Fuel tankers are used for transporting liquid fuel, such as petrol. Diesel fuel is transported in other tankers. The utmost care must be taken with these in case of fire.
James once had to pull a train of fuel tankers, however, one of the tankers started to leak fuel, causing all the tankers to ignite from the sparks billowing from James' funnel. James' driver had to stop the train in a siding and call the fire department, so that the fire could be put out.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
These tankers are based on standard 14-ton pre-war tankers common across most of regions of the United Kingdom.
Livery[]
The fuel tankers are painted safety yellow. They formerly had red warning signs and "SODOR FUEL" painted in black on both sides. Since the switch to CGI, the tankers now have a logo of a red petrol can on both sides, replacing the former "SODOR FUEL" title.
Fuel has also been transported in plain black and yellow tankers without any labels.
Appearances[]
Books
Magazine Stories
Video Games
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Official Description[]
From Official Media:[2]
| “ | Sodor Fuel Wagons: The Sodor Fuel Wagons carry the fuel that the engineers and Sir Topham Hatt use to fill the fuel tanks. Fuel is the source of energy that Thomas and his friends use to run fast and smoothly.
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Trivia[]
- The title "Sodor Fuel" is an in-joke; apparently it was intended to sound like "sod off, you all".[1]
- In the television series, only one fuel tanker model was constructed. The fuel tanker model was previously on display at Nitrogen Studios.
- The fuel tankers have had several different appearances:
- In the Television Series, they are based on 14 Ton Fuel Tankers.
- In the Motor Road and Rail merchandise range, they were originally JNR 3900 Series tankers.
- In the Lionel Trains merchandise range, they are North American unibody tank cars with bogies.
- In the Hornby clockwork range, they are DB (Deutsche Bahn) Shell tankers from Germany.
- In the Golden Books book, The Great Race, they are plain yellow German tankers.
- In the magazine story, Thomas and the Bluebird, they are painted black with yellow lining and red lettering.
- In the Railway Adventures game, they are yellow with a white square showing a hose dripping out green liquid that represents fuel on all sides, and black wording that says "FUEL" on the bottom on the sides. The tankers are also shorter in length.
- The Ertl Company merchandise descriptions often incorrectly referred to them as the "Sodor Oil Trucks".
Merchandise[]
- Bachmann (HO, G and N scale)
- Capsule Plarail
- Lionel Trains
- Motor Road and Rail
- Tomica
- Tomix
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- Boss (with Busy Bee James; discontinued)
- ERTL (discontinued)
- Hornby (discontinued)
- Märklin (discontinued)
- Mini Die Cast Collection (discontinued)
- My First Thomas (discontinued)
- Nakayoshi (discontinued)
- Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Kabaya (discontinued)