Emily the Stirling Engine

Emily is a fictional locomotive from the television series Thomas and Friends. She is also the first female steam engine to be featured on television, and is the only female member of the "Steam Team", the eight core characters of the series. She is painted dark green, and has large driving wheels and a shiny brass dome, of which she is very proud.

When she first arrived on the Island of Sodor, she took Thomas's coaches Annie and Clarabel by mistake, much to Thomas' dismay. However after she rescued Thomas and Oliver from an accident Thomas forgave her. Sir Topham Hatt (the "Fat Controller") rewarded her with two coaches of her own. From Season 8 onwards she has been depicted as a rather bossy character, which can make her difficult to work with at times. She is sometimes a "big sister" figure to little engines like Thomas and Percy.

Emily is unique among the Steam Team in not originating in the Railway Series, the books that form the basis of the television series. She is a relatively recent addition to the TV series, arriving in Season 7.

Model
Emily is based on a Stirling 4-2-2 of the Great Northern Railway. These engines were used on high-speed express services from York to London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Great Northern Railway used a dark emerald green livery on their locomotives similar to that carried by Emily.

Spotlight episodes
Since arriving on Sodor, Emily has appeared in many stories. The following is a list of the episodes in which Emily is the main character:
 * "Emily's New Coaches" (Season 7, episode 1) – Emily's arrival on the railway
 * "Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough" (Season 8, episode 8)
 * "Emily's New Route" (Season 8, episode 10)
 * "As Good As Gordon" (Season 8, episode 18)
 * "Emily's Adventure" (Season 8, episode 19)
 * "Emily Knows Best" (Season 9, episode 17)
 * "Emily and the Special Coaches"/"Emily and the Special Cars" (Season 10, epsiode 21)
 * "Emily's Rubbish"/"Emily And The Garbage" (Season 11, episode 2)