Characters / NWR Hidden Stories

Main Characters

Conan Owens

Thomas's driver and bonded partner, he starts as a common kid of 14 years of age, but several events turn his life upside down.

• The Ageless: See "Older then they look" bellow.
• The Determinator: Refused to back down when fighting Johnathan Norramby.
• Fatal Flaw: Has a tendency to be rather rash, which means he doesn't always think things through.
• Happily Married: After chapter 27.
• Kid Hero: What he starts as, at 14 years of age.
• Older Than They Look: As a result of being bonded to Thomas, Conan is physically unable to age past 25.
• Papa Wolf: Very protective of his family.
• The Protagonist: His role up to the newest chapter.
• Raised by Grandparents: He and Noah after their parents’ deaths.
• Synchronization: With Thomas. He can feel anything his partner does, and vice-versa. Similarly, if one died, the other would soon follow, as they share pain and injuries.

Jewelie Owens

Conan's wife and Emily's bonded partner, formerly a cheerleader, she currently serves as the Shedmaster of Tidmouth.

• Action Mom: Having a son did not stop her from fighting an ex-boyfriend of hers when he tried to "take her back"
• Berserk Button: Hurting her family is one way to set her off.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Gets rather jealous whenever she sees another girl with Conan.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: A lot of people and engines are skeptical about the fact Jewelie is a shedmaster because she is a woman.
• Happily Married: She and Conan enjoy their married life together.
• Fiery Red Head: Has orange hair and a hot temper.
• Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Despite disliking wearing heels and having a strong temper, she enjoys doing feminine things.
• Synchronization: Her life is bound to Emily, allowing her to feel everything the engine does and vice-versa. If one is hurt, or even dies, the other would too.

Thomas the Tank Engine, #1

(LB&SCR E2 Billington tank engine 0-6-0T)

Built: 1914

Arrived on Sodor: 1914

Everyone's favourite Tank Engine. He one of the first engines to work on the NWR, originally as a station pilot at Vicarstown, shunting coaches for the big engines. An incident where he almost crashed because of some troublesome trucks has allowed him to prove himself and eventually become Really Useful. Thomas now works at his own Branch, the Ffarquhar line, with his two coaches Annie and Clarabel. Other incidents have caused Thomas to mellow out from his cheeky personality, though he still maintains a small hint of it.

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• Acquired Situational Narcissism: After getting his own branch line. He tamed a bit after a few Break the Haughty moments.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Initially due to his cheekiness.
• Attention Whore: Especially early on.
• Berserk Button: No engine likes being made late, but Thomas who wants to please the Fat Controller especially hates it and lectures the other engines often if they are the cause of it. Even when Henry snapped back that the passengers' welfare was at stake, Thomas was still reluctant over delays.
• Big Damn Heroes: Many times.
  • When Boomer was about to kill Conan, Thomas charged in to stop him.
  • In "Thomas and the Breakdown Train", he was sent to put James back on the rails with the aforementioned breakdown train.
• Bratty Half-Pint: How he started out.
• Break the Haughty: Has his fair share of these in some stories when he is being cheeky and arrogant.
• Catchphrase: "Cinders and ashes!"
• The Chain of Harm: A more petty example. Thomas is particularly antsy about other engines making him late, dismissing any excuses as just cover ups for laziness or messing with him. In "Better Late Than Never", it is revealed he has to bring his passengers to Bertie, who in turn teases Thomas over his lateness. Following Bertie breaking down himself and being more sympathetic, Thomas in turn accepts delays more wilfully.
• Character Development: Started as an impudent Station Pilot, he earned his own branch line and matured but became more arrogant to the other engines. After a particularly spiteful bout with Percy however, he was ashamed and became more humble and kind.
• Fatal Flaw: Like the books, the series focuses on his impatience and arrogance getting him into trouble.
• Freudian Trio: The Ego with Percy and Toby. He is more mature than Percy, but has moments of being cheeky.
• Friendless Background: Prior to coming to Sodor, he only had two friends during his time on the LBSCR: Lawson, a K Class Mogul, and Ivy, a C 2 X 0-6-0 tender engine. All the other engines, even his siblings, bullied or outright ignored him.
• Greeneyed Monster: He can be initially jealous of others who seem to spend plenty of time with Conan (i.e., Luci in "War in the Yard") but he became good friends with them.
  • He was also jealous of Jewelie when Conan started to spend more time with her than the E2. Thanks to Edward, he managed to snap out of this.
• The Hero: Somewhat for several reasons. While he is ultimately a good engine at heart, he can be a bit of an Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist who brings a great deal of misfortune on himself. That said, when his friends are in danger, he won't hesitate to defend them.
• Idiot Hero: Occasionally.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Can be cheeky, fussy, and arrogant at times, but is fiercely loyal to his friends and proves to be kind and helpful to others in need.
• Just a Kid: Thomas often gets teased by bigger engines for his small size and big ambitions.
• No Sympathy: He can be dismissive towards engines being late for his trains (i.e., Henry in "Thomas and the Guard").
• Older Than He Looks: Thomas is often called "little" and "young". The truth of the matter, though, is that Thomas is actually older than most of the engines on the railway. Even Gordon, of all engines, is younger than Thomas. Of course, to a significant extent, the ages of the engines are defined by their personalities.
• Riddle for the Ages: Nobody knows how Thomas even came to the Island! According to The Island of Sodor, he arrived in 1915, but nobody quite remembers why. His crew at the time, both bachelors, settled down and married Sodor girls. On investigation, Topham Hatt found the LB&SC had listed him as "lost on war service" and had no idea what he was doing in Cumbria either. They sold him to the NWR for a nominal sum rather than bother correcting their records and transporting him back to Sussex.
• Serious Business: He sees running his branch line as this.
• Small Name, Big Ego: At first, but this downplayed later on.
• Synchronization: With Conan.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: After Henry stalls in the tunnel when Thomas allowed him to take the Wedding Train, the E2 declares he's no longer doing anything for anybody else, unable to see the point of doing good deeds if the reward is the other person being selfish.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Becomes a humbler, more good-natured engine after the events of "Thomas and the Breakdown Train".
  • Before that, he actually began to take a liking to Jewelie after the events of "Trials of Friendship," even asking the Fat Director to give her a job on the North Western Railway!
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: In his earlier stories. Later stories focused more on his altruistic qualities, though he can still be arrogant every now and then.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Gordon. He's also this with Conan, mainly when the latter tries to rein him in or does something Thomas doesn't approve (Such as using his fire to cook food)

