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The off-rail characters are imporrtant to Sodor. Many of the road characters played important roles in helping
the engines out of tight situtations, which is why they agree rails and roads have a lot in common.
FIRST SEEN - Series 1, Thomas, Terence, And The Snow
LAST SEEN - The Great Discovery
Jack & The Pack has a rather large backstory. In 2002, Phil Fehrle wanted to launch a spinoff series
of Thomas & Friends, namely Jack & The Pack, for competition in ratings against a related show Bob
The Builder. The show never made it on its own time-frame, but the characters have starred in various episodes on Thomas
& Friends, and 2 special release DVDs with episodes featuring them. They also made large appearances in 2008's The
Great Discovery.
FIRST SEEN - Series 6, Jack Jumps In
LAST SEEN - Series 12, Percy And The Bandstand
FIRST SEEN - J&TP, A Visit From Thomas
LAST SEEN - The Great Discovery
FIRST SEEN - J&TP, On Site With Thomas
LAST SEEN - J&TP, Percy Helps Out
FIRST SEEN - J&TP, On Site With Thomas
LAST SEEN - J&TP, On Site With Thomas
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Terence is a helpful CAT 70 tractor, that working the fields alongside Thomas's branchline,
always with a smile on his face. When Thomas firt met him, he teased Terence because of how awkward his caterpillar tracks
looked, but soon learned to respect him when Terence pulled him out a snowdrift. Terence's caterpillars are very useful, and
with them, Terence has helped both engines and vehicles out of many tight jams. He befriends easily and doesn't take much
offence. He also helped with shunting while Toby and Percy had to change their jobs due to an accident with Mavis and suggested
that the engines go to the road.
Bertie is the cheerful red pre-war rural single deck bus that works the roads up and down
alongside Thomas's branchline. He is very fast, and feels he can brag because of it, once starting a race between him and
Thomas, Thomas winning. They have had another race, which Bertie won due to Thomas being side-tracked. Bertie still believes
that roads are more reliable than rails, and is always challenging Thomas to a race to prove so but still maintains a friendship
with the blue engine. He generally helps out a lot though and once changed Edward done his line in order to get Thomas' passengers
on the train. His registration is CRD 54 (A reference to C. Reginald Dalby and how the book came out in 1954)
Trevor has had a decent life for a Foster steam traction engine, and is very content. He was once painted
black, and did jobs in farms and was well liked. But when he wasn't wanted anymore, he was sent to a scrapyard where
he sat and rusted until Edward found him one day, and later convinced the Vicar to buy him. Trevor was refurbished, and is
now painted green, working happily in the vicarage orchard, always happy to give children rides. Trevor can work anywhere,
and once proved it to Thomas. He is slow-moving, which causes other road characters to become impatient with him. He has the
misfortune of having his carts constantly destroyed. He is based on a traction engine owned by Teddy Boston (The Fat Clergyman).
This is Bulgy, a double-deckered bus. At one point, he was to carry passengers on Market Day near Duck's
branchline, but decieved Duck and Oliver by lying to the passengers and saying he was a railway bus. But a low-hanging bridge
soon stopped him and Duck had to save the day. He was badly damaged and got sold to farmer and used as a henhouse. But Bulgy
changed his ways completely, and for the better. When the summer rush arrived, the Fat Controller brought him back to the
roads due to Thomas and Emily being at the works, and was determined to give the passengers a smooth ride. But an incident
with the hens turned Bulgy off to passengers completely. He is now a vegetable bus, selling vegetables in a built stand on
him in the streets to people. He is much happier now, because as he says "Vegetables never complain!" 
George is a stubborn, disagreeable and dishonest Avening and Porter steamroller with a rough attitude
towards the railways. When the roads near the Skarloey line needed to be repaved, he would chuffer about chanting "Railways
are no good! Rip them up, turn them into roads!" nonstop. Skarloey tricked Sir Handel into thinking he could takle George
cause of his steamroller wheels. The two became enemies and George rammed into Sir Handel's train. He returned later to work
at the level crossing on Thomas' branch line and caused upset to Daisy. He then returned and paved over a level crossing,
causing Thomas to crash, and blocked Duck's way and caused a truck to be crushed by Gordon. He was put in a shed for a week
and learnt his lesson. 
