Wooden Railway

Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway is a wooden model railway system created by Learning Curve.

Product History, Design and Make
Learning Curve was founded by John W. Lee 1993 in Chicago. In 2003 the company was acquired by "Racing Champions ERTL", renamed in the same year to "RC2". Learning Curve introduced some new designs for the track surface of wooden toy railways, such as the "Clickety-clack" rails patented in 1995 and the newer tracks with a relief to supply better traction grip for battery powered engines, patented in 2003. They also introduced a road track that used the same gauge as the railway tracks.

The original models were constructed mainly from painted wood with metal used in the coupling magnets and axles and plastic wheels and faces. These models were relatively primitive, with simple wooden stubs for the funnel and dome and details such as windows, whistles and bufferbeams omitted.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the models were upgraded. The wooden funnel and painted smokebox were replaced with a separate plastic smokebox with a more realistic funnel. The tender engines received an additional upgrade of molded plastic coal.

These improved designs were manufactured until 2002, when they were replaced with a third generation of design, which included new and more detailed faces.

Learning Curve is rapidly expanding its lineup of locomotive and locations.

Popular items
Over the several years that "Thomas and Friends" model have been made several items have remained popular, while others have been withdrawn. Two of the longest running items are the barrel loader, which remains in production, and the single stone bridge which has recently been withdrawn in favour of the Knapford Covered Bridge.

Engines

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Donald
 * Douglas
 * Oliver (2006 limited edition reintroduction)
 * Diesel
 * Daisy (2006 limited edition reintroduction)
 * Bill and Ben (2005 two-pack re-introduction)
 * BoCo (discontinued)
 * Mavis (discontinued)
 * Rosie
 * Emily
 * Billy
 * Stepney (discontinued)
 * The Diesel (discontinued)
 * Culdee (reissued in 2006)
 * 199 (reissued in 2006)
 * Neil (discontinued)
 * Flying Scotsman (discontinued)
 * Wilbert (discontinued)
 * Big City Engine (discontinued)
 * Mike (discontinued)
 * Frank (discontinued)
 * Hiro
 * Victor
 * Charlie

Rolling stock

 * Annie
 * Clarabel
 * Henrietta
 * Hector
 * Chicken trucks
 * Toad (2006 limited-time reintroduction)
 * Scruffey (2006 limited-time reintroduction)
 * Old Slow Coach
 * Rocky
 * Dairy trucks
 * Musical caboose
 * Sodor line caboose
 * Log trucks
 * Knapford Express coach
 * Milk wagon
 * Tar wagon and fuel tanker
 * The breakdown train
 * The Chinese Dragon
 * Ada, Jane and Mabel
 * Mail coach (retired)
 * China clay trucks
 * Barrel trucks
 * Express coaches
 * The spiteful breakvan
 * Catherine
 * Sawmill trucks
 * Cargo trucks
 * Rickety
 * Fred Pelhay
 * Ice delivery trucks
 * Giggling trucks
 * Boxcars
 * Handcar
 * Aquarium trucks
 * Recycling trucks
 * Gold prospector's trucks
 * Water Works trucks
 * Fog trucks
 * Annie and Clarabel (2004 two-pack reintroduction)
 * Zoo cars (coming in 2009)
 * The puppet show train
 * Halloween caboose
 * Baggage car (retired)
 * Hero of the Rails (Days Out with Thomas 2009) caboose
 * Sodor Steam Works freight car (coming 2009)

Multi-car packs

 * "Calling All Engines" gift pack (Lady, Diesel 10, George, Harvey and Diesel)
 * Circus train
 * Thomas five-car value pack (Thomas with tired face, truck, barrel car, milk wagon and caboose)
 * Sodor gift pack (Oliver, Toby, Fred Pelhay, Bertie and Henrietta)
 * Adventures of Percy (Coaldust Percy, Jack Frost Percy and Chocolate-covered Percy)
 * Adventures of Thomas (Winter Wonderland Thomas, Paint-splattered Thomas and Breakfast Thomas)
 * Adventures of James (Team Colours James and Busy Bee James)
 * Happy Birthday, Thomas
 * Sodor Collector's pack (gold Thomas, silver Percy and bronze Diesel)
 * Thomas Winter Wonderland pack
 * Stepney with museum trucks
 * Bertram with scrap trucks
 * Rusty with construction trucks
 * Rheneas with rock crusher and quarry trucks
 * The ballast spreader
 * Ivo Hugh with zoo trucks
 * Culdee with apple orchard trucks
 * Thomas with Six Flag car

Vehicles

 * Bertie
 * Harold
 * Terence
 * Madge
 * Sir Topham Hatt's car
 * Crosby cargo truck
 * Sodor Bay cargo ship
 * Sodor Bay tugboat
 * Sodor power crew
 * Trevor
 * Butch
 * Lorry 1 with flatbed
 * Lorry 2
 * Lorry 3
 * Jack
 * Alfie
 * Byron
 * Max and Monty
 * Isobella
 * Caroline
 * George
 * Thumper
 * Bulgy
 * Elizabeth
 * Road crew
 * Tiger Moth
 * Fire crew

Limited-edition items

 * "Thomas Comes to Breakfast" Collector's Piece
 * "James goes Buzz Buzz" Collector's Piece
 * "A Better View for Gordon" Collector's Piece
 * 60th anniversary Henry (with blue and green paint)
 * "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" ore truck
 * Mud-covered Thomas

