Several other electric locomotives have appeared in Thomas & Friends media.
Amtrak No. 610
Amtrak No. 610 is an American GE E60 diesel locomotive which once operated the passenger service, Amtrak.
In A Wonderful American Journey with Thomas and Connie, Connie rides on a train behind Amtrak No. 610 on her way to a Days Out with Thomas event.
Technical Details
Real-life History
Amtrak No. 610 was built in November 1975 and originally number 955. It was one of the eleven GE E60's rebuilt with head-end power (HEP). It was scrapped in 2004, as one of the last of the class in Amtrak service. Amtrak 603 and NJT 958 now survive in preservation with 603 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and 958 at the United Railroad Historical Society in Boonton, New Jersey.
Livery
Amtrak No. 610 wore the Amtrak Phase III livery of silver, red, white, and blue colors.
Appearances
Gallery
BR Class 91 No. 91024 Reverend W. Awdry
Appears in The Thomas the Tank Engine Man
BR Class 390
A BR Class 390 is a Virgin Trains electric multiple unit (EMU) locomotive.
One of these appeared in the Mr. Perkins' Railway segments.
Technical Details
Real-life History
The British Rail Class 390 Pendolino is a type of electric high-speed passenger train operated by Avanti West Coast in the United Kingdom, leased from Angel Trains. They are electric multiple units using Fiat Ferroviaria's tilting train Pendolino technology and built by Alstom. Fifty-six units were built for operation between 2001 and 2004, replacing the older class 86, class 87, and class 90.
The Class 390 Pendolino is one of the fastest domestic electric multiple units operating in Britain, with a design speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); however, limitations to track signalling systems restrict the trains to a maximum speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) in service.
Livery
The Class 390 was painted in the corporate livery of Virgin Trains West Coast, which consisted of grey with white and red stripes with yellow on its front. In 2020, some of these trains were painted with the yellow front and plain white, while others were painted in the corporate livery of Avanti West Coast which consists of dark blue, grey, white and some orange. As of 2022, all class 390's are painted in the latter livery, and have had an interior refurbishment.
Appearances
BR Class 483 No. 483006
483006 is an electric multiple unit from the Isle of Wight, which formerly worked on the London Underground.
Gallery
Eurostar
Eurostar is a famous international high-speed express train, connecting England of the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Thomas and Annie once met the high-speed train when they were on their way to the Queen's birthday celebrations in London. [1]
Technical Details
Real-life History
Eurostar is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 373 high-speed train. These engines were designed and built in France and are also known as a TransManche Super Train (TMST).
Livery
Eurostar is painted light and dark grey with gold lining. His rooftop is painted purple with red lining. His name (Eurostar) is also painted his sides in gold.
Appearances
Trivia
- Despite being an electric engine, in the books A Visit to London for Thomas the Tank Engine and Thomas Goes on Holiday, Eurostar lacks a pantograph and no overhead wires are visible to power the train.
- A replica of Eurostar is currently on display at the National Railway Museum.
- Eurostar, along with Kenji, the Japanese Engines, Settebello and Pip and Emma, are the only high speed trains to appear in the Thomas & Friends franchise.
Gallery
JB BDhe 2/4
Appears in Big World! Big Adventures! concept art
Keihan Electric Railway locomotives
London Underground
Appears in Great Race Friends Near and Far: Etienne Visits London.
PRR GG1 No. 4935
Pennsylvania Railroad No. 4935 is a GG1 electric locomotive that appears in A Wonderful American Journey with Thomas and Connie.
Technical Details
Real-life History
Built by Juniata Locomotive Shop for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1943 it was dedicated at a ceremony at the Union Station in Washington, DC in 1977.
It made its last revenue run on December 10th 1980, hauling the Silver Meteor service south out of New York. Soon afterwards it was donated to the Railroad museum of Pennsylvania by Russell Wilcox in 1983 where it today sits on static display.
Livery
No. 4935 is painted in Brunswick Green & Gold Pinstripes. The number board, and the Pennsylvania Railroad's keystone is Red.
Trivia
- No. 4935 was one of the last GG1s built by PRR in 1943. They were introduced as part of Pennsy's massive 1930s electrification project, aimed at moving more trains with greater consists and faster acceleration than steam locomotives.
- As the GG1 was designed to haul passenger trains, it also has a boiler that burned oil to produce steam to heat the passenger cars.
- The GG1s were very good at hauling heavy loads, largely because of a strong steel frame with added weight from concrete to facilitate traction.
- As part of the streamlining, the bell is hidden underneath the streamlined cowling.
- Most of the GG1s have been scrapped, but there are 16 of them placed in museums.
- No. 4859 another member of this class is on display in the train shed at the Amtrak Harrisburg Station where Thomas and the Magic Railroad was filmed. Also No. 4800, nicknamed "Old Rivets" due to its riveted body, is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania along with No. 4935 near the Strasburg Rail Road.
SNCF TGV Sud-Est
SNCF TGV Sud-Est
Technical Details
Real-life History
Livery
Appearances
SNCF BB 9004
SNCF BB 9004 is a French direct-current electric engine.
Etienne is based on this engine.
Appears in Meet the Contenders - Etienne of France (mentioned)
SNCF 2D2 9100
Appears in The Making of The Great Race
Trivia
- During The Making of The Great Race, 9100 was seen as a proposed basis for Etienne. He would be later based on 9004 in the final film.
Amtrak Acela Express
Amtrak Acela Express is a famous high-speed express train, along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States. It appears on the promotion film for the PBS Kids Funding Credits.
Technical Details
Real-life History
They were built between 1998 and 2001 by a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier a total of 20 sets were built. Each set has two power cars derived from units that Alstom built for the TGV, and six passenger cars derived from the LRC that Bombardier built for Via Rail.
When they debuted in 2000, the sets were the fastest in the Americas; reaching 150 mph (240 km/h) on 33.9 mi (54.6 km) of the route.
By 2004, Amtrak had settled contract disputes with the consortium, paying a total of $1.2 billion for the 20 sets, plus 15 extra electric locomotives, and the construction of maintenance facilities in Boston, New York, and Washington.
The present Acela Express equipment will be replaced by new Avelia Liberty sets, beginning in fall 2023. The new trains will have greater passenger capacity and an enhanced active tilt system that will allow faster speed on the many curved sections of the route. Whether the Acela Express name will be retained or not is unknown, though renderings of the new trainsets suggest that they will keep the name.
Trivia
- This was the only high-speed express train not only in the United States but in the whole North America.
- While the Acela sets were based on TGV equipment, the power cars and passenger cars are much heavier in order to meet the Federal Railroad Administration's crash standards.
- Bombardier later used the Acela carriage design and a diesel/gas turbine variant of the power car for its experimental JetTrain.
- Normally on the Northeast Corridor, there are no grade crossing as they are all prohibited, grade crossings between New York City and Washington D.C. were eliminated in the late 1980s. However 11 still remain, all of them are in Connecticut.
See also
- Settebello - a famous Italian high-speed express train.
- City Circle Tram - a W-class Melbourne tram from Yarra Trams, Australia.
- Manx Car 20 - an electric tram car from the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.
- Snaefell Car 1 - an electric tram car from the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man.
- Snaefell Car 5 - an electric tram car from the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man.
- NER No. 1 -
- NSR No. 1 -