Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines is the thirty-ninth book of The Railway Series published in August 1st, 1995. The book commemorates the 50th anniversary of The Railway Series books.
- Birdstrike: The Fat Controller tells the delighted engines that they will be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Railway Series this year. Gordon wants to pull the special train for the occasion, but the Fat Controller has borrowed Pip and Emma to pull the train. Gordon has no time to be upset though, because he has to leave to pull the Express. Near Henry's Tunnel, some crows are flying close to the railway. When Gordon startles them with his whistle, the birds fly too close to him, and with a bump the brakes suddenly come on. The crew eventually find a bird knocked the seal off Gordon's front brakepipe, and the train sets off again, but no one forgets the incident, and tease Gordon about it.
- Edward and the Cabbages: James is late one day and Edward hurries to make up time. Edward notes his front feels wobbly, and as they pass a cabbage patch one of Edward's bogie wheels snaps off and disappears. Nothing is said of the accident, but a surprised farmer later discovers Edward's wheel in his cabbage patch.
- Rabbits: Rabbits have been burrowing under the stretch before Dryaw, and the Fat Controller imposes a ten mp/h limit on the stretch until something is sorted out. The day before the decision is put into effect, Thomas is puffing across the stretch when a rail tilts and he comes off. Percy takes Annie and Clarabel home and after the workmen lift Thomas up with jacks to put rails underneath, Percy pulls him back to Knapford.
- Golden Jubilee: Henry is depressed and claims the Golden Jubilee will be a disaster. However, by the time the big day comes Thomas' Branch Line and Edward's wheels are both repaired and Edward is chosen to clear the line for Pip and Emma. Unluckily, Edward and the branchline engines are about to leave Knapford when a cobweb short-circuits the signal box. They are flagged through, and the ceremony goes without a hitch, with the guest of honour, the Royal Personage, declaring the engines to be a credit to the Fat Controller.
This book contains examples of:
- Deadpan Snarker: The farmer in "Edward and the Cabbages" passes on a message that if Edward's driver "wants cabbages in the future, there are much safer ways of cutting them" than using a loose bogie wheel as a scythe.
- The Freelance Shame Squad: Gordon gets teased by the other engines for his encounter with the birds.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Edward's fireman's choice of exclamation is "Jiminy Christmas".
- No Name Given: The visitor was referred to as a "Royal Personage", but the illustrations hint that it is Prince Charles (later confirmed by
Word of God). - Noodle Incident: Gordon isn't selected to pull the special train because of "coal and water problems on the Other Railway". It's unclear whether this is a reference to a specific unseen incident or to the general decline of coal and water stations in the UK after dieselization.
- Rascally Rabbit: It's learned that rabbits are causing trouble on Thomas' branch line by burrowing under the tracks.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story:
- "Birdstrike" was based on a real event on the Great Western Railway in 1915.
- "Rabbits" was based on a real event at Rolvenden bank on the Kent & East Sussex Railway.
