Medium Blending: In season 12, CGI faces were superimposed onto the models. Earlier, the 2D-animated bee that stings James in "Buzz, Buzz."

Deus ex Machina: In "Stepney Gets Lost", Sir Topham Hatt happened to be roving the scrap yards Stepney got lured to, and he shuts off the grabber to save him from getting scrapped last-minute. Captain Obvious: The narration and learning segments in season 8-16 constantly state the obvious. Take this choice quote from a Calling All Engines learning segment: "And bananas are no good for building sheds!" Adaptational Protagonist: While The Railway Series, the source material, has an ensemble cast with no series-wide protagonist, this animated adaptation puts the titular Breakout Character in the spotlight. A.I. Is a Crapshoot: These trains have personality issues. Not to mention the ridiculous amounts of crashes that they seem to get into. (See Incompetence, Inc. below) An interview with David Mitton explained this was due to the team wanting to showcase the series' potential before the movie was produced, and trying for original stories with more dynamic scenes.In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Henrietta was recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. Her model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software. I Want To Go Home" in Journey Beyond Sodor as Thomas is trapped at the Steelworks and wishes he were home on Sodor. Thomas, Percy and the Coal" may also count. Apart from the first few scenes, the episodes takes place entirely at the Tidmouth complex. The episode is believed to have replaced The Missing Coach, so this was probably done to save time and money.

Sounds | Engine Roll Call | A World Around You | Emily | Surprises | Determination | Patience | Ode to Gordon One of the main arcs of Tale of the Brave is Percy finding a new best friend in Gator while steadily growing apart from Thomas. The montage in the special that's set to "Our Tale of the Brave" really doesn't help. And if that's not enough there's also the entire plot of the Season 18 episode "Missing Gator". Ho Yay, anyone? Dark Reprise: In "Reds vs. Blues", an intense minor-key variation of James' S8-12 theme is heard as Thomas and James are racing each other to the station.

Photographs of Henrietta's Gauge 1 model were used for referencing. According to Greg Tiernan, every detail of the original television series models for each character is carefully reproduced in the CGI model. The models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval. Cannot Keep a Secret: Thomas can't resist telling a downbeat Stephen about his special job in King Of The Railway, pivoting the chain of events. Subverted in Blue Mountain Mystery, the narrow gauge engines think Thomas blabbed about Luke in trying to clear his name, but he did so via shrewd investigation. In "Edward's Exploit" Gordon tells the aging Edward that he should "give up and be preserved before it's too late." One of the first episodes of the Nitrogen era, "Double Trouble", started with an episode featuring Sir Topham Hatt's birthday. The second-to-last episode of that era, "Happy Birthday Sir!", did the same. Sir Topham Hatt: "Hiro, you have caused confusion and delay...and terrible trouble to my trousers!"

Katsuji Mori, James' Japanese voice, played a character before who is energetic and likes racing. They also support the number 5. Series 18 - Old Reliable Edward ( cameo), Signals Crossed, Thomas the Quarry Engine, Spencer's VIP ( cameo), Marion and the Dinosaurs and Samson at Your Service ( mentioned)

Finishing Each Other's Sentences: Bash and Dash's way of communicating. This is deconstructed in "Toby and Bash", where Bash can't complete his sentences because Dash isn't with him. Family-Unfriendly Death: The Spiteful Break Van, who was smashed to pieces by Douglas, and S.C Ruffey that Oliver broke apart (though he was rebuilt). For Fridge Horror, there are scrapyards. Kid-Appeal Character: One of the reasons Thomas became the star of the show is likely because of his childish personality. Percy counts as well. That evening, Toby arrives at the Steamworks with Hannah to find that Henrietta is repaired. Henrietta sees Hannah and tells Toby that she and Hannah are sisters, and that she used to call her "Hasty Hannah." As Toby leaves with Henrietta, Hannah urges them to work faster, to which they can only laugh. Character Name and the Noun Phrase: Many episode titles follow this format, especially in the form of "Thomas and the....."

Feud Episode: Many examples, especially in early seasons. To name but few, Thomas and Percy in "Thomas, Percy, & The Coal/Double Trouble", Bill and Ben in "One Good Turn", and Donald and Douglas in "Twin Trouble" and "Love Me Tender".Diesel | Daisy | BoCo | Mavis | Derek | 'Arry and Bert | Diesel 10 | Salty | Dennis | Den | Dart | Paxton | Norman | Sidney | Philip Amusingly, The Fat Controller is portrayed as a notoriously bad driver, especially towards Winston. Wilbert the Forest Engine - Percy's Porridge ( cameo), Cab Over Wheels and Wired-Up ( does not speak)