This article is about the train. You may be looking for the magazine story. |
The Mail Train (also occasionally known as the Post Train) is a train which transports letters and parcels.
Pulling the Mail Train is noted as being one of Percy's favourite jobs.
History
Between the third series and Thomas and the Magic Railroad, two separate trains were pulled by Thomas and Percy as the load was too heavy for one engine to do the work alone. Since the sixth series, Percy usually carries the mail alone, with Thomas substituting for him whenever he is not available, though other engines have also pitched in when needed. When the Mail Train was unavailable altogether, Harold is sometimes used as substitute.
Hiro usually takes a mail train to the Mainland, while Hong-Mei pulls the mail train in China.[1][2] Mail from the Mainland was previously brought in by Henry to be transferred to Percy's train.[3] In an annual story, the mail for the Mainland is instead shown to be handled by a high-speed train.[4]
The train usually consists of special utility vans and a brake van, however these have occasionally been accompanied by open wagons or short flatbeds.
Mail Vans
- "I pull the mail trucks. They're red and they're wooden, and they're full of very exciting parcels!"
- ― Percy
The Mail Vans (also known as the Sodor Mail Coaches) are specialised pieces of rolling stock used for transporting letters and parcels across the railway. These vans form the majority of the rolling stock used for the mail train. The mail train usually consists of only two of these vans, although there have been occasions when trains of up to six have been seen. Daisy takes one of these mail vans from Arlesburgh West up to Harwick every morning.
Technical Details
Basis
The mail vans are based on the Southern Railway Diagram 3101 Covered Carriage Truck (CCT), albeit with bogies in place of the usual four wheels. This van was derived from the earlier SE&CR Diagram 960 PMV, It remained in production until 1955, and remained in regular service until 1986, with a few surviving on departmental duties into the 1990s. The utility vans share the same basis.
Livery
The mail vans are painted red with black roofs, valences, buffer beams and wheels. They originally had black bracing, though this has been changed to red from the twenty-second series onwards.
The vans originally had the words "SODOR MAIL" written across the doors on both sides in white. Starting from Hero of the Rails, the lettering was replaced by a graphic of an envelope with wings, also in white.
Appearances
Official Description
From Official Media:[1]
“ | Sodor Mail Coaches: The Sodor Mail Coaches ensure fast and efficient mail delivery service. The mail for the townsfolk is picked up by the engines and sorted on the move just like the typical mobile sorting offices that were designed and build in the 1940's in Britain.
|
” |
From Official Media:[2]
“ | Sodor Mail Coach: Percy and Thomas enjoy pulling the Mail Train around the Island of Sodor. While the job can be hard work, the engines know it is very important. Because Percy and Thomas keep the Mail Train running like clockwork, everyone calls it "the pride of the line." | ” |
Trivia
- In Hero of the Rails, they are referred to as "Mail Trucks" in the UK and "Mail Cars" in the US narration. Whereas, in the merchandise ranges, they are referred to as the "Sodor Mail Coaches".
- The Mail Vans logo from Hero of the Rails onwards is a reference to pigeon carriers, where pigeons would carry letters and mail from humans.
- In several pieces of merchandise and other media, the mail vans are repurposed from other pieces of rolling stock:

The Mail Vans as LBSC Stroudley Coaches in the magazines.
- The original TOMY, TrackMaster and Capsule Plarail mail vans were repainted from existing JNR Mail Cars.
- The current Capsule Plarail and TrackMaster mail vans are repainted Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Vans.
- The motorized Capsule Plarail mail van is repainted from the LBSC Railway 8 Ton Vans.
- The Hornby mail vans reused the same tooling from the Lima CCT parcels van.
- The Take Along mail van reused the same tooling as the Narrow Gauge Vans.
- In illustrations by Arkadia, David Palmer and Owen Bell, the mail vans are depicted as smaller four-wheel wooden vans.
- In some magazine stories, the mail vans are modified LBSC Stroudley Coaches with roofs similar to Annie and Clarabel.
- The Wooden Railway toys of the mail vans were among the toys that were part of the lead paint crisis in 2005.
- In the third series episode, Thomas, Percy and the Post Train, Henry would carry the Mainland mail in standard Utility Vans to transfer to Percy on Sodor.
Merchandise
- ERTL (discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Take-n-Play (with Pull 'n 'zoom Percy; discontinued)
- Bachmann
- Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
- TrackMaster (normal and see-inside; discontinued)
- Motorized
- Motorized Railway
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Collectible Railway (discontinued)
- Adventures (with Talking Percy; discontinued)
- Hornby (two versions; discontinued)
- Tomix
- Capsule Plarail
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (with a brake van; discontinued)
- Mega Bloks (discontinued)
- Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
- Nakayoshi (discontinued)
- Choro-Q (discontinued)
- Kabaya (discontinued)
Mail Trucks
These trucks are special 7-Plank Trucks that are occasionally used as part of the Mail Train. The trucks have been pulled by Edward and Percy. James once helped Edward deliver these trucks containing presents from Brendam Docks to Knapford.
