Thomas the Tank Engine/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Thomas & Friends is one of the longest running children's series in the UK (Over 60 odd years, counting the books when they were first printed)

Main Article

The Steam Team

The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt

The Controller of the railway, makes sure all of his engines are doing their best.

Thomas the Tank Engine

A tank engine, the main character and namesake of the series, and the first engine to be purchased for the Fat Controller's railway. Thomas spent his time shunting coaches for bigger engines, and he longed to see the world. After helping to rescue James after an accident, he was dubbed a "Really Useful Engine" and was given his own branch line, along with two coaches, Annie and Clarabel.

Edward The Blue Engine

The oldest engine on the Fat Controller's railway, and the first character developed by the Rev. W. Awdry. Edward is a mixed-traffic engine with his own branch line. He's kind but firm, serving as a mentor for younger engines, though he is often teased about his age.

Henry The Green Engine

A much larger mixed traffic engine, Henry started off as a poorly built engine bought by the Fat Controller when he was desperate for engines. He was once infamously stranded himself in a tunnel and was bricked up, until Gordon's express failed, when he came out and showed his worth. He required special Welsh coal to steam properly until his Flying Kipper accident, where he was completely rebuilt into a much more reliable engine.

Gordon The Big Engine

A big, powerful express engine whose main job is to pull the railway's express. He thinks very highly of himself and is quick to criticize others, though his delusions of grandeur are often what land him into trouble.

James The Red Engine

A mixed traffic engine, James was riddled with issues when he first arrived, but later proved to be Really Useful by pulling the Express when Gordon failed. James can be called upon to perform virtually any duty, though he prefers coaches. Like Gordon's ego, James's vanity and admiration for his red paintwork often gets him in trouble.

Percy The Small Engine

A small, cheeky green engine purchased by the Fat Controller while Gordon, James and Henry were on strike. Nobody knows where he really came from or who built him. Percy currently works on Thomas's branch line. Considered as a junior member of the Steam Team, Percy enjoys being given important jobs and is earnest and sincere.

Toby The Tram Engine

An elderly tram engine, Toby is unusual as his body's made of wood and he barely resembles a typical steam engine. He once worked on his own railway with his faithful coach Henrietta, until the line was closed down. Thankfully, the Fat Controller, who had visited the railway, brought him to his railway.

Emily The Beautiful Engine

A Stirling Single engine, and the only female of the Steam Team. When she first arrived on Sodor she mistakenly took Thomas's coaches, to the shock of the other Sodor engines. However, after Emily saved Thonas and Oliver from an accident and apologized, they became close friends, and she was given her own coaches.

The Diesels

Diesel

The first diesel to visit the Island of Sodor, Diesel believes that diesels are better than steam engines, and wanted to "revolutionize" Sodor. He left and came back several times before becoming a permanent part of the railway.

  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
  • Devil in Plain Sight
  • Jerkass: The most prominent one of the show.
    • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The newer series has played with this in "Diesel's Special Delivery". Christopher Awdry's stand alone novel "Thomas And The Evil Diesel" also gave him a redeeming moment helping a derailed Clarabel.
  • Manipulative Bastard: In his debut, he tells jokes about the big engines to the trucks, and tells them that Duck shared them with him. Once the trucks starts laughing at the other engines, they're convinced Duck had been spreading nasty jokes about them.
    • This returns in Day of the Diesels: when seeing Percy distressed about Thomas hanging out with Belle instead of him, he convinces Percy to meet Diesel's friends at the Dieselworks.
  • Smug Snake
  • Visionary Villain: Started off as one.

Diesel: "Your worthy Sir Topham Hatt thinks I need to learn. He is mistaken. We diesels don't need to learn, we know everything. We come to a yard and improve it. We are revolutionary!"

Mavis

  • The Smurfette Principle: Until the movie, she and Daisy were the only female engines, neither of whom appeared very often.
  • Team Mom: Was this occasionally with Bill and Ben, but now plays this role with most other engines.

'Arry and Bert

Diesel 10

The major antagonist of Thomas and the Magic Railroad. A large warship diesel with a mechanical claw on his roof, he was out to destroy Lady and Mr. Conductor, but was defeated thanks to Thomas. He has returned several times in the show's run, but only in the feature-length specials.

Salty

Other Diesels

Diesel 10: If she can be destroyed...
Dodge: Uh, destroyed? Did you say destroyed?
Splatter: D-word?
Dodge: Like, hurt?!

The Steamworks

Victor

A Cuban narrow gauge engine, Victor transports parts all through the Steamworks, as well as giving orders and helping diagnose problems with engines who come in. As the only narrow gauge engine owned by the Fat Controller, Victor can sometimes leave the Steamworks to help the small engines.

Kevin the Crane

A three-wheeled mobile crane and Victor's assistant. Kevin is faster than Victor at delivering parts, except Kevin is extremely clumsy.

Sodor Search and Rescue Team

Belle

A large tank engine with two water canons fitted on top of her tanks. Belle is the only girl of the rescue team, and the only steam engine.

Butch

A big, strong breakdown truck.

  • Ascended Extra: He was originally meant to be a major character in season 5, but due to poor planning, he ended up only as a background extra. In season 15 he finally got an episode, Stuck on You.
  • Catch Phrase: "Ready for action!"
  • Early-Bird Cameo: He appears briefly in the first episode of the fifth season before being introduced in the following episode.
  • Recurring Extra: Until season 15.
  • Suddenly Voiced: In season 15, ten seasons after his debut.
  • Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: Prior to his debut episode, he has been seen doing countless other jobs, including rebuilding Great Waterton and Tidmouth Sheds, delivering engine and windmill parts, pulling the Chinese Dragon, clearing rubble, rescuing stranded vehicles, lowering boats into the sea...