Caroline is a Bull Nosed Morris car that belongs to the Elsbridge Cricket Club. She is old and worn
out and doesn't like going too fast. She didn't like engines that much as they were loud and too fast for her. When a cricket
ball fell in Stepney's trucks, she had to chase him and ended up in a race against him. When they caught him, Caroline was
worn out and couldn't take them back. Stepney held her get back to the cricket club and she was very grateful and now adores
engines.
The Horrid Lorries are triplet lorries that were brought to assit with work on the Island. They were
instantly rude to the engines and caused a lot of upset. They slowly began to take over their work and the engines began to
feel unwanted. However, they all ended up having accidents: one broke down, one drove into the sea and one fell off a cliff!
To Thomas, they were known as The Brothers' Grim! They were sent off to be repaired, but never returned.
Thumper is a bizarre machine brought to dig for rocks at a new quarry. It worked well and pleased
the men. However, it's pumping pistons shook the mountain and made the boulder roll down the mountain and destroyed a lot
of the line. It's fate after the quarry was closed is unknown.
Elizabeth is a steam-powered vintage senitial lorry, and proud of it. Once being owned by the Fat Controller,
she was locked in a shed until Thomas's driver and fireman accidentaly found her. Jem Cole restored her, and she looks and
runs much better now. Elizabeth is the grandmotherly figure on Sodor, keeping the engines in their place. She loves doing
important jobs and feeling special, but she can rude and rather blunt sometimes. 
Madge is a snub-nosed lorry that is very proud of what she does, and that is making deliveries around the Hills.
She is a very cautious and responsible driver, and the Thin Controller praises her for that. Though Madge does know how to
have fun, as she once showed Duncan when taking him on her trolley to the other end of the line. She sees the little
engines often, and keeps them in order and always makes sure they do the right thing. She fusses over them and once got muddy
make sure Skarloey and Rheneas got clean that she got hem muddy! 
Harold is a Westland-Sikorsky S-55 Whirlwind helicopter and is used for nearly any
job. He is an important piece of the smooth running of the Island's work, flying high above the engines making sure all is
well. He boasted a lot about flying to Percy when he was new, but after a brisk race, Percy won and left Harold speechless.
Harold is good friends with all the engines, though the engines get cross when he is used for important work instead
of them. He takes part in a lot of search and rescues and assisted in saving Toby from falling over a waterfall. He gets bored
easily when he isn't needed as he enjoys helping others out.
Jeremy is a modern jet plane that often visits Sodor after the Sodor Airport opened. Like all aircraft,
he is boastful about flying, and liked to show off to Thomas, making Thomas want to fly like him too. But whena storm struck,
Jeremy managed to warn Thomas and the picnic was moved to the hanger. Jeremy is white and blue and has special lights like
most planes, but that tricked the engines into thinking a UFO was hovering over Sodor. Jeremy is now seen bringing important
people to Sodor and also delivers cargo occasionally. He is very busy and doesn't have time to talk to the engines most
days.
Tiger Moth is a bi-plane that lives at Dryaw Airfield. It and it's driver have a wild nature and it
speeds around a lot and does dangerous dives, annoying Harold and humans. It ended up crashing and was grounded. It has been
seen as a promotional plane with banners attached to it's back. It is usually seen resting at the Airfield.
Cranky stands mighty and tall, getting the best view of the Docks. He gets his name from his behavior,
usually crabby because he works day and night, rarely with a well-deserved rest. When he first arrived, he was cheeky and
enjoyed getting Thomas and Percy into trouble, and calling names like 'mice' and 'bugs'. But a stormy night caused Cranky
to fall (twice), and learned to treat the engines nicely after they helped him. Cranky also dislikes Salty, mainly because
he doesn't know how to shut up at the right times. Cranky may not have wheels, but can be broken down and moved to different
locations if needed.
Colin is a green crane that works the Wharf, unloading all sorts of loads for the Narrow Gauge engines.
He has a brick base, and feels lonely and bored about not being able to move. He is good friends with the engines but espically
Freddie. The grey engine arranged for the Christmas party to be held at the Wharf so that Colin could attend it, and the crane
was very happy. He was even covered in lights for the party!
Butch is the roadway's rescue vehicle. He works under the company name Sodor Recovery Unit, and proud
of his job. Butch doesn't talk much, but still enjoys to be useful. He played a large role in rescuing the Horrid Lorries
after all three got into wrecks. He is usually seen waiting at the yards for work.