Gordon the Big Engine, #4

(LNER A0 Prototype, Rebuilt to A3 4-6-2)

Built: 1920/1921

Arrived on Sodor: 1923

Gordon's primary duty is pulling the Express, called the "Wild Nor'-Wester", from one end of the railway to the other, and sometimes all the way to the Mainland and London. His importance, size and seniority over other engines has made Gordon a boastful braggart, though he has gone through lessons of humility that make him likable.

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• Adaptational Karma: In the original books, Gordon seemingly gets away scot-free with dragging Thomas behind his train. Here, he actually gets reprimanded by the Fat Director when the latter overhears him boasting about it.
• Aloof Ally: Not the kindest engine on the NWR, but is willing to help a friend when the time is right.
• Berserk Button: Please don't make Gordon pull trucks.
  • He also hates it when others mispronounce the name of his designer Sir Nigel Gresley, accidentally or deliberately.
  • Another way to get on his bad side is to touch or damage his teaks without his say-so.
• The Big Guy: Physically the biggest engine on Sodor, and technically the strongest too.
• Break the Haughty: What happens in nearly every story centered on him. On the flip side, he manages to dish this to other engines as he gets back at Thomas for his teasing in "Mountains and Runaways".
• British Stuffiness: He's British and very snobby.
• Catchphrase: "Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
• Fatal Flaw: His pompousness gets him into trouble very often.
• Flawed Prototype: In his backstory. He was a testbed locomotive for the A1 class sold cheap to the North Western and rebuilt into a mostly-A3 hybrid.
• Freudian Trio: The Superego with James and Henry. Gordon is far more serious and conservative than the two.
• Inferiority Superiority Complex: As a "Hush-hush" LNER experiment, he wasn't allowed out much. When the Fat Controller purchased him, Gordon always wants to prove himself, feeling his importance is threatened if any other engine rivals or surpasses him. He's visibly distraught when he bursts his safety valve in Edward, Gordon and Henry and the Fat Controller (who had been earlier singing his praises to the passengers) was now ashamed of him.
• Insulted Awake: By Thomas.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Pompous, prideful, and looks down on the other engines, but has his moments of altruism in spite of himself.
• Karmic Trickster: To Thomas in "Mountains & Runaways".
• Large Ham: He's easily the biggest and fastest out of the engines; he also brags about his importance quite a lot and his whistle is the deepest.
• Nice Mean And In Between:
  • The in-between one with James and Henry, being that he can be less quick-tempered than James, but is ruder than Henry.
  • He was the mean one with Edward and Henry in the first book. He looks down on Edward and didn't thank him for helping him up the hill and was the one who taunted Henry for getting bricked up in the tunnel, telling him it served him right. Then after bursting his safety valve, he then suggests to the Fat Controller to have Henry pull the Express.
• Put on a Bus: Once he was complete, his brothers were then built. But being a non-standard design, both larger and slightly slower than the A1/A3 class, the LNER directors had no further plans for him, other than to endlessly tinker with him in the works. He'd never be let out to pull trains again. Sir Nigel Gresley felt sorry for him (how could you not?), and sold him off to the Fat Controller with a discount.
• The Rival: To Thomas at first, but after they formed an alliance with one another and Thomas moved to Ffarquahar, this position went more to Duck while he was station pilot.
• The Social Darwinist: He believes that coaches are more important than trucks, despite the fact that passengers are just about as equal as goods.
• Super Prototype: Just like Henry, he had a rebuild at Crewe. To which his brother, Flying Scotsman, remarked he had changed a lot. Gordon admitted they didn't do "a proper Doncaster job", but was pleased his new powerful shape still got the job done.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Although his altruistic qualities keep him in check, there are times when he really brings misfortune on himself.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With a number of engines, but mostly with James and Henry.
• Younger Than He Looks: Though several years younger than Thomas, he acts much older.

