Duke

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

- Stuart and Falcon, Duke the Lost Engine

    Duke  Duke, named after the Duke of Sodor and originally The Duke, is considered a hero amongst the engines.
 * Number: 8, originally MSR 1
 * Builder: Boston Lodge
 * Built: 1879
 * Configuration: 0-4-0ST+T
 * Arrived on Sodor: 1880
 * Restored: 1983

Bio in the Railway Series
Duke was built at Boston Lodge in Minfford, Wales in 1879 before being transported to Sodor for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway in 1880.

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 1983.

Bio in the television series
According to Thomas, Duke lived on an unnamed narrow gauge railway with several engines including Stuart, Falcon, and briefly Smudger, until the line went bankrupt and Stuart and Falcon 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.

Basis
The story of Duke being rediscovered 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.

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. On the Mid-Sodor Railway, Duke was numbered one.

Appearances
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Railway Series

 * Duke the Lost Engine
 * Great Little Engines
 * New Little Engine (non-speaking role)

Television series

 * Season 4 - Granpuff, Sleeping Beauty, Bulldog, You Can't Win, Trucks! (cameo), Home at Last (cameo), Rock 'n' Roll (cameo), Special Funnel (cameo), Steamroller (cameo), and Gallant Old Engine (cameo)
 * Season 7 - Harold and the Flying Horse (stock footage cameo)

He also made cameos in two fifth season and two sixth season songs.

His model was used for Bertram in the fifth season.

Magazine stories
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 * 1997 - Percy's Surprise (does not speak)
 * 1998 - Duncan Has a Spill
 * 2006 - Really Useful Ride (mentioned)
 * 2011 - The New Works

Trivia

 * The official website states that Duke is the oldest of the narrow gauge engines. However, Skarloey and Rheneas are older.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (normal and metallic; discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (two versions; discontinued)
 * Take-Along (discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play
 * TOMY/TrackMaster
 * Bandai Tecs
 * De Agostini
 * Brio (discontinued)
 * Wind-up Trains