'Arry and Bert

"Pah! I could handle those diesels with bent buffers and a busted boiler!"

- James, Middle Engine, sixth season

   'Arry and Bert    'Arry and Bert are two diesel shunters who formally worked at the smelters and scrapyards of the Sodor Ironworks. As of the eighteenth season, they work at Ffarquhar Quarry.
 * Class: BR Class 08
 * Designer: British Railways
 * Builder: Crewe, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, or Horwich Works
 * Configuration: 0-6-0
 * Speed: 15-20 mph
 * Built: sometime between 1952 and 1962

Bio
In their first appearance, 'Arry and Bert crept alongside a lonely Stepney, who had mysteriously been sent to the smelters by mistake. They shunted Stepney into the larger smelting shed underneath a giant grabber, and threatened to scrap him. Thankfully, Stepney was saved by Sir Topham Hatt, once the diesels had left.

Despite being villainous, 'Arry and Bert are also known for playing tricks on steam engines, such as making them "middle engines". Once, they shunted trucks in front and behind Percy. This later lead Percy to being pushed onto the coal tipper by mistake. Later, 'Arry and Bert played the same trick on James. Sometime later, they frightened Fergus away from the smelters, and bullied Neville, which made the engines think he was planning to bump them.

On some occasions, 'Arry and Bert's teasing ways backfire. Once, they played a ghostly prank on Thomas and Emily during Halloween, though they ran away when they thought Emily was a ghost. Another time, 'Arry and Bert teased Percy for having a whistle. Percy payed them back by creeping up behind them and blowing on his whistle. Later, Diesel, 'Arry, and Bert began teasing Thomas for being smelly, but were later covered in stinky cheese.

'Arry and Bert were also part of the group of Diesels that took over the Sodor Steamworks. They later teased Henry because of the coal he had to use by calling him "Mr. Special Steam".

Persona
'Arry and Bert are unquestionably devious and scheming. They feel superior to steam engines and, working at the scrap yards, they enjoy the chance to break up engines, or at least make their lives more difficult. Due to their grim task, they have earned a reputation on Sodor as "The Grim Messengers of Doom." However, despite their prejudices, the diesels have co-operated with steam engines on occasions, and when they are in trouble, steam engines often come to the rescue.

Despite being villainous, 'Arry and Bert also have a tendency to act scheming, slimy, greasy, and oozy. According to their merchandise bios, they wish to scrap Oliver and Stepney, whom have escaped the cutting torch once before.

Basis
'Arry and Bert are BR Class 08 shunters. Over seventy members of this class survive today in preservation. Diesel, The Diesel Shunter, Splatter, Dodge, Paxton, and Sidney are also members of this class.

Livery
'Arry and Bert are painted green-grey with yellow hazard stripes on their fronts and rears with yellow cabs. They have "Sodor Ironworks" written on their sides in white.

Appearances
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Television series
Specials:
 * Season 5 - Stepney Gets Lost ('Arry not named; Bert does not speak)
 * Season 6 - Twin Trouble ('Arry or Bert cameo) and Middle Engine
 * Season 7 - Bill, Ben and Fergus (cameo), James and the Queen of Sodor (cameo), and Fergus Breaks the Rules
 * Season 8 - Percy's New Whistle, Thomas to the Rescue (do not speak), Percy's Big Mistake (cameo), Halloween, and Percy and the Magic Carpet (cameo)
 * Season 9 - Thomas and the New Engine
 * Season 11 - Dirty Work (cameo), Hide and Peep (cameo), and Thomas and the Stinky Cheese
 * Season 12 - Don't Go Back (do not speak) and Gordon Takes a Shortcut (cameo)
 * Season 14 - Victor Says Yes and Thomas in Charge (cameo)
 * Season 15 - Edward the Hero (cameo) and Henry's Happy Coal
 * Season 16 - Ol' Wheezy Wobbles and Bust My Buffers!
 * Season 18 - Signals Crossed (cameo) and Thomas the Quarry Engine (cameo)
 * Calling All Engines!
 * The Great Discovery (cameo)
 * Day of the Diesels

They also appeared in a tenth season learning segment and a song.

