Railway engines (Thomas and Friends)
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This article lists the regular Railway Engine characters of the Television Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.
[edit] List of characters
Engines listed in order of first major appearance in the series.
For the growing number of Narrow Gauge characters, see Narrow gauge engines (Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends).
[edit] The Fat Controller's engines
[edit] Steam Team
[edit] Thomas
Thomas is a 0-6-0 blue tank engine. He lives and works on the Island of Sodor, and is locomotive number 1 on the island's main railway. He has become the main star of the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (now known as Thomas and Friends). Thomas first appeared in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry.
Thomas' character can change from time to time, from cheeky like Percy to wise like Edward. He is always, however, extremely proud to run his own branch line, and is very fond of his two coaches, Annie and Clarabel.
[edit] Edward
Edward was the first character to appear in The Railway Series by the Rev W. Awdry, and is part of the central group of characters in the TV Series. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender engine with red stripes, about the same size as James, and bears the number 2 on his tender.
Edward is the oldest and wisest of the engines in the core fleet, and other engines often find themselves indebted to his knowledge and experience.
[edit] Henry
Henry is a 4-6-0 engine, one of the first engines to appear in The Railway Series books. Henry is engine number 3 on the railway, and is painted green with red stripes. In the first season, Henry looked much like Gordon and often suffered from boiler trouble. He then had an accident with The Flying Kipper caused by ice and snow, after which he underwent extensive reconstruction, giving him a new shape, which he has had ever since.
Henry's character can be difficult to pinpoint. Sometimes, he is somewhat pompous like Gordon, at other times he is sensitive, others still he is somewhat depressed. Henry has also from time to time suffered from "illness". Since the third season, however, Henry has had a more consistent character trait added, being portrayed as having an admiration for nature, particularly trees.
[edit] Gordon
Gordon is a big blue tender engine from the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and was the second engine to appear in The Railway Series. He is locomotive number 4, a 4-6-2, painted blue with red stripes, and for quite some time he was the largest and strongest engine until the arrival of Murdoch.
Gordon has always viewed himself as the most important engine, mostly because of his size and strength, and that his main task is to pull the Express. At times, this can lead to him feeling superior. However, he usually learns his lesson, realising that all engines have their place in the team.
[edit] James
James is a tender engine from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends who also featured in The Railway Series. James is engine number 5, coloured red with gold stripes & dome, and is a 2-6-0 mixed-traffic engine, which means he can pull both coaches and trucks.
While James is one of "the big engines" (a trio with Gordon and Henry), he is certainly the most junior member of this clique, often resulting in him getting too big for his boots. He often brags about his red paint, as though this makes him superior to other engines, a notion which is usually dispelled quickly enough.
[edit] Percy
Percy is a part of The Fat Controller's railway on the TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and in the Railway Series books. He is a green 0-4-0 saddle tank engine with red stripes, and has been given the number 6.
He is the youngest engine of the whole fleet. He is quite a cheeky engine, often looking to trick or tease other engines. Percy does, however, have utmost respect when it is needed, referring to The Fat Controller as "Sir" every few words when addressing him.
[edit] Toby
Toby is a tram engine who works on the same branch line as Thomas. He has a cowcatchers and side plates covering his wheels. His main job is taking stone to and from the quarry with his coach Henrietta, but he also helps with other jobs. He is painted brown and gray, and is engine number 7.
Toby is old and wise, and is always willing to share his experience and knowledge with other engines. He is careful in everything he does, which means he very rarely has any accidents.
[edit] Emily
Emily is a "Stirling Single" engine. She is painted dark green with gold stripes and on the side of her tender. She speaks with a Scottish accent.
She caused upset for Thomas when she accidentally "stole" Annie and Clarabel, but after saving Oliver from an accident, she was rewarded a pair of coaches of her own.
Emily first appeared in Season 7, and from Season 8 has been a part of the core group of characters, known as the Steam Team.
[edit] Duck
Duck is a character in The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry, as well as the TV Series Thomas and Friends. Although his real name is Montague, he was given the nickname "Duck", which everyone now calls him. He is a green pannier tank engine, who was given the number 8 on arrival, and works efficiently as part of The Fat Controller's fleet. He currently runs his own branch line.
Duck holds great pride in being Great Western, and this results in him having a strong work ethic. This can, however, be a cause for friction with his colleagues, when he insists that his way ("the Great Western way") is the only right way to do things, but other engines understand this, and by and large give Duck their full respect.
