Minor characters in The Railway Series
Encyclopedia
The Railway Series
by the Reverend W. V. Awdry and Christopher Awdry
is populated with many and varied characters. Some of these had only a few stories or pages devoted to them and, as such, they cannot be regarded as 'major' characters.
This page lists and profiles these characters using the same categories as the sister page, Major characters in The Railway Series
.
railway track. They comprise the majority of Engines on the Island of Sodor.
when that engine worked on the London and North Eastern Railway
. The J15 was dirty and badly maintained, and suffered from steam leaks which made it hard for him to pull trains. (This poor condition has led to its nickname among fans: "The Old Engine"., even though it specifically says that he was younger than Toby.)
'Austerity' Class tank engine
, painted rusty reddish-brown with black and yellow hazard stripes.
In the book Wilbert the Forest Engine, Wilbert (another Austerity) told a story about Sixteen, in which Sixteen worked in a steelworks and spent all day shunting trucks full of slag
to take to a place called the 'tip' – a huge pile of waste. Engines were not allowed to travel along the track on the tip itself, as it was not firm enough to take their weight. However, one day Sixteen wished to be insolent, and told the trucks to drag him past the board. The ground beneath him gave way and he rolled down an embankment
. He was rescued but not repaired, and remained in storage until bought by a preservation society, and he now works somewhere in the Midlands.
J1 2-4-2T tank engine with a yellow FR on him who worked on the Lakeside branch, as seen in the book Thomas and Victoria, where his two coaches are Victoria and Helena. He is involved in an incident where snow falls on him as he sets off with gusto from Haverthwaite station
which teaches him to take more care in wintry conditions.
The J1 class was rebuilt from the earlier E1 class of 2-4-0
tender engines of 1870-82, which were built originally by Sharp, Stewart & Co. Seven of these were rebuilt into J1s in 1891.
and comprises only four-wheel fish vans. The train features directly, or indirectly, in a number of stories in The Railway Series
, and Henry is very proud to be responsible for such an important duty.
The Flying Kipper first features in Henry the Green Engine. It is a very snowy night, and a build-up of ice prevents a semaphore signal from returning to 'danger'. Unaware that the points ahead have frozen and are set the wrong way, Henry passes the signal and crashes into the back of a goods train, which had been shunted into a siding to let him pass. This is a significant incident in the story of Henry since it meant he was sent to Crewe
to be repaired and modified, and came back literally 'a different engine'.
The train featured again in the book Really Useful Engines. Railway regulations state that all trains must carry a red light on the last vehicle, so signalmen know that the train is complete. In this story, Duck
is being the banker
for Henry as he tackles Gordon's Hill. Henry manages to pull ahead, but Duck's driver cannot see the tail lamp on the 'Kipper', and, as it is a very dark night, he is caught out when Henry slows down at the top of the hill – with the result that Duck crashes into the back of the train.
Duck is clearly shown to crash into a van, so by the time of that story the 'Kipper' was running as a 'fully fitted' train (i.e. every van fitted with vacuum brake
s), hence not requiring a brake van
. The illustrations for the earlier stories give no clues whether a brake van is used or not, but in all cases the engine pulling the train shows the correct 'Class 4' headlamp code to indicate an express freight service.
The Flying Kipper makes another appearance during Henry
's next major overhaul. In Henry and the Express, it is James
who is asked to pull the train. After an incident where some crates are dropped on the track and James is splattered with fish oil, James comments that he hated The Flying Kipper because "you can't get the smell off your tender for weeks".
who appeared in book 15, The Twin Engines, in the story 'Break Van'. He took a dislike to Douglas
and delayed his trains until Donald
told him off. Later, he held James
's train back and Douglas had to help push the train up a steep hill. However, Douglas's efforts crushed the brake van into pieces, and subsequently it was not rebuilt.
The illustrations are based on a standard LNER
brake van type.
originally from the Great Western Railway
. She has always worked with Oliver, and escaped with him and Toad to Sodor
. She now works with him on Duck's
branch line.
Her name comes from the fact that there "is a bell" on her, which she rings when she is happy. She travels coupled behind Oliver. When he is pushing ('propelling') her, he cannot see ahead, and so Isabel looks out for him.
When the Fat Controller
reopened Duck's branch line, he had Isabel refurbished and bought three other autocoaches. One, Dulcie, runs with Oliver and Isabel. The other two, Alice and Mirabel, run with Duck.
Oliver once sang of Isabel and Dulcie, "If I did not look after them, they'd not know what to do." In fact, the opposite seems far more likely!
The coaches first appeared in Enterprising Engines.
who was rescued by Douglas
at the same time as Oliver and Isabel. In gratitude, he became Douglas' brake van. Unusually among the trucks, he is well-behaved and always has the greatest respect for engines and the orderly running of the railway. He always refers to engines as "Mr", calling Oliver "Mr Oliver" and Douglas "Mr Douglas".
His name comes from the fact that, on the Great Western Railway, brake vans were known by the telegraph code "Toad".
about the accident. However, Toad the brake van (see above) had a plan to control the trucks, giving Oliver guidance on marshalling them two by two and Scruffey last and making sure he had sand on the rails to give him a good grip. When Scruffey told the other trucks to hold back he was pulled apart between them and Oliver. This wasn't so much a result of Oliver's strength as the fact that Scruffey suffered from rot
ten wood and rust
y frames, and would probably have fallen apart anyway. This fact was kept from the other trucks, who now believe Oliver to be extremely strong, and not an engine to be antagonised.
He only ever appeared in Oliver the Western Engine in the story 'Toad Stands By', as he was scrapped as a pile of broken parts- although he was rebuilt with a new body in the TV series.
4-wheeled coach, who was formerly used on the Lakeside branch, in conjunction with Albert (an engine) and Helena, an identical coach. After she became obsolete, she moved to Sodor and became a summerhouse in a garden near Elsbridge station on Thomas's branch line. Discovered by Thomas' driver, it was decided that she could be restored and used on the tramway from Ffarquhar
to Anopha Quarry, to help Toby
and Henrietta. She also helps Thomas
, Annie and Clarabel
on busy days, too.
