List of characters in The Railway Series

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The Railway Series (1945-2011) is a series of British books by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry (Books 1-26) and Christopher Awdry (Books 27-42).

Unless otherwise said on this page, the technical notes come from actual notes laid out by Wilbert Awdry when he was developing the characters and setting for his stories; these notes are cited in his publication The Island of Sodor: Its People, History, and Railways.[1]

North Western Railway[edit]

The North Western Railway (NWR) is the main standard gauge rail network on the Island of Sodor. The railway's motto is "Nil Unquam Simile", which is Latin for "There's nothing quite like it". From nationalisation on January 1, 1948 until it privatised, the railway was the North Western Region of British Railways (BR). From 1925 onwards, it is managed by three Fat Controllers.

“Please tell everyone that whatever happens elsewhere, Steam will still be at work here. We shall be glad to welcome all who want to see and travel behind, real engines.”

― Sir Charles Topham Hatt II/The Fat Controller, Enterprising Engines

Steam engines[edit]

Name Number Description Based on
Thomas NWR 1 A small blue 0-6-0T engine who works on the North Western Railway. When Thomas first arrived on Sodor, he initially worked as the station pilot at Vicarstown. After helping to rescue James from a nasty accident, Thomas was permanently assigned to the Ffarquhar Branch Line, and two faithful coaches, Annie and Clarabel. LB&SCR E2 class
Edward NWR 2 A blue 4-4-0 mixed-traffic tender engine who works on the North Western Railway. He was the first character created by the Rev. W. Awdry. With BoCo, Edward runs the Brendam Branch Line, and is one of the oldest engines on Sodor. Sometimes, the big engines would tease Edward of being old-fashioned and slow. Furness Railway K2 class
Henry NWR 3 A green 4-6-0 mixed-traffic tender engine who works on the North Western Railway. He was originally built as a dysfunctional prototype engine and needed special Welsh coal to operate properly. Following his accident when pulling the Flying Kipper, Henry underwent an extensive rebuild at Crewe Works, giving him a new shape and better performance. LMS Stanier "Black Five"[2][3][4]
Gordon NWR 4 A big blue 4-6-2 tender engine who works on the North Western Railway. As of 1967, he is Flying Scotsman's only surviving brother. Gordon works on the Main Line and originally pulled the Wild Nor' Wester from London to Sodor, which leads him to feel superior at times, until he was superseded by Pip and Emma in 2011. He now pulls other fast and local trains. LNER Gresley Class A1
James NWR 5 A red 2-6-0 mixed-traffic tender engine who works on the North Western Railway. James was built by the Horwich Works between 1912 and 1913. James primarily works on the Main Line, pulling passenger and goods trains. L&YR Class 28
Percy NWR 6 A small green 0-4-0ST engine who works on the North Western Railway.[5][citation needed] He was first brought to Sodor to help run the railway while Henry, Gordon and James went on strike and later became a station pilot at Tidmouth. Following the Knapford Harbour Improvement Scheme in 1955, Percy was moved permanently to Thomas' Branch Line, where he now works as a goods engine. His favourite job is pulling the Mail Train and he is Thomas' best friend. GWR No. 1340 Trojan
Toby NWR 7/BR 68221/LNER 8221/7127 A square 0-6-0 tram engine who works on the North Western Railway.[6] Originally duller brown, he was repainted chocolate brown with blue side-plates. He used to work on a tramway in East Anglia with his coach, Henrietta, delivering goods from farms and factories to the junction and other stations. In 1951, Toby and Henrietta were brought to Sodor after the line closed down to run the tramroad to Ffarquhar Quarry, as it was found illegal for Thomas to go on without side-plates or cowcatchers. GER Class C53
Duck NWR 8/GWR/ BR 5741 A green 0-6-0PT engine who works on the North Western Railway and the Great Western Railway. His real name is Montague, but everyone nicknames him "Duck", because the other engines used to say he "waddles", but he really doesn't. Duck originally worked at Paddington as one of the station pilots until 1955. He thinks that there are two ways of doing things: the Great Western way and the wrong way. Duck works on the Little Western with Oliver and his two autocoaches, Alice and Mirabel. GWR 5700 Class
Donald and Douglas/(originally known as "57646 and 57647") NWR 9 and 10/BR 57646 and 57647 A pair of blue 0-6-0 goods engines, who work on the North Western Railway. They arrived on Sodor from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1959. The pair also work as utility engines wherever or whenever they are needed, essentially on the Main Line, the Brendam Branch Line and the Little Western. Douglas has his own brake van, Toad. Caledonian Railway 812/652 Classes
Oliver NWR 11/GWR/BR 1436 A green 0-4-2T engine, who works on the North Western Railway and the Great Western Railway. Oliver escaped from the Other Railway, where he was expected to be scrapped. His daring escape made him popular among the other engines. After being saved from scrap by Douglas, Oliver runs the Little Western with Duck and his two autocoaches, Isabel and Dulcie. GWR 1400 Class

