Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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“We steam engines were the latest thing, and people were worried about us. We didn't always work right, or at all! We were brand new and experimental, but we soon proved we were stronger and faster than horses!”
― Stephen's flashback[src]

During the Rainhill Trials, Stephen competed against four other engines.

Novelty

Novelty was an early steam engine built by John Ericsson and John Braithwaite. With its unique design, it is now regarded as the very first tank engine. Novelty was lighter and considerably faster than the other engines in the competition, with the exception of Stephen. Even so, he broke down first during the trials.

Technical Details

Basis

Novelty is based on the real Novelty locomotive, one of the engines that competed against Stephen's basis, Stephenson's Rocket in the Rainhill Trials in 1829. Two replicas exist today, one using parts from the original locomotive, which is currently preserved at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, England.

Livery

Novelty is painted brown with a blue running board, bufferbeams, and wheels. It has black pipes and inner workings.

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Specials

Annuals

Trivia

  • In Stephen's flashback, Novelty bears several differences from the real engine:
    • Its boiler and chimney are much taller than those of the real engine.
    • The middle section of the boiler is square rather than round in order to fit the face.
    • The coal bunker is much wider at the bottom.
  • Novelty's model reuses various components from other CGI models:
    • He reuses Stephen's driving wheels, albeit with the rivets removed.
      • A side orthographic of Novelty's model shown in the background appears to include rivets on the wheels, however these are not present on the model seen in the final animation.
    • He reuses Toby's face.

Gallery

Thomas & Friends

CGI Series

Sans Pareil

Sans Pareil is an early steam engine built by Timothy Hackworth and William Hedley. Sans Pareil - along with Novelty - broke down during the trial run, thus allowing Stephen to win the race.

Technical Details

Basis

Sans Pareil is based on the real Sans Pareil locomotive, one of the engines that competed against Stephen's basis, Stephenson's Rocket in the Rainhill Trials in 1829. The original locomotive is on static display at the Shildon Locomotion Museum, and a working replica is preserved at the National Railway Museum.

Livery

Sans Pareil is painted light green, with yellow lining and yellow wheels. It also has a black funnel, water barrel, and running board.

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Specials

Annuals

Trivia

  • Sans Pareil name is French for 'peerless' or 'without equal'.
  • In Stephen's flashback, Sans Pareil bears several differences from the real engine:
    • The driver operates from the rear of the engine in the flashback, standing beside the funnel, rather than on the front as was the case with the prototype. This was most likely done to accommodate a face on Sans Pareil without the driver obstructing its view.
    • In Stephen's flashback, Sans Pareil was not shown with siderods, incorrectly appearing to be a 0-2-2, whereas the real engine was a 0-4-0.
  • According to historic documents, Sans Pareil was intended to push its tender, with the driver standing at the "rear" of the vehicle. In the BBC history which deals with Stephenson's first railway, the replica Sans Pareil is driven in this manner.
  • Sans Pareil's model reuses various components from other CGI models:
    • Stephen's driving wheels, cylinders, motion, and tender water barrel.
    • The body, wheels, axleboxes and buffers from a 7-plank wagon, albeit the body is heavily modified to look more like a tender.
    • He reuses Charlie's face.

Gallery

Thomas & Friends

CGI Series

Perseverance

Perseverance was an early steam locomotive that took part in the Rainhill Trials, built by John Reed Hill of London and Timothy Burstall of Leith.

Technical Details

Basis

Perseverance is based on the real Perseverance locomotive, one of the engines that competed against Stephen's basis, Stephenson's Rocket in the Rainhill Trials in 1829. Perseverance was damaged on the way to the trials and Timothy Burstall spent the first five days trying to repair the engine. It ran on the sixth and final day of the trials but only achieved a speed of 6 miles per hour.

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Annuals

Trivia

  • The name of the locomotive was taken from "Persevere", Leith's town motto.

Cycloped

Cycloped was an early horse-powered locomotive, built by Thomas Shaw Brandreth of Liverpool.

Technical Details

Basis

Cycloped is based on the real Cycloped locomotive, one of the engines that competed against Stephen's basis, Stephenson's Rocket in the Rainhill Trials in 1829. It was also the only entry in the trials that did not rely on steam power, instead utilising a treadmill that was kept continually moving by a horse mounted on top.

Brandeth and some people believed that that gave the Cycloped an unfair advantage, But the Cycloped was a primitive idea and because of its failure to generate enough speed to equal its competitors, it ultimately lost in the trials.

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Annuals

The Horse and Cart

The horse and cart was a predecessor to locomotives. Though it did not compete in the Rainhill Trials, it appears in Stephen's flashback as an example of how railways were run before the invention of steam engines. Many years later, Spencer mockingly stated that Stephen was fast compared to a horse and cart.

Technical Details

Livery

The cart is painted lime green, with a dark green band around the middle and maroon seats and ends.

Appearances

Gallery

Thomas & Friends

CGI Series

External Links

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