Brendam Docks is one of the Island of Sodor's most famous ports. It is located on the coast of Brendam, at the end of Edward's Branch Line.
History
The Railway Series
In the early 1900s, the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway extended to Brendam and built jetties here intending to use it as a port, but after a few years, they abandoned the project and transferred to Tidmouth in 1912. The fishermen were glad of the jetties and the railway but carried on as before.
In 1948, a new harbour, capable of accommodating ocean-going vessels, was built some one and a half miles south of the old one, and a private railway laid down to link the Workings with the harbour and the North Western Railway.
Thomas & Friends
In the television series, Brendam Docks has been portrayed as the biggest and busiest dockyard on the Island of Sodor since the second series. Cranky is stationed here and he always loads and unloads cargo to and from the dock. Salty, who loves to work at the Docks and tell tales of the sea, was bought by Sir Topham Hatt to work here shunting trucks. Some years later, Porter arrived to assist Salty with the heavy workloads. The station of Upper Brendam serves the town itself.
A coastal branch line runs from the port and is mainly used for fish traffic. It also appears that the Express stops here on its way to Vicarstown, to collect passengers from the many ocean liners that come in here. In the fifth and sixth series, there was a large goods shed nearby Cranky, but after he accidentally knocked it over, it has not been rebuilt or seen since. The mail barge also docks here. The Docks here are large and extensive, with many warehouses, cranes, rail yards, and canals.
The docks experienced a particularly hectic period when Salty fell off the dock and Porter was taken out of action due to flour clogging his funnel. Initially, Den was sent to help, however, the job was later re-assigned to Percy after the doors at the Vicarstown Dieselworks malfunctioned, trapping the engines there inside. Following an accident with some crates, the rest of the Steam Team went to clear up the mess and free Percy, who had been trapped.
Locomotives
Television Series only
Cranes
Television Series only
Staff
Television Series only
Appearances
Magazine Stories
Books
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Trivia
- Due to conflicting sources, it has become unclear whether or not the Series 2, 3 and 4 setups of the docks are actually meant to represent Knapford Harbour. In concept art by Robert Gauld-Galliers, it is referred to as "Brendam Harbour and Station". The harbour was later, however, retconned to be Knapford Harbour by Railway Consultant Sam Wilkinson in 2014.
- Additionally, the concept art for the Series 2 harbour features many differences from the final set, including:
- The harbour station is much bigger, with a similar appearance to Knapford station, albeit with three roads on the two outside bays and the office building removed.
- A turntable leading to the third road of the station.
- A two-road shed, which was to be created using part of Ffarquhar Sheds and also leads to the station turntable.
- Two wye formations: a big one leading to the station and a small one at The quay where Percy was bumped and has two tracks situated in front of it.
- An additional spur near the station, likely leading to the China Clay pits.
- Additionally, the concept art for the Series 2 harbour features many differences from the final set, including:
- Big Mickey and S.S. Vienna's models from TUGS have regularly been seen at this harbour since the third series.
- The Sodor Shipping Company has at least one large warehouse located here.
- Since the fifth series, Brendam Docks has been portrayed as a main line station.
- In "Baa!", Percy says that the docks are his favourite station, albeit while "too tired to think properly."
- In Really Useful Around the World, a siding with buffers is placed by Cranky, and the Sodor Shipping Company is moved slightly to another track.
- As of the ninth series, the only areas of Brendam shown are the area where Cranky, Carly, and Big Mickey are situated and the area where the SS. Vienna is usually located. The area to the left of the ferry dock, however, was shown in Emily's Best Friend in the twenty-fourth series.
- A behind the scenes image reveals that the set of Brendam Docks is placed on a floor.
- Brendam Docks has had numerous modifications throughout the years:
- Series 6:
- A warehouse was added in the middle of both the yard and the main dock, replacing the washdown seen in its place in the fifth series.
- Cranky was moved from the middle of the yard to near the edge of the main dock.
- Big Mickey was also moved from in front of SS. Vienna to the other end of the main dock from Cranky.
- The large goods shed was moved from the near edge of the dock to the middle of the dock, the shed however disappeared after No Sleep for Cranky, since it was knocked over by Cranky in the same episode.
- A lot of the sheds and workmen's houses were either moved around or removed completely.
- Series 13:
- The overall layout of the docks became consistent.
- The rails all end at buffers on the side where SS. Vienna normally docks. However, a goof is that the engines still arrive at the docks from that side even though there are buffers.
- There is no longer ballast under the rails.
- A siding was added beside the warehouse which did not connect to any other line, making it inaccessible.
- King of the Railway:
- There are points near Cranky so the engines can switch tracks.
- Series 20:
- A ferry dock was added and another set of points was added nearby.
- A whole set of sidings around the corner from Cranky were added. Two switch tracks were added nearby.
- The inaccessible siding was made accessible again by a set of points.
- Series 21:
- Gantry tracks were added between Big Mickey and Cranky, in order to accommodate Carly.
- Series 6:
Merchandise
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Wood
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Take-n-Play (discontinued)
- Adventures (discontinued)
- Collectible Railway
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
- ERTL (Gold Rail; discontinued)
- Motor Road and Rail
- TrackMaster
- TrackMaster Push Along
- Bachmann (warehouse only)
- Mega Bloks
- Motorized Railway
- Tomica
| Locomotives | Steam | Edward | Donald and Douglas | Porter** | Nia** | |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | BoCo | Derek** | Salty** | |
| Rolling Stock | Coaches | Branch Line Coaches | Express Coaches |
| Trucks | Quarry Trucks | |
| Non-Rail Vehicles | Trevor | Big Mickey** | Cranky** | Carly** | Reg** | |
| People | The Vicar of Wellsworth | The Mayor of Sodor** | The Dock Managers** | |
| Affiliates | Sodor China Clay Company | Bill and Ben | Timothy** | Marion** | Sodor Shipping Company** | |
| Locations | Wellsworth (Vicarage Orchard, Yards, Engine Sheds) | Crocks Scrap Yard | Suddery (Island Records Office, Castle, Junction) | Brendam (Docks, Canal**) | The Fenland Track** | The Flour Mill** | Lower Suddery** | Suddery Coastal Village** | Sodor Animal Park** | Dingley Hall** | Upper Brendam** | |