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List
Notes on where engines are based
Sodor Mainline
Tidmouth
Thomas's Branchline
Ffarquhar
Edwards Branchline
Wellsworth
Brendam
Little Western Branchline
Arlesbrugh
- Duck the Great Western Engine
- Donald the Caledonian Twin Engine
- Douglas the Caledonian Twin Engine
- Oliver the Western Engine
Small Railway
Arlesbrugh
Skarloey Railway
Crovan's Gate
Descriptions
Thomas
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional tank engine. He is blue, and has an 0-6-0T wheel arrangement based on a LBSCR E2 Class Engine. He lives on the fictional Island of Sodor, and is locomotive number 1 on the Sodor Railways. He is the star of the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Thomas the tank engine first appeared in the 1940s, when stories about him were published in The Railway Series by Reverend W.V. Awdry. Now he is the most well known fictional locomotive in the world.
Eddie Glen provided the voice of Thomas in the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
Adventures of Thomas
Thomas and Gordon was the first episode of the television series and features a cheeky tank engine known as Thomas. He teases Gordon the Big Engine for being too slow and lazy. Gordon plots his revenge on Thomas. On a morning when Thomas is very sleepy, Gordon takes revenge by starting the Express Train before Thomas is uncoupled. Thomas is forced to go the journey at high speed and at the end of the line Gordon laughs. Thomas is faced with a long slow ride home for his foolishness.
Further adventures with Thomas cause him to:
- Have trouble with trucks
- Rescue James the Red Engine
- Get fish in his boiler
- Get stuck in snowdrifts
- Race with Bertie the BusPhoto
- Fall down a mine
- Rescue Mrs Kyndley
- Go on a runaway
- Get covered in coal
- "Go to breakfast" at the stationmaster's house
- Get scared by a "Ghost"
- Get caught in a snowdrift again while bringing the christmas tree.
- Help with the post train
- Get "bumped"
- Meet the "bluebell" engine, Stepney
- Go faster than Gordon the Big Engine, with the help of a jet engine.
- Help deliver items to the ice cream factory instead of taking children to the beach.
- Delivering the Circus all around the Island of Sodor
- Found Elizabeth in an old shed that she stayed for years
- Go around the difficult bend by himself
- Take Mrs. Hatt's dog to the Docks
- Get scared by Diesel
Other Information
- Thomas has two coaches Annie and Clarabel and his own branch line.
- The Fat Controller calls him a "Really useful engine"
- Thomas hates his blue snowplough and snow
- Thomas loves taking children around sodor
- Thomas has his own branch line
- Thomas hates fish
- Thomas is the only engine to have extended side-tanks
- Thomas loves being called a 'really useful engine'.
Edward
Edward the Blue Engine is a fictional character from The Railway Series by Rev W. Awdry. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender locomotive, about the same colour as Thomas the Tank Engine and the same size as James the Red Engine.
Origins
Edward was first featured in The Three Railway Engines, Awdry's first book, in 1945. Edward featured in his own book, Edward the Blue Engine in 1954.
According to the Author, Edward is based on a Sharp Stewart "Larger Seagull" class locomotive supplied to the Furness Railway in 1896.
Trivia
- Despite being numbered "2", Edward was the first engine mentioned in The Railway Series' first book, The Three Railway Engines in 1945.
- Edward is often mentioned as the oldest and kindest of the engines. In fact, he always treats the cars and coaches with care and they respect him.
- He was once seen as being old and useless, but after the Fat Controller's Works gave him an overhaul, he became as strong and useful as any engine on the line.
- Edward has a branch line from Wellsworth to Brendam, which he shares with BoCo. Bill and Ben work at the docks on this line, and Edward is often responsible for keeping them in order.
Henry
Henry the Green Engine is a fictional living and talking steam engine from the children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry.
Henry lives on the fictitious Island of Sodor with many other locomotives, including Thomas the Tank Engine, Gordon the Big Engine and Percy the Small Engine. He is engine number 3 on the railway.
Henry's first adventure was in The Sad Story of Henry, which was story three of The Railway Series book Three Railway Engines. In this story he refused to come out of a tunnel due to fears that the rain would spoil his paint. As punishment by the Fat Controller he was bricked up in the tunnel until he had to help Gordon the Big Engine after a burst safety valve.