People

The Fat Director

''The Island Of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways'' reveals that the NWR has had three different controllers from the Hatt family, the first Topham Hatt (1880-1956), Charles Topham Hatt (1914-1997) and Stephen Topham Hatt (1941-). The first was awarded a baronetcy in Sodor.

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• Adaptational Nice Guy: Prone to Disproportionate Restitution punishments in the original books, Sir Topham Hatt I is much more reasonable here. He doesn't punish James for ruining his hat, for one, and after letting him back out, he apologies for keeping him stuck in the sheds for many months on end.
• Big Eater: His wife remarks during the wedding that she suspects her husband only agreed to host the wedding so he could get free food.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Charles Topham Hatt is first seen as a child in The Sad Story of Henry.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Engines and drivers usually refer to him as the Fat Director. Justified as it is his title and by all accounts, he is their superior.
• Family Business: Jane Brown, the first Mrs Hatt, is the sister of Sir Handel Brown, "The Owner" of the Skarloey railway. Charles, her son and second Controller, wed Amanda Croarie, daughter of the owner of the Ffarquhar quarry company. Both Fat and Thin Controllers "went shares" to build the Arlesdale Railway, meaning almost all rail and related industries on Sodor belong to the Hatt family.
• Pet the Dog: Engines who work hard against adversity and without complaint, always make him proud, and he's always quick to tell them how proud he is of them. For instance, after Duck and his crew prevented a serious accident in 'A Close Shave', he informed the Great Western engine he would personally go and tell City of Truro all about his bravery and heroism. Duck could only blush...
• Punny Name: Always wears a top hat, after the custom of Edwardian railway-owning/directing gentlemen. (The first actually was an Edwardian gentleman; presumably his descendants just know good marketing when they see it.)
• Reasonable Authority Figure: While his patience can be stretched, he (often) recognizes when mishaps were beyond the engines' control, and is always willing to give them chances to prove themselves. He even allowed Conan to join the NWR when he learned about the bond he had with Thomas, and also got Jewelie a position as an employee on the NWR.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Was an engineer in his own right, before becoming director of the entire North Western region. He knew Sir William Stanier and Sir Nigel Gresley, both among the most famous locomotive engineers the world had ever seen. His good standing with them ensured Gordon was purchased, and Henry was rebuilt, to give the railway the powerhouses it needed.
• Silence, You Fool!: Whenever he is tired of the engines blurbing or whistling randomly. Employed a whistle himself to silence unruly passengers at least once.
• So Proud of You: Often calls the engines very useful when they do a tremendous job.
• Stern Controller: The Fat Controller cares for all of his engines, but he is strict and will reprimand them if they get out of line or when they cause an accident.
• The Engineer: the first Fat Controller was not only a buisnessman, but a skilled mechanical & civil engineer having designed the Coffee-Pot locomotives that used to run on Thomas's future branchline; and the lift bridge connecting Sodor to the mainland. His son Charles Topham Hatt later served with the Royal Engineers in World War II.

Lord Harwick

Chairman of the NWR from its inception. Albert Regaby, 1st Viscount and 6th Baron Harwick, known affectionately as Lord Harwick, cares greatly for the railway.

• Ascended Extra: Only given a mention in ''The Island Of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways''. Here, he's a character frequently seen in the story.
• Big Good: Being the chairman of the North Western Railway, Lord Harwick serves this role.
• Reasonable Authority Figure He found the letter sent about Henry to be suspicious, but agreed to make the purchase after seeing Olive come into Vicarstown full of exhaustion.

Engines of the North Western Railway

The primary railway featured in the Railway Series. The NWR features a multitude of lines, run and worked by a multitude of engines.

Edward the Blue Engine, #2

(Furness Railway/Sharpe Stewart Large Seagull 4-4-0)

Built: 1896

Arrived on Sodor: 1914

The first character introduced in the series, Edward was at first neglected and shafted for being smaller than the other engines, but eventually got his chance to run again after pity from his driver. Despite his old age and trial after trial of proving he still got it, he was recognized for being Really Useful and was repaired. Edward now spends his time at the Brendam Bay branch line, his very own.

• All of the Other Reindeer: Often gets mocked for being old, usually by Gordon, James, and Henry.
• Big Brother Mentor: Often to the younger engines like Thomas.
• Cartoon Creature: Just barely averted. Edward being a Large Seagull was an after-the-fact decision to pick an prototype that closely and plausibly resembled Edward as drawn by the earlier, less detail-oriented artists. Edward was one of the first engines on the NWR and highly modified over the years, explaining his unique design.
• Cool Old Guy: Edward may be old, but he's easily one of the hardest workers on the North Western Railway and his age comes with great experience.
• Determinator: Despite being an old engine, Edward has proven how useful he can be regardless of the circumstances. This is proven in "Old Iron" and "Edward's Exploit"
• Flat Character: Unlike most of the other highly flawed engines, there isn't much to Edward outside being a somewhat old and polite engine.
• The Load: He was often considered to be this due to being old. Don't let this fool you though. Edward is one of the wisest characters and gives the engines good advice when called for. The fact that he currently has his own branch line should tell you that he's not this.
• Nice Guy: The kindest engine on Sodor.
• Nice Mean And In Between:
  • The nice with with Gordon (Mean) and Henry (In-Between) in the first book.
  • He was kind to a bricked-up Henry when he passed by unlike Gordon who was pompous and arrogant and taunted Henry for getting bricked up in the tunnel.
• Team Dad: To Thomas, as well as many of the other young engines.