It appears that she is based on a 4-wheeled coach dating from 1882. As there is no evidence of this type recorded in use post-grouping, it seems likely that she moved to Sodor before 1923.
4-wheeled coach, who is identical to Victoria.
Steam engines
Diesel engines
railways. There are three narrow gauge lines on Sodor : the Culdee Fell Railway
( gauge); and the Mid-Sodor
and Skarloey Railway
s (both gauge).
Ivo Hugh was named after the Chief Mechanical Engineer for the Skarloey Railway
, and the naming of the engine was an idea by both all the engines on the Island of Sodor
and the Director of the Railway, The Thin Controller. He is engine number 7 on the Skarloey Railway
.
Ivo Hugh is based on 0-4-2
tank locomotive No. 7 Tom Rolt, of the Talyllyn Railway
in Wales
.
Duke is the third-oldest engine on the island, after Skarloey
(1864) and Rheneas
(1865). He is a "George England
"-type 0-4-0
tender/saddle tank locomotive. He was built at Boston Lodge
in 1879, to the order of the Earl of Sodor, for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway
(MSR) in 1880. The MSR Directors named him Duke in honour of the Earl, who was the company Chairman.
Duke was MSR engine number 1, and was painted in a brown livery. He is the only narrow gauge engine to have a tender, and, like the other MSR engines, has no buffers (in order to prevent buffers locking together on tight curves)
Being the oldest engine on the line, Duke liked everything to be "just so". Whenever something displeased him he would utter his catchphrase, "That would never suit His Grace". These characteristics prompted the other MSR engines, Falcon and Stuart, to give him the nickname "Granpuff", although secretly they had great respect for him.
When the assets of the Mid Sodor Railway were sold off after its closure in 1947, Duke was considered to be too old. Unsold, he was left oiled, greased, and tarpaulined in his shed. This was subsequently buried by a landslide, leaving Duke almost forgotten. Following his rediscovery in 1969 by the Fat Clergyman, the Thin Clergyman and the Small Controller (see the book Duke the Lost Engine), he was restored by the Skarloey Railway
to be their 'number 8', although he still carries his MSR brown livery, rather than the red used on the other steam engines.
Duke first appeared in the book Duke the Lost Engine. His restoration was completed in Great Little Engines and he appeared in the illustrations of New Little Engine.
Prince, an older engine to the same design as Duke, may be seen working at the Ffestiniog Railway
, and Rev. W. Awdry acknowledges in the foreword to Duke the Lost Engine that this is the basis of the character.
working on the Skarloey Railway
. So far he has only had a brief mention in one story in the book New Little Engine. The book Sodor: Reading Between the Lines elaborates a little further, stating that the Skarloey Railway bought two worn out Hunslet
diesels from the National Coal Board
. Using parts from both engines, they constructed Fred.
He is the Skarloey Railway's number 9. Nothing is known about his personality.
Fred is based on the locomotive Alf, which works at the Talyllyn Railway
in Wales
.
carriages numbers 1 to 4.
Beatrice is a guard's van, usually coupled behind Agnes, Ruth, Lucy and Jemima. Like them, she is named after one of Sir Handel Brown's daughters. The coaches look down on her, and claim that she "smells of fish and cheese". She is, however, very useful. She has a ticket booth and an emergency buzzer, and sometimes even carries passengers when the coaches are full. She too has appeared in every Skarloey Railway-centred volume. Her real-life equivalent is the Talyllyn Railway
brake van number 5.
She is based on the Corris Railway
brake van which transferred to the Talyllyn Railway
in 1951 and became their number 6.
that run on the Talyllyn Railway
which are numbers 11, 12 & 13, which have since been rebuilt with roofs.
numbers 9 and 10, which were originally constructed by the railway using bought-in frames (and known as the "cardboard coaches"), but later re-bodied using pre-manufactured bodies.
They first appeared in The Little Old Engine.
(or the Small Railway) is the miniature railway on Sodor. With a gauge of only – just over half the width of the narrow gauge railways – this line could be regarded as a minimum gauge railway
.
engine City of Truro visits the Island of Sodor, at the beginning of Duck and the Diesel Engine (volume 13 of The Railway Series
), with a special train for the 'Railway Society'.
Duck
talks 'Great Western' all night with City of Truro, which makes Duck very proud of his GW ancestry, much to the annoyance of the other engines.
He is mentioned in Thomas and the Great Railway Show as one of the engines Thomas meets at the National Railway Museum
.
City of Truro also appears in the TV Series
, albeit in a rather less significant role.
A1 Class
'Terrier' 0-6-0
T tank locomotive
. He appears in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine (vol 18 of the Railway Series) on a visit from the Bluebell Railway
.
Stepney is named after the area of London (Stepney
). Many of the Terrier locomotives were named after similar areas. Stepney is painted in the attractive yellow ochre
locomotive livery of the LB&SCR, perversely called Stroudley's Improved Engine Green.
Following adventures with a 'Special' (train) and a cricket match, Stepney is asked to help Duck
pull diesel D4711's train, after the diesel has inhaled the Inspector's bowler hat
. It is at the beginning of this journey that Stepney gives Duck his advice about using sand to get a good start, referred to in later books in the series: "...as they backed down, they dropped sand on the rails, rolling it firm with their wheels"
The Rev W. Awdry originally wrote Stepney into the series as a means of publicising the Bluebell Railway, and encouraging readers to support the fledgling railway preservation movement in the UK.
Stepney also appears in the TV Series
, although his story is somewhat different from that in the books.
– were only mentioned in the story 'Stepney's Special', from the 18th volume of The Railway Series
, Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine. These engines are Bluebell, Primrose, Adams, Cromford and Captain Baxter.
is given a major role in the 23rd book of the series, Enterprising Engines.
