Minor characters in The Railway Series
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The Railway Series by Reverend W.V. Awdry and Christopher Awdry has many characters within its stories. Some of these had only a few stories or pages devoted to them and as such have not featured in the television adaptation of the series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.
This page lists and profiles these characters using the same categories as the sister page, Major characters in The Railway Series.
[edit] Standard Gauge Engines
[edit] Steam Engines
[edit] Neil
[edit] Sixteen
Sixteen is a Hunslet 'Austerity' Class tank engine. 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 to take to a place called the 'tip'. He propelled the wagons there, but engines were not allowed to enter, as the trackbed wasn't stable. However, one day he wished to be insolent, and told the trucks to drag him past the board. The shoe was on the other foot however, as 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 of Britain.
[edit] Jinty & Pug
Jinty and Pug are black steam locomotives who work on the Other Railway. They (amongst other engines) came to help out when the eight main engines went to England (in Eight Famous Engines), and practiced their work whilst the engines were still there. Jinty and Pug are revealed to be Percy's friends, and Jinty helped Thomas from his predicament. Not much is known about them, as neither of them spoke, or played important roles in the one story in which they were featured.
Jinty is based on an LMS Fowler Class 3F 0-6-0T, which were considered 'Jinties'. Pug is based on an L&YR Class 21 (aka LMS Fowler Class 0F) 0-4-0ST, which were often referred as 'Pugs', so their names are justifiable.
[edit] The Foreign Engine
The Foreign Engine, also known as the Big City Engine, appears in the story 'Gordon Goes Foreign' in The Eight Famous Engines in which he debates with Gordon and Duck over the name of 'the' terminus station at London.
The Big City Engine is a former London Midland and Scottish Railway locomotive used mainly on the Euston–Glasgow (Queen Street) route (an LMS "Patriot" 4-6-0).
[edit] The Old Engine
The Old Engine is based on the GER Class Y14 and appears in the book Toby, Trucks and Trouble. Both Toby and The Old Engine appear in LNER livery, as the GER class was renamed LNER Class J15.
[edit] Diesel Engines
[edit] D199/199 Diesel/Spamcan
D199 is a diesel locomotive based on the British Rail Class 46 1Co-Co1 design, the last of which in real life was D198.
D199 came with D7101 (later known as Bear) on a trial, and he talked about taking over the railway. He and Bear argued, and the other engines took an instant dislike to D199. One afternoon Henry the Green Engine found D199 moaning near a signalbox because he had engine trouble, and the signalman called him 'Spamcan'. He even threatened Spamcan with a can opener! Henry ended up taking his train, and D199 was soon sent away in disgrace by the Fat Controller.
He only appeared in the book Enterprising Engines.
[edit] Bear/D7101
Bear the Diesel Engine was originally known as D7101.
As described in the books, D7101 first arrived on the Island of Sodor on a trial for the Fat Controller. He was accompanied by another diesel engine, D199, who talked about taking over the railway. Later in the same story, Bear suffered from a failed ejector and had to be rescued by Henry. He befriended his rescuer, and the Fat Controller decided to give him a second chance. Bear was given a new number (D3) and a new coat of paint, and D199 was sent away in disgrace.
Bear attracted his nickname because of the sound of his engine, which is loud and gives off a growling sound he can't help. Bear was one of the latest additions to the Railway Series universe, arriving in 1967. He was based on the BR Class 35 "Hymek" B-B diesel-hydraulic locomotive, first built in 1961.
Bear mainly pulls passenger trains, and sometimes pulls the Express if Gordon is not able to do so.
Bear's number, 7101, is a subtle joke; the BR Class 35 Diesel's numbers only go up to D7100.
He first appeared in the book Enterprising Engines and has been mentioned several times since.
[edit] The Diesel/D4711
The Diesel came to Sodor to help out whilst Stepney was on the railway. He did not make a good impression on his arrival, as he told the engines that they should be scrapped and replaced by diesels like him. He soon got his comeuppance when he accidentally sucked in a Railway Inspector’s bowler hat during a maintenance check. He left soon afterwards, saying goodbye to no one.
He is based on a Class 40 diesel locomotive.
He made his one and only appearance in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine.
[edit] Old Stuck-Up
Old Stuck-Up is a blue diesel engine who once visited the Island of Sodor. He visited to help the other engines, but ended up calling them names like 'Dirty Old Smokey Things', and causing trouble. In the end, he slipped on a patch of oil left by BoCo and Bear and crashed into the engine sheds. He was sent home soon after, never to annoy and disturb the steam engines again.
Old Stuck-Up only appeared in one story, "Old Stuck-Up", in the book James and the Diesel Engines.
Old Stuck-Up is based on a British Rail Class 40 1Co-Co1 diesel.
