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Thomas & Friends

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This page is for minor vehicle characters who have appeared in Thomas & Friends, the annual stories and the magazine stories. These characters were either unseen and only mentioned, or simply appeared as background characters without any speaking roles and were nameless.

Bulgy's Friend

Thomas & Friends

Bulgy's Friend is a red double-decker bus that is one of Bulgy's closest friends. Although he was never seen in the television series, he did appear in the My Thomas Story Library story, Bulgy.

Personality

Bulgy's Friend was mentioned by Oliver as being rude, just like Bulgy, as he was taking Bulgy's passengers home so that Bulgy can steal Duck and Oliver's passengers.

Technical Details

Basis

Bulgy's Friend is based on an AEC Regent V bus, like Bulgy. The Special Bus Service and the Australian Buses also share this design.

Livery

Bulgy's Friend is painted similar to Bulgy, red and cream, though he has a light grey middle section.

Appearances

Books

  • 2003 - Bulgy (does not speak; faceless)


The One-eyed Truck

The One-eyed Truck is a ghost Kelly told a scary story about.

Biography

According to the tale, it was an old steam lorry who had one of his headlamps stolen by a loader. The loader managed to get away, but, according to legend, the one-eyed truck still haunts Maithwaite Forest looking for a new headlamp.

After teasing Alfie and Percy about the story, Max and Monty were sent to dump some dirt at Maithwaite Forest. They heard a shrill whistle and saw a single headlamp, becoming convinced that it was the one-eyed truck. They ran away in fright, but soon they felt silly when they realized it was Thomas.

Appearances

Trivia

  • The one-eyed truck is based on the fable tale about "the One-eyed Jack".

The Loader

The Loader is a construction vehicle Kelly mentioned in the story about the one-eyed truck he told Percy and the Pack.

Biography

According to the tale, the loader had stolen a headlamp from the one-eyed truck. The one-eyed truck chased the loader into the deepest and darkest part of Maithwaite Forest. The loader managed to get away, but, according to legend, the one-eyed truck still haunts the forest looking for a new headlamp.

Appearances

The Italian Construction Vehicles

The Italian Construction Vehicles are friends of Ester, who she mentioned whilst talking with Thomas.

Biography

The Italian Construction Vehicles were intended to work at the Italian Construction Site alongside Ester, however with their work delayed they later became busy with their own jobs, leaving Ester to prepare the site on her own. Eventually, Thomas' talk about the Sodor Construction Company leads to Ester having the idea of having them arrive to help, though she pinned the credit on Thomas, who didn't directly state or think of the idea.

Appearances

The Road Finisher

“I am the Roadinator. Come with me if you want to pave.”
― The Road Finisher introducing himself

The Road Finisher, nicknamed "The Roadinator", is a crawler road paving machine who appears in a fantasy sequence.

Biography

When the Sodor Construction Company were busy working on a new road, Miss Jenny announced the arrival of a new machine. Jack, Alfie, Oliver and Brenda began speculating what type of machine it would be, and the four envisioned "the Road Finisher". He introduces himself as "the ultimate roadinator". The four are amazed by his capabilities and follow him as he begins paving a road. However, the new machine is actually later revealed to be a tunnel boring machine named Darcy.

In the Japanese version, Roadinator is regarded as his real name.

Personality

The Road Finisher is a parody of the Terminator from the Terminator franchise, as portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. All of his dialogue is lifted from the Terminator films as well; his line “Come with me if you want to pave” is a reference to the line “Come with me if you want to live”, and he also quotes the famous line “I’ll be back”.

Technical Details

Basis

The Road Finisher has no specific basis and is a freelance design.

Livery

The Road Finisher is painted blue and grey with yellow arms and wheels. His lower half is painted green at the rear and his arms each have a green ring around them.

Appearances

Voice Actors

Trivia

  • The Road Finisher's caterpillar treads are a modified version of Brenda's.

Quotes

“I'll be back...”
― The Road Finisher

The Australian Buses

There are twenty-five double-decker buses from Australia which Ace planned to jump over.

Biography

Ace was going to jump over twenty-five double-decker buses in the Outback for a super show. Two of these buses saw Ace rehearsing and were worried when after Ace had an accident. The buses did not arrive for the show, so Thomas, Shane, Tamika, Aubrey and Aiden took their places instead. Two of the buses arrived after Ace's jump and applauded him.

Technical Details

Basis

These buses are based on the AEC Regent V double-decker bus. Bulgy, Bulgy's Friend and the Special Bus Service are also members of this class. In real life the AEC Regents were used in Australia and their liveries are similar to the ones used in Australia.

Livery

These buses are painted dark green and yellow akin to Bulgy when he was a vegetable bus. Unlike Bulgy, their roofs are light grey.

Appearances

Voice Actors

Trivia

  • Twenty-five double-decker buses appear in Thomas' fantasy sequence, however only two appear in the Outback.
  • The bus which speaks is credited as simply "Bus" in the end credits.