Henry
becomes jealous of Flying Scotsman's two tenders, and comes unstuck when he tries to copy by towing a line of old tenders used for storing boiler sludge.
Flying Scotsman appears once in the TV Series, though only his two tenders are seen.
, Thomas and the Great Railway Show, Thomas is sent to the National Railway Museum
in York
as a representative of Sodor. Among the real engines he meets there are Rocket
, Green Arrow
, Boxhill
, Iron Duke
, Mallard
and Duchess of Hamilton
.
when they were overworked, but when Percy
was involved in an accident with some porridge
, he was brought to Thomas' branch line. Whilst here he told them a story about an engine called Sixteen and drank quite a lot of milk
at the dairy. Once Percy was mended Wilbert went onto Duck's branch line for a bit and then he returned home.
Wilbert is a Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
that is based on the Dean Forest Railway
. The real engine was named after the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and is currently out of service awaiting an overhaul. His number is 3806.
George is based on an Aveling and Porter
steamroller
owned by the Rev. W. Awdry's friend Rev. 'Teddy' Boston
, who also owned the traction engine
on which Trevor the Traction Engine
is believed to be based.
He appears in Gallant Old Engine and Thomas Comes Home.
George also appears in the TV Series, see George the Steamroller (TV Series).
. We first meet her when she has to chase Stepney after he chuffed away with the cricketers' ball, which landed in one of his trucks. Caroline did not like that at all, because she has a sensitive engine, which will easily overheat or break down when she exceeds her usual speed. Although she used to think steam engines were silly, she admitted that "they have their uses" after Stepney was able to help her home. She always refers to her driver as "Master".
Caroline appears to be based on a Morris Oxford
.
She appeared in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine.
who hated railways and had very left wing political views. He tried to steal Duck and Oliver's passengers by pretending to be a railway bus, but ran into trouble with his attempt at a shortcut – he got stuck under a low bridge. His lies never improved, and eventually people would not even believe his destination boards. He is now a henhouse by Duck's branch line.
He appeared in Oliver the Western Engine.
who carried stone. He liked nothing more than making life difficult for the engines and trucks, sometimes even blaming them for his mistakes. He got his comeuppance one day when a row of trucks came off the end of his quay and landed in his hold, causing him to sink. After this, he was towed to a nearby beach
and is now played upon by children.
He appeared in Toby, Trucks and Trouble.
from an accident by warning him of a landslide.
's Fireman and is named in the introduction to Edward the Blue Engine in which he is regularly named not just as "Edward's Fireman" but as Sid in conversations between Charlie Sand, Edward's Driver.
's Driver and is named in the introduction to Edward the Blue Engine in which he is regularly named not just as "Edward's Driver" but as Charlie in conversations with Sidney Hever, Edward's Fireman.
, at least until Trevor is sent to the scrapyard, and there sold to the Vicar of Wellsworth, the Rev'd Charles Laxey (in the story Saved from Scrap, in Edward the Blue Engine). Christopher Awdry noted that, although the books do not specifically say as much, it is a safe assumption that, after the purchase, the vicar continued to employ Jem's services when a driver for Trevor was required.
for the manager of the Skarloey Railway
.
. He first appears in the book Small Railway Engines.
, a well-known railway enthusiast and traction engine
owner.
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...
by the Reverend W. V. Awdry and Christopher Awdry
Christopher Awdry
Christopher Awdry is an English author best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, the Rev. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
is populated with many and varied characters. Some of these had only a few stories or pages devoted to them and, as such, they cannot be regarded as 'major' characters.
This page lists and profiles these characters using the same categories as the sister page, Major characters in The Railway Series
Major characters in The Railway Series
Many characters have appeared in the books of The Railway Series by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry and Christopher Awdry, and in the spin-off television series, Thomas and Friends.This article profiles the most significant characters of the series...
.
Standard gauge engines
These are the characters that run on standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway track. They comprise the majority of Engines on the Island of Sodor.
LNER Class J15
An unnamed LNER Class J15 appears in the book Toby, Trucks and Trouble. He was rescued by TobyToby the Tram Engine
Toby the Tram Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tram engine in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and his son, Christopher; he also appears in the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends...
when that engine worked on the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
. The J15 was dirty and badly maintained, and suffered from steam leaks which made it hard for him to pull trains. (This poor condition has led to its nickname among fans: "The Old Engine"., even though it specifically says that he was younger than Toby.)
Sixteen
Sixteen is a HunsletHunslet Engine Company
The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for...
'Austerity' Class tank engine
Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
The Hunslet Engine Company Austerity 0-6-0ST is a steam locomotive designed for shunting. The class became the standard British shunting locomotive during the Second World War, and production continued until 1964 at various locomotive manufacturers....
, painted rusty reddish-brown with black and yellow hazard stripes.
In the book Wilbert the Forest Engine, Wilbert (another Austerity) told a story about Sixteen, in which Sixteen worked in a steelworks and spent all day shunting trucks full of slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
to take to a place called the 'tip' – a huge pile of waste. Engines were not allowed to travel along the track on the tip itself, as it was not firm enough to take their weight. However, one day Sixteen wished to be insolent, and told the trucks to drag him past the board. The ground beneath him gave way and he rolled down an embankment
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
. He was rescued but not repaired, and remained in storage until bought by a preservation society, and he now works somewhere in the Midlands.
Albert
Albert is a red Furness RailwayFurness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
J1 2-4-2T tank engine with a yellow FR on him who worked on the Lakeside branch, as seen in the book Thomas and Victoria, where his two coaches are Victoria and Helena. He is involved in an incident where snow falls on him as he sets off with gusto from Haverthwaite station
Haverthwaite railway station
Haverthwaite railway station is a railway station on the preserved Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway.-History:The station opened on the 1 June 1869, with sidings and a goods shed....
which teaches him to take more care in wintry conditions.
