The Eight Famous Engines is the twelfth book of The Railway Series published in 1957. It was the first illustrated by John T Kenney. This contains four stories:
- Percy Takes the Plunge: At Vicarstown, Percy is telling some tank engines about the time he braved bad weather when Henry arrives, tells the tank engines to go away, and calls Percy silly. Percy responds by reminding Henry about the time he stayed in a tunnel and runs off to Knapford, where he sees a board saying "Danger". Thomas tells him to obey it, but Percy wants to know more, and persuades the trucks to push him past. They do so, but go too far and Percy falls into the sea. After a scolding from the Fat Controller, he is "fished out" and sent to the Works.
- Gordon Goes Foreign: When a foreign engine visits, an argument ensues between him, Gordon, and Duck over, of all things, the name of London's big station. Gordon wants to find out, but is not allowed to pass Barrow. However, when the engine taking the Express to the mainland derails, Gordon jumps at the chance to take the train, and the next day the Fat Controller reads in the paper that Gordon received a hero's welcome. However, when he returns, Gordon is upset, having discovered that it's St. Pancras!note
- Double Header: Gordon is exhausted from his trip to London, so James does his work, and when Toby visits him on his way to the Works, James brags to him about his importance. When Toby later tries to get a drink, the signalman, who is new to the line, tells him he has to clear the line, and Toby struggles on. However, Toby's tank was nearly empty to begin with, and he soon runs out of water. The fireman goes back and asks James to push Toby to the Works. When they get there, some boys think Toby has been helping James, who, furious, disappears in a cloud of steam.
- The Fat Controller's Engines: Thomas arrives at Knapford to see some foreign engines arrive and Percy and Toby tell him the Fat Controller has something planned. At Tidmouth, the Fat Controller tells them they are going to England! The next day, Thomas is showing one of the engines, Jinty, around when he brags of his race, and dents his front when he runs into some buffers. Luckily, he is repaired in time for the trip.
The book contains examples of:
- Acquired Situational Narcissism:
- Percy becomes arrogant about braving the bad weather in the previous book.
- James becomes conceited about doing Gordon's work while the latter rests from his trip from London.
- Art Evolution: John T. Kenney takes over the series, and Sodor and its railway engines become bigger, busier and more realistic.
- Berserk Button: For Duck, insulting the Great Western Railway, as Gordon finds this out the hard way when arguing over what London's big station is called:Duck: "Stupid yourself. London's Paddington! Paddington! Do you hear!?"
- Both Sides Have a Point: James interrupts the argument between Gordon and Duck and tells them that they agree that London is not Euston, right before telling them to shut up.
- They have more of a point than they know. London is so big that it actually has eighteen big stations, and at the time that the book was written, that number was twenty-two! All the arguing engines are correct, as King's Cross, Euston, Paddington, and St. Pancras are among the eighteen still operational today.
- Call-Back:
- Percy tells the foreign engines about his adventure with the rainy weather in "Percy's Promise".
- Percy teases Henry about being afraid of the rain and having to stay in a tunnel.
- Thomas tells Percy about the time he fell down a mine.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Percy learns this after falling into the water.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Percy asks the trucks to push him past the danger sign when he tells them, but as the narration points out, "every wise engine knows that you can't trust trucks", so they decide to push him far past the board and into the water.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Thomas and Percy are discussing the Danger sign on the wharf.Thomas: "'Danger' means falling down something. I went past 'Danger' once and fell down a mine."
Percy: "I can't see a mine." - Death Glare: Percy earns one from the Fat Controller for shouting "shame" after hearing that the people of England don't believe that the engines on Sodor were real.
- Hero of Another Story: Jinty, Pug, and the other tank engines borrowed from the Other Railway.
- Refusal of the Call: James refuses to push Toby to the works while taking the Express, but his driver, fireman, the passengers, and the guard call him out on this and so James reluctantly goes to help Toby.
- Silence, You Fool!: The Fat Controller does this to the engines cheering about going to England.
- Small Name, Big Ego: James.
- A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Thomas was so excited about the trip that it caused him to crash through some buffers, denting his front, nearly making him late to meet with the other engines at the station.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story:
- "Percy Takes the Plunge" is based on a real event that occurred at Burnham-on-Sea, where a contractor's locomotive ran off the end of a jetty.
- "Double Header" is based on an event where an LNER J70 (Toby's basis) had to be moved to the ex-GER works in Stratford for overhaul after the engine had been stranded without water.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- The Fat Controller scolds Percy for ignoring the danger sign and letting the trucks bump him into the sea.
- He also scolds Thomas for denting his front, which nearly ruined his arrangements for the trip to England.
- Whole Episode Flashback: The events of this book are set in 1956.