[edit] The "Works Diesel"
This unnamed character once rescued James after a breakdown, and almost single-handedly changed the red engine's opinion on diesels. He is a friendly sort who lives at Crovan's Gate and performs odd jobs around the railway. His first appearance was in James and the Diesel Engines, his next confirmed appearance was in Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree as the engine who collected the tree from The Other Railway. He then makes a cameo in Henry and the Express, at Barrow. At first it was unclear if they were one and the same, but Christopher Awdry revealed that the diesel seen in all three books is "The Works Diesel".
He is loaned from British Rail, and is based on a Class 47 diesel.
[edit] Pip & Emma
Phillippa (Pip) and Emma make up an Intercity 125 High-Speed Diesel in The Railway Series. They often have problems with their cooling system and came to the railway when Gordon the Big Express Engine was on a journey. They soon made friends with all the engines.
They have had two appearances, one in Gordon the High-Speed Engine, and one as main characters in Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines. Following Privatisation, the Fat Controller has decided to purchase them in order to run a faster service to London.
Pip & Emma are based on a British Rail Class 43 HST that hold the world speed record for a diesel, at 148mph (238 km/h).
[edit] Rolling Stock
[edit] 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 Henry 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 (ie every van fitted with vacuum brakes), 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".
[edit] The Spiteful Brakevan
The Spiteful Brakevan took a dislike to Douglas and delayed his trains until Donald told him off. Later, he held James’ train back and Douglas had to help the train up the hill. However, Douglas crushed the brake van, which was not rebuilt. He appeared in The Twin Engines, in the story 'Break Van'.
[edit] Isabel, Dulcie, Alice and Mirabel
Isabel is an autocoach 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.
[edit] 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, Scruffey led the other trucks in singing rude songs about the accident. However, Toad the brake van (see below) had a plan, and arranged for Oliver to pull Scruffey apart. In actual fact, this wasn't so much a result of Oliver's strength as the fact that Scruffey suffered from rotten wood and rusty 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 Westrn Engine in the story 'Toad Stands By'.
[edit] Toad the Brake Van
Toad the Brake Van is a 20-ton brake van from the Great Western Railway 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".
[edit] Narrow Gauge Engines
[edit] Culdee Fell Railway
- Main article: Culdee Fell Railway Locomotives
- Godred
- Ernest
- Wilfred
- Culdee
- Shane Dooiney
- Lord Harry
- Alaric
- Eric
- Rolling Stock:
- Catherine
- The Truck
[edit] Mid Sodor Railway
- Main article: Mid Sodor Railway Locomotives
- Duke
- Falcon
- Stuart
- Stanley
[edit] Skarloey Engines
- For the other Skarloey Engines, see Major Skarloey Engines
[edit] 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, 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.
Little is known about Ivo Hugh's personality, but it is known that he was built to help the engines with their workload. He is engine number 7 on the Skarloey Railway.
Ivo Hugh is identical to Tom Rolt, an 0-4-2 Tank Engine on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales.
[edit] Duke
Duke the Lost Engine is the only narrow gauge engine to have a tender and is Engine No.8. He is named after the Duke of Sodor and is based on Prince from the Ffestiniog Railway. Duke worked on the Mid Sodor Railway from its opening to its closure and is regarded as a fusspot and is nicknamed "Granpuff" by the other engines. Duke's catchphrase was "That would never suit His Grace".
The oldest and wisest of the Mid Sodor engines, Stuart and Falcon secretly have great respect for him. After the closure of the Mid Sodor Railway, Duke was abandoned in his shed and buried in a landslide, until his restoration for the Skarloey Railway.
He first appeared in Duke the Lost Engine. His restoration was completed in Great Little Engines' and he appeared in the illustrations of New Little Engine.
[edit] Fred
Fred is a diesel 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.
[edit] Skarloey Rolling Stock
The Skarloey Coaches are:
[edit] Ada, Jane and Mabel
Three open carriages. They came from the Mid Sodor Railway 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.
[edit] Agnes, Ruth, Lucy and Jemima
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.
[edit] Beatrice
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". 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.
[edit] Cora
Cora is another guard's van. She came from the Mid Sodor Railway in The Little Old Engine and, unlike Beatrice, earns her keep on maintenance and goods trains.
[edit] Gertrude and Millicent
Sir Handel considered Gertrude and Millicent the only 'proper' coaches on the Skarloey Railway. They too came from the Mid Sodor Railway, where they formed that line's express service. Unlike the other coaches, they run smoothly on bogies.
They first appeared in The Little Old Engine.
[edit] Miniature Railway Engines
[edit] Arlesdale Railway
- Main article: see Arlesdale Railway Locomotives
- Mike
- Rex
- Bert
- Jock
- Frank
[edit] Real Engines featured in the Railway Series
[edit] City of Truro
The famous GWR 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.
[edit] Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman 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.
