Media Essays: Sodor's Finest Engines (80th Anniversary Special)

Written by TCH2

"What first attracted me to the stories were, and still are, the characters; the adventures and situations they get into. And this is what made me want to bring them to life on the screen with all the things that a multi-dimensional world can do... If the audience embraced the characters and the stories, whom they first discover on the screen... that they will then want these characters and stories as part of their life."

Britt Allcroft, 1994

When it comes to winning over a potential audience, there is no doubt that the most important element in any media is creating compelling characters for the audience to relate to, root for and see pull through when things get rough.

Alongside its general sense of realism and accurate portrayal of how railways worked (for the most part), what made Thomas the Tank Engine so appealing to children and adults alike was its vast array of colourful characters. Each character from The Railways Series and the TV series has his or her own distinct personality and appearance, and when handled properly, the stories surrounding them fitted their characters and what they represented in the overall mythos.

And I, Thomas Holmes, am going to go over the most popular characters from this franchise and briefly explain why they're so beloved - in honour of The Railway Series turning 80 years this year. So have your tickets ready and here we go.

Disclaimer: A lot of what I say comes from YouTuber TheUnluckyTug and his popular series 'Sodor's Finest', especially the title. I only do this because Unlucky Tug summarises these characters remarkably well. I highly recommend watching his videos.

Edward the Blue Engine

Kicking things off is the engine who started it all. Yeah, it wasn't Thomas, but Edward who was the first character introduced to Christopher and future readers. That's just one of the many reasons why people love Edward.

Edward is a prime example of the phrase 'age is but a number'. Despite being one of the oldest engines on the Island, Edward doesn't let this stop him from being the most reliable engine he can be. I mean, this guy powered through a broken crank-pin, a damaged side and an inoperative driving axle to get a long and heavy passenger train home during a bad storm, where most engines would have given up. What does that tell you?

Edward is also one of the kindest engines you could meet... when written properly, that is (*coughEdward Strikes Outcough*). He's always willing to lend an understanding ear to the little engines and is their go-to engine for helpful advice, whether it's telling Percy to use a 'deputation' to help out Donald and Douglas, swapping jobs with Thomas to give him something different to do, or giving Trevor a chance to work at a harbour. Even engines who have been rude to him still get generally kindness in return, thus showing Edward's overall maturity. That said, he's also not afraid to reprimand others if they act out of line, be they big or small, especially Bill and Ben. And when you make Edward cross, you just know you done messed up.

Of course, Edward isn't the most developed of characters; he rarely has a story focussing exclusively on him and his own troubles in either the books or the TV series... that keeps him in-character - looking at you, HiT era! Most of Edward's stories are usually about another engine who's perhaps clashing with Edward in some way or else getting help from him. But that doesn't matter, really. Edward shows you don't need to be a main character with faults to be compelling - he's best-suited as a role-model, someone you can aspire to be when you get older. He might be old-fashioned, but Edward's no pile of old iron.

Gordon the Big Engine

From the first character introduced to the second, Gordon is arguably the most explored character in the franchise, with a compelling story arc spanning The Railway Series and even the TV series delving into his character a few times.

Gordon is primarily a proud and arrogant Express engine who can be quite rude and condescending to the other engines. This generally makes him the antagonist of some stories, and readers find it fun to see Gordon get his comeuppance, whether getting into some kind of accident, being punished by the Fat Controller, or being shown up by whatever engine he was rude to.

But Gordon has also been the subject of mature existentialism stories in The Railway Series. From learning all of his brothers, barring Flying Scotsman, have been scrapped; to learning of high-speed trains on the mainland, and trying and failing to equal them; to ultimately being replaced by said trains, yet accepting it humbly, Gordon shows off a lot of growth as a character that few other characters can boast.

Even in the TV series, Gordon is shown grappling with worries of being scrapped when he starts making unpleasant sounds; learning that respect must be earned, not demanded, from his peers; and constantly trying to prove his worth against engines who equal or surpass his speed. This shows that Gordon possesses a level of insecurity and wants to feel important, like I'm sure anyone does.

But despite all this, Gordon has a good heart, and will not hesitate to help a friend when needed - helping Spencer when the latter runs dry, pushing James up a slippery hill, or giving Henry back his special coal upon seeing how much he struggles without it.

Gordon's ego might be a problem, but given how popular and iconic he is, you might say it would be undignified not to have a little ego.

