Thomas & Friends merchandise facts for kids

Thomas & Friends merchandise includes all the cool toys, books, and other items made because the Thomas & Friends TV show is so popular! Even before the TV show started in 1984 in the United Kingdom, people loved the original The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry from 1945. When the TV show became a hit in America and Japan, many companies wanted to make Thomas-themed products.

The most popular items are models of the characters, like Thomas the Tank Engine himself! These models often come with their own railway tracks. Did you know that Rev. W. Awdry actually made the first toy model of Thomas the Tank Engine? This toy inspired the character we know today. He even built models of Annie in 1927 and Clarabel in 1948.

Besides trains, you can find lots of other Thomas stuff! This includes videos, books, magazines, and computer games. There are also audiobooks, yearly books, coloring books, jigsaw puzzles, board games, stationery, clothes, cutlery, and even things for your room like curtains and lampshades. Some companies even made Thomas-themed drinks and pasta shapes!

Thomas & Friends toys were super popular in 2010, ranking number one for preschool toys in the U.S. and making it into the top 10 for all toys! In 2011, it was the top preschool toy in the U.K. for the 11th year in a row. Thomas toys are also best-sellers in Australia, Germany, Japan, and Korea. In 2010, while the toy industry grew by a small amount, Thomas & Friends toy sales jumped by over 47%!

In 2015, Mattel released Thomas & Friends Minis to celebrate Thomas's 70th anniversary. These tiny toys became so popular that they became a permanent product line in 2016.

Companies Making Thomas Toys

Many different companies have created Thomas & Friends merchandise over the years. Here's a look at some of them.

Early Model Books

The very first Thomas toys were 'Pre-cut Model Engine Books' released in 1957. These were colorful cardboard kits. You could press out the pieces, fold them, and glue them together to make realistic models. Four different books were published, featuring characters like Thomas, Percy, Gordon, and James.

In 1987, a new 'Press-out Model Book' for Thomas was released. Later, in 1994, another series of press-out models came out. These included accessories, track, and a station for characters like Thomas, Percy, James, and Toby.

Meccano Train Sets

In 1965, Meccano Ltd made a special train set. It featured a clockwork model of Percy the Small Engine with some trucks. The Percy model looked a lot like the pictures in the books. This set was only made in 1965 and is now very rare!

Ertl Company Die-Cast Toys

Ertl was one of the first companies to make Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends toys. They started in 1985 in the UK and 1989 in the US. Their most famous products were their die-cast metal models and playsets. These were very popular, especially in the UK, and many people loved collecting them.

The first models included Thomas, Henry, and James. Early Thomas models even came with stickers so you could give him different expressions! Later, in 1990, characters got fixed plastic faces. Ertl kept making new vehicles every year, including characters from the TV show and even some from the original books. They also made special versions, like a Gold Thomas for the 50th Anniversary of The Railway Series.

Ertl models used special couplings to connect the trains. They also made playsets with playmats and molded destinations. Later sets had a gray track system that you could connect. Ertl stopped making these toys in the US in 2002 and in the UK in 2005.

Thomas Mini World

In 1991, Ertl also launched a miniature Thomas line called Miniatures. These small characters came with connectable block bases that looked like destinations, such as a turntable or a windmill. You could connect these bases to create a playset. This line was brought back in 2004 as Thomas Mini World, with updated characters and bases.

Hornby Railways Models

In 1985, Hornby Railways started making 00 gauge model engines, tracks, and sets based on Thomas & Friends. These models were designed to work with other Hornby trains. Over the years, they added more main characters and train sets.

Hornby's models are made for slightly older children because they require more care to place on the tracks. However, they are also designed to be handled safely without easily breaking delicate parts. The Hornby Thomas range was retired in 2014 but relaunched in 2015 with a smaller selection of characters.

Fisher-Price Toys

Fisher-Price has produced several popular Thomas & Friends toy lines.

Thomas & Friends Wood

Thomas & Friends Wood, also known as Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway, is a wooden railway system created by Learning Curve in 1992. It's one of the most well-known wooden train lines for Thomas characters.

The models were first made from painted wood with plastic wheels and faces. They were later updated with more detailed faces. In 2008, Learning Curve also created the Talking Railway Series, where engines and destinations could interact using special magnets.

In 2009, Mattel's preschool division, Fisher Price, took over the Thomas franchise. They continued the wooden railway line, introducing characters from the CGI TV series. In 2017, the line was completely changed to Thomas Wood. The engines became smaller, and the track system was no longer compatible with older wooden tracks. After some complaints, Fisher-Price started fully painting the engines again in 2019.

