| Thomas & The Great Railway Show | |
 | |
| Author | Christopher Awdry |
| Illustrator | Clive Spong |
| Publication date | 1991-Present |
| Publication Order | |
| Preceded by Jock the New Engine |
Followed by Thomas Comes Home |
Thomas and the Great Railway Show is the 35th book of the Railway Series.
Foreword[]
Dear Friends,
Henry, Gordon and James have been grumpy lately. They were jealous because Thomas had been asked to visit the National Railway Museum in York. The Fat Controller was afraid that they would go on strike, but they didn't.
"If Thomas wants to be a museum-piece," they said to each other, "what's that to do with us?".
Meanwhile Thomas was enjoying himself. I hope you will enjoy reading about how he did so.
Stories[]
Museum Piece[]
The big engines at Tidmouth Sheds are blatantly furious to hear Thomas will represent both the Island of Sodor, and the North Western Railway, at a railway show in York, but Thomas just scoffs this off, delighted at the prospect. He makes his way to York under his own steam, but is unable to stop in time when a lock on a crossing gate breaks and the wind blows it across the track, causing Thomas to crush his front end. Thomas is left in a siding wondering what will happen next.
Not the Ticket[]
Thomas is taken by lorry to York and he's mortified he can't complain when travelling through the countryside from a different point of view. However, the lorry driver doesn't know the way to the NRM and illegally parks in the wrong spot before heading off to find a telephone. A traffic warden finds out about this, and gives the disgruntled lorry driver a parking ticket for being parked in the wrong spot, which results in Thomas's crew being given quite a laugh when they figure out the warden obliviously booked Thomas's number.
Trouble on the Line[]
At the museum's workshop, Thomas's damaged bufferbeam is fixed, and he meets real-life preserved engine Green Arrow who introduces him to himself and the NRM's activities. The 1st day at the show goes without a problem until nearly closing time the next day, a bag was carelessly thrown onto the line and Thomas tries to avoid hitting it, but too late. The child is frightened by Thomas' steam and his furious mother wants to find the manager and complain to him.
Thomas is nervous on top of his upset from the damage to his brakes as a result of colliding with the bag, but his crew assure him that the crowds had learnt a lesson about safety - engines can't stop at once.
Thomas and the Railtour[]
A series of railtour trains going to the nearby seaside resort of Scarborough (a factual destination for railtour trains from York though it is not directly mentioned) have been scheduled, and Thomas is delighted when Green Arrow is ultimately chosen to pull these trains. But a problem arises when tickets are sold out and extra coaches have to be added. Thomas gingerly offers his assistance, and gets to double-head with Green Arrow. On a return run from the seaside, Thomas notices the ground is eroding toward the nearby river and tells Green Arrow to stop immediately.
As buses are called in to take the passengers home, Thomas, followed by Green Arrow hauling the empty coaches, make it across the eroded gap. A few days later, Sir Topham Hatt came to York as Thomas believed he came to get the blue tank engine home since frightening the child. The Fat Controller and the manager of the NRM present Thomas with a special plaque and make him an honorary member of the NRM.
Characters[]
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Mallard
- Toby
- Iron Duke
- Green Arrow
- The Diesel Shunter (does not speak)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
- Duchess of Hamilton (cameo)
- Stephenson's Rocket (cameo)
- Duck (mentioned)
- Stepney (mentioned)
- Boxhill (mentioned)
- Flying Scotsman (mentioned)
- City of Truro (mentioned)
- Akshan Chand
Trivia[]
- Christopher Awdry mentioned in Sodor: Reading Between the Lines that "Trouble on the Line" was based around railway safety, but to his dismay was watered down by the publishers. It is not known how the original would go, but he noted it reflects on crowd control at the National Railway Museum.
- Clive Spong broke a major rule in this book: the National Railway Museum's engines were wearing faces. Wilbert Awdry intended not to have faces on the mainland, unless on Sodor. However this confused for young children