Duncan (Thomas the Tank Engine)
Encyclopedia
Duncan is a fiction
al narrow gauge
steam locomotive
from The Railway Series
children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. Duncan lives and works on the Skarloey Railway
on the Island of Sodor
. Duncan is a stubborn engine that likes to complain that he is overworked. He is known for swaying on the track dangerously, which his driver calls "Rock 'n' Roll".
. Rather than having his red coat of paint with the other engines in the books, he is painted bronze yellow in the TV series. A number of roles he had in the Reverend's books were televised in the same season, but all the stories featuring him in subsequent seasons were originally written by hired writers, as well as the director and creator Britt Allcroft
.
Duncan continues to make mistakes while being stubborn and ignorant in current seasons, seemingly forgetting the lessons he's learned in the past. He has appeared in every season since his introduction (with the exception of Series 8, which featured no Narrow Gauge engines). Duncan was featured in the direct-to-DVD film, The Great Discovery
, when he tells Thomas another way back to the Wharf.
, a 0-4-0 engine built in 1918 that works on the Talyllyn Railway
in Tywyn, Wales. See the List of Talyllyn Railway rolling stock for more details. The engine ran for some years under the guise of Duncan, depicted by painting the engine in red livery with a face wearing a Scottish cap. This ended in 2007 when the engine was withdrawn for major overhaul.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
from The Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. Duncan lives and works on the Skarloey Railway
Skarloey Railway
On the fictional Island of Sodor in The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry, the Skarloey Railway is a narrow gauge railway which runs from the main line at Crovan's Gate to the passenger terminus at Skarloey. Beyond Skarloey the line continues to a slate quarry.In the stories, the railway is run by...
on the Island of Sodor
Sodor (fictional island)
Sodor is a fictional island in the Irish Sea used as the setting for The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and later used in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends television series.-Inspiration and creation:...
. Duncan is a stubborn engine that likes to complain that he is overworked. He is known for swaying on the track dangerously, which his driver calls "Rock 'n' Roll".
Railway Series history
Duncan was introduced in the story Home at Last, in the series' fourteenth volume. In earlier books, he caused trouble for the Thin Controller by getting stuck in a tunnel, derailing due to his swaying, and even stalling on a viaduct with a train full of passengers. However, in later volumes, he mellowed out. He stayed on task and did his best to help out in the most recent of stories.Duncan in the TV series
Duncan was introduced in the adaptation of Home at Last in the fourth run of Thomas the Tank Engine and FriendsThomas the Tank Engine and Friends
Thomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film...
. Rather than having his red coat of paint with the other engines in the books, he is painted bronze yellow in the TV series. A number of roles he had in the Reverend's books were televised in the same season, but all the stories featuring him in subsequent seasons were originally written by hired writers, as well as the director and creator Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at...
.
Duncan continues to make mistakes while being stubborn and ignorant in current seasons, seemingly forgetting the lessons he's learned in the past. He has appeared in every season since his introduction (with the exception of Series 8, which featured no Narrow Gauge engines). Duncan was featured in the direct-to-DVD film, The Great Discovery
The Great Discovery
The Great Discovery is a 2008 film and feature spin-off of the TV series, Thomas and Friends. The film is a follow up, not a direct sequel to Thomas and the Magic Railroad and a sequel to Calling All Engines! The DVD was released on September 9 2008 in the United States and October 6 2008 in the...
, when he tells Thomas another way back to the Wharf.
Merchandise
Duncan has also been adapted in his TV series form into several products, which include:- An Ertl Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends die-cast model
- A Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway model
- A Tomica/Track Master motorised engine and wind-up toy
- A Take-Along Thomas & Friends die-cast model
Prototype
Duncan is based on DouglasDouglas (locomotive)
Douglas is a narrow gauge steam locomotive. It was built by Andrew Barclay & Co. Ltd. in 1918. It was originally used by the Air Service Constructional Corps then was bought in 1949 by Abelson & Co. Ltd...
, a 0-4-0 engine built in 1918 that works on the Talyllyn Railway
Talyllyn Railway
The Talyllyn Railway is a narrow-gauge preserved railway in Wales running for from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1866 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, and was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain...
in Tywyn, Wales. See the List of Talyllyn Railway rolling stock for more details. The engine ran for some years under the guise of Duncan, depicted by painting the engine in red livery with a face wearing a Scottish cap. This ended in 2007 when the engine was withdrawn for major overhaul.