Express Coaches

There are many types of express coaches used for express trains on the Main Line of the North Western Railway and other railways.

Green Express Coaches
The green coaches have appeared since the first season and are primarily used for the express. These coaches are commonly pulled by Edward, Henry, Gordon, James and Rebecca. Between the thirteenth and sixteenth seasons, the coaches seemed to be exclusive to Gordon as he was the only engine ever seen pulling them. Since the seventeenth season, however, other engines have occasionally been seen pulling them again. In Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, the coaches were involved in an accident when Thomas thundered out of Knapford with the coaches after criticising Gordon for being lazy for not getting his own coaches.

In the first and second seasons, the express coaches had the ability to talk, despite not having visible faces.

Basis
The models of the coaches were based upon SR Maunsell coaches. They have broad windows on one side and narrow windows on the other. Since the CGI Series, the coach designs had been altered to be much taller and thinner compared to the previous ones.

Livery
The coaches are painted dark green with cream window surrounds. In the second season, the window surrounds were repainted white, but was changed back to cream again in the third season, with a yellow stripe running down the sides since the sixth season.

Voice Actors

 * Shinobu Satouchi (Japan; Thomas' Train)
 * Kōzō Shioya (Japan; James and the Coaches)
 * Yasunori Masutani (Japan; Whistles and Sneezes)
 * Toshio Kobayashi (Japan; Cows)
 * Yasuhiro Takato (Japan; Bertie's Chase)

Merchandise

 * Bachmann (discontinued 2006; 2018 reintroduction)
 * Hornby
 * Motor Road and Rail (with Gordon; discontinued outside Asia)
 * Departing Now (discontinued)
 * TrackMaster
 * Wood (with Knapford Station)
 * My First Thomas (discontinued)
 * Tomica (with Gordon)
 * Choro-Q (with Gordon)
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
 * Boss (with Edward; discontinued)
 * Waku Waku (with Gordon; discontinued)
 * Nakayoshi (discontinued)
 * Wood

Red Express Coaches
The red express coaches did not appear until the second season and are generally used for other fast trains, but occasionally used for the express..

These coaches are commonly pulled by Edward, Henry and James. In the third season, Duck commonly pulled them on the Little Western. Gordon pulled them in the fourth season when he met Sir Handel and in the fifth season when he went to go test the new station. They vanished after the twelfth season but returned in the twentieth season. In The Railway Series these coaches were part of the "Wild Nor' Wester".

Some red express coaches belong to British Railways and are pulled by Flying Scotsman.

Basis
In the Railway Series, the coaches were based on the BR MK1 coach. In the television series the models of the coaches were based on the SR Maunsell coaches. Since the CGI series, the coach designs had been altered to be much taller and thinner compared to the previous ones.

Livery
Between the second and fourth seasons, the coaches were painted dark red with white window surrounds. From the fifth season onwards, the window surrounds were repainted cream with a yellow stripe running down the sides.

Merchandise

 * Ertl Company (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Motor Road and Rail (Asia only)
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series (with sound effects; discontinued)
 * Departing Now
 * Tomica
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
 * Tomix
 * De Agostini (discontinued)
 * Bachmann (discontinued)
 * Hornby
 * Nakayoshi (discontinued)
 * Boss (with James; discontinued)
 * Choro-Q (with James)
 * LEGO (discontinued)

Special Express Coaches
The special coaches were used for carrying and transporting special visitors across the Island of Sodor. Gordon once used the coaches to carry Dowager Hatt to Wellsworth. James has also used the coaches several times and once used them to take Mrs. Kyndley to the funfair at Tidmouth Bay. Later on, James used the coaches to transport the Mayor.

The coaches were later pulled by Spencer for private usage of the Duke and Duchess of Boxford. In The Railway Series, these coaches were part of the "Wild Nor' Wester".

Basis
In The Railway Series, they were based on BR MK1 coaches, while in the television series, they appear to be based upon MK1 Suburban carriages without corridors.

Appearances

 * Enterprising Engines - Little Western


 * Season 5 - A Better View for Gordon, Gordon and the Gremlin and Make Someone Happy
 * Season 6 - A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter
 * Season 7 - James and the Queen of Sodor

Livery
The coaches were painted maroon with silver buffers, grey roofs and red lining, bufferbeams and couplings.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
 * TrackMaster (discontinued)
 * Bachmann
 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * My First Thomas (discontinued)
 * Capsule Plarail

Railway Series-only Coaches
Express coaches form the fast and important passenger trains and are normally pulled by Gordon, James or Henry. Several of these coaches form the express, known as the "Wild Nor' Wester" - usually pulled by Gordon, although Henry, James and Bear take the train when Gordon is busy - other coaches form the "Limited", which was pulled by Bear in Enterprising Engines.

