Hong-Mei (Mandarin: 红梅) is a Chinese tank engine Thomas and his friends meet during their visit to China.
Biography[]
Thomas & Friends[]
Thomas first met Hong-Mei during his passenger run after saying he was the number 1 engine. However, Hong-Mei pointed out she was China’s number 1 engine, and the two had a race to see who’s the better number 1.
Unbeknownst to either engine, Hong-Mei spilled some of her delivery of rocks as she raced. This caused Thomas to derail on a shortcut line through the mountains. Hong-Mei came to Thomas’ rescue, revealing she took the shortcut line as well and made Thomas come off the rails with her carelessness. She pulled Thomas back onto the tracks and the two engines decided that two number 1 engines are just as good as one number 1 engine.
Later, in the twenty-third series, it was revealed that Hong-Mei pulls the mail train in China.
Stories From Sodor[]
Around the World[]
Thomas saw Hong-Mei when he, Nia, Ashima, and Rajiv journey to China to see Yong Bao [1].
International Friends Near and Far[]
Like in the television series, Thomas met Hong-Mei during his passenger run after saying he was the number 1 engine. However, Hong-Mei pointed out she was China’s number 1 engine, and the two had a race to see who’s the better number 1.
Unbeknownst to either engine, Hong-Mei spilled some of her delivery of rocks as she raced. This caused Thomas to derail on a shortcut line through the mountains. Hong-Mei came to Thomas’ rescue, revealing she took the shortcut line as well and made Thomas come off the rails with her carelessness. She pulled Thomas back onto the tracks and the two engines decided that two number 1 engines are just as good as one number 1 engine[2]. Then, Hong-Mei went to the New Year's Festival along with Thomas and Yong Bao [3]. Later, Hong-Mei told Thomas the water wheel he was carrying was important and made of bamboo [4].
Personality[]
Hong-Mei is a good-natured but cheeky tank engine from China who loves to race. She is also blue like Thomas, and out to prove she’s the No. 1 blue engine. Like Thomas, she can be careless and hasty at times, but always tries to make up for it.
Basis[]
Hong-Mei is based on the China Railways GJ 0-6-0T class. 122 members of this class were built and primarily saw industrial usage in places such as steelworks, with some remaining into service well into the 2000s. In addition to service in China, some members of the class worked in North Korea and Vietnam. Five are preserved.
Livery[]
Hong-Mei is painted blue with yellow lining and a red stripe along each of her side tanks. Her handrails, boiler bands and cylinder lining are brass, her wheels are red with light grey rims, and her number is painted on the sides of her tanks in yellow.
Trivia[]
- Hong-Mei's name means "red plum" in Mandarin.
- Hong-Mei is painted with the number Yī (一号), the Chinese equivalent to the number 1, on both of her water tanks.
- Hong-Mei's front end, smoke box and cylinders are modified from Rosie's with additional details.
- Despite working on the Chinese Railway, Hong-Mei has been modified from her basis for use on British Railways. She has added buffers, screwlink couplings and a brake pipe on both ends.
References[]
- ↑ Around the World: "Going to China"
- ↑ International Friends Near and Far: "Thomas and Hong-Mei"
- ↑ International Friends Near and Far: "Chinese New Year"
- ↑ International Friends Near and Far: "Thomas and the Water Wheel"
North America | Canada | Ravi Baboolal | ✦Vinnie | Olivia | Hunter | Ava and Eve | Noah |
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Cuba | ✦Victor | |
Mexico | Carlos | |
USA | Beau | Natalie | Sam | Vinnie | ✦Bash and Dash | ✦Caitlin | ✦Connor | ✦Ferdinand | ✦Hank | ✦Daniel | Jasmine | ✦Marion | ✦Philip | ✦Porter | ✦Timothy | ✦Lexi | Iolite | Angel | Blue Topaz | Imperial Topaz | Red Imperial Topaz | Poppy | Ocean | Serpentine | Beryl | Labradorite | Corundum | Pietersite | Boulder Opal | Fire Agate | Winza | Fuxite | Rainbow Moonstone | Meteorite | Mookaite | Goldstone | Conch Pearl | Tremolite | Mystic Quartz | Blue Quantum Quartz | Dragon Breath Opal | Mystic Topaz | Tsavorite | Carnelian | Chalcedony | Bloodstone | ✦Ametrine | ✦Star | ✦Rhodonite | ✦Fluorite | ✦Padparadscha | Rutile | Alexandrite | Amethyst | Blue Diamond | Blue Pearl | Blue Sapphire | Citrine | Emerald | Fluorite | Fuchsia Sapphire | Green Diamond | Green Pearl | Holly Blue Agate | Lapis Lazuli | Jasper | Malachite | Onyx | Opal | Peridot | Pink Diamond | Pink Pearl | Purple Sapphire | Rainbow Sapphire | Rainbow Quartz | Red Diamond | Red Pearl | Rhodochrosite | Rhodonite | Ruby | Ruby Aura Quartz | Ruby Zoisite | Sardonyx | Smoky Quartz | White Diamond | White Pearl | Yellow Diamond | Yellow Pearl | Yellow Sapphire | Euclase | Al Kindle | Andrea Suarez | Chris Rose | Greg Gibson | Kenny Florian | Mike Gellatly | Paul Ventimiglia | Will Bales | Marc DeVidts | |