Duck has not been seen since season 7 (aside from a season 10 music video cameo) but it is may belevied that he will return in season 12.
[edit] Donald & Douglas
Donald and Douglas are twin 0-6-0 tender engines who feature in both the TV Series and the Railway Series books. They came together from Scotland and, although The Fat Controller was only expecting one engine, he decided to keep both engines in his fleet, giving them the numbers 9 and 10 respectively, as well as nameplates. They are painted black, and have red name plates with gold writing.
If not for coming to Sodor, Donald and Douglas would surely have been scrapped. Because of this, not only are they grateful to have a home, but they are always very sombre and serious when it comes to the topic of scrapping – a sensitive issue among the steam engine characters.
Donald and Douglas were absent after Season 7, but they returned in Season 11.
[edit] Oliver
Oliver is an 0-4-2 tank engine. Oliver was introduced in Season 3, being saved from scrap by Douglas, along with his brake van, Toad.
On arrival at Sodor, Oliver was restored, painted olive green, and given the number 11. He was allocated to work with Duck on his branch line, The Little Western.
When Oliver arrived on Sodor he was not used to handling trucks. While shunting his first ballast train, an incident resulted in Oliver landing bunker-down in a turntable well. On his return from the Works, Oliver learned how to deal with them.
Oliver is based on a Great Western Railway GWR 1400 Class 0-4-2T tank locomotive. These engines were fitted with a mechanical system allowing the driver to control the locomotive remotely from the cab of an 'autocoach', such as Isabel.
Oliver has not appeared in any episodes since Season 7 (although he has appeared in a song broadcast alongside Season 8); however, Oliver will return mainly in season 12.
[edit] Diesel
Diesel, sometimes known as Devious Diesel, was the first diesel engine to arrive on the Island of Sodor. He is painted black and has six wheels.
Diesel is a scheming, oily trickster who likes to cause trouble wherever he goes. He first came to Sodor in Season 2 to help Duck, but he spread mean-spirited rumours that caused the Fat Controller to send him away. However despite the Fat Controller telling him he would not be welcomed back to Sodor, Diesel returned in Season 3 to help Duck and Percy but only cause more trouble. Then after 3 seasons absence, Diesel returned in Series 6 where he caused yet more trouble. At present Diesel appears to be living on Sodor.
Diesel is a British Rail Class 08 shunter.
[edit] Daisy
- See also: Daisy (the Railway Series)
Daisy is a diesel railcar, who was bought by the Fat Controller to help out on Thomas' branch line. She is green with yellow lining (similar to the livery of British Railways DMUs in the 1960s). She wears makeup, including long eyelashes, red lips and purple eyeshadow.
Daisy arrived on Sodor after Thomas had an accident and needed major repairs. She refused to pull any freight for some time, making up excuses, but after a scolding from the Fat Controller, she performed her duties as requested. She still, however, thinks she is better than any of her colleagues, and will use any opportunity to boast to them.
Daisy is based on a Class 101 diesel multiple unit, but is actually a rail-car - a single-carriage unit with a cab at either end.
[edit] Bill & Ben
- See also: Bill and Ben (Railway Series)
Bill & Ben are twin tank engines who work for the Sodor China Clay Company. They are painted yellow, have four wheels each and have their names attached to their sides on brown nameplates. Apart from their nameplates, they are identical – which can be confusing to engines who don't know them well. They are smaller than the other engines they work with. They have "SCC" written on both sides and "Brendam Bay" on the front abover their faces.
They are young and cheeky and love playing jokes on the big engines, but are kept in order by Edward and Boco. They work in the china clay quarry and at Brendam Docks, where they are kept busy shunting trucks. The Fat Controller sometimes allows them to carry out special jobs, like taking Boco's heavy goods train and running 'Brake Van Specials' for visitors, who sometimes come to the quarries to see the twins.
Bill & Ben are based on two 0-4-0 tank engines built by Bagnall's of Stafford that worked at Par in Cornwall named Alfred and Judy. They are unusually low, allowing them to fit under bridges that taller engines could not. The real examples are both preserved at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.
Bill & Ben were introduced in Season 2 and have appeared since on several occasions.
Recently, pictures of the Bill/Ben models during the production of season 2 were found, in which they bore numbers above their faces in similar fashion to the Railway Series. For reasons unknown, they were removed and have not been seen in any episodes or canon photos.
