Proof that the other 10% is worth being scrapped for here:
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Thomas & Friends fanfics. Always remember to use the template found here. No name recommendations will be zapped to the scrapyards and back.
Warn us when fics indulge in stuff that is NSFW, romanticized, or non-canon. We all know that it isn't appreciated by everybody.
General Fanfics
Horrors of the Rails
by NarrowGauge
- Recommended By: mrluntishysterical, Or just call me The F Presser
- Status: Complete for 2018, but likely an annual thing.
- Summary: A series of railway related horror audios that are some truly spooky things. Two of the stories are mere adaptations, but those ones do manage to to have their unique take on the source material. While another two do not have much to do with Thomas, they still remain rather spooky. But those stories are more than eclipsed by the shocking Caledonian Twins. The tale of the titular twins Donald and Douglas, and when while they were still working on British Rail, encountered an exceptionally and shockingly nasty diesel.
- Heck, I could make the case for giving the series its own TV Tropes page. Or at least mentioning Caledonian Twins in the Other/Meta section of the show's Nightmare Fuel page.
- Tags: Rather dark themes.
Behind Your Shed, I Never Move Again by Saffron Panther
- Recommended by fruitstripegum
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Smudger was converted into a generator and left behind their shed. Duke was found years later, but Smudger's fate was never revealed after the railway closed. So here's the voice that never got to speak.
- Comments: Tear Jerker doesn't begin to describe how heartbreaking this story is.
Sodor: The Early Years and Sodor: The Modern Years by WildNorWester
- Recommended By: ThatFanwiththeGlasses
- Status:
- Sodor: The Early Years is complete, with five seasons, a miniseries, a feature-length special, and a "tie-in book" found on WildNorWester's Deviantart page.
- Sodor: The Modern Years is currently in its second season, after having opened with a feature length special.
- Summary:
- Sodor: The Early Years, is a series that attempts to capture the feeling of the Railway Series and the early years of the TV show, while telling original stories.
- Sodor: The Modern Years follows on from Sodor: The Early Years, picking up 15 years later in 2009.
- Comments: Definitely two of the best fan series based on Thomas. Each episode feels like it could realistically come from the early years of the television show (hence the title of the first series), and the Sodor of this continuity builds upon and enhances Awdry's original.
- Has its own wiki here.
- Recommended by: SteelKomodo
- Status: Completenote
- Synopsis: So, Thomas and Friends. You've heard of them, yes (of course you bloody have, you're browsing the Thomas fanfiction selection)? But back to the point; the history books tell you a different tale. This is an island where confusion and delay reign supreme and if anything really useful happens, it's a mistake. This is the Island of Sodor as you've never seen it before.
- Comments: More than just a comedic re-write of the TV series, Thomas Abridged is laden with absurdist British humor and takes great delight in picking apart even the slightest of inconsistencies for laughs. On this version of Sodor, the engines are even more petty, vengeful and alcoholic than usual, the Fat Controller struggles to avoid an aneurysm (as well as his wrathful wife) and the fourth wall is torn to its very foundations. There's also a surprisingly compelling and serious side story woven in that rears its head around the Duck and Diesel arc, concerning the ghost of a useless background engine and the Other Railway. A delightfully funny treat to read from start to finish.
- Has a sequel - Volume II (Dormant; last updated May 2019)
- Has a sequel - Volume II
- Tags: Frequent Alcohol and Drug Use, Mild Language (stronger language censored for comedy), Cerebus Syndrome and dark themes around Season 2 onwards.
- Now has a trope page!
Thomas & Friends: Original Episodes by Chase the Ferroequinologist
- Recommended by: ChaseT
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A continuation of the current show done in beautiful form. Not only thriving on the current TV Series formula, but bringing in new characters, locations, and story opportunities to help the characters develops. Retaining a sense of continuity helps these stories come across as charming, fun, and a delight to read.
- Comments: Although it is Fan Fiction, these stories fit right in with the current TV Series and are great for filling the gap between seasons if one needs to. Background characters like Norman and Glynn get episodes to themselves and unique personalities, and Rosie being the protagonist of the special, Rampage of the Rail Bandits, which will be just as great as these stories judging by the trailer. Although some of them aren't as quite as good as the others (Terence's Train and Monkey Business are a little boring), many of them are awesome and highly recommended.