The J1 class was rebuilt from the earlier E1 class of 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
tender engines of 1870-82, which were built originally by Sharp, Stewart & Co. Seven of these were rebuilt into J1s in 1891.
The Flying Kipper
The Flying Kipper is an overnight express freight train carrying fish from Tidmouth docks to London and elsewhere on the mainland. The train is usually pulled by HenryHenry the Green Engine
Henry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
and comprises only four-wheel fish vans. The train features directly, or indirectly, in a number of stories in 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...
, and Henry is very proud to be responsible for such an important duty.
The Flying Kipper first features in Henry the Green Engine. It is a very snowy night, and a build-up of ice prevents a semaphore signal from returning to 'danger'. Unaware that the points ahead have frozen and are set the wrong way, Henry passes the signal and crashes into the back of a goods train, which had been shunted into a siding to let him pass. This is a significant incident in the story of Henry since it meant he was sent to Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
to be repaired and modified, and came back literally 'a different engine'.
The train featured again in the book Really Useful Engines. Railway regulations state that all trains must carry a red light on the last vehicle, so signalmen know that the train is complete. In this story, Duck
Duck the Great Western Engine
Duck the Great Western Engine is a fictional steam engine from The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends. He is a green 0-6-0 pannier tank locomotive and lives and works on the Island of Sodor....
is being the banker
Bank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
for Henry as he tackles Gordon's Hill. Henry manages to pull ahead, but Duck's driver cannot see the tail lamp on the 'Kipper', and, as it is a very dark night, he is caught out when Henry slows down at the top of the hill – with the result that Duck crashes into the back of the train.
Duck is clearly shown to crash into a van, so by the time of that story the 'Kipper' was running as a 'fully fitted' train (i.e. every van fitted with vacuum brake
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
s), hence not requiring a brake van
Brake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard...
. The illustrations for the earlier stories give no clues whether a brake van is used or not, but in all cases the engine pulling the train shows the correct 'Class 4' headlamp code to indicate an express freight service.
The Flying Kipper makes another appearance during Henry
Henry the Green Engine
Henry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
's next major overhaul. In Henry and the Express, it is James
James the Red Engine
James the Red Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. James is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he is just as capable of pulling coaches as trucks...
who is asked to pull the train. After an incident where some crates are dropped on the track and James is splattered with fish oil, James comments that he hated The Flying Kipper because "you can't get the smell off your tender for weeks".
The Spiteful Brakevan
The Spiteful Brakevan is a brake vanBrake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard...
who appeared in book 15, The Twin Engines, in the story 'Break Van'. He took a dislike to Douglas
Donald and Douglas
Donald and Douglas are two fictional steam locomotives from The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry. They also appear in Thomas and Friends, the television series based on the books...
and delayed his trains until Donald
Donald and Douglas
Donald and Douglas are two fictional steam locomotives from The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry. They also appear in Thomas and Friends, the television series based on the books...
told him off. Later, he held James
James the Red Engine
James the Red Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. James is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he is just as capable of pulling coaches as trucks...
's train back and Douglas had to help push the train up a steep hill. However, Douglas's efforts crushed the brake van into pieces, and subsequently it was not rebuilt.
The illustrations are based on a standard LNER
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
brake van type.
Isabel, Dulcie, Alice and Mirabel
Isabel is an autocoachGWR Autocoach
The GWR Autocoach is a type of coach that was used by the Great Western Railway for push-pull trains powered by a steam locomotive. The distinguishing design feature of an autocoach is the driving cab at one end, allowing the driver to control the train without needing to be located in the cab of...
originally from the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
. She has always worked with Oliver, and escaped with him and Toad to 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:...
. She now works with him on Duck's
Duck the Great Western Engine
Duck the Great Western Engine is a fictional steam engine from The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends. He is a green 0-6-0 pannier tank locomotive and lives and works on the Island of Sodor....
branch line.
Her name comes from the fact that there "is a bell" on her, which she rings when she is happy. She travels coupled behind Oliver. When he is pushing ('propelling') her, he cannot see ahead, and so Isabel looks out for him.
When the Fat Controller
The Fat Controller
The Fat Controller is the head of the railway in The Railway Series of books written by the Rev. W. V. Awdry. In the first two books in the series he is known as The Fat Director...
reopened Duck's branch line, he had Isabel refurbished and bought three other autocoaches. One, Dulcie, runs with Oliver and Isabel. The other two, Alice and Mirabel, run with Duck.
Oliver once sang of Isabel and Dulcie, "If I did not look after them, they'd not know what to do." In fact, the opposite seems far more likely!
The coaches first appeared in Enterprising Engines.
Toad the Brake Van
Toad the Brake Van is a 20-ton brake van from the Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
who was rescued by Douglas
Donald and Douglas
Donald and Douglas are two fictional steam locomotives from The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry. They also appear in Thomas and Friends, the television series based on the books...
at the same time as Oliver and Isabel. In gratitude, he became Douglas' brake van. Unusually among the trucks, he is well-behaved and always has the greatest respect for engines and the orderly running of the railway. He always refers to engines as "Mr", calling Oliver "Mr Oliver" and Douglas "Mr Douglas".
His name comes from the fact that, on the Great Western Railway, brake vans were known by the telegraph code "Toad".
Scruffey
Scruffey was a Private-Owner ballast truck owned by one S. C. Ruffey and based at Tidmouth. After Oliver had been pushed down a turntable well by trucks, Scruffey led the other trucks in singing rude songsPop Goes the Weasel
"Pop! Goes the Weasel" is an English language nursery rhyme and singing game. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 5249.-Lyrics:There are many different versions of the lyrics to the song...
about the accident. However, Toad the brake van (see above) had a plan to control the trucks, giving Oliver guidance on marshalling them two by two and Scruffey last and making sure he had sand on the rails to give him a good grip. When Scruffey told the other trucks to hold back he was pulled apart between them and Oliver. This wasn't so much a result of Oliver's strength as the fact that Scruffey suffered from rot
ROT
The aviation term ROT stands for rate one turn, also known as a standard rate turn. All aircraft must be able to perform a standard rate turn....
ten wood and rust
Rust
Rust is a general term for a series of iron oxides. In colloquial usage, the term is applied to red oxides, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture...
y frames, and would probably have fallen apart anyway. This fact was kept from the other trucks, who now believe Oliver to be extremely strong, and not an engine to be antagonised.
