I like to think of Thomas as an unwanted prototype explaining why they almost immediately built an E2 that took his number and never wanted him back I’d like to think that his cab was moved forward compared to the standard E2s making a much longer and larger coal bunker removing the limited capacity problem as well as making his boiler appear shorter making him look closer to both the illustrations and the TV show.

Considering the first ever line in Thomas’ first appearance, “Thomas is a tank engine” he could be literally any type of tank engine if you hear that line out of context, one could think he was never an E2, I personally see him as an experimental “shortened” E2X in my own headcanon. (Thomas is technically an E2X, as normal E2s don’t have extended side tanks, as E2X’s were the ones extended side tanks)

One alternative to the E2 I've seen floated around occasionally that I like is the idea of Thomas as a Furness Railway G5. The G5 looks strikingly like the E2, but with splashers & a flat running plate, making it very reminiscent of how Thomas looks (especially in the books).

Idea: A J50 with extended side tanks, for more water capacity, and Jinty's coal bunker. That way, Awdry would be happy, and fans would be happy.

In my opinion, Thomas is a freelance tank engine design. He has the short body and wheel basis of a Terrier, and the side tanks of an E2. He might've been commissioned by the Fat Director.

In my head canon, Thomas is still a E2 but a instead an attempt to fix the E2 with a smaller size and larger water tanks and stuff. Some people kinda think the fact the first five engines are experimental engines is weird, I personally don’t think dumb experimental engines would be any more expensive than the real deal. That would explain why Sir Topham Hat would have bought so much because they would have been cheaper.

I think Thomas is fine as an E2. Yeah, it had faults, but I always assumed they were cured after several rebuilds, similar to Edward. I think that in the 1940's, Thomas was rebuilt with a jinty style bunker to improve fuel capacity for his branch line. But I don't really have a problem with his length. He is still small compared to James Henry and Gordon, and Awdry did state that the illustrations were inaccurate in TIOS:IPHaR, so it does make sense.

Here goes headcanon No. 536 of the comments. My idea of Thomas is that he’s not an E2, but actually a hodgepodge of many different parts and components of many railways. He was likely sourced from spares of mainly either the LB&SCR or GNR, and a couple other companies . These were then purchased as surplus by an early developing North Western Railway, and assembled into a small shunting tank engine used for the large yards and stations at both ends of the island. The challenge was to build No. 1 out of as little custom parts as possible, with key components such as the boiler and frames being the only exceptions as to cut down costs. After being granted a branch line, however, many faults in the design started to show, and an overhaul was planned. After his breakfast incident, this started father ahead of time than planned, but now at this point Thomas would resemble his Peter & Gunvor Edwards design. Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk, I still haven’t really gone depth into developing this headcanon. Have A day.

2:40 I remember when I was little that was what the Thomas looked like at day out with Thomas. One time it had broken down so it wasn't running so I made a handmade get well card for the Thomas and I took it too the station the next day then a driver or engineer popped in and agreed to take me too see Thomas he even let me in his cab I was really young at the time and I loved seeing Thomas I even have the photos my parents took of me in the cab. And the driver put the card right above the boiler.

I mean, it would’ve been cool if Thomas was a j50 since he would be Gordon’s younger cousin (being built after Gordon instead of being built in 1915) My head canon for the E2 Thomas (the one we are stuck with) is that, unlike his brothers Thomas worked much better for some reason

In my eyes Thomas is'nt an E2, but likely a LBSC A1x or any industrial side tank engine, but i like him more as a A1x because of the references of him being small, unlike the E2's which were massive.

I just came home from my first day of highschool and have been bored all day. Thank you for uploading.

I don’t know why but that simple pencil design looks like something straight out of those old anti-smoking commercials of the early 2000s.

I love the intro with Thomas and Earth so much.

Honestly, I kinda like Thomas as a short E2. Maybe because that’s just how I’ve always seen him as. I can see a Jinty, but I just can’t see Thomas as a J50.

