Sir Handel

"Please sir! I can go smoothly. I only shutter and shake when I go up hills!"

- Sir Handel, "A Smooth Ride", Season 10

    Sir Handel 
 * Number: 3
 * Name on Mid Sodor Railway: Falcon

Sir Handel, named after the Skarloey Railway's first owner, Sir Handel Brown I - but previously Falcon, after the works where he was made - is a narrow gauge engine.

Bio in the Railway Series
Falcon was built in 1903 at Falcon Works, Loughborough for the Mid Sodor Railway. He was a 0-4-0ST (he is now a 0-4-2ST), causing him to bounce a lot. By 1905 he was rebuilt with a rear pony truck. When the line closed in 1947, he and Stuart were sold to the aluminium works at Peel Godred for an expansion project. They were sheeted at the project's close for almost a year, then both were purchased for a total of fifty pounds by the Skarloey Railway and renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.

Sir Handel did not cope well with the worn track on the railway and would often derail - sometimes deliberately. He was given a pair of special wheels with broad tyres to cure this problem, dubbed "steamroller wheels" by the other engines.

In 1984, Sir Handel visited the Talyllyn Railway to help while Talyllyn was being mended. Sir Handel had plenty of adventures there, like pulling a wedding train and having to don an eyepatch after colliding with a tree at Nant Gwernol.

When Peter Sam was brought back from the Talyllyn Railway early during a visit in 1995 Sir Handel became jealous and as a protest deliberately knocked out his firebars. He was sent to the shed and began to fear that he would never come out after weeks went by and no one came to see him. When the Thin Controller came in one day Sir Handel confessed and asked for a second chance. Sir Handel got his firebars later that day - no one bothered to tell him that they had only just arrived.

Bio in the television series
Sir Handel was introduced in the fourth season episode "Granpuff". He and Stuart lived with Duke until their line was closed and they were bought by the Skarloey Railway and were renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.

Upon arriving, Sir Handel had many adventures. He was derailed by his own coaches when he stopped too quickly in front of some sheep. Sir Handel was also very pompous and refused to do his job well, so he was sent to the sheds for a while to repent. After coming back out, he got into a fight with George the steamroller, which ended in a race with George smashing Sir Handel's trucks.

Sir Handel didn't reappear until the tenth season, his absence explained by saying he worked in the stone quarry all summer. When he returned, he had a much different attitude. He did his jobs without complaining, and had trouble getting up hills. He is also wiser in most situations, but in some cases he is still pompous.

Persona
Sir Handel is sometimes pompous and arrogant and thinks that pulling trucks is beneath him, and will do anything to get out of jobs he does not want to do. However, he can be rude and stubborn, and he insulted the coaches by calling them "cattle trucks".

Appearances
Sir Handel's Railway Series appearances are listed below:
 * "Four Little Engines"
 * "The Little Old Engine"
 * "Gallant Old Engine"
 * "Mountain Engines"
 * "Very Old Engines" (non-speaking role)
 * "Duke the Lost Engine"
 * "Great Little Engines"
 * "New Little Engine"

In the television series, Sir Handel appeared in the fourth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth season and Season 13 he will see Henry.

Basis
Sir Handel is based on the Talyllyn Railway's "Sir Haydn", as well as Proteus (whom uses Sir Handel's model).

Livery
In the Railway Series and before 1987, Sir Handel is painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery and blue/purple lining with his name in gold on his saddletank. Since 1987 and in the television series, he is painted MSR blue and red lining with his name in gold on his saddletank.

Sir Handel is currently painted MSR blue and red lining with his name in gold on his saddletank. Previously, he was painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery with blue/purple lining.

Falcon was in the painted MSR's unlined blue livery and his name written on his saddletank in gold.

Trivia

 * Sir Handel originally had no buffers before 1958. In the Railway Series and from 1958 before 1993, Sir Handel has oval buffers. In the television series and since 1993, he has round buffers.
 * Sir Handel in the Railway Series is the third steam engine to have oval buffers (the first two are Gordon and 98462), while Falcon is the third engine to have no buffers (the first two are Duke and Stanley).
 * Sir Handel has now become a hard-working engine, since his absence from Season 4.
 * Sir Handel is the first narrow gauge engine to be mentioned in a standard gauge engine episode.
 * Sir Handel did not have any coal bunkers until New Little Engine.

Merchandising

 * ERTL model (was available as 'Sir Handel' and 'Falcon'- discontinued)
 * LC Wooden model (retired, then reissued)
 * Take-Along model
 * TOMY/Trackmaster model
 * My Thomas Story Library 'Sir Handel'
 * Bandie Tecs model