Really Useful Engines is the twenty-seventh book of The Railway Series published on September 12th, 1983. It was the first book written by Christopher Awdry, and the first illustrated by his long-running collaborator Clive Spong. The book contains four stories as follows:
- Stop Thief!: The guard tells Thomas' crew that the stationmaster's house was burgled the previous night, and his gardening trophies and new car were stolen. Thomas is later puffing through the valley when he sees a car very much like the stationmaster's and warns his crew, who identify the driver and passenger as the thieves. At the next signalbox, they throw the fireman's lunch box, with a note inside, to a signalman. The thieves are stopped at a roadblock, the trophies and car are recovered undamaged, and the Fat Controller arrives at Ffarquhar to congratulate Thomas and his crew.
- Mind that Bike: Tom Tipper the postman falls ill, and, when he recovers, discovers that his van has been replaced with a bicycle. When he gets to Ffarquhar, Tom is asked to fill in some papers, and he carelessly props the bicycle against Percy. A boy comes along and starts riding the bike just as Percy starts. The boy falls off and manages to get out of the way, but the bike is run over and is beyond repair. Luckily, all ends well as Tom is given his van again.
- Fish: An extra load of fish needs to be transported in "The Flying Kipper", but the only vans available are several old rusty ones. At Wellsworth, Henry calls for a banker and Duck arrives to help him with his train. Going up Gordon's Hill, however, the tail-lamp falls off the trailing box van and Duck drops behind, unable to see the train. Henry soon slows down, and Duck collides with the vans, denting his funnel and boiler.
- Triple-Header: One day after pulling the Express, Gordon feels tired, and Thomas replies by telling him to become a tank engine. Later, it’s discovered Gordon needs new boiler tubes. Henry starts pulling the Express, but one day he gets sick too. Thomas, Percy, and Duck (each of whom starred in one of the book's other stories) are the only engines available, so they are coupled up. On Gordon's Hill, Percy runs out of steam. They're unable to uncouple him, so they try to struggle to the Works. Duck breaks down just outside the station, and Thomas, unable to take the train himself, stops before they can even get to the platform. After a diesel from the Other Railway takes the train, Gordon, who watched the whole scene from his siding, makes heavy breathing noises at Thomas.
The book contains examples of:
- Big Damn Heroes: After spotting the stationmaster's stolen car, Thomas and his crew chase the thieves and report the robbery to a signalman they pass.
- Bittersweet Ending: "Triple Header" has Percy and Duck break down just short of finishing their final station, leaving Thomas unable to pull the train for them. The Fat Controller praises them for more or less getting there, however.
- Call-Back:
- While Thomas is chasing the thieves, he remembers the time he beat Bertie in their race by going through the hill while Bertie had to go over it.
- Duck tells The Fat Controller about the time Thomas warned him about fish, referring to "Thomas Goes Fishing".
- Continuity Nod: Thomas standing next to a tired Gordon was similar to what happened in "Thomas and Gordon". Also, Thomas teasing Gordon that he should be a tank engine was similar to his joke from "Tenders and Turntables".
- Covered in Gunge: After his accident with the Flying Kipper, Duck has the distinct smell of fish on him.
- Dawn of an Era: This is the first book written by Christopher Awdry.
- Determinators: Thomas, Percy, and Duck. Unfortunately, they couldn't go any further with the Express, and a diesel from the Other Railway had to take their place. Nevertheless, it was an effort for the three tank engines.
- Dwindling Party: The three tank engines pulling the express in "Triple-Header": Percy runs out of steam and Duck breaks down, forcing Thomas to stop in his tracks.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Clive Spong starts illustrating this series, and his early art follows a more simplistic colorful style reminiscent of C. Reginald Dalby's work. This is especially evident with the engine's faces, which are more cartoony and in style with Dalby and the TV show's designs. Spong would continue drawing this way in a few tie-in books made around this time, though by his second Railway Series entry his more realistic style has already started to emerge.
- Just Train Wrong: An exceedingly rare example for the series, albeit a well-intentioned one. In "Fish", The Flying Kipper is depicted as operating with a tail lamp in place of a brakevan, which were
no longer in regular use on British Railways. However, British rail regulations to this daynote demand the use of a brakevan in the now rare instance that a single-cabbed locomotive is hauling a goods train - a condition that applies to every single engine on Sodor except for Toby, BoCo, and Bear. Awdry would have been perfectly entitled to depict the railway still using brakevans. - Laser-Guided Karma: Thomas laughs at Gordon's weariness and suggests he become a tank engine. When he and two other tank engines try to pull the express however, they see how exhausting it really is, much to Gordon's amusement.
- Necessary Fail: Percy's accident with the bike leads to Tom Tipper being given his van again.
- No Sympathy: Gordon expects to receive this from the other engines for being tired from pulling the Express.
- Passing the Torch: Sir Charles Topham Hatt appears for the last time as the Fat Controller.
- Stupid Crooks: The thieves. Not only did they steal gardening trophies instead of useful commodities or cash, but they also stole the station master's very distinctive red car as well. And that car was instantly recognized by Thomas' crew.
- Time Skip: "Fish" takes place in 1966. "Mind That Bike" takes place in 1977. "Stop Thief!" took place in 1978. Finally, "Triple Header" takes place in 1979.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story:
- "Triple Header" is based on an incident at the Nene Valley Railway involving another engine also named Thomas. This engine was named by Wilbert Awdry himself and has been used in special events on the said railway.
- "Stop Thief!" was based on a real event in late 1982 from John Thomas' books on Scottish Railways.
- "Fish" was based on a real event on the Lickey Incline before the Second World War.
