Duke

"Engines come and engines go, Granpuff 'goes on' forever!"

- Stuart and Falcon, "Duke the Lost Engine"

    Duke the Lost Engine  Duke, named after the Duke of Sodor and originally "The Duke", is considered a hero amongst the engines.
 * Builder: Boston Lodge
 * Configuration: 0-4-0ST+T, originally 0-4-0T+T
 * Arrived on Sodor: 1880
 * Restored: 1984

Bio in the Railway Series
Duke was built at Boston Lodge in 1879 and was regauged to 2' 3" before being transported to Sodor for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway.

By May 1881, Duke was in a poor state, with the boiler pressure restricted to 110 lbs. He had a major refit, with a "sham" cast-iron tank fitted on top of the side tanks to increase the weight to ten tons and improve adhesion in wet weather, a new weather board, new sandboxes, new cylinders and the boiler retubed with a lubricator added. However, his boiler was wearing out and it was withdrawn on May the 16th, 1891. In 1892, the original arrangement was replaced with the present full cab and saddletank.

In 1884, Duke broke his front axle and an old one from Stanley was used as a replacement. Duke was retubed with a low dome and vacuum brakes in 1898 and 1901. He continued in service until 1915, then lay out of use until a new boiler was fitted in 1920 with a chopper coupling and an all-round smokebox handrail.

In 1947, the line closed and Duke was sheeted and sheltered in Arlesdale Sheds. He was later discovered by Fergus Duncan, the Reverend Teddy Boston and the Reverend W. Awdry in 1969 and taken by road and rail to Crovan's Gate, where he was restored and returned to service in 1984. He was rebuilt with the 1955 boiler superheated, oil firing fitted, and new outer stepped frames added to carry the cab and saddletank, and outside mounted ejector. In 1995, a brass handrail was restored to the smokebox and in winter 1995-6 the watertanks were removed with a new, less obtrusive oil tank inserted. Duke also had an overhaul between 1997 and 1999 during which the boiler was retubed, the chassis was given a through overhaul and further cosmetic improvements were made from the 1999 build and the strengthening plates added in 1988 when the frames were found to be craked. Duke re-emerged with same brown livery, but with improved lining.

Bio in the television series
According to Thomas, Duke lived on an unnamed narrow gauge railway with Falcon, Stuart and, briefly, Smudger, until the line went bankrupt and most of the engines were sold. Duke, however, was sheeted until a group of adventurers found his shed, buried under tons of soil. Skarloey and Rheneas took him back to the Skarloey Railway, where he was soon returned to service.

Persona
Duke, when one first meets him, appears to be pedantic and strict, and in a sense both are true about him. However, Duke was sheeted up in a shed for more than two decades, so Duke possibly did not know how things have changed.

Duke is wise from experience, and sees it as his duty to live up to his name's reputation.

Livery
Duke is painted brown with yellow lining in the television series, and he has two red plaques on either side of his saddletank with his name written in gold. On the Reverend W. Awdry's model railway, he had "The Duke" written on his sides and "MS" written on his tender. In the Railway Series, Duke was painted dark brown with red lining.

Appearances
Duke's Railway Series appearances are listed below, in chronological order:
 * "Duke the Lost Engine"
 * "Great Little Engines"
 * "New Little Engine" (non-speaking role)

Duke was introduced in the fourth season, but this was the only season in which he was featured in so far. He did make an appearance in the seventh season episode "Harold and the Flying Horse", but this was stock footage from "Trucks".

His model was used for Bertram in the fifth season, and this is why he hasn't appeared in any other seasons ever since.

Basis
The story of Duke was based upon a true story about an engine abandoned in the Brazilian rainforest. Duke himself is based on "Prince", a tender engine from the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog, North Wales.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (normal and metallic; discontinued)
 * LC Wooden (reissued in 2008)
 * Take-Along
 * Tomy/Trackmaster
 * Bandai Tecs