Henry the Green Engine, #3

^{Click here to see him pre-rebuild.}

(LMS "Black 5" 4-6-0)

Built: 1919

Arrived on Sodor: 1919

When Henry first started out, he was nothing but trouble. First was when he got himself locked in the Ballahoo tunnel for wanting to keep his paint clean, second was when he went on strike with the other big engines, and third was when his faultiness prompted the purchasing of special Welsh Coal. His crash with the Flying Kipper gave Henry a new lease on life after he was finally rebuilt with a new shape, and now works alongside Gordon on the main line, sometimes pulling the express or hauling freight.

• Achilles in His Tent: Does this in "The Sad Story of Henry" to avoid the rain. The Fat Controller decides to brick him up if he wants to remain this, a prospect that Henry soon regrets.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: According to The Thomas The Tank Engine Man, Henry didn't like it when people began mistaking him for Gordon following his repaint into blue. In this series, Henry actually feels proud when some people mistake him for Gordon, implying some inferiority complex.
• Adaptational Jerkass: In the books, Henry simply hid in the tunnel to avoid getting wet. In this series, he ends up putting more care over himself than the passengers, especially since the train he was pulling was Conan and Jewelie's wedding, and he didn't care about their special day being ruined if it meant he could stay dry.
• The Alleged Engine: A serious example, given that he's sentient, but supplementary material reveals that Henry was a knockoff Pacific built by an unknown builder from stolen plans that had been previously rejected by Sir Nigel Gresley, Gordon's builder, for various reasons, chief among them being a tiny firebox that was much too small, and as a result, Henry was a poor steamer and occasionally just plain too ill to work. Thankfully, the Fat Controller first managed to mitigate his steaming issues by giving him Welsh Coal, and then eliminated them altogether by having him rebuilt into a Black 5.
• Big Damn Heroes: In his first appearance, when Olive breaks down, Henry decides to take her and her train home. Needless to say, despite his difficulty, he manages to do so.
• Blessed with Suck: His "as built" form. He's an experimental design from legendary locomotive engineer Sir. Nigel Gresley (the designer of Mallard and Flying Scotsman) and the Fat Controller was able to purchase him at bargain prices during a very stressful motive power crisis to boot! Despite his incredible pedigree, it turns out Henry was built from stolen designs that Gresley hadn't fully finished and he is a poor performing locomotive until he is rebuilt.
• Break the Haughty: Not to the extent of Gordon and James, but he gets met with this when being boastful.
• Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: He was originally green until he got a blue coat of paint after staying in a tunnel for awhile. After he damages his square buffers at Vicarstown, he returns to green.
• Character Development: He started off with a downright awful attitude to pulling trains, and even later still, was as arrogant as the other big engines. This all ended after the Flying Kipper accident, where, in addition to an Emergency Transformation, humbled him significantly. He still complains, but he's a much better worker than before. Compare him in "The Sad Story of Henry" to "Super Rescue", and the differences are staggering.
• Dirty Coward: Was one in "The Sad Story of Henry" where he refused to leave the tunnel because he was afraid the rain would ruin his paint and didn't care about taking the passengers to their destination.
• Divergent Character Evolution: In early stories he mostly played the role of another arrogant tender engine similar to Gordon and James. Later stories established him as occasionally more pitiful and melancholic than the other two, and ultimately more of a Grumpy Old Man.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: He often gets frustrated when he doesn't get respect from others. "I suffer dreadfully and no one cares!"
• Easily Detachable Train Parts: Although this is true with all of the locomotives, Henry in particular gets the most time in the spotlight showing his mechanical nature. His rebuild at Crewe comes to mind, but his later rebuild at Crovan's Gate is even illustrated in its final stages with Henry wearing primer paint. The same book also mentions how Henry's smokebox door opens up for cleaning.
• The Eeyore: Of the three tender engines, he tends to be the one most prone to glumness or melancholy.
• Emergency Transformation: His rebuild in The Flying Kipper was very much this. Beforehand, Henry was a Cartoon Creature, a failed prototype built from stolen plans. This resulted in him being a poor steamer with a small firebox. Being rebuilt with Black Five specifications significantly improved his performance.
• Fantastic Diet Requirement: He's sickly and constantly under-performing in his duties due to his poor design and inability to burn coal properly, until he's finally given special high-grade "Welsh coal".
• Fatal Flaw: He can be pompous and stubborn like the other tender engines.
• Flawed Prototype: Sir Topham Hatt had originally wanted to purchase an Atlantic from the Great Central Railway, but he was swindled and ended up with Henry — a botched attempt by an unknown company at building their own LNER A1/A3 through plans stolen from Sir Nigel Gresley. He was so mad about it he would never even confess who had swindled him.
• Jaded Washout: Though technically built from a Gresley design at first, Henry was quite cynical and at the start, while he could sometimes perform as good as Gordon, he all too often fell ill too easily. Welsh Coal, and later his rebuild into a Black Five put an end to this.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Out of the trio with Gordon and James, he can be nicer-natured than the two.
• Nice, Mean, and In-Between:
  • The nice one with Gordon and James. Despite his arrogant bouts, it's not to the extent of Gordon's and he isn't hot-tempered like James.
  • He was the in-between one with Edward and Gordon in the first book. Despite his vanity and stubbornness for not wanting to leave the tunnel, he grew remorseful over his decision.
• No Sympathy: Received this from the other engines during his illness until getting Welsh Coal. This was mainly due to his atrocious attitude that made him seem like a whiner and complainer who was getting his due.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: Staying in a tunnel to avoid the rain spoiling his paint.
• Out of Focus: After his titular book, Henry wouldn't get to lead a story again until Enterprising Engines. His primary role in stories in the time between those books was to act as one of Gordon's back-ups during arguments. He fared better in Christopher's stories, however, having more supporting roles and gaining a second spotlight book. He also holds the distinction of having made the most appearances of any character, with some small appearance in almost every single book.
• Riddle for the Ages: According to The Island of Sodor, just how Sir Topham Hatt managed to send the flawed, unreliable Henry to Crewe and get him back as a top-of-the-line Black 5 is a mystery for the ages. It's suspected that William Stanier at Crewe owed him a big favour, possibly from their days together as students.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Gordon and James. The latter moreso in Christopher's stories.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Had a phobia about water initially.