Look at it like this: Thomas is *not* a pure-bred engine. And really, a large chunk of the engines on Sodor are far from "standard". Examples: -Edward's class is canonically a K2 "Large Seagull" class that had a reputation for being a "shy steamer". He also bears a striking resemblance to a LNER Class D40, and Awdry used a LMS Class 2P for a model. It should be noted that K2's were briefly equipped with superheaters in an attempt to cure the shy steaming problem, but it didn't work out and they were removed not long afterwards. Edward's cab and high-running boiler look quite similar to that of a NER Class R1, which would suggest he was given a different type of boiler to "cure" his steaming issues. -Henry was ordered under the impression of being an Atlantic-type engine. In reality, the Fat Controller got an engine that was a bootleg A1. Worse still, the designs were defective, meaning Henry struggled to steam. He eventually got rebuilt into a Black Five, becoming really the only engine on the railway based directly off an actual locomotive class (save for Toby). -Gordon was a prototype A1. Eventually, issues with his running gear forced him to be rebuilt; while the boiler remained the same, that was really the only thing that stayed the same; he lost a piston, got new valve gear, received a redesigned running board, among other adjustments. (And let's not ignore the rectangular buffers) -James, as "TheUnluckyTug" discussed, has a noticeable "fat" boiler compared to the standard Class 28...and that's not including the obvious fact he's a 2-6-0 instead of a 0-6-0. -Percy is the definition of a mutt. While likely built for the GWR at some point, by the time he reached the Fat Controller's railway he had been extensively modified. -Toby, much like Henry, is one of the few engines that is actually directly based off a particular class of engine. -Duck, despite appearing to be a 57xx class, has been modified to be able to function with autocoaches...something none of the real life 57xx were ever equipped to do. -Donald and Douglas, despite being CR 812 class engines, are _technically_ numbered so that they would really end up being a 652 sub-class.

I see thomas as the same engine that Awdry saw him. The LNER J50, it is actually a very pretty engine in my opinion.

I have a friend who calls Thomas an "experimental tank engine" as Thomas is more capable of pulling freight cars and passenger cars while being capable of shunting both types of trains too, unlike the other E2 tank engines, which are the engines who can only shunt and pull wagon cars but are not capable of pulling passenger trains. That would explain why The Fat Controller let him shunt and pull passenger coaches as a station pilot at Knapford before he gave Thomas his own branch line.

Personally I always thought he resembled the E1X more than an E2. It also fits better with the rev Awdry's penchant for one off experimental and prototypes as his characters

In my own headcannon Thomas was actually special build made from engines that were partially scrapped due perhaps damages during operation, utilizing the best of all three locomotives Perhaps using modified plans from the Terrier class for the wheelbase to create Thomas literally from leftover locomotives using the engine number from the E2 that was being used as part of this build for Sir Topham for the engines initial registration

Thomas is just an E2 cause Reginald Payne illustrated him as one. Considering Awdry’s original model(s), drawings, and the fact Thomas was changed since Payne’s illustrations I doubt Awdry wanted an E2, but just had to accept it.

I've always felt that even if Thomas started out as an E2, he is no longer one due to being likely modified by the NWR as I can imagine roughly around the time Thomas was given his branch line, that Sir Topham Hatt had Thomas refit to be more useful. Not to mention after Thomas comes to breakfast he was refit in a major way in the RWS. Maybe he started as an E2 and became some sort of E2 experimental i.e. and E2 2.0 etc. Idk, but I've always felt it does explain why Thomas looks less and less like an E2 with each change of RWS artist (Edited because auto somehow changed "artist" to "author" although it is true Thomas appearance changed slightly when Christopher took over)

The awdry model that was shown was made from a hornby E2, not a Jinty. Awdry did, however, have a Thomas Jinty, made from a triang Jinty, however it was just a spar model

In my opinion Thomas is a slight modified E2, with a shorter wheel base and a slightly larger coal bunker, which would make him more useful as an all around shunter compared to his larger useless siblings.

I like to think Thomas is a different type of E2 class that had a larger coal bunker and extended tanks while still having a decent and small and spaced wheel base for rail bends and has an experimental type of boiling system and piston orientation that contributes to his performance and how fast he can run than an average and slow E2. BUT I also like the idea of Thomas being a Jinty as they have fairly similar appearances to an E2. I also like the idea of Thomas being a J50. Awdry would be so proud. I'd also like to mention the Furness G5 which also looks similar to an E2. Y'know I really love how the community comes together to discuss this and share our opinions about it. 😊😊

