Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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Hong-Mei (Mandarin: 红梅) is a Chinese tank engine Thomas met during his stay in China. She has her own pair of coaches named An An and Yin-Long, whom are occasionally used by Thomas. One of her main jobs is to pull the Mail Train.

Biography

Thomas first met Hong-Mei during his passenger run after saying he was the number 1 engine. However, Hong-Mei pointed out she was China's number 1 engine and the two had a race to see who was the better number 1.

Unbeknownst to either engine, Hong-Mei spilled some of her delivery of rocks as she raced. This caused Thomas to derail on a shortcut line through the mountains. Hong-Mei came to Thomas’ rescue, revealing she took the shortcut line as well and made Thomas come off the rails with her carelessness. She pulled Thomas back onto the tracks and the two engines decided that two number 1 engines are just as good as one number 1 engine.

Later on, when she revealed to Thomas and Yong Bao that she takes the mail train in China, it made Thomas miss his best friend Percy so much due to the fact he also pulls the mail train back on Sodor.

Personality

Hong-Mei is a good-natured but cheeky tank engine from China who loves to race. She is also blue like Thomas and out to prove she's the No. 1 blue engine. Like Thomas, she can be careless and hasty at times, but always tries to make up for it. Hong-Mei is also a good sport and knows when to put competition aside for the sake of helping a friend.

Technical Details

Basis

Hong-Mei is based on a China Railways GJ 0-6-0T class. 122 members of this class were built and primarily saw industrial use in places such as steelworks, with some remaining into service well into the 2000s. In addition to service in China, some members of the class worked in North Korea and Vietnam. Five members of this class are preserved.

Livery

Hong-Mei is painted royal blue with yellow lining and a red stripe along each of her side tanks. Her handrails, boiler bands and cylinder lining are brass, her wheels are red with light grey rims and her number 1 is painted on the sides of her tanks in yellow.

Appearances

Official Description

From Official Media:[1]

Hong-Mei: Hong-Mei is a blue tank engine from China. She is very good natured but also a little bit cheeky. Like Thomas, Hong-Mei loves to race and immediately strikes up a friendship with him - but she is also keen to prove that she's the number one blue tank engine, not him!

Audio Files

Whistle

First used Last used Sound Effect
Series 22 Series 23

Trivia

  • Hong-Mei's name means "red plum/beauty" in Mandarin.
  • Hong-Mei is painted with 一号 (Yī hào), which means "number 1" in Mandarin, on both of her water tanks.
  • She was the last new character produced for the Adventures line before the TrackMaster Push Along redesign.
  • Hong-Mei's front end, smoke box and cylinders are modified from Rosie's with a new lamp and additional coupling rods.
  • Despite working on the Chinese Railway, Hong-Mei has been modified from her basis for use on British Railways. She has added buffers, screwlink couplings and a brake pipe on both ends. This is so that Thomas could interact with Chinese rolling stock, as the Island of Sodor has British-based railways, including the North Western Railway.
  • Hong-Mei's whistle is Stephen's, but eight steps higher-pitched. It is also Donald's current whistle, but a full octave (twelve steps) higher in pitch, and has a similar, yet faster, sound.

Merchandise

View content

Adventures

Name Released Discontinued Highlights Image
Hong-Mei 2018 2018
AdventuresHongMei

Push Along

Name Released Discontinued Highlights Image
Hong-Mei 2019 N/A
TrackMasterPushAlongHong-Mei

Motor Road and Rail

Name Released Discontinued Highlights Image
Hong-Mei 2019 N/A
  • Only available in a multi-pack
PlarailHong-Mei

Videos

International Characters

* RWS only | ** T&F only | ✦ Changed location
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