- Seconded. "The Replacement" is one of the best Thomas stories I've ever read, with Norman managing to get some great development. Same with "Bugged!", which has one of the best OC's I've ever seen in the form of 103.
- Now has a trope page in progress.
Rampage of the Rail Bandits by Chase the Ferroequinologist
- Recommended by: ChaseT
- Status: Complete.
- Synopsis: When international railway criminals come to the Island of Sodor and frame the Fat Controller for their crimes, Thomas takes it upon himself to take the law into his own hands and stop them. However, Rosie, meanwhile, discovers crucial evidence to prove the identity of the Rail Bandits and thus has to save the day herself!
- Comments: A brilliant special thus far with excellent tension, dialogue, and good lordy the original songs! It develops the underused character of Ascended Extra Rosie splendidly, as well as giving Oliver, Toad, Samson, Harvey, returnee Arthur, and original character Lucian (carried over from the above story) a lot of fun things to do in the background. The original characters themselves are also a whole lot of fun, with Jeb The Dragon, Smug Snake, slimy, manipulative camelback engine, Bonnie the Cloud Cuckoo Lander Jersey-accent boxcar, The Big Bad, Slim Jim Langley, a Large Ham crooked cowboy who ambushes trains for money and kicks, and Roy, a young By-the-Book Cop police buggy. It's a whole lot of fun and the most original longform Thomas story I've seen in a while!
- Now has a trope page!
Waning Daylight by Waning Daylight/The Raging Blue Flame
- Recommended by: Beatlewolf
- Status: Complete.
- Synopsis: When a railway historian comes to visit Sodor's 4449, Erika is forced to relive her life as California's Coast Daylight and reveal events she'd rather not remember.
- Comments: Ever wanted to read an excellently-written melodrama where every character is a train? No? Well this ain't the story for you! Spanning across 40 chapters and almost 80 years, Waning Daylight is a beautiful story that wraps up a stunningly deep fictional world with actual railroad history and becomes an alternate universe in itself. Thomas and his friends only factor into a little bit of the story, as much of the focus is on Erika, also known as Southern Pacific 4449, but trust me when I say it's worth the read. The author also does art for the series too, so there's an additional plus!
A Crew For Every Engine by Heimchen
- Recommended by fruitstripegum
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Henry's occasional fearful behaviour finally takes a human toll and his two crewmen request a transfer. Luckily, a fortuitous inquiry from abroad offers a solution. An EU story set in the CGI Thomasverse.
Ask the Famous 8! & Friends! by sleepyhenry
- Recommended by: YuriHaru567
- Status: On hiatus
- Summary: A humanized take on Thomas and Friends, told through a Tumblr blog.
- Comments: Thomas and his friends, but with a few doses of Adaptation Personality Change, Adaptational Sexuality, and Adaptational Backstory Change to name a few. I really like Henry's take on the characters, as it makes them more grounded in reality (including JAMES, of all characters). And even though I don't ship the characters themselves, the drawings Henry does for them are just so flipping adorable. Special mention for when she somehow managed to get Keith Wickham to voice for the five year anniversary special!
- Tags: Alternate Universe, Character Blog
- Now has its own page.
The New Engines - A TTTE AU Story Collection by williamplittle661
- Recommended by: MMX 3
- Status: In-Progress
- Synopsis: With new projects and some struggles, new engines are brought to the island of Sodor. These stories will be focused on both new and old characters of the popular Railways Series of books and the TVS.
Troublesome Engines by Chase the Ferroequinologist
- Recommended by: dudeu, Kahran042
- Status: Completed
- Summary: A compilation of stories (James the Red Engine, Tank Engine Thomas Again, and Troublesome Engines) told in an The Adventure Begins style. Percy's backstory before heading to the island of Sodor is detailed, along with James, Gordon and Henry's antics and redemption and how Thomas is faring on his branchline.
