<s>
In	O
1967	O
,	O
Meccano	O
Ltd	O
released	O
a	O
train	O
set	O
featuring	O
a	O
clockwork	B-Application
model	O
of	O
Percy	O
the	O
Small	O
Engine	O
with	O
some	O
trucks	O
—	O
a	O
yellow	O
open	O
wagon	O
and	O
a	O
red	O
closed	O
van	O
—	O
and	O
a	O
circle	O
of	O
blue	O
track	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Production	O
ceased	O
for	O
the	O
US	O
market	O
in	O
2002	B-Application
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
UK	O
market	O
in	O
2005	O
after	O
RC2	O
Corporation	O
acquired	O
Ertl	O
and	O
discontinued	O
the	O
ranges	O
to	O
avoid	O
conflict	O
with	O
the	O
then	O
existing	O
Thomas	O
license	O
held	O
by	O
Learning	O
Curve	O
Brands	O
,	O
which	O
produced	O
the	O
similar	O
Take	O
Along	O
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	B-Application
,	O
the	O
vehicles	O
were	O
updated	O
to	O
use	O
U-hook	O
couplings	O
,	O
with	O
less	O
'	O
give	O
 '	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
were	O
more	O
prone	O
to	O
breakage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
track	O
system	O
was	O
updated	O
in	O
2002	B-Application
with	O
detailed	O
rail	O
stickers	O
and	O
a	O
green	O
border	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ertl	O
die-cast	O
range	O
was	O
discontinued	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
in	O
2002	B-Application
and	O
other	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
range	O
was	O
discontinued	O
in	O
1995	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	B-Application
,	O
the	O
line	O
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
Thomas	O
Mini	O
World	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
were	O
updated	O
with	O
moulded	O
faces	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
bases	O
were	O
updated	O
to	O
a	O
style	O
similar	O
to	O
LEGO	B-Language
where	O
the	O
track	O
pieces	O
and	O
buildings	O
can	O
be	O
placed	O
in	O
different	O
positions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sets	O
containing	O
eight	O
collector	O
cards	O
of	O
vehicles	O
were	O
made	O
from	O
1996	O
to	O
1999	B-Application
,	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
existing	O
cards	O
on	O
the	O
packaging	O
design	O
from	O
those	O
corresponding	O
years	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
cut	O
out	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
products	O
made	O
by	O
Hornby	O
apart	O
from	O
the	O
O-scale	O
range	O
was	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
clockwork	B-Application
'	O
Playtrains	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
set	O
and	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
earlier	O
sets	O
had	O
generic	O
track	O
until	O
1995	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
the	O
year	O
that	O
Learning	O
Curve	O
patented	O
the	O
"	O
Clicketyclack	O
"	O
track	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
models	O
would	O
not	O
last	O
long	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
revamped	O
again	O
in	O
2002	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
revived	O
line	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
outlets	O
such	O
as	O
Amazon	B-Application
and	O
Barnes	O
&	O
Noble	O
in	O
March	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
First	O
released	O
at	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
2002	B-Application
,	O
the	O
models	O
are	O
generally	O
much	O
chunkier	O
,	O
and	O
considerably	O
less	O
accurate	O
,	O
than	O
the	O
Ertl	O
range	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
these	O
models	O
have	O
hook	O
couplings	O
similar	O
to	O
Mattel	O
's	O
own	O
trains	O
that	O
they	O
made	O
for	O
Hot	B-Device
Wheels	I-Device
and	O
Matchbox	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Tomy	O
made	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
wind-up	O
models	O
that	O
'	O
have	O
an	O
action	B-Application
when	O
you	O
wind	O
them	O
up	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
toys	O
are	O
still	O
available	O
in	O
many	O
good	O
retail	O
toy	O
shops	O
all	O
around	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
and	O
despite	O
speculation	O
that	O
perhaps	O
the	O
range	O
has	O
discontinued	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
absence	O
of	O
three	O
years	O
without	O
new	O
products	O
;	O
brand	O
new	O
models	O
have	O
started	O
to	O
appear	O
on	O
Amazon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
previously	O
manufactured	O
Thomas	O
and	O
James	O
models	O
in	O
G	O
gauge	O
but	O
dropped	O
this	O
line	O
in	O
2001	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	B-Application
,	O
Bachmann	O
USA	O
too	O
also	O
made	O
their	O
own	O
HO-scale	O
