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Fact vs. Fiction: Volume Two
Written by BNSF1995
Proofread, Corrected and Complied by Broa Island
The Railway Series books, and Thomas & Friends TV series are adored the world over. However, most of the stories and episodes are either historically inaccurate or completely fabricated either for plot convenience and/or to sell toys. In this chapter, we will detail each story and episode to uncover the truth behind them. Because of this chapter's subject matter, it will occasionally be updated with more information.
But, without further ado, let's begin. For Volume Two, we shall be discussing Books 27 – 42 of The Railway Series, written by Christopher Awdry.
Really Useful Engines
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Stop Thief!
Fiction: The guard tells Thomas' crew that the stationmaster's house was burgled the previous night and his gardening trophies and new car were stolen. Thomas is later puffing through the valley when he sees a car very much like the stationmaster's one and warns his crew, who identify the driver and passenger as the thieves. At the next signal box, they throw the fireman's lunch box, with a note inside, to a signalman. The thieves are stopped at a roadblock, the trophies and car are recovered undamaged and the Fat Controller arrives at Ffarquhar to congratulate Thomas and his crew.
Fact: This story is factual.
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Mind That Bike
Fiction: Tom Tipper the postman falls ill and when he recovers, he discovers that his van has been replaced with a bicycle. When he gets to Ffarquhar, Tom is asked to fill in some papers, so he props his bicycle carefully against the fence and asks Percy to keep an eye on it. A boy comes along and starts riding the bike just as Percy starts. The boy falls off and manages to get out of the way, but the bike is run over and destroyed. Luckily, all ends well as Tom is given his van again.
Fact: The reason Tom's van had been replaced with a bicycle was because of budget cuts within Sodor Mail, which was, at the time, fending off a takeover attempt from Royal Mail. The rest of the story is factual.
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Fish
Fiction: An extra load of fish needs to be transported in the Flying Kipper, but the only vans available are several old rusty ones. At Wellsworth, Henry calls for a banker, and Duck arrives to help him with his train. Going up Gordon's Hill, however, a tail-lamp falls off, and Duck drops behind. Henry soon slows down and Duck collides with the vans, denting his funnel and boiler.
Fact: The banker for the Flying Kipper that night was Chloe, not Duck. The story is factual, otherwise, but not mentioned was that the yardmaster at Knapford Harbour got in hot water for not having a brake van put on the rear.
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Triple-Header
Fiction: One day after pulling the Express, Gordon feels tired and Thomas replies by telling him to become a tank engine. Later, it is discovered that Gordon needs new tubes. Henry is told to pull the Express, but one day he gets sick too. Thomas, Percy, and Duck are the only engines available, so they are coupled up. On Gordon's Hill, Percy runs out of steam. They are unable to uncouple him, so they try to struggle to the Works. Duck breaks down just outside the station and Thomas, unable to take the train himself, stops. Gordon, who watched the whole scene from his siding, makes heavy breathing noises at Thomas.
Fact: The first part did not happen, as Thomas is, as mentioned many times in the past, not cheeky. The reason Thomas, Percy, and Duck had to triple-head the train was because James and Molly were needed on the stopping passenger services, Lizzie was in the works for inspection, and Ruby and Yang were needed on goods work. The rest of the story checks out.
James and the Diesel Engines
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Old Stuck-Up
Fiction: BoCo is showing a visiting diesel around the line. When the diesel finds he is to share the shed with steam locomotives, he is disgusted and insults them, leading James to nickname him "Old Stuck-Up". The diesel sleeps outside the shed and when he wakes up the next day, remembers he has to refuel and be cleaned. In the part of the shed where BoCo and Bear sleep is a cleaning stop. The diesel decides to use it, but goes forward too quickly, slips on the oily tracks and crashes into the back of the shed. After a stern talking to by the Fat Controller for insulting the North Western Railway, the diesel then goes home in disgrace.
Fact: This story is factual and takes place in mid-1983. "Old Stuck-Up" was a Class 40, 40 125, and his real name was Bartholomew (or Bart). He was given the Final Firing and scrapped in December of that year, as he had no other option after being withdrawn.
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Crossed Lines
Fiction: The engines are fed up with James' complaining about diesels having two cabs and boasting about his importance. He becomes worse than ever when he has to shunt a goods train one misty day. James has to whistle to alert the signalman to switch the points, but another engine whistles first and the confused signalman switches the points as a well wagon is going over them, causing it to go sideways into a signal, knocking it down in the process. Despite the fact that the accident was not James' fault, the Fat Controller speaks to him severely about it since it was an inconvenient loss.
Fact: The actual incident was much more mundane. James had long since grown out of boasting about his supposed importance, but still complained about diesels having two cabs, mainly because he was creeped out by their ability to move their faces to the other end "as if by magic". James also didn't complain about having to shunt, having learned his lesson after the Strike of '34. The incident with the well wagon did happen, but Sir Stephen Hatt (who had become controller of the North Western Region in 1983) did not speak severely to James at all.
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Fire-Engine
Fiction: During a discussion about paint one night, Henry remarks he is thankful he does not look like a fire-engine, like James, but James makes a crafty reply, and the joke turns to Henry. Henry, furious, broods overpaying James out and bangs around so much that the coupling on his tender breaks, causing him to be separated from his tender. Because they cannot get any more water, the crew is forced to throw out Henry's fire onto the line, but the sleepers start to catch fire. Edward comes to take Henry's train and tells the others later that day. Henry is given a temporary coupling to his tender and James notes that he has never made rude comments about fire engines since.
Fact: This story is factual.
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Deep Freeze
Fiction: One wintry day, James takes on too much water at Crovan's Gate, which makes the water overflow on his filler-cap and freeze it, causing his injector to fail. A diesel comes to the rescue and although James feels humiliated at first, he quickly befriends the diesel and has since never made fun of diesels.
Fact: This story is factual, except the identity of the "Works Diesel" was intentionally left vague. The engine who rescued James was Penny, but the illustration implied it was Geoff. This was because Penny specifically requested NOT to be depicted in any media in any form (this was why HiT Entertainment created Victor).
More updates to come in the near future.