Hugo

"Thomas, that Hugo's the engine of the future!"

- Stephen, Engine of the Future  CGI Series=   Hugo    Hugo is a rail zeppelin.
 * Designer: Franz Kruckenberg
 * Builder: Hannover-Leinhausen
 * Built: 1929
 * Top Speed: 143 mph

Bio
​Hugo is unique for being fitted with a propeller. He is a very fast engine, whose spinning propeller makes him very popular with passengers.

Upon arriving on Sodor, he surprised many engines and Sir Topham Hatt with his fast speed. Stephen, however, told Thomas that he may replace them. This made all the engine unfriendly with him and it wasn't until Hugo explained to Thomas and Percy that Stephen is wrong. He isn't replacing the engines; he doesn't even have a coupling hook to pull coaches or trucks. This helped the engines learn that Hugo is actually very nice and later they gave him a proper welcome. He would later see a real zeppelin in the sky and felt upset that he couln't fly like it. He followed it all over the island and was so keen on flying that he forgot to turn off his propeller upon entering Knapford's platform. Sir Topham Hatt explained that he's a rail zeppelin meant to travel on the rails and not in the sky.

Basis
Hugo is based on the Schienenzeppelin, known as "the Rail Zeppelin" in English, a experimental German propellor driven railcar built in 1929. It set several speed records, including the world rail speed record in 1931, which was not suppressed until 1954. It still holds the world speed record for a petrol powered rail vehicle. Due to safety concerns about having a moving propeller in crowded stations, it did not enter regular service and only a single example was built. It was scrapped in 1939 due to its materials being needed by the German Army.

Livery
Hugo is painted silver, with a two-tone blue strip beneath his windows and a thin blue stripe above them. He has blue nameplates on the sides of his cab with his name in white.

Appearances

 * Season 20 - Engine of the Future and Hugo and the Airship

Voice Actors

 * Rob Rackstraw (UK/US)
 * Yuta Odagaki (Japan)
 * Yannick Blivet (France and French speaking Canada)

Trivia

 * Hugo has some modifications compared to his basis:
 * His height has been reduced considerably.
 * Much of his front nose has been flattened to accommodate a face.
 * He appears to have two additional windows on his cab compared to his basis

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway
 * TrackMaster
 * Adventures (coming soon)