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Run! Thomas & Friends "Steam Locomotive is Alive" (Japanese: 走れ! トーマスとなかまたち 蒸気機関車は生きている) is a 2005 Japanese television documentary of Thomas & Friends, which broadcasted on TBS Television "Discovery of the World's Mysteries" to celebrate the sixty years of The Railway Series.

Plot

The documentary's "mystery hunter" Gaku Hamada visits various railway themed attractions in the UK to learn about the history of Thomas & Friends. He travels to Sodor's island neighbour, the Isle of Man, and meets many engines on the Island's railways. Not only does he go to various heritage railways, but he also pays a visit to the National Railway Museum in York, drives a traction engine at a rally, and learns how to prepare, fire, and drive a steam engine on the Bluebell Railway.

Characters

Interviees

  • Christopher Awdry (65 years old)
  • Mr. Oliver (13 years old) - Traction engines driver
  • Roger Whitehouse - Talyllyn Railway
  • Gully Fletcher - Railway researcher
  • Clive Groome (65 years old) - Bluebell Railway volunteer
  • Rebecca Groome (22 years old) - Bluebell Railway volunteer, Clive's daughter
  • Colin Daniels - Chief executive of the Warrington Chamber of Commerce
  • Snaefell Mountain Railway Passenger

Locations

Footage

The following episodes from The Railway Series:

Songs

Cast

Trivia

  • In Japan, Thomas & Friends was broadcast on Fuji Television from 1990 to 2007, but this documentary was produced and broadcast by another television channels, TBS Television.
  • This documentary marked the first time in the franchise that used individual voice actors for engines such as Flying Scotsman and Stephenson's Rocket.
  • The documentary also featured historical figures such as Richard Trevithick, George Stephenson and Amelia Jenks Bloomer.
  • The illustrations of "Thomas the Tank Engine Birth Story" was drawn by senior mystery hunter Yuka Kawahata.
  • The signs of "prohibiting kissing" proposed by Colin Daniels at the end of the documentary were explained in Warrington Bank Quay station in February 2009, but was removed and sold after three weeks.
  • There are two instances of songs by The Beatles being played (Ringo Starr was the drummer of said band):
    • "With A Little Help From My Friends" plays near the introduction when the Day Out with Thomas engines are being prepared.
    • An instrumental version of "Ticket to Ride" plays in the scene showing Duck.
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