Railway engines (Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends)
This article lists, and also profiles, the regular Engine characters of the Television Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. It should be noted that, while many characters have appeared in both the TV series and The Railway Series by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry, only characters who have appeared in the TV series have been profiled on this page. Also, in the case where a character has appeared in both series, only the TV Series aspect has been covered.
List of characters
Engines listed in order of first major appearance in the series.
It should be noted that characters only appearing in Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Calling All Engines are considered "movie-only characters", as they have no influence on the television series at all. Also, although some engines have numbers which are not listed, these numbers mean nothing to the running of the railways on Sodor, and as such have not been listed.
| Name | Number | Introduced in... | Type of engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas | 1 | Season 1 | LB&SCR E2 Class 0-6-0T |
| Gordon | 4 | Season 1 | LNER Class A3 4-6-2 |
| Edward | 2 | Season 1 | Furness Railway K2 "Larger Seagull" 4-4-0 |
| Henry | 3 | Season 1 | LMS Stanier "Black 5" 4-6-0 |
| James | 5 | Season 1 | 2-6-0 wheel arrangement) |
| Percy | 6 | Season 1 | GWR No. 1340 Trojan 0-4-0ST |
| Toby | 7 | Season 1 | LNER Class J70 0-6-0T Tram Engine |
| Duck | 8 | Season 2 | GWR 5700 Class 0-6-0PT |
| Diesel | None | Season 2 | BR Class 08 0-6-0DM |
| Donald & Douglas | 9 & 10 | Season 2 | Caledonian Railway 812 Class 0-6-0 |
| Daisy | None | Season 2 | BR Class 101 (Modified from DMU to single railcar) |
| Bill & Ben | None ^ | Season 2 | Bagnall 0-4-0ST "Alfred" and "Judy" |
| Boco | D5705 | Season 2 | BR Class 28 Co-Bo |
| Mavis | None | Season 3 | BR Class 04 0-6-0DM |
| Oliver | 11 | Season 3 | GWR 1400 Class 0-4-2T |
| 'Arry & Bert | None | Season 5 | BR Class 08 0-6-0DM |
| Derek | None | Season 5 | BR Class 17 Bo-Bo |
| Salty | 2991 | Season 6 | BR Class 07 0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic |
| Harvey | 27 | Season 6 | ESR 0-4-0CT No. 4101 |
| Emily | None | Season 7 | GNR Stirling 4-2-2 |
| Fergus | None | Season 7 | Aveling & Porter 0-4-0TG |
| Arthur | None | Season 7 | LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T |
| Murdoch | None | Season 7 | BR standard class 9F 2-10-0 |
| Molly | None | Season 9 | GER 'Claud Hamilton' 4-4-0 |
| Neville | 33010 | Season 9 | SR Class Q1 0-6-0 |
| Dennis | 11001 | Season 9 | SR Prototype Shunter 0-6-0 |
| Rosie | None | Season 10 | SR "USA" Class 0-6-0T |
| Whiff | 66 | Season 11 | NER 66 Aerolite 2-2-4T |
| Billy | None | Season 11 | Manning Wardle "Warwickshire" 0-6-0ST |
| Hank | None | Season 12 | (Large American Engine) |
| Hiro | 51 | Season 13 | (Large Japanese Engine) |
| Victor | None | Season 13 | (Unknown) |
| Visiting Engines | |||
| City of Truro | 3400 | Season 3 | GWR 3700 Class no. 3440 "City of Truro" |
| Flying Scotsman | 4472 | Season 3 | LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman |
| Stepney | 55 | Season 4 | LB&SCR A1X 'Terrier' 0-6-0T "Stepney" (From the Bluebell Railway) |
| The Diesel | D261 | Season 4 | BR Class 40 1-Co-Co-1 |
| Spencer | None | Season 7 | LNER Class A4 4-6-2 |
The Fat Controller's Engines
Thomas
Thomas is a 0-6-0 blue tank engine. He lives and works on the Island of Sodor, and is locomotive number 1 on the island's main railway. He has become the main star of the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (now known as Thomas and Friends). Thomas first appeared in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry. His appearance on TV, however, has made him arguably the most widely recognised and well-known locomotive in the world.
