Breakdown Cranes are manned by workmen and deployed at accident scenes to lift engines, coaches and trucks back onto the rails. They are also used for maintenance work across the railways. Usually there are two breakdown cranes.
They had since been involved in many rescue operations such as recovering Henry after his accident with The Flying Kipper, lifting Thomas out of a pond, and hauling Oliver out of the turntable well. The cranes have also been used for maintenance work across the railways such as strengthening the Viaduct's arches, clearing fallen trees from the tracks, and assisting in the restoration of Great Waterton.
Thomas, Edward, and Harvey are the most frequent engines seen pulling the Breakdown Cranes in the event of an emergency. A new Breakdown crane, Rocky arrived on the island in the tenth series, which led to the original breakdown cranes rarely appearing.
Since The Adventure Begins, the original breakdown cranes were reintroduced in the CGI series as characters, Judy and Jerome. In this retelling, they were used by Thomas to rescue James after his crash with some trucks, playing the role of the previous non-sentient breakdown cranes.
Personality[]
With some exceptions, breakdown cranes are portrayed as faceless and non-sentient. Although, one of these non-sentient cranes was referred to as a male in the 2005 book, Railway Rhymes, with a description reading: "The Breakdown Train, he has no name. He is quiet, strong and spare. But if there's a crash and a train go smash, the Breakdown Train is there."[1]
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
Most of the Breakdown Cranes are based on a Cowans Sheldon 30 ton breakdown crane, such as Judy, Jerome, and the Chinese and Indian cranes.
The Breakdown Train's basis
Livery[]
Most of the Breakdown Cranes are all painted grey-green.
The Chinese cranes are painted light green with yellow hazard stripes, while the Indian cranes are painted yellow.
The Breakdown Train: The Breakdown Train has a small coach and two cranes that are used for lifting heavy things like engines, coaches and trucks. The Breakdown Train helps pull engines out of trouble.
Historical Note: The Breakdown Train is based on a typical unit that first went into service in the 1940's.
The Breakdown Train: The Breakdown Train is used for track maintenance and emergencies caused by engine failure. With all the goings-on in the Island of Sodor, it is kept very busy.
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Trivia[]
One of the original breakdown crane's models along with the works unit coach used to be on display at Drayton Manor; it is now in storage. The breakdown cranes were later put on display at the Clearwater Event.
In the UK dub of the game Trouble on the Tracks and the ERTL merchandise descriptions, the Breakdown Train is referred to as the "Breakdown Truck" for unknown reasons.
After the first series, the cable drums seen on the cranes' arm disappeared.
In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, the cranes both had posters reading "Sir Topham Needs You" on the back of their cabs.
In various annuals, books and magazines, the breakdown cranes are illustrated with drastically different designs and varying liveries.
In the first series episode Thomas and the Breakdown Train, one of the cranes is seen moving on its own. This is accurate as the real-life basis could indeed propel itself, albeit only at very slow speed.
In the fourth series, Edward used the Breakdown Train to transport Rheneas to the Skarloey Railway following his long absence after being overhauled. In the fifth series, the flatbeds were used to transport The Horrid Lorries away after their comeuppance, and George to various construction jobs across Sodor.
Most of the flatbeds are based on the chassis of Cowans & Sheldon 15 ton cranes. This is unusual, as such a heavy duty flatbed is not required to support the crane's jib.
Livery[]
Most of the flatbeds are all painted grey-green. In the CGI series, they are painted dark green-grey.
The Chinese flatbeds are painted light green and the Indian flatbeds are painted dark green-grey.
Breakdown Train and Flatbed: When an engine derails or there is trouble on the tracks, Sir Topham Hatt turns to the Breakdown Train to help save the day.
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Trivia[]
Rocky's match wagons in CGI.
Two flatbeds used to be on display at Drayton Manor. One had a tractor and some hay bales, and the other had the water wheel from the twelfth series episode, Steady Eddie. The flatbeds were later put on display at the Clearwater Event.
In the CGI Series, the flatbeds were updated with a jib support frame and timber decking.
In real-life, the basis of Rocky's flatbeds are known as "match wagons".
During winter, Donald and Douglas are equipped with snowploughs and coupled back-to-back with a Works Unit Coach between their tenders, as they travel backwards and forwards patrolling and clearing the line of snow.
Harvey the Crane Engine is often accompanied with a Works Unit Coach in the event of an emergency or maintenance work across the railways. BoCo once brought the Works Unit Coach to rescue Derek who was stranded on Gordon's Hill. During the reconstruction of Great Waterton, Toby once brought the workmen to assist the Sodor Construction Company. Salty was later seen delivering woodsmen to amend the Sodor Wishing Tree when it was struck by lightning.
In the CGI Series, several more Works Unit Coaches were introduced with various liveries. These coaches were also used as part of mixed-freight trains and on a rare occasion, with passenger trains. Judy and Jerome are accompanied with an orange-brown Works Unit Coach.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
The works unit coach is a freelance design, although they do bare a resemblance with some pre-grouping company builds (from the Great Northern and Great North of Scotland railways).
An example of a GNR 4-wheeled coach
Livery[]
The works unit coach is painted grey-green. There are also several other works unit coaches, all painted in different liveries, such as blue, grey, dark green and orange-brown with a grey rooftop.
The Works Unit Coach's model used to be on display at Drayton Manor; it is now in storage. It was later put on display at the Clearwater Event.
Since the fourteenth series, many recoloured versions of the works unit coach have been seen, mostly being used in goods trains. The coach also gained several windows.
In The Railway Series, it is stated that the Works Unit Coach is also used to aid and transport injured people.
In the Hornby merchandise range, the Works Unit Coach is erroneously depicted as a utilty van and reused the same tooling from the Lima CCT parcels van.
In the book, Thomas and the Christmas Tree, illustrated by Richard Courtney, the Works Unit Coach has a drastically different appearance. It is painted red with black lining and a cream roof.
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