Personally, I see Thomas as an E2 through and through, just repaired and adapted to Sodor for more versatile work given he and Edward helped build the mainline. The IOS book explains he was part of wartime surplus and was deemed "lost" which has given me some of my own head canon I guess you could say: Maybe on Sodor, a German Zeppelin found it's way to Sodor and in an attack Thomas was damaged. The war department listed the disaster had claimed Thomas as lost or destroyed so he was written of their books. But Thomas wasn't too badly damaged and was repaired in the works which ended up fixing all the faults the E2 had, making him a more versatile engine. When the war ended, the war department took back all the property they had leant to Sodor, except Thomas. They may have seen some scrap pieces left over from Thomas' repairs and thought that was all that remained of him. Thus never asked for him back. Not that Thomas minded as he and his crew had come to love Sodor and saw it as home. Maybe this fed into his cheeky attitude, feeling he was a superior tank engine on this railway. That he was the only one there and with the number one on his tanks which made him feel so special, he would tease any engine feeling they didn't work as hard as him. Throughout his time as station pilot in his introductory story, he's humbled and made to become more mature. He might be the only tank engine, and have the number one, but he's not getting special privileges just because of that. He has to learn and mature in order to advance. Given that is how he later gains his branchline, and what ends up leading Duck and Percy to be given leave of their previous station pilot duties when they also show their ability to handle tasks and can work without guidance I could really go on, but maybe this is something left for my series, or a whole exploratory essay

In my head cannon, Thomas is a Fowler Jinty that was gifted to the North Western Railway as a good will gesture following the 1925 deal that allowed the LMS to run their trains to Norramby on Sodor and the NWR to run their services to Barrow-In-Furness (At that time at least 49 Fowler 3Fs would've been built). He would then be stationed at Tidmouth as its Pilot for only a year before being offered the chance to work on the branchline to Ffarquhar as a reward for his rescue of James. Following some trial runs on the branch, it was determined that Thomas would need to be modified to carry additional fuel so as to prevent constant refueling stops throughout the day. This wasn't an issue when Thomas was the station pilot at Tidmouth since there were a few points during the day where he could rest and top off on both coal and water between new arrivals and departures. (Remember, the coaling and water towers were both located at Tidmouth) However when running longer distances between stops on a branch line, Thomas would begin to feel increasingly exhausted throughout the day running low on both. He was therefore sent to the Works and retrofitted with extended side tanks similar to those on the later E2s as well as a larger coal bunker. As for Thomas' size, I actually believe that Thomas would be a larger tank engine than what most would think. In the book "Thomas and the Twins" The Els Bridge needed to receive a renovation causing the Fat Controller to impose a weight restriction for any engines that cross it. It is then determined that Thomas actually exceeded the weight restriction as is thus sent to work with Edward on his branch until the renovation is completed. Since Percy, Toby, and Daisy are all with Thomas when this news is brought to his attention it implies that Thomas might actually be quite a large and heavy tank engine. You can really see it in the later books written by Christopher Awdry where Thomas is illustrated as a very tall Tank engine with a low set running board. (Look at the Cover for "Really Useful Engines" to see what I mean).

Personally, the way I think of Thomas is that he is a E2, just a modified/shortened version of one. Now I know next to nothing about trains, so what I say may not make sense, but just bear with me. During 1913, after learning about how the standard E2 tank engines have trouble with it's long wheelbase and small coal bunker, L. B. Billinton decided to make a smaller version of the E2 with a much shortened wheelbase and a cab that was put just a tiny bit more towards the middle of the engine to allow for a bigger bunker. After many designs that went no where, L. B. Billinton finally settled on a new redesign for the E2, and eventually had one prototype built in 1914 for a trial run. Thomas is that prototype. Thomas performed very well compared to his larger brethren, being able to go around sharper corners easier and not having to stop as frequently due to the slightly bigger firebox. While Thomas was a decent performer, the shortened E2 was never put into production as WW1 had started, and and the men at Brighton were more focused on getting their second batch of E2 tank engines out of the factory. In order to get some extra funds during hard times, Thomas was put up for sale and was purchased by Sir Topham Hatt I, eventually arriving in Sodor around 1915, and the rest is history. I know that probably doesn't make sense and raises some questions, but that's just the way I personally see Thomas.

Well, in my headcanon Thomas it's an E2X with extended side tanks. But it's a little shorter (to fit the show). And he also has rebuilt a boiler and a bunker for coal (so that he can go longer). And back in 1950, after he crashed into the house of the station master, his footboard was rebuilt.

