Bill and Ben

"There's no real harm in them, but they're maddening at times."

- Edward, Main Line Engines

   Bill and Ben   Bill and Ben are tan engine twins that work for the Sodor China Clay Company, near Brendam, though they have also been known to work at Centre Island Quarry. They enjoy playing tricks and being cheeky to bigger engines.
 * Numbers: SCC 1 and SCC 2 respectively
 * Class: Bagnall 0-4-0STs
 * Designer: W.F. Bagnall
 * Builder: W.F. Bagnall
 * Configuration: 0-4-0ST
 * Built: 1948
 * Arrived on Sodor: 1966

Main Line Engines
One day, Bill and Ben returned from shunting some trucks to find that some other trucks previously shunted by them were missing. Their drivers, after examining a puddle of oil on the ground, concluded a diesel was responsible. After the twins argued over who brought the "diseasel" into the yard, the drivers suggested they go looking for the diesel. The twins were horrified at the possibility that the "diseasel" might magic them away like he did with the trucks, but their drivers quickly persuaded them otherwise, and so they set off.

At last, the twins found the "diseasel". While Ben ran behind, Bill confronted the "diseasel" over the theft. The "diseasel" claimed the trucks were his and ordered Bill to "go away"; Bill pretended to be frightened and slunk away, remarking, "You'll be sorry". With that, Ben ran up and accused the "diseasel" of being a "truck stealer", before running back so Bill could run up again. This continued until the "diseasel", under the impression that there was only one very swift and annoying saddletank, became so giddy that his eyes "nearly popped out", just as the twins puffed up beside him. The "diseasel", initially confused, laughed at his ignorance. When Edward arrived moments later, inquiring as to why Bill and Ben were not shunting, the twins angrily claimed that the "diseasel" had sneaked into their yard and stolen their trucks. Edward soon realized what was going on and explained the situation. The twins, embarrassed, apologised to the "diseasel", who asked to be called BoCo, and then left to shunt some more trucks, leaving Edward and BoCo to laugh about the incident.

A few days later, after BoCo took the Express in James' "absence", Edward recounted what Gordon had said about branch lines to the twins. The next morning, after Gordon ended up at Brendam after a series of events involving poor preparations and a large floppy green hat, the twins snuck up beside him and loudly recounted what Gordon had said about branch lines. Concluding that the engine beside them could not be Gordon, the two declared he was nothing more than a pile of old scrap-iron, and began to contemplate what they should do (Bill was all for sending Gordon to be scrapped, while Ben favoured the more humane option of dumping him in the sea), all the while ignoring Gordon's protests, until at last, BoCo arrived. Gordon begged him to save him, and so BoCo threatened the twins to leave with the trucks he had brought. The twins quickly left, leaving Gordon with BoCo. BoCo wisely neglected to tell Gordon the twins were joking.

Sometime later, a group of enthusiasts came to visit the railways of Sodor. When Edward brought them to Brendam, the twins took them to the China Clay Workings in a brakevan special.

Thomas and the Twins
In 1988, Thomas was sent to work on Edward's Branch Line while repairs were carried out on the bridge. The twins were quick to tease him about his colour, but Edward was savvy enough to send the twins away before an argument broke out.

After Thomas returned to the Yard, covered in dairy from a collision with a farm lorry, the two teased him even more about his new livery. This continued until Edward announced a party of enthusiasts were coming, and threatened that he would not bring them to see the twins. The twins, excited, decided instead to worry about their own paint - eg, how clean it was - although one day, when the drivers remarked that "the enthusiasts [would not] eat their dinner off [them]", Bill quipped that "They might if we were Thomas".

When at last, the enthusiasts did arrive, a photographer with an "instant" camera began harassing Ben by continuously taking pictures of him, even after the remainder of the crowd went to watch Bill tug a boat into deeper waters. At last, the photographer prepared to take one final picture, just as Bill's driver arrived to ask for assistance. Ben's driver turned on the steam just as the photographer took the picture; disgusted with the poor quality of the shot, he abandoned it on the floor and left. The picture was later discovered by Bill's driver after the two rescued the boat.

The repairs to the bridge took a long time, and Thomas was still at Brendam when the rainy season came. At the "Drain", a hollow in the land where rainwater collected, the water even began to come near the rails, although no one took much notice. One particularly wet day, as Ben returned from the Workings, the wind whipped the rainwater into a wave which swamped Ben, dousing his fire. His fireman went for assistance, and brought Thomas to help. While Thomas dragged Ben out, Bill took away the trucks. When at last the water subsided four days later and Bill returned to Brendam, the two made a pact to never tease Thomas again.

Bio in the television series
One day, Bill and Ben were sent to work in the yard. They got to use the turntable as a reward for their hard work. But Bill and Ben were accidentally sent down the same track and they end up buffer-to-buffer. They each blamed each other for the incident and refused to speak to one another. At last, Edward and BoCo lost patience and The Fat Controller is heard about the incident. He gave the twins a chance to work together, and sure enough, the plan worked. The twins started to speak to each other again. Bill and Ben sometimes find it dull up at the clay works and they wanted something exciting to happen. They got their wish when a rockslide devastated the quarry. Luckily, Bill and Ben had taken all of the workmen and the foreman out of the quarry before the rockslide. The Fat Controller was so pleased that he called them heroes.

Later, BoCo couldn't handle the twins as much as he used to, so The Fat Controller had to bring in another Diesel, Derek. Bill and Ben had heard from Percy that Derek had a toothache. But they soon found out that Derek really had teething troubles. The twins and Derek had to pull a train the next day, and Derek soon overheated. Together, the twins got the train to their desination. That night, they, BoCo, and Duck talked about Derek all night long.