James the Red Engine, #5

(Hughes' Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 28 2-6-0)

Built: 1912/13

Arrived on Sodor: 1923

After a disastrous accident on his first day, the then-black coloured James was rescued by Thomas and was repaired to run again, with proper brake blocks and red paint. Despite his good intentions, James once again got ahead of himself and was benched in the shed until he was able to prove himself to The Fat Controller. After helping Gordon with the express, he became a good friend, though at the price of James becoming just as conceited and self-important as Gordon and Henry. Though he has learned lessons in humility, he maintains a small sense of vanity and arrogance, not the least because he's the only red engine in the NWR.

• Attention Whore: Likes being center of attention, and doesn't take it well when the other engines pay none of it to him.
• Berserk Button: Never, ever remind James of the time with the bootlace, or any other of his accidents. Also don't threaten to paint him blue.
• Break the Haughty: Happens to him a lot every time he boasts and brags.
• Butt-Monkey: Though he brings it on himself most of the time. He's crashed into tar wagons, gotten stung by bees, and smashed well-wagons into signals, to name a few.
• Casanova Wannabe: James has a tendency to flirt with any female engine he sees, all of which fail or end up in his humiliation.
• The Chew Toy: Constantly gets reminded of his accidents, sometimes without others knowing.
• The Dandy: He loves his red paint.
• Determinator: In "Troublesome Trucks", he didn't let the trucks stop him from going up Gordon's Hill, even though they were the ones that made him crash on his first day.
• Divergent Character Evolution: With Gordon and Henry. As the series went on, James' flaws tend more towards spitefulness and temper than the other two.
• Fatal Flaw: He's...got plenty.
  • Arrogance. James is vain through and through. While he eventually stopped harping about his paint, he still believes himself a better engine than others, which can make him a terror to work with.
  • Wrath. James has an awful temper, easily triggered by perceived insults or comebacks, which tends to blind his better judgement. He wouldn't have crashed into the tar wagons if he was focused on his train instead of figuring out a new way to insult Toby, for example.
  • Stubbornness. This became very prominent during James and the Diesel Engines. Part of the reason he still distrusted diesels was due to his stubborn nature (though in his defense, some of the visiting diesels did justify this). It ultimately took interacting with the Class 28 Works Diesel to iron some of this out.
• Fiery Red Engine: A recurring element of James' stories is his short temper getting the better of him and landing him in trouble. Fittingly, he is painted red.
• First Day from Hell: James is pushed down Gordon's Hill by the trucks, the friction caused by the driver's attempt to stop sets his wooden brake blocks on fire, and he ends up crashing into a pasture.
• Freudian Trio: The Id with Gordon and Henry due to his vanity and temper.
• Glory Seeker: Loves taking special jobs to make himself feel important.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Can get easily angered when insulted or when things don't go his way.
• Jack of All Stats: As a mixed-traffic engine, James can pull either coaches or trucks (as much as he'd rather do the former).
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's a rather rude fellow even on his best days and isn't easy to get along with. But at the same time, he will feel bad when he realizes the trouble he causes and is willing to help out others.
• Miles Gloriosus: Possibly more than Thomas in this regard.
• Nice Mean And In Between: The mean one with Gordon and Henry. While the three are arrogant, James has more of a temper than the two big engines.
• Older Than He Looks: Is older than Thomas, Gordon, and Henry
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: The bootlace incident.
• The Rival: Has one with Gordon, to the point where he tries to be like him.
• Shrinking Violet: When he first arrived, James was shy, timid, and nervous. After his repaint, this trope all but disappeared.
• Super Prototype: With less emphasis on the "super". According to the Reverend, James was an experiment by George Hughes (his real-life class designer) to balance the engine's weight better by fitting a pony truck and larger-diameter driving wheels. The improvements were negligible, leaving James unique.
• Took a Level in Badass: In his first appearance, James was a coward who the trucks he brought with him easily pushed around. After getting his repaint, he becomes more confident, to the point where he eventually makes those same trucks behave.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: But is kept in check with his good qualities.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With almost every engine, particularly Gordon and Edward.

