Charlie

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For other uses, see Charlie (disambiguation).

Charlie the Playful Engine
Background Information
First appearance	Play Time (T&F)
Last appearance	Counting on Nia (T&F)
Creator(s)	Sharon Miller Jo Jordan
Voice Actors
UK voice actor	Matt Wilkinson (2009-2014)
US voice actor	Glenn Wrage (2009-2011) Ben Small (2012-2014)
UK/US voice actor	Steven Kynman (2016)
Overview
Name	Charlie the Fun Engine
Title	Charlie the Cheerful Engine Charlie the Playful Purple Engine
Gender	Male
Country	Island of Sodor England (formerly)
Relative(s)	Billy (brother)
Affiliation	North Western Railway Thomas Edward Henry Percy The Mainland Engines (formerly)
Technical Details
Basis	Manning Wardle L Class
Gauge	4'8½" (1,435 mm; standard gauge)
Power type	Steam
Vehicle	Locomotive
Type	Saddle tank engine
Fuel type	Coal
Configuration	0-6-0ST
Wheels	6
Top speed	40 mph (64 kph)
Designer(s)	Manning, Wardle and Company
Builder(s)	Boyne Engine Works
Year built	Sometime between 1881 and 1926
Number	NWR 14
Railway	North Western Railway
Owner(s)	Sir Topham Hatt

“Who's your friend, Thomas?"
"Charlie, he's new."
"I'm fun!”

―Victor, Thomas & Charlie

Charlie is a playful purple saddle tank engine who loves to tell jokes and have fun. He can usually be found working at Knapford Yards.

Biography

Thomas & Friends

Charlie first arrived on Sodor to help out on the railway. He was said to be the favourite engine of the Mainland engines and his old controller. When Thomas was to show him around, Charlie convinced him to have fun instead of bringing Allicia Botti to her concert.

He later convinced Edward to have fun instead of bringing the Fat Controller's car to the mechanic. This resulted in more chaos when Edward suggested repairing the car at the Sodor Steamworks.

When Flynn was going on the roads for the first time, Charlie teased him by calling him a "big wobble on wheels". Later, in winter, Charlie pretended to be a talking snowman, which made Henry rather scared until Charlie realised that everyone has different opinions about snow.

Once, he came across an elephant on the line. But when he tried to inform the other engines, they just thought he was telling one of his jokes. Charlie then reported the elephant to Harold, who took Charlie seriously. Soon, the elephant was recaptured, but Charlie was not pleased about not being taken seriously and vowed never to tell another joke. Unfortunately, Charlie's promise to himself did not last long.

Later, Caitlin left her coaches with Charlie in the Knapford Yards while she went to the Steamworks. Just then, Thomas arrived and left Annie and Clarabel. When Caitlin came back to collect her coaches, Charlie - distracted by telling Caitlin a joke - accidentally shunted Annie and Clarabel with Caitlin's coaches, resulting in Caitlin pulling them with her train to Ulfstead Castle and the Mainland. He also seems to be primarily based in the shunting yards by this point.

When the Great Railway Show was being held, Charlie was one of the engines who wanted to go to the show, but he was not chosen and was left on Sodor to do the other engine's jobs.

Personality

Charlie has a reputation for being a really fun engine. He has an unquenchable desire for fun, games and play, and is said to have been the favourite engine of the Mainland controller. Charlie can get easily distracted by his japes, sometimes distracting others in the process. He can be pouty, huffy, and teasing at times, but he always wants everyone to be enjoying themselves. Often though, Charlie has to learn that the opinions of others, keeping calm and working hard to completing jobs foremost, are important if when wanting to be a really useful engine. He has a good working relationship with Edward - often calling him "Eddie" - who is sometimes capable of taking Charlie under his wing, and Thomas, who Charlie enjoys racing and sharing in the fun with. Being a fun-loving, playful scamp, cheeky Charlie is popular at parties and fairs, is well liked by the children, and known for his youthful humour.

Technical Details

Basis

Charlie is based on a Manning Wardle L Class 0-6-0ST. His brother Billy shares the same basis.

