Breakdown Train (T&F)

"The cranes are for lifting heavy things like engines and coaches and trucks."

- Thomas' driver, Thomas and the Breakdown Train, first series

The Breakdown Train is composed of two cranes, flatbeds and a coach for the workmen.

The Breakdown Cranes
The Breakdown Cranes are manned by workmen and deployed at accident scenes to lift engines, coaches and trucks onto the rails.

Biography
Thomas once brought the Breakdown Cranes to rescue James after a crash caused by the Troublesome Trucks.

Since Rocky's arrival, the breakdown cranes have rarely appeared, but the works unit coach - in various colours - has regularly appeared in the CGI series.

The Breakdown Train returned in The Adventure Begins, in the form of Judy and Jerome, gaining new colours and increasing in size. Additionally, the works unit coach is now painted orange-brown, its Railway Series livery.

In Big World! Big Adventures!, another Breakdown Train was seen in China helping Nia back on the track.

When Thomas derailed, Rajiv brought the Breakdown Train to put Thomas back on the rails.

Personality
According to Railway Rhymes, "The Breakdown Train, he has no name. He is quiet, strong and spare. But if there's a crash and a train go smash, the Breakdown Train is there."

Basis
The Breakdown Train was consistently based on the 30 ton Sheldon.

Livery
The cranes and flatbeds are all painted grey-green. In the CGI series, Judy and Jerome, the breakdown cranes, are painted dark green-grey with yellow hazard stripes along their sides. They have brass nameplates on the sides of their cabs.

The Chinese cranes and flatbeds are painted light green with yellow hazard stripes. The Indian cranes and flatbeds are painted yellow.

Works Unit Coach
{{Infobox Character Vehicle
 * title1 = Works Unit Coach
 * image1 =

Basis
The works unit coach is based on some apparently freelance coaches, although they do bare a resemblance with some pre-grouping company builds (from the Great Northern and Great North of Scotland railways). However, in The Railway Series, it appears similar to the non-corridor suburban coaches operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

The works unit coach is based on the old coaches that do appear to be freelances though they do bare a resemblance with some pre-grouping company builds such as those on the Great Northern and Great North of Scotland railways. In The Railway Series, the coach resembles the non-corridor suburban coaches operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

Livery
The works unit coach is all painted grey-green. There are also several other works unit coaches, all painted in different liveries, such as blue, grey, brown, dark green and orange with a white rooftop.

Appearances
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Thomas & Friends

 * Series 1 - Thomas and Gordon, Edward and Gordon, Thomas' Train, Thomas and the Trucks, Thomas and the Breakdown Train, James and the Coaches, Troublesome Trucks, James and the Express, Thomas, Terence and the Snow, Tenders and Turntables, Trouble in the Shed, Percy Runs Away, The Flying Kipper, Whistles and Sneezes, Dirty Objects, Off the Rails and Thomas' Christmas Party
 * Series 2 - Thomas, Percy and the Coal, Cows, Saved from Scrap, Old Iron, Thomas and Trevor, Percy and the Signal, Duck Takes Charge, The Runaway, Pop Goes the Diesel, Dirty Work, A Close Shave, Better Late Than Never, Break Van, The Deputation, Percy's Predicament, Wrong Road and Ghost Train
 * Series 3 - A Scarf for Percy, Gordon and the Famous Visitor, Donald's Duck, Thomas, Percy and the Dragon, Diesel Does it Again, Henry's Forest, Trust Thomas, Toby's Tightrope, Buzz, Buzz, One Good Turn, Escape, Oliver Owns Up and Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure
 * Series 4 - Steam Roller, Gallant Old Engine, Thomas and Stepney , Train Stops Play, Bowled Out, Henry and the Elephant , Thomas and the Special Letter and Fish
 * Series 5 - Horrid Lorry, A Better View for Gordon, James and the Trouble with Trees, Gordon and the Gremlin, Bye George!, Put Upon Percy, Double Teething Troubles , Something in the Air, Thomas and the Rumours, Oliver's Find, Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday, Busy Going Backwards and Snow
 * Series 6 - Harvey to the Rescue, No Sleep for Cranky, A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter, The Fogman, It's Only Snow, Scaredy Engines , James and the Red Balloon, Jack Frost, Gordon Takes a Tumble, Percy's Chocolate Crunch, Buffer Bother, Thomas, Percy and the Squeak and Edward the Very Useful Engine
 * Series 7 - Emily's New Coaches, James and the Queen of Sodor, The Spotless Record, Toby's Windmill, Bad Day at Castle Loch, Snow Engine and Something Fishy
 * Series 8 - Thomas and the Tuba, Percy's New Whistle, Thomas to the Rescue, Percy's Big Mistake, Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough, Emily's New Route, Squeak, Rattle and Roll, Thomas and the Circus, Halloween and You Can Do it, Toby!
 * Series 9 - Thomas and the Toy Shop, Respect for Gordon, Thomas and the Birthday Picnic, Thomas and the New Engine, Henry and the Flagpole, Emily Knows Best and Keeping Up with James
 * Series 10 - The Green Controller, Edward Strikes Out and Sticky Toffee Thomas
 * Series 11 - Hector the Horrid!, Thomas and the Spaceship, Thomas and the Lighthouse, Edward and the Mail, Toby's Triumph and Thomas and the Runaway Car
 * Series 12 - Thomas and the Billboard, Henry Gets it Wrong and Toby's Special Surprise
 * Series 14 - Thomas and the Snowman Party and Thomas' Crazy Day
 * Series 15 - Gordon and Ferdinand, Percy's New Friends , Edward the Hero , Henry's Happy Coal , Surprise, Surprise and Fiery Flynn
 * Series 16 - Ho Ho Snowman, Thomas and the Rubbish Train , Bust My Buffers! , Percy and the Calliope , Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor , Salty's Surprise , Sodor Surprise Day , Emily's Winter Party Special , Whiff's Wish and Happy Birthday Sir!
 * Series 20 - Love Me Tender, The Missing Breakdown Train and Mucking About
 * Series 21 - Springtime for Diesel and Daisy's Perfect Christmas
 * Series 22 - Trusty Trunky, School of Duck and The Water Wheel
 * Series 23 - Chucklesome Trucks and Crowning Around