Thomas' character can change from time to time, from cheeky like Percy to wise like Edward. He is always, however, extremely proud to run his own branch line, and is very fond of his two coaches, Annie and Clarabel.
Edward
Edward was the first character to appear in The Railway Series by the Rev W. Awdry, and is part of the central group of characters in the TV Series. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender engine with red stripes, about the same size as James, and bears the number 2 on his tender.
Edward is the oldest and wisest of the engines in the core fleet, and other engines often find themselves indebted to his knowledge and experience.
Henry
Henry is a steam engine from the television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He was one of the first engines to ever appear in The Railway Series books by the Rev.W.Awdry. Henry lives and works on the Island of Sodor, along with other characters in the show. He is engine number 3 on the railway, a 4-6-0 Mainline Steam Engine and is painted green with red stripes. In the first season, Henry had an accident caused by ice and snow, after which he underwent extensive reconstruction, giving him a new shape, which he has had ever since.
Henry's character can be difficult to pinpoint. Sometimes, he is somewhat pompous like Gordon, others he is sensitive, others still he is somewhat depressed. Henry has also from time to time suffered from "illness". Since the third season, however, Henry has had a more consistent character trait added, being portrayed as having an admiration for nature, particularly trees.
Gordon
Gordon is a big blue tender engine from the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and was the second engine to appear in The Railway Series written by the Rev.W.Awdry. He is train number 4, a 4-6-2, painted blue with red stripes, and for quite some time he was the largest and strongest engine (before Murdoch arrived) in The Fat Controller's fleet.
Gordon has always viewed himself as the most important engine, mostly because of his size and strength, and that his main task is to pull the Express. At times, this can lead to him feeling superior, even to the point of uppity. However, he usually learns his lesson, realising that all engines have their place in the team.
James
James is a tender engine from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends who also featured in The Railway Series. James is engine number 5, coloured red with gold stripes & dome, and is a 2-6-0 mixed-traffic engine, which means he can pull both coaches and trucks.
While James is one of "the big engines" (a trio with Gordon and Henry), he is certainly the most junior member of this clique, often resulting in him getting too big for his boots. He often brags about his red paint, as though this makes him superior to other engines (a notion which is usually dispelled quickly enough).
Percy
Percy is a part of The Fat Controller's railway on the TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and in the Railway Series books. He is a green 0-4-0 saddle tank engine with red stripes, and has been given the number 6.
He is the youngest engine of the whole fleet, and in later seasons this youthful inexperience has been heavily portrayed. He is quite a cheeky engine, often looking to trick or tease other engines. Percy does, however, have utmost respect when it is needed, referring to The Fat Controller as "Sir" every few words when addressing him.
Toby
Toby is a tram engine who works on the same branch line as Thomas. He is a funny-shaped engine with cowcatchers and sideplates covering his wheels. Some say that he doesn't look like a steam engine at all. He doesn't mind this, just so long as nobody asks him if he's electric! His main job is taking stone to and from the quarry with his coach Henrietta, but he also helps with other jobs. He is painted brown, and is engine number 7.
Toby is old and wise, and is always willing to share his experience and knowledge with other engines. He is careful in everything he does, which means he very rarely has any accidents.
Duck
Duck is a character in The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry, as well as the TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Although his real name is Montague, he was given the nickname "Duck", which everyone now calls him. He is a green pannier tank engine, who was given the number 8 on arrival, and works efficiently as part of The Fat Controller's fleet. He currently runs his own branch line.
Duck holds great pride in being Great Western, and this results in him having a strong work ethic. This can, however, be a cause for friction with his colleagues, when he insists that his way ("the Great Western way") is the only right way to do things, but other engines understand this, and by and large give Duck their full respect.
Donald & Douglas
Donald and Douglas are twin 0-6-0 tender engines who feature in both the TV Series and the Railway Series books. They came from Scotland and, although The Fat Controller was only expecting one engine (not wanting to be separated they decided to travel together and hope for the best), he decided to keep both engines in his fleet, giving them the numbers 9 and 10 respectively, as well as nameplates. They are painted black, and have red name plates with gold writing.
If not for coming to Sodor, Donald and Douglas would surely have been scrapped. Because of this, not only are they grateful to have a home, but they are always very sombre and serious when it comes to the topic of scrapping -- a sensitive issue among the steam engine characters.
