Toby

"Old engines can't be scaredy engines!"

- Toby, Toby and the Whistling Woods, fourteenth season

    Toby  Toby is a steam tram.
 * Number: 7
 * Class: LNER J70 0-6-0
 * Designer: James Holden
 * Builder: Stratford Works
 * Built: 1914
 * Configuration: 0-6-0T
 * Arrived on Sodor: November 1951

Bio
Toby was built by James Holden at GER's Stratford Works in Stratford, London, England in 1914 and originally lived at Great Yarmouth Docks, Norfolk with his brothers before working on an unnamed tramway. In 1951, Toby came to work at the quarry on Thomas' Branch Line after his old railway in East Anglia closed, as it was found to be illegal for Thomas to go on the quarry tramroad without sideplates or cowcatchers.

Toby is old and, at first, was teased by James for his shabby paint. James stopped calling him names after he crashed into some tar wagons and Toby was given chocolate-brown paint for his hard work.

Toby also got into a bit of a controversy with a female Diesel shunter named Mavis as she was not willing to shunt the trucks where they needed to be. After an accident with some trucks, the two engines made up their quarrel and are now good friends.

Toby has two coaches named Henrietta and Victoria and a luggage van, Elsie.

Persona
When he was first introduced, Toby was old but hardworking and knew enough about running a branchline to justify running Thomas' with Thomas and Daisy after Percy's accident with the trucks. He is also savvy enough to control the trucks. However, his advanced age and design means that he is weaker than the other engines.

Since the eighth season, Toby has been portrayed as being nervous about the capabilities of his work and uncertain about being an old steam tram, believing that he is not a proper engine, only good enough as a museum piece and not really special at all.

Toby enjoys listening to the birds in the birdhouse next to his shed. He also is friends with the pigs at Farmer Trotter's Pig Farm.

Basis
Toby was inspired by a GER C53 0-6-0T Wisbech steam tram (classed as J70 by the LNER) seen by the Reverend Wilbert and Christopher Awdry on a holiday at Yarmouth, hence Toby's origins.

Livery
In the Railway Series Toby was painted brown with black cowcatchers and sideplates (which sported "LNER" in bright yellow letters) before working on his tramway, where he was repainted greyish-brown with grey sideplates and cowcatchers. After helping James he was repainted chocolate-brown with olive frames and blue sideplates.

In the television series, Toby has consistently been painted brown with grey sideplates and cowcatchers. Toby has a number "7" painted on his sides in bright yellow with a red border.

In the Railway Series, he carries two plaques on the sides of his cab stating that he works on the NWR, his number, and the last time and place that he was rebuilt.

Appearances
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Railway Series

 * Toby the Tram Engine
 * Gordon the Big Engine
 * Edward the Blue Engine
 * Percy the Small Engine (does not speak)
 * The Eight Famous Engines
 * Duck and the Diesel Engine (cameo)
 * Branch Line Engines
 * Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine (does not speak)
 * Tramway Engines
 * James and the Diesel Engines (mentioned)
 * More About Thomas the Tank Engine
 * Toby, Trucks and Trouble
 * Thomas and the Twins (does not speak)
 * Thomas and the Great Railway Show
 * Thomas Comes Home
 * Wilbert the Forest Engine
 * Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines (does not speak)
 * Thomas and Victoria
 * Thomas and his Friends