Diesel engines[edit]

Name Number Description Based on
Daisy NWR D1 A green diesel railcar. She was built and arrived on Sodor in 1960 specially for service on the Ffarquhar Branch Line, after Thomas crashed into the Stationmaster's house. Daisy was the first female diesel engine introduced in the series, and the first diesel to move to Sodor permanently. British Rail Class 101
BoCo NWR D2/BR D5702 A green mixed-traffic diesel engine who primarily works on Edward's Branch Line, and occasionally on the Main Line. He, along with Edward, is a mentor to Bill and Ben. British Rail Class 28
Bear (originally known as "D7101") NWR D3/BR D7101 A dark green (originally blue) diesel engine. He first came to Sodor in 1967, and was accompanied by another diesel engine, D199, who talked about taking over the railway, which 7101 didn't like. After 7101 suffered from a leaked brake ejector and was helped by Henry along with 199 and their trains, he befriended him. After 199 was sent back home, the Fat Controller decided to give 7101 another chance to stay and work on the North Western Railway. 7101 was given another name "Bear", a new number 'D3', and a new coat of paint. Nowadays, Bear pulls the 'Limited', the semi-fast passenger train, and the Wild Nor' Wester whenever the big engines are busy or unavailable. British Rail Class 35
Pip and Emma Two diesel-electric engines which make up an InterCity 125 trainset. They had experienced problems with their cooling systems and came to Sodor in 1986 when Gordon was deputizing for an excursion train to Carlisie. Pip and Emma only appeared three times: Gordon the High-Speed Engine, Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines and Thomas and his Friends. In 2011, following Privatization, the Fat Controller purchased them in order to run a faster express service to London.[7] They brought Prince Charles to Tidmouth to unveil a statue of the Thin Clergyman to celebrate his 100th birthday. British Rail Class 43 High Speed Train

Rolling stock[edit]

Name Description
Annie and Clarabel Thomas' faithful coaches who he loves dearly. They operate together as a push-pull set, enabling Thomas to stay at one end from his return journeys to Knapford. Annie can only take passengers, but Clarabel has a composite layout, which means, in addition to seating accommodation, she has a brake compartment for luggage and the guard. When Thomas starts from a station, he sings them songs to keep up pace and time.
Henrietta Toby's faithful four-wheeled tram coach. She worked with Toby on their old tramway in East Anglia, and became depressed when buses and lorries replaced her work. When the tramway closed down, Toby and Henrietta were transferred to the North Western Railway. Toby mentioned to the Fat Controller that a stationmaster wanted to use Henrietta as a henhouse, but the Fat Controller agreed "that would never do".
Isabel, Dulcie, Alice and Mirabel Four ex-Great Western Railway autocoaches who are pulled by Oliver (Isabel and Dulcie) and Duck (Alice and Mirabel) on the Little Western. Isabel joined Oliver and Toad when they escaped from the Other Railway. Afterwards, the Fat Controller was able to rescue Dulcie, Alice and Mirabel in order to handle the passenger traffic.
Toad A Great Western brake van who was rescued when Douglas helped save him, Oliver and Isabel from being scrapped on the Other Railway. Toad requested to be Douglas' brake van in deep gratitude for the latter's actions, which he felt greatly humbled by.
Troublesome Trucks Pieces of open wagons which they carry goods and materials. They are nicknamed because they can be very troublesome and play tricks on the engines. They can be open wagons, vans, or tankers, depending on any type.
Victoria A vintage four-wheeled coach originating from the Furness Railway. She was built in 1882 and worked on the Lakeside branch line with Albert and Helena. After being out of service, Victoria was moved to Sodor and was turned into a summer house in a garden close to Elsbridge. In Thomas and Victoria, after being discovered, it was a decision Victoria could be restored and used on the line to Ffarquhar Quarry to help Toby and Henrietta.