electric	O
Thomas	O
the	O
Tank	O
Engine	O
and	O
Friends	O
range	O
for	O
the	O
US	O
and	O
Canada	O
markets	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Märklin	O
,	O
a	O
German	O
model	O
train	O
maker	O
,	O
released	O
a	O
limited	O
range	O
of	O
Thomas	B-Device
&	I-Device
Friends	I-Device
merchandise	I-Device
in	O
HO-scale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
copyright	O
reasons	O
(	O
using	O
Hornby	O
's	O
toolings	O
)	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
only	O
available	O
in	O
Germany	O
,	O
Austria	O
,	O
and	O
Switzerland	B-Protocol
,	O
but	O
they	O
did	O
leak	O
out	O
to	O
other	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2005	O
,	O
LEGO	B-Language
introduced	O
the	O
first	O
sets	O
in	O
their	O
Duplo	O
'	O
Thomas	O
 '	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
in	O
line	O
with	O
usual	O
Lego	B-Language
practice	O
,	O
new	O
sets	O
had	O
been	O
released	O
each	O
year	O
,	O
featuring	O
different	O
scenes	O
and	O
characters	O
,	O
until	O
Mega	O
Bloks	O
picked	O
up	O
the	O
license	O
in	O
2010	O
and	O
have	O
produced	O
Thomas	O
sets	O
of	O
their	O
own	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thomas	O
the	O
Tank	O
Engine	O
&	O
Friends	O
is	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
Shining	O
Time	O
Station	O
and	O
the	O
Thomas	O
the	O
Tank	O
Engine	O
&	O
Friends	O
television	O
series	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
2	O
,	O
1993	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
1993	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
December	O
31	O
,	O
1993	O
in	O
Europe	O
on	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Software	O
Creations	O
and	O
Malibu	O
Interactive	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
THQ	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
and	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
ROM	B-General_Concept
image	I-General_Concept
of	O
the	O
NES	O
version	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
uploaded	O
online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thomas	O
the	O
Tank	O
Engine	O
&	O
Friends	O
Pinball	B-Application
is	O
a	O
pinball-based	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Spidersoft	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Alternative	O
Software	O
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
,	O
Amiga	B-Device
CD32	I-Device
and	O
DOS	B-Device
operating	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1995	B-Application
and	O
it	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Thomas	O
the	O
Tank	O
Engine	O
&	O
Friends	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
:	O
The	O
Great	O
Festival	O
Adventure	O
is	O
a	O
1999	B-Application
educational	O
action	B-Application
computer	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Mind	O
's	O
Eye	O
Productions	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Hasbro	O
Interactive	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1999	B-Application
and	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
:	O
Trouble	O
on	O
the	O
Tracks	O
is	O
a	O
2000	O
educational	O
adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Mind	O
's	O
Eye	O
Productions	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Hasbro	O
Interactive	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
based	O
on	O
the	O
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
:	O
Railway	O
Adventures	O
is	O
a	O
2001	B-Application
educational	O
adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Mind	O
's	O
Eye	O
Productions	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Infogrames	O
Interactive	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
based	O
on	O
the	O
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kikansha	O
Thomas	O
–	O
Sodor-tou	O
no	O
Nakama-tachi	O
is	O
a	O
2001	B-Application
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
published	O
by	O
Tamsoft	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2001	B-Application
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
:	O
Building	O
the	O
New	O
Line	O
is	O
an	O
adventure	O
computer	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Stunt	O
Puppy	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Infogrames	O
Interactive	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
and	O
Mac	O
OS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2002	B-Application
and	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thomas	O
&	O
Friends	O
:	O
A	O
Day	O
at	O
the	O
Races	O
is	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
game	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
European	O
Union	O
and	O
Australia	O
.	O
</s>