Your pronunciation of Bromsgrove was correct, don't worry (from a lad from nearby Kidderminster). The Lickey Incline (the name of the hill) wasn't just home to Jinties, but it was also home to a 9F which was used for banking and would later become home to GWR pannier tank engines, specifically the 94xx, when the line was transferred from the Midland Region to the Western Region in 1958. It's most famous resident however was a locomotive built in 1919 by the Midland Railway: an 0-10-0 tender engine specifically designed for banking. It was nicknamed 'Big Bertha' or 'Big Emma', which served for many years until it was withdrawn and scrapped in 1956. And honestly, I think it's a shame that we don't have at least one J50 (aka GNR J23) in preservation. It's certainly a distinctive loco. Same with the E2, as a matter of fact. Then there would be an actual Thomas running around! Although the Nene Valley Railway has a loco which was named Thomas by the Reverend himself, so there's that.

In my headcanon, Thomas is a one-off LMS Jinty experiment with extended side tanks. The Jinties even have the front splasher which the E2's don't. This could also explain why him and Edward work so well together, as the Furness railway was absorbed into the LMS upon grouping.

In my AU, in 1915, the Fat Director commissioned Brighton Works to construct a tank engine which looked like a mini E2 with certain features removed or added. The Fat Director perhaps had scene some of the faults with the E2 and worked out how to fix them.Thomas was the result but was a hybrid due to the fact he had J50 and Jinty features as well, not to mention some completely custom parts as well. He arrived on Sodor and was named Thomas and given the number 1. For his size, he was still quite strong so was able to shunt heavy trucks and coaches around the yard, making him a valuable asset to the railway.

Honestly, I'm curious about a shortened J50, similar to how UnluckyTug shortened the E2

So, interesting thing to note, the E2's fuel issues weren't due to the coal bunker being small. It was rated at 2.5 long tons, same as the other 0-6-0Ts and more than the Jinty. The problem was that the boiler burned through coal quicker due to poor steaming.

Heres 2 headcanons i have for his origin 1: Thomas was the second member of a class of 4 0-6-0T engines of unknown origin. Sold to the LB&SCR by a man who had said that that he got the design when he was an apprentice to the CME of the GCR(but it is never confirmed that it is from where the design came from) 2. He was the first member of a class of 20 0-6-0T engines built exclusively for the railways on Sodor, designed as a successor for Glynn's class

the best thomas is the one the unlucky tug has. great video probably the first person to touch this topic about the other classes thomas could have been based off of. also ‘train of thought’ isn’t the only one who done a video like that another channel with a series called ‘gauge the issue’, the puns are on point, did a longer video of the e2 a while back in early 2020.

My personal headcanon for Thomas is that he along with two other engines arrived to Sodor as prototype versions of the class E2 however when the war was over and the need for shunters at Tidmouth was no longer needed and only one shunter was needed to shunt at vicarstown Thomas stayed on the Northwestern Railway you receive modifications to the cab bunker smokebox and eventually flat running boards the class was renamed E2x

Love the vids man, enjoy every single one😁

My headcanon is that Thomas was actually an unlicensed 0-6-0 built relatively close to Sodor by a major locomotive works, and was sent there by a combination of an accident and some less-than-legal under-the-table arrangements. Basically, he was based on the Furness Railway's G5 locomotives (and was, in fact, built by Kitson and Co., who built two of those locomotives in 1915, with Thomas being the third), with some modifications. An E2 WAS ordered from the LB&SCR, but they largely agreed to the transfer too hastily, and realized that none of their (rather anemic) tank engines could make it there in time. However, they've already received the money for it, and the War Office had OK'd the whole transaction. Now, because of World War 1, nobody could really be bothered to hunt down the tank engine when it didn't arrive, and those who knew about the E2's performance didn't bother to. Some years after the war, just days before the Grouping Act, the heads of the LB&SCR realized that they had neglected to send an engine to Sodor. And the engines they were promised to send one of were in NO condition to make the trek up to Cumbria. So, they contacted Kitson and Co., and ordered them build an 0-6-0 like their E2s, and send that to Sodor - giving them the money they would've received for their E2, plus some extra as hush money about the whole ordeal. Kitson and Co. had a different problem: due to a mixup with the paperwork, they began building a third G5 in 1915, when only two were ordered. This was sorted out after the war, but they were still left with an unfinished engine, and it's parts. So, they took the half-finished engine, and modified it so it would pass as an E2 (basically, making him even more of a generic 0-6-0 with sidetanks), painted him with whatever spare paint they had - making sure to write LB&SCR on the sides in big, bold, capital letters -, and then gave the engine a random number, and sent him on his way. Basically, Sir Topham I, the Fat Director, was duped for the second time, but instead of receiving a lemon like he did with Henry, he actually got a better working engine out of the ordeal.