- Comments: The writing is fascinating enough to hook anyone reading this story, with expansions on Percy's life before Sir Topham Hatt chose him and why the big engines went on strike. The continuity allows those three big engines to have a moment where they can prove to be very useful and Thomas, Bertie and Terrance also have times to shine as well. In short, the story suffers from dreadfully amazing planning, continuity arrangement, and writing and everyone cares to stick around and see how everything turns out.
The Rails to Redemption by Chase the Ferroequinologist
- Recommended by: dudeu, Kahran042
- Status: Completed
- Summary: Another compilation of stories from the Railway Series. Here, Toby's life north of the island before Sir Topham Hatt finds him is documented and expanded, along with a subplot with Thomas worrying about Glynn's fate and Henry suffering dreadfully due to mechanical flaws. Will Henry and Toby prove they have what it takes to be really useful engines? Will Toby adapt to his new life on Sodor? And what will become of Glynn?
- Comments: Continuity is fascinating, the characters are relatable, and we get a whole load of expansion on some stories. We even get to see why the train Henry crashes into was there. Every single feeling is understandable and realistic and the whole story has the emotional and hilarious moments engaging. To sum up, the story will keep viewers hooked on everything the engines do up to the final chapter.
Thomas & The Buffman Bomber by Chase the Ferroequinologist
- Recommended by: dudeu
- Status: Completed
- Summary: A weapon of mass destruction is used on Sodor, sending all engines and entrepreneurs into a state of panic and it's up to Thomas, Salty and many others to find who's responsible for this act of terror. However, Salty, who has worked in Sodor for a long time, may have to come face to face with his past. Also, the Narrow Gauge engines get involved in the hunt for the Buffman Bomber, leaving Sir Handel more than eager to find the evil bomber first...
- Comments: This musical story is on par with nearly every single special the Thomas and Friends series has ever offered with a mix of the darkness from Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure to the songs akin to Journey Beyond Sodor. Every character was relatable, the songs are catchy, the Narrow Gauge Engines' humor is adequate without being too distracting, and there are loads of twists to keep you engaged to the end. There are some things that happen here that may not be appropriate for kids, but it thankfully isn't too dark to be bleak. To sum up, this story is one of the most intense Thomas stories by fans for fans with stellar planning and writing.
The Loyalty to Luke series (2, 2.5, 3) by goldensaddletank
- Recommended by: Nitro Indigo
- Status: Most of the entries are complete, but the third is ongoing and was last updated March 2022
- Summary: Luke's life on Sodor, from his arrival up to the events of Blue Mountain Mystery, focusing on his relationships with both the narrow-gauge engines and some humans.
- Comments: Be warned — Luke makes multiple suicide attempts throughout the series.
Tracks to Big Adventures by ThomasFan2002
- Recommended By: EvanC7, Or just call me Evan
- Status: Probably incomplete at the time of writing (2021).
- Summary: Sodor in yet another parallel universe, including the story of Diesel failing to move old trucks but listening to Duck's advice on how to do so, Rebecca learning Sodor's trucks are the meanest in the world the hard way, and James getting towed behind Spencer's train when he yearns for an overseas adventure after Thomas's voyage.
- Recommended By: [=eirigfi]
- Status : First season is compete while the second series is ongoing.
- Summary: One day on Sodor, Ben causes a nasty accident that nearly kills his brother Bill. This creates a domino effect that slowly starts to unravel the once peaceful life of the island.
Thomas & Friends: Between the Lines by Hufflepuff Batboy
- Recommended By: Hufflepuff Batboy
- Status: Sets 1 and 2 complete, Set 3 in progress
- Summary: A collection of original stories that take place during the first twenty-one seasons of the original (1984-2020) television series, expanding upon characters that didn't get much development and even incorporating elements of the Railway Series and even All Engines Go, the latter case being a more realistic approach. Between the Lines is also a part of what is known as the Seventy Verse, an alternate universe in which many events of the Railway Series and original TV series are re-arranged and some characters being given the Adaptational Nice Guy treatment. Other stories under that banner include The International Railway Series (a re-telling of Series 22-24 of the original show) and Classic Sodor Adventures (a re-telling of Series 1-12 in the style of 17-21).
- Tags: Some stories contain mature themes such as homophobia, transphobia, PTSD and ableism, although they are not very frequent.
