Slate Trucks

Several types of four-wheeled Narrow Gauge Slate Trucks have been used on the Mid Sodor and Skarloey Railways. Besides transporting slate, they have been known to carry broken branches, hay bales, cows, and sheep.

Slate Trucks (I)
These Slate Trucks are the most common types of narrow gauge trucks seen on the Island of Sodor in the television series.

Thomas & Friends
In the fourth series, the Slate Trucks took a dislike to Sir Handel and wanting a chance for revenge. Unfortunately, when Peter Sam visited the Slate Quarry, some trucks mistook Peter Sam for Sir Handel. They snapped the chain attached to the winch on the incline and ran into Peter Sam, cracking his funnel and denting his boiler.

In the fifth series, during winter, some empty slate trucks jammed the winch on the incline and ran down the slope into the ravine, causing an avalanche which buried Skarloey. Another time, they broke away from Peter Sam, and plummeted into the ravine at the Old Iron Bridge.

In the sixth series, Rusty warned Duncan to be careful with the trucks after bumping them. Unfortunately for Duncan, he got his comeuppance when he jammed the incline winch and crashed into a muddy swamp with the slate trucks.

In more recent series, the slate trucks do not have faces. From Blue Mountain Mystery onwards, many faceless slate trucks are seen scattered around the Blue Mountain Quarry.

Personality
These trucks on fit into the category of Troublesome Trucks. They dislike Sir Handel because he often bumps them. On the other hand, Peter Sam never bumps the trucks unless they misbehave.

Types of sentient slate trucks in the television series:

Basis
These trucks are based on the 2-bar wooden slate wagons of the Talyllyn Railway. However, in the television series these trucks are subsequently taller than their real life counterparts.

Livery
These trucks are painted in slate grey with black frames.

Dark brown and varying shades of grey liveries would be later introduced in the CGI Series.

Appearances
Television Series= {{Scroll box|

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 4 - Granpuff, Sleeping Beauty, Bulldog, Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady, Trucks!, Home at Last, Special Funnel, Steam Roller and Gallant Old Engine
 * Series 5 - Bye George!, Duncan Gets Spooked, Rusty and the Boulder and Snow
 * Series 6 - Dunkin Duncan, Rusty Saves the Day and Faulty Whistles
 * Series 7 - The Old Bridge, The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop, Rheneas and the Roller Coaster, The Runaway Elephant, The Grand Opening and Trusty Rusty
 * Series 9 - Tuneful Toots, Rheneas and the Dinosaur and The Magic Lamp
 * Series 10 - Follow that Flour, A Smooth Ride, Thomas' Tricky Tree, Fearless Freddie, Wharf and Peace, Missing Trucks and Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out
 * Series 11 - Skarloey Storms Through, Cool Truckings, Wash Behind Your Buffers, Duncan Does it All, Sir Handel in Charge and Ding-a-Ling
 * Series 12 - Mountain Marvel and Duncan and the Hot Air Balloon
 * Series 16 - Don't Bother Victor! and The Christmas Tree Express
 * Series 17 - Luke's New Friend, The Switch and Gone Fishing
 * Series 18 - Disappearing Diesels, Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger and Duncan the Humbug
 * Series 23 - Diesel Glows Away

Specials

 * 2005 - Calling All Engines!
 * 2008 - The Great Discovery
 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery
 * 2013 - King of the Railway
 * 2017 - Journey Beyond Sodor

Music Videos
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 * Series 4 - Thomas' Anthem Grand Finale and The Island Song
 * Series 5 - Accidents Will Happen, Every Cloud has a Silver Lining, It's Great to be an Engine and The Snow Song
 * Series 6 - Little Engines and Boo! Boo! Choo-Choo
 * Series 7 - The Red Balloon and Troublesome Trucks
 * Series 9 - Buffer Up and Share
 * Series 10 - Navigation, There's Always Something New, Strength and Jingle Bells
 * Series 11 - The Narrow Gauge Engines
 * The Great Discovery - There's a Job for Everyone and Thomas, You're the Leader
 * Blue Mountain Mystery - Working Together and Blue Mountain Mystery
 * Series 17 - Hey, Hey Thomas!

Trivia

 * Broken slate trucks are occasionally seen scattered around various places on the narrow gauge railway.
 * In the fourth series, the chassis for the slate trucks were made from Cooper Craft O gauge "GWR Match Truck" (3016) and were given modifications:
 * Their ends were cut off.
 * Parts of the middle were cut out.
 * Diagonal w irons were cut off.
 * A piece of styrene attached for stability.
 * The slate trucks' faces would later be used for the Tankers in Toad Stands By.
 * One of the slate trucks was sold on Vectis with Peter Sam's Series 4 small scale model. Eight slate trucks (Five small scale and three large scale) with their faces and loads are owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch. Another small scale slate truck is owned by Twitter user TomsProps.
 * In Make Someone Happy, one of the large scale bodies was used as a shipping crate for the carousel horses that Percy and Oliver were collecting.
 * Standard gauge variations of these trucks were introduced in the feature-length special, Journey Beyond Sodor.