Magazine Stories
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 * 2004 - Steam Power (Arry only)
 * 2005 - Thomas' Hallowe'en (Bert; does not speak)
 * 2006 - Percy's New Whistle
 * 2008 - Flower Engine (do not speak)
 * 2011 - Victor Says Yes (do not speak), Flower Engine (do not speak), and Creepy Claw
 * 2012 - Henry's Happy Coal, Ol' Wheezy Wobbles (Arry only; cameo), and Fish and Ships (Arry only; does not speak)
 * 2014 - Wobbly Ol' Wheezy (Arry only; cameo)

Voice Actors
'Arry: Bert:
 * Kerry Shale  (UK/US; fourteenth season onwards)
 * Tomohisa Asō (Japan; fifth season only)
 * Yūki Satō (Japan; sixth - eighth seasons)
 * Shinichi Namiki (Japan; Calling All Engines! onwards)
 * Jürgen Holdorf (Germany; fifteenth season onwards)
 * Christoffer Staib (Norway; fourteenth season - sixteenth season)
 * Jan Kulczycki (Poland; fifteenth season onwards)
 * Víctor Delgado (Mexico; fourteenth season onwards)
 * Kerry Shale (UK/US; fourteenth and fifteenth seasons)
 * William Hope (UK/US; sixteenth season onwards)
 * Keiji Hirai (Japan; sixth - eighth seasons)
 * Shinichi Namiki (Japan; Calling All Engines! onwards)
 * Rainer Schmitt (Germany; fifteenth season onwards)
 * Sigbjørn Solheim (Norway; fourteenth season onwards)
 * Mieczysław Morański (Poland; fourteenth season only)
 * Piotr Bąk (Poland; fifteenth season onwards)
 * Jorge Badillo (Mexico; fourteenth season onwards)

Trivia

 * The two are not quite identical: Bert has more stubble.
 * In some merchandising, the twins are named "Iron 'Arry" and "Iron Bert".
 * 'Arry and Bert's television series models do not have handrails, allthough some of their merchandise lines do.
 * The 1998 official website and Question Time with Sir Topham Hatt called 'Arry and Bert "The Yellow Diesels".
 * In the fifth season, the text, "Sodor Ironworks", on both engines' sides was smaller.
 * The fifth season models of the twins were significantly more weathered than models that followed.
 * A model of 'Arry and one of Bert are currently on display in Canada at Nitrogen Studios.
 * 'Arry's name was not revealed until merchandising of him was released.

Quotes

 * Stepney was all alone, but not for long. Two diesels approached.
 * "Got ya this time, Stepney. You'll make very fine scrap indeed, buffer 'im, Bert!"
 * The diesels took him to the large smelting shed.
 * "Bye, bye, Stepney!"

- 'Arry and Bert's introduction, "Stepney Gets Lost", fifth season.


 * The next day, James arrived at the smelters. He was determined not to be tricked by 'Arry and Bert.
 * "'allo, James!" oozed 'Arry. "Come to learn a thing or two from those who know?!"
 * "Just get my trucks ready, and stay out of my way!" huffed James importantly.
 * "Yes, Sir." Bert chimed greasily.

- James meets 'Arry and Bert, "Middle Engine", sixth season.


 * Fergus and his driver arrived at the smelters.
 * "I want to go back to the Cement Works! None of the other engines like coming here, its so scary!"
 * "Your right!" said his driver.
 * Just then, the scrap diesels emerged.
 * "'ello! Are you happy to be here?"
 * "Noooooo!" cried Fergus.

- Fergus meets 'Arry and Bert, "Fergus Breaks the Rules", seventh season.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Take Along (normal and metallic; discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play
 * TrackMaster
 * Bachmann
 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * Lionel (discontinued, later reintroduced with LionChief remote)
 * My First Thomas
 * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)
 * De Agostini (discontinued)
 * Minis (Bert - classic and neon)