ThomasNATION Reviews - It All Adds Up
March 07, 2026
Being based on the Clifton Suspension Bridge in England which was designed and constructed by iconic Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Sodor Suspension Bridge is one of the most famous major landmarks along the North Western Railway's main line on The Island Of Sodor. The bridge carries the railway over the gorge and the River Reagh while linking the town of Wellsworth to the town of Ulfstead. But just like the Clifton Suspension Bridge in the real world, railway suspension bridges like the Sodor Suspension Bridge are rare as their design makes them largely unsuitable for the weight of heavy trains. While some exist in other countries, there have been no railway suspension bridges in the United Kingdom since the Surtees Rail Bridge was rebuilt as a more conventional rail bridge in 1844. And because of this potentially fatal flaw in its design, the Sodor Suspension Bridge has been no stranger to its fair share of collapsing throughout the years of the Thomas & Friends franchise whether during a nasty hurricane in the 2005 sixtieth anniversary special "Calling All Engines" or being damaged by numerous fast and heavy trains crossing in Season 19's "Slow Stephen" or even being struck by lightning during a comic book superhero fantasy in Season 24's "James the Super Engine". Surprisingly enough, the Sodor Suspension Bridge is one of the few Hit Era locations from the original series that made its way into All Engines Go and having gained some notable changes in its design going from a CG-recreation of a model set to 2D-animation with things such as a noticeably shallower gorge with railway lines running through it while also having the tracks on the bridge being reduced from three to two and also having a pair of tracks going down to the bottom railway lines. So now that you know about the suspension bridge, on with the review.
Say, do you remember the Season 7 episode "Trusty Rusty"? That's right, you don't, because...let's be honest, what about that episode is worth remembering? When Rusty says "don't use the old wooden bridge, it's dangerous", how about actually listening? Also, why was Duncan back to hating on Rusty? I thought this was cleared up in Season Four, but...yeah, apparently that didn't last long. I'm confused as to why nobody even offered to help Duncan if he would have run out of coal. Oh wait, I forgot: nobody knows how to do that. What's worse is that later on in the series after this incident, Duncan clearly hadn't learned a thing because he ended up running through a barrier in Season 9's "Duncan and the Old Mine" because he wanted an adventure and then the dum-dum trapped himself in the mine. I sure hope the driver got fired for this blunder, that kind of thing should not go unpunished. Obviously, we don't see it but one can only hope.
Now, why am I bringing up one of the most hated episodes of the original series, you may ask? Well, prepare to live your past in the present! Because in their rush in order to get their jobs done so that they can see the Northern Lights that night with Harold right after being told that the Sodor Suspension Bride is unsafe and must only be used in an emergency, literally everyone in the main cast apart from Percy uses the suspension bridge even though their jobs are not an emergency. I swear, I was so peeved by the lack of common sense among these engines that I was actually applauding the moment when the suspension bridge collapses and Thomas almost dies. I should not be applauding Thomas falling to his death, but it would've taught everyone a lesson they would never forget. I will, however, concede that the Northern Lights at the end do look really pretty. So overall when you retread old grounds of one of the most hated episodes of the original series on top of a really severe lack of common sense among the characters, "It All Adds Up" to what is without a doubt one of the worst episodes of All Engines Go and I have absolutely no shame in giving this trainwreck a rating of a 1.5/5.
Final Rating: 1.5/5
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