List of Thomas the Tank Engine characters

This is a complete list of characters who have appeared in Thomas the Tank Engine in order of appearance.

"Coffee Pots"
The Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Railway eventually became part of the North Western Railway, and was constructed with the help of the young Sir Topham Hatt, who also designed four small 0-4-0 tank engines with vertical boilers that were nicknamed "Coffee Pots". These engines were used by the North Western Railway to pull trucks from Anopha Quarry, but were worn out soon after Thomas was given charge of their branchline and withdrawn. They were not very well-documented, and were never even photographed before they were scrapped.

10751
10751 was the diesel who failed in Gordon the High-Speed Engine, forcing Gordon to take his railtour train.

10751 is based on a BR class 127 built at Metropolitan Cammell in 1959.

10751 is painted in a British Rail "Rail Blue" livery with yellow warning panels.

13
13 is a black saddletank engine with an open cab from the mainland. He is very unlucky, and when he first arrived he caused trouble for Donald and Douglas, had his firebox damaged and stuck in a landslide. The Fat Controller sent him to the Works, and although Donald and Douglas thought that would be the end of him he came back with a bigger firebox, which cured his unluckiness. After his repairs, 13 told Donald and Douglas that he came to Sodor as an unlucky engine, but returned to the mainland as a very lucky engine.

13 wears black livery with red stripes. He has a red "13" painted on each side of his saddletank.

13 presumably has a 0-4-2 wheel arrangement. He vaguely resembles Peter Sam and Stanley, minus a cab roof.

199
D199, nicknamed "Old Reliable" and "Spamcan", is a rude diesel engine.

D199 was built at Derby Works in 1960 and came on trial to Sodor in 1967 with another diesel engine, 7101. D199 soon made himself an enemy of the steam engines when he claimed that "steam engines spoil our image", and was swiftly quietened by 7101 and Duck.

The next day, 199 ironically failed and had to be helped home by Henry. He was soon sent home in disgrace.

D199 was pompous and rude, and sided with the general belief amongst diesels that steam engines are inferior to diesel power.

D199 is based on a BR Class 44 "Peak" 1Co-Co1.

D199 is painted in the British Railway's "Rail Blue" livery with yellow warning panels. D199's rear cab has a headcode reading "AC 10".

31120
31120 is a diesel who appeared in the last illustration of "Fire Escape". His headcode is "1X01", which is odd, as the "X" indicates "Royal Train" or "out-of-gauge load".

31120 is based on a BR Class 31 diesel locomotive, hence his number, built at Brush Traction in 1957.

98462 and 87546
98462 and 87546 are two blue tender engines who visited Sodor in 1922.

When the Reverend W. Awdry received correspondence asking about the other two engines in the shed - the other four being Edward, Henry, Gordon and the red engine - he replied that they were on the railway on trial, but were sent away for being rude and nasty. It is not known what happened to them since the decline of steam.

98462 and 87546 are rude, spiteful, impolite and nasty. Basis

98462 is an LNER B12 and 87546 is an LNER B17.

98462 and 87546 are painted blue with red and yellow lining.

A.J.R. No.1
A.J.R No.1 is a stationary steam crane, that works at the Wharf. It is painted black and has "A.J.R No.1" painted in white on its counterbalance.

Ada, Jane and Mabel
Ada, Jane, and Mabel are three open-sided carriages who where built for the Skarloey Railway while Skarloey was away. Ada was built at Skarloey Railway in 1955, Jane in 1956 and Mabel in 1957. They all arrived on Sodor in 1957.

Ada, Jane, and Mabel are used for tourist traffic when it is sunny. Sir Handel first considered the coaches trucks because they had no roofs.

When a documentary was made about the Skarloey Railway, the three had the honour of carrying the television equipment and cameras. They were later used for the same purpose when a documentary was made about Skarloey and Rheneas' hundredth birthday. They are pulled by Mighty Mac.

Ada, Jane, and Mabel are painted light blue (later cream and green) with their names written on their backs in cursive.

Ada, Jane, and Mabel are based on Talyllyn Railway's carriages 11, 12 and 13.

Adams
Adams, formerly 488, is an engine living on the Bluebell Railway. Stepney mentioned him while talking to Edward about the Bluebell Railway. He and Cromford did not have names then, so the others nicknamed him "Adams", after his maker. According to Stepney, his Controller is unaware of this name change.

"Adams" is currently requiring a new boiler barrel, but he can be seen on display at the Bluebell Railway along with other engines. The Bluebell Railway has not announced an exact date for his return to steam, but it will be several years at the least.

Adams is an LSWR 415 class radial tank engine, built at Robert Stephenson & Co. and designed by William Adamsin March 31st, 1885 for hauling goods. He was withdrawn in July 31st, 1885. His number is 488, previously 0488, EKR 5, 3488, and 30583.

Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice
Agnes, Ruth, Lucy and Jemima are coaches on the Skarloey Railway, whilst Beatrice is a guard's van. They are all named after Sir Handel Brown's daughters (with exception to Jemima).

The coaches like all the engines, Sir Handel least of all for referring to them as "cattle trucks". They also were mistrustful of Skarloey at first for being bouncy. Agnes is a deep-voiced first-class carriage who looks down on the others, who are third-class. Agnes appears to be the leader of the five. All four coaches look down on Beatrice, and claim that she "smells of fish and cheese". Beatrice is, however, very useful. She has a ticket booth and an emergency buzzer, and sometimes even carries passengers when the coaches are full.

Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice are based on the Talyllyn Railway's first, second, third and fifth carriages. Agnes is based on the Talyllyn Railway's "Lulu". Jemima and Beatrice were built at Brown Marshalls in 1865, whilst Ruth, Lucy and Agnes in 1866.

Agnes, Ruth, Lucy and Jemima are painted blue with cream windows. Beatrice is painted all blue.

Alan
Alan was a dark green tank engine with an unusual box shape and a Scottish accent. He is a simple but kind engine who befriended Skarloey when he was young. He had a very horrible accident with his train of coal trucks before withdrawal. He derailed and was killed and smashed to pieces.

Skarloey said Alan was ugly but kind, and they soon became friends.

Alan was painted dark green with "S&M 3" written on his tank sides in yellow.

In Sodor: Reading Between the Lines Christopher Awdry states that Alan's class is unknown. However, he strikingly resembles a Neilson 0-4-0 box tank, a simple and robust class of engine built in Glasgow and sold all over the world. This would explain both his name and his accent.

Alaric
Alaric is a mountain engine mentioned in a conversation between Culdee, Wilfred and Ernest in Mountain Engines. According to them, Alaric is "nice and quiet".

Alaric was built at Winterthur in Switzerland in 1923 to a "super-heat" design. He arrived on Sodor in May 1962.

According to "The Real Lives of Thomas the Tank Engine", he and Eric have been "retired".

Alaric is painted purple with orange lining. In the magazines he is painted brown with red lining.

Alaric is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway's Ralph, who was originally called "Aylwin" when built in 1923 and renamed "Ralph Sadler", before it was shortened to "Ralph".

Albert
Albert is a red tank engine who worked on the Furness Railway. He worked on the lakeside branch on the Furness Railway with Victoria and Helena. After snow fell on him as he set off with Victoria and Helena from Haverthwaite, he learnt to take more care in wintry conditions.

Albert's character appears to be like that of Thomas - Victoria described him as being gentlemanly and polite.

Albert is painted in the Furness Railway's red livery with "FR" written in yellow on his sides.

Albert is based on the Parker J1 2-4-2 class, rebuilt from the earlier E1 class of 2-4-0 tank engines of 1870, which were built originally by Sharp, Stewart and Co. and designed by Pettigrew. Seven of these were rebuilt into J1s in 1891. None have been preserved.

Albert
Albert is a blue narrow gauge engine built in 1903 that worked along with Duke, Stuart, Falcon, Jim, Tim and Jerry on the Mid-Sodor Railway. Albert is based on a Falcon Hughes loco, like Sir Handel.

Alf
Alf is a narrow gauge diesel, built by Hunslet Engine Co. and designed by Andrew Barclay in 1950, working on the Talyllyn Railway. He uses parts of another engine stored at Brynglas.

Fred is based on him.

Alfie
Alfie is an excavator whose motto is "More help means more dirt; more dirt means more fun!" He loves working hard, and handles even the toughest of jobs with ease, but he can be a really useful excavator.

Alfie is a friendly machine who gets on well with his work and never minds getting dirty or mucky during jobs.

Alfie is painted green with his number painted on his sides and on the back of his cab in white.

Alfie is based on a 1960 K1C10&K excavator.

Algy
Algy is a bus. When he first arrived he teased Bertie, but made up and became friends with him after breaking down. Algy now helps Bertie take passengers around Sodor.

When he first appeared, looked identical to Bertie, but with cream paint and a red stripe. The second and third time he was seen, he had a full cab and a light blue livery with a white stripe. His license plate is ALG85.

Alice
Alice is a young girl that lives near Thomas’ Branch Line on a Farm. She and Thomas are good friends. Thomas was desperate to give her, her birthday present on a rainy day but got blocked by a landslide. With the help of Rosie, she got her present.

Alice and Mirabel
Alice and Mirabel are two Great Western autocoaches pulled by Duck on his branchline. They were rescued from scrap by the Fat Controller, along with Dulcie, and given to Duck to use on the Little Western in 1968. They are to Duck what Annie & Clarabel are to Thomas.

Alice and Mirabel are based on Great Western Railway Suburban coaches and are painted in the Great Western's maroon and cream livery for coaches.

Alicia
When Alicia Botti came to Sodor, Thomas was chosen to take her with Annie and Clarabel. While being cleaned, a strange squeak came from the coaches. It kept up as Thomas went to Brendam and when he arrived, it was found that a small mouse had found it's way into Clarabel's compartment. The mouse was given a mousehole in Tidmouth Sheds, and was named Alicia by Thomas.

Alicia Botti
Alicia Botti is a world-famous Italian opera singer. When she first visited Sodor, Thomas was chosen to take her to the theatre, but after Alicia Botti discovered a mouse in Clarabel and screamed so loudly all the windows in Brendam were shattered, Percy was chosen to take her to the concert.

Amy
Amy is a Coach who operates with Alaric on the Culdee Fell Mountain Railway. Her fate since Alaric’s retirement is unknown.

Angus
Angus is a small red fire engine who works with the Sodor Fire Brigade.

Angus is based on an early Dennis Fire Engine. His license plate is FIRE 34.

Annie and Clarabel
Annie and Clarabel are Thomas' two coaches, whom he loves very much.

The details of Annie and Clarabel's lives up to 1946 are murky. In 1946, they were given to Thomas when he started working his branch line. They have had several adventures, such as losing their guard and becoming runaways.

Annie and Clarabel are respectful of all the engines, most of all Gordon and Thomas. They are Thomas' best friends, and are quick to rebuke him when he gets troublesome.

A coach that was to be the basis for Annie was first built by a teenage Reverend W. Awdry as part of a model railway layout.

Before their rebuild in 1984, they are a pair of bogie coaches (ie each coach is supported on a pair of four-wheeled bogies or "trucks").

Since their rebuild in 1984, they are a pair of four-wheeled coaches; they are rebuilt on a rigid chassis, with fixed axles, told apart by the fact that their names are painted on their sides.

Annie and Clarabel were originally painted orange; they are now painted maroon with a yellow stripe like the rest of the NWR coaches with their names written in white on their sides. They were refurbished in 1998.

Annie and Clarabel's old friend
Annie and Clarabel had an old friend, a coach who appeared in the magazine story An Old Friend. Annie and Clarabel were upset as he was going to be scrapped, but luckily for him a friend of Thomas' driver needed a tool shed, and the Fat Controller allowed him to use the coach as a tool shed.

Arry and Bert
'Arry and Bert are two diesels who work for the Sodor Ironworks at the smelters. 'Arry speaks with a North London accent while Bert speaks with a West London accent.

'Arry and Bert are simply downright villainous troublemakers. They have been known to attempt to scrap Stepney, make Percy and James "middle engines", and make the engines believe Neville was planning to bump them. According to merchandise bios, they also wish to scrap Oliver.

'Arry and Bert are unquestionably devious and scheming. Although at first they had a heartened dislike for steam engines, they appear to have accustomed to their smoke-puffing companions and now only have a "friendly rivalry" with them.

'Arry and Bert are BR Class 08 shunters, built at BR Works of Crewe, Darlington, Derby and Doncaster in 1953, approx. 29 ft 3 in long, and two which are part of the National Railway Museum, known by their numbers "08911" & "13079".

'Arry and Bert are painted green-grey with yellow hazard stripes on their fronts and rears and yellow cabs. They have "Sodor Ironworks" written on their sides in white.

The two are not quite identical: 'Arry has narrow eyes, while Bert has stubble and a deep voice.

Arthur
Arthur is a burgundy tank engine from the LMS.

Arthur took great pride in his spotless record, which he soon lost after colliding with Duck's trucks in an incident largely provoked by Thomas; however, this spotless record was soon amended, after Thomas apologized to him for causing the accident.

He was bought to shunt and pull goods, but then was transferred to the coastal run, on which he enjoys working. He is responsible for this line, which is famous for its fish. Arthur is the only known engine (with the exception of Salty) to enjoy the smell of fish.

Arthur is a reliable, kind and helpful engine, and often careful to get his jobs done without fuss or mess. When he first arrived he proved to be somewhat gullible - something which Thomas used to his advantage. He dislikes things that are new and different.

Arthur is painted LMS burgundy with gold lining and "LMS" on his side in yellow. His livery is inauthentic: if Arthur had been one of the ten 2MT 2-6-2Ts built for the LMS, he would have been painted postwar black with "LMS" written on his tank.

Arthur is based on an LMS Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-2 tank engine built at Crewe Works in 1946 and designed by H. G. Ivatt, approx. 38 ft 9 1/2 in, developed for the London Midland and Scottish Railway (hence the initials on his tanks).

Atlas and Alfred
Atlas and Alfred are Brown and Black Egger Bahn 0-4-0s with the cab removed. They worked in the mines on the Mid Sodor Railway. Their fates after the railway closed in not clear.

Bahamas
Bahamas is a preserved British steam locomotive.

5596 was built in 1935 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. She was named Bahamas in 1936 after the Bahamas, which were then part of the British Empire. After nationalisation in 1948, Bahamas was renumbered by British Railways to 45596, and transferred to Edge Hill, Liverpool.

In 1961, she was unusually fitted with a double blastpipe and chimney, and was returned to traffic and based at Carlisle. She was transferred to Stockport in July 1962, from which she was withdrawn from traffic in July 1966.

Henry mentioned that he met Bahamas at Crewe during his overhaul in Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines.

Barry
Barry - named after Barry Island, the home of the scrapyard in South Wales where he was rescued from - is a red tank engine working on Duck's branch line. He is partnered with Donald and Douglas to help them on the branchlines. Barry is based on the LNER Class J94. He is painted NWR red with blue lining.

Bash and Dash
Bash and Dash are two new twin steam engines slatted to appear in Misty Island Rescue.

Bash and Dash are mischievous twins who always finish each others sentences. They were sent to Misty Island because they were naughty on the mainland, but now they always try to do their best for The Fat Controller.

Bash and Dash are based on the Bear Harbor Lumber Company's locomotive #1. This type of engine is known as a "gypsy". However, their gearing appears to be on their backs instead of their fronts and their cabs appear much sturdier, as opposed to the "open" cab that their real life counterpart possesses.

Bash's boiler, wheels, and lining are painted grey, his cab and dome are painted yellow.

Dash's boiler, wheels, and lining are painted yellow, his cab and dome are painted grey.

Bear
Bear, so named for the growling noises his engine makes, is a diesel engine. He speaks with a gruff Cockeny accent.

At this time, Bear was known by his number, 7101.

7101 came on loan to Sodor with another diesel named 199. 199 was blatantly arrogant and bad-mouthed the steam engines until 7101 and Duck shut him up.

The next day, 7101's injector failed while pulling the "Limited". Henry, who had a failed regulator and was towing 199, who had failed while pulling some oil-tankers, came to help; 7101 was still able to move by himself with some help from Henry. To the passengers' delight, Flying Scotsman took their train, while Henry helped 7101 home. The engines persuaded Sir Topham Hatt to let 7101 stay on, and renamed him "Bear". Bear liked this name, saying it meant he "really belonged".

In 1983, James had befriended Bear by this time.

It was revealed Bear pulls the Express when Gordon, Henry and James are busy in 1986.

In 1993, Bear did Henry's duties while Henry was at the Works.

Bear is loyal and friendly - even James, who was the last to accept diesels, couldn't help but like him.

Bear is based on a BR Class 35 "Hymek" Bo-Bo, built at and designed by Beyer Peacock Ltd in 1961, approx. 51 ft 8 1/2 long. His initial number, 7101, is an in-joke: the Class 35 numbers only went up to 7100.

Bear is currently painted in the livery he should have carried when first built: all-over B.R. loco green with a narrow band of lime along the bottom of the sides with cream window surrounds and yellow warning panels. When he first arrived on Sodor, he wore the B.R. "Rail Blue" livery with yellow warning panels.

Becky
Becky is a Great Western goods engine. She's one of the younger engines, and is Duck's girlfriend. Becky's best friends are Duck, Oliver, Molly and Thomas. Becky is based on the GWR 2301 Class Dean Goods.

Ben the Shepherd
Ben the Shepherd is a magazine character who looks after sheep and has a dog named Jess.

Ben is a fairly elderly man who once got trapped in a ditch. His dog, Jess, alerted Thomas and his crew who rescued him.

Bennett and Co.
Bennett and Co. is a truck with "BENNETT AND CO. Wagon Owner and Company" written on his sides. He was being filled with iron but got overloaded and fell into a river. In the end, he was rescued by a floating crane and got the rest of the day off.

Bert
Bert is the quietest of the Arlesdale Railway engines.

Bert was built at Duffield Bank, Derbyshire by Sir Arthur Heywood in 1894 as 0-8-0 tank engine with no cab named Merlin. He arrived in Ravenglass via the Gretna munitions factory in 1917 with Petit and was principally used on stone trains. He received a major overhaul and rebuilt at Murthwaite in 1927, becoming a 0-8-2 tender engine with a new boiler, longer frames, a cab and a a six-wheel tender and renamed Bert.

Bert worked on an unnamed line in England until 1967, at which time it closed down and he, Rex and Mike were sent to Sodor to work the Arlesdale Railway. Some time after his arrival, Bert took offence when the Reverend W. Awdry and the Reverend Teddy Boston accidentally sprayed him with mud while passing him in their car, and in retaliation Bert drenched the Reverend Teddy Boston with water when he took a ride in Bert's cab. However, both parties made up and Bert was as a result featured in the Reverend W. Awdry's next book, Small Railway Engines. For a long time Bert had trouble with steaming, but this has stopped since he was rebuilt into a narrow gauge outline with a taller chimney, dome and cab in 1972. In 1976, he was rebuilt with a larger boiler, giving his current appearance.

Bert is friendly, and somewhat clever and cynical.

Bert is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's River Irt, build at Duffield Bank and designed by Sir Arthur Heywood in 1894.

Bert is painted blue with red-and-yellow lining. He has a brass dome, red nameplates with yellow writing mounted each side of his smokebox and "Arlesdale" written on his tender in yellow.

Bert and Alf
Bert and Alf are two cleaners who washed Gordon down in Leaves after his dip in a ditch.

Bertie
Bertie is a red railway bus who works near Thomas' branchline.

After Thomas stuck in a snowdrift in 1948, Bertie came to rescue Thomas' passengers. He later raced Thomas after claiming he was the faster of the two, but lost after having to stop at a traffic light.

In 1953, Bertie tried to catch up with Edward while carrying Thomas' passengers.

In 1985, Bertie teased Thomas about being slow, but had to eat his words after breaking down.

In 2003, Bertie is continuously alluding to his race with Thomas and how he could win the next time. He actually raced Thomas again in the seventh season episode "Three Cheers for Thomas", but only won because Thomas was sidetracked with collecting the sport medals.

In 2007, Bertie was mentioned as being unable to help Toby and Henrietta with carrying the quarry workers.

Bertie is friendly, but can't resist teasing Thomas about being slow.

Bertie is based on an AEC Regal "T Class" London Country Area bus.

Bertie is painted in the common red livery of buses in the United Kingdom, mostly famously begin used by London Transport. His license number, "CRD54", refers to the fact his license plate was first seen in "Edward the Blue Engine", published in 1954 and illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby.

Bertram
Bertram, nicknamed "the Old Warrior" for his bravery, is an old narrow-gauge engine who worked in a quarry on the far side of Sodor.

Bertram was built at Boston Lodge in 1864. He was sent to Llanwinda in May 1876 to help with the construction of the NWNGR and was repaired with a set of brasses, set of brake blocks, 6 piston rings and 4 split pins. Bertram returned to the NWNGR on 9th July 1881. On his return, there was a long list of repairs including wheel turning, new pistons and piston rings, crankpins, neck rings, piston cotters, closing up slidebears, closing up eccentric straps, link motion overhauled, axle boxes refitted, reversing lever and quadrant overhauled, four mudholes re-tapped, new brakeblocks, new gauge glass and valves set up. It wasn't until 30th July that Bertram was fit for traffic. By 1879, his tyres were working loose, they tried fixing them in steel pins in October but by December the tyres had been replaced by those of Engineer. Bertram's cylinder then started to go, a brass patch was fixed on a cylinder, but it didn't hold, the cylinder burst in March 1880. A major refit followed with the cylinders, the smokebox, the sandpots, the crossheads and slidebars all being replaced. It was fitted with 'sham' saddle tanks made from cast iron (weighing 24cwt) to improve adhesion. The first of the original engines to be treated this way. Two new whistles were put on (only on previously). A year later it had a lubricator put on. From December 1881 there is a constant comment that it needs retubing, but in the end it was withdrawn for a complete new boiler in 1886. Bertram re-entered traffic in September 1888 and was rebuilt with both a saddle tank and an enclosed cab. In 1889, he was fitted with new sanding apparatus which seems to be steam powered. In 1891, his cylinders were in a very bad state. His valve port bridges were cracked and a piece of iron was bolted in. However, this was to no avail his cylinders finally failed in April. As part of the rebuild the opportunity was taken to shorten the length of the cab by 8 inches to enable it to have better access to the wharves at Arlesdale. Bertram seemed accident prone in the 1890s. In 1982, his axle broke (replaced by one from Little Ponder). In 1985, he was damaged by running into Quarrymans train at Oakleys curve. In 1897, he was damaged at Arlesburgh in July and at Marthwaite in December. In 1900, he was retubed with Red Metal tubes from Earl of Sodor who was retubed with new Red Metal tubes. From 1905, it started to get leaks from the firebox and he was coming out of service in October 1907. He was rebuilt in 1910 with a Low Moor Iron boiler. His cab and tank were set 1 1/2" higher and a new balance weight fixed to the front footplate.

Bertram used to work in a series of mines on Mid-Sodor Railwaywith other "little engines". His fate was unknown to many after the mine's closure, and it was assumed he was left to rust. However, Toby found him whilst watching over the quarry one night, and has since befriended him. He now works at the restored mines, taking passengers to the fairground within.

Nothing is known about Bertram's persona, other than that he is considered incredibly brave.

Bertram is based on Palmerston of the Ffestiniog Railway, but with a bunker.

Bertram is painted dark brown with red lining.

Bill and Ben
Bill and Ben are two tank engine twins that work for the Sodor China Clay Company, near Brendam, though they have also been known to work at Centre Island Quarry. They enjoy playing tricks and being cheeky to bigger engines. They speak with Cockney accent.

One day, Bill and Ben returned from shunting some trucks to find that some other trucks previously shunted by them were missing. Their drivers, after examining a puddle of oil on the ground, concluded a diesel was responsible. After the twins argued over who brought the "diseasel" into the yard, the drivers suggested they go looking the diesel. The twins were horrified at the possibility that the "diseasel" might magic them away like he did with the trucks, but their drivers quickly persuaded them otherwise, and so they set off.

At last, the twins found the "diseasel". While Ben ran behind, Bill confronted the "diseasel" over the theft. The "diseasel" claimed the trucks were his and ordered Bill to "go away"; Bill pretended to be frightened and slunk away, remarking, "You'll be sorry". With that, Ben ran up and accused the "diseasel" of being a "truck stealer", before running back so Bill could run up again. This continued until the "diseasel", under the impression that there was only one very swift and annoying saddletank, became so giddy that his eyes "nearly popped out", just as the twins puffed up beside him. The "diseasel", initially confused, laughed at his ignorance. When Edward arrived moments later, inquiring as to why Bill and Ben were not shunting, the twins angrily claimed that the "diseasel" had sneaked into their yard and stolen their trucks. Edward soon realized what was going on, and explained the situation. The twins, embarrassed, apologized to the "diseasel", who asked to be called BoCo, and then left to shunt some more trucks, leaving Edward and BoCo to laugh about the incident.

A few days later, after BoCo took the Express in James' "absence", Edward recounted what Gordon had said about branchlines to the twins. The next morning, after Gordon ended up at Brendam after a series of events involving poor preparations and a large floppy green hat, the twins snuck up beside him and loudly recounted what Gordon had said about branchlines. Concluding that the engine beside them could not be Gordon, the two declared he was nothing more than a pile of old scrap-iron, and began to contemplate what they should do (Bill was all for sending Gordon to be scrapped, while Ben favoured the more humane, or engane, option of dumping him in the sea), all the while ignoring Gordon's protests, until at last, BoCo arrived. Gordon begged him to save him, and so BoCo threatened the twins to leave with the trucks he had brought. The twins quickly left, leaving Gordon with BoCo. BoCo wisely neglected to tell Gordon the twins were joking.

Sometime later, a group of enthusiasts came to visit the railways of Sodor. When Edward brought them to Brendam, the twins took them to the China Clay Workings in a "brakevan special".

In 1988, Thomas was sent to work on Edward's branchline while repairs were carried out on the bridge. The twins were quick to tease him about his colour, but Edward was savvy enough to send the twins away before an argument broke out.

After Thomas returned to the Yard, covered in dairy from a collision with a farm lorry, the two teased him even more about his new livery. This continued until Edward announced a party of enthusiasts were coming, and threatened that he would not bring them to see the twins. The twins, excited, decided instead to worry about their own paint - ie, how clean it was - although one day, when the drivers remarked that "the enthusiasts [wouldn't] eat their dinner off [them]", Bill quipped that "They might if we were Thomas".

When, at last, the enthusiasts did arrive, a photographer with an "instant" camera began harassing Ben by continuously taking pictures of him, even after the remainder of the crowd went to watch Bill tug a boat into deeper waters. At last the photographer prepared to take one final picture, just as Bill's driver arrived to ask for assistance. Ben's driver turned on the steam just the photographer took the picture; disgusted with the poor quality of the shot, he abandoned it on the floor and left. The picture was later discovered by Bill's driver after the two rescued the boat.

The repairs to the bridge took a long time, and Thomas was still at Brendam when the rainy season came. At the "Drain", a hollow in the land where rainwater collected, the water even began to come near the rails, although no one took much notice. One particularly wet day, as Ben returned from the Workings, the wind whipped the rainwater into a wave which swamped Ben, dousing his fire. His fireman went for assistance, and brought Thomas to help. While Thomas dragged Ben out, Bill took away the trucks. When at last the water subsided four days later and Bill returned to Brendam, the two made a pact to never tease Thomas again.

Bill and Ben are cheeky and naughty and rather troublesome. According to Duck, Edward is the only engine who can keep them in order. Thomas and BoCo probably have the same effect over them too.

Bill and Ben are based on the Bagnall 0-4-0STs "Alfred" and "Judy" of Par, Cornwall, who are both preserved and in working order at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.

Bill and Ben are painted dark orange-yellow. Bill and Ben both have brown nameplates with yellow writing, "SCC" written on both sides in yellow and "Brendam Bay" on the front above their faces.

Billy
Billy is an orange tank engine with prominent buck teeth.

Billy was built in 1903 with a weather board, and later with a full cab. From the years 1903 to 1972 he worked at a colliery in Leeds before being arranged to go to the North Western Railway in December 2001. However, he was in a bad state and was in need of an overhaul, so he was given a new boiler and saddletank. he was eventually shipped to the island in 2007.

When Billy first arrived on the railway in June 2007, Thomas was asked by The Fat Controller to show Billy around. But Billy miscontrued Thomas' advice for bossiness and so refused to listen to him, causing Billy to fail to complete his deliveries. At last, Thomas lost patience and told Billy to do his own thing. Billy was delighted, but his happiness was short-lived as he swiftly ran out of coal and water. In future, Billy paid attention to advice and worked hard with every job he did.

Because of Billy's inexperience, he was disobedient and refused to listen to advice. After his mishap, he learnt to listen to advice.

Billy is based on a Manning Wardle L Class 0-6-0ST. Charlie is another member of this class.

Billy is painted orange with green and white lining and the number "37" painted on his cab side.

Blister I and Blister II
Blister I and Blister II, so named for the problems they have with starting due to their engine troubles, are small twin diesels who work on the Arlesdale Railway.

The Blisters were built by R. A. Lister in 1932 with open-sided cabs for a 2-inch gauge. When they arrived on Sodor in 1985, the volunteers of Arlesdale used parts to rebuild them with two 2-cylinder 12 h.p. Lister engines to rebuild them to a 15-inch gauge. They were repainted and fitted with a new cab and bonnet, in the style of a Lister Blackstone RM2. In 1989, they were refitted with two 20 h.p. Lister engines to improve performance. Both have full electrics, radios and air brake systems for working light passenger trains in emergencies.

The Blisters are based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's Cyril. Their trouble starting is based on the trouble experienced with the Muir-Hill Fordson granite tractors that worked at Ravenglass with stone traffic until 1953.

Blister I and Blister II are painted black with wasp stripes on their fronts.

Bluebell
After her calf was taken to market, Bluebell mornfully trotted onto the bridge at Rolf's Castle, stopping Gordon and Henry from passing. She didn't move until Gordon's guard and a porter brought her calf to the bridge and led them away.

Bluebell and Primrose
Bluebell and Primrose are tank engine twins who live on the Bluebell Railway. According to Stepney, they had no names at first so their Controller gave them names. He says it made them over-confident, but they still work hard. At present, Bluebell is undergoing an overhaul with completion planned for August 2010, whilst Primrose is out of service awaiting an overhaul.

Primrose is painted dark green with red and yellow lining and "SE&CR" written on her tanks. Bluebell was painted blue with white lining with a red nameplate with her name in gold when she was first acquired by the Bluebell Railway. In 1998 she was repainted in the livery she carried in World War I.

Bluebell and Primrose are based upon the SE&CR P Class built at Ashford Works in 1909-1910 for lightweight passenger trains and later used for shunting.

Bluenose
Bluenose is a very strict and Sargent-like engine. He is very bossy and caused a lot of mishaps - he scratches Oliver's oil tankers (on purpose), and caused a fire at the docks, nearly killing Cranky! After the wreck, he was in grave danger of being sold for scrap. Bluenose made up for it, when Gordon broke down pulling the express, and was soon excepted as a member of the Sodor railway.

He plays precisely by the rules and acts as a kind of stereotypical army sergeant towards the other tugs. He is annoying, bossy, pompous, and self-centred. He is notorious for putting orders before common sense. He speaks with a regimented Army English accent.

Bluenose is based on LMS Stanier Class 8F, and is painted grey-bluish with black lining.

Bob
Bob, the second workshop engine, is a blue 0-8-2 tank engine based on LNWR 1185 Class built in 1911 by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), who looks like Thomas but bigger. This tank engine was first seen in the background of the second and third illustrations of "Troublesome Trucks" in James the Red Engine, and he was described as "a little tank engine" when he asked James about his bootlaces. He is described in Troublesome Engines as looking anxious when the Fat Controller arrived. He makes a cameo in Henry the Green Engine passing the Engine Sheds in the first illustration of "Gordon's Whistle". He make a cameo in the fifth illustration of "Dirty Objects" in Toby the Tram Engine pulling the breakdown train. He takes Thomas to Crovan’s Gates for a new shape after broke down near Ffarquhar. However, Bob is mentioned as "another engine", who blew his whistle causing confusion for the signalman in James and the Diesel Engines. Probably, the second workshop engine was responsible for taking the Breakdown Train from Crovan's Gate to the scene of disaster and back to the Works. Bob's role was most likely taken over by Wendell the Works Diesel. By now, Bob is probably working at Tidmouth as a shunting engine, arranging all manner of rolling stock. As well as retaining his blue paintwork, Bob probably retains the sign-writing of "Croven's Gate Works" painted on his side tanks.

BoCo
BoCo is a diesel who works on Edward's branchline.

BoCo arrived on Sodor in 1965. He once accidentally took Bill and Ben's china clay trucks in 1966. They decided to play a trick on him, playing on their identical looks to make the diesel think that one engine was disappearing and reappearing around him. Edward was nearby to sort out the confusion, and Bill and Ben soon came to respect BoCo.

