Thomas Comes Home is the thirty-sixth book of The Railway Series published in 1992. The book focuses on the events taking place at the Ffarquhar branch line during Thomas' visit at the Great Railway Show in the previous book Thomas and the Great Railway Show.
- Snow Problem: While Thomas is still at York, Percy, Toby and Daisy are left to run the branch line. One day, a snowfall on the Other Railway delays the diesel connecting with the Express, making Gordon late at Knapford. While Daisy waits for him, the blizzard blows over Sodor, covering everything in a blanket of white snow. Daisy is unconcerned and sets off, but the snowdrifts are too much for Daisy and she has to go back. Unluckily, the snow blocks her air-intake and Harold has to take her passengers to Dryaw, but he cannot do anything for Daisy. She is left stranded for a week until the snow melts enough to allow her to be rescued and by that point Daisy has a very different opinion about snow.
- Washout!: After the snow melts, the water level in a stream near Hackenbeck rises to dangerous levels and Percy is worried. Toby brings news that the water level is dropping, to Percy's relief. Later, Henry jokes Thomas may actually be kept at the National Railway Museum and Annie and Clarabel are so upset Percy is late after soothing them; matters are not helped when he has to take on water at Elsbridge. Percy is later crossing the bridge when he hears an ominous creaking and no sooner has he crossed it than it is swept away. The line is closed while the bridge is mended and although things are back to normal after its rebuilding, Percy has always been careful while crossing it.
- Toby's Megatrain: Toby does the shunting at Knapford Harbour while Percy takes Annie and Clarabel. There are many trucks and Toby is worried he may run out of water at some stage. One morning Mavis is unwell and is late to deliver her trucks, so Toby eventually racks up a load of forty-eight trucks. Toby, forgetting his small tank and the uphill journey, decides to pull all forty-eight trucks at once and at Elsbridge he discovers the watertower is empty. Toby's driver says they will have to go fishing like Thomas, but he is only joking and Toby goes to Ffarquhar to take on water, then runs back to take the trucks.
- Thomas Comes Home: George is doing repairs on a road near the railway and threatens Daisy to flatten her rails. The engines aren't sure whether to call his bluff, but all thoughts of George are expelled when they hear Thomas is returning in a week. On the great day, Daisy sets off with a special train, but at the crossing a traffic cone is blown under her wheels by the wind, jamming her brakes. A fitter works swiftly to repair the damage and Daisy arrives just in time to see Thomas puff proudly in.
This book contains examples of:
- Advertised Extra: Despite his name being in the title and him appearing on the cover, Thomas doesn’t show up until the very end of the book nor does he speak.
- Anachronism Stew: The Steam Never Dies principle appears to apply to ships sailing into Tidmouth and Knapford Harbours as well, since they are portrayed as old-fashioned cargo steamships rather than modern style container and bulk freighters. Ditto the reappearance of George the Steamroller, who would have been superseded by a gas or diesel-powered road roller long before 1991.
- And I Must Scream: After snow gets into her air intake, Daisy is left stranded with it piling up around her. Harold arrives to rescue her crew and passengers whereas she’s left behind until the snow melts enough for her to be rescued. The last illustration of the story depicts her buried up to her eyes and windows in snow.
- Break the Cutie: Annie and Clarabel are upset by Henry's joke about Thomas staying as a museum piece. Percy has to sooth their feelings.
- Call-Back:
- In "Snow Problem", Daisy's crew mentions about the time Thomas got stuck in the snow.
- In "Washout!", Percy remembers the time he got stuck in the flood.
- In "Toby's Megatrain", there's references of Thomas taking water from the river. Toby also mentions Mavis' accident with the lorry and his youth working at a harbour.
- It Belongs in a Museum: Henry jokes that Thomas may be kept in the Great Railway Show as a museum piece, which upsets Annie and Clarabel.Henry: When is Thomas coming back? If he does, I shouldn't be surprised if he decides to stay as a museum piece. Heh! He's old enough!
- Never Trust a Title: Despite the title, the book focuses on the stories taking place in Thomas' Branch Line while Thomas is away at York. In addition, Thomas only appears in the last illustration and he does not speak.
- Not So Above It All: "Toby's Megatrain" has a rare impulsive moment for Toby, insisting on taking a huge train of forty-eight trucks. Though he is able to pull them, he forgets about his small tank, requiring an emergency stop. He's quite indignant when his driver jokingly suggests fishing like Thomas once did.
- Ramp Jump: There's no ramp, but Percy gunning it across the collapsing bridge in "Washout" plays out the same way.
- Time Skip: The events of the book take place in the former half of 1991, while the events of the previous book took place in the latter half of 1990.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: "Toby's Megatrain" is based on an incident from the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway where LNER J70 No. 7131 was recorded leaving Upwell with 48 wagons of about 400 tons of fruit. By Elmbridge, it was short of water and had to run light to Wisbech to fill up. This had previously been adapted into the annual story, "The Strawberry Special".