Henry is a fast, 4-6-0 tender locomotive, similar to an London, Midland and Scottish Railway 5MT "Black Five" steam engine. He used to look very different, and was often ill. Despite the Fat Controller's best efforts, Henry had great difficulty making steam. The Fat Controller gave him special Welsh coal, which helped. But worse was to come- Henry had an accident while pulling the fast fish train known as The Flying Kipper. The Fat Controller sent Henry to the works at Crewe, where they rebuilt him into his present shape. This cured his illness completely.
Like many Thomas stories, this reflects reality. William Stanier had several problems with low superheat boilers on his first engines. Stanier had come to the LMS from the Great Western Railway which employed low superheat boilers and high quality Welsh coal, and this was found to generate insufficient steam when Midland and Northern coal was used. The problem was later rectified by fitting of larger superheat elements.
Henry now works on the main line. He can pull coaches and trucks equally easily, and sometimes even pulls the Express when Gordon is not available. He likes to tell people about the famous time when he managed to pull two failed diesels and their trains when he himself had a failed regulator, but the other engines are always there to bring him down to earth if he gets too big for his wheels.
Henry is voiced by Kevin Frank in the Thomas and the Magic Railroad movie. [1]
Gordon
Gordon the Big Engine is a fictional big blue tender engine from television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He is train number 4. Gordon views himself as the most important engine because he is the biggest and he pulls the Express. He is a 4-6-2 engine similar to a LNER A3 Pacific Steam Tender Engine.
Adventures of Gordon
Gordon first appeared in 1945 in The Railway Series along with Edward the Blue Engine and Henry the Green Engine in book number one, The Three Railway Engines. He was also in the first episode in the television series, in the episode Thomas and Gordon. Gordon's sense of self importance cause him to have many accidents and incidents throughout the stories, including...
- Getting stuck on a hill and had to be rescued by Edward. The hill is now known as Gordons Hill.
- Bursting his safety valve when teasing Henry.
- Embarrassment when his whistle was stuck blowing.
- Getting lost on the loop line.
- Falling into a ditch when trying to evade pulling trucks, leading to teasing by Thomas.
- Almost crashing headlong into Percy
- Getting sent down a branch line to be teased by Bill and Ben.
- Getting covered with mud and refused to be cleaned.
- Losing his dome when trying to go faster than the Famous Visitor.
- Unexpectedly wearing may day "special decorations" when a banner blew in the way.
But he is also proud and has done many good things including
- Pulling the express reliably.
- Pulling a special train for the Queen.
- Giving wise advice to smaller engines.
- Forming an alliance with Thomas.
- Helping James on slippery tracks.
- Gordon is voiced by Neil Crone on the Thomas and the Magic Railroad film.
James
James the Red Engine is a tender engine from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. James is engine number 5. His nickname is "The Red Engine". He has a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement and is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he can pull coaches and trucks. James' prototype is a London, Midland and Scottish Pre-Grouping Steam Tender Engine. In The Railway Series books, book number three is dedicated to James.
In the stories, James crashed on his first day into a field. It was blamed on the wooden brake blocks he was given. James has a reputation for being naughty. Some of the incidents include breaking a coach coupling and needing a passenger's bootlace, crashing into tar wagons, pulling Gordons coaches without his permission and showing off his new coat of paint while not doing work, only to end up getting covered in coal by the Troublesome Trucks. Despite his behaviour, James is an engine proud of his red paint and is considered to be a really useful engine. He is one of the only engines allowed to pull Gordon's Express when the big engine is away.
Susan Roman voiced James in the film, Thomas and the Magic RailroadTemplate:Inote .
Percy
Percy the Small Engine is a fictional living and talking steam engine from the children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry.
Percy lives on the (fictitious) Island of Sodor with many other locomotives, including Thomas the Tank Engine, Gordon the Big Engine and Henry the Green Engine.
Percy in more detail
- Percy is a green, 0-4-0 tank locomotive and is number "6" on the Fat Controller's/Sir Topham Hatt's railway.
- Percy, the youngest of the principal team of engines, is a happy and sometimes cheeky character. He often argues with Thomas, but really the two engines are the best of friends. Percy Picture
- Percy can usually be found pulling or shunting trucks. He originally arrived to help at the Big Station, but was soon moved to Thomas' branch line, where he is in charge of goods trains.
- Some of Percy's adventures include having a race with Harold the Helicopter; coming close to being hit head-on by Gordon the Blue Engine; and crashing into some luggage being pulled across the tracks.
