Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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This article is about the Pack vehicle. You may be looking for the Story Library book, the little boy, the headkeeper or the other little boy.

“It's off to the fitters with you tomorrow, Jack. The Pack can't have a front loader with bent arms."
"You mean, I can
stay?!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way.”
― Jenny Packard welcomes Jack to the Pack[src]

Jack is a friendly and enthusiastic front loader who works for the Sodor Construction Company.

Biography

When Jack first arrived on Sodor, He was collect by Thomas and then he worked with the Pack to clear room for railway lines. Jack did well with Alfie - that is until he tried to take some stone up a ledge but failed to pay attention to where he was going and accidentally drove onto an edge of a hill and tipped over. After Miss Jenny scolded him as soon as he was put back on four wheels, Jack learned his lesson and redeemed himself by holding up a collapsing bridge until Thomas was able to get off it, at the cost of damaging his arms. Jack has since become part of the Pack.

When Jack was being careless again at the warehouse, he accidentally knocked over some slate. Not wanting to be sent back to the yards, he left the mess not knowing that Ned had been blamed for it. Ned was about to be sent back to the yards when Jack admitted that he was the one who broke the slate, so Miss Jenny sent him back instead. Later, when Max and Monty carelessly crashed into the lightning tree, Alfie, Oliver and Kelly held the tree up while Jack ran to Thomas for the props. Luckily, he made it in time, and the tree was saved.

He, along with the rest of the Pack, helped with the restoration of Great Waterton and worked with Alfie to build a bandstand there. Jack also helped with the restoration of Ulstead Castle and later saved Stephen and Thomas after the tracks they were on started to collapse.

He also helped with the construction of the Harwick Branch Line, along with Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty and later attended the branch line's opening ceremony.

Later, he, Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty were working on Thomas' Branch Line and he, Oliver and Alfie helped clear the branch line around the Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox after Max and Monty dumped their loads on the line.

After James' accident at Tidmouth Sheds when his brakes malfunctioned, Jack assisted with the shed's reconstruction.

Personality

Jack is brave and will not take any hassle, as seen whenever he stands up to Max and Monty when they bully him and Alfie, or when he rescued Thomas and Stephen. He is also kind and caring but tends to be rather impulsive. Despite being one of the younger members of the Pack, Jack has the makings of a good leader. He can also be a bit panicky like when Monty fell down into a mineshaft.

Technical Details

Basis

Jack's basis is a Nuffield tractor, an International 454 tractor, and Foden tractor with an added front loader and enclosed cab.

Livery

Jack was painted red with the top half of his cab and his wheels painted cream. He had the number 11 painted in cream on his sides. From King of the Railway onwards, the top half of his cab and his number are painted white, his back wheels are painted grey and his front wheels are painted red.

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Specials

Television Specials

Music Videos

Videos

Jack and the Pack

Jack had a role in the cancelled episodes, Bossy Byron, Alfie Has a Secret, Treasure Hunt, All Work, No Play, Grass is Greener, Jack and the Quack, The Importance of Being Patrick, Isobella Gets Steamed, Kelly's Heroes, Pop Goes the Diesel and Jack's Snow Rescue.

Music Vdeos

Official Description

From Official Media[1]

Jack: Jack is the friendliest front loader the island has ever seen. Jack and his construction crew work on projects all over the Island of Sodor. Jack loves his job and is so eager to please that he often takes on tasks he probably shouldn't. Check out the time when Jack had to be reminded of the quarry motto - 'safety first'.

From Official Website[2]

Jack: Jack is the friendliest front loader the Island has ever seen.


Fun Fact: Jack loves his job so much and is so eager to please that he often takes on tasks he probably shouldn't.

From Official Website[3]

Jack: Jack is the friendliest front loader the island has ever seen. Jack and his construction crew work on projects all over the Island of Sodor. Jack loves his job and is so eager to please that he often takes on tasks he probably shouldn't.


Fun Fact: Jack's job when he first arrived on Sodor was to clear room for railway lines.

Audio Files

Theme

Only used Composers Theme Song
Series 6 Mike O'Donnell
Junior Campbell

Horn

First used Last used Sound Effect
Jack and the Sodor Construction Company The Great Discovery

Trivia

  • According to Robert Gauld-Galliers, Jack was originally going to be called Helpful Harry.[3]
  • In some promotional sketches of the Pack, Jack is seen with a backhoe arm and bucket. According to an SiF interview with Chris Lloyd, the arm was built but was too problematic as it was hard to store all of the radio gear inside the model.[4] An interview] with Phil Fehrle gives a very different reason: "...if a story required Jack to be digging (using his back-hoe) and interacting with another character working at the same time, his face would be facing away from the action. For story purposes, it was important to feature the faces as much as possible; thus, the backhoe was removed."[5]
  • Jack's horn sound is similar to Caroline and Bertie's current horn sound. In fact, Jack's horn is a stock sound effect.
  • Nathan Clarke did an audio sample for Jack on his DAA Management Page.
  • Jack's angry face is currently owned by Twitter user Tomsprops and his shocked face is currently owned by Twitter user ThomasFan01.
  • A semi-complete face mask of Jack is also preserved by the Top Props preservation group.
  • A series of resin casts of some of Jack's faces are are also owned by former head sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn.
  • Jack's Trackmaster Push Along toy lacks his number.
  • Jack is the only character to have his face change shape over the course of the series.
  • According to Meet the Characters!, Jack is now the leader of the Pack, likely due to Kelly not returning in CGI.
  • Jack shares his name with Hilary Fortnam's grandson. Fortnam was the youngest daughter of The Railway Series author Wilbert Awdry.
  • Jack is the only Pack member, as well as the only character introduced in the sixth series, to be made into the Thomas Engine Collection Series range. He was also the last character to be made into the aforementioned range.

Quotes

"Spot on, Jack! You'd make a mother proud!"
"And a tank engine grateful!"

- Miss Jenny and Thomas praising Jack, A Friend in Need, sixth series

References


Non-rail vehicles

* RWS only | ** T&F only | *** Other Media only
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