[edit] Boco
Boco is a green diesel who works mainly on Edward's Branch Line. His green livery is used by British Railways in the 1960s.
Boco is a very kind engine, and is considered the most sensible diesel engine on the Fat Controller's railway. Bill & Ben misunderstood him at first, going out of their way to trick him, but this was soon sorted out and good-natured Boco even managed to laugh about it later. Boco made his first appearance in Series 2, but he has not been seen in the TV Series since Series 5.
Boco is based upon the British Rail Class 28 "Metrovick Co-Bo" Type 2 diesel electric engine, named after its unusual Co-Bo wheel arrangement.
In the TV series he carries the number D5702, which is in the range of numbers assigned to the real "Metrovick" locomotives by British Railways.
[edit] Mavis
Mavis is a diesel; she is mostly black, with yellow-and-black "hazard" stripes on her front and rear. Like Toby, her six wheels are concealed by side plates and a cow-catcher. She also has her name, and "The Ffarquhar Quarry Co. Ltd." written on both sides. To begin with, she had a tomboyish, rebellious attitude. In later seasons, however, she became much more settled, and became a role model for Bill and Ben.
Mavis works at the quarry at the end of Thomas' Branch Line, where she mostly works with Toby. She is filled with youthful enthusiasm, and this often leads to her doing more work than is required of her – which wouldn't be so bad, if this didn't lead to incidents like endangering Toby. After the fifth television series, Mavis was transferred to the 'Centre Island Quarry', where she works with Bill and Ben (and the occasional visitor).
Mavis was the last of the Standard Gauge engines to make the transition from The Railway Series to the TV Series.
She is based on the British Rail Class 04 shunter.
[edit] Derek
Derek is a dark green Clayton Equipment Company diesel, who was brought to Sodor to help Bill and Ben in the quarry. Because he was new, he suffered from "teething troubles", which often resulted in his engine overheating due to a bad cooling system and breaking down. He considered this a setback, especially when his engine failed whilst helping Bill and Ben pull a train. Luckily, Bill and Ben prevailed, and Derek was mended.
Derek is a British Rail Class 17 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive.
[edit] 'Arry & Bert
The brothers 'Arry & Bert are diesel engines who work at the "Sodor Ironworks", the scrapyards and smelters' sheds of Sodor. Their bodies are green-grey, but their fronts and rears have yellow-and-black "hazard" stripes, like Mavis, so that people working in the smelters' sheds can see them coming. They love nothing more than breaking up steam engines, and when they can't do that (often because the Fat Controller stops them), they enjoy making other engines' lives difficult with spiteful tricks.
'Arry & Bert are British Rail Class 08 diesel-electric shunters. Hundreds of these engines and similar types were built for service in Britain and Europe. They were very successful, and many are still at work today.
'Arry & Bert were introduced in Season 5, and were the first engines to appear in the series without first appearing in the Railway Series. Along with Diesel, they served as the only real 'villains' in the TV series, most notably in the eighth, ninth and eleventh seasons.
In the toy lines, the twin diesels are known as Iron 'Arry & Iron Bert.
[edit] Salty
Salty is a battered old diesel who works at Brendam docks. He loves the sea more than anything, and has a fund of sea stories and shanties. Bill and Ben enjoy hearing these tales, but Cranky the Crane is not so fond of them.
Apart from the yellow-and-black "hazard" stripes, on his front and rear, Salty is mostly painted dull red, and carries the number 2991. He speaks with a West Country accent and uses a lot of nautical slang. Salty works well with trucks, but how he manages to keep them in order is a closely-guarded secret. He is also one of the few diesels who has no quarrel whatsoever with steam engines.
Salty is based on a British Rail Class 07 dock shunter. He first appeared in Season 6, and has appeared intermittently since.
[edit] Harvey
Harvey is a crane engine: he has a crane arm mounted on top of his boiler. He also has large buffers, a large chin and triangular cab roof. He sports the number 27 on his crane arm. The other engines tease him at first, but when he is able to rescue Percy after an accident they realise that his difference is what made him special. Since then, he has proved very useful, using his crane arm for maintenance, building and clearing up.
Harvey is painted dull red, with some gold. He first appeared in Season 6.
Harvey is based on a real crane engine - No. 4101.