Henry the Green Engine

The third of the original three engines, Henry was nearly written off by Awdry twice. When he was first conceived, Awdry intended to leave Henry in that tunnel for 'always and always and always', until his wife convinced him otherwise. The second attempt was through Henry's constant illness in the earlier books. Both were because of how Henry was drawn incorrectly by illustrators. Yet fans insisted Henry stay, and Awdry complied, ultimately making Henry into a consummate survivor of strife.

In addition to laying the groundwork for the overall realism of The Railway Series, Henry's in-universe unfortunate history of steaming troubles make him rather sympathetic, especially to those who born with some kind of physical impairment. At the same time, though, Henry can be quite a jerk, especially when he's around his fellow big engines like Gordon and James. As stated by Unlucky Tug, though, he's self-conscious and feels he deserves better because he's had it rough. Though, as with Gordon, it was still amusing when he got his comeuppance.

In the original stories created for the TV series, a gentler side of Henry was introduced - especially a love of nature, as first shown in Henry's Forest. This added a lot to his character, and helped to make him stand him out from Gordon a bit more. He was a gentle giant who appreciated the small things in life and the natural world. Henry also had some stories that showcased he was still vulnerable to illness and played up his rivalry with Gordon, most of which are considered highlights of the otherwise middling HiT era.

But of course, one can't talk about Henry without mentioning his greatest story in The Railway Series, Super Rescue, where Henry saves two failing diesels and their trains in a pretty epic cavalcade, despite Henry himself having a faulty regulator. As he himself asserted at the end of the story: "Trains must get through." Really goes to show how much Henry cares about going a good job, despite being a jerk.

We're not going to address the CGI Henry; that era didn't do him justice.

Overall, Henry's a great example of overcoming physical disability and an engine with many layers - a jerk, a lover of nature, a hard-worker, an enterprising engine, a friend - he's all of them.

James the Red Engine

Here's James!

Easily the vainest engine on the Fat Controller's Railway, James notably has a consistency to his character that very few others can boast. Whether it's The Railway Series, the Model Series or the CGI Series, he's always been the same cocky, fiery, attention-seeking prat that loves to show off his red paint... and inevitably gets himself into trouble when he does so.

What fans like about James is his ego. It's the basis for a lot of potential comedy with just how over-the-top he can get in trying to show to everyone he's the best. He's essentially the jokester of the North Western Railway; the comic relief. Most of his stories tend to revolve around him being a jerk to someone and subsequently getting his comeuppance - whether it's running into tar wagons after insulting Toby, becoming a mobile bee hive after sneering at BoCo, crashing into snow when he ignores Edward's advice of going slowly, or mishandling slip coaches when trying to show up Duck.

Another thing fans love about James is how well he plays off other characters - whether it's him and Thomas trying to one-up each other, trying to prove he's as good as Gordon despite being mixed-traffic, contrasting with Toby, being rivals with Henry, being shown-up by the wiser Edward etc. These dynamics have all made for some great and enjoyable stories, even in some of the show's weaker periods like the HiT era.

While James' arrogance might make him unlikeable at times, underneath, James has a good heart and a strong work ethic. When a friend's in trouble or a job desperately needs doing, James will do it, be it coaches or trucks (even if he would prefer the former). He does also have standards and will generally try to make amends when he goes too far, apologising to Thomas for playing a trick on him in 'No Joke For James', helping Edward in 'James the Second Best', and saying sorry to Percy after teasing him one time too many in 'Tale of the Brave'.

James might be vain, but he really is okay - one of the best engines on Sodor. Just... don't say that directly to him - his smokebox is swollen enough!

Percy the Small Engine

The little brother of the Steam Team and the most child-like at heart, Percy is probably the character kids can relate to the most. He's wide-eyed, naïve and innocent, but also rather scrappy, short-tempered and rather accident-prone.

Percy's stories are some of the more... child-like of The Railway Series and TV series. He's not like Gordon, who has to grapple with realism and aging, or James, who's in denial of who he is, or Edward, who will tear himself apart to finish a job. Percy's stories generally involve him being cheeky to the big engines; getting into various antics with others like racing Harold the Helicopter or blowing his whistle loudly at others; arguing with someone who gets on his bad side; or getting into trouble which he does very frequently. He doesn't take the big engines' boasting lying down, and loves to knock them down a peg, through teasing, trickery or assertive action, though Percy never does anything that could cause serious harm, nor will he pick on anyone who's nice to him.