You have a tattoo of the original illustration as someone who got into trains through Thomas that’s hardcore 😱

This teaches me more than school ever will, I love how you’re so dedicated to this wonderful fandom, :)

great video trainboy, really well done!!

Good video, thanks for the shout-out

I personally hate the idea that Thomas was literally shortened. It just doesn’t make sense, especially when we know that illustration errors were canon (in that they were canonically wrong). As far as I’m concerned RWS Thomas came to Sodor as an unaltered E2 and wasn’t rebuilt until 8 Famous Engines, when he had his running board dropped, which expanded his tanks and bunker. As for TVS Thomas, it’s an alternate universe, all E2s look like that.

Real quick, imma throw out the top speeds of the three engines shown: LBSCR E2: 70 MPH LMS 3F: 60 MPH LNER J50: 45 MPH So, even though the E2 class wasn't perfect, they were makin ban in the speed department

Its funny imagining like 3 or 4 Jintys all pulling a goods train with 1 in front of the other

The main thing you didn't mention was fuel consumption. The E2s had atrocious fuel consumption, however the Jintys had great fuel consumption. They're still used on various heritage railway in the UK to haul trains over 5-10 mile lines, so they would be good for branch lines. As for shunting, they were one of the best performing steam shunters ever used in the British Isles. Also, in Chris Awdry's book 'Sodor - Reading Between The Lines' he states that Thomas was an E2 because it was the only picture Awdry had to hand to show the illustrator what Thomas should look like.

Whichever the basis, I've a feeling Topham bought Thomas as a prototype for one of the classes. Knowing LOTS about how to modify engines and how they work, he heavily optimized Thomas for Sodor's needs: tight bends, long distance travel, etc.

I can't wait for the follow up video, Could James been more Redder?

Personally, I think Thomas is a Jinty with extended side tanks. I mean, if James gets a front pony truck and Edward gets a new cab, I think extended tanks aren’t out of the question

Well done on your video! To be honest seeing his problems as an E2 is kinda disheartening, it's his iconic look I always sticked by and always will, but did notice some difference from thomas to the E2s, and I would deeply say personally that Thomas(As you said) is a modified E2. During his early days on sodor as "Staition Pilot" he was a normal E2 as the E2s were only good at shunting but when he earned his Branchline, sometime after he might have been rebuilt or maybe after "Thomas Comes To Breakfast" he had his rebuild then (If you don't count his Flat front running board In the Railway Series) but I really in any way he's still " A Really Useful Engine" ;D agian well done trainboy! hats of to you.

My personal Best Thomas is an Furness railway (forgot the name class.) Tank engine. it has a flat running board, yes, but other traits are there. The shorts stumpy; funnel, dome and boiler. Tho it doesn't have the extended water tanks, it still Looks like Thomas. (Also, not the same class as Albert, his class has a 2-4-2 wheel configuration, while the tank engine i'm refering to is an 0-6-0.)

Obviously Awdry saw the illustrations of him being an E2, didn't like them then took away specific E2 features to subtly make him not an E2 and a modified different 0-6-0 tank engine that was much smaller but didn't know what specifically to make him and it never got solved.

The Fowler 3F Jinty also had its own set of problems, all inherited from the Midland Railway (which I can only remember two of them). The sandboxes are in constant fear of getting wet and having contaminated sand from water thrown from the water tanks, while is Derby design meant it one major DERBY PROBLEM, the work's rubbish axleboxes.

I'd be up for some more RWS loco comparisons. Just as an example: Henry ended up being depicted as a fictional experimental 4-6-2 Pacific based roughly on Henry Ivatt's C1 Class 4-4-2 Atlantics. However, the Rev. Awdry bitterly complained that he always intended for Henry to be an Atlantic from the start. So how did this real Ivatt C1 stack up to what we know about Henry in the RWS? But we can go deeper! There was another class of Atlantic that was absorbed into the LNER, John Robinson's C4 Atlantics, originally Class 8B, built for the Great Central Railway. Or if we want to keep Henry as a 4-6-0 as he is often depicted, we must also consider Robinson's B4 Class, GCR 8F. Both the B4 and C4 were originally built as the GCR's new top link express engines to replace their aging 4-4-0's, but in practice both suffered badly from poor steaming and were barely able to maintain performance over their older counterparts. Sound familiar?

