The North Western Railway faced a locomotive shortage in its early days, according to The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.
Aside from Thomas, Edward, the "Coffee Pots", and the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway Tank Engines, it had no other engines of its own. Therefore, engines were hired from the Midland Railway on the mainland until more could be purchased, and they were relied upon heavily during WWI. This arrangement had ended by 1923, when the events of The Three Railway Engines took place. No precise details of the engines were given, thus little is known about them.
| Locomotives | Steam | The Little Blue Tank Engine* | Coffee Pots | W&SR Tank Engines* | Arlesdale Tramway Engines* | The Dark Green Tank Engine* | Lady** | Sodor Tramway Engines** |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Mavis | |
| Other | Ministry of Defence Engine* | Skarloey Funicular Railway Trams* | Vicarstown Tramway Engines** | |
| People | Burnett Stone** | |
| Locations | Anopha Quarry | The Magic Railroad** | Sodor Tramways** | |