[freedomfiter2]

The white smoke is steam. It’s pointless to look for deep underlying messages in Thomas.

[Excellence]

Steam doesn’t come out the smokestack of a coal burning steam engine, smoke does. The steam is release at the cylinders.

[Excellence]

Here is a video of a steam engine being started. There is no narration, but you can see the smoke coming out the smokestack and the steam being released at the wheels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6uxKCYu6aQ