He only ever appeared in Oliver the Western Engine in the story 'Toad Stands By', as he was scrapped as a pile of broken parts- although he was rebuilt with a new body in the TV series.
Victoria
Victoria is a vintage Furness RailwayFurness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
4-wheeled coach, who was formerly used on the Lakeside branch, in conjunction with Albert (an engine) and Helena, an identical coach. After she became obsolete, she moved to Sodor and became a summerhouse in a garden near Elsbridge station on Thomas's branch line. Discovered by Thomas' driver, it was decided that she could be restored and used on the tramway from Ffarquhar
Ffarquhar
Ffarquhar is a fictional town or village on the equally fictional Island of Sodor in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends children's TV series and in Reverend W. Awdry's The Railway Series books on which the TV series was based....
to Anopha Quarry, to help Toby
Toby the Tram Engine
Toby the Tram Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tram engine in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and his son, Christopher; he also appears in the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends...
and Henrietta. She also helps Thomas
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
, Annie and Clarabel
Annie and Clarabel
Annie and Clarabel are fictional characters from The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and the related Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends television series...
on busy days, too.
It appears that she is based on a 4-wheeled coach dating from 1882. As there is no evidence of this type recorded in use post-grouping, it seems likely that she moved to Sodor before 1923.
Helena
Helena is a Furness RailwayFurness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
4-wheeled coach, who is identical to Victoria.
The Other Railway engines
----Steam engines
- The Foreign Engine (Big City Engine)
- Jinty & Pug
Diesel engines
- The Diesel
- D199/199 Diesel/Spamcan
- Old Stuck Up
- The "Works Diesel"
Narrow gauge engines
As the name implies, narrow gauge railways have their rails closer together than standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railways. There are three narrow gauge lines on Sodor : the Culdee Fell Railway
Culdee Fell Railway
The Culdee Fell Railway is a fictional narrow gauge rack and pinion railway appearing in the book Mountain Engines written by the Rev. W. Awdry. The stories are based on incidents in the history of the Snowdon Mountain Railway....
( gauge); and the Mid-Sodor
Mid Sodor Railway
The Mid Sodor Railway is a fictional narrow gauge railway on the Island of Sodor in The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev.W.Awdry and Christopher Awdry. The railway was closed in 1947, but three of its engines survive on the Skarloey Railway...
and 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...
s (both gauge).
Culdee Fell Railway
----- Godred
- Ernest
- Wilfred
- Culdee
- Shane Dooiney
- Lord Harry / Patrick (at end of book)
- Alaric
- Eric
- Rolling Stock:
- Catherine
- The Truck
Mid Sodor Railway
----- Duke
- Falcon
- Stuart
- Stanley
Skarloey Railway engines
----- For the other Skarloey Engines, see Major Skarloey Engines
Ivo Hugh
Ivo Hugh first appeared in the final story of Volume 40 (New Little Engine), 'I Name This Engine', when his name was revealed.Ivo Hugh was named after the Chief Mechanical Engineer for 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...
, and the naming of the engine was an idea by both all the engines 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:...
and the Director of the Railway, The Thin Controller. He is engine number 7 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...
.
Ivo Hugh is based on 0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
tank locomotive No. 7 Tom Rolt, of 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 Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Duke
- For the TV Series character, see: Duke (TV series)
Duke is the third-oldest engine on the island, after Skarloey
Skarloey
Skarloey is a fictional locomotive from The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry. He is one of the oldest engines on the Island of Sodor. Skarloey lives and works on the Skarloey Railway as Engine No.1.-Railway Series history:...
(1864) and Rheneas
Rheneas
Rheneas is a fictional locomotive from The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry and the children's TV series Thomas and Friends. He is one of the oldest engines on the Island of Sodor...
(1865). He is a "George England
George England
George England and Co. was an early English manufacturer of steam locomotives founded by the engineer George England of Newcastle upon Tyne...
"-type 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
tender/saddle tank locomotive. He was built at Boston Lodge
Boston Lodge
This article is about the locomotive works. For the station see Boston Lodge Halt.Boston Lodge is situated at Penrhyn Isa, Minffordd, Penrhyndeudraeth, on the A487 road about 1 mile SE across the Afon Glaslyn causeway from Porthmadog, Gwynedd in north-west Wales.It has a station on the Ffestiniog...
in 1879, to the order of the Earl of Sodor, for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway
Mid Sodor Railway
The Mid Sodor Railway is a fictional narrow gauge railway on the Island of Sodor in The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev.W.Awdry and Christopher Awdry. The railway was closed in 1947, but three of its engines survive on the Skarloey Railway...
(MSR) in 1880. The MSR Directors named him Duke in honour of the Earl, who was the company Chairman.
Duke was MSR engine number 1, and was painted in a brown livery. He is the only narrow gauge engine to have a tender, and, like the other MSR engines, has no buffers (in order to prevent buffers locking together on tight curves)
Being the oldest engine on the line, Duke liked everything to be "just so". Whenever something displeased him he would utter his catchphrase, "That would never suit His Grace". These characteristics prompted the other MSR engines, Falcon and Stuart, to give him the nickname "Granpuff", although secretly they had great respect for him.
When the assets of the Mid Sodor Railway were sold off after its closure in 1947, Duke was considered to be too old. Unsold, he was left oiled, greased, and tarpaulined in his shed. This was subsequently buried by a landslide, leaving Duke almost forgotten. Following his rediscovery in 1969 by the Fat Clergyman, the Thin Clergyman and the Small Controller (see the book Duke the Lost Engine), he was restored by 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...
to be their 'number 8', although he still carries his MSR brown livery, rather than the red used on the other steam engines.
