Smudger

"Listen, Dukie. Who worries about a few spills?"

- Smudger, "Granpuff", fourth season

    Smudger 
 * Number: 2

Smudger, a narrow gauge tank engine built in Fletcher, Jennings & Co., Whitehaven in 1919, is likely the most short-lived character in the television series.

Bio
Duke told his tale to Stuart and Falcon. He was a show-off who rode roughly, often came off the rails, and was finally punished by being turned into a generator shorn of his frames, chassis, well tanks and cab and added an extension to his funnel. He was put behind the engine shed, and he never moved again.

No information was given about his fate once the Mid Sodor Railway closed, so it must be assumed that he has either remained there or been scrapped or may even have been moved to another railway.

Persona
Smudger was a complete showoff, and often came off the rails, but refused to listen to advice. Duke warned him to be careful, but he took no notice until he was put in his place by being turned into a generator and not pulling or shunting again.

Appearances
Smudger made only one appearance in the fourth season episode "Granpuff." He never reappeared after that, because his model was redone into Rheneas, and his face was then used for Bertram.(smudger and Rheneas were both actually in the same ep, before Duke tells his story about Smudger, Rheneas passes by with 2 red coaches and a guards van. These scenes were filmed out of order, as Smudger's model was later repainted into Rheneas.

Livery
Smudger is painted dark green with black and gold lining. He has his name painted on his boiler in gold.

Basis
Smudger is the television series take on the Mid Sodor Railway's no. 2 engine. He is a Fletcher, Jennings 0-4-0 like Rheneas.

In the Railway Series, the MSR's no. 2 engine is named Stanley and is in fact a red WD 4-6-0 Baldwin, and like all of the locos and stock on the Mid Sodor Railway in the RWS, has no buffers.

Trivia

 * Smudger is depicted as an 0-4-2 instead of an 0-4-0 wheel arrangement.
 * If you look carefully at the "generator" version of Smudger, you can see that part of his front is painted orange like Rheneas. His cab was most likely painted orange too, which explains why it is blocked off by a wall.

Smudger or Stanley?
Smudger is the television series adaption of Stanley (narrow gauge) because building a small-scale model of Stanley (narrow gauge) could've proved too much for the model makers. So, to save cost of building a new model, the models makers made Smudger look identical to Rheneas, but green!

Merchandising

 * ERTL model (discontinued)
 * LC Wooden model (new for 2008)