- Has its own wiki here.
Alternate Universe Fanfics (Humanized Stories)
Thomas and Friends: The Humanized Adventures by Darkknight55
- Recommended by: Crosshot
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Thomas/Emily, James/Molly
- Synopsis: Ever wonder how Thomas' adventures would go if he and his engine friends were humans working on the North Western Railway? Then this is the story for you! Retelling the series from square one, join everyone as they go through life and experience everything as they work, play and grow closer than ever before.
- Currently has over 250 chapters.
Sodor High School: Thomas & Friends Tales by ThomasZoey3000
- Recommended by: Guest
- Status: Ongoing (somehow)
- Pairings: Thomas/Emily, Rosie/Stanley, Toby/Mavis, James/Molly, Thomas/Rosie, Emily/OC, Percy/Rosie (possibly)
- Synopsis: Pretty much what the title says. Join Thomas and his friends as they traverse their junior year at Sodor High School, accompanied by some new classmates and many old adversaries.
- Comments: The "somehow" bit in the Status spot is because the story has been going on for 11 years, barely releases more than 4 chapters a year at least (if the readers are lucky) and had to have its first 30 chapters be rewritten. Yet in spite of those, now the story has 4 writers working on it and the mere fact it's still going shows the author isn't about to give up on it. In January 2024, the author released a statement explaining that they would mostly retire from writing the story for personal reasons, and leave it to the 3 cowriters to write future chapters.
- Has its own page on the Fan Fiction wiki.
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Season 1) (revised) by SF64Rules91, sodormatchmaker and AaronCottrell97
- Recommended by: Dave Man 1000
- Status: Complete (Overall series still ongoing)
- Pairings (series wide): Thomas/Emily, Toby/Mavis, Percy/Lady, James/Molly, Stanley/Rosie, Axel/Gina, Ashima/OC, Nia/Rebecca, Lorenzo/Beppe, Skiff/Annie & Clarabel (possibly)
- Synopsis: The popular American/Japanese card game Duel Monsters has made its way to the Island of Sodor. And Thomas Billinton finds himself chosen by destiny to wield the legendary Yugi Muto deck, while rich boy Spencer Gresley wields the Seto Kaiba deck. But with many dangers ahead, Thomas will find that this is no ordinary card game.
- Comments: The first of a long series of stories, spanning six seasons, several one-offs, movies (so to speak) and a full blown spin-off featuring original characters introduced throughout the main series, which is also a partial crossover with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Was just a fan myself, but am a contributor to this series now.
- Warning: This series starts off relatively tame, with a few instances of violence, light profanity and sexual references; nothing you'd see outside of an original Japanese dub of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime. But as the series progresses, more mature instances of violence, sexual content and profanity are included, as well as more emotional and darker tones. Each entry is rated accordingly and content warnings are provided in each chapter should they contain any of these instances.
Shipping Fanfics
Thomas and Emily's Relationship by AaronCottrell97
- Recommended by: The Generic Primate
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: See how Thomas first met Emily and became friends with her. As they go through many adventures together and experience many emotional and life-changing experiences, their friendship gives birth to deep and powerful love that can never be broken.
- Comments: This story utilises some episodes of the series and intertwines them with a number of genuine romantic moments between Thomas and Emily. There are, however, some interesting parts that discuss subjects such as an engine class being almost entirely withdrawn from service and scrapped, bullying, not being afraid to tell anyone if something's wrong, and conquering one's fears, plus Emily is given a rather surprising Freudian Excuse for her notorious bossy moments in some of the new series episodes. Thomas and Emily have some really sweet and lovely moments with each other throughout the fic, and the author isn't afraid to throw a bit of humour into it, either — there's a point where Emily starts calling Thomas "Tommy" as a pet name, and Thomas gets annoyed with it every time it gets mentioned. Oh, and I must mention that you might want to have a box of tissues at the ready because there are a lot of REALLY sad moments in the fic as well. I might not recommend it to anyone who feels that romance has no place in the series, but if you are among that shipping crowd, especially if you're a Thomas x Emily shipper, I'd say go ahead and give it a read.
- Now with a trope page in the works.
