The Steelworks

"This is the hottest place in town!"

- Hurricane and Frankie, Journey Beyond Sodor

The Steelworks is a large industry on the Mainland which produces steel.

History
For a long time, Hurricane - a large tank engine - and Frankie - a diesel shunter - were the only permanent engines who worked at these massive steelworks. Their duties included emptying slag, arranging trucks and making deliveries of steel to various yards, including Bridlington. It is implied that Hurricane and Frankie had previously forced visitors to the steelworks to stay and help them out. No matter how many engines they captured, however, they all seem to have managed to escape.

When Thomas ended up at the steelworks after getting lost on the way to Bridlington with a goods train, Hurricane and Frankie welcomed him to the steelworks with a song and persuaded him to stay the night. The next morning, the pair convinced him to stay and work at the steelworks as repayment for Hurricane delivering the goods train for him overnight.

Eventually, after realising he had been imprisoned by the pair, Thomas made attempts to escape. On his first attempt, he escaped via an old track leading into the woods, but was derailed and eventually brought back by Hurricane and Frankie. Later in the night, when Hurricane and Frankie were fast asleep, Thomas made a second attempt by trying to break down the gates. This one succeeded and - after a brief chase - Thomas managed to escape.

The next morning, Hurricane managed to lure James to the steelworks after meeting him at Bridlington. He and Frankie's plans were thwarted again, however, when Thomas returned to help James escape with the help of Theo, Lexi and Merlin. In the ensuing chase, Hurricane's wheels were partially melted by molten steel. He was thankfully saved by Merlin, but the damage to his wheels left the steelworks down one engine. After Frankie explained that they had only been imprisoning engines because they were in desperate need of help, Thomas suggested that the experimental engines - who had no work - could assist them from then on. Following Thomas and James' return to Sodor, Hurricane's wheels were mended and the five engines now run the steelworks together.

Appearances
Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 22 - Seeing is Believing

Specials

 * 2017 - Journey Beyond Sodor
 * 2018 - Big World! Big Adventures!

Music Videos

 * Journey Beyond Sodor - The Hottest Place in Town, I Want to Go Home and The Most Important Thing is Being Friends

Trivia

 * Butch's magnet from the fifteenth series episode Stuck on You is reused as the Steelworks magnet.
 * The design of the steelworks somewhat resembles the Carrie Furnace, one of the few surviving parts of the long-abandoned Homestead steelworks in Homestead, Pennsylvania.

Merchandise

 * Minis
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Tomica

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