- Percy's first appearance in The Railway Series was in book no.5, Troublesome Engines, originally published in 1950. In the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends television series, he made his debut in the first season, which originally aired in the mid-1980s.
- Percy was voiced by Linda Ballantyne in the Thomas and the Magic Railroad film [2]
Toby
Toby is a tram engine who works on the same branch line as Thomas the Tank Engine. He is a funny-shaped engine with cowcatchers and sideplates covering his wheels. Some say that he doesn't look like a steam engine at all. He doesn't mind this, just so long as nobody asks him if he's electric! His main job is taking stone to and from the quarry with his coach Henrietta, but he also helps with other jobs on the line (from collecting hay to shooing bulls off the line). He is old and wise, and is always willing to help other engines with the benefit of his experience. He is often the one responsible for resolving arguments between Thomas and Percy. He is engine number 7.
Duck
Montague "Duck" the Great Western Engine is a fictional steam engine from The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry. He is a green 0-6-0 Pannier Tank and lives and works on the Island of Sodor, where he has his own branch line between Tidmouth and Arlesburgh.
Duck is based on the 57xx class built by the Great Western Railway and still carries the colours of the GWR. These engines were designed to shunt and to work branch lines, and many survived right up until the end of steam on British Railways. Several are preserved on steam railways up and down the United Kingdom.
Duck is his nickname, his real name is Montague, but he preferred the name Duck, and now nobody thinks of calling him anything else. In reality this could be due to the locomotive's tendency to "waddle" at high speed. He first arrived to help in the Yard after Percy was moved to Thomas' branch line. Despite an incident when a devious engine called Diesel spread lies about him, the Fat Controller realised what a useful engine he had in Duck, and eventually gave him a branch line of his very own.
He works on this branch line with fellow Great Western engine Oliver (another neat engine and is also green), but sometimes helps on other lines. He makes friends easily, and the Fat Controller says that he makes everything run like clockwork. "There are two ways of doing things," Duck says, "the Great Western Way or the wrong way."
'Arry the Iron Works Diesel
'Arry is a character from "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends". He is a diesel engine who works at the scrapyards and smelters' sheds of Sodor with his brother Bert. He loves nothing more than breaking up steam engines, and they call the Ironworks diesels "the grim messengers of doom" or "the yellow disesels". When 'Arry and Bert can't break steam engines up (often because the Fat Controller stops them), they enjoy making life difficult with spiteful tricks.
'Arry and Bert are British Railways Class 08 diesel 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 and Bert have bright yellow fronts and cabs like all engines working in dark areas so that people working in the smelters' sheds can see them coming.
'Arry was introduced in Season 5 along with Bert. They are one of the few characters introduced in Season 5 still featuring in the later TV Series seasons.
Bert the Iron Works Diesel
Bert the Iron Works Diesel is a character from the TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He is a diesel engine who works at the scrapyards and smelters' sheds of Sodor with his brother Arry. He loves nothing more than breaking up steam engines, and they call the Ironworks diesels "the grim messengers of doom" or "the yellow diesels". When 'Arry and Bert can't break steam engines up (often because the Fat Controller stops them), they enjoy making life difficult with spiteful tricks.
'Arry and Bert are British Railways Class 08 diesel 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 and Bert have bright yellow fronts and cabs like all engines working in dark areas so that people working in the smelters' sheds can see them coming.
Bert was introduced in Season 5 along with 'Arry, but didn't have a speaking role until Season 6. They are one of the few characters introduced in Season 5 still featuring in the TV Series.
Donald
Donald is a scottish engine from the railway series he does not like to be separated from his twin Douglas Template:Spoiler He came in 1959 as a engine for the goods work as 57646 but as the two engines would not be sperated he bought Douglas along, because he knew that Douglas no.57647 would be sent back, their drivers removed their numbers and they named themselves Donald and Douglas when they arrived at Sodor they were given the numbers 9 and 10
Douglas
Douglas is a scottish engine from the railway series, he does not like to be separated from his twin Donald Template:Spoiler He came in 1959 with the engine for the goods work no.57646 as the two engines would not be seperated he came with Donald, because he knew that he would be sent back, their drivers removed their numbers and they named themselves Donald and Donald when they arrived at Sodor they were given the numbers 9 and 10.