Oliver
Oliver is a 0-4-2 tank engine who has appeared in both the TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends as well as The Railway Series books. In the TV Series, Oliver was introduced in Season 3, being saved from scrap by Douglas, along with his brake van, Toad.
On arrival at Sodor, Oliver was restored, being painted olive green, and given the number 11. He was allocated to work with Duck on his branch line, The Little Western.
When Oliver arrived on Sodor, he was not used to handling trucks. While shunting his first ballast train, an incident resulted in Oliver landing bunker-down in a turntable well. On his return from the Works, Oliver learned how to deal with them (albeit after having pulled one truck apart! - see S.C.Ruffey for the full story)
Although Oliver has appeared with some regularity between Season 3 and Season 7, his character has not been given the opportunity to develop to the same extent as other engines'.
Oliver is based on a Great Western Railway GWR 1400 Class 0-4-2T tank locomotive. These engines were fitted with a mechanical system allowing the driver to control the locomotive remotely from the cab of an autocoach, such as Isabel.
Diesel
Diesel, sometimes known as Devious Diesel, was the first diesel engine to arrive on the Island of Sodor. He is coloured black, has six wheels, and has a very distinctive appearance.
Diesel is a scheming, oily trickster with a short temper who likes to cause trouble wherever he goes. He first came to Sodor in Season 2 to help Duck, but he spread mean-spirited rumours that caused the Fat Controller to send him away. Despite the Fat Controller telling him he would not be welcomed back to Sodor, Diesel has returned a number of times when the other engines need an extra hand and no other engine is available. At present, he appears to be living on Sodor.
diesel is based upon a diesel shunter still used today on britains railway's and is only used in the stories for good's trains.
Like many other major characters from this TV Series, Diesel first appeared as a character in the Railway Series book Duck and the Diesel Engine - see Diesel
Daisy
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- See also: Daisy (the Railway Series)
Daisy is a diesel railcar, who was bought by the Fat Controller to help out on Thomas' branch line. She is green with yellow stripes, and is very long and sleek in appearance.
Daisy arrived on Sodor after Thomas had an accident and needed major repairs. She refused to pull any freight for some time, making up excuses, but after a scolding from the Fat Controller, she performed her duties as requested. She still, however, thinks she is better than any of her colleagues, and will use any opportunity to boast to them.
Daisy is based on a Class 101 diesel multiple unit, but is unique as she is actually a rail-car - a single-carriage unit with a cab at either end.
Daisy is one of the engines who has been absent in recent series of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, having only been featured in three stories: "Daisy" and "Percy's Predicament" from Season 2, and "Bull's Eyes" from Season 4, although she did have a non-speaking role in the feature-length special, Calling All Engines.
Bill & Ben
- See also: Bill and Ben (Railway Series)
Bill & Ben are twin tank engines who work for the Sodor China Clay Company. They are painted yellow, have four wheels each and have their names attached to their sides on brown nameplates. Apart from their nameplates, they are absolutely identical – which can be confusing to engines who don't know them well. They are smaller than the other engines they work with.
They are young and cheeky and love playing jokes on the big engines, but are kept in order by Edward and Boco. They work in the china clay quarry and at Brendam Docks, where they are kept busy shunting trucks. The Fat Controller sometimes allows them to carry out special jobs, like taking Boco's heavy goods train and running 'Brake Van Specials' for visitors, who sometimes come to the quarries to see the twins.
Bill & Ben are based on two 0-4-0 tank engines built by Bagnall's of Stafford that worked at Par in Cornwall named Alfred and Judy. They are unusually low, allowing them to fit under bridges that taller engines could not. The real examples are both preserved at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.
Bill and Ben are the only engines depicted in the TV Series with steam whistles containing all of the working parts; the whistles on the other engines lack the lever and operating cable. They are also the only standard gauge steam engines with sealed cabs (you cannot see inside).
Bill & Ben were introduced in Season 2 and have appeared since on several occasions (except season 8).
Recently, pictures of the Bill/Ben models during the production of season 2 were found, in which they bore numbers above their faces in similar fashion to the Railway Series. For reasons unknown, they were removed and have not been seen in any episodes or canon photos.
Boco
- Also see: BoCo (Railway Series)
Boco is a green diesel who works mainly on Edward's Branch Line.
