Culdee

"He's called Culdee, after the mountain his railway climbs."

- Donald, Mountain Engines

   Culdee   Culdee is a mountain engine named after Culdee Fell, the mountain his railway climbs. He has his own coach named Catherine.
 * Number: 4
 * Builder: Winterthur
 * Configuration: 0-4-2
 * Built: Around 1899
 * Arrived on Sodor: Early 1900

Bio
Culdee was built at the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works in Winterthur, Switzerland, and arrived on Sodor in time for the railway's inspection. In March 1900, he was the first to be used in the test runs on the Culdee Fell Railway. When Lord Harry was delivered in March 1962, Culdee left for overhaul instead of Shane Dooiney as he was the most run down of the two. He arrived back on Sodor in May 1963, which is where the first story of Mountain Engines begins.

Persona
Culdee is careful, cautious and friendly. He is filled with advice to give to the other engines.

Basis
Culdee is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway's Snowdon.

Livery
Culdee is painted purple with orange lining.

Railway Series

 * Mountain Engines

Magazine stories

 * 1997 - Culdee (does not speak) and Culdee's Story

Culdee also appears in the Railway Series: Surprise Packet.

Trivia

 * The Railway Series: Surprise Packet reveals that Culdee's driver's name is Joe.
 * Culdee has buffers in some magazine stories and on his Take Along and Take-n-Play models.
 * In Sudric, "Culdee" translates as "Companion of God". The real life origin of the term comes from members of Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland, and England in the Middle Ages who were called "Culdees", which means "client/companion of God".

Merchandise

 * ERTL (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (reissued with apple orchard cars; discontinued; 2015 reissue)
 * Take Along (discontinued)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play