Skarloey Railway[edit]

The Skarloey Railway (SR) is a 2'3" narrow gauge railway, which runs from the North Western Railway's station Crovan's Gate to Skarloey. Beyond Skarloey, the line continues to a former slate quarry, now used as ammunition dumps. The railway is owned by Sir Handel Brown, who serves as its chairman and is run by Mr. Roger Sam, son of the previous controller, Mr. Peter Sam. The locomotives are all based on their Talyllyn Railway counterparts.

Steam engines[edit]

Name Number Description Based on
Skarloey SR 1 A red 0-4-2ST (originally an 0-4-0ST) engine who is named after Skarloey Lake, the northernmost point for passengers. He is the oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway. Talyllyn
Rheneas SR 2 A red 0-4-0WT (but also has a back tank) engine, and is named after the station and waterfall. Rheneas was built in 1865 by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. in Whitehaven, the same company that built Skarloey. They were the oldest working engines on Sodor. Rheneas is more cautious than Skarloey, and was nicknamed 'Gallant Old Engine', as he kept the railway running during the turbulent period when Skarloey was in poor mechanical shape. Dolgoch
Sir Handel (originally known as "Falcon") SR/ MSR 3 A red 0-4-2ST (originally 0-4-0ST) engine, and is named after Sir Handel Brown, the first manager. Sir Handel was built in 1904 at the Falcon Works in Loughborough for the Mid Sodor Railway and was named Falcon and painted blue. In 1982, Sir Handel was invited to the Talyllyn Railway. The real railway had paid tribute to the Railway Series by repainting Sir Haydn to resemble his counterpart. Sir Haydn
Peter Sam (originally known as "Stuart") SR/MSR 4 A red 0-4-2ST engine, and is named after the previous controller. Peter Sam was built in 1920 by Kerr Stuart and Co. in Stoke-on-Trent for the Mid Sodor Railway, and was named Stuart and painted green. Like Sir Handel, Peter Sam was later sold to the Sodor Aluminium Company and then in 1951 to the Skarloey Railway. Following an accident with some slate trucks in 1958, Peter Sam lost his funnel and was fitted with a Giesl ejector in 1961. In the 1990s, he was sent to the Talyllyn Railway. As with Sir Handel, this was based on real-life events when the Talyllyn Railway repainted Edward Thomas as his counterpart. Edward Thomas
Duncan SR 6 A grumpy red Scottish 0-4-0WT engine, who came to the Skarloey Railway as a spare engine, after Peter Sam's accident with some slate trucks.[8] Douglas
Ivo Hugh SR 7 A young red 0-4-2T engine. He is named in honor of the former Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mr. Ivo Hugh. Ivo Hugh was built in 1996 at Crovan's Gate Works by the Engineering Department in New Little Engine. Ivo Hugh is unique in the engine roster due to being a side-tank engine and he is powerful enough to handle the heaviest work. Tom Rolt
Duke SR 8/MSR 1 An orange-brown 0-4-0ST+T engine, who initially worked on the Mid Sodor Railway as its #1 engine. Duke is one of four engines in the Ffestiniog Railway's 'Small England class'. Duke was built in 1879 and arrived for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway the following year. When it closed down in 1947, Duke was left in the abandoned sheds for 22 years before being found and rescued in 1969. Duke was moved to be restored and put to work on the Skarloey Railway. Prince

Diesel engines[edit]

