Rheneas is a fiction

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 locomotive

Locomotive

A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...

 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...

 by Rev. W. Awdry

W.V. Awdry

Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...

 and the children's TV series Thomas and Friends. He is one of the oldest 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:...

. Rheneas 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...

 as Engine No.2, and is known as the "Gallant Old Engine" because he saved the railway from closure.

Railway Series history

He arrived shortly after his brother Skarloey, and was the more sensible of the two engines. He was a hard worker right from the start, and when Skarloey became too ill to work, he took charge of the line on his own. It was at this time that he saved the railway when he took a train full of passengers home despite being badly hurt. When Sir Handel and Peter Sam arrived, the Thin Controller was able to send him away for repairs. He returned better than ever, and these days he mainly pulls passenger trains. In 1965, he celebrated his hundredth birthday with Skarloey, both of whom are nearing the ripe old age of 150 by now.

Rheneas in the TV series

Rheneas was introduced in Season 4

Thomas and Friends - Season 4

Thomas and Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry....

 of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends

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...

. He is a minor character, and he only spoke in one episode of the 1995 series. He played small roles in Seasons 5 and 6, and had two major roles in Season 7.

When Rheneas returned to the series in 2005 after an absence in Season 8, he was depicted with a more childlike attitude. His first major role of the new series, Rheneas and the Dinosaur featured him and Skarloey having a dispute when Rheneas gets to pull a dinosaur skeleton, but can't manage on his own. It should also be noted that Skarloey and Rheneas have never been referred to as brothers in the TV adaptation, being called "friends" in the more recent episodes.

In the Japanese version of Seasons 4-7, Rheneas was voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu

Ryotaro Okiayu

is a Japanese voice actor, who was born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, and raised in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. He has been active since 1989, and is currently affiliated with Aoni Production....

. His new voice actor in Season 9 is Daiki Nakamura

Daiki Nakamura

is a Japanese voice actor and member of 81 Produce.-Anime:* The Brave Express Might Gaine * Colorful * Cromartie High School * Grandpa Danger...

.
He is set to be voiced by Ben Small

Ben Small

Benjamin Small , is a British character actor and voice actor.Small provided the voice of Thomas in the later episodes of the children's television series Thomas and Friends....

 (UK/USA) in the CGI version of the series from Spring 2012 onward.

Merchandising

Commercial models of Rheneas character

Model range	Type	Color
Ertl	die-cast metal	Normal and Metallic
Take Along/Take n Play	die-cast metal	Normal
Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway	wood	Normal
TrackMaster	plastic motorized	Normal & "Greatest Moments"

Prototype

Rheneas is based on the 1866-built locomotive Dolgoch

Dolgoch (locomotive)

Dolgoch is a narrow gauge 0-4-0 well tank steam locomotive. It was built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. in 1866 and is one of the oldest locomotives still in active service. It was delivered to the Talyllyn Railway in 1866 and continues to run on this railway....

 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...

.