[edit] Fergus
Fergus is an Aveling & Porter railway traction engine who mainly works at the cement works and thus calls himself 'The Pride of the Cement Works". He is painted blue-purple with red wheels, and although he vaguely resembles Trevor the Traction Engine, Fergus runs on rails, unlike Trevor.
Fergus knows the Rule Book by heart, and his catchphrase is "Do it right!" His insistence on doing everything absolutely according to the rules can annoy the other engines. However, he is a decent engine at heart and will not hesitate to help other engines who are in trouble.
His flywheel can be hooked up to machinery, and this feature is first seen in the Season 7 episode Salty's Stormy Tale, when he uses it to save a ship from crashing into the rocks by powering the lighthouse lamp generator.
Fergus made his debut in Season 7, but has not been seen or mentioned since this season.
[edit] Arthur
Arthur is a maroon tank engine with gold striped trim and 'LMS' on his side. When he arrived on the Island of Sodor, he was as excited to work for The Fat Controller as he was proud of his spotless record. He was bought to shunt trucks and haul freight, but then was transferred to the Fishing Village line.
Arthur is an LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T tank engine designed for use on the London Midland & Scottish Railway.
[edit] Murdoch
Murdoch is Sodor's largest and strongest steam engine, with ten driving wheels; he is bigger and stronger than Gordon. He is painted orange, with green and red lining, gold stripes, and is one of the few engines on the Standard Gauge railway to have nameplates fitted.
Murdoch helps haul long goods trains on the Main Line, and is good friends with Salty and Harvey. But in spite of his size, Murdoch is a gentle giant, who is often shy and prefers some peace and quiet when the hustle and bustle of the city life becomes too much – and there is nothing better for him than a quiet run through the countryside.
Murdoch is based on the BR standard class 9F freight engines; the last steam engines to be built for British Railways in 1960. BR standard class 9F 92220 Evening Star is one of these.
First appearing in Season 7, Murdoch has also appeared in Season 8 and makes a cameo in Season 11.
[edit] Molly
Molly is a large, powerful, bright yellow engine with four large drive wheels, red stripes and white linings. She is based on a GE Claud Hamilton 4-4-0 tender engine. Aware of what the other engines think of her, she is rather sensitive and often hurt by the unkind things they say. This was proven when, on her first day, she was teased for pulling empty wagons. She felt inferior to the other engines, and wanted to feel just as useful as them. However, in the end, Molly saw sense (thanks to Thomas) that even empty wagons can be just as important as loaded ones. Molly made her debut appearance in Season 9 and has made frequent cameos since, with more speaking roles in Season 11.
[edit] Neville
Neville is based on a Bulleid "Q1" Engine, and is painted black with the number "33010" on the sides of his cab. When he first came to Sodor, the engines held a grudge against him. Neville is seen to be a kind and friendly engine, who had the misfortune of being a steam engine who looked like a diesel. Thomas misinterpreted him talking with 'Arry & Bert, and soon a rumour spread that he was planning to bump the steam engines. Luckily the rumour was rectified, and Thomas befriended with Neville.
Neville made his debut appearance in the show's ninth season. He later appeared in Season 11.
[edit] Dennis
Dennis is an exceptionally lazy diesel engine, who used to do just about anything to get out of doing work until Thomas showed him how to be a really useful engine. The U.S. version gives Dennis a Texan accent.
One of a number of characters to debut in Season 9, Dennis is painted grey, and is not as tall as many of his colleagues. He carries the number 11001.
Dennis is based on a prototype Southern Railway diesel shunter, No. 11001.
[edit] Rosie
Rosie is a light purple and grey engine with red wheels and freckles who came to the Island and idolises Thomas, whilst he's trying to deliver a special Birthday post train to Alice at Hill Farm. Thomas gets annoyed, as she continues to follow him. But after he has an accident and she helps him he starts to respect her. Her first appearance in the series was in the tenth season and made more appearances in the eleventh season.
Rosie is based on a USA class 0-6-0 "Dock Tank" engine.
[edit] Whiff
Whiff is a dark green 2-2-4 rubbish-collecting tank engine with dark green wheels and glasses, the first engine character in the TV series to do so.
In Emily's Rubbish, Emily has to work with Whiff. She is quickly teased for spending time with a smelly engine. But Whiff is the only engine who doesn't mind moving trucks full of rubbish. He shows up and takes the rubbish trucks away for Emily when she can't move them by herself from the path of Spencer, and after this Emily is no longer afraid to call Whiff her friend. Whiff seems to have a two-tone whistle, and is the second steam engine in the TV Series to have no side-rods (The first being Fergus).
