Red Coaches

Red Coachesin the television series are used on branch line passenger trains.

Biography
They are usually pulled by Duck and Oliver on their branch line, by Edward on the his branch line, by Percy on Ffarquhar Branch Line and occasionally by Ryan on the Harwick Branch Line, but are also used by Henry and James on the Main Line. They were also pulled by Stepney on his branch line. Thomas also pulls these when Annie and Clarabel are being repaired, and when Percy had to take them during stormy weather. Toby once pulled them in Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Journey Beyond Sodor. They are also seen in China with yellow stripes on the sides and stands for bikes.

Basis
The red coaches are based on LB&SCR four-wheeled coaches built to a design by Stroudley between the early 1870s and late 80s. Several coaches of this type are preserved on the Bluebell Railway and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

The Orange Coaches share the same basis, however they have different roof top designs and styled-brake coaches.

Livery
The coaches are painted dark red with white or grey rooftops.

Trivia

 * The models of the coaches were made using Tenmille Gauge One LB&SCR Stroudley coach kits.
 * In The Adventure Begins, red branch coaches replaced the use of the express coaches in the original first season episodes Thomas' Train and The Sad Story of Henry.
 * The duckets on the red branch line coaches are beaded. This makes them similar to the Stroudley coaches that received modification work from 1911 onwards, as they were originally flush and fashioned from three sections of iron sheet.
 * The red branch coaches also differ from the Stroudley coaches with their oil lamp pots, as they have a round base instead of the square base ones that were used on the LB&SC Railway.
 * Dexter is the only known red brake coach to have had a face.

Merchandise

 * Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
 * TrackMaster (discontinued)
 * Bachmann
 * Lionel Trains (coming soon)