Duck, who was suspicious of diesels due to his own experience, nevertheless took quickly to BoCo when the diesel took trucks to Tidmouth. The two started talking in the shed, but were interrupted when James arrived and called BoCo a "buzzbox". Ironically, James was attacked by a swarm of bees the next day, and so BoCo had to take the Express. Gordon was furious that a mere branch line diesel got to pull a mainline train. Gordon was later stranded on Edward's branch line due to a signalman's error. Bill and Ben were quick to tease Gordon, and jokingly threatened to haul him away as scrap. When BoCo arrived with some trucks, he sent Bill and Ben to work, and the relieved Gordon felt he owed his life to BoCo.

When Edward had trouble pulling an enthusiasts' train, BoCo helped Duck to shut the big engines up, who said Edward should be preserved. BoCo later filled in on the branchline while Edward was at the Works. Donald and Douglas were the last engines to accept him.

In 1983, BoCo showed Old Stuck-Up around, but abandoned him when the new diesel insulted Sir Topham Hatt for keeping steam engines in service. Things had been smoothed over between James and BoCo by this time.

In 1987, BoCo tried to cheer Gordon up when he got into trouble for spraying ashes onto a wedding party, and later helped Gordon to Barrow-in-Furness when his firebars collapsed.

In 1995, BoCo also helped Edward to the Works when his bogie wheel snapped off, and ran the branchline while Edward was undergoing an overhaul. He later met Victoria when Edward stopped at Wellsworth with her in 2007.

In 1991, Bill and Ben were once called to the yard to help shunt trains for BoCo. The two began fighting after an incident with the turntable and soon began to give each other the silent treatment. Edward thought this attitude was counterproductive, so BoCo came up with a plan: convincing the Fat Controller to let him take a special, BoCo's own heavy goods train was left behind, with only Bill and Ben to pull - neither would be strong enough to pull the train himself, so the two had to compromise to finish the job.

Eventually in 1998, BoCo lost his buffer in keeping the twins in line and the Fat Controller decided to bring in a new diesel, Derek. Derek, however, had major teething troubles, and was prone to overheating. BoCo had to bring workmen to help Derek when he first broke down.

Although BoCo came across as bullying at first, he was still new to Sodor and turned out to be a good sort who was easy-going and good-natured.

BoCo is based on a BR Class 28 Co-Bo diesel-electric engine, built at Bowesfield Works and designed Metropolitan Vickers in 1958, approx. 56 ft 7 1/2 in long. His name is derived from his Co-Bo wheel arrangement, reversed in a way that Reverend W. Awdry thought sounded more affectionate.

BoCo was not immune to the mechanical failures of his real-life model, according to the Awdrys - however, the Fat Controller eventually found a fix to prevent this malfunction.

In the annuals, BoCo mentions a brother of his - D5705, a real preserved locomotive. In another annual, BoCo claimed to have a twin called "CoBo" in order to play a trick on Bill and Ben.

BoCo is painted in the green livery of British Railways in 1960s with yellow warning panels and has a grey face to match the other characters.

Bolster wagons
Bolster wagons usually carry long objects like logs, girders and pipes, although they were once used to carry saplings to the forest for planting.

Bottom
Bottom is a landrover

The railway also owns a 1985 Landrover Defender 127, nicknamed ‘Bottom’, who is used on extension work, transports volunteers, and at other times acts as the manager’s ‘company car’. Because of the nature of his work he frequently goes off-road into muddy environments, which makes cleaning him a pain. As such he was never given a MSHR paint-scheme and remains in the steel-grey he was built with, though he does carry a ‘Mid Sodor Heritage Railway’ transfer down both sides of his body, and a number of amusing and sometimes bizarre bumper stickers, such as ‘My Other Car’s A Garratt’.

Useful and versatile, Bottom is very much a member of the team. He loves his home, loves his work, and loves nothing more than driving through really deep and muddy puddles!

Boulder
Boulder is a giant boulder who lives high in the mountains of Sodor. His home was reached by the Skarloey Railway, who then preceded to build a quarry on the cliffside below it. Rusty was suspicious of it, and thought that it may have been watching him. Later, the drilling into the mountain by Thumper caused vibrations that shook Boulder loose from his perch and sent him on a path of destruction along the Skarloey Railway, finally terminating by destroying the standard gauge sheds. After this, the Fat Controller closed the quarry and had Boulder moved to a new mountain, near Boulder's old one. It still stands there to this day.

Boulder is perfectly round, and has moss clinging to him in some places. A mysterious face sometimes appears on him. His persona is described as proud and silent.

It is assumed that Boulder's face was utilised from Gordon's face.

Boxhill
Stepney's brother, Boxhill, is an LBSCR 0-6-0T (for a time a 4-2-0T) A1 of 1872 who retained his original boiler, although he received a new funnel from the Southern Railway. He was converted to 2-4-0T in March 1905 for auto-train trials. He was restored to 0-6-0T in 1913. He was mentioned in Thomas and the Great Railway Show.

Brakevans
The brakevan, also known as the guard's van and the caboose (in American releases), is an important part of a goods train. It carries the guard and is equipped with a strong brake to assist with slowing and stopping the train. From here, the guard can keep an eye on the train in case of problems.

Bridget
Bridget is Edward's love-interest. She is a very shy and timid engine, but when she meets Edward, she gains confidence. Bridget is based on the LNER Gresley Class D49.

Bridget Hill
Bridget Amanda Hatt is Sir Topham Hatt's granddaughter. She is two years younger than her brother, Stephen.

She is first seen on holiday in East Anglia, where she offended Toby by asking if he was "electric".

Bridget Hill's friends
Bridget Hatt's friends are first seen going to Bridget Hatt's birthday party. Their favorite color is pink.

Bulgy
Bulgy is a double-decker bus who once was very opposed to railways.

Bulgy hated railways, and believed that someday they would all be replaced by roads. He even carried a poster on his side telling people to "JOIN THE ANTI-RAIL LEAGUE". His favourite phrase is "Free the roads!"

Bulgy tried to steal Duck and Oliver's passengers by pretending to be a railway bus. Bulgy was determined to get the passengers to Tidmouth before Duck, but got stuck under a bridge after attempting to take a short cut. His lies were exposed, and soon "nobody would believe his destination boards". Eventually he was turned into a henhouse and placed near the bridge, now nicknamed "Bulgy's Bridge".

Bulgy was later brought back to the road to help with passengers while Thomas and Emily needed repairs, but the chickens who had lived in him nestled in his luggage racks and caused trouble the following morning. He was then turned into a mobile vegetable stand. Bulgy enjoys his work delivering vegetables, because they don't lay eggs and they never complain.

Bulgy is a very rude and bad-tempered double-decker bus. After being restored, he saw the error of his ways and changed his attitude.

According to the "Character Cube" bonus features in the "Thomas Gets Bumped" and "Thomas and the Toy Workshop" DVDs, Bulgy "has no scruples" and "knows how to tell a lie when he is in a tight jam", and is friends with Diesel.

Bulgy is based on an AEC Routemaster bus.

Bulgy was previously painted red and cream, but after becoming a Vegetable Bus he was painted green and cream. His license is BLG 1.

Bulgy's friend
Bulgy's friend is a red doubledecker bus. He was mentioned by Oliver in Oliver the Western Engine and the third season episode Bulgy.

Although the friend was not seen in either of the above mentioned stories, the replacement bus did appear in the 'Thomas Story Library' book about Bulgy. However, the bus did not appear anthropomorphized.

Bulgy's friend is based on an AEC Routemaster bus, like Bulgy.

Bulgy's hens
After Bulgy was turned into a henhouse, these hens took up residence in him. When Bulgy was eventually restored, the hens snuck in and roosted in his luggage racks. When Bulgy swerved suddenly the next morning, the hens woke up and caused chaos in Bulgy.

It is unknown whether or not the chickens ever received a replacement henhouse.

Bulstrode
Bulstrode is a highly disagreeable barge.

Bulstrode was used to carry cargo like coal and stone, but always complained about not being loaded fast enough. This annoyed the trucks, but one day Bulstrode ended up getting what he deserved when Percy accidentally pushed trucks off the quay and into his hull. He was then towed to Knapford beach, where he was turned into a children's playground. He remains there today, still expectedly grumbling.

Bulstrode is bad-tempered and never stops complaining.

Bulstrode is painted cream, black and red. In the "My First Thomas" range he is painted orange, blue and green.

Bulstrode is based on a 1920s self-propelled coastal barge.

Buster
Buster is a simple steamroller who goes about his job with pride and content. What Buster lacks in imagination, he makes up for with heart, commitment and hard work, and is liked by all the machines, for his wonderful enthusiasm and kindness to help with everything.

Buster likes to think of himself as the "world's fastest steamroller", and often dreams of winning races. This came true when he won a race against Max and Monty on the newly completed Sodor Rally Track.

Buster is a hard worker with heart and commitment in what he does and he is a good dreamer.

Buster is based upon an Aveling and Porter steamroller.

Buster is dark red-orange with yellow lining.

Butch
Butch, also known as the "Sodor Heavy Recovery Unit", is a breakdown vehicle. He is kept busy clearing rubble, towing broken-down or stranded vehicles or assisting in engine rescues. He also helped with the demolition of Tidmouth Sheds in Calling All Engines.

Butch is based on a Scammel tank recovery vehicle. According to the official website, he was constructed out of parts from a diesel, a lorry and a crane.

Butch is painted yellow with a navy flatbed and "Sodor Heavy Recovery Unit" written on both sides in white. His license plate is "BRK 03".

Buzz
Buzz is a diesel engine.

The Mid Sodor Heritage Railway Society bought this 1954-built diesel engine in the 1975 when they were planning out their demonstration line at Peel Godred. Stored under tarpaulins for several months, it was found impossible to start her in the spring due to water seeping into her battery box, leaving her unable to hold a charge. Jump starts from cars were required during her first few weeks until an electrician was able to sort out her electrical system, which earned her the name of ‘Buzz’, initially as a tease, but now proudly carried on her side in the form of nameplates.

Buzz is incredibly reliable, but her 180hp Gardner Engine has been known to be very noisy on occasion. Appropriately this matches her personality as she is very much a youthful and spirited tomboy, with an acid wit and (if riled) a fiery temper. Her heart is very much in the right place however and her sense of loyalty to her friends and her railway is extraordinary. Having met Duke in 1980 she has become extremely fond of him (after a rough start where he tried to treat her like a shrinking violet), and she is one of the few engines to think of him as ‘Granpuff’.

Duke’s pride in the former MSR also impacted deeply on Buzz, and she feels as the reborn line’s No. 1 she has to uphold the railway’s honour. As such she is incredibly knowledgeable on the history of the former company, having learnt much from the volunteers that drive her. She is also the favourite engine of occasional driver and retired MP Lady Elizabeth Carpenter, and she and Buzz have a very strong relationship.

Buzz is used most often on maintenance trains and off-peak services, though before Evan’s arrival she was the sole engine operating the museum’s Demonstration Line. She is also an incredible asset in extending the railway. Resourceful, intelligent and spirited, Buzz is truly the sister of the engine shed and liked by all. Just don’t get her mad, or she’ll probably pull your couplings off.

Buzz is based on ‘Upnor Castle’ a 1954-built FC Hibberd ‘Planet’ Class Diesel owned by the Ffestiniog Railway, and was the workhorse that kept the extension of the Welsh Highland Railway going through thick and thin.

Just like Buzz, Upnor has a powerful but noisy 180hp Gardner 6LX diesel engine, loud enough that the engine is nicknamed ‘Uproar’ by volunteers, and yes, sometimes Upnor does need a jumpstart.

Byron
Byron is a large bulldozer with a big blade and a deep, booming voice. He carries out bulldozing work along with levelling the ground.

Byron can be a bit pompous and loud, but likes to be useful, enthusiastic, reliable and wise.

Byron is yellow with a black cab with a number 18 painted on the sides of his cab in yellow.

Candy
Candy is a narrow gauge vertical boiler engine.

Candy, along with her twin brother Tyler, was built at Saenagi Valley Railways Co. in 1921 to assist with new slate mine operations. When the mine was purchased by the Lower Valley Railway in 1925, Tyler became No. 2 and Candy became No. 3. After Tyler was sent away to help the Mainland during World War II, Candy was able to manage with Edward Mann until Smudger's arrival. Candy has since been used for many different odd jobs, though in recent years, she's been relegated to lighter work.

Despite being the weakest of the Lower Valley Railway engines, Candy is a very tough engine who won't stand for nonsense or excuses. She can be very quiet and sentimental, however, especially when it comes to remembering her brother.

She's become good friends with Smudger ever since he helped keep the railway going until he nearly fell apart, earning her respect. She has immense hatred toward Lewis, who once derailed her, nearly causing her destruction during the Harbor Fire.

Candy is painted yellow with red stripes and red side-rods, and she carries red name and number plates.

Candy is based on the De Winton & Co. style of narrow gauge vertical boiler locomotives.

Captain
Captain is a new lifeboat character slated to appear in Misty Island Rescue. He is part of the Search and Rescue Team.

Captain is very confident and is always in control when faced with emergency situations.

Captain is painted yellow, blue, and red with white lining.

Captain is based on the 1954-built 35ft 6in Liverpool Twin-Screw Lifeboat called "Grace Darling".

Captain Baxter
Captain Baxter is an 0-4-0 Dorking Greystone Lime Company Engine. He was built by Fletcher Jennings in 1877 and spent his working life at the Dorking Greystone Limeworks at Betchworth Station; it was here that he gained his mannerism of strong language.

In 1960 Captain Baxter came to the Bluebell Railway, and returned to service in 1982 after a comprehensive overhaul. He was later overhauled in 1990, and is currently nearing completion of an overhaul. Railway volunteers are seeking to appoint the restoration team who repaired Stepney's brother Fenchurch.

Stepney mentioned Captain Baxter while talking to Edward about the Bluebell Railway. He says that they are friends, and both miss pulling trucks. Stepney goes on to describe him as a tough, rude engine who worked in a quarry, which gave him bad manners, and rough language.

Caroline
Caroline is an elderly vintage car owned by a cricketer from the Elsbridge cricket club.

Caroline always refers to her driver as "Master". She does not like high speeds as these overheat her motor. She also disliked engines until Stepney brought her back to the Elsbridge cricket field, at which time she admitted engines had their uses (in her own words, saving "the wear and tear on a poor car's wheels").

Caroline later helped the Fat Controller to Lady Hatt's birthday, until she broke down again.

Caroline is based on a 1941/1928 Oxford Cabriolet "Bull-nosed" Morris Oxford.

Caroline is painted red and gold. Her license plate reads URA 1.

Carols on Wheels
The "Carols on Wheels" truck is a Thomas and Friends magazine character.

Catherine
Catherine is a coach who operates with Culdee on the Culdee Fell Railway. Over the years, she and Culdee have built up a strong working relationship, so he immediately knows if anything is wrong. She is very safety-conscious, and was upset by Lord Harry's risk-taking when she worked with him.

Cattle trucks
Cattle trucks are used to carry cows and other animals; some even carry animals for the circus. A herd of cows once broke through a train of these being pulled by Edward.

Sir Handel has been known to insult Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice by referring to them as "cattle trucks".

Champion
An inquistive bull who once strayed from some farm labourers and ran away. He eventually came across the railway and, seeing grass on either side, began to eat. Daisy tried to shoo him away, but was intimidated by Champion and backed away.

Charles
Charles is a mixed-traffic engine. He had problems on his first day, but he did well the next day, and even made the trucks behave. Charles is based on the LNER Class C1.

Charlie
Charlie is a little purple tank engine.

Charlie is always up for an adventure; while he is a small engine, he likes to have a lot of fun and cause mischief. Who owns Charlie is unknown, as it is said that he is owned by the Mainland Controller, yet he carries the number fourteen for the Fat Controller's railway.

Charlie is based on a Manning Wardle L Class 0-6-0ST. Billy is another member of this class. He has a brother called "Sharpthorn" who resides on the Bluebell Railway.

Charlie is painted purple with gold and light purple trim, a gold headlight and red wheels; he has the number fourteen painted in gold on his sides.

Chelsea
Chelsea is an tender engine. She was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1920. During the Second World War, she and her good friends Molly the D16 and Gordon the A3 were used for taking British soldiers to battle. Some of Chelsea's class was re-built by Edward Thompson in 1945.

In 1950, Chelsea was allocated to the eastern part of Sodor, before being withdrawn in 1961 due to bad condition. In 1975, she was found by Thomas and Percy, and was given an overhaul at the Crovans Gate Works, and emerged with a new coat of NWR green, and the number 16 on her tender side.

Chelsea now works on the mainline, hauling the express with Gordon, Henry, Spencer, and Bear, but sometimes works on the Little Western, and has found Duck the 57xx tank engine a great Western boyfriend.

Chelsea has a lot to learn, but she has a big heart, and feelings for Duck. Chelsea's best friends are Thomas, Emily, Molly and Gordon.

Chelsea is based on an LNER Gresley Class K3 tender locomotive.

Chelsea is painted NWR green with yellow lining and the number "16" painted on her tender sides in yellow with a red border.

China Clay trucks
The Sodor China Clay Company owns several trucks used to carry china clay, though they have been seen carrying scrap and other materials on occasion.

Circus Coaches
The circus coaches are coaches for circus performers to travel in. Two of these coaches were seen in the book Henry and the Elephant. The coaches are painted yellow with red lining and with "Circus" written on their sides in blue.

City of Truro
City of Truro is a steam engine who holds the record of being the first engine to attain the speed of 100 mp/h. He was designed by George Jackson Churchward and built at GWR Swindon Works in 1903. He was retired in 1961 and restored in 1984.

City of Truro arrived on Sodor when the Railway Society visited. Duck, although shy at first, quickly befriended him, but Gordon was jealous of his record and attempted to go as fast as him, only to have his dome blown off on a viaduct.

Coco the Clown
Coco the Clown is a clown featured in the Thomas and Friends magazines.

Colin
Colin is a green crane who is good friends with Freddie.

Colin is lonely deep inside. As he's fixed in place at the wharf, Colin does feel left out of some of the fun that the narrow gauge engines have.

Colin is mostly green with red pullies and cogwheels amongst his mechanism. He has a grey roof with grey boards along the top of his cab above his door.

Cora
Cora is a guard's van who was built by Falcon Works in 1885. She worked with Peter Sam on the Mid Sodor Railway when he was known as Stuart years before. She came from the Mid Sodor Railway while Skarloey was away in 1954. She is used for maintenance and goods trains. Cora and the narrow gauge railway breakdown train are usually pulled by Rusty.

Cora is based on a brakevan from the Corris Railway that now runs on the Talyllyn Railway.

Cora is painted blue (later grey).

Cranky
Cranky is a grumpy crane who arrived on Sodor in 1998. He bullied Thomas and Percy by delaying their loads, but later got his comeuppance after the trampsteamer crashed into him and had to be rescued by the two tank engines.

The reason Cranky is so grumpy because he is kept working day and night without rest.

Cranky loves teasing the engines, and has an intense dislike for Salty's stories.

Cranky is painted olive with black and brown pullies amongst his mechanism and two work plates on each side that reads "CRANKY".

Cream Tankers
These trucks are used to transport cream. They are painted white with milk churns pictured on the sides.

Cromford
Cromford is an NLR 0-6-0 goods tank engine. He was built in 1880 and was used to shunt and pull light passenger trains around Derbyshire in Devon. He was loaned to Barrow Hill Engine Sheds in 1999, and returned to the Bluebell Railway in 2008. He is currently in need of an overhaul.

Stepney mentioned "Cromford" while talking to Edward about the Bluebell Railway. Then, he and "Adams" had no names, so the others nicknamed him "Cromford". According to him, the Controller was not aware of the name change.

Cromford is painted black with red and white strips, which is the BR goods livery. He formally carried the number 2650, and presently carries 58850.

Culdee
Culdee is a mountain engine named after Culdee Fell, the mountain his railway climbs.

Culdee was built at Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1896, and was the first to be used in the test runs on the Culdee Fell Railway. He was also the last mountain engine on Sodor to travel to Switzerland for an overhaul, in the 1960s. Culdee has his own coach, named Catherine.

Culdee is careful, cautious and friendly, filled with advice to give to the other engines.

Culdee is based on "Snowdon" of the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Culdee is painted purple with orange lining. He carries the number 4.

Cyril
Cyril is a Diesel engine working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Named after former company employee, Cyril Holland, Cyril is owned by the Murthwaite Locomotive Group, formerly named "Shabtrak", and is one of many industrial narrow gauge diesels built by R.A. Listers. It was built in 1932, used on a Peat Bog railway not far from Manchester and first preserved at the Moseley Railway Trust, in Stockport, in its original form of an open sided cab and on 2' gauge. When the engine arrived on the Ratty in 1985, the volunteers of "Shabtrak" used parts from another Lister locomotive and a 2-cylinder, 12 horsepower Lister engine to rebuild it to 15" gauge, and fitted a new cab and bonnet, in the style of a Lister Blackstone RM2. The engine now has full electrics, radio and air brake systems for working light passenger trains in emergencies, and in 1989 was re-engined with a 20 h.p. Lister engine to improve performance. It was rebodied in 2006 by Ian Page Engineering of Millom. It is currently painted dark green.

Blister I and Blister II are based on him.

Cyril
Cyril is a fogman who lives in an old cottage in Misty Valley. When there is fog about, he puts detonators on the tracks to warn the engines. One time, he was replaced by a foghorn, but saved the day when the foghorn caused a landslide with its vibrations and made Thomas crash. Cyril was soon given the job back, and has proven to be useful.

D5705
D5705 is BoCo's brother, who was only mentioned in an annual. D5705 is in fact a real diesel engine preserved at the East Lancashire Railway. He was designed by Metropolitan Vickers and built at Bowesfield Works in 1958.

D5705 survived by historical accident as a technical services engine and then carriage heating unit TDB968006 before being preserved in 1980. The Class 15 Preservation Society has signed an agreement with the owners of D5705 to become its custodians during its restoration and operation for the next ten years, although funding will remain separate.

D5705 is painted in the green livery of British Railways with yellow warning panels.

Daisy
Daisy is a diesel railcar. She was designed by Metro-Cammell and built at Washwood Heath in 1956.

After Thomas was sent to the Works to have his bufferbeam repaired in 1961, Daisy was loaned from the B.R. to do his work. Daisy was nasty to Henrietta, Annie and Clarabel, refused to sleep in the Ffarquhar engine sheds on the grounds that it was "smelly", and blatantly refused to pull freight because it was "bad for her swerves". Daisy later called Toby cowardly for having sideplates and cowcatchers and claimed that one only needed to "toot and look them in the eye" to shoo animals. This, of course, was proved false when Daisy tried to shoo an inquisitive bull. The Fat Controller discovered that Daisy was lazing about, but gave her a second chance after Daisy helped clear up the mess made when Percy collided into a train of stone. Daisy promised to change her ways.

In 1962, Mavis sought Daisy's advice about how to show Toby that her method of doing things was correct. This wasn't exactly the best move, as Daisy knew next to nothing about trucks.

In 1963, Percy used Daisy as an example of a good diesel to change Douglas' opinion about diesels.

In 1990, Daisy was put in charge of Thomas' fast run to Knapford while Thomas was in York. Daisy later claimed that she was not afraid of snow, but changed her mind after getting stuck in a snowdrift for a week.

When Thomas finally returned from York Daisy was given charge of a special train to bring guests to Knapford for the welcome-home party, but was delayed after running over some cones left inside the crossing gates at Dryaw crossing. She only just made it in time.

In 1993, Daisy, along with Thomas, Percy and Toby, saw Wilbert off when he returned to Gloucestershire.

In 1995, Daisy was stranded on the main line when the stretch before Dryaw was declared unsafe as rabbits had burrowed beneath it, and so she was given the task of ferrying passengers from the airfield to Knapford. She later tried to cheer Henry up when he started to worry about the Golden Jubilee.

In 2007, Daisy teased Percy for being afraid of grass snakes, but was humiliated when she blew a fuse out of fright when a crate of eels dropped beneath her.

Daisy used to be lazy, impatient and stubborn until she was threatened to be sent away. She's a good sort really, who is kind, sweet and hopeful.

In the "Thomas and Friends" magazines, Daisy was portrayed with her old persona of being rude and believing that anything up-to-date is always the best.

Daisy is based on a BR/Metro-Cammell DMU Class 101/102, approx. 57 ft long. She is, however, a single railcar instead of the traditional two.

Daisy is painted green with yellow lining, similar to the livery of the British Railways DMUs in the 1960s. She wears makeup, including eyelashes, red lipstick, blush and blue eyeshadow. She has a grey face.

Dale
Dale, the third workshop engine, is a red 4-6-2 with black lining and a eight-wheel tender, resembling Gordon. Just like Gordon, he was a London and North Eastern Railway 'A3' Class 4-6-2 converted by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (hence his red livery). Probably, Dale hauled the express trains from Barrow to London, alongside the derailed engine. By now, he would've most likely being scrapped or left to rot away in a scrapyard.

Danni
Danni is a beautiful and kind-hearted blue engine. She is in love with Gordon when she first saw him but she gets nervous around him and sometimes her face turns flushed red. Danni's also the only one who never teased Gordon at all and she became Gordon's girlfriend after she saved his life or even stood up for him. Danni is based on the Caledonian Railway Single 123. She is painted royal blue with red lining and the number 26 painted on her tender sides.

Dennis
Dennis is a lazy diesel.

Dennis is lazy and is willing to go to great lengths to avoid having to work.

Dennis is based on a type of Bulleid diesel, "No. 11001", designed by O.V.S. Bullied and built at Ashford Works, England, in 1949. He also carries his basis' number.

Dennis is painted light grey with dark grey wheels and red buffers.

Derek
Derek is a diesel, best known for his initial "teething" troubles.

The Fat Controller realised Bill and Ben needed help and sent for Derek, but Derek's cooling system overheated on Gordon's Hill and BoCo had to come the rescue. The news of the rescue went through the North Western Railway's rumour mill in due course, until a confused Percy informed Bill and Ben that Derek had, of all things, a toothache! Bill and Ben were apprehensive of Derek as a result, but forgot their fear when Derek's cooling system overheated yet again and they had to help him home. Derek was then sent to the Works to be mended.

Derek is rather enthusiastic about his work, but unfortunately for him his problem with his cooling system prevents him from working to his full potential. Basis

Derek is based on a BR Class 17, a Clayton and Beyer-Peacock diesel-electric Type 1. He was designed by and built at Clayton Equipment Company and Beyer, Peacock & Co.

Derek is painted in the British Railway's green livery with yellow warning panels. He carries the number 2512.

Diesel
"Devious" Diesel is a devious diesel shunter. He speaks with a Neutral English accent (with lashings of Cockney).

When Diesel came on loan to the North Western Railway in June 1957, Duck was asked to show him around. Duck was unimpressed by Diesel's claims of being "revolutionary" and left him to his own devices. As a result, Diesel was made into a laughing stock by the trucks for trying to pull some rusty old trucks and failing spectacularly, and Diesel blamed Duck for not helping him. Diesel swore a vendetta, and spread rumours that Duck had given the big engines rude nicknames. Duck was sent to Wellsworth pending an inquiry into the matter, but Diesel got too big for his boots and tried telling lies about Henry. He was found out and sent home in disgrace.

Several years later, Diesel was brought back to help on Thomas' branchline whilst Percy was being repaired. Diesel tried to win Thomas and Toby over, without success, and after he destroyed several trucks he was to be sent away. However, on his day of departure Clarabel slipped on oily rails left by Daisy and came off at some points near Dryaw. Diesel, realising that Thomas was blocking his only way home, went to the rescue. Clarabel put in a good word for Diesel, and Diesel, although he returned to the Other Railway, is always welcome on Sodor.

Diesel was sent away, but returned when Duck and Percy needed help at Brendam in 1991. Diesel proved to be as bad as ever and was sent away for good after shunting some trucks of china clay into the sea, but he mysteriously snuck back to give Mavis advice and taunt Gordon about the triumph of diesel power on the mainland. It is possible that these events happened during Diesel's stay, or that Diesel returned at some stage with goods from the mainland.

When Henry was derailed by some trucks in 2002, Diesel was brought back as a last resort to do his goods work, but his attempt to prove his worth resulted in him falling in a barge, and he was sent back to the mainland yet again.

For reasons unknown, Diesel returned yet again in 2003, this time to assist Fergus at the Cement Works. Diesel became jealous of Fergus' reputation as the "pride of the Cement Works" and concocted a scheme to make Fergus run away. Diesel was partially successful - he managed to make Fergus abandon his post for a time - but was ultimately foiled yet again. Amazingly, Diesel was not sent back this time round, and has remained on the North Western Railway.

Despite remaining tricky and devious, Diesel learned how useful steam engines can be when Thomas brought fresh diesel fuel for him and the other diesel engines and James pushed him back to the Repair Yard when he broke down. However, he tried to convince Gordon that he's old and clapped out, Ben about there was a monster inside a tunnel, and Thomas about the "Curse of the Cliffs" and make him scared at Halloween. But, Diesel proved to have a good side inside him when he told Emily about his record he made for shunting lots of trucks, and proved to Thomas that he didn't ruin the photograph for the billboard on purpose.

Then, Diesel made fun of James when he was painted pink.

Diesel is, in essence, the average pantomime villain. He is oily, malicious, devious, scheming and full of ideas to get revenge. It appears Diesel has a good side in him, but one would still have to look deep to find it.

Diesel is based on a BR Class 08 0-6-0, built at BR Works of Crewe, Darlington, Derby and Doncaster in 1953, approx. 29 ft 3 in long. Over seventy members of this class survive today in preservation. They were in fact the most successful shunting engines in the world, with 996 of them built.

Diesel is painted in the black livery used by British Railways for shunting engines in the 1950s.

Diesel 10
Diesel 10 is a villainous diesel with a roof-top hydraulic grabber titled "Pinchy". He was designed by and built at British Railway's Swindon Works in 1958. He speaks with a deep, gruff voice and a strong, distinctive American accent.

Diesel 10 is a large, powerful Warship diesel. On his roof is a hydraulic crane arm with a metal claw attached - a claw he refers to as "Pinchy". He was originally named Jorgen.

Diesel 10 had been to Sodor a long time ago, creating problems for the steam engines. He chased down Lady - the engine who kept Sodor alive - and made her crash. In the years that followed, Lady's caretaker Burnett Stone took her into hiding, trying desperately, but failing to bring her back up to steam.

Diesel 10 returned many years later, intending to destroy Lady for good. He brought with him two lapdogs: Splatter and Dodge, who were present when the boss was scheming. He was first seen in the movie charging past Thomas and Gordon at Wellsworth. He also dumped sneezing powder all around Tidmouth Sheds, the wind from Harold's blades blew it all over the place. Diesel 10 had very little success with his plans - Mr. Conductor caused Pinchy to throw him safely onto bags of flour, and during a speech on "how to stop being stupid" he caused a coal chute to empty its contents on top of him at the coaling plant.

By using special coal from Sodor, Burnett Stone was able to bring Lady back to life. Diesel 10 was determined to attack her, but lost the aid of Splatter and Dodge. Burnett, Lady, and Thomas found themselves being chased by Diesel 10 over an unsafe viaduct. The center of the viaduct collapsed, and while Thomas and Lady were able to cross safely, Diesel 10 was too large and fell into a passing barge below. How Diesel 10 got back to Sodor is a mystery. It is very likely that Sir Topham Hatt decided to give him another chance.

In 2005, he was working at the scrapyards, using Pinchy to load rusted metal into trucks. The sight of him returning caused Thomas and Percy to shudder in fright.

Thomas and Mavis went to tell steam engines and diesels all over the island to meet at the coaling plant, a chance and hope for them to work together and get the new Sodor Airport done on time. When Thomas went over to tell Diesel 10 about the meeting, he got scared to his wheels. Not sure if Diesel 10 would want to help the steam engines anyway, due to their difficulties in the past, Thomas sped away as fast as he could.

Construction of the Airport was almost complete when a tower collapsed, cracking the runway and blocking the tracks. With Harvey the Crane Engine, too far away to clear the line, Thomas took a chance and decided to ask Diesel 10. Convincing his archenemy that helping the other engines would prove how useful he was, Thomas returned with help to clear the line.

In The Great Discovery, Diesel 10 and a number of other diesels later waited in the quarry yard to hear if Thomas had been found in the days leading to the reopening of Great Waterton.

When we first met him, Diesel 10 is an evil, conniving, bullying, and psychotic monster. He absolutely despises steam engines, and would call them taunting names like "puffball" and "teapot". He is Sodor's strongest but not quite largest diesel, his power being enforced by his slightly malfunctioning claw, Pinchy. He can use this deftly, and is even able to use it to make a sculpture. All engines, steam and diesel alike, fear but don't respect him.

Despite his aggressiveness, he will help on occasion ever since Sir Topham Hatt brought him back, but only when it suits his personal interest. He can have a caring side, but he very rarely shows it.

Diesel 10 is based on a BR Class 42 "Warship" with an added non-regulation hydraulic metal claw attached to a hydraulic crane arm on his roof.

