Donald and Douglas

"Now then, which one of you is 57646?"

- The Fat Controller, "The Twin Engines"

    Donald and Douglas 
 * Numbers: 9 and 10
 * Former Numbers: 57646 and 57647

Donald and Douglas, originally known by their numbers, 57646 and 57647, are twin engines from Scotland.

Bio
Donald and Douglas were built by John F. McIntosh at St. Rollox Works in 1899 and worked on the Caledonian Railway in Scotland, a large network that extended along that country's east coast, as well as the central and south-western region. Despite being limited to Caledonian metals, they appeared to have a familiarity with other railways, as they were familiar with the locomotives and livery of the Highland Railway.

Giving long and stalwart service, Donald and Douglas eventually became 57646 and 57647 on the Scottish Region of British Railways. In 1959 Sir Topham Hatt needed a freight engine, and by his request BR transferred 57646 ('Donald') to Sodor and the North Western Region.

To Hatt's surprise though, two engines arrived. Donald's twin Douglas (57647) could not stand to be seperated from his brother (and could probably foresee the future well enough to know he'd eventually face the scrapman's torch in Scotland), and had come along as well. Neither engine could be told apart, both had claimed to have forgotten their numbers, and indeed their number-plates had 'slyly splipped off' in the journey from Scotland, forcing Hatt to keep both until he could determine which engine was freeloading on his hospitality. It was revealed in the Island of Sodor that this piece of skullguggery had been planned not only by the two engines, but also by their drivers and firemen, who were all related! This devious ability to bend the rules and fudge/tamper with/falsify paperwork and transit-orders would later stand Douglas and his crew in good stead when they used the same methods to help Oliver escape to Sodor in 1968.

The Fat Controller was unaware of Douglas' motive, and threatened the two that whichever engine he found out to be the truant would be sent home. Both engines resolved to give outstanding service so that Hatt would want to keep both of them. This plan quickly went to pieces however after Douglas accidentally shunted Thomas' special coach, full of passengers, into the carriage sidings at Tidmouth, causing a great deal of fury for the passengers and consternation for Hatt. After this, the twins were practically puffing on eggshells, and things were only complicated when Donald demolished a signalbox at Tidmouth and Douglas destroyed the Spiteful Breakvan.

However, despite all this grief, the twin's professionalism, competancy, strong work-ethic and personable natures had begun to win them support, particularly when they demonstrated an aptitute for snowplough work that they'd learnt in Scotland. After rescueing Henry from just such a snowy ordeal, the other engines came over to Donald and Douglas's side and led to the second instance of the engines of Sodor taking industrial action (the first being the questionable 'tender-engines-strike' of Troublesome Engines). After a suggestion by Edward, and pushed into it by Gordon, Percy was presented the Fat Controller as a deputation, arguing the twins' case on their behalf and pleading that if sent away they'd be scrapped.

Hatt's reaction to this was mixed - though he understood the engines feelings he did not approve or appreciate them trying to interfere with his decision-making. However Percy's statement and the twin's excellent performance in the snow was enough for Hatt to take pity on the twins and kept both. He demonstrated this intent with an offer of a fresh coat of paint for both engines, and by their request they were painted blue and officially came onto the books of the NWR.

Since then the twins have by all accounts 'transformed' goods traffic on the mainline, and such is their versatility that they regularly see service in other capacities, notably on Duck and Edward's branches, as well as duties as station-pilot at Tidmouth (they are regular enough engines on Duck's branch that a turntable has been provided for them at Arlesburgh, and they were not amused when Oliver succeeded in putting it out of commission).

Such a demanding work-load has begun to tax them however, and in 1993, the Fat Controller borrowed a navy saddletank named Wilbert from the Dean Forest Railway to deputise for them on the Arlsburgh branch, with the intention of at some point obtaining another engine of Wilbert's class to permentantly fill that role.