Television series

 * Season 1 - Toby and the Stout Gentleman, Thomas in Trouble, Dirty Objects, and Thomas' Christmas Party
 * Season 2 - Thomas, Percy and the Coal, Cows, Percy and Harold (does not speak), Duck Takes Charge (mentioned), The Runaway (does not speak), Thomas Comes to Breakfast, Daisy, Percy's Predicament, Ghost Train, Woolly Bear (does not speak), and Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (does not speak)
 * Season 3 - Time for Trouble, Gordon and the Famous Visitor (cameo), Donald's Duck, Henry's Forest, Mavis, Toby's Tightrope, and Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure
 * Season 4 - Granpuff, Sleeping Beauty, Bulldog, Train Stops Play (does not speak), Bulls Eyes, Thomas and the Special Letter, Paint Pots and Queens, and Special Attraction
 * Season 5 - Horrid Lorry, Baa!, Toby and the Flood, Stepney Gets Lost, Toby's Discovery, Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday (does not speak), and A Surprise for Percy
 * Season 6 - A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter (cameo), The Fogman, It's Only Snow, Scaredy Engines (cameo), Percy and the Haunted Mine (cameo), Percy's Chocolate Crunch (cameo), and Toby Had a Little Lamb
 * Season 7 - Percy Gets it Right (does not speak), Edward's Brass Band (cameo), Toby's Windmill, Peace and Quiet (does not speak), Harold and the Flying Horse (cameo), and Not So Hasty Puddings (cameo)
 * Season 8 - Percy's New Whistle (cameo), Thomas Saves the Day (does not speak), Don't Tell Thomas (does not speak), Gordon Takes Charge (does not speak), Thomas Gets It Right, As Good as Gordon (cameo), You Can Do it, Toby!, Too Hot for Thomas (does not speak), and Percy and the Magic Carpet (does not speak)
 * Season 9 - Percy and the Oil Painting (cameo), Thomas and the Rainbow, Thomas and the Toy Shop (cameo), Thomas and the Birthday Picnic (cameo), Thomas and the New Engine, Toby Feels Left Out, Thomas Tries His Best (cameo), Thomas and the Statue, Henry and the Flagpole, Emily Knows Best, Saving Edward (cameo), and Keeping up with James (cameo)
 * Season 10 - Percy and the Funfair, The Green Controller, Toby's Afternoon Off, Toby's New Shed, Sticky Toffee Thomas, and Thomas and the Colours (cameo)
 * Season 11 - Thomas and the Storyteller (cameo), Dream On, Gordon and the Engineer (cameo), Thomas and the Spaceship (cameo), Thomas and the Lighthouse, Hide and Peep (cameo), Toby's Triumph, and Thomas in Trouble
 * Season 12 - Thomas and the Billboard (cameo), Henry Gets It Wrong (does not speak), Heave Ho Thomas! (cameo), Toby's Special Surprise, Saved You!, and Tram Trouble
 * Season 13 - The Lion of Sodor, Tickled Pink, Play Time, Time For a Story (cameo), Toby's New Whistle, A Blooming Mess, Splish, Splash, Splosh! (cameo) and The Biggest Present of All
 * Season 14 - Pingy Pongy Pick Up (cameo), Toby and the Whistling Woods, Henry's Health and Safety (does not speak), Diesel's Special Delivery (cameo), Thomas and the Snowman Party, O the Indignity (cameo), Jitters and Japes, Merry Misty Island, and Henry's Magic Box
 * Season 15 - Toby and Bash, Edward the Hero (cameo), James to the Rescue, Happy Hiro (cameo), Let it Snow (cameo), Surprise, Surprise (cameo), Big Belle, Tree Trouble (cameo), and Fiery Flynn (cameo)
 * Season 16 - Ol' Wheezy Wobbles (cameo), Express Coming Through (cameo), Percy and the Monster of Brendam, Flash Bang Wallop! (cameo), Thomas and the Rubbish Train (cameo), Thomas Toots the Crows (cameo), Bust My Buffers! (cameo), Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor (cameo), Salty's Surprise (cameo), Whiff's Wish (does not speak), Welcome Stafford (cameo), and The Christmas Tree Express

Specials:
 * Thomas and the Magic Railroad
 * Calling All Engines! (does not speak)
 * The Great Discovery
 * Hero of the Rails
 * Misty Island Rescue
 * Day of the Diesels
 * Blue Mountain Mystery
 * King of the Railway

Magazine stories
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 * 1993 - Roof Repairs!
 * 1995 - The Engine Parade!
 * 1996 - Duck and the Deer!
 * 1997 - Clowning Around!
 * 1998 - Toby and the Stout Gentleman!
 * 2001 - A Special Story About Toby and A Song for Caroline (cameo)
 * 2002 - Toby to the Rescue!
 * 2003 - To the Harbour
 * 2004 - Toby and the Lambs
 * 2005 - Percy and the Magic Carpet (cameo)
 * 2006 - No Trouble for Toby, First-class Carriage, and Emily Knows Best
 * 2007 - Toby's Afternoon Off and Rocky Ride
 * 2008 - Toby's Triumph and Funny Faces!
 * 2010 - The Best Present of All (cameo), Henry Gets It Wrong!, and Misty Island Rescue (cameo)
 * 2011 - Jitters and Japes, Tickled Pink (speaks in speech bubble only), and Toby's Treat
 * 2012 - Tender Trouble (does not speak), Edward's Big Rescue, The Fat Controller's Bedtime Story (Issue 645), and Big Belle (speaks in speech bubble only)

Voice Actors

 * Colm Feore (Thomas and the Magic Railroad)
 * William Hope (US; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Ben Small (UK; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Yasuhiko Kawazu (Japan; first season - eighth season)
 * Tomohiro Tsuboi (Japan; Season 9 onwards)
 * Espen Sandvik (Norway; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Herman López (Mexico; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Volker Hanisch (Germany)

Trivia

 * The Wooden Railway and Brio ranges incorrectly depict Toby as an 0-4-0.
 * In Thomas Comes Home, the illustrations of "Toby's Megatrain" show Toby with a face at the rear cab as well as the front cab. This is the only time in the Railway Series that Toby has been illustrated with two faces.
 * Two Toby models are currently on display; one at Drayton Manor in the U.K. and one in Canada at Nitrogen Studios.
 * Toby is Christopher Awdry's favourite engine. This is because while on a trip in Yarmouth, he and his father got to ride in the cab of a J70 tram.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (normal and Gold Rail; both discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (normal, talking, and bronze; bronze discontinued)
 * Take-Along (normal, metallic, and in multi-packs; all discontinued)
 * My First Thomas
 * TOMY/TrackMaster (normal and flip-face)
 * Hornby
 * Bachmann (HO and G)
 * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
 * Bandai Tecs
 * Take-n-Play (normal and talking)
 * De Agostini
 * Brio (discontinued)
 * LEGO (discontinued)
 * Mega Bloks
 * Tomica
 * Pez
 * Discover Junction
 * Wind-up
 * Diablock