Diesel 10 has thick bushy eyebrows, and is painted rusty-olive/yellow ochre with yellow warning stripes along his body and covered in oil stain.

Dignity
Dignity is a barge, which made a cameo in the first illustration of Percy and Harold in Percy the Small Engine.

Dilly
After Donald teased Duck about his "quacking", Duck's crew got revenge by slipping a small duckling into Donald's tender. When discovered, she becomes friends with Donald and his crew, and eventually settled down at Haultraugh, where a small pond was nearby. She was named Dilly by the stationmaster, but she is known to everyone else as Donald's duck.

Dilly appeared in the third season episode Donald's Duck. She appeared twice in the annuals, in "Donald's Duck" and "Gordon's Stowaway". She appeared in the song Donald's Duck which was dedicated to her.

In the annual, she disappeared for a few months, only to return to the station with her husband and children in tow!

Dolgoch
Dolgoch was built in 1866 by Fletcher, Jennings & Co., but to a very different design to that of Talyllyn. He is an 0-4-0 tank engine with both a back tank (behind the cab) and a well tank (between the frames). The long wheelbase allows the firebox to sit in front of the rear axle, with Fletcher's Patent inside valve gear driven off the front axle, a particularly inaccessible arrangement. In increasingly decrepit condition Dolgoch continued to operate the service single-handedly until 1952 when Edward Thomas became available and was then the subject of a prolonged overhaul between 1954 and 1963.

Dolgoch returned to service in late 1999 after a major overhaul involving firebox repairs and an extensive mechanical overhaul; as part of the overhaul he has been fitted with air braking equipment, the last steam loco on the Talyllyn Railway to be fitted.

Dolgoch is Rheneas's twin, and because of this he was mentioned multiple times in the Railway Series.

Dolgoch previously ran in his 1946 light green livery. As of 2009 he was temporarily running in Crimson Lake livery for one year only prior to his ten-yearly boiler examination.

The Talyllyn Railway staff and volunteers hope to have Dolgoch repaired by May 2011, which will mark the 60th anniversary of railway preservation. So, in Autumn 2009, "Steam Railway" magazine launched an appeal to raise funds for Dolgoch's next overhaul, which will include a new boiler to its original design. However, whilst the appeal was being made, an examination of Dolgoch showed that he had a crack in his rear tubeplate, which forced him to be withdrawn for overhaul earlier than expected. Luckily though, by January 2010, thanks to the readers of "Steam Railway" magazine, the Dolgoch appeal had been so successful that the overhaul was able to commence. During the second week in February, Dolgoch was dismantled for the removal of his boiler from his frames. Then, his boiler was lifted from his frames on February 23rd, 2010.

Donald and Douglas
Donald and Douglas (originally known by their numbers, 57646 and 57647, respectively) are twin tender engines from Scotland.

Donald and Douglas were built by John F. McIntosh at St. Rollox Works in 1899 and worked on the Caledonian Railway in Scotland, a large network that extended along that country's east coast, as well as the central and south-western regions. Despite being limited to Caledonian metals, they appeared to have a familiarity with other railways, as they were familiar with the locomotives and livery of the Highland Railway. Giving long and stalwart service, Donald and Douglas eventually became 57646 and 57647 on the Scottish Region of British Railways. In 1959 Sir Topham Hatt needed a goods engine, and by his request BR transferred 57646 (Donald) to Sodor.

To Hatt's surprise though, two engines arrived. Donald's twin Douglas (57647) could not stand to be separated from his brother, and was smart enough to realise he would eventually be scrapped if he stayed in Scotland. Neither engine could be told apart: both claimed to have forgotten their numbers, and indeed their numberplates had "slyly slipped off" in the journey from Scotland, forcing Hatt to keep both until he could determine which engine was freeloading on his hospitality. It was later revealed that this piece of skullduggery had been planned not only by the two engines, but also by their drivers and firemen, who were all related. The Fat Controller was unaware of Douglas' motive, and threatened the two that whichever engine he found out to be the truant would be sent home. Both engines resolved to give outstanding service so that Hatt would want to keep both of them. This plan quickly went to pieces, however, after Douglas accidentally shunted Thomas' special coach, full of passengers, into a siding at Tidmouth, causing a great deal of fury for the passengers. Things were more complicated when Donald demolished a signalbox at Tidmouth and Douglas destroyed the spiteful breakvan.

Despite all this grief, the twin's professionalism, competency, strong work ethic and personable natures had begun to win them support, particularly when they demonstrated an aptitude for snowplough work that they had learned in Scotland. After rescuing Henry from just such a snowy ordeal, the other engines came over to Donald and Douglas' side and led to the engines of Sodor taking industrial action. After a suggestion by Edward, and being pushed into it by Gordon, Percy was presented to the Fat Controller as a deputation, arguing the twins' case on their behalf and pleading that if sent away they'd be scrapped. Hatt's reaction to this was mixed - though he understood the engines' feelings he did not approve or appreciate them trying to interfere with his decision-making. However, Percy's statement and the twin's excellent performance was enough for Hatt to take pity on the twins and kept both. He demonstrated this intent with an offer of a fresh coat of paint for both engines, and by their request they were painted NWR blue.

Since then, the twins have, by all accounts, "transformed" goods traffic on the mainline. Such is their versatility that they regularly see service on Duck and Edward's branchlines, as well as duties as station-pilot at Tidmouth. A turntable has been provided for them at Arlesburgh; it was briefly decommissioned after Oliver was pushed into it by some trucks.

Such a demanding work-load has begun to tax them, however, and in 1993 the Fat Controller borrowed a navy saddletank named Wilbert from the Dean Forest Railway to deputize for them on the Arlesburgh branch, with the intention of at some point obtaining another engine of Wilbert's class to permanently fill that role.

Donald and Douglas are practical and level-minded characters who nevertheless enjoy a joke, especially impersonating one another - the fitting of the twins with nameplates was done to specifically end this element of their humour. Their tendency for jokes however has continued, and both display a keen sense of wit and, where necessary, an acid tongue. In their work, however, their performance is exemplary and they can be described as some of the most well-regarded engines in service on the railway, comparable with Duck and Edward in their reliability.

Donald and Douglas understandably held a grudge against diesels for a time - after all, the oil-guzzling engines were taking over their work - but after BoCo helped them in Edward's absence they have agreed that there is nothing wrong with diesels on the whole.

Donald and Douglas are based on Caledonian Railway "McIntosh 812" 0-6-0s.

Donald and Douglas were painted black from construction, and arrived on Sodor in the B.R.'s black goods livery with red-and-white lining on their tenders. They remained as such (with the addition of numbers on their tenders) until it was decided that both engines could stay, at which point they requested to be repainted in the NWR's blue livery with red-and-yellow lining. They apparently like the colour, as it reminds them of the Caledonian Railway, where many of their shedmates carried a similar shade of blue.

Douglas
Douglas is a 0-4-0WT built in 1918 by Andrew Barclay and Co. Ltd. for the Airservice Construction Corps.

From 1921 until 1945 he worked at the RAF railway at Calshot Spit, Southampton. After a period in store at Calshot he was bought in 1949 by Abelson and Co. Ltd. who presented him to the Talyllyn in 1953. After overhaul and alteration from 2ft to 2ft 3in gauge, he entered service in 1954 and was named "Douglas" at the donor's request. Although smaller than the other locos he has performed well and was returned to service in 1995, having been fitted with a new boiler, turned out in his old Air Ministry Works and Buildings livery. Between 2001 and 2008, Douglas was painted red and blue and running under the guise of Duncan. He is currently under overhaul, so Sir Haydn has taken over the duties for the children's day by running under the guise of Sir Handel.

Douglas is currently painted in red and blue in the guise of Duncan. In his minor cameo in the Railway Series, he wears the same green livery as Talyllyn and Dolgoch.

Dowager Hatt
Mrs. Dowager Hatt is the the Fat Controller and Sir Loham Hatt's mother, Stephen and Bridget Hatt's great-grandmother, and Lady Hatt's mother-in-law. She owns a Dalmatian, which she renamed "Gremlin" after her adventure in the aforementioned episode. In the Driver Perkins parts of the Thomas and the Runaway Kite DVD it is revealed that she also has a parrot named Beaky. As her name implies, she is a widow, meaning that the Fat Controller's father is deceased.

Driver
The drivers drive and maintain the engines, and, along with the fireman, keep the engines in control and provide a voice of reason when the engine is being difficult.

A driver's uniform is blue pants, a white shirt, a black tie, with a blue jacket over it, and a blue cap.

Driver Perkins
Driver Perkins is a new driver on Sodor.

Driver Perkins helps out Sir Topham Hatt, all of Sodor's engines, and the train engineers. He was assigned to make a birthday cake for Sir Topham Hatt, and he makes one that looks just like Thomas. He takes care of Dowager Hatt's parrot Beaky.

Dryaw FC coach
The Dryaw FC coach has first appeared in the episode Thomas and the Moles from The Pack mini-special. He looks like the Fat Controller.

Duchess of Hamilton
London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Princess Coronation Class 6229 (British Railways number 46229) Duchess of Hamilton is a preserved steam locomotive living at the National Railway Museum in York. She made a cameo in Thomas and the Great Railway Show.

6229 was built in 1938 at Crewe as the tenth member of its class and the last in the second batch of five red streamliners (the original five 6220-4 having been given a unique Caledonian blue livery), complete with silver speed cheat stripes. In 1939 6229 swapped identities with the first of the class 6220 Coronation and was sent to North America with a specially-constructed Coronation Scot train to appear at the 1939 New York World's Fair. There was therefore for a while a blue 6229 Duchess of Hamilton in the UK and a red 6220 Coronation in the USA. R.A. Riddles drove for most of the tour, owing to the illness of the assigned driver. The locomotive (though not its carriages) was shipped back from the States in 1942 after the outbreak of the Second World War, and the identities of the locomotives were swapped back in 1943.

6229 was painted wartime black livery in November 1944. Her streamlined casing was removed for maintenance-efficiency reasons in December 1947 and she was then given the LMS 1946 black livery. In 1948 she passed into British Railways ownership. BR added 40000 to her number to become 46229 on 15 April 1948. She was painted in the short-lived BR blue livery in April 1950, but was soon repainted on 26 April 1952 into Brunswick green. The semi-streamlined smokebox was replaced with a round-topped smokebox in February 1957, and in September 1958 she was painted maroon. The lining was BR style to begin with then in October 1959 she received the current LMS style lining which she has carried for all her years in preservation.

46229 was saved from the scrap yard along with classmate 6233 Duchess of Sutherland and Stepney's brother Knowle as a result of Sir Billy Butlin's efforts to place these locomotives as children's playground exhibits at his holiday camps. Duchess of Hamilton survived at Minehead Holiday Camp and it returned to steam on the main line under the auspices of the Friends of the National Railway Museum. The Museum accepted the locomotive from Butlin's in 1976 on a twenty-year loan, and purchased it in 1987. It first ran as the Museum's flagship locomotive in 1980 and was operational until 1985. After an extensive overhaul, it resumed running in 1989 and was finally withdrawn from main line duty in 1996 when its seven-year boiler ticket expired.

From 1998 to 2005, 46229 was a static exhibit in the National Railway Museum, standing next to Mallard. She is one of three preserved Duchesses, the others being 6233 Duchess of Sutherland and 46235 City of Birmingham.

In 2005, "Steam Railway" magazine launched an appeal to raise funds for "Duchess" to be restored in her original streamlined form, and after a successful appeal she was moved to Tysley to be re-streamlined. On 6th of May 2006, "Duchess" was unveiled at Tysley to her appeal supporters with a sloping smokebox and the left side of her tender and boiler painted in post-war LMS black for a one-day event. Following this, the work on her re-streamlining carried on. "Duchess" was due to be completed in September 2008; but due to a worldwide search for the correct thickness of steel for the casing her re-streamlining took longer than expected.

Now in her original streamlined form and repainted in the LMS maroon livery with gold stripes, "Duchess" is back on display at the National Railway Museum as centre-stage of an exhibition called "Streamlined: Styling an Era". The locomotive is currently on display next to a 1933 Chrysler Airflow.

"Duchess of Hamilton", a real locomotive, is an LMS 8P Princess Coronation "Duchess" 4-6-2.

"Duchess of Hamilton" is painted LMS maroon with gold lining and black wheels. Before she was re-streamlined, "Duchess of Hamilton" was painted LMS maroon with yellow lining and black wheels. She also had a BR crest on her tender.

Duck
Montague (affectionately known as "Duck" because of his supposed waddle) is a Great Western pannier tank engine.

Duck worked at Paddington before moving to Sodor in 1955 to take over Percy's shunting duties, leaving the latter free to assist with the construction of Knapford Harbour. Duck was a hard worker, but the others mistook his work ethic for simplicity and tried to use this to their advantage. They soon found their mistake when Duck and Percy took revenge on them by barring them from the shed.

When Diesel arrived, the others took a liking to his flattery, but Duck was doubtful and left Diesel to his own devices, which resulted in the latter getting into mishap with some rusty trucks. Diesel vowed to get revenge, and, inspired by several incidents occurring around the yard in Duck’s absence, spread rumours that Duck had given offensive nicknames to the others. Duck was sent to work as a "banker" at Wellsworth pending further injury, and after bravely stopping a runaway goods train at his own risk regained the respect of the others. Of course, by this time the others were aware that the matter of all Diesel's fault, but Duck's triumph certainly helped.

Duck continued working on the main line until 1968, at which time the Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branchline - nicknamed "The Little Western" - was restored and Duck was asked to run it with help from Oliver, and Donald and Douglas on occasion. Apparently, if Barry is ever introduced into the Railway Series he will also work on Duck's branchline.

Duck is a loyal, wise engine and a hard worker who does his work without fuss. His personal philosophy and motto is "there are two ways of doing things: the Great Western way, or the wrong way".

Duck is based on a GWR 57xx 0-6-0 pannier tank with added sand boxes, designed by Charles B. Collet and built at Swindon Works in 1929, approx. 31 ft 2 in long.

Duck is painted in the GWR's green livery with yellow lining and black wheels, splashers and pipes. He has the letters "GWR" written on his pannier tanks in yellow and red, and an gold brass safety valve cover.

Before 1968, Duck carried a brass GWR numberplate on his cab sides (5741); since 1968, he has a yellow "8" painted on each side of his cab in yellow with a red border.

Duke
Duke, named after the Duke of Sodor and originally The Duke, is considered a hero amongst the engines. He speaks with a Welsh accent.

Duke was built at Boston Lodge and was regauged to 2ft 3in before being transported to Sodor for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway.

In 1947, the line closed and Duke was sheeted and sheltered in Arlesdale Sheds. He was later discovered by Fergus Duncan, the Reverend Teddy Boston and the Reverend W. Awdry in 1969 and taken by road and rail to Crovan's Gate, where he was restored and returned to service in 1983.

Duke, when one first meets him, appears to be pedantic and strict, and in a sense both are true about him. However, Duke was sheeted up in a shed for more than two decades, so Duke possibly did not know how things have changed. Duke is wise from experience, and sees it as his duty to live up to his name's reputation.

Duke is painted brown with red lining, and he has two red plaques on either side of his saddletank with his name written in gold. He had "The Duke" written on his sides and "MS" written on his tender. On the Mid-Sodor Railway, Duke was numbered one.

The story of Duke was based upon a true story about an engine abandoned in the Brazilian rainforest. Duke himself is based on Prince, a tender engine from the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog, North Wales.

Duncan
Duncan is a narrow gauge tank engine who came to the Skarloey Railway after Peter Sam's accident with the slate trucks. He speaks with a Orcadian accent.

Duncan was built by Andrew Barclay at Kilmarnock and worked in a factory in Scotland, which Peter Sam claims is the source of his strong accent.

In 1958, Duncan was sent to Sodor to do Peter Sam's work after his accident with the slate trucks, and regauged to 2ft 3in. Duncan was rude and arrogant at first, but was humbled after derailing while doing "rock 'n' roll" and having to be rescued by Rusty, whom he detests for being a diesel.

But as the years went on, Duncan forgot what he had learnt, and in 1962 he stalled on a viaduct out of spite for not being polished. Skarloey finally taught him sense with the story of Rheneas' bravery and now Duncan is a Really Useful Engine.

Duncan is currently on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales being mended. Sir Handel is also there taking over Duncan's duties until he is mended.

Duncan might decide to "Rock 'n' Roll" and act rudely and obstinate, however Rusty had to rescue him after his accident. When he was first introduced in the fourth season, he was often stubborn.

Since the sixth season, Duncan is quite often bossy to the other engines about getting their work done quickly and thinks he knows better than them. Duncan still seems to ignore Rusty's warnings and advice until he lands himself into trouble. Also, Duncan tries to do the jobs which he thinks suits him well and he is quite competitive with James.

Duncan is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Douglas, not to be confused with the standard gauge engine Douglas. This engine is currently selcted to be dressed up as Duncan on special events associated with the "Thomas the Tank Engine" franchise.

Before August 1994, Duncan is painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery with blue-and-yellow lining. Since August 1994, he is painted amber with black and gold lining.

Dyson lorries
The Dyson lorries are used to help whenever there is an accident where the rails can't reach. They are also used for carrying cars and engines - one was once used to carry Duke to the Skarloey Railway.

Eagle
Eagle is a wise old tender engine. He was built at Horwich Works and designed by George Hughes in 1897.

Eagle seems to be of a helpful persona. He pulls passenger trains through the day, but often pulls trucks.

Eagle is based on the L&YR Class 25 with an added pony truck and a Fowler tender, very much like James.

Eagle is painted in the NWR's crimson livery with yellow and black lining. He has crimson wheels and a crimson dome.

Earl
Earl is an express engine. He's the second of his class, and helps Gordon and Spencer with the Wild Nor'Wester. Earl is based on the un-streamlined LNER Class P2.

Earl Sigurd of Orkney
Earl Sigurd of Orkney was a man who often tried to reclaim the lands of Sodor and Man from Godred MacHarold. He attempted to claim Man in 982, and Sodor two years later. He failed both times, but was never captured and returned in 989. His forces killed MacHarold and two of his sons in a battle in Man, but Godred's youngest son, Harold escaped with Godred's mother and daughter. Sigurd died in 1014, and Harold reclaimed both islands from Sigurd's young heir, Thorfinn.

Edward
Edward is a mixed-traffic engine. He speaks with a politically correct (P.C.) English accent.

Edward was designed by Pettigrew and built by Sharp Stewart and Company in 1896 and worked on the Furness Railway before coming to Sodor in 1920 to finish the building of the North Western Railway. After his work was completed, Edward was kept in a shed, to the delight of the other engines, who claimed that he was too weak to work. Edward was eventually let out again, and proved that what he lacked in strength he made up for in work ethic.

Edward currently runs the Wellsworth-Brendam branch line with BoCo, and occasionally Donald and Douglas. He is sometimes used as a pilot engine for special trains.

Edward is kind-hearted and always keen to help a friend in need. The small engines trust him to lend a listening ear and sympathetic advice. He is a hard worker too, and always does his best to finish a job.

Sadly, the big engines often see Edward as old-fashioned and slow. While it is true he is the oldest engine on the North Western Railway - it must be noted he helped build it - he has proved time and time again that he is more than capable of working as hard as any engine, but he is a more clever and wiser engine, too.

Since the eighth season, Edward's persona differs slightly. Despite his reputation of being kind and friendly, Edward has sometime seemed to act cheeky. Edward has also acted with a lack of confidence in himself in that he keeps secrets from the other engines and the Fat Controller when once he was leaking steam, and likewise when he was told to pull the post train whilst Percy was being repaired. Sometimes, Edward has seemed to share the same personality as James, such as when he decided to show off his special waterwheel and laughed at Thomas when he was wearing a funny funnel.

Unlike most characters, Edward is not directly based upon any particular class of locomotive. The Reverend W. Awdry had stated that Edward is based on a heavily modified Sharp, Stewart and Co. "Larger Seagull", supplied to the Furness Railway in 1896, but this was a piece of retcon created for "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways". Edward is based on a 4-4-0 Furness Railway K2 locomotive, first built 1896. Since his rebuild in 1921, Edward has his rear splasher flush with cab, two square cab windows as opposed to cutaway and rectangular cab lookouts as opposed to the round originals. Also since 1928, he has his flared-topped tender replaced with a flush-riveted 3500 gallon-type Fowler-style tender with horizontal strips removed and the rivets facing inward rather than outward.

Sodor "historian" Martin Clutterbuck notes that Edward bears a close resemblance to a LNER D3/4 "Glen" (NBR Reid Class K) 4-4-0 from the London and North Eastern Railway. At any rate, the Reverend W. Awdry used an engine of this class to represent Edward on his model railway.

Crovan's Gate modifications to be seen are making rear splasher flush with cab, new cab windows as opposed to cutaway and new cab lookouts as opposed to the round originals.

Edward is painted NWR blue with the NWR red and yellow lining and the number "2" painted on his tender sides in bright yellow with a red border. He carries two plaques on his cab that reads "NWR No. 2, Rebuilt 1920, Crovans Gate Works".

It can be assumed that, before arriving on Sodor, Edward was painted in the Furness Railway's red livery with a yellow "FR" on his tender sides and black wheels.

Edward Mann
Edward Mann is a narrow gauge tank engine.

Edward Mann was built at Saenagi Valley in 1905 based on a design of European narrow gauge engines. He was not only the first engine built on Keikan Island, but was also the first engine built for the Lower Valley Railway. He has since been used for main passenger and freight duties. He participated in the rescue of Morning Light, and worked with Takao to finish the new valley line.

Edward Mann is a wise and kind engine, and likes to help out wherever he can. However, he can become a tad bothersome when other engines think they know better. Edward Mann likes telling stories about the Island's early years, and was good friends with Takao.

Edward Mann is red with yellow and black stripes, and has gold name and number plates.

Edward Mann is a Hunslet 0-4-0ST, based on Thomas Bach of the Llanberis Lake Railway.

Edward's ghost engine
The ghost engine was referenced in a story Edward told the others on Halloween. Thomas later teased Percy, saying Percy thought it was real, but learnt his lesson after remaining behind at the Smelters to take a special load and thinking that some chains touching his cab were ghostly fingers. He then believed that a whistle in the shed was the ghost's lost whistle, forcing Thomas to race out of the Smelters.

The reason for the engine's death is not certain, but it can be assumed it was scrapped.

The ghost engine is based on the Caledonian Railway "Mclntosh 812" 0-6-0s. With the use of Donald's model, minus the tender.

Edwin
Edwin is a tank engine.

Edwin was built by Sir Nigel Gresley in 1930 and rebuilt in 1939. He was drafted to Sodor in 1946, before being withdrawn in 1959, due to poor condition. Molly the yellow engine discovered him in 2009, and Edwin is now a really useful engine again, working hard on Thomas' branchline. Edwin loves the highlands of Scotland, and has found Donald and Douglas both great Scottish friends. Edwin is a loyal and hard worker. If the engines are in a situation, Edwin never hesitates to help out, even if they were mean to him. Deep down inside, he misses his brothers on the LNER, and hopes they have survived. Sadly, none have, and Edwin is the last of his kind. Edwin carries the British Railways black livery with red lining, and the number nineteen painted on his bunker sides in yellow with a red border, and is an LNER Gresley V3 tank engine. Edwin's name means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "wine" (friend).

Edward Thomas
Edward Thomas is a 0-4-2ST built in 1921 by Kerr, Stuart and Co. Ltd. for use on the Corris Railway.

Edward Thomas worked on the Corris Railway, along with Sir Haydn, until the line's closure in 1948. He was purchased by the Talyllyn Railway in 1951 and named after its former manager. After repairs were carried out by the Hunslet Engine Co., the engine entered service on the Talyllyn in 1952 and has proved most successful. From 1958 until 1969 a Giesl ejector was fitted instead of a conventional chimney, the first such installation in the British Isles.

Until 2000, the engine ran in the guise of his twin, Peter Sam, in red livery. He was then repainted into the British Railway black, the colour he might have acquired had the Corris line survived a little longer. An extensive overhaul, which included the fitting of a new boiler, was completed in late May 2004, and the engine returned to public service on the thirtieth of that month as "Edward Thomas" in unlined green livery.

He is currently running in the standard Talyllyn Railway livery of bronze with black and yellow lining.

Edwin Richard
Edwin is a narrow gauge tank engine.

A Kerr-Stuart 0-6-0T ‘Joffre’ class locomotive built for service in WW1and used as a regimental mascot at a Royal Engineers Barracks for many years; with the closure of the Barracks however, the engine’s future looked bleak, until the MoD found a place for it on the Skarloey Railway during a locomotive crisis in 1983. Originally numbered ‘WD 33’, the engine became the SR’s #10, and was named ‘Edwin Richard’ after the Fat Clergyman. Edwin was thus present for Sir Handel’s 1984 return from Wales in ‘Great Little Engines’, but was not depicted in illustrations due to the publishers not wanting to confuse readers with the unexplained appearance of this ‘new’ engine.

The locomotive went on to become one of the most powerful of the Skarloey fleet, however, his services were found to be in need elsewhere on the Island with the rebuilding of the ‘Mountain Road’ section of the Mid Sodor Railway following an unfortunate accident, where Buzz was withdrawn for repairs in 1996 around the completion of Ivo Hugh (hence why he does not appear in the illustrations for ‘New Little Engine’). Edwin stayed there throughout late 1996 and early 1997, completing the extension to Ballamoddey in time. After this, there was significant interest from the society in buying up Edwin Richard, but the Skarloey Railway were reluctant to accept offers at this time. However, in 2004, while the new MSHR engine is nearing completion and the new extension to Ulfstead Road is looming, a fresh bid was put forward to bring Edwin Richard's power to the Mid Sodor Heritage Railway again. This time, with the Skarloey Railway looking to build or buy a more powerful Diesel, the agreement is struck and Edwin was sold. Upon arrival at King Orry’s Bridge in mid 2004, Edwin Richard was taken out of his Skarloey Railway guise and received a new coat of burgundy red, with black and yellow lining and made his official debut on the line in their Summer Steam Gala.

Upon arrival at King Orry’s Bridge in mid 2005, Edwin Richard was taken out of his Skarloey Railway guise and received a new coat of burgundy red, with black and yellow lining prior to the opening season in 2006.

Edwin Richard arrived on the Skarloey Railway with a strong Military ethos and state of mind still firmly intact, and used it to lord over the other engines. He soon settled down however, but retained a sense of discipline and general bossiness which tied in with his appreciation of all things Military related.

Upon hearing of his redeployment to the Mid Sodor Heritage Railway, Edwin Richard was unenthused about the prospect of having to operate under the management of amateurs who he claimed would be simply “playing at trains”, but soon came around when he realised the difficult mission that lay in front of the brave and determined volunteers. Upon his deployment there on a full time basis in 2004, he was happy to return again, realising the nature of the line’s arduous topography and realising that he would be essential to its successful running in the future.

As the most experienced engine in the shed, he is very much the Grand Old Man of the group, and has taken a particular interest in Rognvald, mentoring the young engine much as Duke once did Stuart and Falcon.

Edwin Richard is based on the Kerr Stuart Joffre 0-6-0Ts that served in World War One, and saw active service in the trenches.

Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a vintage Sentinel steam lorry.

Prior to his becoming Controller of the North Western Railway, Sir Topham Hatt owned Elizabeth - she notes that he was not the best driver. For reasons unknown, Elizabeth was sheeted in a shed and remained there until Thomas' crew found her several decades later when they needed urgent transportation to the works for new side-rods. Jem Cole restored Elizabeth, and she is to this day in perfect working order.

Elizabeth does not like laziness or rudeness, and will respond to both in the strongest terms. Although she believes roads are superior to rails, she often helps the engines out. She is very sensitive about how others refer to her by her age.

Elizabeth is based on a Sentinel DG4 steam lorry with a three-way tipper behind her cab.

Elizabeth is painted maroon with gold and black stripes. Her license plate is D645.

Ellie
Ellie is a coach that operates with Eric on the Culdee Fell Railway. Her fate since Eric’s retirement is unknown.

Elsie
Elsie is a small luggage van pulled by Toby. After his tramway closed, Elsie was brought with Toby and Henrietta to the North Western Railway.

Emily
Emily is a large green Stirling Single, and Thomas' love interest. She was designed by Patrick Stirling and built at Doncaster Works in 1870. She speaks with a Glaswegian accent.

Emily was ignored by the other engines for pulling Annie and Clarabel without Thomas' permission or knowledge. The matter was resolved after she saved both Thomas and Oliver from a nasty accident on the cross-points, and she was rewarded with two new coaches.

Emily is a feisty and fun-loving engine. She acts as a sisterly figure to the others, but can get into trouble because of her fussy and bossy attitude. She's a lot nicer and wiser than she lets on.

Emily is based on a GNR Stirling Single, of which there is only one left in the world, located at the National Railway Museum in York.

Emily is painted in the emerald livery of the Great Northern Railway with gold lining and chocolate running-boards. She has the number 12 painted on her tender sides in yellow with a red border.

Enid
Ernest is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway's Enid.

The boilers are inclined on the locomotives, to ensure that the boiler tubes and the firebox remain submerged when on the gradient, a standard practice on mountain railways - the locomotive always runs chimney-first up the mountain. The water gauges (gauge glasses) are mounted half at the centre on the locomotive so that the water level does not change with the gradient. One result of the boiler's angle is that the firehole door is at waist height, requiring the fireman to lift the coal some distance. The boiler is not superheated.

Eric
Eric is a mountain engine who was mentioned in a conversation between Culdee, Wilfred and Ernest in Mountain Engines. According to them, Eric is "nice and quiet".

Eric was built at Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1923 to a "super-heat" design. He arrived on Sodor in July 1962.

According to "The Real Lives of Thomas the Tank Engine", he and Alaric have been "retired".

Eric is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway's Eryri.

Eric is painted purple with orange lining.

Erin
Erin was built by the Sodor and Mainland Railway in 1882, originally engine number 5. When the box tanks were scrapped, Erin became number 2 in 1910. Before closure of the S&MR, she had a terrible accident in 1914, and withdrawn from service. However, in 2009, Percy discovered her, and promised to keep it a secret from Sir Topham Hatt. When found out by Alfred, Percy reluctantly told Sir Topham Hatt who understood, and now Erin is a really useful engine again and works on Edward's branchline as a mixed traffic engine. She was named after her designer's mother, Erin O'Patrick McIlwain.

Erin is kind-hearted and helpful to her friends, but can be very sensitive and shy. She is the only female engine who thinks James is cool, and has feelings for him. Her best friends are Percy, Thomas and Lady.

Erin was originally painted light green with "5", later "2" written on her cab sides in yellow and "S&M" written on his tender sides. When she was scrapped, her paint rusted, giving her a rusty orange color. She is currently painted red with blue wheels, yellow boiler bands, black lining, the number "38" on her cab sides and the letters "NWR" on her tender sides.

Erin is curious-designed 2-2-2 single tender engine.

Ernest
Ernest is a mountain engine built at Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1895. He only appeared in Mountain Engines informing Culdee of the changes on the Culdee Fell Railway in his absence.

Ernest is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway's Enid.

Ernest is painted CFR purple with orange lining. In the magazines, he is painted blue with red lining.

Eryri
Eric is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway's Eryri.

The boilers of these engines are superheated, making them more efficient, and in place of a lever type regulator, they have a wheel that must be turned 2¼ times between closed and fully open. The drive from the cylinders and to the wheels again uses levers, but in a different pattern. The linkage is fitted within double frames at the front of the locomotive. This results in a locomotive that is far more rigid. The side tanks are arranged vertically just in front of the cab. No.6 carries the same amount of water as the earlier engines, but No.7 & No.8 carry enough water to get to the top of the mountain without stopping, if required. There is no separate tank for cooling water as it is drawn from the boiler on these engines.

Evan
Evan is a narrow gauge saddle tank engine.

An 0-4-0ST ‘Quarry’ Hunslet built in 1906 for work at Vickers Shipyard in Barrow to a design quite often found in the Dinorwic Quarries of North Wales. Given the predominance of the narrow gauge railway network on nearby Sodor already existing to a ‘standard’ of 2ft 3in, it was decided that the industrial complex would also adopt this in order to exchange rolling stock and locomotives should there ever be a need to do so.

The engine spent a number of years in the industrial yard prior to being retired in 1961, and was ‘adopted’ by one of the factory owners, who over a number of years, sought to restore the engine in his workshop as a private concern. Following the gentleman’s death, his son loaned and later donated him to the Skarloey Railway as a goodwill gesture in 1982 where he was named Evan after the man who saved him. However, given Evan’s diminutive size and tractive effort, Mr Hugh, the Chief Mechanical Engineer felt that would not be best suited to the Skarloey Railway’s needs.

Following an overhaul which saw Evan’s boiler (fitted in 1956 but only used in service for five) being certified for five more years use as of 1984, The Thin Controller brokered a deal with a Lake Railway in England, placing Evan on loan to them that year to ease them through a locomotive crisis. Becoming surplus to their requirements in 1989, Evan was returned to the Skarloey Railway when his boiler-ticket expired, and was never sent back to England, even after his overhaul.

