Other Real Electric Locomotives

Several other electric locomotives have appeared in Thomas & Friends media.

Amtrak No. 610

Amtrak No. 610 is an American GE E60 diesel locomotive which once operated the passenger service, Amtrak.

In A Wonderful American Journey with Thomas and Connie, Connie rides on a train behind Amtrak No. 610 on her way to a Days Out with Thomas event.

Technical Details

Real-life History

Amtrak No. 610 was built in November 1975 and originally number 955. It was one of the eleven GE E60's rebuilt with head-end power (HEP). It was scrapped in 2004, as one of the last of the class in Amtrak service. Amtrak 603 and NJT 958 now survive in preservation with 603 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and 958 at the United Railroad Historical Society in Boonton, New Jersey.

Livery

Amtrak No. 610 wore the Amtrak Phase III livery of silver, red, white, and blue colors.

Appearances

Other Media

Video Releases

2000 - A Wonderful American Journey with Thomas and Connie

Gallery

BR Class 91 No. 91024 Reverend W. Awdry

Appears in The Thomas the Tank Engine Man

BR Class 390

A BR Class 390 is a Virgin Trains electric multiple unit (EMU) locomotive.

One of these appeared in the Mr. Perkins' Railway segments.

Technical Details

Real-life History

The British Rail Class 390 Pendolino is a type of electric high-speed passenger train operated by Avanti West Coast in the United Kingdom, leased from Angel Trains. They are electric multiple units using Fiat Ferroviaria's tilting train Pendolino technology and built by Alstom. Fifty-six units were built for operation between 2001 and 2004.

The Class 390 Pendolino is one of the fastest domestic electric multiple units operating in Britain, with a design speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); however, limitations to track signalling systems restrict the trains to a maximum speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) in service.

Livery

The Class 390 was painted grey with white and red stripes with yellow on its front. As of 2020, some of these trains are painted with the yellow front and plain white, while others are painted in the corporate livery of Avanti West Coast which consists of dark blue, grey, white and some orange.

Appearances

Television Series

Thomas & Friends

Learning Segments

Mr. Perkins' Railway - Power on the Railway

Eurostar

Eurostar is a famous international high-speed express train, connecting England of the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Thomas and Annie once met the high-speed train when they were on their way to the Queen's birthday celebrations in London. ^[1]

Technical Details

Real-life History

Eurostar is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 373 high-speed train. These engines were designed and built in France and are also known as a TransManche Super Train (TMST).

Livery

Eurostar is painted light and dark grey with gold lining. His rooftop is painted purple with red lining. His name (Eurostar) is also painted his sides in gold.

Appearances

Other Media

Books

2016 - A Visit to London for Thomas the Tank Engine
2022 - Thomas Goes on Holiday

Trivia

Despite being an electric engine, in the books A Visit to London for Thomas the Tank Engine and Thomas Goes on Holiday, Eurostar lacks a pantograph and no overhead wires are visible to power the train.
A replica of Eurostar is currently on display at the National Railway Museum.
Eurostar, along with Kenji, the Japanese Engines, Settebello and Pip and Emma, are the only high speed trains to appear in the Thomas & Friends franchise.

Gallery

JB BDhe 2/4

Appears in Big World! Big Adventures! concept art

Keihan Electric Railway locomotives

Keihan Electric Railway

London Underground

Appears in Great Race Friends Near and Far: Etienne Visits London.

PRR GG1 No. 4935

Pennsylvania Railroad No. 4935 is a GG1 electric locomotive that appears in A Wonderful American Journey with Thomas and Connie.

Technical Details

Real-life History

Built by Juniata Locomotive Shop for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1943 it was dedicated at a ceremony at the Union Station in Washington, DC in 1977.

It made its last revenue run on December 10th 1980, hauling the Silver Meteor service south out of New York. Soon afterwards it was donated to the Railroad museum of Pennsylvania by Russell Wilcox in 1983 where it today sits on static display.

Livery

No. 4935 is painted in Brunswick Green & Gold Pinstripes. The number board, and the Pennsylvania Railroad's keystone is Red.

Trivia

No. 4935 was one of the last GG1s built by PRR in 1943. They were introduced as part of Pennsy's massive 1930s electrification project, aimed at moving more trains with greater consists and faster acceleration than steam locomotives.
As the GG1 was designed to haul passenger trains, it also has a boiler that burned oil to produce steam to heat the passenger cars.
The GG1s were very good at hauling heavy loads, largely because of a strong steel frame with added weight from concrete to facilitate traction.
As part of the streamlining, the bell is hidden underneath the streamlined cowling.
Most of the GG1s have been scrapped, but there are 16 of them placed in museums.
No. 4859 another member of this class is on display in the train shed at the Amtrak Harrisburg Station where Thomas and the Magic Railroad was filmed. Also No. 4800, nicknamed "Old Rivets" due to its riveted body, is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania along with No. 4935 near the Strasburg Rail Road.