Name Number Description Based on
Rusty SR 5 A small black 4wDM engine who carries out maintenance work and odd jobs around the Skarloey Railway. He was acquired direct from the manufacturers in 1957.[8] Midlander
Fred SR 9 The railway's second diesel engine. He is mentioned in New Little Engine. According to Sodor: Reading Between the Lines, Fred entered service in 1989, having been acquired from the National Coal Board (NCB). Alf

Rolling stock[edit]

Name Number Description
Agnes, Ruth, Jemina, Lucy and Beatrice SR 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 The oldest coaches on the Skarloey Railway, whilst Beatrice contains a cabin for the guard. On Market Days, the coaches were sometimes very full that third-class passengers were allowed to ride in Agnes, to the latter's anger. In 1952, Sir Handel made fun of the coaches by calling them "cattle trucks", which resulted in them holding him back on the hill.
Ada, Jane and Mabel SR 6, 7, and 8 Three open-topped carriages who were acquired at one point prior to 1958 while Skarloey and Rheneas were away being overhauled. They were originally used for transporting quarry workmen, but are later used for tourist traffic during sunny days. When some BBC television producers visited Sodor to film a documentary about the Skarloey Railway, Ada, Jane and Mabel had the honour of transporting the television equipment and cameras for them, as part of the "Television Train".
Cora SR 9 A tool van and also occasionally a guard's van. Cora was built by the Falcon Works for the Mid Sodor Railway, where she was a tool van, however she served as Stuart's guards van for one time. She was accepted for sale following the closure in 1947. Cora was used as a guard's van whenever Beatrice was not available, then she returned to her original use after Millicent's arrival in 1955.

Culdee Fell Railway[edit]

The Culdee Fell Railway (CFR) is Sodor's only rack railway. It climbs to the top of Sodor's highest mountain, which shares the railway's name. It is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway in North Wales, was opened in 1900 and for many years was operated under the direction of Mr. Walter Richards, the General Manager. The railway was only featured in Mountain Engines. The locomotives on the line are all 0-4-2RTs.

Steam engines[edit]

Name Number Description Based on
Godred CFR 1 The original engine on the railway and is named after one of Sodor's historical rulers. Culdee tells a made-up story about Godred in Mountain Engines:[9] Shortly after the railway opened, he lost contact with the rack rail at a loosened rail joint and plunged sideways over a cliff. Fortunately, no one was injured. Godred, however, was so badly damaged that he was scrapped, with his parts being used to repair the other engines. This incident is based directly upon the Snowdon Mountain Railway's opening day accident when their No. 1 L.A.D.A.S suffered a similar accident. L.A.D.A.S.
Culdee CFR 4 The principal engine on the Culdee Fell Railway. When introduced in Mountain Engines, he had been overhauled in Switzerland between 1962 and 1963 and was on the last stage of his journey home. Culdee has great respect for dangers found on the line and relies on his coach, Catherine, to help him travel safety. Snowdon
Lord Harry CFR 6 Arrived in 1962 and was named after the manager. When he was new, Lord Harry was reckless and scared his coaches by taking risks. After he derailed and disgraced himself, Lord Harry got punished by having his name taken away. He asked for a second chance and was given a job of doing lowly shunting. But he was fittingly renamed "Patrick" in honor of the climber who risked his life to help the others. Padarn

Other engines[edit]

Name Number Description
Ernest, Wilfred and Shane Dooiney CFR 2, 3 and 5 Arrived on Sodor with Godred and Culdee in time in March 1900. Following Godred's accident shortly after opening, the engines worked the line successfully for 60 years. They were gently maintained and sent back, in rotation, to the builders in Switzerland for overhaul.

Rolling stock[edit]

Name Description
Catherine A mountain coach who mainly works with Culdee, transporting passengers and supplies up to the Summit. Unlike most coaches, Catherine is actually coupled in front of Culdee and is responsible for warning him of dangers ahead on the tracks.

Arlesdale Railway[edit]

The Arlesdale Railway is Sodor's smallest railway. It is based on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway in Cumbria. The railway is run by Fergus Duncan (The Small Controller). Five engines appear in the books. The diesel locomotives are mentioned in the companion books: Sigrid of Arlesdale, Blister I and Blister II.