Take-n-Play Thomas & Friends

Take-n-Play Thomas & Friends (originally Take Along Thomas & Friends) is a series of die-cast Thomas models designed for preschool children. These models replaced the Ertl die-cast range. They use special 'two-way' magnets to connect.

First released in 2002, these models are chunkier and look more like toys than the Ertl range. The line includes many characters from the TV series and movies. In 2010, Mattel bought Take-Along and renamed it Take-n-Play. Production moved to Thailand in 2013, and the models got new designs, including updated faces that look more like the CGI series. This line was discontinued in 2018.

Thomas TrackMaster

In 2007, HIT Entertainment's HIT Toy Company started making the Thomas Motor Road and Rail range, which became known as TrackMaster. These engines were compatible with Tomy's earlier motorized trains. In 2010, Fisher Price took over the rights.

In 2014, Mattel completely redesigned TrackMaster. The trains became faster and could climb tall hills. The track also looked more realistic.

Thomas Motorized

Motorized is a battery-operated toy system launched by Fisher-Price in 2020. It's a rebrand of the 2014 TrackMaster line, with new products and a simpler design.

Tomy Toys

Tomy has made several Thomas model ranges. Their line was later reworked into Plarail, a Japanese version of Tomy toys. Tomy models often have peach-colored Traction Tyres, which helps tell them apart from early TrackMaster models that had gray ones. Tomy stopped making Thomas toys when Hit Toy Company took over in 2007.

Capsule Plarail

In 1997, Tomy also made a range of small wind-up models called Capsule Plarail. These models often had special actions when wound up.

Golden Bear Toys

My First Thomas & Friends

My First Thomas & Friends is a line of chunky plastic toys made by the British company Golden Bear Toys. This range started in 1994 and was designed for very young children. The toys are safe for little ones to play with.

The range includes most of the main and smaller characters from the TV series. Talking versions of these models were released in 2000. These more complex models have moving eyes and speak famous phrases from the show's narrators, Ringo Starr and Michael Angelis.

Bandai Toys

Thomas Engine Collection Series

Bandai released a large number of die-cast vehicles that looked similar to Ertl's "Gold Rail" models. This series had many characters, mostly from Seasons 1–5 of the TV show. Bandai also made small plastic toys called "Pocket Thomas."

Bachmann Industries Models

In 2002, Bachmann USA started making their own HO-scale electric Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends range for the US and Canada. These models are designed to look just like the characters in the TV series and have moving eyes. Bachmann also announced larger scale Thomas trains in 2009 and a smaller N Scale range in 2019.

LEGO Duplo Sets

In 2005, LEGO introduced their first Duplo 'Thomas' sets. Duplo is designed for very young children, so these sets have fewer pieces and are easy to assemble. New sets were released each year until 2010, when Mega Bloks took over the license.

Mega Bloks Sets

In 2009, Mega Bloks started making buildable Thomas & Friends models and sets. This line included characters like Percy, Thomas, and Diesel. The line ended in 2017. In the same year, Mega Bloks also made larger versions of some characters.

Thomas & Friends Video Games

Many different educational software and video games based on Thomas & Friends have been released for various computer platforms.

• Thomas the Tank Engine: This 1990 video game let players control Thomas as he completed special trips, like taking children to the seaside or delivering mail.
• Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: Released in 1993 for Genesis and Super NES, this game was based on the TV series.
• Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Pinball: A pinball-based game from 1995, featuring different boards based on characters like Thomas, James, Percy, and Toby.
• Thomas & Friends: The Great Festival Adventure: This educational computer game from 1999 featured mini-games around the island of Sodor. Players could prepare rides or sort goods.
• Thomas & Friends: Trouble on the Tracks: Released in 2000, this educational adventure game was similar to the previous one, with eight mini-games on Sodor.
• Thomas & Friends: Railway Adventures: In this 2001 game, players controlled Thomas in a 3D Sodor environment, completing tasks and exploring. It even included clips from the TV series!
• Kikansha Thomas – Sodor-tou no Nakama-tachi: A 2001 action-adventure game released only in Japan for the Game Boy Color. Players explored Sodor, solving puzzles and meeting characters.
• Thomas & Friends: Building the New Line: This 2002 adventure game allowed players to help The Fat Controller build new railway lines on Sodor. You could pick your engine and customize the track.
• Thomas & Friends: Thomas Saves the Day: An adventure computer game released in 2003.
• Thomas & Friends: A Day at the Races: A PlayStation 2 game released in Europe and Australia.