WEBVTT - What is a tank engine?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff from how Stuff works dot com where

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<v Speaker 1>smart happens. Hi. I'm Marshall Brain with today's question. What

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<v Speaker 1>is a tank engine? As in Thomas the tank Engine.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're a parent or a grandparent, then you know

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<v Speaker 1>all about Thomas. Thomas the tank Engine is a merchandizing

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<v Speaker 1>phenomenon that includes small wooden train sets, videotapes, books, clothing,

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<v Speaker 1>and official website and tons of fans sites. If you

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<v Speaker 1>look at Thomas and his friends, there are a few

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<v Speaker 1>things to notice. First, there's Edward, Henry, Gordon and James,

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<v Speaker 1>and they all have coal cars like normal steam engines do.

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<v Speaker 1>But Thomas has no coal car. Thomas has these big

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<v Speaker 1>square tanks beside his cylindrical boiler. The other engines do

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<v Speaker 1>not have these tanks, and Thomas is carrying his own

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<v Speaker 1>coal and a small bin behind the cab. The square

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<v Speaker 1>tanks beside the boiler are what make Thomas a tank engine.

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<v Speaker 1>In real life, the tanks might hold between one thousand

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<v Speaker 1>and two thousand gallons of water, depending on the engine.

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<v Speaker 1>Tank Engines Evolved is a way to handle short lines

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<v Speaker 1>and switching duties in a train yard. The engine carries

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<v Speaker 1>a small amount of coal behind the cab and water

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<v Speaker 1>in its tanks. A tank engine is therefore self contained

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<v Speaker 1>and it doesn't need a coal car. That makes it lighter, smaller,

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<v Speaker 1>and less expensive, but gives it a pretty limited range

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<v Speaker 1>before it has to be recold and rewatered. Tank engines

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<v Speaker 1>were not very common in the United States, but they

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<v Speaker 1>were very common in England, so Thomas the tank Engine

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<v Speaker 1>is a fairly authentic depiction of a form of short

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<v Speaker 1>haul steam engine. The other engines in the series are

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<v Speaker 1>normal steam engines pulling separate coal cars. For more on

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<v Speaker 1>this and thousands of other topics, is it how staff

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