When it became abhorrently clear that he would not be fit for work on the Skarloey Railway (unless double-headed with another engine), The Thin Controller then made another deal with the Mid Sodor Heritage Railway, which needed an extra engine to operate their short line as their diesel Buzz was soon to be needed on extension work. This saw Evan placed on permanent loan to the Society in 1991.

From the day he arrived on the Island, Evan has retained his sky-blue livery with red lining, and this has continued at the Mid Sodor Heritage Railway. During the lengthy construction of the MSHR’s Ballamoddey Extension, Evan was the sole engine operating trains on their half-mile Demonstration Line at Peel Godred along with a pair of ex-MSR coaches, as the society’s diesel, Buzz, was needed on extension duties.

Since the opening of the extension and the acquisition of larger locomotives he is still a vital member of the team, being used on lighter trains and for Driver Experience courses, which earn a pretty penny for the MSHR. Thankfully Evan has an extremely even temperament (he is very much the peacemaker in any arguments that arise between the engines), and he has yet to loose his temper with any of these amateur drivers, no matter how cack-handed they are!

Evan was an unfortunate casualty of the early ERS organisation, and therefore, when further Skarloey Railway stories were written, he didn’t feature.

When the subject of an ERS Overhaul and the reopening of the Mid Sodor Railway was proposed, the character was reintroduced in the last story of the Sixth Anniversary volume, Gala Engines, where he returned to the Skarloey Railway.

A number of the Quarry Hunslets used at Dinworic Quarries have been rescued and preserved following withdrawal from service. These engines are the mainstay motive power of the Llanberis Lake Railway and Bala Lake Railways in North Wales, and although found here predominately, their counterparts have also found homes in England, and as far afield as the United States and Canada. The locomotive, Evan, is based on Llanberis Lake Railway’s ‘Thomas Bach’.

Express coaches
These form the fast and important passenger trains and are normally pulled by Gordon, James, or Henry. Several of these coaches form the express, known as the "Wild Nor' Wester" - usually pulled by Gordon, although Henry, James and Bear take the train when Gordon is busy - other coaches form the "Limited", which was pulled by Bear in Enterprising Engines.

The coaches were primarily painted yellow-orange until circa 1984, when they were repainted maroon with a yellow stripe. The other coaches are painted either green or red with custard-yellow window surrounds. The green version is primarily used for the express while the red version and is used for other fast trains and occasionally used for the express.

The express coaches are based on SR Maunsell Stock, LNER Gresley and GWR Suburban with added corridor sections onto the ends of the coaches and the larger windows of corridors stock on the far sides.

Father Christmas/Santa Claus
Father Christmas appeared in Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree and the second season episode Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree with no lines. His model was really one of the Fat Controller's dressed up.

Farmer Banks
Farmer Banks is a farmer featured in the magazines.

Farmer Collett
Farmer Collett is a farmer, who regularly appears in the magazine stories. He is good friends with Jem Cole.

Farmer McColl
Farmer McColl is a farmer. Toby enjoys visiting him and his animals. He also owns the field opposite his farm.

Farmer Trotter
Farmer Trotter is a farmer who owns a pig farm. He is good friends with Farmer McColl. He also bee hives.

Ferdinand
Ferdinand is a large slow engine.

Ferdinand is a gentle giant. He is a bigger and slower engine who is able to make special tweeting sounds with his whistles. He runs on wood and oil and can often be heard saying "that's right".

Ferdinand is based on a Climax Class C logging locomotive with British-style buffers and couplings.

Ferdinand is painted teal with grey lining.

Fergus
Fergus is a railway traction engine.

Fergus mainly works at the cement works, and thus calls himself "the pride of the cement works".

Fergus knows the rulebook off by heart, and his catchphrase is "Do it right!" His insistence on doing everything absolutely according to the rules can annoy the other engines, but he is a decent engine at heart and will not hesitate to help others in trouble.

Fergus is based on the Aveling and Porter 2-2-0 'T9' class railway traction engine No. 9449 "Blue Circle", which is the only one left in the world. Since Fergus' introduction, "Blue Circle" has been dressed up as Fergus on special occasions on its home line, the Battlefield Line in Leicestershire.

Fergus is painted navy with gold boiler bands and red wheels.

Ffarquhar Quarry Co. trucks
The Ffarquhar Quarry Co. trucks carry stone from Anopha Quarry. They have "FQC" written on both sides.

Fire engines
The Sodor Fire Brigade owns several identical fire engines.

Fireman
The firemen help maintain the engines, and, along with the driver, keep the engines in control and provide a voice of reason when the engine is being difficult.

While the train is moving they stoke the fire and keep the water level where it needs to be. After a trip, they clean the firebox. They also couple the engines if a shunter isn't around. A fireman's uniform is blue pants, a white shirt, and a black tie, with a blue jacket over it, and a blue cap.

Flatbeds and wellwagons
Flatbeds and wellwagons are used for transporting large items such as cars, tractors and heavy machinery. One carried the rock crusher to the quarry, another took Caroline to the Elsbridge cricket field after she broke down, and another carried the Queen of Sodor barge.

Flora
Flora is a yellow steam tram.

Flora was new to the railway when Thomas first met her. Sir Topham Hatt told Thomas to introduce Flora to Toby, as she was to lead an engine parade with him. Thomas was worried that Toby would be upset that he wasn't the only steam tram any more, so Thomas tried to detour Flora until Toby left for Great Waterton. Flora ran out of coal near Toby's shed and Toby saw the bright yelloew tram for the first time. To Thomas' surprise, Toby was delighted to see her! Thomas gave Flora his coal and she and Toby went to Great Waterton in time for the parade.

Flora is an attentive, friendly little steam tram. Her tram coach is her pride and joy.

Flora is based on a 1904 Moseley Road Tramway steam tram, rebuilt into standard gauge. Instead of buffers, she has three couplings upon her front and rear bufferbeam. She has a 0-6-0 wheel arrangement.

Flora is painted bright yellow with green and white lining, red cowcatchers and sideplates and green boards on her roof reading "Sodor Tramways".

Flora's tram car
Flora's tram car is a double-decker green coach, and is her pride and joy. It was given to her at the opening of the Great Waterton Tramway.

Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman, a LNER Class A3 4-6-2, is the last of Gordon's brothers. He holds the records for being the first engine to officially run at 100 mp/h and the longest non-stop run for a steam engine - 631 kilometres non-stop, between London and Edinburgh, in eight hours.

Flying Scotsman was completed in 1923, construction having been started under the auspices of the Great Northern Railway. He was built as an A1, initially carrying the number 1472. Flying Scotsman was something of a flagship locomotive for the LNER. He represented the company at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924 and 1925. At this time he acquired his name and the new number of 4472. From then on he was commonly used for promotional purposes.

With suitably modified valve gear, he was one of five Gresley Pacifics selected to haul the prestigious non-stop Flying Scotsman train service from London to Edinburgh, hauling the inaugural train on May 1, 1928. For this, the locomotives ran with a new version of the large eight-wheel tender which held nine tons of coal. This and the usual facility for water replenishment from the water trough system enabled them to travel the 631 kilometres from London to Edinburgh in eight hours non-stop. The tender included a corridor connection and tunnel through the water tank giving access to the locomotive cab from the train in order to allow replacement of the driver and fireman without stopping the train. The following year he appeared in the film "The Flying Scotsman".

On November 30, 1934, running a light test train, he became the first steam locomotive to be officially recorded at 100 mp/h and earned a place in the land speed record for railed vehicles; the publicity-conscious LNER made much of the fact.

On August 22, 1928 there appeared an improved version of this Pacific type classified A3; older A1 locomotives were later rebuilt to conform. On April 25th, 1945, A1 class locomotives not yet rebuilt were reclassified A10 in order to make way for newer Thompson and Peppercorn Pacifics. This included Flying Scotsman, which emerged from Doncaster works on January 4, 1947 as an A3 having received a boiler with a long "banjo" dome of the type it carries today. By this time he had become no. 103 in Edward Thompson's comprehensive renumbering scheme for the LNER, then 60103 from January 1, 1948 on the nationalisation of the railways when all the LNER locomotive numbers were prefixed with 60000. Between June 5, 1950 and July 4, 1954, and December 26, 1954 and September 1, 1957, under British Railways ownership, he was allocated to Leicester Central Shed on the Great Central, running Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone services via Leicester Central, and hauled one of the last services on that line before its closure. All A3 Pacifics were subsequently fitted with a double KYLCHAP chimney to improve performance and economy. This caused soft exhaust and smoke drift that tended to obscure the driver's forward vision; the remedy was found in the German-type smoke deflectors fitted from 1960, which somewhat changed his appearance but successfully solved the problem.

Flying Scotsman came to Sodor in 1967-8 to cheer his only surviving brother, Gordon, up. He had two tenders at the time he arrived, causing Henry to feel jealous.

After Donald and Douglas told Harold about Flying Scotsman, Harold was confused and thought the twins were talking about a Scotsman who could fly. Thomas explained that the twins were actually talking about an engine.

60103 ended service with British Railways in 1963 and was sold for preservation to Alan Pegler, who had him restored as closely as possible to his original LNER condition. He then worked a number of railtours, including a non-stop London–Edinburgh run in 1968 – the year steam traction officially ended on BR. As watering facilities for locomotives had by then disappeared, a second eight-wheel tender was adapted as an auxiliary water tank.

In 1969 he went on a promotional tour to the USA, where he was fitted with cowcatcher, a high-intensity headlamp, a bell, air brakes and buckeye couplings. The trip was initially a success, but when Pegler's backers withdrew their support he began to lose money and was finally bankrupted in 1972. Fears then arose for his future, the speculation being that he could take up permanent residence in America or even be cut up. Fortunately, in January 1973 William McAlpine stepped in at the eleventh hour and had him repaired and repatriated. In 1988 the locomotive travelled to Australia to take part in the country's bicentenary celebrations. There he set another record, travelling 442 miles from Parkes to Broken Hill non-stop, the longest such run by a steam locomotive ever recorded.

In recent years Flying Scotsman has continued to have an eventful existence. In 1995 it was in pieces at Southall depot in West London and facing an uncertain future owing to the cost of restoration and refurbishment necessary to meet the stringent engineering standards required for main line operation. Salvation came in 1996 when Dr. Tony Marchington bought him and had him restored to running condition at a cost of some £750,000. During its overhaul between 1996 and 1999, Flying Scotsman's vacuum brakes were removed and replaced with air brakes.

In 2004 Flying Scotsman was put up for sale because of the mounting debts of its owning company. After a high-profile campaign he was bought in April by the National Railway Museum in York and is now part of the national collection. As of 2006 Flying Scotsman is undergoing a major overhaul at the NRM and is not due to resume running until summer 2011. The overhaul is taking much longer than excepted due to the National Railway Museum's decision to rebuild Flying Scotsman's "spare" A3-type boiler rather than rebuilding his A4-type boiler, which he had fitted in his last overhaul between 1996 and 1999. The copper inner firebox from Flying Scotsman's "spare" boiler was rebuilt - only for the engineers to discover some faulty welds, which meant that it was sent back to the Boiler Works in Devon to be mended again. Also, a decision has being made to replace the air brakes with more effective vacuum brakes, and Steam Railway magazine has made an appeal to fund the vacuum brakes. Meanwhile, Flying Scotsman's frames are under overhaul at the workshops of the East Lancashire Railway which are due to be completed in the Autmun of 2010.

The producers of BBC's motoring television programme "Top Gear" originally wanted to use Flying Scotsman for a secret race from London to Edinburgh; but due to the delay to his overhaul, they decided to use the brand-new mainline tender engine called Tornado.

The Flying Scotsman is painted LNER green with black and yellow lining and LNER painted in yellow on his first tender side and the number 4472 painted in yellow on his second tender side.

Choice of livery is a subject of controversy amongst those involved in the preservation of historic rolling stock, and Flying Scotsman has attracted more than its fair share, the result of forty years' continuous service during which the locomotive has undergone several changes to its livery. Alan Pegler's option was evidently to return the locomotive as far as possible to the general appearance and distinctive colour it carried at the height of its fame. A later option was to reinstall the double Kylchap chimney and German smoke deflectors that it carried at the end of its career in the 1960s; this encouraged more complete combustion, a factor in dealing with smoke pollution and fires caused by spark throwing. More recently, until its current overhaul, it was running in an anachronistic hybrid form retaining the modernised exhaust arrangements while carrying the LNER "Apple Green" livery of the 1930s. Some believe that the more famous LNER colour scheme should remain; others take the view that, to be authentic, only BR "Brunswick Green" livery should be used when the loco is carrying these later additions – the issue is further complicated by the fact that while in BR "Brunswick Green" Livery it never ran with the corridor tender! Other liveries that Flying Scotsman has had, are the wartime "Black" livery and the British Railways "Express Passenger Lined Blue" livery.

Frank
Frank, formerly, Peter, is a grumpy diesel. He sometimes loses his temper, which once caused him to crash into the back wall of the shed. Despite this, he is a hard worker and is sometimes called upon to rescue engines who have broken down.

Frank was originally a 0-4-0 named "Peter", built at Muir-Hill in 1929. In 1931, he was rebuilt as a steam-outline diesel 0-4-4 for use on passenger trains, and arrived on Sodor in 1968, and in 1975, was rebuilt with a Perkins P6 diesel engine, giving him a modern diesel engine's radiator grill at front instead of his fake smokebox and replacing his Fordson petrol engine. In 1984, he was rebuilt with a modern diesel outline, losing his fake steam outline and became similar to an industrial diesel shunter and renamed Frank. He has since been used as the permanent way stalwart, but also for shunting and relief passenger duties.

Frank is painted light gray with a red stripe. He has red nameplates with gold writing.

Frank is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's "Perkins", constructed in 1984 at Ravenglass, a rebuild of a 1929 Muir-Hill tractor.

Fred
Fred is a diesel working on the Skarloey Railway. He was built in 1950.

According to Sodor: Reading Between the Lines, the Skarloey Railway bought two worn out Hunslet diesels from the National Coal Board and, using parts from both engines, constructed Fred. He was put into service in 1989, and is used mainly for maintenance and engineering work.

Like Dennis, Fred is lazy and tries to stay out of work by pretending to be ill.

Fred is painted charcoal-black with yellow lining and white lettering.

Fred is based on Alf, a Hunslet 0-4-0 diesel with a maximum speed of 9 mp/h working on the Talyllyn Railway.

Fred Pelhay
Fred Pelhay is an orange "Private Owner" truck with "FRED PELHAY Coal Co." painted on both sides in white. He made a cameo in Toad Stands by laughing at Oliver.

Fred the fogman
Fred the fogman is a fogman on the narrow gauge railway. He once saved Peter Sam from a running into a tree.

Fred and Bart
Fred and Bert are two porters at Tidmouth. They were carrying a beehive on a trolley, but when an old lady suddenly appeared in front, they stopped so suddenly the beehive fell over and broke, prompting the station's occupants (bar James and his crew) to clear the platform.

Freddie
"Fearless" Freddie is an old Warhorse engine.

After many years of absence Freddie returned to the Skarloey Railway. Although the reason for his absence is not stated, one can presume that Freddie was either on loan to another railway or undergoing an extensive overhaul.

Upon returning home, Freddie challenged Rheneas and Skarloey to a series of races up and down the mountain. After realizing that he wasn't as strong as he once was, Freddie used his knowledge of the mountain routes and short-cuts to secure victories. However, when his cheating placed Rheneas in danger, Freddie was forced to put his knowledge to better use. When Mr Percival's bike was delivered to the Wharf with no bell on it, Freddie decided to find a bell - even though he didn't know where to find one until he saw Thomas taking an old foghorn and decided that the bell from the old bike will be useful.

One Christmas, Freddie tried to re-organise a party so that Colin can take part. Despite his best efforts, Freddie left telling Mr Percival about his idea until the last minute. Luckily, Freddie's idea was sorted with the party taking place at the Wharf for Colin.

Freddie is competitive, but has since learned his lesson. He is now well respected by the younger engines on the Skarloey Railway.

Freddie is based on Russell, a locomotive from the Welsh Highland Railway in North Wales. He has added buffers and couplings.

Freddie is painted grey with black and red lining, and a brass dome. He has black nameplates and numberplates with gold writing. On the peel godred aluminium works, he was painted in an unlined darker shade of grey.

Fuel tankers
The fuel tankers are painted yellow with pictures of fire in red diamonds and "SODOR FUEL" in black on both sides. They are used to transport fuel.

Funfair trucks
The funfair trucks are popular with the engines. Funfairs usually consist of carousels, roller coasters, bumper cars, a ferris wheel, the Chinese Dragon and a fireworks display.

George
George is a grumpy steamroller whose interactions with engines generally lead to trouble.

George was built in 1920 and arrived on Sodor in 1962.

When he first arrived, he immediately entered a conflict with the engines of the Skarloey Railway. At the time Sir Handel was boasting about his broad tyres, which the other engines referred to as "steamroller wheels." Skarloey tried to trick Sir Handel into confronting George to divert his attention. George and Sir Handel immediately disliked each other. One afternoon, Sir Handel took a train down the line parallel to the site where George was working. George wouldn't give the train enough room to pass, and rammed his front roller into Sir Handel's train. The train and construction crews argued until a policeman broke them up and a barrier was built between the road and the rail. George's work was finished, and he was taken away, although Sir Handel took the credit for this.

George was at work near the Ffarquhar branchline, still grumbling about railways. He told Daisy that friends of his have paved roads over old railway lines, and was eager to do the same on Sodor. Daisy tried not to cross him, fearing he would follow through with his threat. George and his crew left some road cones where they were working. One day, wind blew some cones inside the level crossing into Daisy's path and were pulled under, jamming her brakes. Daisy felt certain he did this on purpose.

Once, on Lady Hatt's birthday in 1998, the Fat Controller was running late. His car had broken down, and when he was offered a ride by Caroline, she overheated. George pulled up alongside them and called Caroline "a disgrace to the roads". George's driver, who was fairly even-tempered, offered the Fat Controller a ride, but George lost control and veered into a pool of mud.

George later worked at an excavation site with Skarloey and Rheneas, and made rude remarks despite their assertion that their stone would be used to pave George's roads. George was still rude while Percy carried him on a flatbed to his new work site.

George was later creating a road on an old railway line, but was intentionally careless when he paved the road over a level crossing, later causing Thomas to become derailed and crash. Finally, George refused to allow Duck to pass him at the yard. As, a result a truck from his train was still on the main line. When the express came through, Gordon collided with the truck, smashing it. The Fat Controller was furious with these recent disturbances, and punished George by taking him off of the roads for a week.

For a long time afterwards, George had little actual contact with the engines. On one occasion, Thomas retrieved him to repair the runway of the new airport at the last minute.

George is unfriendly to all engines, even those who try to be pleasant towards him. He generally utters variations of the phrase "Railways are no good. Pull them up. Turn them into roads". His unpleasant attitude frequently creates chaos.

George is based on an Aveling and Porter steamroller owned by the Reverend Teddy Boston, who also owns the traction engine on which Trevor is believed to be based.

George is painted in an all-over green livery with yellow boiler bands and his name painted on his boiler.

Gertude and Millicent
Gertrude and Millicent are two coaches which the Skarloey Railway built while Skarloey was being mended. They run on bogies, which led Sir Handel to consider them the only "proper" coaches on the Skarloey Railway and likes to take them on his own. Millicent has a compartment for the conductor. Gertrude & Millicent are based on Talyllyn Railway carriage 9 and 10. Gertrude was built by W.G. Allen and Tisdales in 1954 and Millicent in 1955. They arrived on Sodor in 1955.

Gertrude and Millicent are painted blue with cream windows.

Godred
Godred, named after Godred MacHarold, a famed king of Sodor, was a mountain engine who worked on the Culdee Fell Railway.

Godred was built at Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1895, and scrapped at 1900. He was arrogant from the start, and believed that should he have any trouble his automatic brakes would save him. Of course, barely a month after the railway's opening he came off the rails and was sent to the shed in disgrace. According to Culdee, he was subsequently cannibalised for his parts. However, the true nature of Godred's demise is debatable, as it was said the whole tale was made up; then again, all other canonical sources support Culdee's version of events, which only confounds things more.

Godred was arrogant and self-centered - Culdee believes this may have been because of the nature of his naming. Godred put too much faith in his automatic brakes, despite all the warnings, and paid the price.

Godred is based on the Snowdon Railway's L.A.D.A.S., who also suffered a similar fate. L.A.D.A.S' accident was caused by subsidence of the track, leading to the pinion wheel disengaging - this was amended by fitting guard-bars to the rack-rail. Since the Culdee Fell Railway opened four years later, it seems likely that guard-bars would have been required by the Board of Trade from the outset, implying a different chain of events causing the derailment, somehow disengaging both the pinion wheels and the gripper fitted to the engine which connects with the guard-bars to prevent such an event.

The most likely explanation is that the Reverend W. Awdry wanted his fictional railway to mirror its real-life counterpart as closely as possible, but as this would involve the "death" of a character, he chose to end it as he did in order to avoid upsetting his readers.

Godred is painted purple with orange lining. In a magazine picture, he was painted red with yellow lining and buffers.

Godred Crovan
Godred Crovan, the son of King Harold and grandson of Godred MacHarold, was born in Iceland in 1045. Sometime after Harold was killed in 1047, Crovan and his mother Gerda returned to Sodor with Sigurd of Cronk, his wife, Helga, and his son Ogmund, also born in 1045.

Crovan and Ogmund were brought up together as best friends, and later as stepbrothers after Helga died and Sigurd married Gerda.

In 1063, Sigurd died and was succeeded by Ogmund in the position of most powerful man in Sodor, after the king. The king of Sodor and son of invader Earl Sigurd of Orkney, Thorfinn, was losing his grip to power, and Crovan set about regaining his father's kingdom. With Sodor virtually in good hands, he left and conquered the Isles, Dublin and eventually Man in the battle of Sky Hill in 1079. Ogmund, however, fell in the battle.

Crovan died sometime between 1089 and 1116. He is remembered for foiling the only Viking invasion in Sodor's history by means of a clever ruse, luring the Vikings to a small pass (now named Crovan's Gate in his honour) while another group destroyed the Vikings' ships.

Godred MacHarold
Godred MacHarold (known in Sudrian legend as King Orry or Starstrider) was King of Sodor and Man from 979 to 989. After the defeat of the Norse by the Irish, he harried Wales, then landed on Man, where, he famously pointed to the stars reflected in the water and said to the locals "There is the path running from my county to this place. That is my road to fame and fortune." Godred gave Sodor and Man ten years of peace, and his reign is remembered as a golden age. In Sodor, he is remembered affectionately as King Orry.

Godred often fought off attempts by Earl Sigurd of Orkney to reclaim Man in 982 and Sodor in 984 at a ford near what is now Peel Godred, named in his honour, which has now been replaced by a bridge and known as "King Orry's Bridge".

Sigurd was not captured during either battles, and returned in 989. In a battle on Man Godred and his two elder sons were killed, but his wife, daughter Gudrun and youngest son Harold escaped to Islay.

Godred was named after him. Culdee noted that this honour may have been a factor in his carelessness.

Goose
Goose is Duck's brother. He is based on GWR Class 57xx.

Gordon
Gordon is a blue express engine. He is Flying Scotsman's only remaining brother and Mallard and Spencer's cousin. He speaks with a Posh English accent.

Gordon was built by Sir Nigel Gresley at Doncaster Works in April 1922 as an A1 with a GNR eight-wheeled tender and green livery on the Other Railway, but when he arrived on Sodor in mid-to-later 1922 with a spare boiler and firebox later that year he was painted in the North Western Railway's blue livery.

Gordon is mainly used for passenger duties, pulling the North Western Railway's express, the "Wild Nor' Wester", but has occasionally pulled goods trains: he has been known to run into ditches and stop on hills to get out of doing these jobs, as he believes that these are below him.

In 1939, Gordon went to Crovan's Gate for a rebuild. His conjugated valve gear was replaced by a two-cylinder design, he received a smoother running plate (designed by the Fat Controller), Stanier underframes, "Black-5" wheels, cylinders, squared-off side windows, rectangular buffers and a Fowler-style tender; flush-riveted six-wheeled 3,500 gallon-type with horizontal strips removed and the rivets facing inward rather than outward to replace his standard eight-wheeled horizontal-stripped 5000 Gallon type Gresley tender..

Gordon has become famous after his adventures: in 1953 he pulled Queen Elizabeth II's royal train and in 1956 he traveled to London, where he was lauded by a large crowd. Gordon did not like the visit, however, as he discovered that London's big station was St. Pancras. In 1986, Gordon got to visit Carlisle when a diesel taking a Railtour failed.

When HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, visited the Island of Sodor, Sir Topham Hatt asked Gordon to take her around. Gordon is given an extra tender for when he travels from Sodor to London.

Gordon's important position as the engine who usually pulls the Express has made him proud, pompous and arrogant, with good reason, too; he is the strongest engine on Sodor after all. Gordon's philosophy "tender engines don't shunt" meant that he looked down on tank engines and tender engines who do shunt, but after being locked in the shed with Henry and James after going on strike he seems to have abandoned this philosophy.

Despite this, Gordon is kind-hearted, strong, intelligent, and fast. He doesn't mind pulling trucks, but won't pull dirty coal cars or oil tankers.

Because of his rank in the social order of the North Western Railway, Gordon expects to get the important jobs and either sulks when he doesn't, or gets jealous of those who do. Sometimes, Gordon acts as a bully, particularly towards Edward, but following mis-adventures where Edward had to help him, Gordon had to acknowledge that despite being old, Edward is still a very useful engine.

Sometimes Gordon shows a kinder side and gives the younger engines advice, usually after he has had some mishap as a result of his foolhardiness. Some of his advice isn't exactly honest, though, as James and Sir Handel have discovered.

According to Sodor "historian" Martin Clutterbuck, Gordon is supposed to be an experimental prototype for Sir Nigel Gresley's A1 "Pacific" design for the GNR, the so called "A0". Gordon was then built at Doncaster Works, Yorkshire, and tested against a similar NER Pacific in 1923. Gordon, being an experimental engine, never received a number, and was later rebuilt at Crewe with LMS underparts and a six-wheel Fowler tender in 1939, owning to various problems. Gordon has since been rebuilt below the footplate according to Stanier designs, his running plate being Sir Topham Hatt's own design. Gordon is based on an London and North Eastern Railway Gresley Class A3 4-6-2 engine, first built in 1922. He is a brother of "London and North Eastern Railway Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman" (whose speed record was 100 mph) who is currently at the National Railway Museum in York.

Gordon is painted NWR blue with NWR red-and-yellow lining and the number "4" painted on his tender sides in yellow. Before arriving on Sodor, he was painted Doncaster green with white and black lining.

Gordon's snow machine
Gordon's snow machine is used to blow huge snowdrifts away. It can be a nuisance, as Gordon once found out when trying to puff clear the tunnel mouth, only to be buried in snow loosened by the sound.

Gordon's special coaches
For breaking his speed-record again, Gordon was rewarded with a new set of coaches. Emily was to collect them to deliver them to the ceremony, but Diesel stole the coaches and hid them in a siding. Diesel gave them back after he told Emily that he too had set a record.

hese 5 coaches are Gordon's special coaches, which he uses to take his trains. They are painted dark blue with an orange stripe under the windows. These coaches are based on London and North Eastern Railway Gresley suburban stock with added corridor sections onto the ends of the coaches and the larger windows of corriders stock on the far sides. This train is usually full of people from England, Wales and Scotland.

Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a LNER Class V2 preserved as one of the main attractions of the National Railway Museum. He has been put on display at "Locomotion" (the National Railway Museum in Shildon) since his boiler certificate expired in 2008.

He was built in June 1936 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley.

Green Arrow resembles Flying Scotsman; the only differences are that Green Arrow is shorter and has a wheel arrangement of 2-6-2 with a six-wheeled tender. Thomas met Green Arrow after his unusual arrival on the back of a lorry to find Green Arrow being repaired.

Green Arrow was withdrawn from service in August, 1962, and bought by the National Railway Museum. He would pull rail tours from time to time, but in 2008, was withdrawn from rail tour service. This was because two of his superheated tubes where cracked. These tubes were fixed, but Green Arrow was soon taken away for static display. His boiler was not to expire until mid-late 2008, but it failed shortly after the tubes where repaired. It is unlikely that he will return to steam in the coming future.

Guard
The guard, known as a conductor in America, blows his whistle when it is time for trains to leave and sits in the brakevan, where he can apply the brakes in case of an emergency. Guards also have two flags, one red and one green. The green flag means "all set", and the red flag means "danger".

A guard's uniform is blue pants, a white shirt, a black tie, with a blue jacket over it, and a blue cap.

Gunpowder wagons
These oddly-shaped trucks transport gunpowder. Because gunpowder is so dangerous, engines must take the utmost care when shunting and they are usually put in the middle of trains for safety.

Gunpowder wagons are painted black with "D. FUSIT" on the side in white and "GUNPOWDER" underneath in red.

The gunpowder wagons are based on the same type used on the Ffestiniog Railway.

Gwen
Gwen was a Coach that operated with Godred on the Culdee Fell Railway. Her fate after Godred’s accident is unknown.

Hamish
Hamish was a dark green tank engine with an unusual box shape and a Scottish accent. He is a simple but kind engine who befriended Skarloey when he was young. He crashed into Erin and was sent to the shed in disgrace. He was cannibalized as spare parts for Neil.

Skarloey said Hamish was ugly but kind, and they soon became friends.

Hamish was painted dark green with "S&M 1" written on his tank sides in yellow.

In Sodor: Reading Between the Lines Christopher Awdry states that Hamish's class is unknown. However, he strikingly resembles a Neilson 0-4-0 box tank, a simple and robust class of engine built in Glasgow and sold all over the world. This would explain both his name and his accent.

Hank
Hank is a large American tender engine. He was designed by Matthias W. Baldwin and built at Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1914.

Thomas and Percy first met Hank at Brendam when he arrived. Thomas was impressed, until Hank told him he was "one of the finest little engines he'd ever seen". Thomas misinterpreted the comment as making fun of his size, and became determined to pull all of Hank's loads himself. While Thomas tired himself out pulling the heavy loads, Hank insisted that he help Thomas with the train. With the strain, Thomas eventually cracked a cylinder and finally decided to accept Hank's offer for help. Hank pushed Thomas to Knapford, where the other engines were waiting to greet Hank.

Hank is unique in being very kind and helpful amongst the big engines, and is willing to offer any assistance to any engine who is struggling with their loads. He generally speaks with a stereotypical Texan accent. He has the enthusiasm of a cheerleader, the strength of a titan and a propensity to be cheeky.

Hank is based on the Pennsylvania Railroad's K4 Pacific, approx. 83 ft 6 in long. He has British-style buffers added to the back of his tender for coupling.

Hank is painted dark blue with red wheels, a red cowcatcher and red lining.

Harley
Harley is the newest engine on Sodor, and also one of the strongest. He is constantly late with all his trains and for meetings. The other engines feel sorry for his lateness, but James cannot help teasing him about it. Harley is not based on any particular locomotive class; he is custom built at Crovan's Gate.

Harold
Harold, nicknamed "Whirlybird", is a helicopter used for patrolling the railway. He was built in 1949.

When Harold first met Percy he stated that railways were "slow and out-of-date", but was proven wrong when Percy later beat him in a race. Harold is owned by the coastguard on Sodor and lives at Dryaw airfield by Thomas' branchline. He keeps a watchful eye over Sodor in case of trouble, and speeds to the rescue of anyone in distress.

Harold speaks in a manner reminiscent of an RAF pilot, using terms such as "wizard" and "old chap" in conversation.

Harold is based on a Sikorsky S-55 helicopter, built in the UK as the Westland Whirlwind. He has added floats.

Harold is painted white with red lining.

Harold
Harold was an ancient king of Sodor. When his father, Godred MacHarold, died in battle in 989, along with Harold's two older brohers, he escaped with his mother and sister to Islay. After the death of Sigurd, the leader of the forces that had killed his father, Harold seized his chance and reclaimed Sodor and Man for twenty years, until Thorfinn, Sigurd's heir, drove him out. His son died in the skirmish, but Harold escaped to Iceland, where he had a son named Godred Crovan with a woman named Gurda in 1045. Harold died in an affray in 1047.

Harry
Harry is Oliver's brother. He is based on GWR Class 14xx.

Harvey
Harvey is a tank engine with a crane mounted on top of his boiler, which makes him look rather unusual. He speaks with a deep, booming, gruff voice and a South London accent.

He arrived on Sodor in December 2001. The other engines except Thomas teased Harvey at first, but when he was able to rescue Percy after an accident they realized that his difference was what made him special. Since then, he has proved very useful, using his crane arm for maintenance, building and clearing up. He mainly works at Brendam and the yard, but his favourite place to be is at the Water Works.

Harvey is a kind, friendly and hard-working crane engine. He enjoy helping out when his friends are in distress.