Dante

A large Baltic tank from the Furness Railway. Obsessed with speed and danger, he has a habit of racing around recklessly.

• Karma Houdini: Although suspected of having something to do with damaging the points that trapped 98462 in Ballaswein Shed, the lack of witnesses to prove it means he is never punished for this supposed action.
• Shout-Out: To Devil May Cry, as the name suggests.

Olive

A Great Western Railway City Class, younger brother of City of Truro. Often used on secondary express services.

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• Animal Lover: A big fan of animals. In fact, taking cattle trains is her favourite job.
• Deadpan Snarker: Has a tendency to make dry, witty remarks to the other engines.
• Famous Ancestor: City of Truro was built before her.
• Nice Mean And In Between: The in-between with Emily and Lily. Olive has a tendency to be standoffish, but make no mistake: she is a good engine.
• The Rival: Becomes one towards Gordon when Thomas makes her think the A0 has come to replace her. She later grows out of it, though hints of their rivalry still show up on occasion.

Lily

A Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Dreadnaught 4-6-0 express engine.

• Brutal Honesty: Even after becoming kinder, Lily still has a tendency to be brutal when it comes to her opinions.
• Character Development: When first introduced, Lily is bossy, arrogant, and blames others for her own problems. Later on, while still brutal and prone to jealousy, she becomes kinder and takes responsibility for any trouble she causes.
• Jerkass: How she starts out.

Emily

A 4-2-2 Stirling Single Engine.

• Adaptational Early Appearance: In this fanfic, she is already on Sodor in the 1920s, the setting of the first Railway Series books. In canon, she never appeared in the Railway Series and made her first appearance in Season 7 of the Television Series.
• Berserk Button: Being called old.
• Glory Days: Was in fact Great Northern number 775, the Stirling Single that participated in the 1895 Race to the North. Emily still tries to relive this on occasion.
• Nice Mean And In Between: The nice with Olive and Lily.
• Synchronization: With Jewelie, much to her annoyance.
• Tomboyand Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Jewelie's tomboy.

'''98462/Max

A Caledonian Railway 55 Class 4-6-0 tender engine.

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• Big Brother Instinct: Towards Timmy.
• Character Development: Goes from an arrogant jerk to a dependable if still slightly-aloof ally.
• Heel Realization: Started to realise how much of a jerk he actually was the moment Selena insulted Edward.
• Toxic Friend Influence: 87546 was one for him. 98462 managed to break out of it.
• That Man Is Dead: Says this of his old name, Max.

Lucifer/Luci

A Great Central Railway Robinson O4 2-8-0 tender engine.

• Beware the Nice Ones: Luci may be a nice engine, but he’s still not someone you want to mess with. Amy Fernby learned this the hard war.
• Establishing Character Moment: After Lord Harwick returns to his office following his introduction, Luci asks the other engines if he can say something that may come off as rude. When Edward asks about this, the O4 explains that he was always taught manners were important. This shows that, unlike Gordon, Henry, and James, Luci is a big engine who values manners above everything else.
• Gentle Giant: A large engine, but friendly and willing to protect those he cares about.

Timmy

A Caledonian Railway 498 0-6-0 Dock Tank. He first arrived in chapter 3 as a faceless engine, only to mysteriously gain sapience six chapters later. Currently serves as Tidmouth's station pilot following Thomas's transfer to Wellsworth.

Naïve Newcomer: Although built in 1911, his late awakening means he didn't know anything about the world when he began speaking.Token Mini-Moe:Took a Level in Jerkass:

Ian

An old friend of Luci, a Great Central Atlantic express engine.

• Cloudcuckoolander: Took the announcement of the Death Ray too seriously.

"'Selena"'

One of the original seven engines on the North Western Railway, and the original heavy goods engine. She's a Midland Railway 3835 0-6-0 tender engine.

• Acquired Situational Narcissism: During her time on passenger trains, she becomes enamored by the passengers fawning over her red paint, so much so she actually becomes more of a jerk, refusing to pull goods trains ever again. She grows out of it after pulling off the gangway of a coach.
• I Hate Past Me: To this day, Selena is ashamed of how she behaved during her stint with passenger trains.
• Jerkass Ball: The passengers complementing her paintwork makes her a complete jerk, to the point that she even insulted Edward! Fortunately, she grew out of it.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: Self-inflicted: whenever asked why she never pulls passenger trains, Selena reminds them of what happened the last time she did.
• Ship Tease: With Edward.

