The Thomas & Friends™ 80th Anniversary Expansion is a charming, narrative-driven add-on released on May 29, 2025, celebrating the anniversary of the beloved Railway Series books. It builds upon the existing Thomas content on the West Somerset Railway.
🔑 Key Details & Requirements
| Feature | Description |
| Type | Narrative Story and Cosmetic Add-on |
| Anniversary Celebrated | 80 years of The Railway Series (first book published May 12, 1945) |
| New Content | 3-Part Narrated Story |
| Special Locomotive | Thomas in Original Green Livery (Number 70, with pinstripe lining) |
| Standard Price | $9.99 USD (Approximate) |
🛠️ Required Content Stack
This is an expansion DLC, and specific prior content is required for use:
- Base Game: Train Sim World 5 (or Train Sim World 6)
- Route: West Somerset Railway route add-on
- Initial Add-on: Thomas & Friends™ Visit the West Somerset Railway add-on (which contains the base models for Thomas, Diesel, Annie, Clarabel, and the Troublesome Trucks).
🎂 The Anniversary Celebration
The expansion focuses on an in-game birthday celebration for Thomas:
- New Narrative: A three-part narrated story is included where players must assist Diesel in collecting crucial party supplies from the Troublesome Trucks.
- Historical Livery: The main reward is the ability to operate Thomas in his historically accurate, original green livery. This reflects his appearance when he first arrived on Sodor, complete with his initial number 70 and pinstriping.
- Passenger Runs: Players can continue to operate passenger services with the included coaches Annie & Clarabel.
🎮 Gameplay and Compatibility
The add-on offers high flexibility for custom content creation:
- Free Roam: The Original Green Thomas unit can be used in Free Roam mode, allowing players to drive the unit across any route in their Train Sim World collection.
- Customization: The content is compatible with the Scenario Planner and Formation Designer features, enabling players to create custom scenarios and consists (limited to other Thomas & Friends content).
🛒 Availability
The Thomas & Friends 80th Anniversary Expansion is available for approximately $9.99 USD on all major digital platforms:
- PC: Steam and Epic Games Store
- Console: PlayStation 4/5 and Xbox One/Series X|S
I will search for the specific model or class of locomotive that Thomas the Tank Engine is based on in the real world.
That’s a great follow-up question! Just like Diesel, Thomas is based on a real-world British locomotive, but with some slight modifications.
🚂 Thomas’s Real-World Basis
Thomas the Tank Engine is based on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) Class E2 tank locomotive.
| Feature | Details |
| Locomotive Class | LB&SCR Class E2 |
| Wheel Arrangement | 0-6-0T (Six coupled driving wheels, no tender, Tank engine) |
| Designer | Lawson Billinton |
| Operational Role | Primarily used for heavy shunting and short-distance freight and passenger services. |
| Thomas’s Modification | The version of Thomas popularized in the books and TV series is based on the E2 fitted with extended side tanks for a greater water capacity. |
Historical Connection
The creator, Reverend W. Awdry, initially based Thomas on a wooden toy he made for his son, Christopher. However, when the publisher needed an authentic illustration for the second book, Thomas the Tank Engine (1946), Awdry provided a photograph of the LB&SCR E2 class for the illustrator, Reginald Payne, to use as the model.
All of the original prototype LB&SCR E2 class locomotives were scrapped in the early 1960s, meaning Thomas lives on through fiction and the occasional replica.