The Special Bus Service


While the majority of the railway was closed down for repairs, buses were called upon to look after the passengers. One was a red double-decker bus called the "Special Bus Service". He teased Bertie for being small until they had a race, which Bertie won because he was able to go under a low railway bridge. By the end of his visit, the Special Bus Service had learned that Bertie was useful despite his size.

Personality

The bus seemed to be boastful and arrogant as he teased Bertie for his small size until he was taught that Bertie's size does not define how useful he is.

Technical Details

Basis

The Special Bus Service is an AEC Regent V double-decker bus.

Livery

The Special Bus Service is painted red, and has a sign on his side reading "Special Service". He also has a sign on his front reading "VIP".

Appearance

The Open Top Double-Decker Bus

This article is about 'the character'. You may be looking for 'the magazine story'.

The Open Top Double-Decker Bus was a bus that was once taking most of Bertie's passengers, much to the concern of Thomas, however, when the heavy rain came, the passengers decided to have a nice dry ride aboard Bertie.

Technical Details

Basis

The bus is based on a AEC Routemaster double-decker bus with an open top.

Livery

The Open Top Double-Decker Bus is painted yellow with maroon destination boards.

Appearances

Magazine Stories

The Open Top Double-Decker Bus also appeared in the magazine story The Open Top Bus.


The White Van


The White Van came to Sodor to deliver items that the engines could not, but only caused trouble when he and his driver made fun of the engines. The White Van ended up being clamped and taken off the road after parking in the Fat Controller's parking space. It is driven by the White Van Man.

Basis

The white van is based on a Ford Transit, the type of van most commonly associated with the term "white van man".

Appearances

Magazine Stories

The White Van only appeared in the magazine story White Van Man.

The Dodgems

This article is about the characters. You may be looking for the magazine story.

The Dodgems are a group of bumper cars that only appeared in the magazine stories. There are six of them.

Biography

Percy once had the job of delivering the Dodgems to the fairgrounds. They were rather troublesome, territorial, and single-minded. They only enjoyed the fun of the fair, believing it to be the only place to have fun. However, when one of the dodgems plunged into the sea by mistake, he enjoyed it and the rest of the Dodgems learned that there can actually be fun outside of the fair.

Appearances

Magazine Stories

The Dodgems appeared in the magazine story The Dodgems.

Trivia

The Float Lorry

The float lorry is a red lorry who only appeared in the magazines.

Biography

Stephen and Briget Hatt made a float for a carnival on Thomas' Branch Line. The Float Lorry was then chosen to carry the float with a replica of Thomas, which Stephen and Bridget built themselves. On the day of the carnival, as Thomas passed the procession, he spied the float that looked just like him.

Appearances

Trivia

  • The float lorry looks similar to the Horrid Lorries. However, the float Lorry was introduced four months before the fifth series episode, Horrid Lorry, in which the Horrid Lorries made their debut appearances. However the episode would have been filmed long before it aired, allowing for the magazine artist to use the Horrid Lorry design as a basis.
  • The float lorry is drawn with Bertie's face.

Dan

Dan the Front Loader is a blue farm tractor who appeared in the Egmont board books.

Technical Details

Basis

Dan is based on the Ford 5000 model with an added front arm with hay spears.

Livery

Dan is painted dark blue. He has a black face and headlamp eyes, reminiscent to the sentient tractors seen in The Railway Series.

Appearances

Books

Trivia

  • Dan is named after illustrator Dan Crisp.
  • The tractor did not originally have a name, but was later christened 'Dan' by the illustrator in an email correspondence with 01Salty in 2017.[1]


The Chinese Cargo Ship

The Chinese Cargo Ship is a cargo ship that Thomas once met on his visit to China. He and Yong Bao raced the ship down the Chang Jiang River.

Technical Details

Livery

The cargo ship has a red hull with a black stripe at the top, a white cabin area and a red funnel with a black stripe around the top similar to the hull.

Appearances


The Chinese Caterpillar Crane

The Chinese Caterpillar Crane works alongside a railway in China. He was once taken by Yong Bao to lift Da Li back onto the rails.

Technical Details

Basis

The Crane is based on a Ruston-Bucyrus RB 17/19 Crawler Crane.

Livery

The crane is painted yellow with a black roof.

Appearances


The Chinese Helicopter

The Chinese Helicopter is a rescue helicopter that works in China.

Technical Details

Livery

The helicopter is painted red and white.

Appearances

Trivia

  • The helicopter has a near-identical face to Yong Bao.


Gary's Friends

Two red and blue utes (pick-up trucks) appear in Thomas' Aussie Football Adventure, during Thomas's visit during his visit to Australia. They accompany Gary during the AFL Premiership Cup.

Technical Details

Just like Gary, the utes are based on the Ford Ranger (T6).

Livery

The utes are painted blue and red with white lining and silver fittings.

Appearances

Non-rail vehicles

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

* RWS only | ** T&F only | ✦ Changed location

* 1991 map only | ** 2014 map only
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