Whiff is based on the NER 66 Aerolite, found at the National Railway Museum. He carries the number 66 on his sides as a tribute to the engine that he is based on.
[edit] Billy
Billy is a small orange tank engine with noticeably buck teeth and white and green linings. In Don't be Silly Billy when he first arrived, The Fat Controller asked Thomas to show him the right way to do things, but he thought Thomas was being bossy. He runs off and then runs out of coal and water, Thomas helps him to a station and after that, he doesn't think Thomas is bossy.
Billy resembles a Manning Wardle L Class 0-6-0ST.
[edit] Stanley
Stanley was a tank engine brought to the Fat Controller's railway to assist with the Sodor Day celebrations. Thomas was afraid that the new engine would steal his friends, and tried to make Stanley look silly by playing a trick on him. The plan backfired, and Thomas ran away out of shame. The Fat Controller launched a search party to find Thomas. It was Stanley who eventually found him, and the two became friends.
It is confirmed that Stanley is to continue appearing in the following 12th Season.
Stanley is based on a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST with an unusual over-all silver livery. He is believed to look like Billy.
[edit] Hank
Hank is a big dark blue American engine that has ten red driving wheels and a large blue dome[citation needed] who is introduced in Season 12.
[edit] Flora
Flora is a yellow tram who is introduced in Season 12.
[edit] Visiting engines
[edit] City of Truro
City of Truro featured in one Season 3 episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, 'Gordon and the Famous Visitor'. He is referred to by Duck as a celebrity.
City of Truro is a real locomotive, and is the first such locomotive to make an appearance in the series.
[edit] Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman featured in one Season 3 episode 'Tender Engines'. The only part of Flying Scotsman shown is its tenders, which causes a great deal of resentment on Henry’s part.
Like City of Truro, Flying Scotsman is a real locomotive.
[edit] Stepney
Stepney was saved from scrap by Rusty, and now he works on a distant branch line known as the Bluebell Railway. He wears the cheery yellow livery of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and carries the number 55 on his sides.
Stepney loves long runs and even pulling trucks. This enthusiastic attitude, together with his friendliness, means that he is always a welcome visitor on the Fat Controller's railway. Although his main role was in the fourth season of the TV Series, he has occasionally visited since, working closely with Rusty and Edward, and occasional relief duties at the quarry.
Stepney is based on the real engine of the same name, an LB&SCR A1 Class 'Terrier' 0-6-0T tank locomotive.
Stepney also appears in Volume 18 of The Railway Series, Stepney The "Bluebell" Engine, as described here.
Stepney first appeared in season 4, and had one episode in season 5, but has not been seen since season 7.
[edit] The Diesel
- For the Railway Series character, see: D4711
The Diesel (also known as D261 and Class 40) came to Sodor to help out whilst Stepney was on the railway. He did not make a good impression on his arrival, as he told the engines that they should be scrapped and replaced by diesels like him. He soon got his comeuppance when he accidentally sucked in a Railway Inspector’s bowler hat during a maintenance check. He left soon afterwards, saying goodbye to no one but leaving two things behind, a rather nasty smell and a battered bowler hat.
The Diesel only appeared in one Season 4 episode, 'Bowled Out'. He was also seen in the Railway Series, with a yellow face and the (entirely fictitious) number D4711.
He is based on a Class 40 diesel locomotive.
[edit] Spencer
Spencer is the sleekest and fastest engine ever to visit Sodor, and looks the part with his streamlined silver casing. He is the private engine of the wealthy Duke and Duchess of Boxford.
He is also one of the most arrogant engines to visit Sodor, which does not make him popular with the other engines - especially Gordon. However, his pride has been his downfall more than once. First he had to be rescued by Gordon when he ran out of water, then on his next visit he lost a race with Edward, and he lost to Thomas when his boiler was cold when an emergency trip was needed for the Duke. He does not seem to be humbled by his mistakes.
For Season 11 Spencer was repainted with a more 'shiny' silver opposed to the grey-silver used before.
His distinctive shape is that of the LNER Class A4 express engine. Another of these, Mallard, holds the record for being the fastest steam locomotive in the world.
Spencer made his debut in the Season 7 episode "Gordon and Spencer", and made further appearances in Seasons 8, 10 and 11.
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