Mr. Perkins' Railway was a series of informative segments featured on Thomas & Friends.
Similar to the Down at the Station segments, each segment discusses a topic about real railways, engines and how they work. They feature Mr. Perkins as the host and narrator.
They originally aired in the US on PBS as part of the seventeenth series airings, but were later released as bonus features on various DVDs the US, UK and Australia.
They were filmed at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the South Tyndale Railway and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
Segments[]
- Sounds of the Railway - Mr. Perkins learns all about different sounds on a railway. (PBS Airings: Look and Listen, There's Always a Good Explanation and The Thomas Way US DVD)
- How Steam Engines Use Water - Mr. Perkins learns how steam locomotives make their steam. (PBS Airings: Fire and Water, Jurassic Sodor and Wild Water Rescue US DVD)
- Who Works on the Railway? - Mr. Perkins learns about important people on a railway. (PBS Airings: Just Be Yourself, Christmas Cheer! and Finders Keepers)
- Railway Maintenance - Mr. Perkins learns how engines are fixed in the workshop. (PBS Airings: Someone to Look Up To, Coming Home for Christmas and Spooky Snow)
- End of the Day - Mr. Perkins learns what the engines do at the end of the day. (PBS Airings: Spooky Charms and Special Friends)
- Miniature Railway - Mr. Perkins learns about minimum gauge engines. (PBS Airings: Tinsel and Trains and Going Underground)
- Wash Down - Mr. Perkins learns how engines get cleaned. (PBS Airings: Snow Stops Play (original), Please Be Patient! and Lost and Found)
- Different Engines / Different Types of Engines - Mr. Perkins learns about different types of engines and trains. (PBS Airings: Peace and Quiet, Taking Turns, Passengers, Recycle Recycle Recycle!, All at Sea, Whale of a Tale US DVD, Extraordinary Engines UK/AUS DVD, and The Complete Series 20 UK DVD; Extraordinary Engines Bonus Disc)
- Turning Around - Mr. Perkins learns what happens to an engine when it reaches the end of the line. (PBS Airings: Tricks and Tales and Special Deliveries)
- Power on the Railway - Mr. Perkins learns how there are different types of engines and how they use different power to work. (PBS Airings: Sea and Sand, Fast and Reliable, Christmas Time and On the Go with Thomas UK DVD)
- How Steam Engines Use Coal - Mr. Perkins learns how steam locomotives use coal. (PBS Airings: Food to Go, Illuminating Minds, Telling Tales and Christmas on Sodor US/UK/AUS DVD)
- Signals and Points - Mr. Perkins learns how signals and points are used on the railway. (PBS Airings: Take It Easy, Signals and Alarms, and 'Tis the Season to Be Jolly)
Trivia[]
- The Mr. Perkins Railway segments were part of the half hour blocks on TV, but although they were credited on the Nick Jr. UK broadcasts, they were cut out.
- Segment 9 is titled "Different Engines" in the credits of the Series 18 airing Recycle Recycle Recycle!, but titled "Different Types of Engines" in the credits of the Series 19 airing All at Sea.
Goofs[]
- Sounds of the Railway is shown in the credits of the Series 18 airings Fast and Reliable, Special Friends, Please Be Patient and Signals and Alarms, even though those airings do not feature Sounds of the Railway but feature other Mr. Perkins' Railway segments.
