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Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki
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pages
in: Television Series-only characters, Steam locomotives, Real engines,
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English

Stephen's Competitors

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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]

In King of the Railway, two locomotives, Novelty and Sans Pareil, can be seen competing against Stephen and a horse and cart during a race trial. It is a recreation of the Rainhill Trials in 1829; although Perseverance, a steam locomotive, and Cycloped, a horse-powered locomotive, also appeared for the trials, they are not present in the flashback.

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.

Biography

In the flashback, Novelty competed against Stephen, Sans Pareil, and a horse-drawn cart in a race trial. 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

  • Novelty reuses Toby's face; as a result, the bottom half of the boiler is square rather than round.
  • In reality, many people wanted the Novelty to win the Rainhill Trials due to its simplicity, elegance and familiarity to horse carts. However, it ironically kept breaking down because of those reasons.
  • Novelty, besides being a vertical boiler locomotive, is seemingly a fire pump of the same name(I.E Novelty), rebuilt as a locomotive.

Gallery

Sans Pareil


Sans Pareil is an early steam engine built by Timothy Hackworth and William Hedley.

Biography

In the flashback, Sans Pareil competed against Stephen, Novelty, and a horse-drawn cart in a race trial. Sans Pareil and 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. 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 is heavily modified compared to its basis; 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, appearing to be a 0-2-2 whereas the real engine was a 0-4-0.
  • Sans Pareil was not allowed the prize due to being over the trial’s weight limit, but it’s designer, Timothy Hackworth was able to get a contract with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway due to the locomotive’s impressive performance,
  • 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 name is French for 'peerless' or 'without equal'.
  • Sans Pareil's model reuses various components from other CGI models:
    • Stephen's driving wheels, cylinders, motion, 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

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; the name of the locomotive was taken from "Persevere", Leith's town motto

Biography

Perseverance was one of the four engines who competed against Stephen in the Rainhill Trials. 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 mph.

Technical Details

Basis

Livery

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Trivia


Cycloped

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

Biography

Cycloped was one of the four engines who competed against Stephen in the Rainhill Trials. It is also the only entry in the trials that did not rely on steam power, instead It utilized 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.

Technical Details

Basis

Livery

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Trivia


The Horse and Cart

The horse and railway cart competed against Stephen, Novelty, and Sans Pareil during the trial. Stephen stated that horses and carts were used prior to steam engines.

Many years later, Spencer mockingly stated that Stephen was fast compared to a horse and cart.

Technical Details

Basis

A horse and cart did not compete against the real Stephenson's Rocket, Novelty, and Sans Pareil during the Rainhill Trials in 1829. However, Cycloped, an early horse-powered locomotive, did attempt to compete in the trials unsuccessfully.

It was the only entry in the trials that did not rely on steam power, instead utilising a treadmill that was kept moving by a horse mounted on top. Due to the rules given for the trials, it was disqualified before even reaching the starting line. The horse ended up falling through the contraption’s treadmill “floor”, and later was reported to have died of exhaustion.

Livery

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

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Specials

Gallery

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