Spencer

"I'm faster and finer than all the engines on Sodor put together!"

- Spencer, Edward the Great, eighth season

Spencer is a sleek streamlined engine privately owned by The Duke and Duchess of Boxford. He is Mallard's brother.

Bio
During his first visit to Sodor, Spencer took the Duke and Duchess of Boxford on a trip around Sodor. He ignored Gordon's warnings about taking on water and thus ran out; however, he blamed the incident on a leaky tank.

Upon his next visit, Spencer challenged Edward to a race and maintained a lead for the majority of the race, but vainly fell asleep while the Duke and Duchess stopped to take photos and lost to Edward, after Edward got onto the summer house branch line first.

Spencer has since developed a rivalry with Thomas, with the latter often trying to outshine Spencer - largely without success.

Spencer returned to Sodor to help build a new summer house for the Duke and Duchess of Boxford, much to the annoyance of all the engines. First, he insulted the other steam engines - especially Thomas by calling him a "toy tank engine", which as a result they had a competition of strength. However, Spencer neglected to build the new summer house when he became suspicious about Thomas, thinking he was being a tricky tank engine and ended up getting slate down his funnel at Sodor Slate Quarry. When Spencer discovered Percy's mail vans (thinking that Thomas was hiding them from Percy), he got into trouble with the Fat Controller, who thought that Spencer was hiding the mail coaches all the time. Afterwards, Spencer lost his pride when his owners turned up for their holiday. He then got stuck in the mud when he chased Thomas to Knapford. After being rescued by Hiro, Spencer apologised to Thomas and Hiro and they all worked together to finish the summer house.

Sir Robert Norramby borrowed Spencer as his private engine during the restoration of Ulfstead Castle. He transported the Earl around and much to his embarrassment, had to pull some stones for the job. During that time, he attempted to have races with Gordon, but when the two met Connor and Caitlin during one of their runs, they called off the race. After the restoration was complete, Connor, Caitlin, Gordon and Spencer had another race from Ulfstead's grounds.

Spencer brought a VIP from the Mainland to present the Fat Controller with an award. Due to showing off, he ended up on Edward's Branch Line. Once he finally arrived at Knapford, the Deputy Minister crossly announced that he would not travel back to the Mainland with Spencer. Throughout the day, as the other engines were showing off, Spencer felt sorry for himself and wished he had done his work properly. He learned from his mistake and successfully brought the Deputy Minister back to Sodor the following day.

One day, Spencer was travelling through Henry's Tunnel and almost ran into Thomas, who was hiding in the tunnel pretending to be a made-up engine called Geoffrey, to trick the Fat Controller. At winter, he had to stay on Sodor because the Vicarstown Bridge was blocked with snow. He teased Henry by telling him he might see an abominable snowman. But when the two engines saw something covered in snow walking towards them, Spencer tried to run away, but his valves became blocked. Luckily, it was only the Fat Controller, who had gotten into trouble in the snow. Later, Spencer had to take the Duke and Duchess to Callan Castle, when his valve gear had snapped and broke down, so Thomas, Bertie and Harold had to take the Duke and Duchess to Callan Castle instead.

Spencer would then go on to participate in The Great Railway Show where he served as a UK representative and competed in The Great Race event against his cousins, Gordon and Flying Scotsman, as well as Axel and Etienne. He came in second place, narrowly losing to Etienne.

In the twenty-first season, Spencer and Gordon upset their passengers when their racing gets out of control.

Persona
Spencer is very arrogant and pompous and considers himself to be above doing menial duties such as shunting. None of the engines like him, especially Thomas and Gordon. When he came to build the summer house, Spencer proved himself to be very nosey, sneaky, disobedient and rather neglectful. Despite being closely related, Gordon and Spencer have never gotten on very well with each other. This is mainly because of his pompous behaviour, which exceeds even that of Gordon's. Despite this, he has shown a kind side when he realised his mistakes. This side once came through when he helped Percy find his way home to Tidmouth Sheds. He also wants to be really useful too like all the other engines.

Basis
Spencer is based on an LNER Class A4 Pacific. Mallard, holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives, is another member of this class. An additional five members of this class survive in preservation.

Livery
Spencer was painted blue-grey with black lining. From the tenth season onwards, he is painted metallic silver, still with black lining. He has red nameplates with his name in gold on the sides of his boiler. His livery may have been inspired by that of the first four A4s, which were painted in a "silver" livery.

Appearances
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Television Series

 * Season 7 - Something Fishy (cameo) and Gordon and Spencer
 * Season 8 - Edward the Great
 * Season 10 - Topped Off Thomas
 * Season 11 - Emily's Rubbish and Dream On
 * Season 13 - Creaky Cranky, Tickled Pink, Steamy Sodor and Snow Tracks
 * Season 14 - O the Indignity
 * Season 15 - Edward the Hero (cameo), Spencer the Grand and Kevin the Steamie
 * Season 16 - Thomas and the Rubbish Train (mentioned), Sodor Surprise Day (cameo), Whiff's Wish and Welcome Stafford
 * Season 17 - The Afternoon Tea Express
 * Season 18 - Signals Crossed (cameo) and Spencer's VIP
 * Season 19 - Who's Geoffrey?, The Beast of Sodor and Two Wheels Good
 * Season 20 - Cautious Connor (does not speak)
 * Season 21 - Confused Coaches

Specials:
 * Hero of the Rails
 * Misty Island Rescue (does not speak)
 * Day of the Diesels (mentioned)
 * King of the Railway
 * The Great Race
 * Journey Beyond Sodor (cameo)

Magazine Stories
Spencer also appeared in the magazine story, Spotty Spencer.
 * 2004 - The Engine Clock (cameo) and Sounds Like Fun!
 * 2005 - Edward the Great and Sunburnt Spencer
 * 2006 - Steamed Up
 * 2007 - The Right Shape and Snow Surprise (cameo)
 * 2011 - Who's Highest?, Special Carriage, Little and Light, Tickled Pink (mentioned), Speedy Spencer, Steamy Sodor (speaks in speech bubble only) and O, the Indignity! (speaks in speech bubble only)
 * 2012 - The Fat Controller's Bedtime Story (Issue 648), Welcome Stafford, Thomas and the Rubbish Train (mentioned), The Fat Controller's Bedtime Story (Issue 650) and Paint for Percy (mentioned)
 * 2013 - Whiff's Wish, Spencer's Statue and The Fat Controller's Bedtime Story (Issue 665) (speaks in speech bubble only)
 * 2014 - The Afternoon Tea Express, Steamy Sodor (speaks in speech bubble only) and Speedy Steamies
 * 2015 - Spencer's Star
 * 2016 - Who's Geoffrey?, Thomas in Charge! (speaks in speech bubble only) and Speedy Steamies
 * 2017 - Steamy Sodor (speaks in speech bubble only) and Speedy Steamies

Videos
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 * Meet the Contenders: Spencer of UK (does not speak)

Quotes

 * "Who are you!?"
 * "This is Spencer, he's the fastest engine in the world!"
 * "Humph!" but secretly Gordon was impressed.
 * "I'm the Duke and Duchess' private engine. I take them everywhere!"

- James introduces Gordon to Spencer, Gordon and Spencer, seventh season.


 * "Next to him we have Spencer. And just listen to those local crowds go wild!"
 * "Ha, ha, ha! No, no! Thank you! Ha, ha, ha!"
 * "He's certainly well known on the Mainland and a former world record holder in his own right".

- The Great Railway Show Announcer talking about Spencer, The Great Race.