In the sixth season, Salty was sent to work with the twins and Mavis with an important job. When Salty handled the trucks with songs and tales of the sea, Bill and Ben became jealous. They became even crosser when Salty told them stories. Luckily for them, Salty was transferred to Brendam Docks. Afterwards, Ben had to get new buffers, so he was sent to the Works. Bill became jealous and his mind drifted away from his work. After some trucks tease him, Bill crashed into a ditch. Ben arrived to rescue Bill and Bill was taken to the Works to be mended.

Some time later, Fergus was sent to help the twins at the quarry. They got tired of his "do it right" attitude. Bill and Ben collected a rock crusher from the docks and caused a rockslide. Fergus pushed them out of the way, but the twins returned the favour when they helped him out of the rocks.

In the ninth season, Diesel had told Ben of a monster in a tunnel and Thomas had to help him get through it to discover there was no monster and Bill and Ben liked Thomas and James' new trucks. In the eleventh season, the twins carried Hector to the yards, resulting in them get biffed and bashed by him.

Later, Ben was working at the Timber Yards when Gordon accidently biffed into his trucks resulting in logs rolling down the hill nearly crashing Stanley.

In the seventeenth season, they will play tricks on Connor and Percy will help them after an accident.

Persona
Bill and Ben are Sodor's mischievous saddle tank engine twins, who have great fun in teasing the other engines of the railway. Each has four wheels, a tiny chimney and dome, and a small squat cab. They often work in the China Clay pits and quarries. Their loads of clay can be used for many things such as paper, paint, and pottery. They take trucks for engines on the main line and ships in the harbour and are regularly seen around Brendam Docks. They enjoy attention and love taking visitors and being photographed. They tend to work together, but even this youthful pair can have their arguments among themselves and can squabble with one another. They are highly prone to playing tricks and being cheeky. They have even teased Gordon on more than one occasion. Duck has called them "the bees" before, for being terrors when they start buzzing around. Edward and BoCo are the only engines who can really keep them in order enough to put a stop to their games and make them scamper along and behave. There is no real harm to them, but even Edward admits that they are maddening at times.

Basis
Bill and Ben are based on the Bagnall 0-4-0STs "Alfred" and "Judy" of Par, Cornwall, who are both preserved and in working order at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.

Livery
In the Railway Series, Bill and Ben are painted dark orange with red lining. In the television series, they are painted yellow with red lining.

Bill and Ben both have brown nameplates with yellow writing, "SCC" written on both sides in yellow and "Brendam Bay" on the front of their saddle tanks. In the Railway Series, they have number plates reading 1 and 2 respectively above both the back of their cabs and their faces.

Appearances
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Railway Series

 * Main Line Engines
 * Thomas and the Twins
 * Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines (mentioned)

Television series

 * Season 2 - Percy Takes the Plunge (not named), The Diseasel, Wrong Road, Edward's Exploit (do not speak), and Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (cameo)
 * Season 3 - Gordon and the Famous Visitor (cameo), Buzz, Buzz (do not speak), One Good Turn, Oliver Owns Up (Bill or Ben cameo), and Heroes
 * Season 4 - Thomas and the Special Letter (do not speak)
 * Season 5 - Double Teething Troubles
 * Season 6 - Salty's Secret, No Sleep for Cranky, A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter (cameo), and Buffer Bother
 * Season 7 - Bill, Ben and Fergus
 * Season 8 - Thomas to the Rescue (deleted scene)
 * Season 9 - Thomas' New Trucks and Bold and Brave (Ben only)
 * Season 10 - Edward Strikes Out (cameo)
 * Season 11 - Dream On (cameo) and Hector the Horrid!
 * Season 12 - Gordon Takes a Shortcut (Ben only)
 * Season 17 - Bill or Ben? and Percy's Lucky Day

Specials:
 * Calling All Engines! (Trying, music video cameo)
 * The Great Discovery (do not speak)

Magazines stories

 * 1988 - Wrong Road
 * 1989 - Head On, Diesel's Christmas (do not speak), In a Muddle, and Diesel's Race
 * 1990 - Wrong Order
 * 1995 - The Engine Parade! (do not speak)
 * 1998 - The Exhibition! (mentioned) and Look Alike
 * 2002 - Whistling! (do not speak)
 * 2003 - The Big Hero
 * 2004 - Sky Shapes
 * 2005 - Warm Work
 * 2007 - The Best Smile (does not speak) and The Lost Spring
 * 2008 - Wonky Whistle!, Funny Faces!, and Claypit Clowns
 * 2011 - Fuss and Fumes (one does not speak; the other is mentioned), Really Red, Watch the Clock (Ben only; cameo), and Perfect Panto
 * 2012 - A Whoosh of Water! (one does not speak; one speaks in speech bubble only)
 * 2013 - Terrible Twins (Ben; does not speak) and Caught on Camera}}

Bill:

 * Tomoko Naka (Japan; second-seventh seasons)
 * Noriko Shitaya (Japan; ninth season onwards)

Ben:

 * Miyuki Hara (Japan; second-third seasons)
 * Hiromi Nishida (Japan; fifth-seventh seasons)
 * Noriko Shitaya (Japan; ninth season onwards)

Trivia

 * A behind the scenes picture reveals that Bill and Ben were to have numbers on their smokeboxes above their faces.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (normal and Gold Rail; discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (two versions; discontinued)
 * Take-Along (discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play
 * My First Thomas
 * Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
 * TrackMaster
 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)
 * Bandai Tecs
 * Tomica
 * Bachmann
 * De Agostini
 * Wind-up
 * Nakayoshi