Boco is a very kind engine, and is by and large considered the most sensible diesel engine on the Fat Controller's railway. Bill & Ben misunderstood him at first, going out of their way to trick him, but this was soon sorted out and good-natured Boco even managed to laugh about it later.
While his name in The Railway Series has a capitalised C (ie. "BoCo"), this capitalisation is not present in the TV Series. Boco made his first appearance in Series 2, but he has not been seen in the TV Series since Series 5.
Boco is based upon the British Rail Class 28 "Metrovick Co-Bo" Type 2 diesel electric engine, named after its unusual Co-Bo wheel arrangement. The bogie beneath the power plant carries three powered axles ('Co') and the other carries two ('Bo'). This arrangement was designed to maximise the routes over which the engine could work. Another unusual feature of the Metrovick Co-Bo is the use of a two stroke diesel power plant in favour of the more standard four stroke. Twenty of these engines were built by Metropolitan-Vickers in 1958 as part of British Railways' Modernisation Plan. One 'Metrovick' (D5705) has survived and is preserved at the East Lancashire Railway in Bury.
In the Railway Series, BoCo carries his NWR number 'D2', whereas in the TV series he carries the number D5702, which is in the range of numbers assigned to the real "Metrovick" locomotives by British Railways.
Mavis
Mavis is a diesel; she is mostly black, with yellow-and-black "hazard" stripes on her front and rear. Like Toby, her six wheels are concealed by sideplates and a cow-catcher. She also has her name, and "The Ffarquhar Quarry Co." written on both sides. To begin with, she had a tomboyish, rebellious attitude. In later seasons, however, she became much more settled, and became a role model for Bill and Ben.
Mavis works at the quarry at the end of Thomas' Branch Line, where she mostly works with Toby. She is filled with youthful enthusiasm, and this often leads to her doing more work than is required of her -- which wouldn't be so bad, if this didn't lead to incidents like endangering Toby. After the fifth television series, Mavis was transferred to the 'Centre Island Quarry', where she works with Bill and Ben (and the occasional visitor).
Mavis was the last of the Standard Gauge engines to make the transition from The Railway Series to the TV Series.
She is based on of the British Rail Class 04 shunter.
Derek
Derek is a dark green Paxman Diesel, who was brought to Sodor to help Bill and Ben in the quarry. Because he was new, he suffered from 'Teething Troubles', which often resulted in his engine overheating due to a bad cooling system and breaking down. He considered this a setback, especially when his engine failed whilst helping Bill and Ben pull a train. Luckily, Bill and Ben prevailed, and Derek was mended. Upon discovering Derek's friendliness, Bill and Ben were happy when he returned from the Works.
Derek was only featured in one Season 5 story 'Double Teething Troubles', in which his name wasn't even mentioned. He returned in Calling All Engines, however, but only as a cameo in a song.
Derek was originally going to be called 'Paxman', but the TV company thought it would be confused with celebrity Jeremy Paxman.
Derek is a British Rail Class 17 diesel.
'Arry & Bert
The brothers 'Arry & Bert are diesel engines who work at the "Sodor Ironworks", the scrapyards and smelters' sheds of Sodor. Their bodies are green-grey, but their fronts and rears have yellow-and-black "hazard" stripes, like Mavis, so that people working in the smelters' sheds can see them coming. They love nothing more than breaking up steam engines, and when they can't do that (often because the Fat Controller stops them), they enjoy making other engines' lives difficult with spiteful tricks.
'Arry & Bert are British Rail Class 08 diesel-electric shunters. Hundreds of these engines and similar types were built for service in Britain and Europe. They were very successful, and many are still at work today.
'Arry & Bert were introduced in Season 5, and were the first engines to appear in the series without first appearing in the Railway Series. Along with Diesel, they served as the only real 'villains' in the TV series, most notably in the eighth, ninth and eleventh seasons.
In the toy lines, the twin diesels are known as Iron 'Arry & Iron Bert.
Salty
Salty is a battered old diesel who works at Brendam docks. He loves the sea more than anything, and has a fund of sea stories and shanties. Bill and Ben enjoy hearing these tales, but Cranky the Crane is not so fond of them.
Apart from the yellow-and-black "hazard" stripes like Mavis, on his front and rear, Salty is mostly painted dull red, and carries the number 2991. He speaks with a West Country accent and, naturally enough, uses a lot of nautical slang. He even likes the smell of fish!
