1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: Streaming TV shows and movies directly to your home is 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: a breeze with Netflix. As a Netflix member, you can 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: instantly watch TV and movies on your PC, Mac, mobile device, 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: or television. Get a free thirty day trial membership. Go 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: to Netflix dot com slash stuff and sign up today. 6 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff from how Stuff works dot com where 7 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: smart happens. Hi. I'm Marshall Brain with today's question. What 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: is a tank engine? As in Thomas the tank Engine. 9 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: If you're a parent or a grandparent, then you know 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: all about Thomas. Thomas the tank Engine is a merchandizing 11 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: phenomenon that includes small wooden train sets, videotapes, books, clothing, 12 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: and official website and tons of fans sites. If you 13 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: look at Thomas and his friends, there are a few 14 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: things to notice. First, there's Edward, Henry, Gordon and James, 15 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: and they all have coal cars like normal steam engines do. 16 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: But Thomas has no coal car. Thomas has these big 17 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: square tanks beside his cylindrical boiler. The other engines do 18 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: not have these tanks, and Thomas is carrying his own 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: coal and a small bin behind the cab. The square 20 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: tanks beside the boiler are what make Thomas a tank engine. 21 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: In real life, the tanks might hold between one thousand 22 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: and two thousand gallons of water, depending on the engine. 23 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: Tank Engines Evolved is a way to handle short lines 24 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: and switching duties in a train yard. The engine carries 25 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: a small amount of coal behind the cab and water 26 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: in its tanks. A tank engine is therefore self contained 27 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: and it doesn't need a coal car. That makes it lighter, smaller, 28 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: and less expensive, but gives it a pretty limited range 29 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: before it has to be recold and rewatered. Tank engines 30 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: were not very common in the United States, but they 31 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: were very common in England, so Thomas the tank Engine 32 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: is a fairly authentic depiction of a form of short 33 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: haul steam engine. The other engines in the series are 34 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: normal steam engines pulling separate coal cars. For more on 35 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, is it how staff 36 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: works dot com? Jack Threads is the online shopping destination 37 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: for dudes. Everything on the side is up to eight off, 38 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: All styles are curated, so buyer's remorse just doesn't happen. 39 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: What's more is, if you were brain stuff, you can 40 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: skip the membership wait list and get instant access at 41 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: jack threads dot com. Slash stuff