Maithwaite

Main Page

Behind the Scenes

Gallery

This article is about Maithwaite. You may be looking for Marthwaite.

Maithwaite
Background Information
First appearance	Baa! (1998)
Last appearance	A New Arrival (2020)
Creator(s)	Britt Allcroft David Mitton
Overview
Location	Maithwaite, Island of Sodor
Operations
Managed by	North Western Railway
Line(s)	Ffarquhar Branch Line (Sam Wilkinson map)
No. of platforms	1 (S5) 2 (S6-present)

Maithwaite is a station and small hamlet. On former Railway Consultant Sam Wilkinson's 2014 map of Sodor, it is located on Thomas' Branch Line between Elsbridge and Hackenbeck.

History

Maithwaite was originally constructed as a single-platform station with a small siding and water tower. It was later given a second platform and the siding and water tower were removed. A ground-level foot crossing provides access to the second platform and its adjacent field, which hosts various events throughout the year.

Once, during a Best Dressed Station competiton, Percy helped to deliver trucks of vegetables and flowers to be decorate Maithwaite. Some school boys vandalised the flower arrangements, but were cornered in the waiting room by a ram. Eventually, after being let out by the stationmaster, the boys apologised and helped put everything back as it had been before. Thanks to the ram's help, Maithwaite won the Best Dressed Station award.

Landmarks

• Maithwaite Station - the main station for the town of Maithwaite.
• Maithwaite Village Duck Pond - a duck pond in the centre of Maithwaite village.
• Maithwaite Forest - a forest nearby Maithwaite.
  • The Lightning Tree - a tall tree within the forest, so named because it was once struck by lightning.
• Maithwaite Showground - a large field for events with a nearby railway yard.
• Maithwaite Quarry Mine - an abandoned quarry and mine.

Appearances

• Television Series
• Other Media

Thomas & Friends Series 5 - Baa! and Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday Series 6 - It's Only Snow, Percy and the Haunted Mine, James and the Red Balloon and Edward the Very Useful Engine Series 7 - Emily's New Coaches, Percy Gets it Right, Bill, Ben and Fergus, Something Fishy, Harold and the Flying Horse, Not So Hasty Puddings and Three Cheers for Thomas Jack and the Sodor Construction Company - A Visit from Thomas Series 8 - Thomas and the Tuba, Percy's New Whistle, Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough, Don't Tell Thomas, Emily's New Route, Spic and Span, Thomas and the Circus, Thomas Gets it Right, As Good as Gordon, James Goes Too Far and Percy and the Magic Carpet Series 9 - Thomas' Milkshake Muddle, Molly's Special Special, Thomas and the New Engine, Thomas Tries His Best, Thomas and the Statue, Emily Knows Best and Keeping Up with James Series 10 - Percy and the Funfair, The Green Controller, It's Good to Be Gordon, Toby's New Shed, Thomas and the Shooting Star, Topped Off Thomas, Thomas' Frosty Friend and Emily and the Special Coaches Series 11 - Thomas and the Storyteller, Henry's Lucky Day, Thomas and the Lighthouse, Smoke and Mirrors, Don't be Silly, Billy, Edward and the Mail and Percy and the Left Luggage Series 12 - Thomas and the Billboard, Rosie's Funfair Special, Saved You! and Percy and the Bandstand Series 13 - The Lion of Sodor, Tickled Pink, Double Trouble, Time for a Story, A Blooming Mess, The Biggest Present of All and Snow Tracks Series 14 - James in the Dark, Pingy Pongy Pick Up, Charlie and Eddie, Diesel's Special Delivery, Pop Goes Thomas, Being Percy, Thomas and the Snowman Party, Jitters and Japes, Merry Misty Island and Henry's Magic Box Series 15 - Gordon and Ferdinand, Edward the Hero, Let it Snow, Surprise, Surprise, Big Belle, Wonky Whistle, Percy the Snowman and Tree Trouble Series 16 - Ho Ho Snowman and Sodor Surprise Day (mentioned) Series 18 - Thomas and the Emergency Cable Series 19 - Very Important Sheep and Thomas the Babysitter Series 20 - Blown Away, The Railcar and the Coaches and The Christmas Coffeepot Series 21 - P.A. Problems (portrait) and Unscheduled Stops Series 23 - Free the Roads and Steam Team to the Rescue (portrait) Series 24 - The Great Little Railway Show (portrait) and A New Arrival Specials 2005 - Calling All Engines! (music video) 2008 - The Great Discovery 2009 - Hero of the Rails 2016 - The Great Race 2017 - Journey Beyond Sodor Learning Segments Series 9 - Cool Down Delivery Series 10 - Who Can Take Them?

Books 2010 - My Journey with Thomas the Tank Engine 2011 - Steam Team! 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery 2014 - Busy Days Away 2016 - Dustin Comes in First 2019 - Five Useful Engines My Thomas Story Library 2006 - Fergus 2008 - The Snowy Special Engine Adventures 2017 - The Snowy Special Video Games 1999 - The Great Festival Adventure 2006 - Right on Time 2010 - Hero of the Rails

Official Description

• 2003

From the Writer's Bible:

“

Maithwaite: A small, single line and single platform branch line station near the mountains. Thomas, Percy, Toby and Bertie the Bus service this station.

”

Trivia

• While not directly confirmed, it is highly likely that Maithwaite is a misspelling of Marthwaite and was originally intended to be a station on Toby's Branch Line. Evidence supporting this includes:
  • In the sixth series episode It's Only Snow, Thomas stops here to meet up with Toby while taking the Christmas tree to one of the villages on Toby's Branch Line.
  • In the sixth series episode Percy and the Haunted Mine, the line from Tidmouth Sheds to Maithwaite passes through a junction next to the Maithwaite Quarry Mine. This detail appears to match the track layout of Marthwaite on the 1991 map of Sodor, with the aforementioned junction being the one that leads to the Black Loch region.
  • According to the 2003 Thomas and Friends Writers' Bible, Maithwaite is said to be located near the mountains.
  • In the eighth series episode Emily's New Route, Emily stops here to pick up passengers for Black Loch, which is shown to be located north of Marthwaite on the third series map of Sodor.
  • Maps of Sodor from the 2010 book My Journey with Thomas the Tank Engine and a Blue Mountain Mystery bonus feature depicts Maithwaite in the place of Marthwaite.
• Maithwaite used to be on display at Nitrogen Studios.
• Maithwaite is Toby's favourite station.
• In The Great Festival Adventure, a water tower was placed on the platform.
• Maithwaite is based on Angerton railway station.
• In the French dub, Maithwaite is not referred to by name, but the station is referred to by epithet: "la gare de la pierre de lune" (meaning: the station of the moon rock). In the twelfth series, this changes to "la gare de la colline" (meaning: the station of the hill).
• Maithwaite has four signals despite only having two tracks with no crossover points.
• Maithwaite Street in Columbus, Ohio, is named after the town.
  • Maithwaite is also the only location from the television series to have this distinction.

Merchandise

• Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
• TrackMaster (discontinued)
• Hornby (discontinued)
• Bachmann (discontinued)
• Wooden Railway (discontinued)
• Take-n-Play (discontinued)
• Capsule Plarail (Japan only)

Station Guide

Sam Wilkinson Map

Preceding station	North Western Railway			Following station
Elsbridge		Ffarquhar Branch Line		Hackenbeck

References

North Western Railway

---

--- Dropped | * 1991-1994 maps only | ** 2014 map only

Ffarquhar Branch Line

---

* David Mitton map only | ** Sam Wilkinson map only