Salty works well with trucks, but how he manages to keep them in order is a closely-guarded secret. He is also one of the few diesels who has no quarrel whatsoever with steam engines. Therefore, he is a friend to all.
Salty is based on a British Rail Class 07 dock shunter. He first appeared in Season 6, and has appeared intermittently since.
Harvey
Harvey is a crane engine with a large face. He has a crane arm mounted on top of his boiler, which makes him look rather unusual. The other engines teased him at first, but when he was able to rescue Percy after an accident they realised that his difference was what made him special. Since then, he has proved very useful, using his crane arm for maintenance, building and clearing up.
With perhaps the most distinctive appearance of any engine on the show, Harvey is painted dull red, with some gold. His name appears on both his sides, as well as the number 27 -- which, including the Narrow Gauge engines and excluding Diesel, accurately reflects him being the 27th addition to the fleet of engines working on Sodor.
Harvey is based on Crane Engine No. 4101. He first appeared in Season 6 of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.
Emily
Emily is a "Stirling Single" Engine. She is painted dark green with gold stripes, and has a unique shape since she has only one pair of driving wheels. She speaks with a Scottish accent, and has a 'hot and cold' running temper.
She caused upset for Thomas when she accidentally "stole" Annie and Clarabel, but after saving Oliver from an accident, she was rewarded a pair of coaches of her own. Sometimes, she acts like a "big sister" figure to the smaller engines -- Thomas and Percy in particular -- but other times she can get too big for her wheels. All in all, she's still a kind engine despite her foibles.
Emily first appeared in Season 7, and from Season 8 has been a part of the core group of characters, known as the Steam Team.
Fergus
Fergus is an Aveling & Porter railway traction engine who mainly works at the cement works. He is painted blue-purple with red wheels, and although he vaguely resembles Trevor the Traction Engine, Fergus runs on rails, unlike Trevor.
Fergus knows the Rule Book by heart, and his catchphrase is "Do it right!" His insistence on doing everything absolutely according to the rules can annoy the other engines. However, he is a decent engine at heart and will not hesitate to help other engines who are in trouble.
Fergus made his debut in Season 7, but has not been seen or mentioned since this season.
Arthur
Arthur is a big, maroon tank engine featured in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV Series. When he arrived on the Island of Sodor, he was as excited to work for The Fat Controller as he was proud of his spotless record. He was bought to shunt trucks and haul freight, but then was transferred to the Fishing Village line, on which he enjoys working.
Arthur is an LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T tank engine developed for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (hence the initials "LMS" on his tanks), but only really came properly into service with British Railways. These engines were equally capable of pulling goods and passenger trains, particularly on branch and secondary services. There are many engines of this class preserved all across England. They performed so well that they survived right to the end of steam on British Railways, and were one of the last classes to be ordered for scrapping.
Murdoch
Murdoch is Sodor's largest and strongest engine, with ten driving wheels (bigger than Gordon). He is painted orange, with green and red lining, and is one of the few engines on the Standard Gauge railway to have nameplates fitted.
Murdoch helps haul long goods trains on the Main Line, and is good friends with Salty and Harvey. But in spite of his size, Murdoch is a gentle giant, who is often shy and prefers some peace and quiet when the hustle and bustle of the city life becomes too much - and there is nothing better for him than a quiet run through the countryside.
Murdoch is based on the Class 9F freight engines; the last steam engines to be built for British Railways in 1960. BR standard class 9F 92220 Evening Star is one of these.
First appearing in Season 7, Murdoch has also appeared in Season 8 of Thomas & Friends.
Molly
Molly is a large, powerful, and bright yellow engine. She is based on a GE Claud Hamilton 4-4-0 tender engine. Aware of what the other engines think of her, she is rather sensitive and often hurt by the unkind things they say. This was proven when, on her first day, she was teased for pulling empty wagons. She felt inferior to the other engines, and wanted to feel just as useful as them. However, in the end, Molly saw sense (thanks to Thomas) that even empty wagons can be just as important as loaded ones.
Molly made her debut appearance in Season 9 of Thomas and Friends.
