Smudger

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

- Smudger, Granpuff, fourth season

  Model Series=   Smudger    Smudger was a narrow gauge tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway. He was later turned into a generator.
 * Number: MSR 2
 * Class: Fletcher Jennings Class Bb
 * Designer: Henry A. Fletcher
 * Builder: Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
 * Built: sometime between 1866 and 1888
 * Gauge: 2ft 3in
 * Configuration: 0-4-0WT

Bio
According to Duke, Smudger was a show-off who rode roughly and often came off the rails. Duke tried to warn him to be careful, but Smudger refused to listen to his advice. He was finally punished by being turned into a generator and being put behind the engine shed.

No information was given about his fate once the Mid Sodor Railway closed, so it must be assumed that he has either remained there, was moved to a different location, was restored back to working order, or was scrapped.

Smudger's downfall was used for Duke to lecture Stuart and Falcon. In a magazine story, when Duncan was being careless, Sir Handel and Peter Sam tried telling him the story of Smudger.

Persona
Smudger was a complete show-off and often derailed, 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.

Basis
Smudger is based off of the Talyllyn Railway's Dolgoch, a Fletcher Jennings Class Bb 0-4-0WT. Rheneas shares the same basis. However, the 1998 magazine story Duncan Has a Spill, Smudger is portrayed as a Baldwin Class 10-12-D 4-6-0, similar to Stanley.

Livery
Smudger was painted dark green with black lining. He had black and brass name and number plates on the sides of his boiler and coal bunkers respectively. As he shared the same model as Rheneas, the inside of his cab is red. Despite being numbered on television, no toy or artwork has shown him with his number. In a rare image, Smudger's coal bunker is red.

Appearances
Television Series=

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
His face was also used on Rheneas and Bertram in the fourth and fifth season episodes, Gallant Old Engine and Toby's Discovery. Other Media=
 * Season 4 - Granpuff

Books

 * 1996 - Granpuff (indirectly mentioned)
 * 2008 - Thomas' Sticker Express

Magazine Stories

 * 1998 - Duncan Has a Spill (does not speak)

Video Games

 * 2008 - Begins Educational Learning

Voice Actors

 * Nobuhiko Kazama (Japan)

Trivia

 * Smudger is the first character in the television series to not originally come from The Railway Series. However, his role replaces that of Stanley (No. 2) from Duke the Lost Engine.
 * Smudger used the same model as Rheneas.
 * In the fourth season episode, Gallant Old Engine, Rheneas was once seen wearing Smudger's upset face mask.
 * Several of Smudger's features would later be reused for other characters, such as:
 * Due to financial difficulties, his face was reused for Bertram.
 * His whistle sound was reused for Ryan.
 * Smudger is the only engine or road vehicle introduced between Seasons 1 and 4 to not get a nameboard during the intermissions. Every other character introduced between these times without nameboards were rolling stock.

Quotes

 * "Smudger, was a show-off. He rode roughly and often came off the rails. I warned him to be careful, but he took no notice. 'Listen, Dukie!", he snarled. "Who worries about a few spills!?' 'We do here!' I said, but Smudger just laughed. "Hahahaha!"
 * Until one day, Manager said he was going to make him useful at last. Smudger stopped laughing then!"
 * "Why? W-w-what did he do?"
 * "He turned him into a generator. He's still there behind our shed. He'll never move again."

- Duke lecturing Stuart and Falcon about Smudger in Thomas' story, Granpuff, fourth season

Merchandise

 * ERTL (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)