Persona
Donald and Douglas are practical and level-minded characters who nevertheless enjoy a joke, especially impersonating one another - the fitting of the twins with nameplates was done to specifically end this element of their humour. Their tendancy for jokes however has continued, and both display a keen sense of wit and where necessary, and acid tongue. In their work however their performance is exemplarly and they can be described as some of the most well-regarded engines in service on the railway, comparable with Duck and Edward in their reliability.

Donald and Douglas understandably held a grudge against diesels for a time - after all, the oil-guzzling engines were taking over their work - but after BoCo helped them in Edward's absence they have agreed that there is nothing wrong with diesels on the whole.

Appearances


Donald's Railway Series appearances are listed below, in chronological order:


 * "The Twin Engines"
 * "Branch Line Engines" (non-speaking role)
 * "Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine"
 * "Mountain Engines"
 * "Main Line Engines"
 * "Small Railway Engines" (not seen)
 * "Enterprising Engines"
 * "Oliver the Western Engine"
 * "Duke the Lost Engine" (non-speaking role)
 * "'''James and the Diesel Engines
 * "More About Thomas the Tank Engine" (mentioned)
 * "Gordon the High-Speed Engine"
 * "Thomas and the Twins" (mentioned)
 * "Henry and the Express"
 * "Wilbert the Forest Engine" (non-speaking role)
 * "Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines"

Douglas' Railway Series appearances are listed below, in chronological order:


 * "The Twin Engines"
 * "Branch Line Engines" (not seen)
 * "Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine"
 * "Main Line Engines"
 * "Small Railway Engines" (cameo)
 * "Enterprising Engines"
 * "Oliver the Western Engine"
 * "James and the Diesel Engines" (non-speaking role)
 * "More About Thomas the Tank Engine" (mentioned)
 * "Gordon the High-Speed Engine"
 * "Thomas and the Twins" (mentioned)
 * "Jock the New Engine"
 * "Henry and the Express"
 * "Wilbert the Forest Engine" (non-speaking role)
 * "Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines" (non-speaking role)

Donald and Douglas first appeared in the second season and later appeared in the third, fourth, sixth, seventh, eleventh, twelfth seasons and Season 13. They also made cameos in the fifth season and also appeared in a deleted scene in the eighth season.

Basis
Donald and Douglas are based on Caledonian Railway "McIntosh 812" 0-6-0s.

Livery
According to the Railway Series, Donald and Douglas were painted black from construction, and arrived on Sodor in B.R.'s freight livery, which was also black, but with red-and-white lining on their tenders. They remained as such (with the addition of yellow and red numbers on their tenders) until it was decided that both engines could stay, at which point they requested to be repainted in the NWR's standard blue livery of blue with red lining. They apparently like the colour, as it reminds them of their lives on the Caledonian Railway where many of their classmates and shedmates carried a similar but lighter shade of blue.

In the Television series, the twins arrived in BR black and have never received new colours, presumably to avoid having too-many blue engines on-screen at any one time.

In both continuities, the twins recieved nameplates to help distinguish them from each other. As first seen in their cameo appearance in Thomas Comes to Breakfast, engine engine carried a single nameplate mounted on their smokebox front, these were black with yellow lettering (it's worth noting that at this time the twins had yet to be repainted in blue and were still in gloss black). However, all appearances of the twins hereafter featured the same yellow lettering on red backgrounds, with each engine carrying two plates, one on each side of the smokebox. The television series also follows this pattern.

Donald and Douglas are currently painted either NWR blue with red and yellow lining or BR black with red lining on their boilers and splashers, while red-and-white lining on their cabs and tenders, numbers 9 and 10 painted on their tender sides in bright yellow with a red border and red nameplates with gold writing mounted on the side of their smokeboxes.

Trivia

 * Donald and Douglas have round-topped fireboxes including smokeboxes sloping to sandboxes, round windows, and have very similar-looking tenders. They have 0-6-0 wheel arrangement, round cab lookouts, no cab windows, but cut-out with handrail, completely flat footplate and front splasher combined with sand box.

Before Number

 * Duck is Number 8.

After Number

 * Oliver is Number 11.

Merchandising

 * ERTL model (discontinued)
 * LC Wooden model
 * Take Along model