Steam engines[edit]

Name Description Based on
Rex A green 2-8-2 tender engine who works on the Arlesdale Railway. He enjoys nothing more than teasing Mike. He is a hard worker, but sometimes has a problem with traction. Rex was built in 1923. River Esk
Mike A strong grumpy red 2-8-2 tender engine who prefers goods trains to passengers. River Mite
Bert A blue 0-8-2 tender engine who is quiet. River Irt
Jock A yellow 2-6-2 built by the Arlesburgh Works between 1972 and 1976 to cover a shortage of power. Jock was built in the workshop at Ravenglass in 1976, then to the design of chief engineer, Ian Smith. Northern Rock

Diesel engine(s)[edit]

Name Description Based on
Frank A grumpy but kind 0-4-4DH engine. He has a tendency to get uptight and moody which gets him into trouble by causing minor bumps and accidents. Unlike Perkins, Frank has added round buffers. Perkins

Privately owned/Other Sudrian railways[edit]

Name Number Description Based on
Neil S&M 2 A dark green 0-4-0 box tank engine with a heavy Scottish accent, originating from the Sodor and Mainland Railway (S&M). In a flashback in Very Old Engines, he helped to transport Skarloey from Kirk Ronan Harbour to his new home at Crovan's Gate. He warned Skarloey about V-tipper wagons and they became friends. It is mentioned by Christopher Awdry in Sodor: Reading Between the Lines that Neil is still around but is unknown of his whereabouts.[7]
Bill and Ben SCC 1 and 2 A pair of orange-yellow 0-4-0ST engines who work for the Sodor China Clay Co (SCC). They each have saddle tanks which cover their smokeboxes, but not their fireboxes. They have the initials 'SCC' painted yellow on their saddle tanks, and underneath are their names on brown nameplates; their numbers are painted on their smokeboxes under the words 'Brendam Bay'. Apart from their numbers and nameplates, they are very identical from the outset — which can be confusing for the other engines. They are unusually low, allowing them to fit under a narrow rail bridge that taller engines could not access, without being heavily cut down in size. Bill and Ben first appeared in Main Line Engines and played a major role in Thomas and the Twins. Alfred and Judy, two engines built by W. G. Bagnall's of Stafford who worked at Par, Cornwall
Mavis FQC 1 A 0-6-0DM diesel shunter who works for the Ffarquhar Quarry Co (FQC), rearranging trucks in different sidings.[10] Mavis, some of which were fitted with side-plates and cowcatchers for use on the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. She was built by the Drewry Car Company,[11] and arrived on Sodor in 1964. Mavis first appeared in Tramway Engines, and was named after the Rev. W. Awdry's neighbor in Rodborough, Stroud.[citation needed] British Rail Class 04

British Railways/Visitors[edit]

Various engines from British Railways (BR; also known as "the Other Railway"), and some from preserved/private railways and museums have visited the North Western Railway, both on regular trains to-and-from the Mainland, for special events, or under a lease agreement.

The 'Other Railway' Engines[edit]

Name Number Description Based on
87546 and 98462 Two blue 4-4-2 tender engines who once visited the North Western Railway on trial in 1923. They stayed at Vicarstown Sheds with the other engines, and notably made fun of Edward for being too old and weak to work. For their rude and nasty behavior, the Fat Director decided to send 87546 and 98462 away. It is unknown what happened to them since the end of steam, but were most likely scrapped.
Percy's Workshop Friends Many unnamed engines appeared at the Workshop, where Percy originally lived before coming to Sodor. Some engines, old and new, were built, repaired and stored until they could be purchased by railways or other industrial workshops. When things were not going well on Sodor, the Fat Controller went on a visit to the Workshop, where they showed him all of the engines they had. Some of the engines were happy, sad, and anxious hoping the Fat Controller would choose them. He finally chose a little green saddle tank engine and named him Percy. Later on, Percy mentioned to Edward, that the engines would have to wheesh loudly to make themselves heard. GNR Class L1 (first engine)

LB&SCR J1 class (second engine) Furness Railway 115 class (third engine) GCR Class 9K (fourth engine)

