Sodor Line Caboose

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Sodor Line Cabooses
Background Information
First appearance	Lift-the-Flap Freight (2006)
Last appearance	Best Birthday Ever! (2020)
Creator(s)	Roy Wilson
Character Overview
Gender	Male (one; Wooden Railway character card)
Country	Island of Sodor United States (built)
Technical Details
Basis	North American railroad cabooses
Gauge	4'8½" (1,435 mm; standard gauge)
Vehicle	Rolling stock
Type	Caboose
Wheels	4
Number	25 25924 25952 26303
Railway	North Western Railway

The Sodor Line Caboose is a North American type of brake van which can be found on the North Western Railway in Thomas & Friends merchandise and books.

Personality

Despite not being depicted with a face, the Wooden Railway character card description refers to the Sodor Line Caboose as a sentient male character. His character card reads "Like all cabooses, the Sodor Line Caboose rides behind the other engines, bringing up the rear. Although he is never in the spotlight like Thomas and his friends, he is no less important".

Technical Details

Basis

The Sodor Line Caboose is based on a North American railroad caboose modified with screw-link couplings and buffers. In particular, it is based on a four-wheeled type, also known as a "Bobber Caboose". Bruno from All Engines Go is also inspired by North American cabooses, however with eight wheels rather than four like the Sodor Line Caboose has.

A real bobber caboose

Livery

The Sodor Line Cabooses are painted red with black frames and white lettering reading "SODOR LINE" on its sides. They also have black roofs, grey chassis and orange doors.

Various merchandise ranges have also depicted them in yellow, blue and brown liveries.

Appearances

• Television Series
• Other Media

Thomas & Friends Series 1 - The Flying Kipper (mentioned) Series 4 - Home at Last (mentioned) and Gallant Old Engine (mentioned) Series 24 - Thomas and the Royal Engine (artwork only) Specials 2018 - Big World! Big Adventures! (mentioned) Music Videos Big World! Big Adventures! - Free and Easy (mentioned) Videos 2017 - Raul Is Back in Brazil 2020 - New Year's Day with Thomas (artwork only)

Books 2005 - Railway Rhymes (mentioned) 2006 - Lift-the-Flap Freight 2015 - Ride the Rails with Thomas 2016 - Thomas Counts on Christmas 2020 - Best Birthday Ever!

Official Description

• 2000-2013

From Official Media:[1][2]

“

Sodor Line Caboose: Like all cabooses, the Sodor Line Caboose rides behind the other engines, bringing up the rear. Although he is never in the spotlight like Thomas and his Engine friends, he is no less important. The caboose has the important job of helping to apply the breaks when the engines are approaching the station.

”

Trivia

The cabooses as seen in Tugs.

• These types of cabooses have also appeared in the Thomas & Friends sister series, Tugs.
• In the Golden Books, it has "Sodor Rail Line" written on its sides. In the re-introduced 2013 Wooden Railway release, it has "Sodor Main Line". Whereas, the Wooden Railway Musical Caboose, Take Along and Take-n-Play releases, have "Sodor Train Line". In the Lionel release, it simply reads "Sodor Lines".
• Two circus-liveried cabooses are featured on the Lady's Carousel ride at Drayton Manor Resort.
• A Bachmann North American Bobber caboose made cameo appearance in the 2015 film Ant-Man. It is lettered "Denver & Rio Grande Railway No. 49".

Merchandise

• Wooden Railway (discontinued)
• Take Along (discontinued)
• Take-n-Play (discontinued)
• Lionel Trains

References

North Western Railway

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