Gordon

"Rail Raider!"

- Gordon, "Hero of the Rails"

    Gordon the Big Engine  Gordon is a blue express engine.
 * Designer: Nigel Gresley
 * Builder: Doncaster Works
 * Configuration: 4-6-2
 * Arrived on Sodor: Mid to late 1922

Bio
Gordon was built by Sir Nigel Gresley at Doncaster Works in April 1922 as an A1 with a GNR eight-wheeled tender and green livery on the Other Railway, but when he arrived on Sodor with a spare boiler and firebox later that year he was painted in the North Western Railway's blue livery.

Gordon is mainly used for passenger duties, pulling the North Western Railway's express, the "Wild Nor' Wester", but has occasionally pulled goods trains: he has been known to run into ditches and stop on hills to get out of doing these jobs, as he believes that these are below him.

In 1939, Gordon went to Crovan's Gate for a rebuild. His conjugated valve gear was replaced by a two-cylinder design, he received a smoother running plate (designed by the Fat Controller), Stanier underframes, "Black-5" wheels, cylinders, squared-off side windows, rectangular buffers and a Fowler-style tender.

Gordon has become famous after his adventures: in 1953 he pulled Queen Elizabeth II's royal train and in 1956 he traveled to London, where he was lauded by a large crowd. Gordon did not like the visit, however, as he discovered that London's big station was St. Pancras.

In 1986, Gordon got to visit Carlisle when a diesel taking a Railtour failed.

Persona
Gordon's important position as the engine who usually pulls the Express has made him proud, pompous and arrogant, with good reason, too; he is the strongest engine on Sodor after all. Gordon's philosophy "tender engines don't shunt" meant that he looked down on tank engines and tender engines who do shunt, but after being locked in the shed with Henry and James after going on strike he seems to have abandoned this philosophy.

Because of his rank in the social order of the North Western Railway, Gordon expects to get the important jobs and either sulks when he doesn't, or gets jealous of those who do. Sometimes, Gordon acts as a bully, particularly towards Edward, but following mis-adventures where Edward had to help him, Gordon had to acknowledge that despite being old, Edward is still a very useful engine.

Sometimes Gordon shows a kinder side and gives the younger engines advice, usually after he has had some mishap as a result of his foolhardiness. Some of his advice isn't exactly honest, though, as James and Sir Handel have discovered!

Appearances
Gordon's appearances in the Railway Series are listed in chronological order:
 * "The Three Railway Engines"
 * "Thomas the Tank Engine"
 * "James the Red Engine"
 * "Troublesome Engines"
 * "Henry the Green Engine"
 * "Gordon the Big Engine"
 * "Edward the Blue Engine"
 * "Four Little Engines"
 * "Percy the Small Engine"
 * "The Eight Famous Engines"
 * "Duck and the Diesel Engine"
 * "The Little Old Engine"
 * "The Twin Engines"
 * "Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine"
 * "Main Line Engines"
 * "Small Railway Engines" (not seen)
 * "Enterprising Engines"
 * "Oliver the Western Engine"
 * "Really Useful Engines"
 * "James and the Diesel Engines"
 * "Great Little Engines"
 * "More About Thomas the Tank Engine" (cameo)
 * "Gordon the High-Speed Engine"
 * "Thomas and the Twins" (mentioned)
 * "Thomas and the Great Railway Show"
 * "Thomas Comes Home"
 * "Henry and the Express" (non-speaking role)
 * "Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines"

Gordon has appeared in every series of the television series.

Basis
According to Sodor "historian" Martin Clutterbuck, Gordon is supposed to be an experimental prototype for Sir Nigel Gresley's A1 "Pacific" design for the GNR. Gordon was then built at Doncaster Works, Yorkshire, and tested against a similar NER Pacific in 1923. Gordon, being an experimental engine, never received a number, and was later rebuilt at Crewe with LMS underparts and a six-wheel tender, owning to various problems. Gordon has since been rebuilt below the footplate according to Stanier designs, his running plate being Sir Topham Hatt's own design.

Livery
Gordon is painted NWR blue with NWR red-and-yellow lining and the number "4" painted on his tender sides in yellow. Before arriving on Sodor, he was painted Doncaster green with white and black lining.

Merchandising

 * ERTL (discontinued)
 * LC Wooden (normal and limited edition "A Better View for Gordon")
 * Take-Along (normal, metallic and lights and sounds)
 * My First Thomas
 * TOMY/Trackmaster (normal and flip-face)
 * Hornby
 * Bachmann
 * My Thomas Story Library
 * ERTL Gold Rail
 * Bandai Tecs (number 08)

Trivia

 * In the Japanese narration Gordon was voiced by Kenji Utsumi until the beginning of the ninth season, at which time he was replaced by Kenta Miyake.
 * Keith Wickham will begin voicing Gordon in Hero of the Rails, in the UK.
 * Glenn Wrage will voice Gordon in the US, from Hero of the Rails onwards.