Duke first appeared in the book Duke the Lost Engine. His restoration was completed in Great Little Engines and he appeared in the illustrations of New Little Engine.
Prince, an older engine to the same design as Duke, may be seen working at the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
, and Rev. W. Awdry acknowledges in the foreword to Duke the Lost Engine that this is the basis of the character.
Fred
Fred is a dieselDiesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
working 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...
. So far he has only had a brief mention in one story in the book New Little Engine. The book Sodor: Reading Between the Lines elaborates a little further, stating that the Skarloey Railway bought two worn out Hunslet
Hunslet Engine Company
The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for...
diesels from the National Coal Board
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
. Using parts from both engines, they constructed Fred.
He is the Skarloey Railway's number 9. Nothing is known about his personality.
Fred is based on the locomotive Alf, which works at 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 Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice
These four coaches have served the Skarloey Railway, and are named after Sir Handel Brown's daughters. Sir Handel the engine, however, referred to them as "cattle trucks", which made him very unpopular with them. Agnes is a first class carriage, and looks down on the others, who are third class. She appears to be their leader, and has a deep voice. They first appeared in Four Little Engines, and have appeared in every Skarloey Railway-centred volume since. Their real-life equivalents are the Talyllyn RailwayTalyllyn 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...
carriages numbers 1 to 4.
Beatrice is a guard's van, usually coupled behind Agnes, Ruth, Lucy and Jemima. Like them, she is named after one of Sir Handel Brown's daughters. The coaches look down on her, and claim that she "smells of fish and cheese". She is, however, very useful. She has a ticket booth and an emergency buzzer, and sometimes even carries passengers when the coaches are full. She too has appeared in every Skarloey Railway-centred volume. Her real-life equivalent is 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...
brake van number 5.
Cora
Cora is another guard's van. She came from the Mid Sodor Railway (MSR) in The Little Old Engine and, unlike Beatrice, earns her keep on maintenance and goods trains. Peter Sam likes her best, for she was his guard's van on the MSR.She is based on the Corris Railway
Corris Railway
The Corris Railway is a narrow gauge preserved railway based in Corris on the border between Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire in Mid-Wales....
brake van which transferred to 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 1951 and became their number 6.
Ada, Jane and Mabel
Three open carriages. They came in the book The Little Old Engine. They were originally designed for carrying quarry workers, but are now used for tourist traffic. Since their arrival, they have had roofs fitted. They were once honoured to be used by a television crew filming on the railway. Their real-life equivalents were carriages from the Penrhyn Quarry RailwayPenrhyn Quarry Railway
The Penrhyn Quarry Railway first opened in 1798 as the Llandegai Tramway; it became the Penrhyn Railway in 1801 although on a different route. Constructed to transport slate from Lord Penrhyn's slate quarries at Bethesda to Port Penrhyn at Bangor, Wales. The railway was around six miles long...
that run 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...
which are numbers 11, 12 & 13, which have since been rebuilt with roofs.
Gertrude and Millicent
Sir Handel considered Gertrude and Millicent the only 'proper' coaches on the Skarloey Railway. Unlike the other coaches, they run smoothly on bogies. As a result, Sir Handel is always trying to take them out. Their real-life equivalents are Talyllyn RailwayTalyllyn 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...
numbers 9 and 10, which were originally constructed by the railway using bought-in frames (and known as the "cardboard coaches"), but later re-bodied using pre-manufactured bodies.
They first appeared in The Little Old Engine.
Miniature railway engines
The Arlesdale RailwayArlesdale Railway
The Arlesdale Railway, more commonly known as the Small Railway, is a fictional railway on the Island of Sodor from the Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry....
(or the Small Railway) is the miniature railway on Sodor. With a gauge of only – just over half the width of the narrow gauge railways – this line could be regarded as a minimum gauge railway
Minimum gauge railway
Minimum gauge railways have a gauge of less than or , most commonly , , or . The notion of minimum gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways and by the French company of Decauville for industrial railways....
.
Arlesdale Railway
- Main article: see Arlesdale Railway Locomotives
- Mike, Rex and Bert – the original steam engines brought over from the mainland
- Jock – a new steam engine, built at the railway
- Frank – a diesel engine
City of Truro
The famous GWRGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
engine City of Truro visits the Island of Sodor, at the beginning of Duck and the Diesel Engine (volume 13 of 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...
), with a special train for the 'Railway Society'.
Duck
Duck the Great Western Engine
Duck the Great Western Engine is a fictional steam engine from The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends. He is a green 0-6-0 pannier tank locomotive and lives and works on the Island of Sodor....
talks 'Great Western' all night with City of Truro, which makes Duck very proud of his GW ancestry, much to the annoyance of the other engines.
He is mentioned in Thomas and the Great Railway Show as one of the engines Thomas meets at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
.
City of Truro also appears in the TV Series
Thomas 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...
, albeit in a rather less significant role.
Stepney
Stepney is a London, Brighton and South Coast RailwayLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
A1 Class
LB&SCR A1 Class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway A1 Class is an English class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive. Designed by William Stroudley, 50 members of the class were built in 1872 and between 1874 and 1880, all at Brighton Works. The class have received several nicknames, initially being known as...
'Terrier' 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T tank locomotive
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
. He appears in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine (vol 18 of the Railway Series) on a visit from the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
.
Stepney is named after the area of London (Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
). Many of the Terrier locomotives were named after similar areas. Stepney is painted in the attractive yellow ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
locomotive livery of the LB&SCR, perversely called Stroudley's Improved Engine Green.