Talking Engines

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * James
 * Gordon

"Lights and Sounds" engines

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy
 * Stanley (coming soon)

Battery-powered engines

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy
 * Salty
 * Bertie
 * Lady
 * Thomas and the jet engine
 * Stanley (coming soon)
 * Thomas with Milk Tanker and Straight Track
 * Percy with Fuel Tanker and Straight Track
 * James with Straight Track

Bridges and tunnels

 * Arched stone bridge
 * Single stone tunnel
 * Tidmouth covered bridge
 * Rolf's Castle bridge
 * Double-wide old iron bridge
 * Lifting bridge
 * Sodor Bay bridge
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * Mountain tunnel
 * Curved viaduct
 * Suspension bridge
 * Collapsing suspension bridge
 * Arched viaduct (1999 two-piece re-introduction of the curved viaduct)
 * Drawbridge
 * Knapford covered bridge
 * Sling bridge
 * Quarry tunnel
 * Castle clocktower
 * Waterfall tunnel
 * Toll booth bridge
 * Holiday tunnel
 * Suddery swing bridge
 * Rumblin bridge

Buildings

 * Special engine shed
 * Elsbridge station
 * Elsbridge platform
 * Windmill
 * Gristmill with water wheel
 * Sodor Bay lighthouse
 * Knapford platform
 * Sodor log loader
 * "The Works" engine repair shed
 * Sodor cargo crane
 * Barrel loader
 * Sawmill with dumping depot
 * Cranky
 * Transfer table
 * Haunted mine
 * Stop-and-go station
 * Sodor engine wash
 * Grain loader
 * Coal station
 * Water tower
 * Switch tower
 * Fire station
 * Sodor dairy farm
 * Conductor's shed
 * Wellsworth station
 * Abbey repair shop
 * Over-the-track signal
 * Airfield tower
 * Honey depot
 * Rescue hospital
 * Service station
 * Musical carousel
 * Chocolate factory
 * Brendam fishing dock
 * Cargo drop
 * Scrapyard
 * Tidmouth timber yard
 * Sodor oil depot
 * Cement works
 * Rolling gantry crane
 * Toby's windmill
 * All Aboard station
 * Colin
 * Sodor clock tower (coming soon)

Sights and Sounds buildings

 * Cargo transfer station
 * Mountain overpass
 * Sodor "Scrub and Shine"
 * Smelting yard (with Oliver)
 * Deluxe roundhouse
 * Deluxe Cranky
 * Ice cream factory (with Sir Handel)
 * Power station
 * Echo tunnel
 * Recycling center
 * Deluxe fire station
 * Deluxe over-the-track signal
 * Lighthouse bridge (with Bulstrode)
 * McColl's pig shed
 * Deluxe Knapford station
 * Deluxe railway crossing
 * Deluxe water tower

Talking Railway Series
The Talking Railway Series are a range of interactive engines and playsets. The engines have special gold magnets which, when they are at a destination, will be talked to by The Fat Controller at that place.


 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Rosie
 * Emily
 * Salty
 * Stanley
 * Billy
 * Molly
 * Spencer
 * "Stop and Greet" signal
 * Cranky
 * Brendam Barrel Co.
 * "The Great Discovery" Set

Playsets

 * 100 piece set
 * Instant System 1
 * Instant System 2
 * Instant System 3
 * Instant System 4
 * Figure 8
 * Circle
 * "Percy Takes the Plunge"
 * Roundhouse
 * "Thomas and Bertie's Great Race"
 * "Come Out, Henry!"
 * A Day at the Works
 * Around the Barrel Loader
 * Circus
 * Mountain Tunnel
 * "James goes Buzz Buzz"
 * "Stop and Go" figure 8
 * Bridge and tunnel
 * Muffle Mountain
 * "Twist and Turn" action
 * Thomas Express "Over and Through" Battery-powered set
 * Sodor Airfield
 * "Lift and Load"
 * Conductor's figure 8
 * Redesigned roundhouse
 * Mountain overpass
 * Battery-powered figure 8
 * Seasons on Sodor
 * Tidmouth Station Travel
 * Sodor engine wash
 * Down by the Docks
 * Sodor rescue team
 * Boulder Mountain
 * Oval
 * Water tower figure 8
 * Harold's mail delivery
 * Deluxe "Sights and Sounds"
 * 60th anniversary
 * Aquarium
 * Storm on Sodor
 * Rheneas and the Roller Coaster
 * Sodor Quarry mine tunnel
 * Edward the Great
 * Battery-powered Sir Topham Hatt figure 8
 * Bridge and crane figure 8
 * Jeremy and the Airfield
 * "Start your Engines!"
 * Pirate's Cove
 * A Day at the Wharf
 * Morgan's Mine
 * Seasonal Mail
 * Spiral Mountain
 * Sodor Steamworks
 * Coal Hopper Figure 8 Set
 * A Busy Day at the Quarry set
 * Thomas at the Zoo set
 * Spiral Mountain Play set
 * Thomas & Rosie Set
 * Splish Splash Splosh Story Pack

Exclusive sets

 * Sodor Mining
 * Thomas and the Magic Railroad
 * A Race to the Wharf

Yearbooks
From the introduction of the Wooden Railway system, Learning Curve (now RC2), have made yearbooks to feature their items. The items would be standard "mugshots" for engines and cars, while sets would be shown overall. The cover would also occasionally feature the new items on it with Thomas usually being in the foreground.

=See Also= The TWR Wiki

=Gallery=