Video Games
- 1999 - The Great Festival Adventure
- 2000 - Trouble on the Tracks
- 2001 - Railway Adventures
Trivia
- In the second series episode, Percy's Predicament, one of the trucks at the quarry has The Spiteful Brake Van's unused angry face mask.
- One of these trucks had raised buffers to accommodate certain engines and rolling stock.
Merchandise
- Ertl Company (cancelled)
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- TrackMaster Push Along (discontinued)
- Motorized (discontinued)
- Motorized Railway (discontinued)
- Collectible Railway (discontinued)
- Adventures (discontinued)
Slate Trucks
This article is about 'standard gauge trucks'. You may be looking for 'the narrow gauge trucks'. |
- “Lucky you! All I can see is another truck's backside!”
- ― A slate truck, Journey Beyond Sodor
The North Western Railway owns a few slate trucks. Although they are designed to transport slate and slabs, they have also been seen transporting crates. Two of these were a part of the train Thomas took to the Mainland.
Technical Details
Basis
The slate trucks are based on the 2-bar wooden slate wagons of the Talyllyn Railway, scaled up accordingly. Two extra wooden planks are also present on one end to allow room for a face.
Livery
The slate trucks are painted white with dark grey beds and black frames.
Appearances
Voice Actors
- Lucy Montgomery (Journey Beyond Sodor)
Trivia
- The slate trucks are the first trucks to have a completely different face design, compared to former trucks in the CGI series.
- They share this design with the tankers and mine trolleys.
- The trucks were seen in test preview footage for Big World! Big Adventures!, they were absent in the finished product.
Merchandise
Henry's Lucky Trucks
One icy winter, Henry was the only engine to make his deliveries on time. Thomas attributes this to the big green engine having lucky trucks. However, one day Edward took them and when Henry finally caught up with him, he ran into the trucks, destroying them. Henry realised that his trucks were not lucky after all.
They only appeared in the eleventh series episode, Henry's Lucky Day.
Technical Details
Basis
Henry's Lucky Trucks are based on 7-plank mineral wagons often found on the eastern and midland regions.
Livery
These trucks were painted black.