Technical Details
Basis
These trucks are based on 7-plank trucks.
Livery
In the third series, the plank trucks used for the mail train were dark green with black bracing. Since the ninth series, they have been painted crimson with black bracing.
Their Take Along toys depict them with the words "SODOR MAIL" on both sides in white, later replaced by the graphic of an envelope with wings as per the vans on their Mega Bloks toys.
Appearances
Thomas & Friends
Music Videos
Learning Segments
|
Books
Annual Stories
Magazine Stories
|
Official Description
From Official Media:[3]
“ | Mail Train: Thomas and Percy steam through the stations all night to ensure heavy loads of letters are delivered on time making the Mail Train, the pride of the line. | ” |
Merchandise
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Adventures (discontinued)
- Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- Mega Bloks (discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Interactive Learning Railway (discontinued)
Travelling Post Office Vans
The Travelling Post Office Vans are specialised vans with nets to catch mail bags from lineside posts.
Technical Details
Basis
The vans are based on London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Royal Mail Travelling Post Office Vans.
Livery
The TPO vans are red with two yellow stripes along the sides. They have black ends and light grey roofs.
Appearances
Magazine Stories
- 1993 - Standing Still!
- 1994 - The Strange Sighting! and Rolling Along!
- 1995 - Post Haste!
Merchandise
- Hornby (discontinued)
References
- ↑ T&F S20 #11 "Letters to Santa"
- ↑ T&F S23 #14 "Wish You Were Here"
- ↑ T&F S3 #12 "Thomas, Percy and the Post Train"
- ↑ 1998 Annual - "Toby and the Mail Train"
Locomotives | Steam | Thomas | Henry | Gordon | James | Donald and Douglas | Emily | Murdoch | Molly | Nia | Rebecca |
---|---|---|
Diesel | BoCo | |
Former | Edward | |
Rolling Stock | Passenger | Annie and Clarabel | Emily's Coaches | Green Express Coaches | Red Express Coaches |
Former | The Spiteful Brake Van | Slip Coaches | |
Trains | Passenger | The Express | The Local | The Great Waterton Special |
Goods | The Flying Kipper | The Midnight Goods | |
Infrastructure | Stations | Tidmouth | Lower Tidmouth** | Knapford | Crosby | Wellsworth | Maron | Cronk** | Killdane** | Balladrine** | Kellaby** | Whispering Woods Halt** | Kellsthorpe Road** | Crovan's Gate | Great Waterton** | Vicarstown | Barrow-in-Furness** |
Sheds | Tidmouth Sheds | Tidmouth Yard Sheds | Knapford Sheds | Crovan's Gate Sheds* | Vicarstown Sheds | |
Tunnels and Bridges | Tidmouth Tunnel (South) | Henry's Tunnel | Crosby Tunnel** | Crosby Bridge* | The Viaduct | Sodor Suspension Bridge** | Maron Bridge* | Standard Gauge and Narrow Gauge Viaduct | Vicarstown Bridge** |
Locomotives | Steam | Thomas | Percy | Toby |
---|---|---|
Diesel | Mavis | |
Former | Glynn | Coffee Pots | Daisy | |
Rolling Stock | Passenger | Annie and Clarabel | Henrietta | Hannah |
Non-Rail Vehicles | Terence | Bertie | Harold | Bulgy | Caroline | Bulstrode | Tiger Moth | Elizabeth | The Hot Air Balloon | Cleo | |
People | Mrs. Kyndley | Farmer Finney | Farmer McColl | Farmer Trotter | Ruth | |
Affiliates | Toby's Branch Line | Ffarquhar Quarry Company | |
Infrastructure | Stations | Knapford | Dryaw | Toryreck** | Sports Field Halt** | Elsbridge | Maithwaite** | Hackenbeck | Ffarquhar | New Harbour* |
Sheds | Elsbridge Engine Sheds (Carriage Shed) | Hackenbeck Shed | |
Tunnels and Bridges | The Valley Bridge* | Elsbridge Viaduct | Bulgy's Bridge* | The Watermill | Hackenbeck Tunnel |
Locomotives | Duck | Donald and Douglas | Oliver | |
---|---|---|
Rolling Stock | Passenger | Old Slow Coach | Slip Coaches |
Goods | Toad | S.C. Ruffey | |
Non-Rail Vehicles | Bulgy | Bulgy's Friend | Skiff | |
People | Captain Joe | The Museum Manager | |
Stations | Tidmouth | Tidmouth Hault | Tidmouth Town Hall** | Haultraugh** | Bluff's Cove** | Arlesburgh West** |
Locomotives | Ryan | Daisy |
---|---|
Rolling Stock | Judy and Jerome |
Other | Skiff |
People | Captain Joe | The Museum Manager |
Stations | Arlesburgh West | Arlesburgh Maritime Museum | Harwick |