Our story begins in 1917 in the sleepy village of Box in Wiltshire, England. A young boy lies awake in his bed, listening to steam engines huffing and puffing along the nearby Great Western Railway. To the little boy tucked up in bed, listening to the engines, it sounds very much like the trains are talking to each other. The young boy is Wilbert Awdry – later to become the Reverend W. Awdry, the creator of "The Railway Series" and the most famous tank engine in the world — Thomas.

2016 The Thomas & Friends property debuts theatrically in China for the very first time in over 5,000 cinemas nationwide and introduces the very first Chinese engine, Yong Bao. To commemorate this new friendship, Thomas and his friends visit The Great Wall for a day of play!

Thomas & Friends brand launches its 11th feature film with Thomas & Friends The Great Race featuring 12 new international trains and more songs than ever before.