Jack is a young and ambitious front loader that is always eager to work but can be dangerous at times. When
he first arrived, he jumped straight into work but went after the wrong jobs. He befriended the others quickly, but still
took risks and rolled up a hill to give rocks to Max and he tipped over and slid down the hill! Miss Jenny told him off and
he behaved more the next day and saved Thomas from falling off a bridge. He got into the Pack and became very kind and stopped
jumping in and has saved the day on a few occasions, though once raced around and damaged some slate tiles. He is best friends
with Alfie and Thomas.
Alfie is a small excavator that loves to do dirty work and demolitions. As he says, "More dirt means more fun!"
He was originally seen mainly digging up stones and dirt, but then he got involved in the incidents and excitment more. He
assisted in holding up the lightning tree when Max and Monty hit it, and once started sinking in the mud when the dump trucks
hit a water pipe, and Byron luckily saved him. He got teased a bit for his small size, but used it to rescue some kittens
and doesn't get teased as much anymore. He is best friends with Thomas, Percy and Jack.
Oliver is a large excavator with a larger heart. He is polite all the time and tries hard to upset the others
and helps keep the others in order. He has a number of different items that go at the end of his arm: a scissor claw, a bucket,
wrecking balls and many others! He helps out a lot and assisted in holding up the lightning tree when it was falling. He once
discovered dinosaur bones while digging up dirt for a swimming pool at the new school and became very famous across the
Island.
Ned is a rather clumsy steam shovel that tries his best to do his work well, though often stuffs up and gets
blamed when things go wrong. He usually drops his loads heavily or by the trucks and his arm once knocked the keystones off
a bridge. He likes to do demolitions but is usually stuck with bad jobs, but proved the workers wrong when he accidentally
demolished a building that Oliver couldn't knock down!
Kelly is a roadway crane and seen as a leader of the Pack. He usually issues out orders and tries to keep the
others under control, and usually tells Isobella off the most. He always rushes to the scene of trouble to see if everyone
is alright, and his arm is very strong, and helped to hold up the lightning tree when it was falling. He gets nervous after
having accidents and after tipping over due to the wind didn't want to go out but braved the wind and managed to rescue Isobella
from falling off a raised road!
Isobella is a very cheeky, stuck up steam lorry. She adores her paint and tells the others off when they nearly
get it dirty and Kelly has to tell her off a lot of the time. She does lots of jobs outside of the Pack and once came off
the road while delivering a piano and Kelly had to rescue her from falling. Due to be one of two steam vehicles on the Pack,
Isobella is needed a lot when the others break down. Due to a fuel shortage, all the machines broke down during rainy weather
and Isobella had to go through the muddy countryside to get the fuel and was unrecognisable, but she realised she didn't mind
the mud that much.
Byron is a big bulldozer and is very proud of his work. He prefers to work alone but is always glad to get
praise. He is very good with doing very tidy, perfect work. During some rainy weather, the others were too busy trying
not to get bogged to notice his nice straight trench. But when Alfie started sinking, Byron rushed to the rescue and saved
the little excavator from disaster and got the praise he wanted.
Max and Monty are twin dump trucks and always cause trouble. They usually race against each other and
chase each other and they are very competitive and argue quite a lot of the time, when they aren't teasing the others. They
end up endangering everyone during their chaos, and have crashed into trees, caused Alfie to sink and caused Patrick to drive
off the road, though they always get reprimanded. They act very tough, but they got scared after hearing a ghost story and
got embarassed after they realised the "ghost engine" chasing them was actually Thomas!
Buster is a friendly steamroller who dreams of going fast, though he isn't designed to speed. He loves to work
but he can't really do much outside of construction sites and gets upset when he can't do anything. But due to his rollers,
something turns up in the end, like when he had to flatten molehills on a soccer field after a big storm. He also helped majorly
in building the Sodor Speedway and was pleased to be able to test it. Max and Monty laughed at him, but their arguments put
them behind and Buster won the race.
Nelson is a very hard working transporter. He takes the machines all around the Island to wherever they are
needed if they can't get there fast enough. He gets tired easily and dreamt of being carried instead of carrying. One day
he had to carry Thomas and found him very heavy and felt exhausted afterwards but Percy took him back to the yard and he was
glad his dream had come true.
Patrick is a boastful cement mixer who thinks that cement and his work are the most important things with a
construction site. He started a big debate amongst the machines, which caused Max and Monty to compete and block the road
and they charged towards him and he had to drive off a cliff and into his cement to avoid damage! He was upset about his ruined
work, but got told off for boasting about cement.