With perhaps the most distinctive appearance of any engine, Harvey is painted burgundy with yellow line-work and brown square buffers. His name and the number "27" is written on both his sides in yellow, however the "27" is painted on his crane.

Harvey is based on an industrial crane engine - Dubs Crane Engine No. 4101, first built in 1901.

Headmaster Hastings
Headmaster Hastings is the headmaster of Strawberry Grove School. One day Duncan was pulling an organ for the school when his whistle shot off into a field, and Headmaster Hastings used the organ as a replacement.

Hector
Hector (the name stands for "Heavily Engineered Coal Truck On Rails") is a coal hopper who is good friends with Thomas and James. He speaks with an American accent.

Hector was being a pain for Bill and Ben when they were bringing him into the yard because he kept banging into the two. Hector, at first, was aggressive. He roared angrily at the engines to "KEEP AWAY!", giving Thomas a fright and scaring Rosie away. Thomas, determined to shunt him and having enough of the truck's behavior, accidentally pushed him off the line, and after being helped back onto the rails, Hector revealed he was intimidating so he wouldn't have to carry coal, being scared of doing so. Thomas showed him it was actually quite fun.

Later on, Hector helped James get through a snowstorm from Brendam Docks to Great Waterton after James ignored his previous advice and some of the other trucks got stuck in a snowdrift.

Hector used to be mean and aggressive, just to hide his fear of being filled with coal. Thanks to Thomas, he learnt that there was no need to be scared.

Hector is based on a Union Pacific #7801 hopper car with added buffers.

Hector is painted black with "HECTOR" painted on both sides in white.

Helena
Helena is a four-wheeled coach from the Furness Railway who operated with Victoria and Albert on the Lakeside branch.

Henrietta
Henrietta is a coach pulled by Toby, although Percy or Daisy takes her when Toby is absent.

After Toby's tramway in East Anglia closed, Henrietta was brought with Toby to the North Western Railway. Toby later mentioned to the Fat Controller that a stationmaster on his tramway wanted to use her as a henhouse, but the Fat Controller agreed that "that would never do".

Henrietta is based on a Great Eastern Railway Wisbech and Upwell 4-wheel passenger coach no. 7. It is revealed in an annual that Henrietta has one sister left, being a bogied version of herself.

Henrietta is painted orange with brown cabin and red bufferbeam.

Henry
Henry is a mixed-traffic engine.

Henry was built around 1920 from plans stolen from Sir Nigel Gresley and was something like a cross between a GNR/LNER Class A1 and a GNR C1 Atlantic. He was sold to Sir Topham Hatt, who was desperate for a locomotive.

Henry was vain and in August 1922 he stopped in a tunnel and refused to come out, citing that his paintwork would be spoilt by the rain. After several attempts to move him failed he was bricked up in the tunnel until Gordon broke down while pulling the Express. As Edward was unable to move the train himself, the Fat Director offered to let Henry out of the tunnel to help. Henry eagerly accepted.

Henry performed very well, and the Fat Director promised him a new coat of paint, as his existing paintwork had been damaged more by his stay in the tunnel than it would have been by the rain. Henry asked to be painted blue like Edward. However, many people confused him with Gordon, to the bigger engine's annoyance. The matter was worsened after a trip to the Works where Henry was given spares of Gordon's buffers and cab. This caused Gordon to be very rude to Henry.

The poor engine and his system, which was already finicky at best due to design flaws, never really recovered from the stay in the tunnel. Henry developed steaming problems, about which he complained constantly, though he found little sympathy, especially when it caused him to be late.

In 1949 Henry, when again offered new paint, chose green to end the confusion. Unfortunately, he was to suffer humiliation when he was hosed with water by an elephant he frightened. After Gordon and James suffered humiliations of their own (and all three had become thoroughly fed up having to do their own shunting and fetch their own coaches), the big engines went on strike. The Fat Controller naturally disapproved of this nonsense, and after purchasing Percy he locked them in the shed for several days.

Later that year, during a period when the main line engines were being supplied with a poor delivery of coal, Henry was having a very difficult time of it indeed. He had strength to pull trains only sporadically, in spite of numerous parts replacements. At last the Fat Controller looked into it personally, and asked the opinion of Henry's fireman, who told him about the coal and suggested purchasing the high-grade Welsh coal the Great Western Railway used.

When the Welsh coal came, Henry's performance was vastly improved, such that he was comparable to Gordon. He continued to use the coal until February 1950, when due to a conjunction of a forced signal and frozen points he had a collision with a goods train at Killdane while pulling "The Flying Kipper" and was sent to Crewe to be rebuilt. Henry was rebuilt into a Stanier 5MT. (Sir Topham Hatt had connections with Sir William Stanier, so this may be the reason he managed to get Henry rebuilt so quickly).

After returning, Henry was added to the rotation for the Express, and pulled it so well that he made Gordon jealous. Gordon tried to get even by rudely critcising Henry for whistling loudly at stations, but had to eat his words later that day after his own whistle valve jammed open. Some time later, Henry was taking a slow train. As he passed under a bridge, four boys he had assumed to be railfans dropped stones on him and his coaches. He paid them out on his return journey by "sneezing" ashes that collected in his smokebox at them.

In 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II was to come to Sodor, Henry (rightly) assumed he was the Fat Controller's choice to pull the royal train. But the day before, while he was idling at the station his smoke blinded a painter, who fell along with his paint pot onto Henry. The paint splashed over Henry's boiler, and as painting over it would take too long for him to have time for the train Gordon was given the job instead.

When Duck arrived in 1955 to take over Percy's duties as station pilot, Henry, along with Gordon and James, teased him and tried to give him orders, as they had been doing to Percy. Duck, with Percy's help, blocked the big engines from entering the shed. The Fat Controller arrived and told the two tank engines off for causing a disturbance. Henry and the others laughed- until the Fat Controller shouted for silence, and told them they'd been worse, as they had made the disturbance. He told them that Duck was right about he, Sir Topham Hatt, being in charge. Henry respected Duck more after that.

Henry's good opinion of Duck would be briefly spoilt in 1957. He and the other main line engines were growing very tired of Duck's incessant talk about the Great Western Railway following City of Truro's visit. A Diesel sent to the island on trial quickly developed a grudge against Duck, and spread nasty stories about the the main line engines to the trucks, stories he falsely claimed Duck had told him. Henry, furious at being called "Old Square Wheels", joined Gordon and James in barring Duck from the shed. He felt sorry a few days later when he became the next target of Diesel's slander, and when Duck returned after preventing an accident Henry cheered him loudly.

When Gordon started feeling depressed in 1968, Henry, thinking Gordon was just moaning and groaning, teased him and told him he should get a wash-out, and would feel much better. When Gordon's younger brother Flying Scotsman visited Sodor, Henry was jealous of the visitor's second tender. Duck and Donald explained, and while Henry took the point he still was vain enough to want an additional tender. Duck, deciding to bring Henry down to earth, told the big engine that he had in his possession not one, but six spare tenders, which as a tank engine he had no need of. Henry accepted, and all the engines waited to see him go past. But instead of a splendid sight, the tenders were old, rusted, and full of boiler sludge! Gordon mocked him with a comment about wash-outs.

Henry was so frustrated that the day after 7101 and 199 arrived on trial he became so hot his regulator fused wide open, and his driver had to use the reverser to control him. On his return journey (no train), he stopped at a signal box next to 199, who had a train of oil tankers. The signalman told them that 199, who he nicknamed "Spamcan", had failed and that he needed to be moved out of the way to clear the line for the "Limited". Henry pulled the train clear. But shortly afterward, 7101's ejector failed and the "Limited" ground to a halt. Henry then volunteered to help move both trains. Luckily all he had to do for 7101 was keep the vacuum brakes off, but it was still hard work. The cavalcade made it to a station where Flying Scotsman waited to take the coaches, and Donald to take the goods. Henry brought 7101 to the Works afterwards, and days later cheered the arrival of Oliver.

Henry is generally well-behaved, but he is occasionally arrogant and vain. Henry is at heart a hard worker, but his frequent bouts of illness hinder his work.

Henry has being portrayed a nature-lover as evidence in Henry's Forest. This personality carried on throughout the most recent seasons, with Henry being occasionally a tree-hugging engine too as he tried to prevent the tall pine tree and the wishing tree from being cut down.

Henry's history is unusual. He was built from rejected plans for Sir Nigel Gresley's A1. The plans were stolen from Gresley by a rival. Then resulting engine was a mix of GNR A1 Pacific and GNR C1 Atlantic, with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement, a smoother-looking running plate designed by Hatt himself, a cutoff third splasher, that is flush with a small, very shallow firebox flush with the curved running boards, one cab window and a LNER Class B12-style tender. Henry in this shape developed performance issues from flaws in the design, compounded by his stay in the tunnel. Henry was a "bad steamer": with good-quality coal he could get enough heat to make plenty of steam, but when there was a poor lot delivered, his undersized firebox could not hold enough coal to make a proper fire. On advice from Henry's fireman, the Fat Controller ordered high-grade Welsh Coal, which made an appreciable difference in Henry's performance. When Henry suffered an accident and severe damage that winter, the opportunity was taken to to send him to Crewe, where he was rebuilt an LMS Stanier 5MT "Black 5" 4-6-0, approx. 63. ft 11 3/4 long. Since 1963, he has his 4000 gallon-type Stanier-style tender replaced with a flush-riveted 3500 Gallon type Fowler style tender with horizontal strips removed and the rivets facing inward rather than outward.

Henry is currently painted NWR green with NWR red-and-yellow lining and the number "3" painted on his tender sides in yellow. He was originally painted LNER green, but he was repainted NWR blue with NWR red and yellow lining at the end of "The Three Railway Engines" and remained so until the beginning of "Troublesome Engines". In "Henry and the Express" he was briefly painted orange-red as an undercoat before his standard green coat was applied.

Hiro
Hiro is a Japanese engine who was introduced in Hero of the Rails.

Hiro is wise, very dignified and enormously kind. He's friendly and is able to find good in any engine he meets. He does not appear to hold a grudge; in his first appearance, he helped Spencer after an accident, despite Spencer previously trying to send Hiro to the smelter's yard. Aside from telling stories from his native home in Japan, Hiro oftens tells the younger engines of the Sodor Railway stories of a very special steam engine he once knew named Lady. According to Hiro, Lady was a magical engine, who when she chuffed along the rails, she spread gold dust along the rails. As the Sodor Railway's "wise elder", Hiro possess unbeatable wisdom and stands for no nonsense. He cares for his fellow engines as a grandparent would for their grandchildren. Because he is from Japan, Hiro sometimes uses Japanese words in his sentences. These include the following - Hai (yes), Domo arigato (thank you very much), Konnichiwa (hello), O hayou (good morning) and Sayounara (goodbye).

Hiro once lived on a faraway island. He was the strongest engine on his railway, and was famously known as "Master of the Railway". He was eventually brought to Sodor where he worked for many years.

However, he began to show his age, and the works didn't have the necessary parts to repair him. To avoid scrap, he was put on a siding, where he had to wait for the parts to come from his homeland. Thomas eventually found him and, fearing Hiro would be scrapped if he wasn't Really Useful, promised to bring him back to his former glory while keeping him a secret from Sir Topham Hatt. Thomas also had many of his friends help in the restoration, and Hiro quickly gained their friendship. After breaking down again while trying to avoid Spencer, Hiro was hidden away in another siding, where passing engines visited him and kept him company.

When Sir Topham Hatt found out about the situation, Hiro was brought to the Sodor Steamworks, where Victor oversaw his restoration. Once Hiro was restored, he helped Spencer after his accident, and worked with him and Thomas to finish the Duke And Duchess's summer house. Despite everything, Hiro had grown homesick, so Sir Topham Hatt arranged for him to be sent back to his homeland.

Hiro eventually came back to Sodor to help the engines with the summer holiday traffic. Upon arrival back to Sodor, Hiro went to the Steamworks to be examined and then went to Knapford station for his welcome party, which was almost delayed as Thomas was trying to find a welcome present for Hiro instead of telling the other engines about the party. But, Hiro told Thomas that having his friends at the party was the best welcome present. During his visit, Hiro told Thomas to take the load of bees through the woods, which Thomas ignored.

However, Thomas took Hiro's advice after taking Hiro's flower truck to get the bees back to their hives. Later on, Hiro saw the Fat Controller, and assumed he was too busy to give orders to his engines. So, he tried to help the Fat Controller by ordering his engines - but he only suceeded in becoming "Master of the Muddle". However, he made up for his mistakes by telling the engines to go to Knapford and await orders from the Fat Controller.

Hiro is based on a Japanese National Railways (JNR) Class D51 built by Kawasaki Heavy Shima Industries Rolling Stock Company and designed by Hideo Shima in 1936, 19,730 mm long. However, Hiro runs on standard gauge track, while the real D51 engines were built for cape gauge. He has scaled up to 1,422 mm (4 ft 8 in) standard gauge, with added buffers on his front and his tender, a loose coupling on his tender and a knuckle coupler on his front (which make pushing rolling stock or being pulled away by another engine physically impossible, unless a special adapter used to connect knuckle couplers and loose couplings was fitted onto his knuckle coupler), regauged wheels and pistons as mentioned, and other minor modifications.

Hiro is painted black with gold bands and fittings and red wheels. His name is written in black on gold nameplates, on his smoke deflectors. He has the number "51" painted on the sides of his tender in white. His "patchwork" color scheme consists of some blue, green, purple, and rust colored parts. He is most likely based on D51 #22, which served in the Soviet Union. This engine left native Japan for Russia, just as Hiro did for Sodor, although ther complete history of this engine is yet to be recognized. This engine sports the same headlamp, handrails, detailing, and nearly identical livery to Hiro's. Many other D51 types did not have these features like #22 did, as the detailing and craftsmanship varied depending on the needs of the owner. Hiro bears a hybrid livery of Soviet Railway and Orient Express colors. D51 #498 sports the Orient Express livery, consisting of gold heater bands, tender stripes, and various other gold fittings like Hiro does.

Hiro's friends
Hiro's friends are Japanese steam and diesel engines, who live and work in Hiro's homeland. Hiro mentioned them as his "best friends at home" when he first met Percy during his restoration in Hero of the Rails. Hiro's male friends are Kenta the tourist engine, Masa the Japanese tank engine, Orochi the Japanese express engine, Ryota the Japanese freight engine, Takeshi the passenger diesel, Taysuya the strong freight diesel, Yuu the special helping engine and Yuudai the super-fast diesel. Hiro's female friends are Akane the shunting yards' diesel, Asami the wise engine, Chiyoke the brave passenger diesel, Eiko the special attraction engine, Hiromi, Hitomi the highly sprung diesel, Mariko, Rika, Rin, Sakura, Shizuka the train doctor, Suzme, Usagi, Yoshi the shed and sidings inspection engine, Yuki the special helping engine and Yumi the backup passenger engine.

Horrid Lorries
The horrid lorries are three small lorries.

When Percy was late one day, Cranky suggested that "perhaps a lorry" could do his work. True to his word, three red, incredibly rude lorries arrived the next day. They called Percy a "little green goblin on wheels", insulted Thomas and James and told Toby to "toodle off to a museum". Of course, all three got their comeuppance in due course: one fell off a mountainside, one broke down after being overloaded with flour and one reversed into the sea. They were sent away, but not before being nicknamed "Smashed", "Broken" and "Sunk" by Thomas.

The lorries are based on AEC Hanson lorries. Their license plates are LOR 1, LOR 2, and LOR 3.

Hunter
Hunter is used for shunting coaches for the bigger engines (Gordon, Henry, 98462, 87546), and is a useful tank engine. Hunter is currently working on Duck's branchline as a shunting engine. Hunter is based a Great Western Railway 4500 Class 2-6-2T Prairie tank engine, first built in 1906. Hunter is painted in the Great Western Railway's green livery with yellow lining, black wheels and a gold brass safety valve cover. He is allowed to carry his brass Great Western Railway number "4134" on his cab sides.

Inspectors
There are many inspectors in the Railway Series. Their appearances are listed here:
 * Thomas goes Fishing - arrives to examine Thomas' tank after he gets boiler pains.
 * Old Iron - rides in Edward's cab and manages to couple him to James with rope after James runs away.
 * Percy and the Signal - orders James to leave the Shed after Percy tricked him.
 * Gordon goes Foreign - tells Gordon's driver that the engine taking the Express has rolled over.
 * Hullo Twins! - informs the Fat Controller two engines have come instead of the single one ordered.
 * The Deputation - arranges with Donald and Douglas' crew to allow them to clear the line of snowdrifts.
 * Bowled Out - comes to quieten the engines after they make a noise protesting at the Diesel.
 * Bowled Out - watches a fitter inspect the Diesel, and has his bowler hat sucked into his air intake pipe.
 * Mountain Engine - inspects the early Culdee Fell Railway in Culdee.
 * Bucking Bronco - inspects the Skarloey Railway, and recommends Skarloey receives a new pair of wheels.
 * The Runaway - attempts to stop a runaway Thomas at Dryaw, but fails and rushes to Toryreck in Harold to stop him, this time successfully.
 * Museum-Piece/Not the Ticket - inspects Thomas after his collision with a crossing gate and calls for a lorry to take him to York.

Several inspectors have appeared in the television series over the years.

Iron Duke
Iron Duke is a broad gauge steam engine.

Iron Duke, the replica, appeared in Thomas and the Great Railway Show. When he told Thomas his type of gauge, broad gauge, was used on the Great Western (1838-1892) until a century ago, Thomas resolved to tell Duck later.

Iron Duke, the replica, is a broad gauge engine currently living in the National Railway Museum. The original Iron Duke whom was designed and built by Daniel Gooch in 1847, the engine could haul a large load at 96 km/h (60 mp/h). The original Iron Duke was displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851, and by 1855 Gooch had produced another twenty-nine locomotives in this style.

The original Iron Duke's line runs from Swindon Works to London and Gloucester. The engine works was actually built in the town and had a station situated on the London and Bristol line in 1835 and the original Iron Duke was chosen to run this line.

For many years, the Iron Duke replica was a top attraction at the National Railway Museum, running on the broad-gauge demonstration line. Sadly, the broad-gauge track was tarmaced for a special show in 2002, so since then, Iron Duke was on display in the Great Hall at the National Railway Museum.

In 2006, the Iron Duke replica was sent to Bristol to be housed inside a shed alongside the famous iron steam ship, the SS Great Britain as part of the 200th birthday celebrations of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

In 2010, the Iron Duke replica will be sent to the Didcot Railway Centre to take up permanent residence, as it will work on the broad-gauge demonstration line, once some repairs are carried out to renew its boiler certificate.

The original and replica Iron Dukes are painted brown with a green tender and wheels and gold lining.

Isabel and Dulcie
Isabel and Dulcie are Oliver's coaches. Isabel came with Oliver when he escaped from the Other Railway, and Dulcie was later rescued by Sir Topham Hatt and given to Oliver.

Isabel and Dulcie are painted in the Great Western's maroon and cream livery.

Isobella
Isobella is a lorry.

Isobella is a hard worker, but does not like getting dirty. She can also be rather cheeky and sometimes temperamental, but she is useful too.

Isobella is painted yellow with red lining and the number 22 painted on her door. Her license plate is YX4892

Isobella is based on a Sentinel DG4 steam lorry with a flat-bed behind her cab.

Ivan Farrier
Ivan Farrier is the Chief Engineer of the Arlesdale Railway. He designed and helped build Jock.

Ivo Hugh
Ivo Hugh, named after the Skarloey Railway's former Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mr. Ivo Hugh, is a narrow-gauge tank engine.

Ivo Hugh was designed by Andrew Barclay and built by the workmen of the Crovan's Gate Works in 1996 and named in a special ceremony by Mr. Ivo Hugh, chief engineer of the Skarloey Railway. Before he was named, he was known only as Number 7.

Ivo Hugh is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Tom Rolt.

Ivo Hugh is painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery with blue-and-yellow lining.

JTK 62
In the sixth illustration of Steamroller, a blue car with the license plate "JTK 62" can be seen. This references both the initials of the illustrator, John T. Kenney, and the year in which the book was published, 1962.

JTK 62 is based on a Volkswagen Type 14 Karmann Ghia.

Jack
Jack is a friendly and enthusiastic front loader.

When Jack first arrived on Sodor he worked with the Pack to clear room for railway lines. Jack did well with Alfie - that is, until he tried to take some stone up a ledge but lost balance and rolled over. Jack learned his lesson, and redeemed himself by holding up a collapsing bridge until Thomas had passed over, at the cost of damaging his arms. Jack has since become part of the Pack.

Jack was like a toddler at first, who was still learning about the world and how to stay out of trouble. He is brave and won't take any hassle, as seen when he stood up to Max when the latter was bullying him and Alfie.

Jack resembles a Nuffield Tractor.

Jack is painted red with the top half of his cab painted cream. He has his number "11" painted in white on his sides.

Jam wagons
Jam wagons (known as jelly wagons in North America) carry jam. They are painted silver.

Gordon had an accident with them once.

James
James is a vain mixed-traffic engine. He speaks with a Lancastrian accent.

James was built by George Hughes at Horwich Works in 1915 as an 0-6-0 with a wooden brakes, James was once unable to stop due to his wooden brake blocks. After his first accident he had his front sandboxes removed, was rebuilt into a 2-6-0 with a proper brake and a Fowler tender and repainted red with gold stripes and blue lining. He was troublesome when he returned, ruining Sir Topham Hatt's new top-hat with his steam and jarring his coaches so much a brake pipe leaks. He was threatened to be painted blue (which James detests), but later made the line's worst trucks behave after being given a second chance.

James is very proud of his paintwork. He hates pulling trucks, and believes that he should only pull coaches. He thinks himself superior to the others, and can be shallow, boastful and vain, particularly to those who appear old-fashioned, weak, slow or dirty. However, on a number of occasions he has found himself in need of help from those he has insulted, and is, in the end, apologetic.

James was the last engine to retain a prejudice against diesels. However, after stalling on a cold day he was rescued by the Works Diesel, and James had to admit that nothing was wrong with diesels. This appears to be one of the few lessons that has stuck.

In The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways it was claimed that James is based on a rebuild of a L&YR Class 27 locomotive from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and designed by George Hughes, who added a Belpaire firebox and a Schmidt superheater and extended the footplate and sandbox. However, as with most of the early Railway Series characters, this information was purely retcon. Since his his rebuild in 1946, he has 5'6" driving wheels as opposed to the standard 5'1" driving wheels, extended the running plate for the fitting of the pony wheel truck, no sandboxes over the front splashers and a flush-riveted 3500 gallon-type Fowler-style tender with horizontal strips removed and the rivets facing inward rather than outward, and a three-chimed whistle. His whistle valve is turned on its side and attached to a brass pipe, which in turn is connected to the cab roof.

Sodor "historian" Martin Clutterbuck has pointed out that James strongly resembles an G&SWR "Austrian Goods" 2-6-0 from the Glasgow and South Western Railway, but with the addition of a belpaire firebox. At any rate, the Reverend W. Awdry used an engine of this class to represent James on his model railway. It is possible that he rejected this prototype for James' official "biography" on the grounds that an English locomotive would be more likely to end up on Sodor.

James was originally painted navy-black with red lining before his accident and was given his red coat with yellow stripes and black lining to cheer him up. Sometime during the 1960s, James' black lining was repainted blue and gold. James has the number "5" painted in bright yellow with a blue border on his tender sides.

In the television series, James has always been red with gold stripes and black lining, except in the tenth season episode "The Green Controller", when he was painted yellow and black, like a bumblebee, on Percy's orders.

Then, in the season 13 episode Tickled Pink, James was painted in pink! This time it was only an undercoat, though.

James' new trucks
James received eight blue trucks from the Fat Controller. James had them stay clean, but, after seeing that Thomas' trucks would rather feel useful than clean, James' trucks decided to do the same and caused James to have an accident with fruit.

Jem Cole
Jem Cole is Trevor's driver.

Jeremiah Jobling
Jeremiah Jobling was a passenger on James' train when James ruined a brake-pipe and the guard asks him for his leather bootlaces to fix it. When he refused, the passengers pressured him into giving the guard his laces. It was not revealed whether they were returned.

Jeremy
Jeremy is a jet plane who lives at the Sodor Airport.

Jeremy is painted white with a navy stripe.

Jeremy is based on a BAC One-Eleven Airliner.

Jerry
Jerry is a Narrow Gauge Engine that worked on the Mid Sodor Railway along with Duke, Stuart, Falcon, Stanley, Jim, Tim and Albert. Jerry is assumed to be a Fletcher Jennings 'Jeanette' 0-6-0. He was built in 1919. He is painted green with a gold dome.

Jim
Jim is a Green Narrow Gauge Engine, he was built in 1898. He worked on the Mid Sodor Railway along with Duke, Stuart, Falcon, Tim, Albert, Jerry, Stanley and Bertram.

Jim
Jim is a magazine character who owns a ride named "Jim's Jungle Ride". It used to be situated at the pier but had to be moved to the Wildlife Park to make way for a bowling alley.

Jim
Jim is Thomas' substitute when Emily and Thomas go to the other railway to search for new engines. When he arrived, Molly disliked him for "replacing" Thomas. After Thomas and Emily's return with the new engines, Molly forgave Jim, who was allowed to stay. Jim is based on the LMS Fowler 4F No. 44422.

Jinty and Pug
Jinty and Pug are two tank engines. They and five other engines were borrowed from the mainland to run the North Western Railway while the engines visited England. Jinty ran Thomas' branchline while Thomas was away, and also helped Thomas when the latter crashed into some buffers.

Percy probably knows them from the times he takes trains to the end of the line and tells the other engines stories, like at the beginning of Percy Takes the Plunge.

Jinty is based on an LMS 3F 0-6-0T. Pug is based on an LMS 0F Kitson 0-4-0ST. Their names originate from their classes' nicknames "Jinty" and "Pug".

Jinty and Pug are painted in the British Railways' black livery.

Jinty and Pug's companions
These engines came to Sodor with Jinty and Pug to run the line while the engines were on display in England.

They are painted in the B.R.'s black livery.

Jock
Jock, named by Douglas for his yellow-green livery, is the newest steam engine on the Arlesdale Railway, and the strongest. He was designed by Ivan Farrier and built at Arlesburgh in 1976.

After Rex's steampipe began leaking one day and Frank had to take his train, the Small Controller started thinking and so he arranged for Jock to be built. When Jock first came out for testing he was still unnamed. Douglas, remembering his days on the Highland Railway in his youth, suggested the name "Jock" for the new engine, and the name stuck.

Jock was very cocky when he was first built, as a result of being rather strong, but soon learned the value of teamwork when Mike's injector failed and he had to pull Mike and his train single-handedly.

Jock is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's Northern Rock, built at Ravenglass in 1976.

Jock is painted in a Highland Railway yellow-green livery with red and dark green lining. He has a brass dome, red nameplates with yellow writing mounted each side of his smokebox and "Arlesdale" written on his tender in yellow.

Joel
Joel is a diesel engine who once worked far west on the Island, but was brought to work on the new coal mine. He was worn out beyond repair, so was sent to the Works to be fully rebuilt, and is now a far more reliable engine. He's always out to prove himself to others, even taking on jobs too big for his buffers. Joel is based on Moelwyn, a diesel engine built by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in 1918 and now works on the Ffestiniog Railway.

Kathy and Lizzie
Two girls who worked on the Talyllyn Railway cleaning the engines. When their family went holidaying on Sodor, they polished Skarloey Railway engines.

Kathy is brunette, while Lizzie is blonde.

Katsu
Katsu the mine engine was originally built for the Wild Rock Mine Company, but after his job was taken by the narrow gauge engines, he was sent to work at the Big Station. Katsu is small and squat, but has a rather large ego; he thinks no engine works as hard as he does, and he takes pride in nearly any job he's given. Katsu is based on the Peckett 0-4-0T No. 1900 locomotive, located at the Buckinghamshire Railway. This engine was built extremely short to cooperate with very low tunnel height restrictions.

Kelly
Kelly is a crane. He is the oldest member of the Pack, having originally belonged to Miss Jenny's father. He speaks with a Welsh accent.

Kelly is good at heart and gets on with everyone. He is good friends with Isobella.

Kelly has a slight fear of strong winds, but he conquered that fear when he rescued Isobella.

Kelly is dark blue with a cream crane arm and red lining. His wheels are dark blue with red lining. He has the number 17 painted on his sides in white.

Kenny
Kenny, the first workshop engine, is a black 0-6-0 tender engine built in 1876 by L&YR (Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) that looks like James, and he was looking sad when the Fat Controller came to the workshop to choose a new tank engine. This engine made a cameo appearance in the fourth illustration of "Coal" in Henry the Green Engine and was seen in the engine shed, looking curiously at Henry, who was outside next to his private coal bunker, full of Welsh Coal. Many years later, Kenny is probably now working on the Kirk Ronan branch line.

Kevin
Kevin is a four-wheeled crane who was introduced in Hero of the Rails.

In his initial appearance in Hero of the Rails, Kevin worked at the Steamworks with Victor, offering Thomas help whenever possible. When Spencer was sent to the Steamworks after getting slate in his funnel, Kevin distracted him by dropping parts all around him while Thomas took engine parts to Hiro. He would later participate in Hiro's official restoration.

Kevin is kind-hearted and eager to give a helping hook for anyone. He lives at the Sodor Steamworks with Victor (whom he calls "boss"). He has a terrible habit of dropping parts and falling over, and his catchphrase "It was a slip of the hook!" has become so well-known by the engines that they can usually finish the line for him. He drives Victor mad, but always tries his best.

Kevin is based on a Ransome and Rapier 20 ton crane. Just like Kevin, these cranes were known to be clumsy and cumbersome.

Kevin is painted in a yellow livery with black warning stripes.

King Andreas
King Andreas was the last king of Sodor before its lands became in possession of the English crown. He and his heirless son Prince Peter died in a campaign against Alexander III of Scotland in Largs, 1263.

King James I
King James I is a GWR 6000 4-6-0 tender engine who worked alongside Duck in the days when he worked at Paddington.

King James was designed by Charles Collett and built at GWR Swindon Works in August 1927. He has the number 6011.

Kitchener
King James I is a GWR 6000 4-6-0 tender engine who worked alongside Duck in the days when he worked at Paddington.

Kudo
Kudo is a narrow gauge tank engine.

Kudo was built at Eastern Transport Lines Works in 1888 to run the ETL Tramway north of the Saenagi Valley, where he served a nearby town as well as nearby farms. His work decreased in later years due to the development of personal transportation, and with the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the line was closed. The town was evacuated and Kudo, with nowhere to do, was locked away in a shed with the only coach on the tramway.

By 1954, much of the old town was gone and converted into a military base, where ammunition and wastes were stored. A military tank engine, Lewis, crashed into the old shed and found Kudo and his coach (now named Yume) in 1954, and brought them to the Lower Valley Railway, where the Little Controller arranged for them to be immediately put back into service.

Kudo is wise and refuses to dawdle when he works. While he's a warm and friendly engine, he prefers to work alone, or with his special tram coach Yume. The other engines have great respect for him, and often listen to his advice.

Kudo is painted purple with white stripes. In his younger years, he was painted an earthy green all over.

Kudo is based on the "Botchan Train", a special narrow gauge engine that once ran on Japan. It still exists on display, and the Iyo Railway has two diesel replicas and three replica coaches.

Kuffy the Clown
Kuffy the Clown often entertains children at the stations on the Skarloey Railway. His necklace of bells is apparently crucial to his success.

L.A.D.A.S.
L.A.D.A.S. was the Snowdon Mountain Railway's first steam engine built in the 1890s. It was operating during test trials prior to the opening of the railway when it had a very unfortunate accident. It was coming back down the line when it derailed and went cab over wheels down the mountain. Once it rolled down the mountain, it was a complete wreck with only the pistons, motion, frames and wheels still intact. It was beyond repair, so it was scrapped. Also, the Snowdon Mountain Railway never replaced L.A.D.A.S. with another steam engine carrying the number one.

Godred is based upon L.A.D.A.S., as they both suffered a similar fate.

Lady
Lady is a Victorian-style steam engine who runs the Magic Railroad. She is a beautiful, kind-hearted, and friendly tank engine.

Lady was chased and wrecked by Diesel 10 long ago and was brought to safety by Burnett Stone. She was brought back to life with the help of Burnett's granddaughter Lily after being stored at Muffle Mountain for years, and helped Thomas defeat Diesel 10.

She and Rusty later appeared in a dream to Thomas. She told Thomas how to resolve the problems Sodor was facing.

Lady is painted red-purple with gold head lamps on the front footplate, gold buffers, smokebox and funnel top, dome and whistles, side rods, lining and her name on each side in gold. She is also painted black on her cab roof, lower funnel section and her footplate.

Lady doesn't seem to be based on any real locomotive prototype, but it has been suggested that she bears some resemblance to a K&SER Northiam with the rear cab cut off and an enlarged chimney. She is also said to be based on "Lively Polly", owned by the Liverpool Overhead Railway Company.

