Thomas the Tank Engine:Thomas & Friends Magazines

There have been many magazines made and sold called Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends magazines. These feature stories, games, puzzles, character information and other things about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. Many Thomas magazines are now old and hard to find, but are prized by many collectors. Many of the magazines has a certain theme.

The magazines feature unique stories, many of which are not televised, with some examples being 'James and the Seeds', 'Sunshine and Showers', 'Deep Dive', and 'The Cloud Factory'.

The Thomas magazines also introduce characters only found in them. Some examples are:

Sidney the Little Blue Engine
Sidney is a small light blue 0-4-2 tank engine, who runs a small branch line near the Seasides of Sodor. He loves chuffing around, pulling passengers to the Funfair and back. He is friends with Duck the Great Western Engine.

Sidney is a narrow-gauge, and he is the same prototype as Peter Sam. He hasn't been featured in the TV Series or Railway Series.

Victor the Old Engine
Victor is an old 4-4-0 blue tank engine, who was scrapped a long time ago. This made him sad, but one day he was found and restored into a children's playground. He now sits in a park, and enjoys the company of children, climbing in and out of him.

Victor is the only 4-4-0 tank engine on the Island, and isn't in the Railway Series or TV Series. His prototype is currently unknown.

Angus the Fire Engine
Angus is a large red fire engine, who lives and works with the Sodor Fire Brigade. He works hard helping out with fires, and rescues. He likes to work hard, and has plenty of friends.

Angus is based on a 1934 Dennis Fire Engine, and isn't in the Railway Series or TV Series. He's the second character to have separate eyes (after Caroline).

No.13 the Unlucky Engine
No. 13 is a black tank engine with an open cab who was featured in the Thomas & Friends Magazines. When he first arrived on the Island of Sodor, he was very unlucky, and caused Donald and Douglas trouble and mayhem. While he was there, he got his firebox damaged, and stuck in a landslide! The Fat Controller sent him to the works, and Donald thought that would be the end of him, he came back, with a bigger firebox, as The Fat Controller said 'Your firebox is to small for an engine like you!'

Because he was the number 13, it used to be a very unlucky number.

No. 13 was only featured in one story, and hasn't been seen on the TV Series.

Little Barford the little engine
Little Barford is a purple tank engine, with his name on the side, and has a somewhat striking resemblance to Peter Sam. As his name suggests, he is a small engine, and works on a little line near a Factory. When Gordon the Big Engine called Percy the Small Engine small, Percy met Little Barford, and then told Gordon he was middle sized.

Little Barford only appeared in the story 'The Cloud Factory', and hasn't been released on the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV Series.

The White Van
The White Van is a white road vehicle featured in the Thomas & Friends Magazines, it had eyes in his headlamps instead of having an actual face. He came to the Island of Sodor to help out, but only caused trouble, when he and his driver made fun of the steam engines. He caused further trouble when his driver left his door open, which led to a squashed mattress. The White Van ended up being taken off the road when it parked in a wrong place.

The White Van's name was never revealed, and was only featured in one story.

The Naughty Pink Truck
The Naughtiest truck after S.C.Ruffey. After Thomas was boasting about his new coat of paint, then the trucks mentioned they didn't like black paint, then he told all the trucks to be so naughty so that they could get new coats of paint. The Fat Controller explained about the grime and dirt being hidden on them with the black, but he sent this truck to the works to be painted, he was painted pink. The Fat Controller told him that the pink will wear off in the end.

It hasn't appeared on the TV series, but TOMY has realesed Lady with pink trucks.

The Animal Sanctuary Coach
Appearing in "An Old Friend", the nearby animal shelter is getting full, Thomas soon sees the old coach in an old siding, paintworn and everything, he recalls the days that the express pulled him and taking people station to station, Thomas had an idea and got a crane to send him to the works, when he came back, he was in the animal sanctuary as an animal home, he is very happy there, and Thomas is glad too!

Bennet and Co. Truck
Another truck in the magazines, with the words 'BENNET AND CO.' written on his sides, seen in Deep Dive. Thomas was working at the garbage canal with him, he was being filled with iron, but he got overweighed, making hin fall into a river. In the end, he was rescued by a floating crane and got the rest of the day off.

Unnamed Workshop Engines
These two appeared in the comic story, 'Chiff Chaff'. They are seen in the works where Edward is sent to be fixed. The first one seems to be a green tender engine with green smoke deflectors (possibly an LMS Patriot-mostly an LMS Royal Scot), and the second is seen as a silver electric tram engine. There was another one, but you can only see his eyes.

Other characters

 * The Canal Boat
 * The Old VIP Bus
 * The Workshop Engines (Introduced in 'Edward Works It Out')
 * The Buffet Car
 * Police Car
 * Annie & Clarabel's Friend
 * Toy Shop Coach (Introduced in 'The Toy Train')
 * The Royal Coach

People only in Magazines

 * Bill the Bell Founder (Seen in 'The School Bell')
 * Mrs. Gold (School Teacher)
 * Farmer Collett
 * Farmer McConnell
 * George the Painter
 * Joe the Sweeper
 * Charles the Cleaner
 * Hugh the Shoveller
 * Albert the Washer
 * Dave the Guard
 * Bill the Guard
 * Fred the Guard
 * John the Guard
 * The Captain (Old Sailor)
 * Jo the Little Girl (Who owns Star the Horse)
 * Tigerwoman (Superhero)
 * Fang (Superhero)
 * Webman (Superhero)
 * Other Superhero

Animals Only in Magazines

 * Thunder the Horse (Seen in 'Getting The Fizz Pops')
 * Lightning the Horse (Seen in 'Getting The Fizz Pops')
 * Penny, Henny Peg, Matilda, Irene, & Henrietta the hens (Seen in a counting Activity)
 * Sooty the Cat (Seen in 'A Nose For Trouble')
 * Big Ben the Rooster (Seen in 'Cock-A-Doodle-Don't')
 * Harry the Hamster (Seen in 'The Hunt for Harry')
 * Star the Horse (Seen in 'Thomas and Star')
 * Ben, Stephen and Bridget Hatt's Dog (Seen in A Birthday Activity)