Toby

"Toby's only a little engine. If an important engine like me didn't know which way to turn..."

- James, "James and the Diesel Engines"

    Toby the Tram Engine 
 * Number: 7
 * Former Number: 688221

Toby is a tram engine and #7 on the North Western Railway.

Bio
Toby was built by James Holden at GER's Stratford Works in 1903 and originally lived at Great Yarmouth docks in Norfolk. In 1951, Toby came to work at the quarry on Thomas' branch line in "Toby the Tram Engine" after his old railway in East Anglia closed, as it was apparently illegal for Thomas to go on the quarry line without having 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 and blue paint for his hard work. Toby likes to be a really useful Steam Tram, but he is always relied on.

He has a coach called Henrietta and a luggage van called Elsie, the latter is does not appear in the television series. However, in Railway Series book number 41, Victoria joins Toby and Henrietta as part of the "Vintage Train".

It is revealed in "Toby, Trucks and Trouble" that, prior to working on his tramway, he worked at the harbour at Yarmouth with at least three of his brothers, at which time he had brown paint and black sideplates with "LNER" in yellow on them.

Personna
Toby has been established as part of the "Steam Team" in the television series and in recent episodes has been portrayed as being nervous and uncertain, but he always learns his lessons and is never careless anymore.Toby is brave and loyal in some episodes.

Basis
Toby was inspired by a GER Wisbech steam tram J70 0-6-0T seen by the Reverend W. 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 side plates and yellow writing before working on his tramway, where he was painted grayish-brown with gray sideplates and cowcatchers. He has his name painted in gold on his sides and "North Western Railway" painted in gold on his sideplates. After helping James he was repainted chocolate with blue sideplates. In the television series, he has consistently been painted brown with gray sideplates and cowcatchers.

Toby is currently painted chocolate brown with olive frames, blue sideplates, gray cowcatchers, black wheels and a number 7 painted on his sides in bright yellow with a red border. Toby originally had gray body work, black cowcatchers, sideplates and bufferbeams. Later he had brown body work, and "LNER" written on his sideplates in yellow. When working on his tramway, he was painted grayish-brown with gray sideplates and cowcatchers with no "LNER" writings. After helping James he was repainted chocolate brown with blue sideplates and olive frames.

Appearances
Toby's Railway Series appearances are listed below, in chronological order: Toby first appeared in the first season episode "Toby and the Stout Gentleman" and has appeared in every season of the television 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"
 * "Thomas and Victoria"

Trivia

 * Toby is the first steam engine to have cowcatchers. He is also the first engine to have sideplates. Toby has a warning bell, spark arrestors, governors set to 8mph, outside cylinders and Walschaerts valve gear.
 * In both the Railway Series and the television series, Toby usually has a square face on his front cab. Oddly though, in "Toby's Megatrain" in Thomas Comes Home, Toby has a another square face on his rear cab. This is probably due to the ability to switch faces between ends, as what the diesels in the Railway Series do.
 * Toby made two discoveries in these episodes; "Toby's Discovery" and "Toby's Special Surprise".

First tram
Toby was the first steam tram on Sodor. No other steam tram was featured until Season 12 when Flora was introduced in "Tram Trouble".

Merchandising

 * ERTL model (discontinued)
 * LC Wooden (available as normal and with RFID)
 * Take-Along (available as normal and in metallic)
 * TOMY/Trackmster model
 * Hornby model
 * Bachmann model

Merchandising Mistake
The LC Wooden Railway shows Toby with 4 wheels, but in some episodes of the TV series, you can clearly see that he has 6 wheels.