Yong Bao

"Wow! Have you ever seen such a spectacular looking engine? Strong, sleek, and steamy! This engine is a tiger! A sheer delight!"

- The Announcer, Meet the Contenders

Yong Bao (Chinese: 勇寶) is a Chinese engine who took part in The Great Railway Show, competing in the Best Decorated Engine parade.

Bio
Yong Bao was invited to take part in the Great Railway Show's Best Decorated Engine Parade. He, along with the other eleven contenders, accidentally arrived on Sodor after the rail ferry they were on made a wrong stop at Brendam Docks instead of the Mainland. Yong Bao promptly returned to the ferry after realising this.

At the Great Railway Show, Yong Bao participated in the Best Decorated Engines Parade along with Rajiv, Carlos, Emily and James, but ended up losing the event to Rajiv.

After the Great Railway show ended, Yong Bao left the Mainland and returned to China.

Persona
Yong Bao is a kind and faithful tender engine from China, who pulls passenger coaches. He may not be the biggest tender engine or the strongest, but he once cleverly diverted an accident saving hundreds of passengers. Yong Bao was decorated for his bravery and painted bright red, which is a color that symbolises celebration and happiness. Painted on his tender is a tiger which incites a sense of awe and admiration. Like Yong Bao, the tiger is full of life and embodies the spirit of being driven to achieve and make progress. These qualities make Yong Bao a Really Useful Engine.

Basis
Yong Bao is based on a Chinese Railways RM class 4-6-2 Pacific, which were built by CSR Sifang Co Ltd between 1958 and 1966. Used in passenger service, these engines were eventually taken out of service by more powerful steam and diesel locomotives on the Chinese rail system. Three members of this class have been preserved; 1001 is on display at the China Railway Museum in Beijing, 1163 is preserved in Aioi, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan and 1247 is on display at the Shenyang Railway Museum.

Livery
Yong Bao is painted Chinese red with yellow lining on his smoke deflectors and boiler, and his running board is painted green. His name is written on the sides of his cab in Traditional Chinese, and the design of a tiger is painted on his tender. He also bears a dragon face on the front top of his funnel.

Appearances
Television Series= {{Scroll box|

Specials

 * 2016 - The Great Race (cameo)

He will appear in the twenty-second season.

Music Videos

 * Let's Set Friendship in Motion and James the Really Splendid Engine (CGI version)

Learning Segments

 * Guess Who? Puzzles (does not speak)

Videos
}}|-| Other Media=
 * 2016 - Meet the Contenders: Yong Bao of China (does not speak)
 * 2017 - Great Race Friends Near and Far: Shane Surfs in the Slippery Snow

Books

 * 2016 - 6-Movie Coloring Collection (cameo), Off to the Races! (cameo), The Great Railway Show (cameo), The Great Race (cameo), The Great Race: Sticker Activity Book, and The Great Race: The Movie Storybook (cameo)
 * 2017 - Thomas and the Trains of the World

Voice Actors

 * TBA

Trivia

 * In Chinese, his name literally means "brave treasure" and his paintwork symbolizes happiness.
 * Yong Bao has been partially modified to work on British railways, he has been given buffers.
 * Yong Bao has Traditional Chinese characters on his cab, though in China, Simplified Chinese characters are used standardly. However, his Take-n-Play toy uses Simplified Chinese characters.
 * In a behind the scenes photo, Yong Bao was originally going to have flags that open out instead of the tiger face.
 * In real life, Yong Bao would be too large for the British loading gauge.
 * Yong Bao's tender wheels are actually reused from Marion's wheels, and his bell is reused from Belle's bell.
 * Like Hiro and Carlos, Yong Bao had a knuckle coupler on his front and a chain and hook coupler on the back of his tender.

Merchandise

 * Take-n-Play
 * Collectible Railway
 * Motorized Railway
 * Wood (coming soon)