Lady Hatt
Lady Jane Hatt (née Brown) is Sir Topham Hatt's wife and the sister of Sir Handel Brown I.

Lady Helen
Lady Helen currently named Patricia after Lord Harry Barrane’s wife, is a coach who operates with Lord Harry. She was scared by Lord Harry when he took risks on a steep precipice. After Lord Harry was re-named Patrick, she was fittingly re-named Patricia.

Lewis
Lewis is a narrow gauge military tank engine.

Lewis was originally built at Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1917 for the British War Department Light Railways for service in France during World War I. After the war, he was found by the Representative and brought to Keikan Island. He worked on the narrow gauge logging railway on the west side, until he was purchased by the Mainland's military and officially moved east in 1936. He was used for the transportation of soldiers, weapons, machines, and wastes to and from the military base. As the base was near the Lower Valley Railway, the Small Controller would occasionally loan him to work when no other engine was available.

Lewis was also responsible for the Great Harbor Fire in 1956, when he damaged some trucks filled with waste, causing them to catch fire. He was then forced to stay at the harbor for several years to help with repairs. In 1951, he assisted with the rescue of Morning Light. In 1954, he discovered Kudo hidden in a shed, and brought them to the Lower Valley Railway to have them repainted and repaired.

When the mine diesel Joel failed in 1956 and was sent for an overhaul, Lewis was employed to work at the Wild Rock mine, though would sometimes assist on the Lower Valley Railway. But when he deliberately disobeyed direct orders from his superior officer, and instead rescued Smudger from a collapsing mine shaft, he was locked away in his shed. Luckily, he was purchased by the Little Controller in 1958.

Lewis is easily described as "thick-headed". He thinks he's the best engine on the whole railway, and won't let anybody tell him different. He has a sharp tongue and tends to bark orders at other engines. He's also known for his inability to question authority; he'll automatically do what he's told without a second thought. What Lewis lacks in his imagination and grace he makes up for with his hard work and determination.

Kudo and Yume show respect for him after he rescued them, but Candy detests him. Lewis has a bad habit of assuming Candy is incapable of work, and often tells her to leave the hard work to "the big, strong engines". Candy, however, is more clever and creative, and has gotten back at Lewis many times.

Lewis is painted brown with dark green stripes.

Lewis is based on the Baldwin Class 10-12-D, identical to Stanley of The Railway Series.

Little Barford
Little Barford is a tank engine with purple livery with red lining. He works on a narrow gauge line at the Power Station.

Percy met Little Barford and later told Gordon, who had called him "small", that he was actually "middle-sized".

Lord Callan
The Scottish-born Lord Callan is the lord of Callan Castle and the surrounding land, including the infamous Castle Loch.

Lord Harry
Lord Harry, a.k.a. Old Harry, currently named Patrick, after a climber, is a mountain engine.

Lord Harry was built at Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1922 to a "super-heat" design, and arrived on the Culdee Fell Railway in March 1962, where he was named after the railway's chairman, Lord Harry Barrane.

Lord Harry was troublesome and frightened his coaches by taking risks. After he came off at the Summit, Lord Harry was stripped of his name and sent to the back of the shed. After he heard the tale of Godred he asked for a second chance, and was given one as a lowly shunting engine. However, when a message came warning that some climbers needed help during a gale 6 went to the rescue, and was fittingly renamed "Patrick" in honour of a climber who risked his life to help the others.

Lord Harry was arrogant, pompous and reckless at first, but learnt his lesson after his mountain rescue. Now, he only takes risks if absolutely necessary.

Lord Harry is based on "Padarn" of the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Lord Harry is painted purple with orange lining.

Lord Harry Barrane
Lord Harry Barrane is the chairman of the Culdee Fell Railway. Lord Harry was originally named after him.

Madge
Madge is a snub-nosed white and green lorry with a three-wheeled cab and a flatbed.

What Madge lacks in elegance, she makes up for in strength and personality. She acts as a motherly figure to the narrow gauge engines, but can be playful and loves a joke.

Madge is based on a 1964 Scammell Scarab 6-ton tractor lorry.

Madge is mostly green along her trailer and the bottom half of her cab, whilst the top half of her cab and her headlights are cream. Her license plate is FMA 53F.

Mail coaches
Mail coaches used to run in a special night train in the charge of Thomas or Percy, but in recent seasons the train is pulled in broad daylight and Percy is almost always in charge, although Oliver, James and Edward have taken the train on occasion. These trucks are painted bright red with the letters "Sodor Mail" and an envelope with wings both painted on the sides in white.

Mallard
Mallard is the world's fastest steam engine, holding a speed record of 126 mp/h. He is a very popular exhibit at the National Railway Museum and is very well looked after.

Mallard was built on March the 3rd, 1938, at Doncaster, where Gordon, Flying Scotsman, and Green Arrow were built. On July the 3rd of that year, while undergoing tests, he established a world speed record of 126 mp/h. He was retired in April the 25th, 1963.

After the decline of steam, Mallard was immediately preserved and put on display at the Museum of British Transport in Clapham, London. In 1975 he was taken to the National Railway Museum, where he remained until 1986, when he was overhauled and taken onto the main line. In 1988, the 50th anniversary of his record, he was retired and put back on display.

In March 2010, it was announced that Mallard is to be moved to Locomotion - the National Railway Museum in Shildon on June 23rd, 2010. He will pulled by the brand new steam locomotive Tornado; his departure from the museum is a result of the planned redevelopment of the NRM's Great Hall.

Mallard is a LNER A4 4-6-2. Spencer is another member of this class.

Mallard is painted in the LNER's garter blue with red wheels and steel rims.

Manus, Doalty and Jimmy
Toby had several brothers, all LNER J70 trams like him, with whom he worked with in his younger days.

Toby is now old and his brothers have not been heard of since. It is assumed that his brothers were sold to other privately owned railways spread out across England. Toby hopes they have been saved from the clutches of scrap dealers on the other railway.

Toby's brothers all had brown paint and black sideplates with "LNER" written on in yellow.

Mark V
Mark V is an electric trolley used by the Thin Controller and Mr. Hugh. He is based on the Talyllyn Railway's "Toby".

Marklin
Marklin is a black tank engine who was used for moving background rolling stock in the first season. His model was based upon the BR 80 heavy-duty tank engines used primarily in Germany and Poland.

Marklin was first credited in the crewmembers' dedication page on the Sodor Island Forums website. The page featured a "behind the scenes" photograph of Marklin in Tenders and Turntables.

Some think that Marklin was modified for use as Puffa or the goods engine in TUGS and although Puffa's cab resembles that of the BR 80, it is possible that another BR 80 model was used to make Puffa, as the BR 80 is the most widely-produced Marklin model. As so far, nothing has been confirmed.

Martha and Jennifer
Martha and Jennifer are Emily's coaches.

After saving Oliver, these two six-wheeled green and cream colored coaches were given to Emily.

Marty
Marty is a red tank engine who shunts trucks. He is a little naive and silly, but is still a really useful engine. Marty wishes he has his own branch-line, like his good friend Thomas. Marty is based on LSWR Class M7 0-4-4T. Marty is painted red with blue-and-yellow lining and the number "13" painted on his tank sides in yellow with a blue border.

Mavis
Mavis is a female diesel engine who works for the Ffarquhar Quarry Company at Anopha Quarry and Centre Island Quarry. She speaks with a Liverpudlian accent.

Mavis was particularly fond of putting the trucks at Anopha Quarry in different places, despite Toby's protests. Toby finally lost patience and left Mavis to her own devices. Mavis, urged by Daisy and Diesel, started to ignore Toby's advice and ended up looking silly when she stuck outside Ffarquhar.

Mavis was then forbidden to leave the quarry, but when a thaw increased production at Anopha Quarry, Mavis persuaded the manager to let her go up to the first crossing in order to shunt trucks quicker, and formulated a plan to pass the level crossing with help from the trucks. However, the plan backfired when the trucks decided to bump Toby instead, and he ended up being suspended by flimsy rails over a rushing stream and Mavis had to help. Mavis confessed, but the Fat Controller and the Manager were pleased by Mavis' courage and honesty and allowed her occasional trips to Ffarquhar.

In 1987, Mavis was involved in a collision with a lorry and Toby had to do her work while she was absent.

Mavis was arrogant until being brought down to earth after her embarrassing incident at the Ffarquhar crossing. Despite this, Mavis is a reliable, honest, hard-working engine, and shows respect for the steam engines.

Mavis is based on a BR Class 04 0-6-0, fitted with additional cowcatchers and sideplates so she can run near public roads, designed and built at Drewry Car Co. in 1952, approx. 26 ft 1/2 in long.

Mavis is painted black with hazard stripes on her front and rear. She has her name and "The Ffarquhar Quarry Co. Ltd." written on both sides in white.

Max and Monty
Max and Monty (full names Maximilian and Montgomery) are devious and troublesome dump truck twins. They are known to cause trouble, but are sternly scolded by Miss Jenny when they are found out. Also, Max speaks in an Eastern European accent, and Monty speaks in a neutral English accent.

Despite being unruly at times with dangerous stunts, they both have a good side – somewhere – and do the work like everyone else.

Max and Monty are usually devious and troublesome, and cause trouble for everyone they come into contact with.

Max and Monty resemble early examples of 4-wheeled 40-ton Mack dump trucks or Euclid dump trucks.

Max and Monty are painted red with grey dumpers. Their numbers "15" and "16" are painted in white upon their sides. Max has a thick front bumper, whilst Monty has a "two pipe-type" front bumper.

Mermaid
Mermaid is a cargo ship who made an appearance in "Sliding Scales" in Henry and the Express.

Michael the painter
Michael the painter is a new painter on the railway in the Thomas and Friends magazines.

He is relatively new on the railway and one of his first jobs was to repaint Donald and Douglas who tricked him. He was then to paint Bill and Ben. He is eager and keen to please although is somewhat gullible.

Mid-Sodor Railway coaches
The Mid Sodor Railway owned at least twenty-six coaches before the railway closed down. It is uncertain what happened to them when the line closed down, but most likely they were sold to a different railway.

They are probably based on the Ffestiniog and Welsh highland Railway's joint passenger carriages 10, 16 and 23.

Midland Railway Engines
The North Western Railway faced a locomotive shortage in its early days, according to "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways". Aside from Thomas, Edward, the "Coffee Pots" and the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway tank engines, it had no engines of its own. Therefore, engines were hired from the Midland Railway until more could be purchased. This arrangement had ended by 1922, when the events of "The Three Railway Engines" took place. No precise details of the engines hired were given.

Midlander
Midlander is Rusty's Talyllyn Railway counterpart. He was built in 1940.

Mike
Mike is a strong red engine who prefers goods trains to passengers. His temper matches his paint, and he can often be hot-headed.

He is proud of his whistle, which he once lost trying to shoo a cow.

Mike worked on an unnamed line in England until 1967, at which time their line closed down and he, Rex and Bert, were sent to Sodor to work the Arlesdale Railway.

Mike is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's River Mite, built at Clarksons of York in 1966.

Mike is painted in the NWR's crimson livery and blue-and-yellow lining. He has a brass dome, red nameplates with yellow writing mounted each side of his smokebox and "Arlesdale" written on his tender in yellow.

Milk Tankers
The milk wagons are used to carry milk from local farms to the dairy at Elsbridge. Toby collects one from the dairy each morning on his way to Anopha with the quarrymen, and leaves it at Ffarquhar to be loaded. After being loaded, the van is coupled behind Clarabel and taken to the dairy on Thomas' first train. While Thomas was away having his front mended, a diesel railcar named Daisy was brought to do his work. Daisy, who was then a lazy sort, did mind, and refused to pull the van, and so much to their annoyance Toby and Percy had to make special trips to deliver the milk. However, now that Daisy has learnt sense, she sometimes takes the milk instead of Thomas. Diesel took the milk and started to break down.

Milk Van
The milk van is an old-fashioned van with two pairs of doors and "NW" written on the sides in yellow letters.

Ministry of Defence Engine
According to The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways, the slate quarries on the Skarloey Railway were taken over by the Ministry of Defence after their closure for the storage of ammunition. The MoD uses their own engine to shunt the sidings in the quarry, a black, electric-powered engine described as "beetle-like". Due to the highly secretive nature of its work, the engine has never been seen.

The Ministry of Defence engine is based on the Simplex petrol locomotives built during World War I, hence its body armour. They were fitted with silencers on their cab roofs to prevent being seen by the enemy.

It is possible that the engine is based on the Armoured Simplex petrol diesel named Mary Ann, owned by the Ffestiniog Railway.

Misaki
Misaki is a brand new tank engine that Smudger made friends with during his trip to the Island. She's chipper and bright, and enjoys pulling passenger trains most of all. She is always looking out for the narrow gauge engines, as she has something of a "big sister" attitude towards them. She is based on the LMS Fairburn 2-6-4T.

Miss Jenny
Jenny Packard, known as Miss Jenny, is a friendly Irish woman who is the owner of the Sodor Construction Company, and takes responsibility for a number of the bigger building projects around Sodor. She took over the company from her father, who founded the company.

When she is pleased with someone, she compliments him/her with "Ye'd make a mother proud!".

Miss Jenny's land rover
Miss Jenny owns an old Land Rover to get herself to the various sites on Sodor where the Pack work.

The Land Rover is painted blue and cream.

Miss Jenny's Land Rover seems to be loosely based on a Land Rover series I.

Miss Mary Marvel
Miss Mary Marvel is a famous storyteller who came to the Skarloey Railway to tell the engines a story about Proteus.

Moel Siabod
Moel Siabod is named after a neighbouring mountain, Moel Siabod. Built specially for the line in 1895 and 1896, No.s 1 to 5 were manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur. The first locomotives cost £1525. Numbers 1 to 3 were delivered before the line was open and used on construction work. On at least two occasions, trials have been made on oil burners on No.s 1 to 5, the latest being on No.2 in the late 1990s.

Shane Dooiney is based on the him.

Molly
Molly is a young yellow tender engine. She speaks with a Central English accent.

Molly was built in October 1904 by James Holden at Startford Works for the Great Eastern Railway, numbered 8867 by the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923. She worked with Toby (then No. 7136) and Sarah the B12 (No. 8500). In 1939, World War II broke out in Europe, and ended 1945.

But later on, all was not well for poor Molly. In May 1947, her mother Claude Hamilton, the prototype D14/D15/D16, was withdrawn from service and broken up in December. In January 1948, Molly (now BR no. 62538) became even more upset when Toby (BR no. 68217) was allocated to the North Western Railway, while Molly went off to Norwich (Thrope) Sheds.

In April 1952, she was withdrawn from service and ordered for scrapping, but she was rescued at the last minute by an ex-LNER V3, Herbert. The two ran away from the cutter's torch.

Molly was restored and worked on the South Eastern Railway, a preservation railway. She also befriended a Southern Railway Q1 numbered "C10", or Neville. In 1988, when a Class 37 came to the railway, he said rude things about the engines, and plotted for them to be scrapped. Molly stopped the 37 by throwing him off a broken bridge, but Molly fell off too. The Class 37 was scrapped soon after that.

Molly was recovered from the accident, and by late 1989, she was restored like a really useful engine.

When Molly first came to the railway, Emily laughed at her for hauling "empties". Molly's feelings were hurt, so Thomas came up with an idea. He had workmen decorate Molly's trucks with lanterns and cover them with tarpaulins, to make them look special to the other engines. The wind, however, blew off the covers in front of Gordon, Percy and Emily. Molly ran away, embarrassed, until she learned that engines at the depot needed her trucks to carry coal. When Molly arrived at the depot, Edward, Henry and James were grateful to see her; but Gordon was annoyed when he had to wait at a signal for Molly's and Thomas' trains to pass.

When Emily had to work with Whiff, Molly was one of a number of engines who laughed at her. Later, Molly helped James with the removal of pipes on the line during a busy winter and then, she advised Thomas to slow down when he was taking a sailing boat for the Mayor of Sodor.

In The Great Discovery, Molly recived news by Bill and Ben that Stanley had found Thomas.

Molly is a sweet, caring and intelligent female engine. Occasionally, she can be very shy and timid. Molly is the sensitive type. Her feelings are easily hurt, and she gets embarrassed very easily, but she can have the courage to do things right. She has a long-time crush on James and dislikes the dark.

Molly is based on the Claud Hamilton 4-4-0 of the Great Eastern Railway. Claud Hamiltons were built at Stratford Works around 1904. Built by the Great Eastern Railway at Stratford works and named after the chairman of the company. Two of this class were appointed to haul the Royal trains to Sandringham.

Although Molly keeps the GER standard sized 7-foot driving wheels, she has a large 4' 9" boiler, Schmidt superheaters and a Belpaire firebox. Her cab is fitted with two side windows. She has a GN-style chimney, a flat firegrate and a variable blastpipe.

Molly is painted bright yellow with grey and red stripes and the number "23" painted on her tender sides in red. She was originally painted GER Royal Blue from 1904-1923, later LNER Apple Green from 1923-1939, 1945-1948 and 1985-2005, Worlds War 2 Black from 1939-1945, BR Mixed-traffic Black - 1948-1985 and currently NWR Yellow since 2005.

Morning Light
Morning Light is an unusual locomotive rescued by the Representative, with the help of the narrow gauge engines. He hauls the biggest passenger and goods trains, but is prone to breaking down. He's a gentle giant by nature, and the other engines simply refer to him as "Akio". He is based on the experimental SR Leader class locomotive.

Mr. Arkwright
Mr. Arkwright is a new driver on Sodor and the Fat Controller's right-hand man.

Mr. Bobbie
Mr. Bobbie, unlike most of the other humans in the Railway Series, was actually a real person. He helped build Skarloey, Rheneas, Talyllyn and Dolgoch in England, and later came to Sodor to help build the line. When Skarloey wouldn't cooperate with Mr. Mack, he had Mr. Bobbie drive Skarloey.

Mr. Bubbles
Mr. Bubbles is a clown famous for blowing very big bubbles. His hat looks just like a funnel Thomas once had to wear.

Mr. Giggles
Mr. Giggles is the famous clown who entertained children during Knapford Station's birthday celebration.

Mr. Hugh
Mr. Ivo Hugh is the former Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Skarloey Railway. He retired sometime before the events of New Little Engine, and his son, Ivo Hugh II, took over his position. He was later honoured by having Ivo Hugh named after him.

It is revealed in Gallant Old Engine that, while Rheneas was solely running the Skarloey Railway, Mr. Hugh was the sole driver and fireman for the railway. After Rusty's arrival, he also became his driver.

He also had a private transportation vehicle on the Skarloey Railway, Mark V.

Mr. Mack
Mr. Mack was the first manager of the Skarloey Railway. He did not know much about engines' feelings, and after failing time and time again to steam Skarloey he lost patience and had him sheeted. Mr. Mack did gain patience after he brought Mr. Bobbie to be Skarloey's driver.

Mr. Percival
Mr. Peregrine Percival, also called the "Thin Controller" and the "Narrow-gauge Controller", is the current manager of the Skarloey Railway. He was hired sometime between the events of the seventh and ninth season to help Sir Topham Hatt manage the ever-increasing size of this railway industry.

Mr. Percival has had five children with his wife Polly.

Mr. Walter Richards
Mr. Walter Richards, also known as the Manager, is the manager of the Culdee Fell Railway.

Mrs. Kyndley
Mrs. Kyndley is an elderly lady who lives near Hackenbeck. She first appeared in Mrs. Kyndley's Christmas when she was bedridden after being struck by illness. She later saved Thomas from a landslide by waving her dressing gown out of her window. In gratitude, she was given presents by Thomas' crew and Sir Topham Hatt, including tickets to Bournemouth to recover. She was later invited to Thomas' welcome home party in Thomas Comes Home.

Mrs. Last
"Mrs. Last" lives near a station on the Skarloey Railway. Although that is not her real name, she gained the nickname because she always was late at a station.

Mrs. Percival
Mrs. Polly Percival is Mr. Percival's wife.

Mungo
Mungo was a dark green tank engine with an unusual box shape and a Scottish accent. He is a simple but kind engine who befriended Skarloey when he was young.

Skarloey said Mungo was ugly but kind, and they soon became friends.

Mungo was painted dark green with "S&M 4" written on his tank sides in yellow.

In Sodor: Reading Between the Lines Christopher Awdry states that Mungo's class is unknown. However, he strikingly resembles a Neilson 0-4-0 box tank, a simple and robust class of engine built in Glasgow and sold all over the world. This would explain both his name and his accent.

Murdoch
Murdoch is Sodor's largest and strongest goods engine. He speaks with a Scottish accent.

Murdoch was designed by Robert Riddles and built at Swindon Works in 1960. He was brought to relieve the engines of their heavy workloads. He was big and strong, so the other engines were eager to learn more about him. Murdoch, however, disliked the noise of their chatter and got cross at Salty and Harvey when they inquired about his past exploits. The next day, Murdoch finally had a chance to pull a train in the quiet countryside, but his journey was interrupted by a flock of stray sheep. Murdoch had to wait with the noisy sheep until Toby could bring the farmer to lead them away. That night, Murdoch found Salty's and Harvey's company a relief.

Murdoch was happy, but shy about being decorated during the May Day festivities.

On one windy autumn day, a large red carpet landed on the back of Murdoch's goods train, unbeknownst to Murdoch. Percy briefly chased down after it, until the heavy winds blew it away again.

Emily once needed Murdoch's help when she became stranded in the mud and near the end Emily asked him which track should she take; Murdoch told Emily that the tracks on Gordon's Hill were being cleared and told her to take the valley route instead.

Murdoch pulled Rocky to help Thomas recover the lost materials for the Sodor River Bridge's restoration.

In spite of his size, Murdoch is gentle and shy. He prefers peace and quiet, also he can work very hard with any job he has, and his favourite hobby is to have a quiet run through the countryside.

Murdoch is based on a BR standard class 9F goods engine, approx. 66 ft 2 in long, the last make of steam engines to be built for British Railways, in 1960, before "Tornado".

Murdoch is painted orange with green and red lining. He has smoke deflectors, on which he wears red nameplates with gold lettering.

Nancy
Nancy is a guard's daughter who lived near the Skarloey Railway and sometimes polished the engines. On one occasion she was polishing Skarloey for Rheneas' return, and Duncan became extremely jealous after she had no time to clean him, as she was scheduled to help the Refreshment Lady that afternoon. She later appeared in Very Old Engines polishing Skarloey for his centenary. After he became cross and she called him a "crosspatch", Skarloey told her the story of his first days on the railway and the time he really was a crosspatch.

She has grown up and lives with her husband on the Isle of Man.

Naomi
Naomi is a beautiful steam motor coach, and was the first engine brought to the Island by the Representative. She has her very own branch line of which she is enormously proud. She thinks herself as a very classy engine, and refuses to do goods work. She is based on the Ivatt GNR rail motor coaches, specifically the type used for No. 5 and 6.

Ned
Ned is an old steam shovel and a member of the Pack.

Ned mainly carries out clearance work and quarry digging. Ned is sometimes clumsy, but can always be relied on by his friends.

Ned means well, but he can sometimes be clumsy. Indeed, he once nearly caused a terrible accident by knocking out the keystone of a bridge when Thomas was due to cross with a goods train. Luckily, Jack managed to save the day by supporting the bridge until Thomas went over. But apart from the minor bumps and accidents, Ned's heart is as big as his bucket and he is a valued member of the Pack.

Ned is painting brown and orange with a grey roof, a dark brown bucket, arm and chassis and yellow detailing. He has the his number painted on each side.

Neil
Neil was a dark green tank engine with an unusual box shape and a Scottish accent. He is a simple but kind engine who befriended Skarloey when he was young. He is currently sold to the Sodor Museum.

Skarloey said Neil was ugly but kind, and they soon became friends.

Neil was painted dark green with "S&M 2" written on his tank sides in yellow.

In Sodor: Reading Between the Lines Christopher Awdry states that Neil's class is unknown. However, he strikingly resembles a Neilson 0-4-0 box tank, a simple and robust class of engine built in Glasgow and sold all over the world. This would explain both his name and his accent.

Nelson
Nelson is a ballast tractor whose job is to carry construction workers to and the rest of the Pack. As the bearer of such weighty loads, he often feels overworked, but never complains.

Nelson is a clever, intelligent and wise ballast tractor who often feels overworked but never complains. He is proud of his paint and is happiest when he looks his best.

Nelson is based on a Scammell ballast tractor with a low loader trailer.

Nelson is black with cream lining, red alloy wheels and a front beam. He has his name painted on his front cab above his windows and has his number written on his cab doors in cream.

Neville
Neville is a black tender engine. He speaks with a Cockney accent.

Neville was designed by Oliver Bulleid and built at SR Brighton and Ashford Works in September 1942 for pulling passengers during the war, and for pulling freight. He was shipped to Sodor in 1961 and pulled trains on the Kirk Ronan Branch, and He was used for mainline goods service on the North Western Railway from 2005 onward. At first, he engines didn't like Neville at first for, although Neville was kind and friendly, he had the misfortune of looking like a diesel. Thomas saw him with 'Arry and Bert, and soon a rumour spread that he was planning to bump the steam engines. Luckily, the rumour was rectified and Thomas befriended Neville after rescuing him from a broken viaduct.

Sometime later, Neville told Thomas and Percy about the job of collecting the Sodor Brass Band.

Neville is based on the SR Bulleid Q1 locomotive, which were often referred to as "ugly ducklings".

Neville is painted in the British Railway's plain unlined black livery. He has the number 33010.

Nigel
Nigel is a mixed-traffic engine who has been living on the Island of Sodor since the end of the Second World War. When we meet him, Eagle at first mistook him for a ghost. Nigel now works on Norramby branch line, and has found Zack the J83 a great North Eastern friend. Nigel is named after his designer, Herbert Nigel Gresley, and is based on the LNER Gresley V2, which No. 4471 - Green Arrow - is a member of.

No. 12
The third engine built for the Mainland's line, 12 is a tank engine. His whistle wouldn't work properly when he was first completed; although it's since been repaired, 12 is now "mute" and has not been given a name. No. 12 is based on the JNR C12 class locomotive.

North Star
North Star is a ship.

Northern Rock
Northern Rock is a steam engine working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

After undertaking trials with the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway no. 2, Northern Chief in 1972, the railway company decided to construct a new 2-6-2 locomotive, originally to be named Sir Arthur Heywood. The railway received funding from the Northern Rock building society and so the locomotive was named after its chief sponsor. It entered traffic in 1976 and has visited many railways, as far away as Dresden, Germany, to publicise the railway. Two similar locomotives have been built at Ravenglass for the Shuzenji Romney Railway in Japan, Northern Rock II and Cumbria, in 1989 and 1992, respectively. The livery of the engine is Highland Railway Muscat Green with red and dark green lining.

Jock is based on him, with added round buffers and a six wheel tender instead of eight.

Ogmund
Ogmund was a nobleman of Sodor, born in Iceland in 1045 to Sigurd of Cronk and his wife Helga. They later returned to Sodor with the infant Godred Crovan, later to be king of Sodor, and his mother, Gerda. He and Crovan were best friends, and, after Helga's death, step-brothers, for Sigurd remarried to Gerda. By the time of Sigurd's death in 1063, Ogmund was virtually the most powerful man on Sodor.

Crovan later left Sodor to conquer his father's former lands. He completed his goal in the battle of Sky Hill in 1079, which Ogmund was sadly killed in. The Ogmund saga was written in his honour, and sung at his funeral. The surviving copies of the saga also describe events that happened after his death, such as the Norman invasions of Sodor in 1089 and 1094. Ogmund was survived by his son, Olaf.

Oil tankers
The oil tankers are painted black with "OIL" in white on the side. There are also a number of older, dirtier oil tankers that can be seen around Sodor. The utmost care must be taken with these in case of fire, as James once found out when his tankers caught fire one day. Up to Hero of the Rails, the oil tankers just said "OIL" but this was changed to an oil rig with oil coming out of it on a yellow circle.

Old Bailey
Old Bailey is a fogman who looks after an old station near the ravine. When Henry tried to take a goods train past, a light flickering from the station, a mysterious amber signal and a discarded coat hung on a tree made him turn back after suspecting supernatural causes. The next day, Henry tried to take the same train past, but the trucks became scared by the light and pulled Henry forwards, resulting in their falling into the ravine. Old Bailey later showed up and rebuked Henry's crew for not obeying his warnings. To make it up to him, the crew and the Fat Controller renovated his station and made him stationmaster.

Old Slow Coach
Old Slow Coach is a GWR Victorian luxury coach.

Old Slow Coach was originally part of The Cornishman, taking passengers to Falmouth to catch the Translantic liners. Impressed by her very grand and luxurious interior, she was brought to the Island of Sodor by Sir Topham Hatt, but was eventually replaced by modern rolling stock. Sent to the scrap yards, Old Slow Coach was luckily found and saved by Thomas and Percy, so she is once again very useful indeed.

Old Slow Coach was long due for the scrapheap when Thomas and Percy met her, and the two tank engines vowed to find a way to save her. Their chance came sooner than expected when the workmen's hut was gutted by fire; Thomas suggested that Old Slow Coach house the workmen while a new hut was being made.

After the hut was rebuilt, Old Slow Coach was restored into a coach, and later formed the "old" item for Mrs. Kyndley's daughter's good luck package.

She now serves as a Special Coach for Thomas. After arriving at Tidmouth with the Express at 3:30 pm, Gordon shunts Old Slow Coach from the train into a siding. Thomas, with Annie, Clarabel and his trucks then comes from Knapford junction to collect her, coupling up behind the last truck of Thomas' train.

Old Slow Coach is based upon a Falmouth Coupe TRI Composite coach, built in 1893 for the Great Western Railway.

Old Slow Coach is painted in the Great Western's chocolate and cream livery.

Old Stuck-Up
"Old Stuck-Up", so nicknamed by James, is a haughty diesel.

BoCo was to show a visiting diesel around, but when he saw steam engines in the shed he refused to go further and insulted the railway for keeping them in service. A furious James bestowed upon him the nickname "Old Stuck-Up".

The next day, Old Stuck-Up was about to leave when he remembered he needed refueling. He attempted to use BoCo and Bear's part of the shed to be refuelled and cleaned, but slid on cleaning fluid on the rails and crashed into the back of the shed. He was sent home after being talked to severely by the Fat Controller - BoCo noted that while he couldn't hear everything, he didn't think it sounded particularly flattering.

Old Stuck-Up is rude and arrogant, as seems to be the norm with visiting diesels, and believes that steam power is subpar to diesel.

Old Stuck-Up is based on a BR Class 40 1Co-Co1, built at English Electric in December the 9th 1960.

Old Stuck-Up is painted in a British Rail "Rail Blue" livery with yellow warning panels.

Old coaches
These green and cream coaches are used on slower trains due to their age. Emily's coaches resemble them.

Diesel once took them and an milk wagon, causing him to break down.

Oliver
Oliver is a Great Western tank engine who works on Duck's branchline. He has two coaches named Isabel and Dulcie and a brakevan named Toad.

Oliver worked on the Great Western Railway. Sometime during the 1960s, he ran away for fears of being scrapped with Isabel and a brakevan named Toad, and were forced to hide between signalboxes and rely on the goodwill of signalmen to pass at safe times. When control got wind of the runaways, they hid in an old quarry branch and had the cutting blocked by rubbish to avoid being spotted of the diesels outside. The runaways decided it was safe to leave at some point, but before they could reach the greener pastures of Sodor, Oliver ran out of coal. Luckily, Douglas was able to rescue Oliver and hid him on a siding at Crovan's Gate. The Fat Controller soon found out and arranged for the three to be repaired and painted in Great Western colours. Toad decided to be Douglas' brakevan to thank him, and the Fat Controller rescued an autocoach named Dulcie and gave her to Oliver.

Oliver was then sent to work on the Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branchline, but became conceited after the big engines gave him their respect in recognition of his adventures, ignored Duck and Donald's advice about trucks and pushed his weight around, prompting several ballast trucks to push him into a turntable well. Oliver received little respect from the trucks after the incident, but got his own back by pulling the ringleader, Scruffey, apart. Oliver is now well-respected by the trucks, for fear they will be pulled apart too.

Oliver has since had many adventures, such as running Thomas' branchline during the engines' trip to England, discovering an abandoned house which was later turned into a tea-house and spending a night as a snowman after crashing into one in the village.

Oliver is considered brave and a good role model by the engines. This went to his smokebox and led to his incident with the ballast trucks, but Oliver has since then learned his lesson and started to behave like a real role model.

Oliver is based on a GWR 14xx 0-4-2T, designed by Charles B. Collett and built at Wolverhampton Works in 1932, 29 ft 11 in long.

Oliver is painted in the GWR's green livery with yellow lining, green (formerly) black wheels and the number "11" painted on his cab sides in yellow with a red border (formerly a brass GWR numberplate on his cab side). His paint had faded by the time he was rescued, leaving him a rusty-red colour. After his rescue, he was repainted green and has remained so since.

Oliver
Oliver is a wise old excavator who carries out demolition and digging work. He is capable of switching between different tools, including a bucket, a chisel for digging, a scissor claw and a wrecking ball for demolition.