I like Thomas as an E2, the long-wheelbase has that you talked about reminded me of that trainz video called too long thomas. J50 thomas looks like thomas with a popped up collar.

I think the problems with Thomas Henry and James could all be solved if they were Sodor designs No e2 No one off 2-6-0 class 28 No experiment with stolen plans I’ve always felt that Gordon being sent over after trial runs didn’t make sense but this would solve the problem

One thing I found myself wondering the other day, (do bear in mind that this would be _very_ anachronistic to when Thomas was supposed to arrive on Sodor in Railway series ) "what if Thomas was a USATC S100?" That class of locomotive has a higher tractive effort than the LBSC E2 (albeit only barely at 21,630 lbf), but the downsides of 1,200 US gallons of water (less than the E2), the 1.112153 long tons of coal (again less than the E2), a longer wheelbase than the Jinty at 29 ft. 6 in., and the fact that as an American-built engine it has outside cylinders, making it not look the part when compared to the E2 or the LMS Jinty. The whole point of this comment really was just to explore a random "what if" that popped into my head once.

i personally like to think that some of the engines in thomas and friends were prototypes that were sold to the NWR because the railway didn't have much money at the time, so maybe the engines look like this to cut costs, gordon's straight footplate, henry being a stolen design i think renforces this even more, thomas' overall shorter look compared to the other E2s, etc. (also, great video TrainBoy, i like thomas' look as a E2, i grew with it and i prefer it this way, but i kinda like the j50 design too.)

They did very well when based in Stewarts Lane (up to the 1950’s). It was their work at Southampton Docks that made their wheelbase a real issue.

You got Bromsgrove spot on! Great video and love your work!

My personal head cannon is that Thomas is an E2-C. A third variant of the E2s, where the first, the E2-A, was built without the extended side tanks, the second variant, the E2-B, with them, and the third, the E2-C, was shortened to have a 10’ wheel base and extended bunker

Have you heard of Thomas being a Furness railway G5, making it more likely he and Edward both came from the furness, the only difference being the lack of extended tanks as thomas was either a shunter or a short distance passenger engine who picked up water mid way on his journey and I'd assume coal aswell I believe as a G5 he got extended side tanks when he was brought to help build the NWR in 1914

Just today I saw a picture of a Furness Railway 0-6-0. It looked perfect (almost like the Stewart Reidpath model of Thomas).

a very imformative what if... style video i loved every second of it

I'd say Thomas is a NWR designed. He was built on Sodor with 15 other engines. They were built for the TK&E/TW&S by Sir Topham Hatt I. It would also explain the scrap models of Thomas throughout the model series.

Can confirm about the gradient at Bromsgrove, if one of the traction motors is out on my EMUs, it’s like pushing treacle up a hill…

I think of thomas as a prototype experimental design for the R.O.D. as a shunter for the war front in 1917. I also have pondered if he could have a brother either maybe survived and worked in France, killed on the front or survived in England, possibly surviving the end of steam, possibly not. Or he is a one off, idk

I cant wait to see your Jinty Thomas! Do you know when you will be done?

funnily enough i was watching train of thought's e2 video earlier on

I don't know what you say, but I prefer the little engine that they show to us on the first episode, because I couldn't imagine Thomas in any different way, because that's how Audrey wanted to show us the little engine that we all come to know and love

Thomas is an E2 tank engine. I once had the Hornby E2 Thomas model (blue with red stripes), but I've replaced it with the Bachmann TV Series Thomas. He will always be an improved E2 tank engine.

A lot of the comment's headcanons label Thomas as an experimental/custom/prototype engine, which I humbly agree with. He's obviously less long, making him ideal for shunting. The extended side tanks do still have it's advantages with extra fuel capacity and having a slightly bigger bunker. Thomas' design is just so tightly packed and is kinda adorable in a way. Probably the bigger question would be how efficient would actual Thomas be against the regular E2s and other similar tank engines?

I am glad this is being brought up, let alone getting more attention. The LNER J50’s were way more useful than the LBSCR’s E2’s!

I personally prefer Thomas as a J69 but that’s just me.

Considering Camscott’s old RWS Thomas model in Trainz, I think Thomas is an engine built from scratch to fix the E2’s problems. He was sold to the NWR, after the plans to downsize the class were foiled by the LBSCR.