Oliver
Oliver the Great Western Engine is a character appearing in the TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He was saved from scrap along with his brake van, Toad, by Douglas, and now works with Duck the Great Western Engine on a branch line. He used to be quite conceited, but after helping to teach some trucks and a mean bus a lesson, he has settled down to be a Really Useful Engine. At first Oliver hated snow, but now he likes it after a snowman incident.
Oliver is a 1400 Class tank engine, also known as an "autotrain engine". These were designed by the Great Western Railway to work on branch lines. They would be coupled to up to four autocoaches, special coaches with a cab at one end. From these cabs, the driver could control the engine without having to be in the engine's own cab. The system was a great success, and three other 1400 Class engines survive on steam railways around Britain. Several autocoaches also survive.
Oliver was introduced in Season 3, and has had many main roles and appearances in the later seasons, the latest being Season 7 episode 'Snow Engine'.
Skarloey
Skarloey is the oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway and was sulky and bouncey a pair of trailing wheels were later added and this cured the problem also a cab was added to "forget your troubles" but this made Skarloey conceited.
Rheneas
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Sir Handel
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Peter Sam
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Duncan
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Ivo Hugh
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Duke
Duke the Lost Engine is a fictional character from book of the same name in The Railway Series written by Rev. W. Awdry.
Duke lived and worked on the Mid-Sodor Railway with the engines Stuart and Falcon (later Peter Sam and Sir Handel respectively). He was the oldest engine on the line, and liked everything to be "just so". Whenever a young engine did something of which he disapproved, he would always say, "That would never suit His Grace." Falcon and Stuart thought he was a fusspot and a fuddy-duddy, and gave him the nickname of "Granpuff".
Once he managed to show Stuart up by playing a trick on him. He was rescued by the young engine when he was ill, but managed to trick the passengers into thinking that Stuart was the one who had broken down. On another occasion, he saved Falcon from a terrible accident when double-heading a train with him. Falcon came off the line on a steep mountainside, and only Duke's holding on prevented him from falling.
The biggest adventure yet came when his line was closed. Falcon and Stuart were sold, but nobody wanted the old-fashioned Duke. He was locked up and forgotten about. After many years, he was found by the Small Controller, the Thin Clergyman and the Fat Clergyman. He was then moved to the Skarloey Railway, where he now resides.
The story of Duke was based upon a true story about an engine abandoned in the Brazilian rain forest. Duke himself is based around the engine Prince, a tender engine on the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog, North Wales. Both Duke and another engine called Bertram (from the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends) are based around Prince.
Stanley
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Falcon
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Stuart
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Rex
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Bert
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Mike
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Jock
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Godred
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Ernest
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Wilfred
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Culdee
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Shane Dooiney
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Patrick
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Alaric
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Eric
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Bill and Ben
Bill and Ben are characters from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. They are twin tank engines who work for the Sodor China Clay Company. They are young and cheeky, and love playing jokes on the big engines, but are kept in order by Edward the Blue Engine and BoCo the Diesel Engine. Apart from their nameplates, they are absolutely identical- which can be confusing to engines who don't know them well. 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 often come to the quarries especially to see the twins.
Bill and Ben are 0-4-0 tank engines built by Bagnall's of Stafford. They are unusually low-slung, which allows them to fit through tunnels that taller engines could not. They are based on two locomotives which worked at Par in Cornwall which had lowered cabs in order to fit under a low bridge. The real examples are both preserved at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.
Bill and Ben were introduced in Season 2, and have made many appearances and 2 or 3 cameos throughout the TV Series. Despite being absent in Season 8, they do appear in Season 9, which is good news for Thomas fans.
Arthur
Arthur is a big, maroon LMS tank engine featured in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV Series. When he arrived on the Island of Sodor, he was as excited to work for Sir Topham Hatt as he was proud of his famous spotless record. Only time will tell if that record will stay as spotless as Arthur would like! He was bought to shunt trucks and haul freight, but then was transferred to the Fishing Village line, in which he enjoys working on. His best friends are Thomas the Tank Engine and Salty the Dockyard Diesel.
Arthur is a Fowler Tank Engine developed for the London Midland & Scottish Railway. These engines could haul heavy goods and were sometimes so good at performance, that some were used to haul passenger trains. There are many engines of this class preserved all across England. They performed so well that they survived right to the end of steam on British Railways, and were one of the last classes to be ordered for scrapping.