- "Cranes are airy fairy things! They need a lot of attention, like me in fact!"
- ― Gordon, Cranky Bugs, fifth series
This is a list of cranes that have appeared in Thomas & Friends, organised by order of first appearance in the series.
Notable Cranes
The following cranes have their own separate pages:
Rolling Gantry Cranes
Rolling Gantry Cranes are rail-based cranes used for loading and unloading cargo to and from ships. Examples of these cranes can be found at Knapford Harbour and Brendam Docks.
Technical Details
Livery
These cranes are painted light grey.
Appearances
Trivia
- Some gantry cranes of a different design to that previously seen in the model series appear in the Golden Book adaptations of Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure and Big World! Big Adventures! These cranes are based on a Faller HO scale crane.
Merchandise
- Ertl Company (discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Bluebird Toys (Part of the Miniature Railway set; discontinued)
- Take Along (discontinued)
Harbour Cranes
Harbour Cranes are static cranes seen at Brendam Docks and New Harbour.
Technical Details
Liveries
These cranes are painted grey with green cabins and white window frames. Another crane with a grey cabin appears in Percy Takes the Plunge and Woolly Bear.
Appearances
Trivia
- A total of three of these cranes were built: two shorter cranes with green cabins, one taller crane with a differently-shaped grey cabin.
- The bases of the cranes were built from Hornby girder bridge kits.
The Crocks Scrap Yard Crane
The Crocks Scrap Yard Crane was a small grapple crane used for lifting scrap. It has since been replaced by a larger rail-mounted crane named Reg.
Technical Details
Livery
The crane was painted brown.
Appearances
Trivia
- The crane appeared in different places, such as Ffarquhar Quarry and Vicarstown Yards.
- In the fifth series episode Put Upon Percy, the crane was repurposed as mining equipment.
Miniature Cranes
Miniature Cranes are smaller cranes seen around the Island of Sodor and beyond. They are used in various industrial areas.
Appearances
Trivia
- Some miniature cranes originally appeared in Thomas & Friends' sister series, Tugs.
- Three of the miniature cranes are currently on display at the Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition.
Merchandise
- Ertl Company (discontinued)
- De Agostini (discontinued)
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
- Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
- Departing Now (discontinued)
- Nakayoshi (discontinued)
- Bluebird Toys (Part of the Miniature Railway set; discontinued)
- Mega Bloks (discontinued)
- Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
Steam-Powered Cranes
| This article is about 'stationary cranes'. You may be looking for 'the railway crane'. |
Steam-Powered Cranes are short cranes with vertical boilers. One of these cranes is located at the Fishing Village, which once malfunctioned and accidentally dropped a crate of fish on Thomas.
Appearances
Trivia
- The large-scale model of the Narrow Gauge Breakdown Crane was briefly reused as a stationary crane used for set dressing at Knapford Sheds in the seventh series.
- One of the steam-powered cranes used at the Wharf was built by Jeremy King.
The "Grabber"
The "Grabber" is the nickname given to a ceiling-mounted crane based in the smelting shed at the Sodor Ironworks. The crane has large retracting claws and is used for picking up scrap metal to be melted down.
Once, 'Arry and Bert wrongfully shunted Stepney underneath the giant grabber, intending to scrap him. Thankfully, the Fat Controller arrived just in time and shut the grabber down.
Appearances
Merchandise
- Tomica (discontinued)
- Take Along (discontinued)
A.J.R. No.1
A.J.R No. 1 is a stationary steam-powered crane used by the Skarloey Railway.
Appearances
Trivia
- Though seemingly intended to be one specific crane, A.J.R. No. 1 has been seen in several different places, including:
- At the Transfer Yards, its original location in its debut.
- At two different sites at the Wharf.
- At the Skarloey Slate Quarry.
- At the Skarloey Coal Yard.
- At the Rocky Tunnel and Transfer Yard.
- The model of A.J.R No. 1 was built by model maker Nicholas Richardson.
- It is currently unknown what the initials "A.J.R." stand for.
The Pink Hammerhead Crane
The Pink Hammerhead Crane is a large crane which works at Guanabara Bay in Brazil.
Technical Details
Basis
This crane is based on a USN 20t Tower Crane. Big Mickey and Kobe share the same basis.
Livery
The hammerhead crane is mainly painted magenta, with a grey cabin and supports. The side of the crane is painted with yellow and magenta hazard stripes.
Appearances
Trivia
- The pink crane's CGI model is a mixture of Big Mickey's faceless cab and Kobe's body recoloured pink.
- For unknown reasons, the crane was removed from Guanabara Bay when it returned in the twenty-third series.
The Mainland Cranes
The Mainland Cranes are a pair of cranes who work at a dockyard on the Mainland where Gina and Shane boarded a ship on their way home from the Great Railway Show.
Technical Details
Basis
The cranes are based on Cranky's design.
Livery
The cranes are painted brown.
Appearances
Trivia
- A silhouette of Cranky can be seen at the Mainland Steelworks in the DVD cover and promotional images of Journey Beyond Sodor.
Other Cranes
Several other cranes have appeared in various episodes, books, magazines, annuals and merchandise.
Trivia
- In The Great Festival Adventure, three recoloured copies of Cranky appear in the background at Brendam Docks.[1]
- In Magical Tracks, there are faceless red cranes based on Cranky's design.
Merchandise
- Wooden Railway (discontinued; various versions)
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- Brio (discontinued; sold as "Tower Crane")