Toby

"What Toby doesn't know about branch line problems isn't worth knowing. Our Toby's an experienced engine!"

- Sir Topham Hatt, Percy's Predicament, Branch Line Engines

Toby is a GER C53 steam tram who came to Sodor after his tramway closed down. He has two coaches named Henrietta and Victoria and a luggage van named Elsie. He works on Thomas' Branch Line and originates from the Great Eastern Railway.

Bio in the Railway Series
Toby was built by James Holden at the GER's Stratford Works in Stratford, London, England in 1914 and originally lived at Great Yarmouth Docks, Norfolk with his brothers before working on an unnamed tramway. In 1951, Toby came to work at the quarry on Thomas' Branch Line after his old railway in East Anglia closed, as it was found to be illegal for Thomas to go on the Quarry Tramroad without 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 paint for his hard work and a new coat for Henrietta as well.

Toby also got into a bit of a controversy with a female diesel shunter named Mavis as she was not willing to shunt the trucks where they needed to be. After an accident with some trucks, the two engines made up their quarrel and are now good friends.

When Mavis was sent to the works after her accident with a lorry, Toby was sent to do her work at the quarry, leaving Percy to do Toby's work as well as his own. Toby once came off the rails at a crossing when the earth was swollen over the rails and ended up on the road. Luckily, with the fireman guiding the driver, they managed to reverse Toby back on the rails. The Fat Controller, however, heard about it, but rather than being cross, he only joked with him and told him that he should leave the roads to what they were made for.

By 2007, Toby was having trouble taking the workmen to the quarry as Henrietta didn't have enough room in her to carry them all at once. Bertie usually helped, but one day, he was ill, and Henrietta was so full that some workmen even had to ride on her balcony. As he went past a part of his line that went through a town, he stopped quickly when a car came out of a side street and nearly collided with him. To make matters worse, a policeman witnessed the workmen riding on Henrietta's balcony, and after he made a report, an inspector spoke to the quarry manager, telling him that passengers were not allowed to ride on coach balconies. Luckily, Thomas managed to help Toby when he found an old and worn out coach named Victoria, who was used as a summer house for many years when she was taken out of service. Victoria was eventually restored, and now works with Toby and Henrietta along their line.

Bio in the Television Series
Toby once discovered an old castle and an old mine, and, while staying on guard, met the Old Warrior Ghost, who was really a narrow gauge engine named Bertram. After this, the two engines became good friends and now take visitors to and from the castle and mine.

During one harsh winter, Toby had to rescue Farmer McColl's lambs that were trapped on a hillside. Toby was given a temporary three-chime whistle while his bell was being cleaned at the Steamworks. It helped with warning Thomas and Gordon that the tracks were blocked. He once was scared of Knapford Junction.

He once ran out of coal while delivering scrap to Crocks Scrap Yard, and after a few unsuccessful attempts at stopping passing engines to ask for some of their coal, Reg decided to lift Toby into the air so that the next engine would see him. Unfortunately, Thomas passed by and thought Reg was about to scrap Toby. After the story spread across the island, Emily took Henrietta to the scrapyard so that she and Toby could explain the truth.

In Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, Thomas nearly collided with Toby while racing Bertie. The next morning, Toby attempted to warn Thomas about his red signal, but Thomas was too late to stop and, nearly hitting Emily, and crashed Gordon's coaches. Thomas tried to blame him along with Gordon and Emily, but Sir Topham Hatt saw through his lie.

In the twentieth season, Toby met Philip for the first time and was rather taken aback by the boxcab's talkative nature and desire to have races. Philip also had mistaken Toby as a boxcab before realising Toby was a steam tram.

Persona
Toby is old but wise, hardworking, and knows enough about running branch lines to justify running Thomas' line with Daisy after Percy's accident with the trucks until Thomas came back. He is also savvy enough to control the trucks. However, his advanced age and design means that he is weaker than the other engines. While Toby is always ready to work hard without any fuss, he can be a bit temperamental sometimes, especially when young and inexperienced engines who are full of themselves make things difficult for him. However, work at the quarry line often soothes off his moods without any cause of grief to anyone, except of course his old faithful coach, Henrietta.

Since the fifth season, Toby had been portrayed as being nervous about the capabilities of his work and uncertain about being an old steam tram, believing that he is not a proper engine, only good enough as a museum piece and not really special at all.