[edit] Talyllyn & Dolgoch
Talyllyn and Dolgoch are the real life prototypes of Skarloey and Rheneas. Indeed, every engine on the Skarloey Railway in the Railway Series has a similar counterpart on the Talyllyn Railway, with the exception of Duke, which was based on Prince from the Ffestiniog Railway. They were never featured in stories, but mentioned in several volumes. Through these stories, the Reverend Awdry encouraged readers to visit the Talyllyn Railway.
[edit] Stepney
Stepney is a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway A1 Class 'Terrier' 0-6-0T 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), as were many of the Terrier locomotives. He 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"
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.
[edit] The Bluebell Engines
The 'Bluebell Engines' 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.
[edit] Engines at the National Railway Museum
In the 35th Volume of the Railway Series, 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, Iron Duke, Boxhill, Green Arrow, Duchess of Hamilton and Mallard.
[edit] Wilbert
Wilbert the Forest Engine was featured in book 38 of the Railway Series. He is a real engine from the Dean Forest Railway who was so named in 1987 after the Author of the Railway Series, Rev. W. Awdry. In gratitude for this, Christopher Awdry wrote a volume featuring the engine, Wilbert the Forest Engine.
Wilbert is a strong, six wheeled saddle tank engine with dark blue paint. He is friendly and resourceful, and loves the opportunity to show his paces with a good long run. He is also one of the few engines to gain the trucks' instant respect.
He was originally supposed to help Duck and Oliver on their branch line, but when Percy had an accident he was diverted to Thomas' branch line. He quickly made friends with the other engines, and the trucks quickly learnt to respect his great strength.
The real Wilbert was originally a shunter at a colliery in Staffordshire, built in 1953. He was working until 1976, when the Dean Forest Railway bought him. In 1981 he was given the name G. B. Keeling, but in 1987 he was renamed Wilbert after the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, the creator of the Railway Series books and then president of the Railway. In 1983, he was honoured to haul a Royal Train for the Duke of Gloucester and in 1991 he attended the opening of the line to Lydney Lakeside with City of Truro. He is popular with children visiting the line, but is currently out of service awaiting an overhaul.
See the Dean Forest Railway Homepage for more information on the real Wilbert.
[edit] Non-Rail Characters
[edit] George the Steamroller
George is a grumpy steamroller 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 steamroller owned by the Rev. W Awdry's friend Rev. 'Teddy' Boston, who also owns 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).
[edit] Caroline the car
Caroline the car is an old, small car who belongs to the Elsbridge Cricket Team on the Island of Sodor. 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 didn't 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.
[edit] Bulgy
Bulgy was a red and cream double-decker bus 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 wouldn't even believe his destination boards. He is now a henhouse by Duck's branch line.
He appeared in Oliver the Western Engine.
[edit] Bulstrode
Bulstrode was a highly disagreeable barge 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.
[edit] 'Human' Characters
[edit] Thin Controller
- Main article: Thin Controller (Skarloey Railway)
The 'Thin Controller' is the nickname for the manager of the Skarloey Railway.
[edit] Nancy the Guard's Daughter
- Main article: Nancy the Guard's Daughter (Skarloey Railway)
Nancy used to polish the Skarloey Railway engines, and appeared in several stories.
[edit] Lord Harry Barrane
- Main Article: Lord Harry Barrane (Culdee Fell Railway)
[edit] Mr Walter Richards
- Main Article: Mr Walter Richards (Culdee Fell Railway)
[edit] The Small Controller
The Small Controller is known as Mr. Fergus Duncan and works on the Arlesdale Railway. He first appears in the book Small Railway Engines.
[edit] 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 Thomas and Toby from an accident by warning them of a landslide.
[edit] Other Humans
- Thin Clergyman (Rev. W. Awdry Himself!)
- Fat Clergyman (Rev. 'Teddy' Boston)
- Sir Handel Brown I (Skarloey Railway Owner #1)
- Sir Handel Brown II (Skarloey Railway Owner #2)
- Mr. Ivo Hugh (Skarloey Railway Engineer)
- Mr. Mack (Skarloey Railway Controller #1)
- Mr. Bobbie (Skarloey's builder & engineer)
- Kathie & Lizzie (Tallylyn Railway volunteers)
- Mrs. Last (late-arriving passenger in Four Little Engines)
- Willie (Farmer – Seen in 'Useful Railway')
- Mr. Crowe (Farmer – Mentioned in 'Ghost Train')
- Bert (Engine Washer – Seen in 'Leaves')
- Alf (Engine Washer – Seen in 'Leaves')
- Bert (Porter – Seen in 'Buzz Buzz')
- Fred (Porter – Seen in 'Buzz Buzz')
- Patrick (Rock climber – Seen in 'Devil's Back')
- Duke of Sodor (Seen in 'Duck 'n' Dukes')
- Royal Personage (Seen in 'Golden Jubilee')
- New Lorry Driver (Seen in 'Mavis and the Lorry')
