You’ve seen the blue paint. You know the "huff-puff" sound of a steam engine struggling up a steep grade. If I say the words thomas i think i can, your brain probably stitches together a very specific image of a cheeky little engine with a round face, staring up at a mountain.
But here’s the thing: Thomas never actually said it.
Honestly, it’s one of the most persistent "Mandela Effect" style mix-ups in children's literature history. We’ve collectively smashed two different blue trains together into one giant, steam-powered memory. Thomas the Tank Engine belongs to the Island of Sodor, created by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry. The "I think I can" mantra belongs to an unnamed "Little Blue Engine" from an entirely different American folk tale.
How did we get here? Why does everyone think Thomas is the one chanting those iconic words?
The Great Engine Identity Crisis
Let’s look at the facts. Thomas first appeared in 1946 in The Railway Series. He is British to his core. He’s a Brighton E2 class tank engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, and a short stumpy boiler. He spends his days trying to be a "Really Useful Engine" under the watchful (and somewhat terrifying) eye of Sir Topham Hatt.
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The "I think I can" phrase actually comes from The Little Engine That Could.
This story is way older than Thomas. While the most famous version was published by "Watty Piper" (a pen name for Arnold Munk) in 1930, the story's roots go back to a Swedish journal in 1902. It appeared in sermons and Sunday school publications long before Thomas was even a sketch in a notebook.
In that story, a train full of toys breaks down. The big, shiny engines are too arrogant or tired to help. Finally, a little blue engine—who is often depicted looking remarkably like Thomas in modern reprints—steps up. She (yes, she’s often a "she" in the original text) huffs and puffs her way over the mountain, chanting: "I think I can—I think I can—I think I can."
Why Do We Blame Thomas?
It’s basically a branding coincidence. Both engines are small. Both are blue. Both are underdogs in a world of giant, ego-driven locomotives like Gordon or the "Shiny New Engine."
When the Thomas & Friends TV show exploded in the 1980s, it became the dominant "train brand." Suddenly, every small blue train in a child's toy box was "Thomas." If a kid was playing with a wooden train set and making it go up a hill, they’d use the most famous train quote they knew.
Marketing didn't help.
Over the decades, publishers of The Little Engine That Could started styling their illustrations to look more "Thomas-adjacent" because that’s what sold. The round face, the specific shade of azure—it all bled together. Even the themes are identical: the idea that your value is tied to your utility and your willingness to try the hard jobs.
What Thomas Actually Says
If Thomas isn't saying thomas i think i can, what is his actual catchphrase?
If you grew up with the books or the classic Ringo Starr/George Carlin narrated episodes, you know Thomas is more likely to say: "Cinders and ashes!" or "Bust my buffers!" His whole personality isn't about the "power of positive thinking" in the way the Little Engine is. Thomas is actually kind of a brat sometimes.
He’s cheeky. He gets into "scrapes." He tries to race buses and ends up stuck in snowdrifts because he thought he was too important for a snowplow.
The Reverend Awdry wrote Thomas to be a flawed character who has to learn humility. The Little Engine, on the other hand, is a pure symbol of perseverance. She starts humble and stays humble. Thomas starts boastful and gets humbled by a stationmaster's house or a pile of coal.
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The Real History of the Mantra
- 1902: The phrase "I think I can" appears in a Swedish magazine.
- 1906: Rev. Charles S. Wing uses the "Engine That Thought It Could" in a sermon.
- 1930: The Watty Piper version solidifies the "Little Blue Engine" as a cultural icon.
- 1945/46: Thomas the Tank Engine is born in the UK.
- 1984: The TV show launches, and the two blue engines begin their permanent merger in the public consciousness.
The Psychological Power of the Mix-up
There is a reason we don't correct people when they say thomas i think i can. It works.
Psychologists often point to The Little Engine That Could as the ultimate example of "self-efficacy." It’s the belief that you have the capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments. When we attach that to a character as beloved as Thomas, it makes the lesson stick even harder.
Thomas represents the "Really Useful" worker. The Little Engine represents the "Aspiring" worker.
Merging them creates a "Super Engine" that kids relate to: someone who wants to be useful but isn't sure they can handle the load. Honestly, it's a pretty heavy burden for a fictional piece of rolling stock. We’ve turned a simple British railway story into a gospel of American grit.
Actionable Takeaways for Parents and Fans
If you're looking to use these stories to actually teach something to kids (or yourself), it helps to know which engine does what. They offer different lessons.
- Use The Little Engine That Could for grit: When a task feels impossible, the mantra is a tool. It's about the internal monologue. If you keep saying "I can't," you've already lost.
- Use Thomas & Friends for social navigation: Thomas is better for teaching about ego, friendship, and the consequences of being "cheeky." Thomas shows that even if you're "Really Useful," you still need to listen to others and follow the rules of the line.
- Check the covers: If you're buying books, notice the illustrator. You'll see how modern artists have slowly morphed the Little Engine to look more like the #1 engine from Sodor. It’s a fascinating study in visual evolution.
Next time you hear someone say thomas i think i can, you don't have to be "that person" who corrects them. But at least you'll know the truth. One engine is about the heart's determination; the other is about a blue tank engine just trying to get his coaches to the station on time without falling into a ditch.
Practical Next Steps:
Check your local library for the 1930 edition of The Little Engine That Could to see the original "Little Blue Engine" design before it was influenced by Sodor. You might be surprised to find she looks more like a classic American switcher than a British E2.