"'John"'

A Metropolitan Railway A Class 4-4-0 tank engine, bought by Samy Fernby, alongside two of his brothers, to get rid of Thomas. Instead, he took Thomas' side and now works on the Arlesburgh Line.

• A Day in the Limelight: After becoming an extra following his introduction, John got his own focus arc revolving around fighting Timothy the Demon.
• Deadpan Snarker: Tends to make dry and witty remarks when it comes to the stupidity of others.
• Only Sane Man: The only one of the Metropolitans that didn't immediately try to kill Thomas: instead, he asked Thomas for the truth of the situation.

"'Greeny and Bluey"'

John's brothers who were purchased alongside him. Unlike him, they remained loyal to Fernby even after the man left Sodor.

• Epic Fail: Their attempts to get rid of Thomas amount to this. Special mention to Bluey's attempt to ram Thomas through some buffers, only to crash through them himself.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Greeny suffered one of these from Thomas in Chapter 24.
• Villain Team-Up: Bluey teams up with a visiting Brighton Atlantic to help her get rid of Thomas. This backfires on both.

Villains and Antagonists

Johnny Norramby

The son of the Earl of Norramby and stalker of Henrietta Brown. He killed her after being rejected in favor of Noah Owens.

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• If I Can't Have You…: After Henrietta rejected him in favor of Noah, he spitefully killed her.
• Stalker with a Crush: He did this to Henrietta.
• Knight of Cerebus: The first on this series.

Engines of the Mid Sodor Railway

Duke, #1

(George England and Co. 0-4-0ST+T)

Built: 1879

Arrived on Sodor: 1880

Duke was once the pride of the Mid Sodor Railway, being named after the Duke of Sodor and having served on the line since its opening in 1880. Together with two newer engines, Stuart and Falcon, he served on the railway for many years, essentially raising and teaching the younger two. Sadly, when the railway was closed in 1947, Duke was the only one not bought and was left asleep in his shed for many years, until he was rediscovered in 1969. Duke was brought back to run on the Skarloey Railway, reunited with Stuart (Peter Sam) and Falcon (Sir Handel). He spent quite a long time being restored to running order, hence his number is higher than Ivo Hugh's.

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• British Stuffiness: One of Duke's catchphrases is poshly stating "this would not suit his grace!" referencing the Duke of Sodor whom he was named after. In a trans-Atlantic rivalry sense as well, Duke's recounting of Stanley's demise takes special note of the engine being built in America and his cocky Eagleland attitude and Duke's disdain of it. Ancillary material suggests Stanley's frequent derailments were due to a poor job re-gauging him to the MSR's 2'3" gauge, making Duke's opinions on the nationality of the doomed engine potentially misplaced.
• Bully Bulldog: Although a steam locomotive, the distinct saddle-tank on Duke gives him an almost bulldog like appearance; and the second story of his feature book is aptly titled Bulldog where he is compared to the animal due to his determination in saving Falcon.
• Cool Old Guy: Duke never lets his old age stop him from doing his job.
• Grumpy Old Man: Par excellence, especially in comparison with Skarloey and Rheneas.
• Intergenerational Friendship: With the possible exception of Tim and the Mine Engine. Many of the Mid Sodor's engines are much younger than he is.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Duke can be rather harsh, but he does truly care for his fellow engines.
• Mentor Archetype: To all the Mid Sodor engines, except Stanley.
• Nice Mean And In Between: The in-between with Falcon and Stuart.
• Rip Van Winkle: Slept for 22 years, and his shed was properly lost till an expedition up the route of the old railway found him again.
• Team Dad: Serves as this to all the engines of the Mid Sodor. Again, Stanley is the exception.
• Trickster Mentor: As Stanley himself would learn.

Carys, #2

(Vale of Rheidol 2-6-2T)

Built: 1902

Arrived on Sodor: 1902

Retired: 1919

Carys was the former number 2 of the Mid Sodor Railway, having arrived a year before Falcon. During her time in service, she would share boat train duties with Falcon, as well as John during World War I. After Albert MKII was destroyed during the War, she would end up retiring and becoming the first donation to the Earl of Sodor's museum.

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• Foil: To Falcon: both are used on the Boat Trains, but Carys is much nicer than Falcon.
• Official Couple: With Albert MKII.
• Put on a Bus: Following her retirement in Chapter 25, Carys would become part of Sir Charles Henry Norramby's museum at Ulfstead.
• Token Religious Teammate: A firm believer in God.

Falcon, #3

(Hughes Falcon 0-4-2ST)

Built: 1904

Arrived on Sodor: 1904

Number 3 was built as an 0-4-0 Saddle tank by Messers Hughes at Falcon works Loughborough for the MSR and delivered by sea to Arlesburgh in 1904 to replace a locomotive then scrapped. The MSR gave him blue livery and named him Falcon. He returned to Loughborough in 1910 to have trailing wheels added as a cure for unsteadiness in running. Much like Gordon though, he prides himself for only pulling the best of the best, being disdainful to coaches that aren't "real" and loathing the thought of pulling Trucks. His behavior doesn't help when Gordon himself gives bad advice to shirk his duties. Incidents like this improved his behavior immensely and now Sir Handel is a wiser engine, though with a small sense of stubbornness.