Following adventures with a 'Special' (train) and a cricket match, Stepney is asked to help Duck
Duck the Great Western Engine
Duck the Great Western Engine is a fictional steam engine from The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends. He is a green 0-6-0 pannier tank locomotive and lives and works on the Island of Sodor....
pull diesel D4711's train, after the diesel has inhaled the Inspector's bowler hat
Bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
. It is at the beginning of this journey that Stepney gives Duck his advice about using sand to get a good start, referred to in later books in the series: "...as they backed down, they dropped sand on the rails, rolling it firm with their wheels"
The Rev W. Awdry originally wrote Stepney into the series as a means of publicising the Bluebell Railway, and encouraging readers to support the fledgling railway preservation movement in the UK.
Stepney also appears in the TV Series
Thomas 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...
, although his story is somewhat different from that in the books.
The Bluebell Engines
The 'Bluebell Engines' – steam locomotives from the Bluebell RailwayBluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
– were only mentioned in the story 'Stepney's Special', from the 18th volume of 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...
, Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine. These engines are Bluebell, Primrose, Adams, Cromford and Captain Baxter.
Flying Scotsman
Flying ScotsmanLNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley...
is given a major role in the 23rd book of the series, Enterprising Engines.
Henry
Henry the Green Engine
Henry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
becomes jealous of Flying Scotsman's two tenders, and comes unstuck when he tries to copy by towing a line of old tenders used for storing boiler sludge.
Flying Scotsman appears once in the TV Series, though only his two tenders are seen.
Engines at the National Railway Museum
In the 35th Volume of The Railway SeriesThe 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...
, Thomas and the Great Railway Show, Thomas is sent to the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
as a representative of Sodor. Among the real engines he meets there are Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the Forth Street Works of Robert Stephenson and Company in 1829.- Design innovations :...
, Green Arrow
LNER Class V2 4771 Green Arrow
The LNER Class V2 2-6-2 steam locomotive, number 4771 Green Arrow was built in June 1936 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley. The first-built and only surviving member of its class, it was designed for hauling express freight and passenger...
, Boxhill
LB&SCR A1 Class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway A1 Class is an English class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive. Designed by William Stroudley, 50 members of the class were built in 1872 and between 1874 and 1880, all at Brighton Works. The class have received several nicknames, initially being known as...
, Iron Duke
GWR Iron Duke Class
The Great Western Railway Iron Duke Class 4-2-2 was a class of broad gauge steam locomotives for express passenger train work.-History:The prototype locomotive, Great Western, was built as a 2-2-2 locomotive in April 1846, but was soon converted to a 4-2-2 arrangement...
, Mallard
LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard
Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938. While in other respects a relatively typical member of its class, it is historically significant for being the holder of the official world speed record for steam...
and Duchess of Hamilton
LMS Princess Coronation Class 6229 Duchess of Hamilton
London Midland and Scottish Railway Princess Coronation Class 6229 Duchess of Hamilton is a preserved steam locomotive.- Service :...
.
Wilbert
Wilbert the Forest Engine was brought to the railway to help Donald and DouglasDonald and Douglas
Donald and Douglas are two fictional steam locomotives from The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry. They also appear in Thomas and Friends, the television series based on the books...
when they were overworked, but when Percy
Percy the Small Engine
Percy the Small Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam engine from The Railway Series of children's books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry...
was involved in an accident with some porridge
Porridge
Porridge is a dish made by boiling oats or other cereal meals in water, milk, or both. It is usually served hot in a bowl or dish...
, he was brought to Thomas' branch line. Whilst here he told them a story about an engine called Sixteen and drank quite a lot of milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
at the dairy. Once Percy was mended Wilbert went onto Duck's branch line for a bit and then he returned home.
Wilbert is a Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
The Hunslet Engine Company Austerity 0-6-0ST is a steam locomotive designed for shunting. The class became the standard British shunting locomotive during the Second World War, and production continued until 1964 at various locomotive manufacturers....
that is based on the Dean Forest Railway
Dean Forest Railway
The Dean Forest Railway is a long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and...
. The real engine was named after the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and is currently out of service awaiting an overhaul. His number is 3806.
George
George is a grumpy steam roller and no friend to railway engines. His motto is "Railways are no good, pull them up, turn them into roads!" and enjoys doing it. He is unfriendly to all engines, even the ones who try to be pleasant towards him. He once had an accident with Sir Handel, and managed to upset Daisy by threatening to build a road over her rails and leaving a traffic cone for her to run over.George is based on an Aveling and Porter
Aveling and Porter
Aveling and Porter was a British agricultural engine and steam roller manufacturer. Thomas Aveling and Richard Thomas Porter entered into partnership in 1862, developed a steam engine three years later in 1865 and produced more steam rollers than all the other British manufacturers combined.-The...
steamroller
Steamroller
A steamroller is a form of road roller – a type of heavy construction machinery used for levelling surfaces, such as roads or airfields – that is powered by a steam engine...
owned by the Rev. W. Awdry's friend Rev. 'Teddy' Boston
Edwin Boston
The Reverend Edwin Richard Boston MA , known as Teddy Boston, was a Church of England clergyman and author. He built a narrow gauge railway in the grounds of his Rectory at Cadeby, Leicestershire, and was immortalized as the "Fat Clergyman" in The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W...
, who also owned the traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
on which Trevor the Traction Engine
Trevor the Traction Engine
Trevor the Traction Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic character from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
is believed to be based.
He appears in Gallant Old Engine and Thomas Comes Home.
George also appears in the TV Series, see George the Steamroller (TV Series).
Caroline
Caroline is an old, small motor car who belongs to the Elsbridge Cricket Team on the Island of SodorSodor (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:...
. We first meet her when she has to chase Stepney after he chuffed away with the cricketers' ball, which landed in one of his trucks. Caroline did not like that at all, because she has a sensitive engine, which will easily overheat or break down when she exceeds her usual speed. Although she used to think steam engines were silly, she admitted that "they have their uses" after Stepney was able to help her home. She always refers to her driver as "Master".
