Express Coaches

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

Green Express Coaches
"Would you like to see my express carriages? They're the grandest on the Island!"

- Gordon, Thomas and Scruff, fourteenth season

These green coaches have appeared since the first season and are primarily used for the express known as the "Wild Nor' Wester". These coaches are commonly pulled by Edward, Henry, Gordon and James. Between the thirteenth and sixteenth seasons, the green express 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 Express Coaches were based upon Southern Railway standard non-corridor stock built by Maunsell in 1925. They have broad windows on one side and narrow windows on the other. Since the CGI series, the coaches' design had been altered to be much taller and thinner compared to the previous ones.

Livery
These coaches are dark green with cream windows. In the second season, the cream part was repainted white, then cream again in the third season, with a yellow stripe running down the sides since the sixth season.

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
"Do you have smart coaches? I see that you do"

- Sir Handel admiring Gordon's coaches, A Bad Day for Sir Handel, fourth season

The red 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 are owned by the Other Railway and are pulled by the Flying Scotsman.

Basis
In The Railway Series they were based on the BR MK1 coach. In the televison series the models of the Express Coaches were based upon Southern Railway standard non-corridor stock built by Maunsell in 1925. Since the CGI series, the coaches' design had been altered to be much taller and thinner compared to the previous ones.

Livery
Between the second and fourth seasons, the coaches were dark red with white windows. From the fifth season onwards, the windows were cream and they have a yellow stripe running down the sides.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (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" and "Limited" trains.

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.

Railway Series

 * Enterprising Engines

Television Series

 * 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

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

The Royal Train
"I heard it's even more important than the express coaches."

- Percy, The Royal Carriage

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.

Merchandise

 * Plarail

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 a different country during Season 22. They are yellow with green windows, with dark green stripes bordering said windows. They have yellow bufferbeams and black buffers and appeared with some Branch Line Coaches in similar colors.

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)

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 JNR Coach's toys.
 * In the CGI series the Dining Coach is the only express coach with an aisle.

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