Great Race Friends Near and Far

Great Race Friends Near and Far is a series of online videos released on the official YouTube channel which each video is released once a month in 2017.

These videos show what happened to the contenders who participated in the Great Railway Show following its end.

All of the videos are narrated by Mark Moraghan with the opening narrated by Joseph May as Thomas.

The series is animated in the same style as the Really Useful Around the World segments.

Gina the Smart Steam Engine
"You say you're a strong; but I bet you're not even as strong as a me!"

- Gina - teasing Vinnie about strength Gina the Smart Steam Engine is the first video in the series. It was released on 24 January 2017.

Plot
Gina was heading home when Vinnie rushed in and tells Gina that he is the strongest engine in the world. Gina had had enough of Vinnie's rudeness and she was going to teach Vinnie a lesson, and when she saw Shane arrive; her plan started to fall. Gina teases him back and goes to tell Shane the news.

Shane couples up to Vinnie, and Vinnie thinks he is going to be taking against Gina. The two start off and their coupling snaps and shoots Vinnie into a crate of watermelons.

Characters
Two cranes with faces that look identical to Cranky also cameo.
 * Gina
 * Vinnie
 * Shane
 * Axel (cameo)

Locations

 * The Mainland

Goofs

 * The narrator mistakenly says "trains" when referring to the engines that were returning home.
 * Axel is depicted as a 4-6-2.
 * Instead of the shaft on Vinnie's knuckle coupler, he has a flimsy handle, and Shane's coupling hook is not actually connected to it.

Frieda The Grumpiest Engine
Frieda The Grumpiest Engine is the second video in the series. It was released on 21 February 2017.

Plot
Frieda and Ivan are returning to Germany, but when they pass through stations, people cheer for Ivan and not Frieda which makes her grumpy, Ivan tells Frieda that they cheer for him because he smiles at them while she just grumps and teaches Frieda how to smile while going through crowded stations.

Characters
A German express coach with a face also cameos.
 * Frieda
 * Ivan

Locations

 * Germany

Shane Surfs in the Slippery Snow
Shane Surfs in the Slippery Snow is the third video in the series. It was released on 28 March 2017.

Plot
Shane and Yong Bao are travelling home from the Great Railway Show, but as they puff through the Himalayas, it starts to snow and Shane thinks it is fun, he starts to race up and down hills dangerously on the slippery rails and ignores Yong Bao's warnings, as of this, Shane ends up racing off the track and after that, he learns that snow can be dangerous.

Characters

 * Shane
 * Yong Bao

Locations

 * India
 * Himalayas

Trivia

 * This video marks Yong Bao's first speaking role in the franchise.

Rajiv the Best Decorated Engine
Rajiv the Best Decorated Engine is the fourth video in the series. It was released on the 25th of April, 2017.

Plot
Rajiv has just returned to India from the Great Railway Show and is eager to show off his trophy. To his surprise, he finds that no one is waiting for him. He searches the goods yard and the sheds to find a man ordering him to go to the City Centre Station. On the way, he finds a man beside the track who also needs to go to City Centre Station. Upon his arrival, he finds a large crowd gathered to celebrate his accomplishment.

Characters

 * Rajiv

Trivia

 * This video marks Rajiv's first speaking role in the franchise.