Neville
Neville is based on a Bulleid "Q1" Engine, and is painted black with the number "33010" on the sides of his cab. When he first came to Sodor, the engines held a grudge against him as rumours were flying around that he was planning to bump the steam engines. In the end, these rumours were proven false.
Neville made his debut in Thomas and Friends in the show's ninth season, and although his personality has not yet been explored, he has been described on website biographies as an "all round good egg, who doesn't hold any grudges".
Dennis
Dennis is an exceptionally lazy diesel engine, who will do just about anything to get out of doing work.
One of a number of characters to debut in Season 9 of Thomas and Friends, Dennis is painted grey, and is not as tall as many of his colleagues. He carries the number 11001.
Dennis is based on a prototype Southern Railway Diesel Shunter, No. 11001.
Rosie
Rosie is a light purple and grey engine with red wheels who came to the Island and idolises Thomas, whilst he's trying to deliver a special Birthday post train to Alice at Hill Farm. Thomas gets annoyed, as she continues to follow him. But after he has an accident and she helps him, he starts to respect her. Her first appearance in the series was in the tenth season.
Rosie is based on a USA class 0-6-0 "Dock Tank" engine. One is in service on the Bluebell Railway, and is the third female steam engine introduced in the TV Series, after Emily and Molly (not including Lady, as she is a movie character) She is, however, the first female tank engine to be introduced.
Whiff
Whiff is a dark green 2-2-4 rubbish-collecting tank engine with dark green wheels and glasses, the first engine character in the TV series to do so.
In Emily's Rubbish, Emily has to work with Whiff. She is quickly teased for spending time with a smelly engine. But Whiff is the only engine who doesn't mind moving trucks full of rubbish. He shows up and takes the rubbish tracks away for Emily, who was blocked and is no longer afraid to call Whiff her friend.
Whiff is based off NER 66 Aerolite, found at the National Railway Museum.
Billy
Billy is a small orange tank engine with noticeably buck teeth. When he first arrived, The Fat Controller asked Thomas to show him the right way to do things, but he thought Thomas was being bossy. He runs off and then runs out of coal and water, Thomas helps him to a station and after that, he doesn't think Thomas is bossy.
Billy is based on the GWR 1361 Saddle Tank Engine despite being orange.
Hank
Hank is a large American engine who first appeared in the Season 12 episode, "Heave Ho Thomas!" He is a kind and friendly blue tender engine. He helped Thomas when Thomas took a load that was much too large.
Hiro
Hiro is an old Japanese engine. He was the first engine on Sodor. When he first arrived at the docks the island was very quiet. He comes from Japan where he was called "Master Of The Railway". Thomas helped to restore Hiro to his former glory, while keeping his secret from Sir Topham Hatt, and a very rude Spencer.
Victor
Victor is a wise Spanish engine that was introduced in Hero of the Rails. He works with Kevin the road crane at The Sodor Steamworks. He is not afraid to speak his mind, and is very wise. He helped Thomas to restore Hiro to his former glory. Victor is red with yellow/black hazard stripes.
Charlie
Charlie is a purple tank engine with a number 14 written on his side. He was the controller's favourite on the railway he was from, and he has a reputation for being very fun. Charlie rarely takes things seriously; everything is fun and gamo him.
Bash & Dash
Bash and Dash are mischievous twins who always finish each others sentences. They were sent to Misty Island because they were naughty on the mainland, but now they always try to do their best for The Fat Controller. Their first appearnces were in Misty Island Rescue.
Ferdinand
Ferdinand is a gentle giant. He is a bigger and slower engine who is able to make special tweeting sounds with his whistles. He runs on wood and oil and can often be heard saying "that's right". His first appearence was in Misty Island Rescue.
Scruff
Scruff was brought to Sodor to work at Whiff's Waste Dump. He hates being cleaned and, when Thomas once tried to have him cleaned, he ran away and hid in a siding until he was coaxed out with the promise of being allowed to shunt rubbish trucks. He once had to go to the Sodor Steamworks to have his "scruncher" mended, and later that day, he helped Gordon tidy up the waste dump before the Inspector arrived. His first appearence was in the Season 14 episode, Thomas & Scruff.
Belle
Belle is one of the newest additions to the Search and Rescue Team. She would be overwhelming if she wasn’t so nice, even Cranky likes her! She wants to do her best and be the best. Belle realizes that she isn’t the fire engine Sodor needs and supports Flynn in every way. In fact, when Flynn makes mistakes, it's Belle who is always there to help him out.
