Express Coaches (T&F)

There are many types of express coaches used for express trains on the Main Line of the North Western Railway and other railways.

Thomas' Special Coach
Every day, after arriving at Tidmouth at 3:30 PM with the express, engines have to shunt a coach from the train into the bay platform for passengers wanting to travel to destinations on Thomas' Branch Line. Thomas, Annie and Clarabel then come from Knapford Junction to collect it.

One time, Douglas accidentally forgot to shunt this coach for Thomas. Instead, he shunted the coach with the others into the carriage siding.

Basis
Thomas' Special Coach was going to be based off of an LB&SCR Stroudley four-wheeled 3rd class composite coach.

Livery
Thomas' special coach's model was going to be a reused Orange Branch Line Coach.

Appearances

 * -|Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 2 - Percy and the Signal, Duck Takes Charge and The Missing Coach
 * -|Other Media=

Annual Stories

 * 1993 - James' Traffic Jam

Books

 * 2003 - Donald and Douglas

Trivia

 * The special coach in Thomas & Friends was thought to be a reuse of the green express ones because of a picture |scene of Douglas shunting them. However, after more production photographs were leaked in August 2020, it was discovered that the special coach turned out to be an Orange Branch Line one behind the green express coaches.

The Royal Train
The Royal Train was the train that transported Queen in Paint Pots and Queens. Henry was supposed to pull it, but after an accident with some paint cans, Gordon was given the job instead. In both The Railway Series and the television series, it was made up of blood and custard express coaches with whitewall wheels and white buffers.

Another Royal Carriage appeared in the magazine story, The Royal Carriage. This carriage is painted brown with red flags and a crown on its roof. Inside it has some comfortable chairs and a royal blue carpet. It is on display at the Sodor Museum.

Basis
The coaches were based upon the SR Maunsell Coaches and Pullman First Class Parlour Car "Topaz". In the Magazines, the coach is based on a GER Wisbech and Upwell Tramway 4-wheel coach.

Livery
The Royal Train was painted dark red with white window surrounds, light grey rooftops, whitewall wheels and white buffers. In the Magazines, the one coach is painted brown-orange with red bufferbeams and a grey roof.

Appearances

 * -|Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 4 - Paint Pots and Queens
 * Series 24- Thomas and the Royal Engine

Videos

 * 2019 - Meet Gordon
 * -|Other Media=

Magazine Stories

 * 2014 - The Royal Carriage

Books

 * 2020 - Thomas and the Royal Engine

The Dining Coach
The Dining Coach, also known as The Buffet Car, is often added to the express so that people can have something to eat and drink on their journey. It has a bar, serving area, pantry and tables. Henry once shunted this coach hard enough to make its contents fly everywhere.

Basis
These coaches were based upon the SR Maunsell coaches. In the model series, they are more specifically based off of SR Maunsell third-class dining saloons. One of these, No.1365, is preserved at the Bluebell Railway.

In the magazine story Fast Food!, the dining coach is depicted as a clerestory coach.

Livery
In the model series it is painted green with custard-yellow window surrounds.

In the CGI series it is identical to the regular green express coaches, however in the model series the buffet coach has a specialised model. The model has the word "BUFFET" on the sides as well as bars across the top of the windows and a different door layout.

In the magazines, the Buffet Car is painted yellow-orange and has yellow stripes.

Appearances
Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 5 - Bye George!
 * Series 8 - Henry and the Wishing Tree
 * Series 16 - Express Coming Through
 * Series 18 - Toad's Adventure
 * Series 23 - Steam Team to the Rescue
 * -|Other Media=

Magazine Stories

 * 2003 - Fast Food!
 * 2010 - Christmas Dinner Diner

Merchandise

 * Motorized

Gordon's Special Coaches
For breaking his speed-record again, Gordon was rewarded with a new set of special coaches. Emily was to collect them and deliver them to the ceremony, but Diesel stole the coaches and hid them in a siding. Diesel gave them back after he told Emily that he had set a record as well.

Basis
Gordon's special coaches are based on Southern Railway Maunsell standard non-corridor carriages.

Livery
Gordon's special coaches are painted in a dark blue coat of paint with a red and gold stripe beneath the windows. The coaches' roofs are white with black vents.

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 7 - Gordon and Spencer
 * Series 10 - Emily and the Special Coaches
 * Series 12 - Thomas and the Billboard

Trivia

 * Gordon's Special Coaches were originally planned to be introduced in the seventh series, episode Gordon and Spencer. But were dropped and pushed to the tenth series, episode Emily and the Special Coaches.
 * The Thomas & Friends models of Gordon's Special Coaches are currently on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park.

The German Express Coach
A German express coach with a face appeared in the Great Race Friends Near and Far online video series.

It appeared at the last station in Germany that Frieda and Ivan arrived to after competing in the Great Railway Show.

Videos

 * 2017 - Frieda The Grumpiest Engine

Other Coaches
Four grey coaches with an orange stripe appeared in Thomas and the Big, Big Bridge.

A white express coach with orange lining was seen in the 2006 magazine story, Splendid Sight.

Trivia

 * In the magazine story, Airship, Gordon's express carriages are once referred to as "Pullman Coaches".
 * Some of the express coaches' television series models are currently on display; three red ones and two green ones at Drayton Manor Theme Park and two red ones at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan. One green express coach model (made in the sixth series) is owned by Twitter user TomsProps.
 * The wind-up toys are repainted from those representing Japanese National Railways coaches.
 * The Dining Coach is the only express coach with an aisle.
 * Unlike other express coaches on Sodor, The Dining Coach appeared once in every era of the show.