The Rainbow Sun is Billy Twofeathers' locomotive and one of several that run on the Indian Valley Railroad.
Biography
The Rainbow Sun only appears in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Throughout the film, it is seen multiple times being driven by Billy Twofeathers. Later on in the film, Mutt convinces Lily to board a train hauled by the locomotive, which takes her to Shining Time instead of the train to Muffle Mountain.
Technical Details
Basis
In the title sequence for Shining Time Station, the Rainbow Sun is portrayed by Union Pacific 844, a class "FEF-3" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad. It is the only steam locomotive in North America not to have been retired by a Class I railroad, having operated near continuously since it was built in December 1944. 844 is one of two steam locomotives operated by UP as part of its heritage fleet. Old Smoky shares the same basis.
In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, the Rainbow Sun is portrayed by Norfolk and Western 475, an "M" class 4-8-0 "Mastodon" type steam locomotive built in 1906 and preserved by the Strasburg Rail Road. It is one of only two members of its class to have been preserved, the only 4-8-0 steam locomotive still operating in North America, and the oldest operating steam locomotive on the SRC.
Livery
The Rainbow Sun is painted black with yellow lining and brown window frames. The number "475" is painted on the sides of its cab in gold. It also has the words "Indian Valley" painted on the sides of the tender.
Appearances
Thomas & Friends
- 1989-1995 - Shining Time Station
Specials
Music Videos
- 2000 - Shining Time and I Know How the Moon Must Feel
Audio Files
Whistle
| Only used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|
| Thomas and the Magic Railroad |
Bell
| Only used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|
| Thomas and the Magic Railroad |
Trivia
- In the Thomas and the Magic Railroad activity book, the Rainbow Sun is portrayed with Thomas' shape and the number 90. This number also happens to belong to another Strasburg locomotive, Great Western 90.
- The Rainbow Sun was not referred to by name in the final cut of the film, and was only named on Shining Time Station and in deleted scenes.
- The lettering for the Indian Valley Railroad was applied to the engine and three of the Strasburg Railroad's coaches, but only two coaches were used in the actual film. They retained this lettering during the railroad’s normal operations for some time after.
- 475 also occasionally operates on Day Out with Thomas events to haul the Strasburg Rail Road's tourist train. If it does not run, then either No. 90 or No. 89 will run.
- Between 2004-2019, the locomotive was backdated to its original as-built N&W appearance.
- In 2019, the locomotive was backdated again to its 1940s-1950s appearance with a centre headlight.
- Keith W. Strandberg the production manager rode on one of the coaches, while he made a cameo appearance in the film.
- The Rainbow Sun's whistle sound is sourced from Canadian National 3254's 5-chime steam whistle, which was out of tune during the 1980s and recorded as a stock sound effect that has been used across various pieces of media. This sound effect has also been used for other characters in the franchise:
- Gordon (at a half step lower-pitched; only in Thomas the Really Useful Engine (LeapPad book) and Thomas and the School Trip (My First LeapPad book))
- Percy (in Thomas and the School Trip (My First LeapPad book)) and Henry (in Thomas the Really Useful Engine (LeapPad book) and Calling All Engines! (Leapster); at six steps higher-pitched)
- Ferdinand (at two steps lower in pitch)
- Carlos (only in The Great Race)
- Lexi
- Lorenzo (at four steps lower in pitch)
- Marcia (at a half step higher-pitched)
- Marcio (at one step higher-pitched)
- The Grey Tender Engine (at two steps lower in pitch)
- Victor (in the early version of Guess Who? Puzzles and the mobile game app, Race On!)
- Rocky (only in the tenth series episode, Edward Strikes Out)
- Edward (Great Destinations on Sodor from Songs from the Station only)
- Emily (Great Destinations on Sodor from Songs from the Station only)
- The Rainbow Sun's bell sound is a recording of Baldwin No. 26. The bell was recorded as a stock sound effect used in various other pieces of media.
- In a deleted scene, P.T. Boomer was heading to Shining Time Station while riding on a motorcycle and he beat the Rainbow Sun at a crossing, and got across just in time.
- The reason that No. 844 did not reprise its role as the Rainbow Sun for the film was because it was out of service due to boiler tube failure, and was found to have been made of the wrong material during the overhaul in 1996, a discovery that prompted the replacement of the firebox in a complete overhaul that lasted from September 2001 to 2004.
- The reason that No. 475 was used was inspiration from rail photographer O Winston Link's pictures along the Norfolk and Western M class, of which No. 475 is a member of this class.
- On 2 November 2022, while running around its passenger train at Leaman Place Junction, No. 475 was involved in a head-on collision with an excavator, destroying its front smokebox plate and headlamp and damaging the smokebox door. It was quickly mended and returned to service only five days later, but still retains the welding seams on its smokebox door as a reminder of the incident.
See also
- Rainbow Sun on the Shining Time Station wiki.
| People | Mr. Conductor | C. Junior | Stacy Jones | Billy Twofeathers | Burnett Stone | P.T. Boomer | Lily | Patch | Tasha Stone |
|---|---|
| Animals | Mutt | Moby Dick |
| Locomotives | Rainbow Sun | Lady |
| Locations | Shining Time | Muffle Mountain | Burnett Stone's Workshop | The Magic Railroad |