Toby enjoys listening to the birds in the birdhouse next to his shed. He also is friends with the pigs at Farmer Trotter's Pig Farm.

Since King of the Railway, Toby has been portrayed closer to his original wiser and more jovial personality, having more subtle shades of nervousness.

Basis
Toby was inspired by a GER C53 0-6-0T Wisbech steam tram (reclassified as J70 by the LNER) built at Stratford Works. They were seen by the Reverend Wilbert and Christopher Awdry on a holiday at Yarmouth, hence Toby's origins. The J70 started their career on the Great Eastern Railway and were known as C53. They spent most of their career on the Wisbech and Upwell tramway pulling slow goods trains. The first withdrawal came in 1942, which was the same year that the A4 Sir Ralph Wedgewood was destroyed. Eventually, the sole survivor of this class was withdrawn from service and scrapped at Stratford Locomotive Works by 1955.

Livery
In the Railway Series, Toby was painted brown with black cowcatchers and sideplates (which sported "LNER" in bright yellow letters) before working on his tramway, where he was repainted greyish-brown with grey sideplates and cowcatchers. After helping James he was repainted chocolate-brown with olive frames and blue sideplates.

In the television series, Toby has consistently been painted brown with grey sideplates and cowcatchers. He has the number "7" painted on his sides in yellow with a red border.

In the Railway Series, he carries two plaques on the sides of his cab stating that he works on the NWR, his number, and the last time and place that he was rebuilt.

In various books released by Publications International, the top side of his sideplates are red, going along with the bufferbeams.

Toby on the Big Screen
Toby was voiced by Colm Feore in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. In the movie, after Diesel 10 eavesdropped on Thomas and Percy talking about the buffers to the magic railroad, Toby followed him to the Smelters Yard. There, he distracted Diesel 10 by ringing his bell, in result of Diesel 10 demolishing the shed that he, Splatter, and Dodge were in.

Appearances
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Railway 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
 * 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 (does not speak)
 * Thomas and Victoria
 * Thomas and his Friends