Thomas could have been easily portrayed as an LBSC E1, E3 or E4. But I think him being an E2 suits his personality better. He's cheaky, energetic, and good at shunting. The E2s were prone to bouncing and bucking at high speeds, and only good for shunting. Which, in all honesty, was what they were mainly designed to do, in concept. But Billington was obviously looking well beyond the pail.

The E2’s in my opinion were actually successful. A locomotive for heavy shunting around the tight curves of Brighton docks. Despite the issues with hauling trains, shunting trains were a easy task. We also must factor on how the class survived. Lasting all the way to the end of steam.

The Wooden J50 Thomas is the perfect example for an actual J50, because the Original model Awdry made, has a GIGANTIC bunker, and the Real J50 has a big bunker too, but not AS big.

There is also a couple other locos like the Furness railway g5s in which they almost looks similar to Thomas barring the side tanks and the Dowalis ironworks Arthur Keen locomotive also looks similar but with a couple of differences

I think the best Thomas Class would be the Fletcher J76, its small and looks like Thomas quite a bit, they were mainly used for passsenger, goods and shunting so maybe Thomas could be a modified J76 with extended side tanks?

My first model train (not a hand me down or inherited one) is a Jinty and I've managed to find one that has the same colour scheme, I'm going to take my model to go see it one day and get some nice perspective pics of them,

I look forward to your video about Henry and his bizarre story

I would love if you did one of these on Percy. How you interpret his build history could be interesting.

If you notice it, thomas IS a jinty. In the railway series, he gains the flat runningboard, and he has "splashers". The e2 din't have these features.

This is awesome. Great job! Ngl I love thomas as a E2. But a J50 would have been interesting!

One model depicts Thomas as a metropolitan railway f class 0-6-2, built for passenger workings. It is perfect for the ffarquar branch but its stonking huge! One, l57, nearly made it into preservation but its frames were found to be cracked meaning it was a Write off, with an E 0-4-4 tank l44, (formerly no 1 after a written off A class engine) got offered instead. They also are NOT shunting engines, they were built around 1899 and how one would have gotten to the N.W.R is a mistary to say the least. Its also strange that an engine from the London underground is depicted in any form.

Hrmm, I say a modified E2. Rebalance pistons to wheel size (the vibration problem at speed) A boiler more suited to type or retubed to promote a proper draft (it shared a boiler type with many other thus steaming problems carried over, including a tendency to spew hot coals when the throttle was wide open) Austerity bunker (everyone points towards coal capacity but it’s the boiler eating all that extra fuel, not that it didn’t have enough) Condensing gear (a thirsty lad should be a bit more water wise) A center wheel with wider flange to help with those tight turns (shunting duties at the docs) Keep the dual brake system (just train the drivers to be gentle on the brakes) One could reduce the wheel base length, but let’s keep it as is otherwise that’s a totally different frame. I’m sure The North Western Railway had a budget to fix up Thomas, otherwise I don’t think they would have bothered with Henry’s rebuild after getting welsh coal and then suffering his crash.

I really like j50 Thomas. It’s just so interesting to look at

I don't know a metric ton about Sodor's whole railway, but it seems there is enough water tanks around the island and Thomas' branch line to keep him from getting stranded due to his low range. I don't remember if he ever had a problem with his long wheelbase. This makes him plenty useful on the island.

I personally like to think that Croven's Gate is just a Miracle Factory, and can do anything locomotive related. (Including the ability to make an E2 run well)

I like to think about Thomas as a j50. Bachmann👀

I believe Thomas is a Furness railway G5 with extended side tanks

I love this version of the intro lol

Unfortunaely there's no small and short 0-6-0T that has good power and enough coal and water storage for long journeys. That's why tank engines got bigger, to go further.

I very much Enjoyed this video

It's worth noting, too, that the E2's boiler was recycled from withdrawn 4-4-2 I2 tank engines, which had also been poor steamers. Makes you wonder if a made-to-order boiler design would have improved the E2's capabilities.

thinking about it, thomas looks like an e2 body on a hunslet austerity chassis

I would've made Thomas a LSWR C14 0-4-0. They were small, had a short wheel basis, used for shunting and push-pull passenger services; but had less power than an E2. That said, the lack of power would explain how the trucks easily pushed Thomas down Gordon's hill ^^

Although I personally love Thomas has an E2, but I don’t think anyone can argue that there were more efficient British tank engines Thomas could’ve been.