More About Thomas the Tank Engine is the thirtieth book of The Railway Series published in 1986, and notably the first to have been written and published after the Britt Allcroft television series (accounting for its title and focus; Christopher Awdry was asked specifically to write some new stories about Thomas to underscore his status as main character for the cartoon). The four stories focus on Thomas and Percy falling out after an accident with coal:
- Thomas, Percy and the Coal: Thomas brags that blue paint is the only proper color for a Really Useful Engine. Next day, Percy is shunting when the door on a coal truck opens and coal dust covers Thomas. Thomas and Percy are furious at each other, and the argument gets worse and worse. Several days later Percy goes to get a drink but collides with a coal bunker, much to Thomas' delight.
- The Runaway: When Thomas returns from the Works after an illness, his brakes are left stiff. Although his driver and fireman learn to adjust for this new quirk, one day, his fireman falls ill and the "relief" fireman forgets about the quirk, leading to Thomas starting off without anyone on board — his crew included. Although an inspector tries to stop Thomas at Dryaw, he's going too fast and Harold takes the inspector to Toryreck. Annie and Clarabel hold back so the inspector can leap aboard and stop Thomas.
- Better Late Than Never: The arches on the Viaduct need strengthening and the big engines are late at Knapford. One day, Bertie teases Thomas that he could beat him in a race — something Thomas vehemently denies. James later holds Thomas up, but just outside the tunnel Thomas sees Bertie broken down. Thomas offers to help Bertie's passengers home, and the next day Bertie comes to Ffarquhar to thank Thomas.
- Drip Tank: Percy wants to make things up with Thomas, but when he gets scratched by a branch, Thomas is rude and Percy decides against it. Later, Percy asks Toby what a drip is, having heard a boy call his friend one at the platform, but Thomas interrupts and tells Percy he's a drip. Thomas soon gets his comeuppance when his side-rod snaps and punctures his watertank on his way home. When Percy goes to help him, Thomas feels ashamed and apologizes to Percy.
The book contains examples of:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Toby was quite amused by Thomas being covered in coal.
- Armor-Piercing Question: During their argument in the shed, Percy asks Thomas would he be a "drip" if he stopped him from doing something nice, but Thomas responds by calling him a drip.
- Big Damn Heroes: Harold in "The Runaway".
- Break the Haughty: Thomas being covered in coal after boasting about his new paint.
- Character Development: Thomas becomes more kind and humble after the events of this book.
- Continuity Nod: Annie and Clarabel remind Duck about the time Thomas left his guard behind back in "Thomas and the Guard".
- Feud Episode: The book focuses on the quarrel between Thomas and Percy.
- The Freelance Shame Squad: Percy laughs at Thomas for being covered in coal, and then it is Thomas' turn to laugh at Percy when the same happens to him.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Thomas was initially jealous of Duck for managing his branch line, but soon forgot to be as he was so pleased to return.
- Jerkass Ball: Thomas acts especially arrogant and spiteful towards Percy throughout the book. In his defense, it does lead to...
- Jerkass Realization: Thomas becomes ashamed of his behavior towards Percy after Percy rescues him from his accident. He then apologizes to him for calling him a "drip" and finally reconciles their friendship.
- Laser-Guided Karma: This hits Thomas big time in "Drip Tank" when his water tank gets punctured.
- Limited Social Circle: Whereas the television series seems to imply that all the engines know each other, this book reinforces that many of the engines' lives are confined to their own branch lines. This is demonstrated through Duck visiting Thomas' branch line in "The Runaway"; while there, he makes friends with Annie, Clarabel, Tobynote , Terence, and Bertie, who he would not have interacted with on the Little Western.
- Narcissist: In the first story, Thomas boasts about blue being a proper color for a Really Useful Engine, but Percy and Toby beg to differ.
- No Sympathy:
- In "Better Late Than Never", Thomas didn't seem to care about Henry and James' explanations on how the viaduct made them late. He was then given this treatment by Bertie when he called him out for being late and teased him about beating him in their next race.
- In "Drip Tank", Thomas expresses this brutally towards Percy for getting scratched on the branch, saying he should have kept a better look out.
- No, You: Thomas' response to Percy calling him a drip if he stopped him from doing something nice.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- In "Thomas, Percy, and the Coal", Percy gives one to Thomas after he blamed him for making his paint dirty with coal, though Thomas retorts.
Percy: Who would've thought it? Fancy, a really useful blue engine like Thomas would become a disgrace to The Fat Controller's railway.
Thomas: You wait, Percy. One day, you'll laugh on the other side of your smokebox!
Percy: Puh! I would have missed all that fun for anything.- In "Drip Tank", Thomas gives a nasty one to Percy during the discussion about the meaning of the word "drip".
Thomas: That's different. The boy just thought his friend was being a coward, or silly, or a spoil sport.
Percy: So if... if you stopped me from doing something nice, would you be the drip, Thomas?
Thomas: You're the drip! Now go to sleep like a sensible engine and stop talking nonsense! - Refuse to Rescue the Disliked: Percy refuses to help Thomas out of an accident with his water tank because Thomas called him a "drip", but his driver reminds him of the passengers' safety. He soon comes to Thomas' rescue, thus ending their bitter quarrel.
- Runaway Train: Thomas, thanks to a relief fireman forgetting to put his brakes on properly.
- Took a Level in Kindness: This book in particular transitions Thomas from a very insecure, rude and self-important engine to one that’s more patient, good-natured and can accept basic mistakes.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: "The Runaway" is based on a real event to one of the "Jazz" trains out of Liverpool Street.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Attempted when Henry tries to call out Thomas for his impatience, telling him that if they hurried along the viaduct, the viaduct could collapse and Thomas would have no passengers. Needless to say, this didn't get through Thomas.
- Whole Episode Flashback: The events of this book take place in 1985.
