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Thomas The Tank Engine and friends

Thomas the Tank Engine started his life on the Island of Sodor as a cheeky little engine who shunted coaches for the Main Line Engines, such as Henry and Gordon. He liked to play tricks on them, including Gordon, "the biggest and proudest engine of them all". He was taught a lesson when Gordon tricked him into being coupled to him during his Express run. Tired out, he swore never to tease Gordon again, realizing he didn't have to to be important. Soon, he desired to pull his own passenger train, too, much to the bemusement of the other engines.

He got his chance when Henry became ill and no one could pull the passenger train. However, Thomas the Tank Engine was so excited that he accidentally left his train and his passengers behind, believing he was pulling it easily. He soon realized his mistake and returned to pull the train. The engines laughed at him, though, and soon Thomas wanted to get out of the shunting yards and see the world. Edward offered him a chance to pull freight cars, and Thomas excitedly took the job, not realizing how troublesome freight cars could be.

The freight cars pushed him down Gordon's Hill into a siding, where Sir Topham Hatt told him to practice so that someday he would become as good as Edward. Thomas the Tank Engine soon proved himself when he rescued James after his accident with the freight cars, using the Breakdown Train. As a reward for his quick and heroic action, Sir Topham Hatt promised him his own branch line. Thrilled, Thomas soon began running his branch line with his two new coaches, Annie and Clarabel, who he grew to love very much. He soon considered his branch line to be the most important part of the entire railway, a fact he would constantly remind the other engines. However, he continued to make mistakes and dream big, and sometimes this got him into trouble, such as when he was so impatient that he left his conductor behind at Elsbridge, or when he wanted to fish, not realizing the implications of a fish being in his boiler.

His greatest mistake was when he got his snowplough broken in the winter and ended up stuck in a snow drift, having to be rescued by Terence the Tractor, whom he had insulted earlier for not having "real" wheels. He soon proved himself again, though, when he beat Bertie the Bus in a great race. He quickly became friends with both Terence and Bertie, despite their differences. Although Thomas' branch line was indeed the pride of the line, on the main line, things were not going well for Sir Topham Hatt, who was having to deal with Gordon, Henry, and James' sulking, refusing to do Thomas' former work of shunting themselves. After they went on strike, Thomas was brought back to help alongside Edward and their new friend, Percy, a precocious little engine who quickly became Thomas' closest friend.

Thomas the Tank Engine also became friends with Toby the Tram Engine after he was asked by Sir Topham Hatt to help their railway avoid a lawsuit from a rude policeman. But Thomas still had some cheekiness in him, returning to teasing Gordon after Gordon slid into a ditch. He soon needed Gordon's help after he blatantly went past a danger sign and fell down a mine. They soon became friends after that and swore never to tease each other again. Thomas and Toby later helped Mrs. Kyndley at her cottage after she was snowed in and helped her celebrate Christmas with a very special Christmas party.

Thomas is rather cheeky, but is good at heart and generally behaves well, except when he is getting into mishap. Thomas loves teasing the others and on occasion brags about his superiority, but is always brought down to earth in due course. If Thomas has one major character flaw, it's that he's forgetful, and slightly impatient. However, he's also optimistic and idealistic. Although their friendship has been turbulent at times, Percy is generally portrayed as Thomas' best friend.

Thomas was the only fictional character included in the Independent on Sunday's 2009 "Happy List", recognised alongside 98 real-life adults and a therapy dog for making Britain a better and happier place