| This article is about the magazine story. You may be looking for the episode, the animated short or the annual story. |
- "Go get 'em, tiger!"
- ― Thomas
Yong Bao and the Tiger is a magazine story illustrated using images from the television series. It was republished in 2025 as part of the Classic Thomas Story Collection with slight alterations to the images and text.
Plot[]
One morning, while he is working on the Chinese Railway, Thomas decides to ask Yong Bao why he has a picture of a tiger on his tender. Yong Bao explains that the picture is actually a special emblem. A long time, Yong Bao was painted blue and didn't have any decorations or emblems at all. He worked in the yard collecting and delivering coal.
The other engines got to pull passengers and they all laughed at Yong Bao, believing him to be too unimportant to ever pull passengers. One day, a tiger came down from the mountains and into the yard where Yong Bao was working. It was the most beautiful and majestic animal Yong Bao had ever seen. When the tiger didn’t come back to the yard, Yong Bao decided to go and find it. He travelled far and wide over China.
Just as Yong Bao was about to give up hope, he found the tiger. It roared as if it was trying to say something. Yong Bao decided to follow the animal. The tiger led Yong Bao to one of the other engines who had derailed, putting his passengers in grave danger. Yong Bao hurried to the rescue and, inspired by the tiger, pulled the engine and his carriages back onto the rails. The engine was thankful and also sorry for having teased Yong Bao.
That evening, the Railway Controller arrived to tell Yong Bao that he was going to be repainted red. Instead of having a number, Yong Bao asks for a special tiger emblem.
Thomas thinks Yong Bao's story was great and Yong Bao puffs away to collect some passengers.
Characters[]
- Thomas
- Yong Bao
- The Mean Engines
- The Chinese Railway Controller (speaks in speech bubble only)
Locations[]
Trivia[]
- This story is based on the twenty-fourth series episode of the same name.
- Unlike the episode, Lei does not appear.
Goofs[]
- The Chinese Railway Inspector is mistakenly referred to as the Railway Controller.
Gallery[]
2022[]
2025[]