Oliver is wise and kind and keeps an eye on the other members of the Pack. Oliver is also good-mannered and hard-working, and never complains about his work or gets impatient.

Oliver is painted brown with a pale green panel on his back and his number painted on him in red. Oliver has the cap rim of a builder's hat between his forehead and cab windows.

Oni
Oni is a little tank engine who once worked on a brewery tramway, and now is the Works's personal locomotive that delivers parts and supplies wherever they are needed. Oni is fun-loving and mischievous, and he almost always has a goofy smile on his face. He's especially infamous for his annoying laugh. Oni is based on the locomotives that worked on the Guiness Bewery Tramways. They were 1f 10in in gauge and could also be loaded onto a special flatcar that allowed them to work on the nearby broad gauge track as well.

Orange coaches
There are a number of orange four-wheeled coaches used on secondary and branchline services.

Other Culdee Fell Railway coaches
The Culdee Fell Railway owns at least seven or eight coaches, one for each of their engines, as well as at least one open-topped coach. Only one, Catherine, has been named.

Other Railway Diesels
The Other Railway diesels are six diesels that appeared in Bluebells of England and Escape.

The first three appeared in the fourth illustration of "Bluebells of England" looking at Stepney.

The first one was coloured green and cream and had a yellow face. He resembles a Cl 31 Brush Type 3 A1A-A1A diesel-electric. If looked at closely, his number seems to be D701. His headcode is "4F12".

The second was brown, and resembles a Cl 52 "Western" C-C diesel-hydraulic.

The last was coloured green all over, and resembles a Cl 40 1Co-Co1. It is also seen that his number is D782.

The last three appeared in the fourth illustration of "Escape" by a signalbox near the quarry branch where Oliver hid. One was a blue diesel very similar in shape to BoCo, while only the face of the second one was seen; it was covered in yellow and black "hazard" stripes and seems to be based on a Class 08. If you look closely at the main line going away from the signalbox, you can see another diesel engine in the background.

P. S. Cumberland
After Skarloey was built in Whitehaven, a paddle steamer, the P. S. Cumberland, took him down the Irish Sea and around the Isle of Man to Kirk Ronan on Sodor. As there were no cranes at the harbour to lift Skarloey out, the steamer's derricks were used instead.

Padarn
Padarn, named after the lower lake at Llanberis - but previously Sir Harmood, after the chairman of the Snowdon Mountain Railway, Sir John Sutherland Harmood Banner - is an engine operating on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Lord Harry is based on him.

Palmerston
Palmerston was built in 1864. She was restored to service in 1993 after many years out of service, including a period when used as a stationary boiler at Boston Lodge. Went to Derbyshire for restoration in 1974, returning in 1987. Her only brother still in steam is Prince.

Palmerston is (probably) the fourth loco made for the FR. It was delivered to the FR in March 1864. The engine was named after Viscount Palmerston (1784-1865), Liberal Prime Minister and Chairman of the Welsh Slate, Copper & Lead Mining Co's quarry at Blaenau Ffestiniog.

At the start of the maintenance books, in December 1874 Palmerston is in the works awaiting ferrules for a second hand set of boiler tubes (from Little Giant). They arrived and were fitted, 4 months later! Palmerston was sent to Llanwnda (Dinas) in May 1876 to help with the construction of the NWNGR. By September the record shows that a man had to be sent from Boston Lodge to repair 'her'. Palmerston returned to the FR on 9th July 1877. On return, there was a long list of repairs including wheel turning, new pistons and piston rings, crankpins, neck rings, piston cotters, closing up slidebars, closing up eccentric straps,link motion overhauled, axle boxes refitted, reversing lever and quadrant overhauled, 4 mudholes re-tapped, new brakeblocks, new gauge glass and valves set up. It wasn't until 30th July that the engine was fit for traffic.

By 1879 the tyres were working loose, they tried fixing them with steel pins in October but by December the tyres had been replaced by those of Mountaineer. The cylinders then started to go, a brass patch was fixed on a cylinder, but it didn't hold, the cylinder burst in March 1880. A major refit followed with the cylinders, the smokebox, the sandpots, the crossheads and slidebars all being replaced. It was fitted with 'sham' saddle tanks made from cast iron (weighing 24cwt) to improve adhesion. The first of the original engines to be treated this way.Two new whistles were put on (only one previously). A year later it had a lubricator put on. From December 1881 there is a constant comment that it needs retubing, but in the end it was withdrawn for a complete new boiler in 1886.

The engine re-entered traffic in September 1888 and became the first of all the England Engines, to be rebuilt with both a saddle tank and an enclosed cab. In 1889 it was fitted with "new sanding apparatus" which seems to be steam powered. On 13/12/90 the works recorded "Repairs required after Engine leaving rails at Tanybwlch through carelessness - all hands 14 days repairing".In 1891 the cylinders were recorded as being "in a very bad state". The valve port bridges were cracked and a piece of iron was bolted in. However this was to no avail, the cylinders finally failed in April. As part of the rebuild the opportunity was taken to shorten the length of the cab by 8 inches to enable it to have better access to the wharves at Portmadoc. Palmerston seemed accident prone in the 1890s. In 1892 an axle broke, In 1895 it was damaged "by running into Quarrymans train at Oakleys curve", In 1897 it was damaged at Glanypwll in July and at Minffordd in December. In 1900 it was retubed with Red Metal tubes from Livingston Thompson. From 1905 it started to get leaks from the firebox and it is recorded as coming out of service in October 1907

It was rebuilt in 1910 with a Low Moor Iron boiler. The cab and tank were set 1 1/2" higher and a new balance weight fixed to the front footplate. The following year the axle from Little Wonder broke and the engine was repaired at Glanypwll, with the wheels, rods and eccentrics sent to Boston Lodge for refitting.

During the eleven years commencing in 1912, Palmerston was hired to the Vale of Rheidol Light Railway on a number of occasions as follows: 31 July - 21 August 1912 3 weeks in 1913 6 July - 4 August 1914 periods in 1921 and 1922 In 1923 Palmerston was used in the construction of the WHR from 9th May 1923 until a few days after the line was opened.

The locomotive had one more overhaul in 1930 to 1933. It really needed a new boiler, but in the end the boiler barrel from Little Giant was fitted and it then worked until the late 1930s. By 1940 it had been taken out of service and was being used as a stationary boiler for Boston Lodge Works. During part of this time (1942-44) it was also used as a stationary boiler for the Glaslyn Foundry. Parts from it were used in the 1955 restoration of Prince. But by the late 60's what was left was considered beyond repair. However it was sold to a consortium in 1974 and removed to Derbyshire, together with a wooden framed tender that had also done service as a coal wagon (number 38) and then with Linda & Blanche as each was first put into service on the FR following arrival from the Penrhyn Quarry Railway. The partially restored Palmerston, came back to the FR in 1987 for the final stage of its restoration, including the fitting of a new welded boiler, new cylinders and new wheels.

Palmerston re-entered service in 1993 as a coal-fired locomotive, for use on special trains and charters. In 1994 it visited the Chemin de Fer des Chanteraines in Paris, visiting Hollycombe in Sussex en route, and the Teifi Railway in mid-Wales.

On 19-20 September 1998, it ran between Dinas and Caernarfon on the WHR for the first Enthusiasts' Weekend. On 24-25 October 1998, it ran on the WHR(P) for the fifth Annual Gala, while Russell was visiting the WHR(C), returning to the FR in September 2000. In 2003, Palmerston was withdrawn for overhaul and retubing by a team of volunteers, returning to service in 2005.

In autumn 2005 Palmerston was fitted with a new spark arrestor as part of wider coal firing trials. This was deemed a success with the loco steaming well whilst not throwing any sparks. On 9th September 2006, Palmerston become the first steam locomotive to run on the re-instated, phase 4, WHR track at Pitt's Head. Palmerston was helping celebrate the 125th anniversary of Rhyd Ddu station, carrying out demonstration runs with Mike Hart's Simplex.

Palmerston was the first steam locomotive on this section for 69 years. The locomotive's appearance commemorated its use on both NWNGR construction and WHR construction hire duties. Palmerston was again on its travels in early 2007 with a visit to the National Railway Museum at York. On 27th October 2007 Prince & Palmerston became the first England Engines to get to Cwm Cloch on Phase 4 in over 71 years, for a photographic special.

Palmerston spent May 2008 in West Sussex at the Hollycombe Steam Collection. On 24th October 2008 Palmerston and Prince became the first England engines through the Aberglaslyn Pass in 72 years for a photographic special.

Principal physical dimensions are the same as Prince but the rated pressure of the new boiler is 180psi and it is rated to haul 5 carriages on the FR and 3 on the WHR. The maximum speed is limited to 15mph.

Bertram is based on her.

Patrick
Patrick is a cement mixer and a member of the Pack. He speaks with a Irish accent.

Patrick was found to be quite a boastful soul and thought that cement made him important, until he was put in his place when he landed in his own cement.

Patrick is based on an early Mack 6-wheel truck modified into a cement mixer.

Patrick is painted maroon on the top half of his front, the section of his mixer closest to the cab and the rear section closest to his cement pipe. He is painted cream on his lower half of his front and upon his cement mixer in the middle.

Peel Godred Engines
The Peel Godred branchline is run using electric locomotives to deal with the heavy aluminum traffic on that line.

No details are given as to the locomotives that first worked the line, but Sodor: Reading Between the Lines states that goods traffic is currently handled by engines similar to the BR Class 87, and the passenger services are run by electric multiple units.

The electric multiple units and goods engines are painted B.R. blue with yellow warning panels.

E1, E2, E3 and E4 are based on Edwardian-styled Bo-Bo locomotives, the electric multiple units on British Rail Class 308, and the goods engine on British Rail Class 87.

Percy
Percy is a cheeky saddletank who was brought to Sodor to run Thomas' branchline during the big engines' strike. He speaks with a rather soft Newcastle (or Geordie) accent.

Percy ran Thomas' branch line while Thomas ran the mainline with Edward, and was allowed to stay after the big engines surrendered. At first, Percy liked to annoy the big engines. Percy was later waiting at Tidmouth but forgot to whistle to the signalman, and thus was startled when Gordon came running towards him with the Express. Gordon managed to stop in time, but Percy was frightened, ran away, and ended up in a sandbank. He was rescued by Gordon, and took up the duty of station pilot at Tidmouth.

Percy was still a cheeky engine and often liked to play jokes on Gordon and James, but one day the other engines got their revenge when Percy failed to recognise a "backing signal". After this, Percy was subject to bullying from the big engines until Duck arrived and helped Percy to put the big engines in their place. With Duck's arrival, Percy was sent to Knapford to help build the harbour, and has stayed there ever since as a goods engine.

Percy is a cheeky tank engine, and is almost always Thomas' best friend. He also is shown to make obvious mistakes.

Percy cares a lot about the other engines - male or female - and will help them when they need him.

Percy has been dumbed down in order to teach viewers difficult words: he would say "dingy-fried" where anyone else would say "dignified". He also is shown to make obvious mistakes.

Percy is incredibly accident-prone, and holds the dubious record of the most accidents in one season - five, in the second season - crashing into some buffers, falling into the sea, being pushed onto a brakevan, colliding with a cart and being hit by a falling crate of treacle. So far, his silliest accident yet was in the sixth season, when he slipped on oily rails, crashed through the chocolate factory and emerged covered in chocolate.

Percy is primarily based on an Avonside 0-4-0ST with the body of a GWR 1340 Trojan, the bunker of a GWR 1361, Hunslet underframes and valve gear, a smokebox protruding from his saddletank, external cylinders and motion and sandboxes underneath the tanks on the footplate.

Modifications made to Percy's shape are needed the angled smokebox supports and the cab being cut down slightly from the back for the bunker.

Percy is painted NWR green with NWR red-and-yellow lining and a "6" painted on his bunker sides in yellow. He is missing front teeth.

Percy's friends
These four are tank engines from the Other Railway. Percy once met them at Vicarstown and told them of the time he braved a flood to help Thomas, when Henry came along and told them to go away.

These engines are based on 1377 Class 1F 0-6-0 tank engines, NER Class E1's, and LSWR G6 Class tank engines.

The tank engines are painted in the unlined BR black livery.

Perkins
Perkins is a Diesel engine working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

NG 39 was the second Muir-Hill Fordson tractor to be bought by the railway for quarry traffic. It arrived in 1929, two years after the original tractor, and was rebuilt as a steam-outline diesel 0-4-4 in 1931 for use on passenger trains. In this guise it was named the Passenger Tractor and nicknamed Pretender. It worked through the war and the first passenger services after the end of the conflict. In 1975 the petrol engine was replaced with a Perkins P6 diesel, giving the loco a modern radiator grill at the front. In 1984, the engine was rebuilt again, however this time it lost its fake steam outline and became similar to an industrial diesel shunter. It was named Perkins in 1985 and was re-engined again in 1990. Its main use is on permanent way trains. It is currently painted yellow and black. Presently, it is waiting in queue for repairs or an overhaul at Ravenglass.

Frank is based on him, with added round buffers.

Peter Sam
Peter Sam, named after the Skarloey Railway's previous controller, Mr. Peter Sam - previously Stuart, after his maker, Kerr Stuart - is a narrow-gauge tank engine who lives on the Skarloey Railway.

Stuart was built by Kerr Stuart at Stoke-on-Trent in 1923.

While living on the Mid Sodor Railway, he was cheeky and occasionally made fun of Duke until told what happened to Stanley. After the line closed down in 1947, he and Falcon were sold to the Sodor Aluminium Company at Peel Godred and worked there until 1951, at which time both engines were sheeted for a year until they were purchased by the Skarloey Railway in 1951.

Upon arriving, Stuart - renamed Peter Sam - had many adventures. One of his more notable story arcs involved his funnel, which was severely damaged after an accident at the incline. The funnel eventually fell off as he passed under a tunnel, and it was temporarily replaced with a rusty pipe. Peter Sam was soon given a new funnel, a Giesl ejector, which suits him much better.

Peter Sam is kind, well-mannered and popular with passengers and coaches alike. Even the trucks do not play tricks on him.

He is portrayed similarly, occasionally making mistakes by feeling self-important.

Peter Sam is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Edward Thomas.

Peter Sam was painted green while working on the Mid Sodor Railway. After arriving on the Skarloey Railway, he was repainted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery with blue-and-yellow lining.

Since 1988, Peter Sam is painted in a dark green livery with red and yellow lining.

Pip and Emma
Philippa, better known as Pip, and Emma make up a BR HST InterCity 125. They were designed by and built at BREL Crewe Works.

When Gordon took a railtour to Carlisle, Pip and Emma were asked to take the Express back to Tidmouth for him. Pip's cooling system was faulty, but Emma was in order and so off they went. Unfortunately, Emma failed near Crovan's Gate and so James pulled them back home. The engines were quick to befriend Pip and Emma, and after Gordon had returned Douglas took them back to Barrow-in-Furness.

In 1995, Pip and Emma were borrowed to take a royal personage and some guests to Tidmouth for the Railway Series' Golden Jubile. Following Privatisation, the Fat Controller purchased them to run a faster service to London.

Pip and Emma are based on the British Rail Class 43 HST that holds the world rail speed for a diesel: 238 km/h or 148 m/ph.

Pip and Emma are painted in the original InterCity 125 livery of yellow and blue.

Prince
Prince, Duke's prototype, is a 0-4-0ST+T on the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog, and the oldest working engine in the United Kingdom, being built by George England in 1863. Originally called "The Prince", his only remaining sister in steam is Palmerston.

Prince is (probably) the third of the first four locomotives. He is now numbered No.2, but there is doubt about the order of building and numbering of the first four England engines. He was delivered to the FR in January 1864. These locomotives were worked hard, before the arrival of Taliesin, they were coming in for a 2 week period of maintenance every quarter. In this period they would replace brake blocks, brasses and cotter pins in the crank pins as well as replacing some of the firebars. In 1878 Prince had his chimney knocked off and that of Mountaineer was put on. By May 1881 Prince was in a poor state with his boiler pressure restricted to 110lbs. He had a major refit with a 'sham' cast iron tank fitted on top of his side tanks to increase the weight to ten tons and improve adhesion in wet weather, a new weather board, new sandboxes, new cylinders and his boiler retubed. However the boiler was wearing out and he was withdrawn on 16th May 1891.

In 1892, the original arrangement was replaced with the present full cab and saddle tank. At the same time the name The Prince was shortened to just Prince. In 1894 he broke the front axle and an old one from Little Wonder was used as a replacement. The England engines continued to be the workhorses of the line and Prince was re-tubed in 1898 & 1901. In 1912 he was fitted with Welsh Pony's smokebox. He continued in service until 1915, then lay out of use until a new boiler was fitted in 1920.

The locomotive played a major role in the history of the Welsh Highland Railway, hauling the first train from Dinas to Porthmadog in 1923, and regularly performing on both lines in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1932he had an overhaul which repaired the smokebox and tank. However time was running out for the boiler and Prince was withdrawn around 1936. A new boiler was ordered in September 1943 for £546 but actually cost £640 when delivered in July 1945.

The new owners in 1954 found him as left in 1946, in mid overhaul and with a new boiler. He was the obvious candidate for first loco to be restored. He first ran in preservation on August 2nd 1955 and was the mainstay of the service for the next 2 years. By 1962 Prince was in need of a major overhaul and was given a different frame arrangement, to try and take the drawbar load through the frames and not the boiler. This was the form in which he ran for its Centenary in 1963

Withdrawn in 1968, the locomotive was considerably rebuilt between 1974 and 1980 with the 1955 boiler superheated, oil firing fitted, and new outer frames added to carry the cab (raised by 4") and saddle tank.

Prince's tender has on his left side four bushes, apparently indicating that the metal sheeting once carried a locomotive nameplate. Measurement of the bushes indicates that the tender side sheet possibly originated as part of one of Taliesin's original side tanks. When converted to oil-firing, Prince was provided with oil and water tanks in the tender.

In 1986 Prince was chosen to be the first FR engine to be put in an historic livery. The red livery was chosen because of the 1920's livery found during the 1980 rebuild. In 1987, Prince's frames started to break. Strengthening plates were put in, that winter and the loco was able to celebrate his 125th anniversary in 1988 in good order again.

In 1995 a brass handrail was restored to the smokebox and in winter 1995/6 the water tanks were removed and a new, less obtrusive oil tank inserted. Prince had an overhaul between 1997 & 1999 during which the boiler was retubed, the chassis was given a thorough overhaul and further cosmetic improvements were made. The loco re-emerged with the same red livery, but with improved lining.

Prince has travelled far during the preservation era, visiting Olympia in 1984, Chatsworth House in 1987, York for the Railfest Exhibition in 2004, Three Superpowers, one Vintage Weekend and one Beer Festival on the WHR(C). In September 2008 he attended the Garratt 50 Gala on the WHR(C). Prince Charles drove Prince on the opening of the WHR to Rhyd Ddu in 2003 - Prince being the only locomotive that could be used with the track as originally laid.

Unwittingly, this echoed the locomotive's role in the opening of the WHR in 1923 when, as noted above, Prince pulled the first train from Dinas to Portmadoc

On 23rd March 2007 Prince took part in the opening of the WHR(P) extension from Pen-y-Mount to Traeth Mawr loop.

On 27th October 2007 Prince & Palmerston became the first England Engines to go to Cwm Cloch in over 71 years, for a photographic special.

On 24th October 2008 Prince and Palmerston became the first England engines through the Aberglaslyn Pass in 72 years for a photographic special.

On 21 May 2009 Prince broke the banner at Beddgelert Station, to declare the route through the Aberglaslyn Pass open. Later that day he hauled the first fare paying passenger train through the pass.

Prince is currently running in Ffestiniog Railway red livery, with gold lining.

Proteus
Proteus is a legendary narrow-gauge tank engine with a magic lamp hung upon his funnel. Legend has it that should someone finds the lamp, their wishes will be granted. Skarloey told this story to the others, which made Peter Sam search the line looking for the magic lamp.

The clues to finding his magic lamp are feeling a rush of wind when the lamp is near, hearing a strange creaking sound, and see a flickering light that shines on and off.

Proteus is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Sir Haydn.

Proteus is painted bright yellow with red lining.

Queen Elizabeth II
HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom graced Sodor with a visit in Paint Pots and Queens. Gordon was honoured by pulling her train, while Edward cleared the line ahead.

She presumably appeared as an allusion to her coronation in the same year the book was published. The Reverend W. Awdry had also sent the royalty Railway Series volumes to read to the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Quinlee
Quinlee is Spencer's girlfriend. At first, she plays a rival to Molly, mostly because of Molly's dislike for Thompson designs. In the end, they made up and became friends. Quinlee is based on the LNER Thompson Class B1.

Quinten
Quinten is Neville's sole surviving brother. The two engines fell out after an accident, but now Neville and Quinten are friends again. Quinten loves telling jokes. He is based on the SR Class Q1.

Ralph
Ralph, previously Ralph Sadler, after the Snowdon Mountain Railway's consulting engineer, from 1964 to 1977, and Aylwin from 1977 until October 1978, is an engine on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Alaric is based on Ralph.

Raspberry tankers
These wagons are painted pink with raspberries pictured on the sides.

Red coaches
These red coaches are usually pulled by Duck and Oliver on their branchline, but are also used by the smaller engines on the mainline. These coaches did not appear until season 2. They were often seen scattered around the yard with freight cars.

The red coaches are based on LBSCR Stroudley 4-wheel coaches.

Rex
Rex is a green engine who enjoys nothing more than teasing Mike. He is a hard worker, but sometimes has problems with traction.

Rex was built by Henry Greenly at Davey Paxman & Co. in 1923. He was first employed on stone trains, however soon found more use on passenger traffic. During a rebuild in 1928 by the Yorkshire Engine Co., he received a Poultney steam tender, although he was still a 2-8-2-0-6-0. He proved unsuccessful and was soon removed, instead being utilised nearly forty years later as part of Mike, after languishing at Murthwaite. After Rex's old line in England closed down in 1967, he, Mike and Bert were brought by Sir Topham Hatt and transferred to the Arlesdale Railway for mining and tourist traffic. After the railway secured a deal to transport wool to Arlesburgh, Rex was chosen to pull the first train, but after a negligent farmhand spilt some wool bales on the rails he was derailed. His train was rescued, but Rex had to remain there for several days until being lifted out.

Rex is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's River Esk, designed by Henry Greenly and built at Davey Paxman and Co. in 1923.

Rex is painted green with red and yellow lining, a brass dome, red nameplates with gold writing mounted each side of his smokebox and "Arlesdale" written in gold on his tender.

Rheneas
Rheneas is a narrow gauge tank engine.

Rheneas was built by Fletcher, Jennings and Co. at Whitehaven and arrived on the Skarloey Railway sometime around 1866.

Unlike Skarloey, Rheneas was stern and thoughtful, and fell out with Skarloey after the latter called him a "stick-in-the-mud" following an argument over cabs. The two reconciled after Rheneas saved Skarloey from a landslide.

Rheneas literally saved the railway by keeping service through through a very lean period in the late 1940s. By 1950, Skarloey was in need of repairs, leaving Rheneas to run the line. He managed to pull a full train home one rainy day despite jammed valve gear, and thus was rewarded with an overhaul. His overhaul took place in 1961 and was returned to the Skarloey Railway soon after.

Rheneas returned to service after a overhaul in 2002.

Rheneas is usually happy and cheerful, but because of his age, he often breaks down.

Rheneas has sometimes become somewhat immature and reckless, such as when he decided to take the dinosaur skeleton on his own and took part in the race with Freddie. However, Rheneas has been kind and helpful as when he decided to take Skarloey's coal trucks to the Wharf as a surprise for him. Despite the fact that the coal trucks went missing thanks to Peter Sam, the gallant little engine was able to give Skarloey a much needed rest. Likewise, Rheneas helped Skarloey when he got stuck in Percival Pond with the puppet show special. Basis

Rheneas is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Dolgoch.

Before 1987, Rheneas was painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery and blue-and-yellow lining. Since 1987, he is painted vermillion with gold and black lining.

Rickety
Rickety is a troublesome turquoise truck. He is based on an 7-plank mineral wagon.

River Esk
River Esk is a steam engine working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Built in 1923 as a 2-8-2 by Davey Paxman of Colchester and designed by Henry Greenly, it was first employed on stone trains, however soon found more use on passenger traffic. During a rebuild in 1928 by the Yorkshire Engine Co., the engine received a Poultney steam tender, making the loco a 2-8-2-0-8-0. This proved unsuccessful and was soon removed, instead being utilised nearly forty years later as part of the second River Mite, after languishing at Murthwaite. The locomotive survived into the preservation era and received a new tender in 1970 along with a new livery of LNWR black. In the 1980s, the Esk was fitted with a gas-producer boiler and received an award from British Coal, however this has been replaced in recent years. The locomotive has visited the Romney, Hythe, and Dymchurch Railway several times and was a predecessor to that railway's Greenly Pacific locomotives. The engine is currently in Blackberry Black of the LNWR with red, off-white and black lining.

Rex is based on him, with added buffers.

River Irt
River Irt is a steam engine working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

An 0-8-0T, constructed for the Duffield Bank Railway by Sir Arthur Heywood in 1894. It arrived in Ravenglass via the Gretna munitions factory in 1917 with Ella and was principally used on stone trains. It received a major overhaul and rebuilt at Murthwaite in 1927, becoming a 0-8-2 tender locomotive named River Irt. It has remained in traffic on passenger duties ever since and is now the oldest working 15" gauge locomotive in the world. In 1972 it was rebuilt to a narrow gauge outline, and was then reboilered in 1977, giving the locomotive its current appearance. It has visited the National Railway Museum in York and was part of the Ratty fleet at the Liverpool and Gateshead Garden Festival Railways in 1984 and 1990. The livery of the loco is currently mid-green with yellow and black lining. River Irt carries an iron plaque showing it as it was originally - an 0-8-0 tank engine without a cab.

Bert is based on him, with added buffers.

River Mite
River Mite is a steam engine working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Using the former Poultney tender chassis fitted to River Esk from 1928, the new Preservation Society designed a 2-8-2 locomotive, which was built by Clarksons of York in 1966. After overhauls in 1978 and 2006/7, it celebrated its fortieth year at Ravenglass in 2007.

Mike is based on him, with added buffers.

Rocky
Rocky is a large breakdown crane. He speaks with a Northern Irish accent.

When Rocky was new to Sodor, Gordon and Edward were skeptical about his abilities, noting that Harvey could travel under his own power. Later, Edward carelessly left the docks before his cargo was properly secured, causing pipes to spill onto the main line. Edward was adamant that Harvey clear up the line, but the engine was too small to finish it quickly, and as a result Gordon crashed into the poles. Edward returned to Brendam to pick up Rocky, who cleared the line and brought Gordon back to the rails.

Since this incident, Rocky has become an invaluable asset to the railway. He is frequently called upon to lift loads and help out after accidents.

Rocky is based on a Ransomes and Rapier 45-ton steam crane, built around 1945.

Rocky is painted burgundy with yellow hazard stripes.

Rod
Rod is an orange caterpillar crane. He helped repair the broken bridge outside Hackenbeck in Thomas Comes Home.

Rognvald
Rognavld is a narrow gauge tank engine.

The Mid Sodor Heritage Railway always envisioned their railway needing at least two large steam locomotives to maintain a two-train service. In 2001, the society began discussions into what form a new engine should take and approached Ivo and David Hugh, the previous and current Chief Mechanical Engineers of the Skarloey Railway with a view to them designing a new locomotive capable of meeting the needs of the new Mid Sodor Railway, given the strenuous terrain on the Mountain Road section where the engine would be working.

Ivo, though interested was very much enjoying his retirement and suggested his son seek the assistance of Joanna Farrier, the young but brilliant CME of the Arlesdale Railway. He did however make a large contribution in suggesting using this opportunity to pay homage to a defunct Scottish railway which shared the same gauge as both the Mid Sodor and Skarloey Railways. The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Railway employed the largest and strongest examples of 2ft 3in gauge traction in Britain, and the veteran engineer knew that it would be ideal for coping with the Mid Sodor’s distance and terrain.

What was to become the Mid Sodor Heritage Railway No.4 began construction at Crovan’s Gate Works in early 2003. The work was subject to funding, and therefore stalled in 2004, at which point Sir Topham Hatt made a charitable contribution which ensured the engine’s completiton ready for the opening of the Ulfstead Road extension in summer 2005, with the engine undergoing successful trials (after initial teething troubles) on the Skarloey Railway throughout the spring months, and given the honour of double-heading with the former MSR No.1, Duke on a special service for MSHR society members.

The name of the engine became the subject of fierce debate; it was turned out carrying the name Thorfinn, honouring the Scottish connections of the locomotive, but many felt this decision had been made over their heads and wished to honour those who had significant impact in the region. A ballot soon returned the name Rognvald, after one of the sons of Sigrid, a legendary Sudrian heroine. The engine was formally named at a special ceremony at King Orry’s Bridge by the Canon Nigel Dreswick, grandson of noted historian Canon Nicholas Dreswick, on the opening day, May Day 2005.

Rognvald was turned out from Crovan's Gate Works in Prussian Blue livery with red and white lining, and unlike his counterparts, his name is painted on his side in the same tradition as the engines he is based upon.

The announcement of plans for a new MSHR engine initially worried former Mid Sodor No.4, (Now Skarloey Railway No.4) Peter Sam, as it was initially mooted that the new No.4 be a replica of himself, which led him into a minor identity crisis. This was soon settled when a more suitable new design was chosen.

Rognvald’s trials on the Skarloey Railway ruffled many feathers, because when delivered in February 2005 he was brash and argumentative. Many though the name he carried at the time, Thorfinn, to be extremely suitable, as the historic Thorfinn was described in epic poetry as being;

“…the tallest and strongest of men, ugly, black-haired, sharp-featured, and big-nosed, and with somewhat scowling brows. He was a mighty man of strife, and greedy both of money and honour…”

He particularly got right up-the-funnel of Ivo Hugh, who felt rather put out by the new engine’s strength and power, which both of whom take great pride in, and developed briefly into a rivalry between the two engines. Rognvald’s tests on the Skarloey Railway were initially unsuccessful as he was rough-riding on the track and finally derailed in the yard, The issue was discovered to be caused by poor springing on his trailing axle, and after this was put straight he was passed as fit for traffic and has been running regular services on the Mid Sodor since the opening of the Ulfstead Road extension in May 2005. His humiliating experience during his trials has brought him down a peg or two and kerbed his temper, but as a young engine, he does have a lot to learn, and although being guided by the other engines, particularly Edwin Richard, Rognvald is still keen to carve his own path. He does however get along very well with Buzz, and both treat the other as equals.

Rognvald is based on the two 0-6-2 Barclay built engines of the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Railway in Scotland. Built in 1906, these locos were the largest and strongest engines ever built to the 2ft 3in gauge, and named Argyll and Atlantic. Throughout their lifetime the engines were used to carry passengers as well as local goods such as coal, subsidised by two smaller machines throughout the lifetime of the railway.

The Railway closed in 1935, and the engines were scapped two years later in Coatbridge.

Rosie
Rosie is a American tank engine who idolises Thomas. She was built at Vulcan Iron Works in 1942.

Rosie and the other 382 engines of her class were made in Iowa and Pennsylvania in 1942 and shipped to Britain in 1942. After the D-Day landings the engines were sent to mainland Europe to assist with the war effort. Sometime after 1945, Rosie made her way to Sodor.

Rosie began idolising Thomas to the point of hero-worship and imitation. Though this is said to be the most sincere form of flattery, it only served to irritate Thomas whilst he was trying to deliver a special birthday post train to Alice at Hill Farm. After Thomas had an accident in the course of delivering this train, she helped him and he started to respect her.

Rosie later helped Thomas shunt trucks until Hector frightened her away.

Rosie was later charged with acting as back-engine to Emily with the funfair special. Wanting to take the train herself, and thinking she was doing Emily a favour, Rosie succeeded only in creating confusion and delay on a grand scale, but eventually set things right.

Rosie is kind, friendly, and cheeky. She can be headstrong at times, and she has a lot of dermination.

Rosie is based on a SR USA Class 0-6-0T, approx. 29 ft 8 in. Ironically, fifteen of these engines were sold to the Southern Railway where they were used as dockyard shunters, replacing the ex-LB&SCR E2s, Thomas' brothers.

Rosie is painted lavender with grey tank panels, gold boiler bands and red detailing on her wheels and metalwork.

Rosie bears a strong resemblance to a train version of Amy Rose from Sonic the Hedgehog, because they are both pink and idolizes Thomas and Sonic.

Royal Claude
Royal Claude is an engine from the LNER.

Royal Claude was around whilst Toby was working at the Yarmouth Harbour as part of the LNER. It can be assumed he works on the main line.

Royal Claude is painted green with "LNER" written on his tender in yellow.

Royal Claude is based on a Holden-Designed Claud Hamilton locomotive, more specifically a D16. His model was later repainted and modified to be used for Molly.