Television Series

 * Season 1 - Toby and the Stout Gentleman, Thomas in Trouble, Dirty Objects, and Thomas' Christmas Party
 * Season 2 - Thomas, Percy and the Coal, Cows, Old Iron (incorrectly mentioned in redubbed Swedish version), Percy and Harold (does not speak), Duck Takes Charge (mentioned), The Runaway (does not speak), Thomas Comes to Breakfast, Daisy, Percy's Predicament, Ghost Train, Woolly Bear (does not speak), and Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (does not speak)
 * Season 3 - Time for Trouble, Gordon and the Famous Visitor (cameo), Donald's Duck, Henry's Forest, Mavis, Toby's Tightrope, and Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure
 * Season 4 - Granpuff, Sleeping Beauty, Bulldog, Train Stops Play (does not speak), Bulls Eyes, Thomas and the Special Letter, Paint Pots and Queens, and Special Attraction
 * Season 5 - Horrid Lorry, Baa!, Toby and the Flood, Stepney Gets Lost, Toby's Discovery, Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday (does not speak), and A Surprise for Percy
 * Season 6 - A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter (cameo), The Fogman, It's Only Snow, Scaredy Engines (cameo), Percy and the Haunted Mine (cameo), Percy's Chocolate Crunch (cameo), Toby Had a Little Lamb, and Thomas, Percy and the Squeak (cameo)
 * Jack and the Sodor Construction Company - Thomas and the Moles (cameo)
 * Season 7 - Emily's New Coaches (originally), Percy Gets it Right (does not speak), Edward's Brass Band (stock footage cameo), Toby's Windmill, Peace and Quiet (does not speak), Harold and the Flying Horse (cameo), and Not So Hasty Puddings (stock footage cameo)
 * Season 8 - Percy's New Whistle (cameo), James Gets a New Coat (deleted scene), Thomas Saves the Day (does not speak), Don't Tell Thomas (does not speak), Gordon Takes Charge (does not speak), Thomas Gets it Right, As Good as Gordon (cameo), You Can Do it, Toby!, Too Hot for Thomas (does not speak), and Percy and the Magic Carpet (does not speak)
 * Season 9 - Percy and the Oil Painting (cameo), Thomas and the Rainbow, Thomas and the Toy Shop (cameo), Thomas and the Birthday Picnic (cameo), Thomas and the New Engine, Toby Feels Left Out, Thomas Tries His Best (cameo), Thomas and the Statue, Henry and the Flagpole, Emily Knows Best, Saving Edward (cameo), and Keeping up with James (cameo)
 * Season 10 - Percy and the Funfair, The Green Controller, Toby's Afternoon Off, Toby's New Shed, Sticky Toffee Thomas, and Thomas and the Colours (cameo)
 * Season 11 - Thomas and the Storyteller (cameo), Dream On, Gordon and the Engineer (cameo), Thomas and the Spaceship (cameo), Thomas and the Lighthouse, Hide and Peep (cameo), Toby's Triumph, and Thomas in Trouble
 * Season 12 - Thomas and the Billboard (cameo), Henry Gets it Wrong (does not speak), Heave Ho Thomas! (cameo), Toby's Special Surprise, Saved You!, and Tram Trouble
 * Season 13 - The Lion of Sodor, Tickled Pink, Play Time (cameo), Time For a Story (cameo), Toby's New Whistle, A Blooming Mess, Splish, Splash, Splosh! (cameo), and The Biggest Present of All
 * Season 14 - Pingy Pongy Pick Up (cameo), Toby and the Whistling Woods, Henry's Health and Safety (does not speak), Diesel's Special Delivery (cameo), Being Percy, Henry's Magic Box, Thomas and the Snowman Party, O the Indignity (cameo), Jitters and Japes, and Merry Misty Island
 * Season 15 - Toby and Bash, Edward the Hero (cameo), James to the Rescue, Happy Hiro (cameo), Let it Snow (cameo), Surprise, Surprise (cameo), Big Belle, Tree Trouble (cameo), and Fiery Flynn (cameo)
 * Season 16 - Ol' Wheezy Wobbles (cameo), Express Coming Through (cameo), Percy and the Monster of Brendam, Flash Bang Wallop! (cameo), Thomas and the Rubbish Train (cameo), Thomas Toots the Crows (cameo), Bust My Buffers! (cameo), Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor (cameo), Salty's Surprise (cameo), Whiff's Wish (does not speak), Welcome Stafford (cameo), and The Christmas Tree Express
 * Season 17 - Gordon Runs Dry (cameo), The Lost Puff, and The Missing Christmas Decorations (not named; does not speak)
 * Season 18 - Old Reliable Edward (cameo), Signals Crossed, Thomas the Quarry Engine, Spencer's VIP (cameo), Disappearing Diesels (indirectly mentioned in the Italian version) Marion and the Dinosaurs, and Samson at Your Service (mentioned)
 * Season 19 - The Truth About Toby, Den and Dart, Diesel's Ghostly Christmas (cameo), Two Wheels Good (cameo), The Other Side of the Mountain (cameo), Goodbye Fat Controller (cameo) and Thomas the Babysitter
 * Season 20 - Toby's New Friend, Ryan and Daisy, Letters to Santa, Love Me Tender, The Christmas Coffeepot and Three Steam Engines Gruff

Specials:
 * Thomas and the Magic Railroad
 * Calling All Engines! (does not speak)
 * The Great Discovery
 * Hero of the Rails
 * Misty Island Rescue
 * Day of the Diesels
 * Blue Mountain Mystery
 * King of the Railway
 * Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure
 * The Great Race (cameo)

Learning Segments:

Models

 * Season 8 - Toby is Surprised to See... (speaking role) & How Does Thomas Get to the Timber Yards? (speaking role)
 * Season 9 - Same Colour, Emily Respects, Which Route Should Thomas Take? (cameo), What Goes Where? (cameo) & Who Respects Whom?
 * Season 10 - Where is Henry's Coal?, Percy's Story, Old Route New Route (cameo), Toby's Favourite Place & Where is Salty's Favourite Place to Work? (stock footage cameo)
 * Calling All Engines! - Which Diesel Engine with Which Steam Engine?

Animated

 * Season 8 - Guess the Engine - Henry, Toby and Thomas & Getting There
 * Season 9 - Who's Under the Coal Dust? - James & What Does Toby See?
 * Season 10 - What's Found Where?, Who's Under the Coal Dust? - Emily, Toby's New Shed, Over the Bridge & Dot to Dot - Toby
 * Unknown - Pulling Coaches & Who's Going Where?