Belle is based on a British Railways Standard Class 4 tank engine with added water cannons, brass bell, and electric headlamps on her bufferbeam and above her face.
Den
Den is a Diesel who runs the Dieselworks...when Diesel 10 is not around. He is very thoughtful and thinks hard before he speaks. When Den does speak, it is very slowly. This gives the appearance that he may be a little slow, but nothing could be further from the truth. Engines can wait a long time for Den to give his insight, but it is worth the wait.
Den is based on a Rolls Royce Sentinel Diesel-Hydraulic 0-4-0.
Dart
Dart is Den’s fast and feisty assistant at the Dieselworks. Dart has worked with Den for so long he can read Den’s mind. Together, they run the Dieselworks well. Dart will quickly explain what Den is trying to say. No other Diesels know how to fix an engine as quickly or as capably.
Dart is based on a 0-4-0 DH Bagnall.
Sidney
Sidney, nicknamed Sid, can be a bit of a forgetful diesel engine. He starts his day at one location and ends up at another, not remembering how he got there!
Sidney is based on the BR Class 08.
Paxton
Paxton, nicknamed Pax, is a young Diesel who likes the steam engines, especially Thomas. He can be a bit gullible, enabling other Diesels to take advantage of him.
Paxton is based on a BR Class 08.
Norman
Norman, nicknamed Norm, is a Diesel engine who often breaks down. If he were fixed properly, he would show what a Really Useful Engine he is.
Norman is based on a type of Bulleid Diesel, "No. 11001".
Visiting Engines
City of Truro
City of Truro featured in one Season 3 episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, 'Gordon and the Famous Visitor'. He was not mentioned by name, and indeed did not have a speaking role or a face, but is referred to by Duck as a celebrity.
City of Truro is a real engine, and the first such engine to make an appearance in the series.
City of Truro also appears in The Railway Series books, in a rather more prominent role.
Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman, like City of Truro, featured in one Season 3 episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, 'Tender Engines'. Also like City of Truro, he is not mentioned by name, and indeed the only part of Flying Scotsman we see is its tenders, which cause a great deal of resentment on Henry’s part.
Contrastingly, in The Railway Series, Flying Scotsman is given a proper role in the 23rd book of the series, Enterprising Engines.
Like City of Truro, Flying Scotsman is also a real engine.
Stepney
Stepney was saved from scrap by Rusty, and now he works on a distant branch line known as the Bluebell Railway. He is a small engine with a tall funnel, painted in the cheery yellow livery of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.
Stepney was the third real engine to appear in the TV series and the first to have a face and a speaking role.
Stepney loves long runs and even likes pulling trucks. This enthusiastic attitude, together with his friendliness, means that he is always a welcome visitor to the Fat Controller's railway. Although his main role was in the fourth season of the TV Series, he has occasionally visited since.
Stepney is based on the real engine of the same name, an LB&SCR A1 Class 'Terrier' 0-6-0T tank locomotive.
Stepney also appears in Volume 18 of The Railway Series, Stepney The "Bluebell" Engine.
Stepney first appeared in season 4, but has not been seen since season 12.
The Diesel
- For the Railway Series character, see: D4711
The Diesel (also known as D261 and Class 40) 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.
The Diesel only appeared in one Season 4 episode, 'Bowled Out'. He was also seen in the Railway Series, with a yellow face and the (entirely fictitious) number D4711.
He is based on a Class 40 diesel locomotive.
Spencer
Spencer is the sleekest and fastest engine ever to visit Sodor, and looks the part with his streamlined silver casing. He is the private engine of the wealthy Duke and Duchess of Boxford.
He is also one of the most arrogant engines to visit Sodor, which does not make him popular with the other engines -- especially Gordon. However, his pride has been his downfall more than once. First he had to be rescued by Gordon when he ran out of water, then on his next visit he lost a race with Edward. He does not seem to be humbled by his mistakes.
His distinctive shape is that of the LNER Class A4 express engine. Another of these, Mallard, holds the record for being the fastest steam locomotive in the world.
Spencer made his debut in the Season 7 episode "Gordon and Spencer", and made further appearances in Seasons 8, 10, and 11.