Russell
Russell is a narrow gauge engine built for the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway, but most famously associated with the Welsh Highland Railway.

Russell was ordered from the Hunslet Engine Co. on 13 February 1906 by G.C.Aitchison as Manager of the Portmadoc, Beddgelert And South Snowdon Railway, but destined for the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company. A specification had been prepared dated 31 January. Drawings were prepared and by 26 May the engine was already undergoing steam trials. Three days later it left Leeds for North Wales.

The remarkably short time in which the engine was built has produced several theories, the best one being the design was based on a class of 2-6-2T engines built from 1898 for the Sierra Leone Government Railway. Details differed, and it was larger than the Sierra Leone class, though of a narrower gauge. It was carried on outside frames to the driving wheels, with inside frames to the pony trucks, whilst Walschaert's Valve Gear was employed. Russell also bears a close resemblance in several aspects to the Hunslet 0-6-2T "Leeds No.1" used on a reservoir tramway in Yorkshire.

Russell appears to have been a replacement for the existing engine Beddgelert, built by Hunslet in 1878, which worked the important slate traffic on the Bryngwn branch. This engine was scrapped on the arrival of Russell, probably being beyond economic repair.

Under an agreement of November 1904 the NWNGR was to be electrified and extended by the PBSSR as part of that Company's plan to connect Carnarvon with Portmadoc. In January 1906 J. C. Russell, Chairman and Managing Director of the NWNGR wrote a letter complaining about the delay in carrying out the agreed electrification works of his Company's railway. At the time the work on building the PBSSR's new line had been at least partially suspended since the Autumn because of objections by the National Trust to the Board of Trade about the Aberglaslyn tunnels and, apparently only just resolved a few weeks before through the mediation of Lloyd George as President of the BOT. The delays were primarily because the PBSSR's sole financier (and therefore controller) was the North Wales Power And Traction Co. Ltd and that Company had overspent in its efforts to build a power station at Cym Dyli, designed to supply North Wales Slate Quarries as well as the railway. The Company was concentrating on getting the power station completed so that it would bring in income. This it succeeded in doing the following September, but money could not be raised to finish the railway works.

Following Russell's letter the NWPT Co. Chairman had a meeting with him to make the best possible terms for postponing electrification of his line. This resulted in an agreement for a two year delay, and an undertaking from the NWPT that the PBSSR would recommence construction on or before March 1908 and complete the railways within a reasonable time of that date. Amongst other terms in the agreement was the following: "The Power Company to expend in restoring the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway for present steam working and in providing one steam locomotive a sum up to but not exceeding £2,500."

Russell was therefore ordered by the PBSSR, paid for by the North Wales Power & Traction Co. Ltd which had born all the PBSSR's expenditure since 1905, and delivered to the NWNGR as that railway's property.

The aspirations of the PBSSR were not realised and it took til 1922 when the Welsh Highland Railway fulfilled most of them (although not the Dinas Carnarvon section) as a steam worked line with deviations to avoid the steeper gradients which had been designed for electric trains. Russell survived to be taken over by the new Railway.

In 1924, to allow through running over both the Welsh Highland Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway, Russell had its cab and boiler fittings cut down to suit the latter's restricted loading gauge. This was deemed unsuccessful - although it made just one trip to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the tolerances in the Moelwyn Tunnel were found to be so fine that it was never repeated.

References: Documents in Gwynedd Archives plus information from various other sources, mainly Director's Reports and published accounts, Company Files at National Archives, local newspapers, contemporary electrical industry periodicals. Summarised in Welsh Highland Heritage 29, 33 and 34.

A letter from H.F.Stephens of 27 October 1924 to the FR Managing Director "I strongly advise you to have "Russell" altered to enable it run through the Festiniog tunnel. This is a powerful engine, and would be very useful. I hope you will agree to this." (Reproduced in "Russell" by Andrew Neale, 1996.)

Requisitioned for the War effort in 1942, it was overhauled at the Brymbo Steel Company and set to work on an opencast ironstone site near Hook Norton, Oxfordshire. At the end of the War, Russell was eventually sold by the Ministry of Supply, from Andover, to work in the Norden Clay Mines at Corfe, Dorset, belonging to Pike Bros., Fayle & Co. Ltd.

Before it could be used, the gauge of the railway had to be reduced from 3ft 9" to 1 ft 11 1/2".

Its work on industrial railways was not entirely successful and at various times it had its pony and trailing trucks removed, but with little real improvement. After severe damage to an axle in 1953, Russell was laid up.

Birmingham Locomotive Society purchased Russell for £70 and transferred it to the Talyllyn Railway at Towyn.

The Hunslet Company repaired the damage for free and Russell once again commenced its wanderings - to Kinnerley, Carnforth, Llanberis and finally to Gelert's Farm Works. During its journeying, it collected a new boiler (£3440 in 1969). Restoration to the splendid state that you now see was finished in 1987.

Russell is now out of service undergoing an expensive major overhaul. It is hoped to get this fabulous locomotive back in service in time for the re-opening of the full WHR in 2009.

This legendary Hunslet 2-6-2T visited the FR in 1988 and 1990, with its operation confined to Porthmadog - Rhiw Goch. It starred with Taliesin when visiting the WHR (Caernarfon) in 2000 for the Welsh Highland Ffestival on September 16-17, running between Caernarfon & Waunfawr.

Freddie is based on him.

Rusty
Rusty is a diesel who does maintainence work on the Skarloey Railway. He speaks with a Welsh accent.

Rusty was built by Ruston and Hornsby and came to Sodor in 1955 to help Sir Handel and Peter Sam and do maintainence work while Skarloey and Rheneas were being repaired.

Rusty is usually helpful and kind, but initially refused to help Duncan after he derailed. He is occasionally impatient, careless and prone to procrastination.

Rusty is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Midlander.

Before 1986, Rusty was painted charcoal-black with gold lining. In the television series, he is painted orange with yellow lining and white lettering.

Ryan
Ryan is a freight engine with an attitude. He didn't take to the smaller engines, but when he bashed into two lorries who were competing with Percy and Eagle, Ryan has changed completely. Ryan is based on the LMS Stanier 8F.

Ryu
The second engine built for the Mainland's line, Ryu is a medium-sized tender engine with a terrible attitude, boasting without focusing on his work. Ryu enjoys complaining as well, and easily makes molehills into mountains. Ryu is based on the JNR C50 class locomotive, and carries the number 50 on his tender.

S.S. Kathryn
S.S. Kathryn is a cargo ship.

S.S. Roxstar
The S.S. Roxstar is an ocean liner.

S. C. Ruffey
S. C. Ruffey, also known as Scruffey, was a ballast wagon.

When Oliver returned after falling in a turntable well, S. C. Ruffey and the trucks sang rude songs about the event. Toad, worried by the lack of respect for the engines, consulted with Oliver and Duck and made a plan. Oliver then shunted S. C. Ruffey and his lieutenants, and prepared to pull them. S. C. Ruffey rallied the trucks into holding back, but this only resulted in S. C. Ruffey being pulled apart. The Fat Controller attributed the incident to the wagon's poor condition, but told Oliver not to disclose the fact, saying it was "bad for discipline". After his parts were cleaned up S. C. Ruffey was scrapped.

S. C. Ruffey was rebuilt following his incident, and wisely did not disclose the true nature of his rebuild. Sometime later, he was being used in the coal mines when his train ran underground, eventually crashing into a roof support. He was trapped underground following its subsequent collapse.

S. C. Ruffey is based on a "Private Owner" 7-plank mineral wagon.

S. C. Ruffey is coloured grey with "S. C. RUFFEY and Co. Ballast Contractors-Tidmouth-Sodor" painted on both sides in white. Before his accident and repair his parts were rusted.

Sally Dorothy
Sally Dorothy is a coach who operates with Shane Dooiney on the Culdee Fell Railway.

Salty
Salty is a crimson dockyard diesel who works at Brendam. He speaks with a West Country accent.

Salty worked on an unnamed coastal railway for many years, where he acquired his vast collection of stories and songs, before coming to Sodor to work at the Centre Island Quarry with Mavis, Bill and Ben. Salty was upset, being used to working near the sea, but he soon won the trucks over with his tales and sea shanties, and as a reward for his hard work was sent to work at Brendam Docks.

Salty has shared many stories with his fellow engines that have often come into play later on. He told Percy that the carpet he was delivering might be magic, and odd happenings convinced Percy and Gordon that it was. He also told a story about a treasure on Sodor, and Thomas followed all of Salty's clues and eventually found the treasure, just as the new Maritime Museum opened.

Salty is easy-going, friendly and very practical. He also enjoys telling stories revolving around the sea and fantasy. His seafaring ways and accent are sometimes ridiculed by the other engines, but his usefulness almost always helps the others overlook that.

Salty is based on a BR Class 07, designed by and built at Ruston and Hornby in 1962, approx. 26 ft 9 1/2 in. The number he has is a real number belonging to a member of the Class 07; said locomotive is at the preserved Kent and East Sussex Railway. This class of locomotives worked at Southampton docks, where they replaced the older Southern Railway USA Tanks.

Salty is painted crimson with pink warning stripes along his body, wasp stripes on his front and rear and yellow buffer beams with signs of rust. At the top of his forehead, he has the rim of a skipper's hat.

Sam
Sam is an old Scottish engine. He has a strong Scottish accent and has a Scottish attitude, i.e. doesn't always listen to the "English" engines. However, once he met Donald and Douglas, he changed completely and is always a welcome visitor to the sheds. Sam is based on the LNER J39, the most numerous of Gresley's designs.

Scruff
Scruff "the Scruncher" is a boxy steam engine. He works at Whiff's Waste Dump with Whiff. He loves being dirty and hates being cleaned.

Shane
Shane is a blue tractor owned by Willie the farmhand. Willies carelessness and an overloaded trailer of wool once accidentally caused a spill of wool on the line, causing Rex to derail. Shane is a bad-tempered grump and complains that he’s surrounded by the old fashioned, and found an excuse to complain about most anything. His faulty engine once cut out right on a farm crossing on Edward’s Branch line where BoCo accidentally knocked him right off the line. Needless to say, he soon changed his attitude after being repaired.

Shane Dooiney
Shane Dooiney is a mountain engine, named after a Sudrian mountain.

Shane Dooiney was built at Winterthur, Switzerland in 1896, and was later overhauled there in 1964.

Shane Dooiney is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway's Moel Siabod.

Shane Dooiney is painted CFR purple with orange lining.

Shelagh of Eskdale
Shelagh of Eskdale is a Diesel engine working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Tom Jones' Diesel was a 4-6-4 diesel hydraulic locomotive partially built by Heathcotes of Cleator Moor in the 1950s. When the line closed and was then re-opened again, the construction was put on hold, however in 1969 the frames were sent away to Severn-Lamb of Stratford-on-Avon for completion. The chassis utilises parts from Ella, specifically the crankwebs and centre sliding axle. Originally the engine was a Ford 4D, as in Royal Anchor, and had a Linde hydrostatic transmission, however this was replaced in 1975 by a Perkins 6/354. In 1998 the engine was rebuilt into a diesel mechanical locomotive when it gained a Ford industrial engine with Spicer Compact Shuttle transmission. It is currently a mixed traffic engine and used throughout the year. Its livery is two-tone green.

Sigrid of Arlesdale is based on her.

Shunters
Shunters are responsible for coupling and uncoupling engines from trains with a hook. When there are none around, a fireman usually does the job.

Sidney
Sidney is a small 0-4-2 tank engine who runs a narrow gauge branchline near the seaside. He is good friends with Duck.

Sidney is the same prototype as Peter Sam. He is painted blue with yellow lining.

Sigmund
Sigmund was elected the first king of an independent Sodor. He died in 1116 and was succeded by his son Gunnar. His descendants ruled Sodor until King Andreas and his son Prince Peter were both killed in battle 160 years later.

Sigmund was crowned at Peel Godred, but he chose Cronk to be his seat.

Signalman
Signalmen are very important people who work on the railways on Sodor - they control the points and switches that sends the engines where to go.

Occasionally signalmen fall asleep on the job, resulting in accidents.

Sigrid of Arlesdale
Sigrid of Arlesdale is a diesel working on the Arlesdale Railway. She is named after the Sudrian heroine of the same name, who lived during the Dark Ages and helped sack the Normans.

Petit (later CoBoCo was built in 1881. She was in use on granite trains for several years until she was decided to convert her into an internal combustion locomotive, creating ICL #2 in 1927. This ran on petrol and the frames of CoBoCo were extended to add pony trucks at both ends, and a teak hut like the one on Leroy, a small Ford Model T diesel engine was fitted on top. A Lancheser Model 38 touring car chassis was mounted on the frames, and the engine and gearbox were reatined, and the teak hut was constructed on top of this.

CoBoCo was reasonably fast and could haul fairly heavy loads - a good investment for the company. In 1932, however, she collied with Leroy, and the frame was distorted. In the spring of the following year, she pushed a big-end through the crank case. Finding spare parts was nearly impossible, and so was quickly retired once the standard gauge line was constructed.

When the new company took over in 1978, the frames were still lying, and they sent the chassis to be completed where she was given a twin-cab diesel with a Ford 4D engine and Linde Hydrostatic transmission, creating a Diesel Hydraulic locomotive. These were upgraded in 1975 with a Perkins 6/354 diesel, and replaced altogther in 1998, when she gained a Ford industrial engine with Spicer Compact Shuttle transmission, making her a Diesel Mechanical engine.

Sigrid of Arlesdale is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's Shelagh of Eskdale. Livery

Sigrid of Arlesdale is painted in a two-tone blue livery: B.R. diesel loco blue with a light blue band.

Silver
Silver was a narrow gauge engine mentioned in a story that BoCo told Skarloey. Apparently, Silver was the fastest engine in the hills, with silver paint to suit his name, and always boasting to the other engines. At last, a wizard was tired of Silver's boasting and put a spell on him, turning Silver into a rusty slow engine. He became the laughing stock of the other engines and renamed Tramp.

Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee was an engine mentioned in Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines.

The Silver Jubilee was a train of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). It commenced service on September 30, 1935, and traveled between London King's Cross and Newcastle. It did this at an average speed of 67 mph, taking four hours to complete the journey.

Gordon said that Flying Scotsman told him about the Silver Jubilee.

Sir Arnold de Normanby
Sir Arnold de Normanby was a regent of Sodor during the Middle Ages. After a rebellion by the Sudrians in 1404, King Henry IV gave possession of Sodor to the Stanley family, while the previous rulers, the Percys, were sacked under the leadership of de Normanby with help from Henry IV's army, led by Sir Peter de Rigby, whom de Normanby took a liking to, as did he.

At some stage, de Normanby gave up his regency, but Henry IV wisely returned power to de Normanby and the Abbot of Cronk, also making de Normanby the first Earl of Sodor.

Sir Handel
Sir Handel, named after the Skarloey Railway's first owner, Sir Handel Brown I - but previously Falcon, after the works where he was made - is a narrow-gauge tank engine.

Falcon was built at Falcon Works, Loughborough, for the Mid Sodor Railway in 1903. He was a 0-4-0ST, causing him to bounce until he was rebuilt with a rear pony truck.

When the Mid Sodor Railway closed in 1947, he and Stuart were sold to the aluminium works at Peel Godred for an expansion project. They were sheeted at the project's close for almost a year, then both were purchased for a total of fifty pounds by the Skarloey Railway and renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.

Sir Handel did not cope well with the worn track on the railway and would often derail - sometimes deliberately. He was given a pair of special wheels with broad tyres to cure this problem, dubbed "steamroller wheels" by the other engines.

In 1983, Sir Handel visited the Talyllyn Railway to help while Talyllyn was being mended. Sir Handel had plenty of adventures there, like pulling a wedding train and having to wear an eyepatch after colliding with a tree at Nant Gwernol.

When Peter Sam was brought back from the Talyllyn Railway early during a visit in 1995 Sir Handel became jealous and as a protest deliberately knocked out his firebars. He was sent to the shed and began to fear that he would never come out after weeks went by and no one came to see him. When the Thin Controller came in one day Sir Handel confessed and asked for a second chance. Sir Handel got his firebars later that day - no one bothered to tell him that they had only just arrived. He is presently on the Talyllyn Railway.

Sir Handel didn't reappear until nineyears later, apparently because he was working in the stone quarry. When he returned, he had a much different attitude. He did his jobs without complaining, and had trouble getting up hills. He is also wiser in most situations, but in some cases he is still pompous.

Sir Handel is sometimes pompous and arrogant and thinks that pulling trucks is beneath him, and will do anything to get out of jobs he does not want to do. He can be rude and stubborn, and he has been known to insult Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice by calling them "cattle trucks" and Ada, Jane and Mabel (because they were roofless at the time) by calling them "trucks".

Sir Handel is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Sir Haydn.

Sir Handel was painted blue until coming to work on the Skarloey Railway, where he was painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery and blue-and-yellow lining. Since 1987, he is painted blue with red and yellow lining.

Sir Haydn
Sir Haydn was built in 1878 by Hughes' Loco and Tramway Engine Works Ltd. of Loughborough as a 0-4-0ST (he is now a 0-4-2ST).

He worked on the nearby Corris Railway until the closure of that line in 1948. In 1951, he was purchased by the Talyllyn Railway, along with the other surviving Corris locomotive, who became Edward Thomas, and was named after the line's late owner, Sir Henry Haydn Jones. The precarious state of the track meant he was seldom used for the first few years, and firebox problems caused his withdrawl in 1957. He re-entered service in 1968. Sir Haydn is currently running in the guise of Sir Handel as a replacement for Duncan's prototype, Douglas, who is under overhaul.

Sir Haydn is currently painted in the Corris Railway livery of red with purple stripes.

Sir Handel and Proteus are based on him. Albert, an engine from the Mid Sodor Railway, also bares resemblance to his prototype.

Sir Loham Hatt
Sir Loham Hatt is the jolly brother of Sir Topham Hatt, and the brother-in-law of Lady Hatt.

Sir Loham Hatt is mischievous and enjoys playing with the children. He seems to know little or nothing about railways. He played hide and seek with the children and then went into a signal box and pulled the lever, switching Gordon to the branchline. He dresses exactly like Sir Topham but has a moustache. It is unknown how and why he got his knighthood.

Sir Nigel Gresley
Sir Nigel Gresley is one of Spencer's brothers. He's very competitive, and wants to prove his speed and strength. Sir Nigel, like Spencer, is based on the LNER Class A4, and is remarkably a real engine.

Sir Topham Hatt
Sir Topham Hatt, nicknamed the "Fat Controller", previously the Fat Director, is the manager of the North Western Railway.

There are, in fact, three controllers that have run the North Western Railway:

Mr. Topham Hatt I (1880-1956) was the engineer in charge of the construction of the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway. When the job was finished he was made a director of the company, and after the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway was linked with the original line at Knapford he was elected a director of that company too. He was created a baronet for his services to the the railways of Sodor in 1948. He married Jane, sister of Mr Handel Brown, and retired in 1954 in favor of his son Charles, whom the board had no hesitation in electing as his successor.

Sir Charles Topham Hatt II (1914-1997) was the Fat Controller from 1954 to 1984, when he retired in favour (flavor) of his own son. During his period of office he began improvements to the harbour (harbor) at Knapford, planned by his father, and re-opened the Arlesburgh branch in 1965/6, being responsible for the construction of the Arlesdale Railway and for establishing the ballast consortium which uses it. He married Amanda Croarie in 1940 and they had two children - Stephen Topham, born in 1941, and Bridget, born in 1943. Charles inherited his father's baronetcy in 1956 and died thirteen years after his own retirement.

Sir Stephen Bertram Topham Hatt (1941-) (who first appeared in Toby the Tram Engine while on a family holiday in East Anglia with his parents and grandfather) became the Fat Controller in 1984, succeeding to his father's baronetcy in 1997. In 1970 he married Helen Margaret, a distant cousin and granddaughter of the Reverend Nicholas Dreswick, the much-respected historian of Sodor. They have three children: Richard Topham, born in 1972 and no doubt destined to be Sir Topham Hatt IV (his father will be 69 in 2010 though he has, as yet, given no hint of an impending retirement), Charles Nicholas (1974-) and Emily Helen (1977-).

He played a part in arranging the construction of the Arlesdale Railway's new locomotive, Jock, in 1990, a project which had been dear to his father's heart. With great skill he masterminded the arrangements for the royal visit in 1995, when he welcomed the Prince of Wales on his first visit to Sodor. He has a brother, Sir Loham Hatt.

The Fat Controller is seen as a firm but fair character. Despite being strict, he shows a fatherly side to the engines. He is quite a strong character and will remind the engines that he is in charge when they start to rebel against his authority. He doesn't stand for bullying, and even though he is usually serious he does enjoy a laugh.

The Fat Controller is a small stout gentleman dressed in a black suit with gray trousers, a cream-coloured waistcoat, a black tie and a top hat. He has thinning gray hair and blue eyes.

Due to political correctness, the Fat Controller is always known by his Sunday name of "Sir Topham Hatt" in the American narration of the television series.

Sir Topham Hatt's car
Sir Topham Hatt owns a blue car. He uses it to go to places when the engines are busy, or to go see what the engines are doing. It once caused trouble when he drove it into a pothole, but he thinks it very reliable, and wouldn't want to get to work in any other vehicle.

Despite its usual blue colour, the car has taken on many forms throughout the years. It was blue in the Railway Series, but consisted of two different models in the television series. In jigsaws and other merchandise, the car is yellow, except for one where it is red. The plausible explanation is that the Fat Controller has more than one car.

In all cases, his car is presented as a typical vehicle of the 1940s. It is either loosely based on a Jowett Javelin or a Rover.

Sixteen
Sixteen was a troublesome saddletank engine.

Sixteen lived with several other engines at a steelworks, where his job was to take trucks of slag to a place called the "tip". Sixteen wanted to go past the "DANGER" board, and managed to do so one rainy day, blaming the incident on the trucks. His fireman was told to reverse him, but before he could do so Sixteen tilted and landed on the ground on his side. He was rescued and sent to the sheds in disgrace, but luckily for him he was purchased by a preservation group on the Midlands and now works on their railway.

Sixteen was naughty and awkward. Wilbert has said that he hopes Sixteen has learnt his lesson after being restored.

Sixteen, like Wilbert, is a Hunslet Austerity WD 0-6-0ST.

Sixteen is painted reddish-brown with beige wheels and black and yellow hazard stripes on his bufferbeams.

Sixteen's friends
Morris, Jasper, Grunt and Bob are Sixteen's friends. When Sixteen worked at the Steelworks, he worked with some other industrial tank engines who were described by Wilbert as his friends. Unlike Sixteen, they obeyed the rules and never went beyond the "DANGER" notice at the tip. They tried their best to warn Sixteen not to go beyond the "DANGER" notice, to no avail.

Skarloey
Skarloey, a narrow gauge saddletank engine, is the oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway.

Skarloey was built at Fletcher, Jennings and Co., Whitehaven in 1864 as a 0-4-0ST with no cab, which caused him to bounce a lot. He was the first engine to arrive on the newly-developed Skarloey Railway in 1865. His young antics proved bothersome but he soon matured when he received his cab and trailing wheels.

Skarloey was put aside in 1945, fit for steam only in extreme emergency.

In 1952, Skarloey was sent for repairs to the Gibbons Brother's Brierly Hill engineering works at Lenches Bridge in Pensnett for an overhaul. A new boiler, saddletank and bunker were added and Skarloey returned to service in 1958.

Since the fourth season he has usually been a dedicated worker and a very wise engine. However, Skarloey has sometimes acted as a very young engine as he tried to prove his bravery by getting hauled up the winch on the incline and he and Rheneas had a race with Freddie, and he has acted as a timid engine too, being scared of an old wooden bridge, the wharf and storms. This new personality isn't what you expect for an very old narrow gauge engine.

Before 1987, Skarloey was painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery and blue-and-yellow lining with his name painted in gold on his saddletank. Since 1987, Skarloey is painted red with white and gold lining.

When he first arrived, Skarloey was pompous and arrogant, believing himself fit only to pull coaches. His attitude changed after being sheeted until he learnt sense, but after recieving a pair of trailing wheels and cab he reverted to his old tendencies. He boasted so much about it that Rheneas refused to talk to him until Skarloey apologised after Rheneas rescued him from a mudslide. Now, Skarloey is a wise old engine who doesn't stand for nonsense, but is still fair and friendly.

Skarloey is proud of himself for being brave, but sometimes he can be a little pompous and arrogant.

Skarloey is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Talyllyn.

Skarloey Railway Brakevans
These resemble goods vans with the addition of a small bump out on the sides for the guard to look out to watch the train. These come in brown, grey, red, and blue.

Skarloey Railway Coaches
To carry visitors on the Skarloey Railway, there are several four-wheeled coaches, either blue and cream or red with a yellow stripe. For sunny days, there are some green and cream coaches with open sides.

More bogie coaches are used on Skarloey Railway when there are more visitors. They are based on Talyllyn Railway carriages 16 and 18-23 and are painted red with a yellow stripe running under the windows or blue and cream like Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima, Gertrude and Millicent.

Skarloey Railway Flatbeds
Flatcars are used to carry large bulky loads, such as statues, organs, engines, vehicles etc.

Skarloey Railway Goods vans
These are usually brown, have a door on each side, and are used for carrying anything that must be protected from the weather.

Skarloey Railway Wagons
These resemble the coal wagons used by the North Western Railway, these cars are not known to misbehave, or to even have faces. They are brown, and carry coal and tools (for the repair train).

Skarloey Railway Well wagons
These are used to carry tall loads, to make them more stable or lower by placing the load in a dipped space between the bogies.

Slate trucks
Slate trucks are the North Western and Skarloey Railway's main type of truck. Besides carrying slate, they have been known to carry broken branches and sheep.

Smudger
Smudger is a narrow gauge tank engine, and the first engine to arrive on Keikan Island from the Island of Sodor in 1945.

Smudger was built in Fletcher, Jennings and Co in 1919 specifically for the Mid Sodor Railway, but as he was still young, he was a reckless showoff who refused to heed warning from more experienced engines, including Duke. Eventually, the Manager decided to convert him into a stationary steam generator, and was eventually sent to Great Waterton to work as a pumping engine for the nearby mine. However, when he failed, the mine was flooded. Thankfully, he was rescued and returned to Mid Sodor, and was undergoing restoration to be used as a backup locomotive, in case either Duke, Stuart or Falcon failed.

In 1945, Ryo Gunji, the Representative from Keikan Island, came to visit the railway, and Smudger, almost completely restored, was purchased and brought to the Island. He kept his original number to take the place of the Lower Valley Railway's lost No. 2, who had been destroyed during the War. Smudger worked until he finally wore himself out to bits, and was brought to the Works to undergo a more complete restoration. He is now painted a dark blue color and is a much happier, friendlier and more reliable engine.

In his early Sodor years, Smudger was a complete showoff and often came off the rails, and refused to listen to advice. Humbled by his generator experience, he vowed to become a friendlier, more reliable engine on his new line. He still likes to show off when given the chance, but he's much more cautious and friendlier to others. He is especially good friends with Candy and Hiro.

Smudger is painted dark blue with red stripes, with his name and number painted on in white and his side-rods colored red. In his Sodor years, Smudger was painted dark green with black lining, and his nameplate and number were both gold.

In "The Little Old Engine", it's revealed that Smudger loses water faster than he naturally should because when he brakes, the pressure under his frames forces water out from his well tank, smudging the ground with water. Smudger never realized the story behind his name until Kudo noticed him leaving puddles on the tracks at the Works. Despite this problem being resolved thanks to his restoration, the name has stayed.

Smudger is inspired by a Fletcher Jennings 0-4-0 locomotive, similar to Rheneas.

Snowdon
Snowdon is the fourth engine on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. He was built in 1896 and is still in operation.

Culdee is based on him.

Sodor and Mainland Railways Engines
According to The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways, there were four 0-4-0T engines with open cabs and square tanks that operated on the Sodor and Mainland Railway from 1856 until the line went bankrupt. They were then used for different jobs on Sodor, but were eventually scrapped because they were too weak to handle heavier loads.

The Sodor and Mainland Railway engines are based on Neilson 0-4-0 box tanks, a simple and robust class of engine built in Glasgow and sold all over the world.

Soft-sided lorries
Soft-sided lorries were first seen in the first season. They are based on designs by Austin, Dodge and Leyland from the 1940s and 1950s.

Various soft-sided lorries have been seen bearing red, blue, yellow and, grey paint.

Special coaches
For very special visitors, there are two maroon coaches with a dull crimson finish and red lining. They are similar, maybe even identical, to the Duke and Duchess of Boxford's private coaches.

Spencer
Spencer is a private engine belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Boxford. He speaks with a Upper Class (Posh English) accent.

During his first visit to Sodor, Spencer took the Duke and Duchess of Boxford on a trip around Sodor, but ignored Gordon's warnings about taking on water and thus ran out - Spencer attributed the incident to a leaky tank.

Upon his next visit, Spencer challenged Edward to a race and maintained a lead for the majority of the race, but vainly fell asleep while the Duke and Duchess stopped to take photos and narrowly lost to Edward after he got onto the summer-house branch line first.

Spencer has since developed a rivalry with Thomas, with the latter often trying to outshine Spencer - largely without success. Spencer returned to Sodor to help build the new summer-house for the Duke and Duchess of Boxford, much to the annoyance of all the engines. Firstly, he insulted all the steam engines - especially Thomas by calling him a "toy tank engine", which as a result they had a competition of strength. However, Spencer neglected to build the new summer-house when he became suspicious about Thomas, thinking he was being a tricky tank engine, and ended up getting slate down his funnel at the Quarry. When Spencer discovered Percy's mail coaches (thinking that Thomas was hiding them from Percy), he gets into trouble with the Fat Controller, who thought that Spencer was hiding the mail coaches all the time! Afterwards, Spencer loses his pride when his owners turn up for their holiday, and then he gets stuck in the mud when he chases Thomas to Knapford. After being rescued by Hiro, Spencer apologised to Thomas and Hiro, and together, they finish the summer house.

Spencer is rather arrogant and pompous, and considers himself to be above doing menial duties such as shunting. When he came to build the summer house, Spencer proved himself to be very nosey, sneaky and rather neglectful. Despite being closely related, Gordon and Spencer have never gotten on very well with each other. This is mainly because of his pompous behavior, which exceeds even that of Gordon's. He looks down on everyone, both his friends and his foes, believing that he is the best engine on the railway. Spencer intensely dislikes doing dirty work, and clearly goes to lengths to avoid it - to no avail. Spencer is also dreadfully jealous of Gordon for having two tenders.

Spencer is based on an LNER Class A4, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built at LNER Doncaster Works in 1935, approx. 70 ft. Mallard is a member of this type.

Spencer is painted silver with blue-grey cylinders and wheels and black lining. He wears red nameplates with gold lettering.

Spencer's special coaches
Spencer has his own set of coaches for when the Duke and Duchess of Boxford go on holiday. They are similar, possibly even identical, to the special coaches owned by the North Western Railway.

Takao
Takao was once the oldest running engine on the Upper Valley Railway, but his age has finally caught up with him, and now he works at the Keikan Island Railway Museum. He is wise beyond his years, and loves nothing more than to tell the younger engines about his experiences. He is based on the same box tank engine as Neil.

The Big Controller
The Big Controller is the Controller of the Upper Valley Railway. He is the third Controller of the railway, and a master engineer, having overseen the designing and construction of Hiro and the restoration of Morning Light. His Works also service the Lower Valley Railway's engines.

The Little Controller
The Little Controller is the Controller of the Lower Valley Railway. His father founded the narrow gauge railway nearly 50 years prior to Smudger's arrival.

The Representative
Ryo Gunji is a representative for both the Upper and Lower Valley Railways. He travels the world looking for engines willing to work, and brings them back to the Island to be restored and put to use. Some engines he's brought to the Island include Smudger, Naomi, Misaki, and Morning Light.

The Spider Tram
Edward Mann once told a story about a tram engine who had long legs that rolled on underwater rails. This engine hated his job and made things difficult for everybody. One faithful night, a storm knocked him away from his station and made him fall over into the sea. He was rescued and repaired, but the costs were so high that the railway eventually went bankrupt, and the tram was scrapped. Nowadays, they say a ghost of the engine can be seen on the full moon, slowly creeping over the water. The Spider Tram is based on the Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway, which used a long-legged tram to travel through water. The unusual locomotive was nicknamed "Daddy Longlegs".

Tyler
Tyler is a vertical boiler tank engine and Candy's twin. Tyler was reckless and daring, but was very protective of his sister. He was sent away during World War II and was destroyed during the Hiroshima bombing. Barely a locomotive when he was found, he was melted down and his parts were put to other uses.

Yume
Yume is a little tram coach that worked with Kudo on his old line. When the line was closed, she was left with him in a shed until Lewis found them and brought them to the Little Controller's railway. Yume has a special bell on her, which she can ring if the engine can't whistle or in emergency, and the Little Controller enjoys using her for special events. Yume is based on the tram coaches used on the Botchan Train.