A Cracked Ruby by AaronCottrell97
- Recommended by: The Generic Primate
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: For the longest time it was thought that James never had any romantic interests at all. But upon probing, James reveals to Thomas and Emily the secret of his hidden relationship with Molly in the past and how it came to a tragic end. Will James be able to restore his love with Molly, or will he continue to live with a broken heart?
- Comments: Well, what do you know? It's another shipping story made by the same author as the one mentioned above, this time with James and Molly having the main focus. The fic does a brilliant job at showcasing James' Jerk with a Heart of Gold personality, as he consistently shows genuine remorse for leaving a bad impression on Molly after she found out about a dark secret he kept from her during her first days on Sodor, and consistently makes multiple attempts to earn her trust back, not to show off, but to prove to her that he can in fact do honourable things in spite of how stuck-up he can be. What makes it all the more gut-wrenching is that his attempts to win her back go on for years, and after every failed attempt, you just want to root for James more and more and more, hoping that the damage caused to their relationship will finally be repaired eventually. Every character who has a major role is perfectly in character, particularly Thomas and Emily, who are consistently doing everything they can to help James get through such a hard time and giving him all the comfort possible. True, the whole James x Molly ship is definitely a bit weird, as they don't really have many interactions in the main series and Molly doesn't appear much after her debut episode, but it's a very intense story that will leave you in anticipation and suspense the more you go through it.
Crossover Fanfics
Something Most Foul bytonygestaple
- Recommended By: Emperor Max 2019
- Status: Dormant (last updated November 2017)
- Crossover With: Ivor the Engine and Shining Time Station
- Synopsis: Thomas and his Friends wake up one morning to find that Something Most Foul has come to the Island of Sodor. A cry for help leads them to new discoveries that may change their lives forever.
- Comments: Something Most Foul deftly incorporates Ivor The Engine and Shining Time Station into the story. The summary doesn't reveal much about the plot, but the author does a superb job at crafting a universe that melds the Railway Series, TV Series, and Magic Railroad continuities into a cohesive setting while telling an engaging narrative. To reveal anything else about the plot would spoil too much.
- Tags: AU, Rated T for language (mainly from the railway staff and Jeanie), quasi-Dark Fic
- Warning: This fic starts out fairly lighthearted but gets Darker and Edgier as the story goes on, and there are moments where Something Most Foul goes into really dark territory. But if you can stomach the dark parts, it's a very engaging and riveting tale of tragedy, triumph, perseverance, and mystery, with enough humor and Heartwarming Moments to avoid alienating the audience.
- Recommended by: Tropers/a-nameless-nerd
- Crossover with: Steven Universe
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Henry and a diesel from the other railway encounter a strange red light in the middle of the forest. Sometime later, a storm ravages the island, knocking over many trees. The engines are tasked with helping clear them away, when they receive news that the storm is looping back around. Gordon and Oliver, despite Edward's advice otherwise, opt to weather the storm in an abandoned shed they found, rather than risk heading back to Tidmouth. When Edward returns the next day, they are gone. Several years pass without sighting nor incident. Until another engine goes missing, and the engines find the first body. Meanwhile, on the Mid-Sodor Railway, Smudger is punished for his accidents, abandoned to the environment after the railway closes. Until one day, a strange mirror drops into his abode.
- Comments: this is a horror fan series, and one of the few I’ve seen thus far that will go so far as to seemingly kill off core characters of the franchise. If you’re not into the ghost or psychological horror sides of the Thomas fandom, or if anything in the tags crosses the line for you, this might not be the fanfic for you. If you can handle all of that, however, this series is amazing. The psychological horror the mystery of what’s going on, and the way Daylight 3 builds up a sense of dread, especially in later entries, is very much worth a watch. Note that in between the main entries, Daylight 3 does add some smaller episodes that focus on incidents with non-railway characters that are seemingly divorced from the main plot. I’m curious to see how that will all end up being tied together. While watching the engine-focused entries, see if you can spot things in the background of each shot that shouldn’t be there, or wasn’t there in a similar shot a moment before.
- Tags: AU, Steven Universe, TATMR, horror, dark themes, death, possible suicide, possession.