South America | Brazil | Cassia | Emerson | Gabriela | Gustavo | Raul |
Colombia | Gator | |
Europe | Belgium | Axel |
France | Etienne | ✦Millie | |
Scotland | ✦Donald | ✦Douglas | Liam | ✦Ralph | |
Hungary | Attila | |
Germany | Frieda | ✦Hugo | ✦Marklin | |
Italy | Beppe | Ester | Gina | Lorenzo | Mia | Stefano | |
Russia | Ivan | The Russian Engines | |
Sweden | Fredrik | |
Denmark | Emil | |
Switzerland | Swiss Tank Engines | |
Poland | Aldona | Bonifacy | Iga | Michal | |
Africa | Kenya | ✦Nia |
Tanzania | Kwaku | Kobe | Zane | |
Egypt | Alexandria | Delilah | Mr. Osiris | Prudence | |
Asia | China | An An and Lin Yong | Jing-Yi | Fei-Long | Hong-Mei | Yong Bao |
India | Ashima | Charubala | Noor Jehan | Rajiv | Shankar | The Indian Actor | The Indian Director | The Tiger Hunters | Mia | The Indian Fashion Designer | |
Japan | ✦Hiro | Haiku | Chihiro | Kiyoshi | |
Saudi Arabia | Omar | Oma | Azzad | Zambaq | |
UAE | ✦Zambaq | |
North Korea | Ji Ah | Hyong-Joon | |
Indonesia | Lumba Lumba | Sukarno | Ora | |
Australia | Australia | Ace | Aubrey and Aiden | Doctor Claire | Ranger Jill | Isla | ✦Shane | Tamika |
Sudrian Crystal Railway | Locomotives | Belle | |
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Rolling Stock | Aquamarine | Blue | Blue Pearl | Dexter | Holly Blue | Rickety | Victoria | Zircon | |
Non-Rail Characters | Algy | Brenda | Butch | Captain | Kelly | Lorry 4 | |
Skarloey Railway | Locomotives | Mighty Mac | Sir Handel |
Rolling Stock | Blue Coaches | |
Arlesdale Railway | Locomotives | Allison | Bert | Sigrid of Arlesdale |
Keystone Railway | Locomotives | Blue Diamond (Keystone Railway) | Blue Pearl (Keystone Railway) | Blue Quantum Quartz | Blue Sapphire (Keystone Railway) | Blue Topaz | Euclase | Goldstone | Lapis Lazuli (Keystone Railway) | |
Rolling Stock | Angelite | Ammolite | Aqua Aura Quartz | Laguna Agate | |
BNSF Railway | Locomotives | |
The Mainland | Locomotives | Ariadne | The Class 40 | Connor | Fletcher | Frankie | Franklin | Mallard | Richard | Seth | Wilbert |
Non Rail Characters | Beresford | |
Brazil | Locomotives | Gabriela | Gustavo |
Rolling Stock | Gustavo's Coaches | |
China | Locomotives | Hong-Mei |
France | Locomotives | Étienne |
Germany | Locomotives | Frieda |
Greece | Locomotives | Athena | Zeus |
Rolling Stock | Hades | |
India | Locomotives | Rajiv |
Italy | Locomotives | Lorenzo |
Poland | Locomotives | Aldona |
Russia | Locomotives | Ivan |
Scotland | Locomotives | Liam |
Sweden | Locomotives | Fredrik |
Episodes | Thomas and Ace | Going to Africa | Going to India | Going to China | Going to Russia | Going to Germany | Going to France | Visiting the Mainland | Going to America Part 1 | Going to America Part 2 |
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Transcripts | Thomas and Ace/Transcript | Going to Africa/Transcript | Going to India/Transcript | Going to China/Transcript | Going to Russia/Transcript | Going to Germany/Transcript | Going to France/Transcript | Visiting the Mainland/Transcript | Going to America Part 1/Transcript | Going to America Part 2/Transcript |
Galleries | Thomas and Ace/Gallery | Going to Africa/Gallery | Going to India/Gallery | Going to China/Gallery | Going to Russia/Gallery | Going to Germany/Gallery | Going to France/Gallery | Visiting the Mainland/Gallery | Going to America Part 1/Gallery | Going to America Part 2/Gallery |
Characters With Main Roles | Thomas | Ace | Nia | Ashima | Rajiv | Yong Bao | Ivan | Frieda | Étienne | Rebecca | Hurricane | Frankie | Iolite | Angel | Beau | Euclase |
Characters Introduced | Ace | Nia | Rebecca | Beau | Euclase | Hong-Mei |