Percy's known for having some of the memorable and/or amusing crashes/accidents in the series - smashing into a brake-van and perching on top of trucks; getting covered in hay so he looks like a 'woolly bear'; running into water on several occasions, being buried in a landslide; having jam splattered over him and trousers wrapped around his funnel after running over luggage; and crashing through a chocolate factory and looking like a choc ice on wheels!

Despite this, Percy is a sweet and kind little engine who will not hesitate to help others when they have need. He organised a strike with Duck when the big engines got bossy; he braved floodwaters to get Thomas' passengers home because he promised he would; he spoke to the Fat Controller on behalf of Donald and Douglas, despite being nervous about it; he pulled Toby to safety from going over a waterfall; and he came to Thomas' rescue when the latter was caught in a landslide.

Speaking of Thomas, Percy's relationship with the little blue engine has been interesting. At first, they were simply colleagues who tolerated each other, and often butted heads because they were so much alike - Percy scares Thomas by pretending to be a ghost, only for Thomas to in turn laugh at Percy when he gets hay stuck all over him. But over time, the two tank engines would warm up to each other, and eventually become best friends; almost like brothers. Even in the weaker eras of the show, Thomas and Percy have shared some pretty wholesome moments together.

Percy has sometimes been portrayed as childishly dumb and very cowardly in some of the show's lesser moments, but when written properly, his adorable cheekiness and fiery temper make him one of the most relatable child characters in the show.

Toby the Tram Engine

Another wise old engine - this time, it's the guy who's content to watch chaos happen rather than prevent it.

Toby is unique among the engines in that he's a steam tram, which makes him stand out on Sodor. He was also effectively the first 'real' engine in the franchise, based directly on the GER Class C53/J70 steam trams, whereas the other characters were more inspired by their real-life bases.

Toby's an engine who doesn't feel his age and remains as joyful and fun-loving as a young man - he's like a playful uncle or grandfather. He is also essentially an agent of chaos, which makes him all the more amusing. Whereas Edward will reprimand if an engine is being irresponsible, rude or difficult, Toby will gladly sit back and let them make a fool of themselves before coming in to show them how it's done, whether letting Daisy humiliate herself with a bull or allowing Mavis to spin her wheels at a farm crossing. Toby also doesn't take sides in a conflict - when Percy opts to spook Thomas as a 'ghost', Toby helps him out, but in the very next story, he joins in Thomas in laughing at Percy when he gets hay stuck all over him. This guy would probably laugh at himself if given the chance.

Furthermore, Toby has strong bonds with the human characters, be it with the Hatt family in his debut story, Farmer McColl in Season 6 of the TV series, or a flour miller in Season 7. In all of these, he demonstrates how down-to-earth and reliable he is. He will brave a collapsing dam to warn people of a flood; sit in freezing cold wind to shelter lambs; and propose using a fallen tree to repair a damaged windmill.

Alas, Toby has also been mishandled in later seasons; from the HiT era onward, he became more insecure and self-doubting and pretty much a wimp. Even during the Brennaissance, Toby continued to be portrayed in this way, which, honestly, is just wrong. Needless to say, I'm highlighting exclusively about The Railway Series and Classic era depictions of Toby. That is the proper version of Toby - an oldie but a goldie, whom we still care about very much.

Duck the Great Western Engine

A rather controversial engine among fans, but still very popular, Montague - nicknamed 'Duck' because of his apparent waddle - is a respected and valued Great Westerner. Though he has been accused of being fan service and little else, when you really stop and think, Duck has a lot more going for him than it seems.

A staunch traditionalist, Duck represents the Great Western's pride in their engines and their hard work. Though he can be quite stubborn and even fiery at times, he also recognises the importance of what shunters do and will fight with the big engines over their snobbery. Fans say this makes him quite relatable to adult fans, who may share his work ethic, willingness to do odd jobs, and desire to fight for fair treatment.

Duck's been the star of some of the best-loved stories in The Railway Series and Classic Series - like the Diesel arc from 'Duck and the Diesel Engine' and Season 2, where Duck meets his match in Diesel, learns the consequences of arrogance by provoking Diesel's wrath and proves himself a hero; the 'Small Railway' arc, where he makes good friends with the Arlesdale engines; and the popular TV-original 'All At Sea', where he aspired to sail away to faraway lands, only to learn what was truly important to him - his purpose as a steam engine and his friends.