Magazine Stories

 * 1987 - Thomas' Christmas Party
 * 1988 - Toby and the Stout Gentleman, Thomas in Trouble, James and the Tar Wagons, Thomas, Percy and the Coal, Percy and Harold (mentioned), The Runaway (mentioned), Cows, Ghost Train, Woolly Bear, and Percy's Predicament
 * 1989 - Showing Off, Clearing Up, and One Good Turn
 * 1990 - Too Hot
 * 1993 - Roof Repairs! and Thomas and the Lamps
 * 1995 - The Engine Parade!
 * 1996 - Duck and the Deer! and Singing in the Rain!
 * 1997 - Clowning Around!
 * 1998 - Toby and the Stout Gentleman!
 * 1999 - Peter Sam (does not speak)
 * 2000 - A Shock for Mavis, Rude James, The Milk Train (does not speak), Toby's Treat!, Henrietta's Holiday and A Special Story About Henrietta (does not speak)
 * 2001 - A Special Story About Toby and A Song for Caroline (cameo)
 * 2002 - Toby to the Rescue! and Daisy and the Troublesome Trucks (mentioned)
 * 2003 - To the Harbour
 * 2004 - Toby and the Lambs, It's Only Snow!, Good as New (does not speak), Toby's Troubles!, Henry's Forest, All Puffed Out, Henry's Forest, The Big Wheel and Thomas Gets It Right (does not speak)
 * 2005 - Percy and the Magic Carpet (cameo) and You Can Do it, Toby!
 * 2006 - No Trouble for Toby, First-class Carriage, Toby Feels Left Out, and Emily Knows Best
 * 2007 - Toby's Afternoon Off, Rocky Ride, The Best Smile (does not speak), and A New Shed for Toby
 * 2008 - Toby's Triumph, Fearless Freddie, and Funny Faces!
 * 2010 - The Best Present of All (cameo), Henry Gets It Wrong!, Misty Island Rescue (cameo), A Blooming Mess, and Thomas and the Rainbow!
 * 2011 - Jitters and Japes, Tickled Pink (speaks in speech bubble only), A Lion on Sodor, and Toby's Treat
 * 2012 - Rescue Team, Tender Trouble (does not speak), Edward's Big Rescue, The Fat Controller's Bedtime Story (Issue 645), Big Belle (speaks in speech bubble only), and Prize Guys (cameo)
 * 2013 - Being Percy (does not speak), Henrietta's Holiday, The Lost Puff, Toby to the Rescue and Christmas Tree Express
 * 2014 - Kite Flying (does not speak), Emily Makes a Splash! (mentioned), and That's Snow Business (speaks in speech bubble only)
 * 2015 - Signals Crossed, Toby and Bash, Silent Puffing! (cameo), Marion and the Dinosaurs The Perfect Present (cameo) and Henrietta's Holiday

Toby also appeared in the magazine stories, Arthur and Emily, Diesel's Nasty Turn, Glider Rider, Henry's Soaking!, Percy and the Trucks, Spotting Shapes, Stolen Apples, Taking Toby, The Big Ship, The Lost Parcel, and The Poorly Engine!. }}

Voice Actors

 * Colm Feore (Thomas and the Magic Railroad)
 * Ben Small (UK; Hero of the Rails - eighteenth season)
 * Rob Rackstraw (UK; nineteenth season onwards)
 * William Hope (US; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Yasuhiko Kawazu (Japan; first - eighth seasons)
 * Tomohiro Tsuboi (Japan; ninth season onwards)
 * Kōichi Sakaguchi (Japan; Misty Island Rescue only)
 * Espen Sandvik (Norway; Hero of the Rails - seventeenth season)
 * Herman López (Latin America; Hero of the Rails - Den and Dart)
 * Jürgen Theuns (The Netherlands)
 * Tom Deininger (Germany; Thomas and the Magic Railroad)
 * Volker Hanisch (Germany; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Franz Josef Steffens (Germany; Audio Book 4 only)
 * Andreas von der Meden (Germany; Audio Book 7-16 only)
 * Mieczysław Morański (Poland; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Jarosław Domin (Poland; Marion and the Dinosaurs only)
 * Albert Cohen (Israel; Thomas and the Magic Railroad)
 * Gadi Levy (Israel)
 * Fadulli Costa (Brazil; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Miguel Ángel Poison (Spain)
 * Michel Lasorne (France and French speaking Canada; eighth - twelfth season)
 * Bernard Demory (France and French speaking Canada; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Petri Hanttu (Finland; Hero of the Rails onwards)
 * Vladimir Antonik (Russia; thirteenth - sixteenth seasons, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure)
 * Denis Bespalyy (Russia; King of the Railway onwards, excluding Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure)
 * Haris Grigoropoulos (Greece)