Big City Engine A green 4-6-0 tender engine who visited Sodor sometime in 1956. Once, he had gotten into an argument with Gordon and Duck about what was the name of the big station in London: King's Cross, Euston, Paddington, and St. Pancras. However, none of the engines realized that London had several major stations, not just one. LMS "Patriot" Class
Jinty and Pug Two ex-LMS tank engines who visited Sodor on loan - along with five other engines - to help out on the North Western Railway, while the Fat Controller's engines went to be on display in London in The Eight Famous Engines. They are best friends of Percy. LMS Fowler Class 3F (Jinty)
LMS Kitson 0F (Pug)
Diesel A black 0-6-0 diesel engine, who visited Sodor on trial in June 1957. He played a non-speaking role in Thomas and the Great Railway Show. Diesel is the first known standard gauge diesel engine to ever visit Sodor, and also, the first diesel locomotive created by the Rev. W. Awdry. British Rail Class 08
City of Truro GWR 3440 A famous 4-4-0 tender engine from the Great Western Railway. He once visited Sodor in 1957 on a railtour and stayed for one night. City of Truro befriended Duck, as the two were both Great Western engines and talked all night, much to Gordon's annoyance. Gordon tried to beat City of Truro's speed record, but only to have his dome blown off on the Viaduct. City of Truro normally resides at the STEAM Museum in Swindon, Wiltshire. GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro
Stepney LBSCR 55 A real-life 0-6-0T engine, who was featured in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine. In 1960, Stepney became the first steam engine to be preserved by the Bluebell Railway in East Sussex. His friendly, enthusiastic attitude makes him a welcome visitor on the Fat Controller's railway. LB&SCR A1X class
Class 40 BR D4711 A big green diesel engine, who once visited the North Western Railway on loan from British Railways in 1962. He insulted the other engines and bragged about his modernity. Class 40 got his comeuppance when an inspector's bowler hat got sucked into his air intake, causing him to break down. Afterwards, Class 40 was sent away in disgrace, leaving behind "a rather nasty smell, and a battered bowler hat". British Rail Class 40
Flying Scotsman LNER 4472 A world-famous engine, and has been described as the 'world's most famous steam locomotive'. He holds the record for being the first engine to officially run at over 100 mph. He is also named after the service that runs from King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley. Flying Scotsman visited Sodor in 1967 to cheer up his only surviving brother, Gordon, when he was in the ownership of Alan Pegler. Flying Scotsman's two tenders (one for coal and water and one for water) were a key feature for the plot of the story Tenders for Henry. LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
Diesel 199 BR D199 A blue diesel engine who came on trial to Sodor with D7101 (Bear). He soon made himself an enemy of the steam engines. The next day, 199 failed while pulling a train of fuel and oil tankers at a signal box in Kellsthorpe Road. After Henry came to help, the signalman called 199 "Spamcan" as an insult. After 7101 fails with the Limited, Henry helps both diesels and their trains to the next station. The Fat Controller wasn't pleased with 199 and soon sent him back for offending the steam engines. British Rail Class 46
Wilbert (originally named "G.B. Keeling") DFR 3806 A real-life dark blue 0-6-0ST engine from the Dean Forest Railway. He is named after the Rev. W. Awdry, who was once a president of the heritage railway. In Wilbert the Forest Engine, the Fat Controller arranged for Wilbert to come help on his railway. During his visit, Wilbert tells Thomas and Toby the story of his brother, Sixteen, accidentally filled up with milk instead of water, and used a coil of wire to couple it up to his damaged ballast truck. Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
Albert A red 2-4-2T engine who originally worked on the Furness Railway with his two coaches, Victoria and Helena. Albert was once buried at a tunnel by an avalanche when he lets off too much steam starting from the station, one day after boasting about the snow. Furness Railway Class J1

Non-rail vehicles[edit]