Duck also bears the distinction of being generally spared from the mediocre HiT era and the much-maligned Nitrogen era, which many fans appreciate in hindsight. The later CGI seasons, the Andrew Brenner era and the BWBA era, which brought Duck back to prominence, not only kept him true to his roots, but even delved into his Great Western history with the slip coaches (a delving that not even any of the main characters had) and harkened back to his love of the sea with his friendship with Skiff. And Duck also had a wholesome episode where he had a disclosed coach named Dexter rebuilt into a schoolhouse because he always sticks up for the little guys.

Simply put, Duck has always been done justice. There has never been an episode where he's been out of character or shown doing anything stupid, even in the show's worst periods, like his fellow engines unfortunately had in droves. Duck has never been done the wrong way; he's always been done... the Great Western Way!

Donald and Douglas, the Scottish Twins

Och aye, thae twa laddies ur an unequalled ruckus, heralding fae Bonnie Scotlund. Thae practical, peppery 'n' proud brothers ur among Sodor's greatest workhorses wi' a crouss sense o' laugh 'n' a tongue fur jaunty tunes.

Okay, I'm not gonna do a Scottish dialect through this entire bit, tempting though it is. But there's no doubt that Donald and Douglas are easily the most memorable duo on Sodor - from their distinctive Scottish dialect, their general inseparability and their brotherly bond to their compelling origin story and the many twists and turns they took to becoming part of the Fat Controller's Railway.

The Fat Controller originally sought only Donald. But he and Douglas couldn't bear to be separated from each other, especially since Douglas would be scrapped otherwise. So, being the sly tricksters they are, the twins decide to play coy with the Fat Controller in a comical manner until they could convince him to keep them both. For a time, both twins are in suspense as to who will stay and who will go, especially as both get into various mishaps. But they eventually prove their worth, and through support from the other engines, the Fat Controller keeps them both as part of his family.

In terms of character, the twins will make it clear they're not to be trifled with; they'll immediately throw hands with anyone who messes with them, be it the big engines for mocking their whistles or a spiteful brake-van who holds them up. They look out for each other always; you mess with one of them, the other will make you regret it! But Donald and Douglas are also infectiously joyful and spirited, loving a good joke and a loud song that the others will want to join in with. They've also been used to convey real-life information into The Railway Series - steam engines being scrapped, high-speed trains, and the jocks on the Highland Railway, after which a new Small Railway engine is named. Kind of a shame this wasn't utilised in the TV Series.

What is utilised in the TV Series in conjunction with the books, though, is that Donald and Douglas, though identical in appearance, had distinctive traits of their own, with both appearing apart from the other various times. Donald is the funnier and more outspoken one, getting into a comical battle of wits with Duck and getting very snappy when things go wrong. Douglas is the more serious and softer one, which makes sense given his narrow escape from scrap; he's the one who saves Oliver from scrap and he rarely starts a fight himself.

And of course, I'd be remised not to mention their iconic theme tune. All the characters have their own distinct tunes, of course, but Donald and Douglas' is in a league of its own - reminiscent of a Scottish parade with drums, horns and eventually bagpipes that just add to the twins' appeal.

In later seasons, the twins' dynamic to argue with each other was significantly played up - perhaps too much. But one thing I like that is present in all their fights is that, in the end, neither twin is wholly in the right and neither really wins over the other - they both learn something in the end. And I think that sums up what Unlucky Tug said about them: "Either both of them win, or they go down together trying."

I dinnae ken aboot you, bit Donald and Douglas sure ur 'greed tae be a braw and gallous pair that dae Scotland proud!

Oliver the Great Western Engine

The Great Western 14xx engine who famously made a dash for Sodor upon realising he faced the cutter's torch, Oliver was introduced in one of the franchise's most iconic stories - Escape. Created as a sort of 'Take That' towards British Railways' cruel disregard for steam engines by Wilbert Awdry, Oliver's heroic journey to Sodor, along with his iconic design, are enough to make him a standout character. And that's without mentioning who came along him. In The Railway Series, he brought his faithful auto-coach Isabel and his brake-van Toad; in the TV show, it was just Toad who came with him (kind of a shame Isabel wasn't there too, personally).

Oliver's escape from scrap is reminiscent of 'The Great Escape', something reflected in his iconic theme tune, which has a similar beat. His journey helps highlight the tragedy of countless steam engines being callously cast aside by British Railways when diesels rolled around, and shows that steamies are still a respectable and considerable force.