SNCF TGV Sud-Est

SNCF TGV Sud-Est

Technical Details

Real-life History

Livery

Appearances

Other Media

Books

1998 - Annual

SNCF BB 9004

SNCF BB 9004 is a French direct-current electric engine.

Etienne is based on this engine.

Appears in Meet the Contenders - Etienne of France (mentioned)

SNCF 2D2 9100

Appears in The Making of The Great Race

Trivia

During The Making of The Great Race, 9100 was seen as a proposed basis for Etienne. He would be later based on 9004 in the final film.

Amtrak Acela Express

Amtrak Acela Express is a famous high-speed express train, along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States. It appears on the promotion film for the PBS Kids Funding Credits.

Technical Details

Real-life History

They were built between 1998 and 2001 by a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier a total of 20 sets were built. Each set has two power cars derived from units that Alstom built for the TGV, and six passenger cars derived from the LRC that Bombardier built for Via Rail.

When they debuted in 2000, the sets were the fastest in the Americas; reaching 150 mph (240 km/h) on 33.9 mi (54.6 km) of the route.

By 2004, Amtrak had settled contract disputes with the consortium, paying a total of $1.2 billion for the 20 sets, plus 15 extra electric locomotives, and the construction of maintenance facilities in Boston, New York, and Washington.

The present Acela Express equipment will be replaced by new Avelia Liberty sets, beginning in fall 2023. The new trains will have greater passenger capacity and an enhanced active tilt system that will allow faster speed on the many curved sections of the route. Whether the Acela Express name will be retained or not is unknown, though renderings of the new trainsets suggest that they will keep the name.

Trivia

This was the only high-speed express train not only in the United States but in the whole North America.
While the Acela sets were based on TGV equipment, the power cars and passenger cars are much heavier in order to meet the Federal Railroad Administration's crash standards.
Bombardier later used the Acela carriage design and a diesel/gas turbine variant of the power car for its experimental JetTrain.
Normally on the Northeast Corridor, there are no grade crossing as they are all prohibited, grade crossings between New York City and Washington D.C. were eliminated in the late 1980s. However 11 still remain, all of them are in Connecticut.

0 series Shinkansen

Shinkansen is a high-speed electric engine.

Technical Details

Real-life History

Built between 1963–1986 by Hitachi, Kawasaki Sharyo, Kinki Sharyo, Kisha Seizo, Nippon Sharyo, and Tokyu Car Corporation these were the first generation of such engines and were designed specifically to run the high-speed Tōkaidō Shinkansen line in Japan.

The original trains were introduced as 12-car sets, with some sets later lengthened to 16 cars. Later, shorter trains of six cars and even four cars were assembled for lesser duties. Production of 0 series units continued from 1963 until 1986.

By 2008, all units had been withdrawn from active service, however a large number are preserved, including one at the National Railway Museum in York, which was donated as a gift by the West Japan Railway Company in 2001.

Trivia

Kenji is another member of this class.
The 0 series Shinkansen was also known as a "Bullet Train".
The 0 Series has achieved popularity in a number of Japanese film and TV shows, most notably in the 1975 action-thriller film The Bullet Train.
A further 10 12-car sets (H7/8, K7/8, N7/8, R7/8, S7/8) were delivered between April and July 1965, formed of 120 3rd-batch cars, five 4th-batch sets were delivered between June and July 1966, and five 5th-batch sets were delivered between October and November 1966.
These sets were allocated to Tokyo and Osaka depots.

Ōigawa Railway No. E101

Ōigawa Railway No. E101 is an electric boxcab locomotive from the E10 series.

Technical Details

Real-life History

Built by the Mitshbishi Electric in October of 1949 for the Ōigawa Railway of Japan it was originally used as passenger locomotive, however as trains developed it was also relegated to freight duties.

This was one of the few locomotives original to the Oigawa Railway rather than bought secondhand from the national, private or industrial railways.

Today the locomotive is still in use and was currently used as a shunter, or as a back engine for longer trains.

Trivia

E10 is another member of this class.
This was one of three engines ordered shortly after World War II.
When not acting as a pusher for steam locomotives on longer "SL Kawaneji" trains, it is typically parked at Shin-Kanaya Station.

References

↑ A Visit to London for Thomas the Tank Engine

[1] A Visit to London for Thomas the Tank Engine

[1]