Merchandise

 * ERTL
 * Motor Road and Rail
 * TrackMaster
 * Waku Waku

Slate Trucks (II)
These Slate Trucks are four-wheeled open wagons which were seen on the Skarloey Railway in The Railway Series and were later seen at the Blue Mountain Quarry in the Television Series.

The Railway Series
Once, the slate trucks mistook Peter Sam for Sir Handel, and decided to play a trick on him. At the slate mine, they snapped the chain attached to the winch on the incline and ran into him, cracking his funnel and denting his boiler. Rusty would also use these trucks for maintenance work along the line.

Thomas & Friends
These trucks are faceless. They are used for transporting slate and seen scattered around the Blue Mountain Quarry.

Personality
In the Railway Series, these trucks are sentient and fit into the category of Troublesome Trucks.

They disliked Sir Handel as he would frequently bump them. Peter Sam, on the otherhand, would never bump the trucks unless they misbehaved. Sir Handel stated that he always stands well-back while the trucks are hosted down the incline to avoid any accidents.

Types of sentient slate trucks in the Railway Series:

Basis
These trucks are based on the 2-bar wooden slate wagons of the Talyllyn Railway. Their sizes are accurate to their basis.

Livery
These trucks are painted in slate grey, brown and grey with black frames.

Appearances
Railway Series=

The Railway Series

 * The Little Old Engine - Trucks!
 * Gallant Old Engine - Special Funnel and Steam Roller
 * Great Little Engines - Peter Sam and the Prickly Problem

Companion Volumes

 * 1976 - Famous Engines
 * 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection
 * 2007 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection
 * -|Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 16 - The Christmas Tree Express
 * Series 18 - Duncan the Humbug
 * Series 23 - Diesel Glows Away

Specials

 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery

Videos

 * Mr. Perkins Storytime - Trucks!

Trivia

 * In the Railway Series, the trucks were unable to distinguish Sir Handel and Peter Sam due to them being the same colour - red. Whereas, in the Television Series, they are blue and green respectively.
 * In the CGI Series, both the tall and small slate trucks co-exist within the same-universe.
 * In the Bachmann range, three trucks are numbered as #101, #164 and #178.

Merchandise

 * Bachmann
 * TrackMaster
 * Motorized

GWR Slate Trucks
These Slate Trucks are four-wheeled open wagons which were seen at the Blue Mountain Quarry and Whiff's Waste Dump in the television series.

In the annuals, Prince was illustrated pulling a load of these trucks on the Ffestiniog Railway.

Basis
These trucks are based on the Great Western '2 foot' gauge slate wagon, used on various narrow gauge lines such as the Ffestinong, the Corris, the Welshpool and Llanfair and the Vale of Rheidol Railways.

Livery
These trucks are painted in white and light brown. They have a grey chassis.

Appearances
Railway Series=

Companion Volumes

 * 1979 - Annual: The Ffestiniog Railway
 * -|Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 16 - Don't Bother Victor! and The Christmas Tree Express
 * Series 17 - Scruff's Makeover
 * Series 18 - Duncan the Humbug

Specials

 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery

Merchandise

 * Bachmann
 * Motorized

Dinorwic Quarry Wagons
These Slate Trucks are four-wheeled open wagons which were seen at the Blue Mountain Quarry in the Television Series.

One of these trucks was seen on a standard gauge host truck, a special type of wagon used to carry narrow gauge rolling stock over standard gauge track.

Basis
These trucks are based on the ornate wooden bodied wagons from the Dinorwic Quarry on the 4 ft Padarn Railway.

Livery
These trucks are painted in coral.

Appearances
Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 16 - The Christmas Tree Express
 * Series 18 - Duncan the Humbug

Specials

 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery
 * 2013 - King of the Railway

Open End Door Wagons
These Slate Trucks are four-wheeled open wagons which were used on the Skarloey Railway.

Basis
The slate wagons are based on a metal bodied wagon featured at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, Talyllyn and Corris Railways.

Livery
These trucks are painted light grey, dark grey, and oxide red.

Appearances
Railway Series=

The Railway Series

 * The Little Old Engine - Trucks!
 * Gallant Old Engine - Steam Roller

Companion Volumes

 * 1976 - Famous Engines
 * 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection
 * -|Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 16 - Don't Bother Victor! and The Christmas Tree Express
 * Series 17 - Luke's New Friend
 * Series 18 - Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger and Duncan the Humbug

Specials

 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery
 * 2013 - King of the Railway

Videos

 * Mr. Perkins Storytime - Trucks!

Merchandise

 * Bachmann