Specials

 * 1992 - Thomas and the U.K. Trip
 * 2000 - Thomas and the Magic Railroad
 * 2005 - Calling All Engines!
 * 2008 - The Great Discovery
 * 2011 - Day of the Diesels
 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery
 * 2015 - The Adventure Begins
 * 2017 - Journey Beyond Sodor
 * 2018 - Big World! Big Adventures!

Music Videos

 * Series 3 - Thomas' Anthem
 * Series 4 - Let's Have a Race, Gone Fishing, Toby, Really Useful Engine and Thomas' Christmas Song
 * Series 5 - Accidents Will Happen, Every Cloud has a Silver Lining, The Snow Song and Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas and the Magic Railroad - Really Useful Engine
 * Series 6 - Little Engines, Boo! Boo! Choo-Choo and Never, Never, Never Give Up
 * Series 7 - The Red Balloon and Troublesome Trucks
 * Series 8 - A World Around You and Engine Roll Call
 * Series 9 - Brave and Pride
 * Series 10 - Jingle Bells
 * The Great Discovery - There's a Job for Everyone

Learning Segments

 * Calling All Engines! - Which Diesel Engine with Which Steam Engine?

Storytime

 * Series 1 - The Story of Thomas the Tank Engine, The Story of James the Red Engine and Thomas the Hero

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Annual Stories

 * 1998 - Leaves on the Line
 * 2001 - Harold the Helicopter

Magazine Stories

 * 1987 - Thomas and the Breakdown Train
 * 1988 - Gordon Off the Rails
 * 1993 - The Viaduct! and Thomas Takes a Ride!
 * 1999 - Thomas is Rescued
 * 2000 - The Milk Train and Night Work
 * 2001 - Railway Ride!, Pulling the Post and Diesel's Ditch
 * 2002 - The Fat Controller's Diesels! and Tunnel Trap!
 * 2004 - A New Home

Books
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 * 1989 - James and the Rescue Train
 * 1991 - James the Red Engine
 * 1997 - James and the Trucks
 * 2003 - Thomas
 * 2009 - Thomas to the Rescue
 * 2020 - Thomas the Hero

Trivia

 * Two Breakdown Train models and one works unit coach was constructed. One of Breakdown Train's models along the works unit coach used to be on display at Drayton Manor; it is now in storage. Two of the flatbeds were on display as well. One had a tractor and some hay bales, and the other had the water wheel from Steady Eddie. One of the flatbeds is now in storage. All of them were later put on display at the Clearwater Event.
 * In the UK dub of the game Trouble on the Tracks, the Breakdown Train is referred to as the "Breakdown Truck" for unknown reasons.
 * In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, the cranes both had posters reading “Sir Topham Needs You” on the back of their cabs.
 * Since the fourteenth series, many recoloured versions of the works unit coach have been seen, mostly being used in goods trains. The coach also gained front windows.
 * Despite being portrayed as faceless and non-sentient, the Breakdown Train is referred to as a sentient male character and acknowledges he does not have a name in the book, Railway Rhymes.

Merchandise
All merchandise but Hornby and Capsule Plarail had only one crane and flatbed and without the works unit coach, although it was sold separately in TOMY.


 * Ert
 * Wooden Railway
 * Take Along
 * Motor Road and Rail
 * TrackMaster
 * Hornby
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series
 * Departing Now
 * Nakayoshi
 * Waku Waku
 * Lionel Trains