Name Description Based on
Terence An orange caterpillar tractor who works on a small field on Thomas' Branch Line, and is owned by Farmer Finney. When Thomas first met Terence, he insulted him for having 'ugly' caterpillar tracks, but later regretted it and befriended Terence after he pulled him out of a snowdrift. Caterpillar Model 70
Bertie A little red bus who also works alongside Thomas' Branch Line. Bertie had a race with Thomas to Ffarquhar after claiming he was the faster of the two, but lost after having to stop at a traffic light. Leyland Tiger
Trevor A traction engine who resides at the Wellsworth Vicarage Orchard and driven by Jem Cole. He was due to be broken up before he was saved by the Vicar of Wellsworth. William Foster & Co. Traction Engine No. 1459
Harold A white helicopter who patrols the skies of Sodor, searching for help and disasters. When Percy and Harold met, he insulted the railways as being "slow and old-fashioned". Percy, who was cross at this when taking some trucks, decided to race Harold to Knapford Harbour. Sikorsky S-55
George A grumpy green steamroller whose interactions with engines generally lead to trouble. Whenever he is flattening a road, he is seen rebelling by saying, "Railways are no good! Pull 'em up! Turn them into roads!"
Caroline An elderly car owned by a cricketer from the Elsbridge Cricket Club, and only appears in the story Train Stops Play. She tends to overheat when traveling at high speeds.
Bulgy A bad-tempered double-decker bus with an ideological opposition to railways. His catchphrase is "Free the roads! Free the roads from Railway Tyranny!" AEC Regent III that served many of London's bus routes in the 1940s and 1950s

People[edit]

  • Sir Topham Hatt, better known as the Fat Controller, is the manager of the North Western Railway. He makes sure everything is running well and right on time, without confusion and delay. His son, Charles, succeeded him in 1954, and his grandson, Stephen, became the third controller in 1984. His son, Richard, would be the next Fat Controller.
  • Sir Handel Brown is the manager of the Skarloey Railway. He often had other business to attend to and was never seen in the books.
  • Peter Sam, known as the Thin Controller, is the vice president of the Skarloey Railway. He succeeded his father, Mr. Robert Sam in 1951 and was hired by the new owner, Sir Handel Lloyd Brown. Like his father, he spent his entire working life on the Skarloey Railway.
  • Fergus Duncan, known as the Small Controller, is the manager of the Arlesdale Railway. Despite being known as by his nickname, he is taller than both the Fat Controller and the Thin Controller.
  • The Fat and Thin Clergymen are two clergymen with a strong interest in the railways on Sodor. The Thin Clergyman is an author and is strongly hinted to be the Rev. W. Awdry. The Fat Clergyman, who likes taking pictures, is implied to be the Rev. Wilbert Awdry's real-life friend, the Rev. Teddy Boston.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Awdry, Wilbert (1987). The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways. Kaye & Ward. ISBN 9780434927623.
  2. ^ Awdry, Wilbert (1987). The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways. Kaye & Ward. p. 129. ISBN 9780434927623.
  3. ^ "W. Awdry Dies". The Washington Post. The Washington Post. 23 March 1997. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  4. ^ Sibley, Brian (1995). The Thomas the Tank Engine Man. London: Heinemann. pp. 272–5. ISBN 0-434-96909-5.
  5. ^ "Percy - Character Profile & Bio". Thomas & Friends - official website. HIT Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Awdry, Wilbert (1982). Toby The Tram Engine (1st ed.). London: Heinemann. p. 46. ISBN 0434927848.
  7. ^ a b Awdry, Christopher (2005). Sodor, Reading Between the Lines. Sodor Enterprises. p. 9. ISBN 0-9549665-1-1.
  8. ^ a b Awdry, Christopher (2005). Sodor: Reading Between the Lines. Sodor Enterprises. p. 13. ISBN 0-9549665-1-1.
  9. ^ Awdry, Wilbert (1982). Mountain Engines. The Railway Series No. 19. Kaye & Ward Ltd. p. 28. ISBN 0718200187.
  10. ^ Awdry, Wilbert (1995). Tramway engines. Great Britain: Walter Heinemann Limited. p. 30. ISBN 0-434-92803-8.
  11. ^ "The Wisbech and Upwell Tramway: Toby and Mavis". lner.info. LNER. Retrieved November 5, 2017.