Oliver has a brief but memorable story arc in The Railway Series and early seasons of the TV series - he briefly becomes puffed up in the smokebox due to praise from the other engines over his bravery, until a truck-induced dip in the turntable well humbles him. He endures the ridicule of the trucks for a time before asserting his dominance over them by 'accidentally' ripping their leader Scruffey in half. After this, he becomes a more sensible engine who is just hard-working and responsible as Duck.

The TV series would expand on this by making Oliver and Toad an iconic duo - Oliver generally having problems, either with his boring routine or with the weather and Toad being his confidant and conscience. Oliver would in turn help Toad when the latter felt sad about going backwards all the time. Their interactions are some of the most entertaining in the franchise, even in the CGI era, which played up Oliver's tendency to boast. Now if only Isabel could have been part of their dynamic...

Oliver might have escaped from scrap, but he can never escape our love and appreciation!

Thomas the Tank Engine

This little locomotive with his colour so blue needs no introduction.

Thomas is THE face of the entire franchise; the breakout character; the most popular and iconic engine; and the most talked about, with more stories, merchandise and appearances than any other character. It is simultaneously a good and bad thing about Thomas; while it ensures he's always recognisable, many - including Wilbert Awdry himself - feel Thomas constantly gets 'crane-shunted' into all kinds of stories where he isn't really needed, often at the expense of other characters. And I'd be lying if I didn't agree.

Even so, all that aside, Thomas is still an amazing and compelling character, mainly because of how relatable he is to the child audience. He's impatient, excitable, cocky, rude, rather naughty and adventurous, wanting more out of life than just shunting coaches and trucks. But he has a lot to learn, and he learns it good and proper. He starts out as a relatively unlikeable cheeky little scamp with no respect for the big engines (barring Edward) and ideas above his station, who constantly gets into trouble. But his goal of wanting more out of life is something kids can connect with, and he slowly grows into a more responsible and reliable engine who earns his big place in the world.

Fans have noted that Thomas underwent a gradual maturation during the early model series, arguably reaching his best in Season 5 and 6, as well as Magic Railroad, where he's more reasonable and wise but still retains some of his classic cheekiness to ensure he remains recognisable. And I like this; it shows Thomas maturing with his audience.

That said, many still appreciate that Thomas remains imperfect, which is essential for a main character, because otherwise, things would get boring. Admittedly, there are times where he gets REALLY dumb, especially in the Nitrogen era and the BWBA era to a lesser extent, but when handled properly, as in the Brenner era and the Great Discovery, Thomas is a character with layers; fans say he helps children accept their imperfections and just be the best versions of themselves they can be.

Thomas is cheeky, competitive and often likes to test his limits, but he's also a kind and responsible engine who will always do the right thing when it gets down to it; because, as Mr Conductor said in Thomas' very first movie: "You're a Really Useful Engine and will find a way."

And that is why Thomas is the Number One Engine!

And those, my friends, are Sodor's Finest Engines! If you want more info about why these characters have stood the test of time, go watch The Unlucky Tug on YouTube. He is a treasure trove of perspective and information. What do you think of this iconic characters? Which engines are Sodor's Finest in your eyes? Sound off in the comments. And Happy 80th Anniversary to The Railway Series!

This post is written in memory of:

Wilbert Vere Awdry (15th June 1911 - 21st March 1997) - the man who started it all.

"You've got to remember that you're not merely writing for children. You're writing for the unfortunate people... who've got to read the children the stories aloud - not just once, but over and over and over again."

David Nelson Godfrey Mitton (27th February 1939 - 16th May 2008) - whose unique artistic vision helped make Thomas a hit on television.

"There's little nuances to every engine. Each one performs differently, has different functions. So they're all lovable in their own way. They're like dogs, really - they're little things. Once you get hold of them and you don't really insult them - that's the thing, they hate being insulted. And they won't work, you know, if you insult them..."

George Denis Patrick Carlin (12 May 1937 - 22 June 2008) - second narrator of the series

"The morals of these stories were never jammed down the kid's throat, they weren't blatant. They weren't in capital letters. They were gently massaged into the framework of the show."

Nicolas Michael Angelis (29th April 1944 - 30th May 2020) - the voice of Thomas for 21 years.

"Sometimes, the best travels are those we can only dream about."

Hilary Mary Allcroft Coote, a.k.a. 'Britt Allcroft' (14th December 1943 - 25th December 2024) - whose passion for children's entertainment and trains truly solidified Thomas as a British children's icon.

"Sometimes, all it takes is a little train engine, and the spirit of the child within us, to see the beauty in our life, and hope that we can always find it there."