Axel

"Hallo! Good day! Bonjour!"

- Axel, The Great Race

 CGI Series=   Axel    Axel is a Belgian streamlined engine who participated in the Great Railway Show. He was a contender in the Great Race.
 * Class: NMBS/SNCB Type 12
 * Designer: Raoul Notesse
 * Builder: John Cockerill Company
 * Built: 1939
 * Configuration: 4-4-2
 * Top Speed: 103 mph

Bio
Axel, along with the other international engines, accidentally arrived on the Island of Sodor when the ferry they were travelling on stopped at Brendam Docks instead of the Mainland. He was the engine approached by the Dock Manager to explain their presence and was informed they had got off at the wrong place. Embarrassed, Axel proceeded to order the other engines back onto the ship.

Axel competed in the Great Race alongside Gordon (known as "the Shooting Star" at the time), the Flying Scotsman, Spencer and Etienne. He spent the majority of the race in last place, but after Scotsman slowed to express concerns on the explosion of Gordon's boiler, he managed to overtake both Gresleys and finish third. He returned home after the show was over with the other international engines (bar Ashima).

Persona
Axel is a smooth, streamlined tender engine built for speed; his good looks and style have made him very popular with fans of steam. Effortlessly cool, he will be sure to win over more fans at the Great Railway Show.

Basis
Axel is based off of an NMBS/SNCB Type 12. One of these locomotives, 12.004, is preserved at the Train World railway museum in Brussels, Belgium.

Livery
Axel is painted red with black and yellow lining, the same colour scheme as the Belgian flag.

Television Series
Specials:
 * The Great Race

Videos

 * Meet the Contenders - Axel of Belgium (does not speak)
 * Great Race Friends Near and Far: Gina the Smart Steam Engine (cameo)

Voice Actors

 * Rob Rackstraw (UK/US)
 * Kunihiro Kawamoto (Japan)
 * Achim Buch (Germany)
 * Leopoldo Ballesteros (Spain)

Trivia

 * Axel is the second French-speaking engine in the series, the first being Millie and the third being Etienne.
 * He shares Luke's whistle sound.
 * Axel's Take-n-Play toy has a few errors:
 * His tender is backwards, although this was fixed on his Adventures/Collectible Railway model since it has connectors where you can turn things around.
 * He has buffers at the back of his cab above the magnet.
 * His Take-n-Play prototype had Vinnie's tender repainted.
 * His name is possibly derived from a photograph of his basis taken by Axel Vermeulen.

Merchandise

 * Take-n-Play
 * Adventures (coming soon)
 * Collectible Railway