Trivia

 * Toby is Christopher Awdry's favourite engine. This is because while on a trip in Yarmouth, he and his father got to ride in the cab of a J70 tram, thanks to Wilbert's good friend, the late Reverend Charlie Rand.
 * Due to an illustration error in Thomas Comes Home, the illustrations of "Toby's Megatrain" show Toby with a face at the rear cab as well as the front cab. This is the only time in the Railway Series that Toby has been illustrated with two faces.
 * One of Toby's models is currently on display in Japan at the Hara Model Railway Museum (previously on display at Nitrogen Studios) and is currently wearing his scared face mask. Another was previously on display at Drayton Manor but the model was stolen from the display in early 2011.
 * In the fifth season episode Baa!, Toby revealed that his favourite station is Maithwaite.
 * In an interview with SiF, Andrew Brenner stated that Toby was one of his favourite characters, along with James, Bill and Ben.
 * Between Hero of the Rails and Blue Mountain Mystery, Toby's crew regularly drive him from his rear cab instead of his front one.
 * His second season bell sound was heard after Ryan stops the pirate ship during the wide shot of Arlesburgh Harbour in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.
 * Toby went through several aesthetic changes in the television series:
 * Season 2:
 * His bell changed sound.
 * Part of his front handle disappeared mid-season, presumably broken off during production.
 * Season 3:
 * The handle on his front lamp vanished.
 * Season 4:
 * His bell sound returned back to it's original sound.
 * He had an unseen whistle (a lower pitch of Percy's).
 * Hero of the Rails:
 * His side-rods and pistons disappeared.
 * His bell sound changed to the same as Flora's.
 * His cabs appear to be blackened out.
 * He has decreased in size and is the same height as Henrietta.
 * He was confused for being electric by Bridget Hatt in the episode "Toby and the Stout Gentleman" and for being a diesel boxcab by Philip in the episode "Toby's New Friend."
 * One of Toby's screen used face masks is owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (normal and Gold Rail; both discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (normal, talking, bronze (cancelled), and Battery-Powered)
 * Take Along (discontinued normal, metallic, and in multi-packs)
 * My First Thomas
 * Motor Road and Rail (normal and talking; discontinued outside Asia)
 * TrackMaster (normal, flip-face, and talking)
 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * Bachmann (HO and large scale)
 * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
 * Engine Adventures (discontinued)
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
 * Mini Die Cast Collection (discontinued)
 * Departing Now (discontinued)
 * Thomas Town (discontinued)
 * Capsule Collection
 * Trading Cards
 * Take-n-Play (normal and talking)
 * De Agostini (discontinued)
 * Brio (discontinued)
 * LEGO (discontinued)
 * Mega Bloks (discontinued)
 * Tomica
 * Pez
 * Discover Junction
 * Wind-up
 * Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
 * Diablock
 * DVD Bingo (discontinued)
 * Collectible Railway
 * Motorized Railway
 * Departing Now
 * Boss (discontinued)
 * Micro Rubber Engines
 * Push Along
 * Minis
 * Classic Minis
 * Robo Minis
 * Neon Minis
 * DC Super Friends Minis (as Blue Beetle and Nightwing)
 * Christmas Minis
 * Graffiti Minis
 * SpongeBob SquarePants Minis (as Karate SpongeBob)
 * Tootsie Minis (Sugar Daddy)
 * Construction Minis
 * Night Time Minis
 * Choro-Q
 * MV Sports (in three pack with Thomas and Mavis; discontinued)
 * Pre-Cut Model Engine Books (discontinued)
 * Rail Rollers
 * Adventures (coming soon)