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• Adaptational Nice Guy: While still the arrogant and pompous engine he is in the books, Falcon in this series shows more of his softer side than usual.
• Aesop Amnesia: Discussed with Carys in Chapter 15, when the latter remarks regarding his complaints about the slowness of maintenance trains that she really thought he had learned his lesson. Falcon, in response, points out him learning to be careful with trucks doesn't mean he now likes waiting.
• Berserk Button: In much the same way as Gordon, don't make him pull trucks.
  • An exception was made during World War I: to stay ahead of passenger trains, which during the war were being pushed aside in favour of goods traffic, he instead opted to pull only goods trains. This lasted until the War ended.
• Big Brother Instinct: Falcon is very protective of Albert MKIII, and refuses to let anybody harm him.
• Expy: Essentially a narrow gauge Gordon.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: He has quite a temper whenever others tease or when things don't go his way.
• Jerkass: At his worst. He is arrogant, bad-tempered, and self-centered.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite his arrogance, Falcon does have a soft side.
• The Napoleon: A small narrow-gauge engine with a big ego and a bad temper.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Stuart's Red. Heck, he himself is painted blue.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly Man to Stuart's Sensitive Guy.
• Spoiled Brat: He is quite an arrogant and self-centered engine who thinks the world caters to his wants. He gets upset when he has to wait for goods trains; he verbally insults Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice; he tries to impress Gordon; is exposed to care more about passengers than trucks; and finally pretends to be sick in “Trucks!” to save his pathetic hide.

Stuart, #4

(Kerr Stuart Tattoo 0-4-2ST)

Built: 1920

Arrived on Sodor: 1920

Number 4 is a Kerr Stuart standard 0-4-2 Saddle tank engine built in 1920. He was delivered by rail to Cronk, and hauled thence to Peel Godred by traction engine. During his MSR service he was painted green and given the name "Stuart".

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• Beware the Nice Ones: Stuart is mostly kind and friendly, but when Stanley openly admitted to pushing Jim off the rails, the Tattoo held nothing back in his insults, even going so far as to use a racist term.
• Jerkass Ball: Stuart held this big time in Chapter 77, but snapped out of it after his trucks broke away and crashed into Duke while he tried hauling coal trucks behind the Saloon Coaches.
• Keet: A rather bouncy and go-getter sort of engine.
• Nice Guy: Very friendly to just about everyone he meets.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red Oni to Falcon's Blue.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Sensitive Guy to Falcon's Manly Man.
• Workaholic: Was this during the aforementioned jerkass ball moment.

Albert MKII, #5

(Hughes Falcon 0-4-2ST)

Built: 1904

Arrived on Sodor: 1904

The Mid Sodor's second number 5, after Gerry, Albert was a Falcon Hughes 0-4-2 saddle tank from the Mid Sodor Railway, and Falcon's red brother. He was arrogant and rude, more so than his brother Falcon, desiring nothing more than to pull passenger trains. One day, he finally got his wish when Duke was too ill to even turn a wheel, only to find that it wasn’t so easy when he ran late and the passengers complained. Albert ended up losing his temper and raged at them, telling them that they should be grateful he got them to their destination! The passengers, upset and furious at being raged at, complained to the manager, who promptly told Albert off: while Albert may have had a right to get angry, yelling at passengers isn’t good customer service. Albert, still in a bad mood, responded to the manager threatening to punish him, "What? What will you do? Scrap me? Store me at the back of the shed? Take me apart and use me as spares? Well, whatever you have in mind, go ahead: I don’t give a dime so long as I never have to pull passenger trains again!" Taken aback by this, the manager simply said, "Ok" and left. Afterwards, Albert calmed down and apologized to Duke, having been really insulting to him earlier. Though Duke offered to teach Albert how to handle passengers, Albert declined: at least goods stay quiet! Albert would become more humble afterwards and happily stuck to goods trains. Sadly, he would be destroyed during the First World War, when he was asked to serve on the Front Line. He never came back.

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• All There in the Manual: Albert's backstory isn't dwelt upon, but is given a passing mention in Chapter 5.
• Killed Off for Real: Was requested by the ROD to help on the Front Line. He died during his time there.
• The Lost Lenore: Serves as this to Carys following his death.
• Official Couple: Was this with Carys prior to his death.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: In contrast to Falcon, Albert hated passengers following the last time he pulled them. He was also more level-headed and less stubborn.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Not in the series itself, but in his backstory.

Albert MKIII, #5

(Arlesdale Works 0-6-0T)

Built: 1924

Arrived on Sodor: 1924

The Mid Sodor's third and final number 5, a maroon 0-6-0 tank engine who was built at Arlesdale Works. Albert Mark 3 is mute, but a hard worker all the same.

• Beware the Quiet Ones: Albert MKIII may be mute, but he's still strong, as Stanley learned the hard way.
• Cartoon Creature: Unlike the other Mid Sodor engines, Albert has no known basis.
• Cute Mute: Serves this role, as a result of being unable to speak.