Tank Engine Thomas Again



"Tank Engine Thomas Again" was first published in 1949. It was written by the Reverend W. Awdry and illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby.

Tank Engine Thomas Again Foreward
DEAR FRIENDS, Here is news from Thomas' Branch Line. It is clearly no ordinary line, and life on it is far from dull. Thomas asks me to say that if you are ever in the Region, you must be sure to visit him and travel on his line. "They will have never seen anything like it," he says proudly. I know I haven't! THE AUTHOR

=Stories=

Thomas and the Guard
Henry is late at the junction and Thomas is impatient. As the guard goes to his van he trips on an umbrella and, by the time he's gotten up, Thomas is long gone. Annie and Clarabel try to convince Thomas to stop, but he pays no attention until they reach a signal. The guard doesn't come to tell them what the matter is, but they soon find out why - he's not on the train! Luckily, he runs up a few minutes later and climbs aboard.

Thomas goes Fishing
Thomas often sees people fishing in the river and wants to go fishing too. He gets his chance when he discovers the water-tower at Elsbridge is out of order, and Thomas' crew fill him up with river-water. However, Thomas experiences pains, and an Inspector soon discovers some fish have been boiled in Thomas' tank. They fish them out and have a lunch of fish and chips, and the Fat Controller tells Thomas to never fish again - Thomas heartily agrees.

Thomas, Terence and the Snow
Thomas meets Terence the tractor and makes fun of his caterpillar tracks. When winter comes, Thomas treats his snowplough awfully and it has to be repaired. They can't fix it in time for his first train, and Thomas, over-confident, recklessly charges at a snowdrift outside the tunnel and sticks there. He can't get out, so a bus takes his passengers home and Terence pulls him, Annie and Clarabel out. Thomas apologises and returns home.

Thomas and Bertie
Bertie, the bus from the previous story, teases Thomas about being slow, so they decide to have a race. Thomas gains the lead at a level crossing, but Bertie then gets in front after Thomas has to stop to collect passengers and only stops to rub it in. Thomas gains the lead again after Bertie stops for a traffic light, and although Bertie creeps in front, Thomas, with a burst of speed, rushes into Hackenbeck in style. Bertie congratulates him when he comes in, and the two become friends.

=Featured Characters=
 * Thomas
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Bertie
 * Terence
 * Henry
 * James (not seen)
 * The Fat Controller

=Trivia=
 * In the fourth illustration of "Thomas and the Guard", an advertisment for the book "James the Red Engine" is visible.
 * The bridge in "Thomas goes Fishing" is based on the bridge at Maidenhead, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
 * First appearances of Terence the Tractor, Bertie the Bus, Dryaw, Toryreck, Elsbridge, Hackenbeck and Thomas's original shed.

=Goofs=
 * In one illustration Henry is looking nonchalant when he is upset, he has a brass funnel and he has Gordon's buffers. The Reverend W. Awdry explained the last goof by saying that Henry needed new buffers and was using some of Gordon's.
 * In the first illustration of "Thomas goes Fishing" Annie and Clarabel lengthen dramatically.
 * The passengers were meant to be at the platform while Thomas was letting off steam painfully, but they are actually standing nearby.
 * According to the text, the final station on Thomas' branchline should be Hackenbeck, not Ffarquhar. This could possibly be because Ffarquhar station was not built or fully constructed by the end of the book, and was later completed to extend to the quarry by "Troublesome Engines".
 * In "The Eight Famous Engines", Thomas remembers stopping an inch from the buffers after his race with Bertie. Though he may be exaggerating for effect, there are no buffers in the final illustration of Thomas and Bertie.