Sir Handel

"Gordon says I'm . . . er . . . insensible."

- Sir Handel, "Great Little Engines"

    Sir Handel 
 * Number: 3
 * Based on: Talyllyn Railway's "Sir Haydn"
 * Primary function: Passenger service
 * Builder: Falcon Works
 * Built date: 1903
 * Gauge: 2' 3"
 * Configuration: 0-4-2ST, originally 0-4-0ST
 * Driving wheel diameter: 2' 5 1/2"
 * Trailing wheel diameter: 11"
 * Coupled wheelbase: 4' 0"
 * Total wheelbase: 8' 3 1/2"
 * Cylinder size (bore/stroke): 7 1/4 x 12"
 * Heating surface: 153 sq. ft.
 * Working pressure: 160 psi
 * Tractive effort: 2900 lbs
 * Weight: 9.25 tons
 * Length over buffers: 16' 6.5"
 * 'Arrived on Sodor: 1903

Sir Handel, named after the Skarloey Railway's first owner, Sir Handel Brown I - but previously Falcon, after the works where he was made - is a narrow-gauge tank engine.

Bio in the Railway Series
Falcon was built in 1903 at Falcon Works, Loughborough, for the Mid Sodor Railway. He was a 0-4-0ST, causing him to bounce until he was rebuilt with a rear pony truck.

When the Mid Sodor Railway closed in 1947, he and Stuart were sold to the aluminium works at Peel Godred for an expansion project. They were sheeted at the project's close for almost a year, then both were purchased for a total of fifty pounds by the Skarloey Railway and renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.



Sir Handel did not cope well with the worn track on the railway and would often derail - sometimes deliberately. He was given a pair of special wheels with broad tyres to cure this problem, dubbed "steamroller wheels" by the other engines.

In 1984, Sir Handel visited the Talyllyn Railway to help while Talyllyn was being mended. Sir Handel had plenty of adventures there, like pulling a wedding train and having to done an eyepatch after colliding with a tree at Nant Gwernol.

When Peter Sam was brought back from the Talyllyn Railway early during a visit In 1995 Sir Handel became jealous and as a protest deliberately knocked out his firebars. He was sent to the shed and began to fear that he would never come out after weeks went by and no one came to see him. When the Thin Controller came in one day Sir Handel confessed and asked for a second chance. Sir Handel got his firebars later that day - no one bothered to tell him that they had only just arrived.

Bio in the television series
Sir Handel was introduced in the fourth season episode "Granpuff". He and Stuart lived with Duke until their line was closed and they were bought by the Skarloey Railway and were renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.



Upon arriving, Sir Handel had many adventures. He was derailed by his own coaches when he stopped too quickly in front of some sheep. Sir Handel was also very pompous and refused to do his job well, so he was sent to the sheds for a while to repent. After coming back out, he got into a fight with George the steamroller, which ended in a race with George smashing Sir Handel's trucks. He made a brief cameo in the episode "Passengers and Polish".

Sir Handel didn't reappear until years later, apparently because he was working in the stone quarry. When he returned, he had a much different attitude. He did his jobs without complaining, and had trouble getting up hills. He is also wiser in most situations, but in some cases he is still pompous.

Persona
Sir Handel is sometimes pompous and arrogant and thinks that pulling trucks is beneath him, and will do anything to get out of jobs he does not want to do. He can be rude and stubborn, and he has been known to insult Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice by calling them "cattle trucks".



Basis
Sir Handel is based on the Talyllyn Railway's "Sir Haydn".

Livery
In the Railway Series, Sir Handel was painted blue until coming to work on the Skarloey Railway, where he was painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery and blue-and-yellow lining. In the television series, he is painted blue with red and yellow lining.

Appearances
Sir Handel's Railway Series appearances are listed below:
 * "Four Little Engines"
 * "The Little Old Engine"
 * "Gallant Old Engine"
 * "Mountain Engines"
 * "Very Old Engines" (non-speaking role)
 * "Duke the Lost Engine"
 * "Great Little Engines"
 * "New Little Engine"

In the television series, Sir Handel first appeared in the fourth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth seasons.

Merchandising



 * ERTL model (available as normal and in metallic- disontinued)
 * LC Wooden model (retired, then reissued in 2008)
 * Take-Along model (available as normal as in 2 pack)
 * TOMY/Trackmaster model (available as normal and in 'Sir Handel in Charge' pack)
 * My Thomas Story Library 'Sir Handel'

Trivia

 * When Sir Handel returned in the tenth season, he gained black buffers (as opposed to his dark silver buffers beforehand).