Caroline appears to be based on a Morris Oxford
Morris Oxford
After the Second World War the Oxford MO replaced the 10. It was introduced in 1948 and was produced until 1954. The design was shared with Nuffield Organisation stable-mate Wolseley 4/50....
.
She appeared in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine.
Bulgy
Bulgy was a red and cream double-decker busDouble-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
who hated railways and had very left wing political views. He tried to steal Duck and Oliver's passengers by pretending to be a railway bus, but ran into trouble with his attempt at a shortcut – he got stuck under a low bridge. His lies never improved, and eventually people would not even believe his destination boards. He is now a henhouse by Duck's branch line.
He appeared in Oliver the Western Engine.
Bulstrode
Bulstrode was a highly disagreeable bargeBarge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
who carried stone. He liked nothing more than making life difficult for the engines and trucks, sometimes even blaming them for his mistakes. He got his comeuppance one day when a row of trucks came off the end of his quay and landed in his hold, causing him to sink. After this, he was towed to a nearby beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
and is now played upon by children.
He appeared in Toby, Trucks and Trouble.
Jeremiah Jobling
Jeremiah Jobling is a passenger on James's train in the story, James and the Boot-lace. When a hole in the brake pipe causes the train to stop, James's guard asks the passengers for a leather boot-lace, so that the driver can mend the leak. Jeremiah Jobling, who wore a bowler hat (which helped to identify him in the pictures), initially hid his feet from the guard. When Jeremiah refused to hand over his leather boot-lace, the guard said the train would stay put and the other passengers told Jobling he was a 'Bad Man'. Reluctantly, Jobling then gave his laces, the driver tied a pad of newspapers tightly round the hole and James was able to pull the train.Mrs. Kyndley
The appropriately named Mrs. Kitty Kyndley appears in the books Toby the Tram Engine and Thomas' Christmas Party. She is a great friend to the engines, and once saved ThomasThomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
from an accident by warning him of a landslide.
Sidney Hever
Sidney Hever is EdwardEdward the Blue Engine
Edward the Blue Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev W. Awdry, and the related TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender engine with red stripes, about the same size as James the Red Engine, and has...
's Fireman and is named in the introduction to Edward the Blue Engine in which he is regularly named not just as "Edward's Fireman" but as Sid in conversations between Charlie Sand, Edward's Driver.
Charlie Sand
Charlie Sand is EdwardEdward the Blue Engine
Edward the Blue Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev W. Awdry, and the related TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender engine with red stripes, about the same size as James the Red Engine, and has...
's Driver and is named in the introduction to Edward the Blue Engine in which he is regularly named not just as "Edward's Driver" but as Charlie in conversations with Sidney Hever, Edward's Fireman.
Jem Cole
Jem Cole is the driver of Trevor the Traction EngineTrevor the Traction Engine
Trevor the Traction Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic character from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
, at least until Trevor is sent to the scrapyard, and there sold to the Vicar of Wellsworth, the Rev'd Charles Laxey (in the story Saved from Scrap, in Edward the Blue Engine). Christopher Awdry noted that, although the books do not specifically say as much, it is a safe assumption that, after the purchase, the vicar continued to employ Jem's services when a driver for Trevor was required.
Thin Controller
The Thin Controller is the nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
for the manager of 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...
.
Small Controller
The Small Controller is known as Mr. Fergus Duncan and works on the Arlesdale RailwayArlesdale Railway
The Arlesdale Railway, more commonly known as the Small Railway, is a fictional railway on the Island of Sodor from the Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry....
. He first appears in the book Small Railway Engines.
Nancy the Guard's Daughter
Nancy used to polish the Skarloey Railway engines, and appeared in several stories.Lord Harry Barrane
Mr. Walter Richards
Fat Clergyman
The Fat Clergyman is a portrayal of the (late) Rev. Edwin Richard 'Teddy' BostonEdwin Boston
The Reverend Edwin Richard Boston MA , known as Teddy Boston, was a Church of England clergyman and author. He built a narrow gauge railway in the grounds of his Rectory at Cadeby, Leicestershire, and was immortalized as the "Fat Clergyman" in The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W...
, a well-known railway enthusiast and traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
owner.
- See also: Cadeby Light RailwayCadeby Light RailwayThe Cadeby Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in the garden of the rectory in Cadeby, Leicestershire.In the early 1960s the Reverend Teddy Boston became rector of All Saints' Church, Cadeby. Boston was a lifelong railway enthusiast and wanted to build a miniature railway in his new garden,...
– which was in the Rev. Boston's 'back garden'. - See also: Trevor the Traction EngineTrevor the Traction EngineTrevor the Traction Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic character from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
– which was based on the Rev. Boston's own engine, "Fiery Elias".
Thin Clergyman
The Thin Clergyman is the Rev. W Awdry himself!Other humans
- Bert (Engine washer – Seen in Leaves)
- Alf (Engine washer – Seen in Leaves)
- Mrs. Last (late-arriving passenger in Four Little Engines)
- Sir Handel Brown I (Skarloey Railway Owner #1)
- Sir Handel Brown II (Skarloey Railway Owner #2)
- Mr. Ivo Hugh (Skarloey Railway Engineer)
- Patrick (Rock climber – Seen in Devil's Back)
- Mr. Mack (Skarloey Railway Controller #1)
- Mr. Bobbie (Skarloey's builder & engineer)
- Duke of Sodor (Seen in Duck 'n' Dukes)
- Bert (Porter – Seen in Buzz Buzz)
- Fred (Porter – Seen in Buzz Buzz)
- Willie (Farmer – Seen in Useful Railway)
- Mr. Crowe (Farmer – Mentioned in Ghost Train)
- New Lorry Driver (Seen in Mavis and the Lorry)
- Royal Personage (Seen in Golden Jubilee)
- Kathie & Lizzie (Talyllyn RailwayTalyllyn RailwayThe 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...
volunteers)