THOMAS the Tank Engineis getting his first Aussie mate: a fun-loving, carefree and — most importantly — green and gold engine named Shane.

Based on a real locomotive that rolled out of a South Australian workshop in 1944, Shane will join the world’s most famous little engine Thomas in his next animated movie Thomas & Friends: The Great Race.

The pair will meet at “The Great Railway Show”, where they’re set to compete against a host of international engines in a race.

Who should lend their voice to Shane, the green and gold engine? Tell us in the poll below.

media_camera ... when he takes on Thomas the Tank Engine in The Great Race. Picture: Mattel media_camera Carefree Shane of Australia will be full steam ahead. Picture: Mattel

Shane’s nickname is the “Whispering Giant” and it is said his “carefree ways” make him many friends along the track.

The real steel that inspired the character of Shane is the SteamRanger 520 Sir Malcolm Barclay Harvey, built to cater for fast-growing passenger numbers during WWII. Like Shane, the train was painted green and gold.

Dean Harvey, who founded South Australia’s SteamRanger Heritage Railway and had the foresight decades ago to save the 520 when many old trains were being ripped up for scrap, yesterday called the real engine “the star of the SteamRanger fleet”.

“It was the highlight of passenger steam locomotives and the biggest passenger locomotive ever built in South Australia, without any shadow of doubt,” Harvey told News Corp Australia from Glengowrie.

media_camera The real SteamRanger 520 in action in South Australia. It was operational from 1944 until 2000. Picture: News Corp Australia.

In a Thomas & Friends style race, Harvey reckons the 520’s advantages would be endurance — “It was able to run non-stop all the way, whereas smaller locomotives had to stop at least once for water” — and speed — “It’s a high speed locomotive, provided the track’s up to it.”

The real 520 is now undergoing restoration and is not expected to be operational for several years.

As for “Whispering Giant”, Harvey confirmed the 520 had that moniker from the get-go.

media_camera The real Aussie-built SteamRanger 520. Picture: Brenton Edwards. media_camera Shane of Australia bears a striking resemblance to a historic train. Picture: Mattel.

“The reason for that is when it was running at high speed, you could hear the steam fizzing out of it but it was a whisper, it wasn’t loud at all. It was a fast locomotive which did it without any fuss and bother.”

Along with Shane, the new movie will introduce the likes of Ashima of India, Raul of Brazil, Etienne of France, Axel of Belgium, Frieda of Germany, Yong Bao of China and Ivan of Russia.

The Flying Scotsman, brother to Thomas’s regular mate Gordon the Big Engine, also makes an appearance.

media_camera Joining Thomas and Shane in The Great Race is Ashima of India. Picture: Mattel.

While Bollywood actor Tina Desai has been announced as the voice of Ashima of India, there is no word yet on whether a big Australian name is all aboard to give voice to Shane.

Thomas & Friends: The Great Race will begin releasing internationally next month. An Australian release — expected to be a limited cinema engagement in advance of a DVD release — is slated for July/August.

Behind the scenes on Thomas and Friends: The Great Race Go behind the scenes of the latest Thomas and Friends movie, The Great Race.

Shane of Australia is expected to be immortalised in toy form, too — it is believed Mattel will turn most of the new international characters into toys.

Learn more about Shane with behind the scenes footage and a trailer for The Great Race at News Corp Australia’s websites.

For more information on the SteamRanger Heritage Railway, visit www.steamranger.org.au or call 1300 655 991.