Captain

A life boat who came to Sodor during the construction of the Sa RC.

Flynn

A big, American red fire engine brought to Sodor based on Belle's suggestion. He has specialized wheels under his frame that allow him to travel on rails as well as the road.

  • Large Ham
  • Miles Gloriosus: His own insecurities have prevented him from doing his job properly on at least two occasions. Diesel has even called him out on not doing much rescuing.

Diesel: You're never busy. You just stand around looking fancy!
Flynn: ...I'm...I'm...waiting to be busy!

Harold the Helicopter

Harold is owned by the coastguard on Sodor and lived at Dryaw airfield by Thomas' Branch Line before becoming part of the Sa RC. When Harold first met Percy he stated that railways were "slow and out-of-date", but was proven wrong when Percy later beat him in a race.

  • Heel Face Turn: Was something of an antagonist in his first episode, but would later help rescue Thomas in The Runaway and helped Percy in Percy's Promise, and has since been portrayed in a positive light.

Rocky

A large, red steam crane. Rocky was thought of as "new-fangled nonsense" by Edward when he first arrived, but proved his worth after lifting Gordon back onto the rails after a serious accident.

  • Gentle Giant
  • The Leader: Something of one to the Rescue Team. He has a radio built into his cab that lets him hear orders from the Rescue Center and give orders to the rest of the team.

Secondary Characters

Duck The Great Western Engine

  • Break the Haughty: What Diesel pulls on him.
  • Brother Chuck
  • Catch Phrase: "Beg Pardon Sir..."
  • Humiliation Conga: As if the trucks forcing him to crash into a barber shop wasn't enough, the angry owner decided to shave and lather him!
  • Misplaced Nationalism: Or at least something very like it. In his debut episode he's fond of claiming that there are two ways of doing things, "the Great Western way or the wrong way". Fortunately he got over it quite quickly.
  • Motor Mouth: The whole plotline of "Donald's Duck" kicked off after Donald told him to zip it.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His given name is 'Montague,' but most call him 'Duck,' after his tendency to waddle on the rails. Henry, Gordon, and James have quacked at him in the past.

Donald and Douglas, the Scottish Twins

Bill and Ben the Quarry Engines

Oliver The Western Engine

Lady the Magic Engine

A purple and gold tank engine who only appears in Thomas and the Magic Railroad and in a dream sequence in Calling All Engines. She runs the Magic Railroad that connects Shining Time to Sodor, and is the source of the Gold Dust required to keep Mr. Conductor and Sodor alive.

Spencer

A private engine owned by the Duke and Duchess of Boxford, Gordon's distant cousin, and a snob that none of the Sodor engines can stand.

  • Attention Whore: Played up in Welcome, Stafford!.
  • Break the Haughty: Almost every appearance of him involves this.
  • Jerkass
  • Large Ham
  • Light Is Not Good: Although when compared to diesels, the steam engines are portrayed as friendly and reliable, Spencer is always portrayed in a negative light; a big-headed showoff that likes making the Sodor engines miserable. He outright reached villain status in Hero of the Rails, when he not only pestered and annoyed the Sodor engines, but also attempted to send Hiro to the smelter's yard, with no solid reason except to make Thomas miserable.
  • Not-So-Harmless Villain: In Hero of the Rails.
  • The Rival: To Gordon and Thomas.
  • Smug Snake
  • Upper Class Twit

Hiro

An old, wise engine who came from Japan many years ago. He debuted in Hero of the Rails, where Thomas found him hidden away in an old forest and had his friends help repair him. He has since made several minor appearances.

Other Engines

The Skarloey Railway

Skarloey

The first and oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway, named after a lake at one end of the railway.

Rheneas

Named after a waterfall on the railway, Rheneas is the second engine.

Sir Handel/Falcon

Peter Sam/Stuart

Rusty

Duncan

Duke

Fearless Freddie

Mighty Mac

A double-ended Fairlie locomotive introduced in season 9. One end is Mighty, and the other is Mac.

  • The Big Guy
  • Different As Night and Day: Mac is younger and more hot-headed, Mighty is older and more conservative.
  • Body Horror: Well, as close as you'll get with a children's show about talking trains. Being an articulated Fairlie-type locomotive, both of them share the same body with each having a face at either end. They seem fine with it, though.
  • Those Two Guys

Luke

An upcoming character from Blue Mountain Mystery. He's a small, green pannier tank engine who lives at the Blue Mountain Quarry.

  • Dark and Troubled Past: He's somehow connected to an incident of an engine falling into the sea, and thinks if he's ever found, he'll be sent away from Sodor forever.
  • Shrinking Violet: When other engines try to talk to him, he scurries away into tunnels and won't come out.

Non-rail Characters

Bertie the Bus

  • Bus Best Friend: Something of the vehicle equivelent of mixed race (or species) friendship at least.
  • Fantastic Racism: Briefly in "Trust Thomas" after the engines fail to get tar for his broken roads, he labels them unreliable. He takes it back completely when Thomas gets this fixed.
  • Friendly Rival: His races with Thomas (though to prove the worth of their respective vehicles) are rather playful and in good fun.

Terrence the Tractor

Trevor the Traction Engine

Caroline

Bulgy

Cranky the Crane

George

Elizabeth

Madge

Colin the Crane

The Pack

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