4-Plank Trucks

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4-Plank Trucks
Background Information
First appearance	Gordon the Big Engine (RWS) Trouble in the Shed (T&F)
Last appearance	Thomas and the Twins (RWS) Salty's Secret (T&F)
Character Overview
Country	Island of Sodor England (formerly for some)
Technical Details
Basis	LMS 4-plank open wagons
Gauge	4'8½" (1,435 mm; standard gauge)
Vehicle	Rolling stock
Type	Open wagons
Wheels	4 each
Designer(s)	Crewe and Derby Works
Builder(s)	Crewe and Derby Works
Year built	Between 1924 and 1930
Number	LMS 251786 (T&F)
Railway	North Western Railway British Railways London, Midland and Scottish Railway (formerly)
Company	Sodor China Clay Company (RWS) Ffarquhar Quarry Company (T&F)
Owner(s)	Sir Topham Hatt Ffarquhar Quarry Manager (T&F)

4-plank trucks are rolling stock used for transporting goods and materials throughout the railways, such as the North Western Railway.

They are also simply known as trucks in the UK narration or cars in the US narration.

Biography

The Railway Series

BoCo once accidentally took Bill and Ben's trucks. In an effort to retrieve their trucks back, the twins decided to play a trick on him.

Some of these trucks once broke away from Edward and derailed when travelling on some bumpy rails. Edward did not realise this until Trevor called out to him. The guard applied the brakes, preventing a nasty accident.

While passing through the Drain with a load of trucks, Ben was swamped by a wave that extinguished his fire. While Bill pulled away his trucks, Thomas tugged Ben out of the water.

Thomas & Friends

A 4-plank truck loaded with rocks was seen at the lead mines, outside the entrance to a mine shaft.

A 4-plank truck and many other trucks were used for an important job at Ffarquhar Quarry. According to Salty, a 4-plank truck was one of the trucks that knew his secret.

Personalities

A 4-plank truck has been seen amongst the Troublesome Trucks and these trucks are therefore cheeky and troublesome.

Technical Details

Basis

The 4-plank trucks are based on the real London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) 4-plank open wagons. These wagons were owned by the LMS with some later being owned by British Railways.

A real 4-plank truck

Livery

In the model series, the 4-plank trucks are painted in the same shade of grey with ''L M S'', "251786" and "5 9 0" painted in white on their sides. (In most of the 4-plank truck's appearances, the letters ''L'' and ''S'' are quite faded, however, in the second series episode, Cows, all of the lettering ''L M S'' is visible.)

In The Railway Series, the 4-plank trucks are painted in either the same or different shade of grey. The 4-plank trucks owned by the Sodor China Clay Company are painted in different liveries, such as blue, red, green, pink and brown, all with either "SODOR CHINA CLAY" or "BRENDAM'" painted on their sides in white. They also have numbers painted on their sides, also in white.

Appearances

• Railway Series
• Television Series
• Other Media

The Railway Series

• Gordon the Big Engine - Leaves
• Main Line Engines - The Diseasel, Wrong Road and Edward's Exploit
• Thomas and the Twins - Scrambled Eggs, Trevor Helps Out and Down the Drain

Thomas & Friends

• Series 1 - Trouble in the Shed, Dirty Objects and Down the Mine
• Series 2 - Cows and Percy Takes the Plunge
• Series 6 - Salty's Secret

Magazine Stories

• 2004 - Sound of Silence

Trivia

• The "M" 4-plank truck has been released in the Motor Road and Rail and Bachmann lines; in the former, it is represented by a 7-plank Troublesome Truck.
• The 4-plank truck from the television series is now in possession of Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
• According to the date on the underside of the 4-plank truck, it was modelled on 9 December 1924. This makes it the single oldest prop used in the television series.

Merchandise

• Wooden Railway (with the Ballast Cleaner and China clay trucks; discontinued)
• Thomas Engine Collection Series (the Circus Train, discontinued)
• Bachmann (discontinued)
• Motor Road and Rail (depicted as a 7-plank Troublesome Truck)

References

North Western Railway

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | --- Dropped