Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)

Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree is a related book of the Railway Series that was written by Christopher Awdry and illustrated by Clive Spong. It was later re-released with My First Thomas-style illustrations.

Plot
Thomas is sent to fetch a Christmas tree, much to the annoyance of the mainline engines. After Thomas leaves to collect the Christmas tree, all the engines are very excited about the celebrations. But later, they realise that Thomas has not returned home. The Fat Controller tells the engines that Thomas must be found, so he sends Donald and Douglas to find him. With a van between their tenders and a snowplough on their fronts, the Scottish twins set off. They find the snow very deep at Wellsworth and, in the cutting before Gordon's Hill, they find Thomas stuck in the snow. James and Edward, clearing the snow from the opposite direction, come to help too. After the rescue, all the engines return home in time for the Christmas party. Father Christmas comes to the party aboard Harold, and gives Thomas and Percy balloons.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III
 * Edward
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * The Works Diesel *
 * Annie
 * Harold
 * Father Christmas
 * Bill and Ben *
 * BoCo *
 * Trevor *
 * Clarabel
 * The Mayor of Sodor

(* Absent in My First Thomas edition)

Locations

 * Tidmouth
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Ffarquhar Sheds
 * Knapford
 * Crosby Tunnel
 * Wellsworth
 * Gordon's Hill

Trivia

 * Because this book is a television tie-in, Donald and Douglas appear in their black liveries. It is also notable that the only engines present at the Christmas celebrations are those who had been featured in the television series at that point – Bear, Oliver and Mavis are absent.
 * The Works Diesel appears as well.
 * In the original publication, Donald and Douglas are painted black like their television series counterparts, but in some versions of the My First Thomas edition, they are blue.
 * This book was published two days before Percy and Harold/The Runaway originally aired.

Goofs

 * Throughout the book, Henry's crosshead is misaligned with his cylinders.

In Other Languages
Thomas y el Árbol de Navidad Perdido (libro) תומס ועץ חג המולד החסר (ספר) Tomek i Zaginiona Choinka (książka) Томас и пропавшая ёлка (книга)