How many "Steam Along" Thomas variations?

[Ucwepn]

No not a prototype unless it is featured on box art or a promotional image they usually don't make it out to the hands of the public there is striped and non striped versions, anniversary and normal versions. And then there is the Trackmaster version. I have included some images of some versions.

   

   

   

   

   

My biggest gripe with the steam along Thomas is [that] because Annie is driven & Thomas is pushed, the activation tab for the tracks is positioned under Annie. This makes it unsuitable for the Plarail auto switching track, [since] Thomas is already across the points before the tab activates the changeover, and you end up with a derail[ment].
I do like the sound & steam Thomas, but I think if it had been thought out a bit better, they would've [just] left the tab off [altogether].

It does have the advantage of pulling up at platforms "correctly"; if a stop/go piece is placed right next to a station, the engine stops instead of the coaches. For that reason, I always used to place stop/go pieces ahead of the stations on my layouts.