The Diesel was supposed to pull the express in Bowled Out, but he broke down, so Duck and Stepney pulled it instead. In the late 1950s, Gordon would stop at Barrow-in-Furness with the express and an engine from the Other Railway would take the train on to London.

Basis
The orange coaches appear to be based on the LMS Peroid 1 Corridor Coaches, whilst the blue coaches were based on BR MK1 coaches and the brown coaches appear similar to the Midland Railway Suburban Coaches.

Livery
The coaches were primarily painted yellow-orange until around 1984, when they were repainted brown with a yellow stripe. There were also some blue and white coaches.

Merchandise

 * Orange Coaches
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Tomica
 * Blue / Brown Coaches
 * Motor Road and Rail (blue coach with OT-03, brown coach with OT-05; Asia only)
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Tomica

Thomas' Special Coach
After arriving at Tidmouth with the express, Gordon shunts a coach from the train into a siding for passengers wanting to travel to destinations on Thomas' Branch Line. Thomas, Annie and Clarabel then come from Knapford Junction to collect it.

One time, Douglas accidentally forgot to shunt this coach for Thomas. Instead he shunted the coach, full of passengers, into the carriage siding causing a heap of confusion and delay for the passengers.

Basis
Thomas' Special Coach is based on a British Railways Mark 1 Coach.

Livery
In the Railway Series, Thomas' special coach is painted burgundy red with cream coloured window surrounds. In the Television Series, it would have been painted in the express coaches green and custard livery.

Appearances

 * The Twin Engines - The Missing Coach


 * Season 2 - The Missing Coach


 * Donald and Douglas

The Royal Train
The Royal Train was the train that transported Queen Elizabeth II in Paint Pots and Queens. Henry was supposed to pull it, but after an accident with some paint cans, Gordon was given the job instead. In both The Railway Series and the television series, it was made up of blood and custard express coaches with whitewall wheels and white buffers.

Another Royal Carriage appeared in the magazine story, The Royal Carriage. This carriage is painted brown with red flags and a crown on its roof. Inside it has some comfortable chairs and a royal blue carpet. It is on display at the Sodor Museum.

Trivia

 * The coach in the magazine somewhat has Henrietta's shape.

The Dining Coach
The Dining Coach, also known as The Buffet Car, is often added to the express so that people can have something to eat and drink on their journey. It has a bar, serving area, pantry and tables.

Livery
In the television series, the coach is painted green with custard-yellow window surrounds and it looks identical to the green express coaches externally. Henry once shunted this coach hard enough to make its contents fly everywhere. In the magazines, the Buffet Car is painted yellow-orange and has yellow stripes.

Gordon's Special Coaches
For breaking his speed-record again, Gordon was rewarded with a new set of special coaches. Emily was to collect them and deliver them to the ceremony, but Diesel stole the coaches and hid them in a siding. Diesel gave them back after he told Emily that he too had set a record.

Basis
Gordon's special coaches are based on Southern Railway Maunsell standard non-corridor carriages.

Livery
Gordon's special coaches are painted in a dark blue coat of paint, with a gold-brown stripe of paint underneath the windows.

Appearance
Gordon's special coaches only appeared in the tenth season episode, Emily and the Special Coaches.

The German Express Coach
A German express coach with a face appeared in the Great Race Friends Near and Far online video series.

It appeared at the last station in Germany that Frieda and Ivan arrived to after competing in the Great Railway Show.

Appearance

 * 2017 - Frieda The Grumpiest Engine

The Chinese Coaches
The Chinese coaches were used for carrying and transporting passengers, and special visitors across China. The coaches were seen in Big World! Big Adventures! pulled by Yong Bao.

Basis
Just like the Green Express Coaches, and the Red Express Coaches they were based on the BR MK1 coach.

Livery
They are painted red with yellow stripes on the side and yellow lining around the windows.

Other Coaches
Four grey coaches with an orange stripe appeared in Thomas and the Big, Big Bridge.

A white express coach with orange lining was seen in the 2006 magazine story, Splendid Sight.

Another version of these coaches appeared in India during Season 22. They are yellow with green windows, with dark green stripes bordering said windows. They have yellow buffer beams and black buffers and appeared with some Branch Line Coaches in similar colours. Another Indian version of the express coaches appeared, painted similarly to Noor Jehan.

Trivia

 * In the magazine story, Airship, Gordon's express carriages are once referred to as "Pullman Coaches".
 * Some of the express coaches' television series models are currently on display; three red ones and two green ones at Drayton Manor Theme Park and two red ones at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan. One green express coach model (made in the sixth season) is now in possession of Twitter user TomJedski.
 * The wind-up toys are repainted from those representing Japanese National Railways coaches.
 * In the CGI series the Dining Coach is the only express coach with an aisle.
 * The green express coaches were the first Bachmann Thomas product to be reintroduced following discontinuation.

קרונות אקספרס Expressz 急行客車 Wagony Ekspresowe