Charlie's basis

Livery

Charlie is painted violet with white lining, brass fittings and red wheels. His number 14 is painted on the sides of his cab in gold with white boardering and he has brass nameplates on the sides of his saddle tank with his name painted on them in white.

Appearances

• Television Series
• Other Media

Thomas & Friends Series 13 - Play Time, Toby's New Whistle (cameo), Thomas and the Runaway Kite and Splish Splash Splosh Series 14 - Charlie and Eddie Series 15 - Emily and Dash, Percy's New Friends (cameo), Edward the Hero, James to the Rescue (does not speak), Happy Hiro, Surprise, Surprise and Stuck on You (cameo) Series 16 - Race to the Rescue, Ol' Wheezy Wobbles (cameo), Ho Ho Snowman, Sodor Surprise Day, Muddy Matters (cameo) and Whiff's Wish (cameo) Series 17 - Not Now, Charlie! Series 18 - Not So Slow Coaches, Flatbeds of Fear (cameo), Toad's Adventure (cameo) and Missing Gator (cameo) Series 19 - Philip to the Rescue (cameo) Series 21 - The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor (cameo) Series 22 - Counting on Nia (cameo) Specials 2010 - Misty Island Rescue (trailer cameo) 2011 - Day of the Diesels (cameo) 2016 - The Great Race 2017 - Journey Beyond Sodor (cameo) 2018 - Big World! Big Adventures! (cameo) Music Videos Series 13 - Roll Along, Thomas, You're the Leader and Sounds Series 14 - All You Need Day of the Diesels - Day of the Diesels Series 15 - Hear the Engines Coming Series 16 - Thomas and Percy and Go, Go Thomas Series 17 - Hey, Hey Thomas! and On a Journey Today Series 18 - The Best Friends Express Thomas' YouTube World Tour - A World Around You, Never, Never, Never Give Up and That's What Friends are For Series 19 - Engine Roll Call The Great Race - Will You Won't You Journey Beyond Sodor - I Want to Go Home (cameo) Series 21 - Little Engines Big World! Big Adventures! - Where in the World is Thomas? (cameo) Series 22 - Engine Roll Call Videos 2020 - Thomas and Percy Learn About Mixing Colours (does not speak) Storytime Series 1 - Not So Slow Coaches

Books 2010 - Charlie 2014 - James Sorts It Out 2016 - James (not seen) Magazine Stories 2010 - Play Time and Thomas and the Kites 2011 - Charlie and Eddie and The Runaway Kite 2012 - Edward the Hero (does not speak) 2013 - Henry's Ghost, Play Time, Surprise, Surprise! (does not speak), Whiff's Wish (cameo), and Sodor Surprise Day (cameo) 2014 - Thomas and the Kites and Not Now, Charlie! 2015 - Not Now, Charlie! 2017 - Thomas and the Kites and Not Now, Charlie!

Audio Files

Whistles

When Charlie was first introduced in the thirteenth series, he shared James' whistle sound.

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Thomas and the Runaway Kite	Thomas and the Runaway Kite

Starting with the fifteenth series, Charlie is portrayed with his own unique whistle sound.

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Series 15	Active

In the early version of the Guess Who? Puzzles segment, Charlie incorrectly has a CGI version of Percy's US Thomas and Stepney/Stanley's series 12 whistle.[1]

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Guess Who? Puzzles	Guess Who? Puzzles

In one scene in On a Journey Today, Charlie is incorrectly portrayed with Henry's whistle.

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
On a Journey Today	On a Journey Today

In the mobile app Read and Play!, Charlie is incorrectly portrayed with a whistle that is both Thomas' and a lower-pitched version of Molly's whistle combined. He shares this with Salty in the same app, despite Salty being a diesel and having a horn.

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Read and Play!	Read and Play!

Trivia

• Charwelton - a Manning Wardle O Class preserved at the Kent and East Sussex Railway - is also numbered 14, although Charlie's number 14 is less likely a reference to Charwelton; Charlie is an L Class while Charwelton is an O Class, and more likely originates from the fact that he was the fourteenth standard gauge engine to appear in the CGI series. Additionally, The Big Book of Engines states that Charlie's number 14 is what he wears on the Fat Controller's Railway, not on the Mainland.
• Charlie was not in the original script for Splish Splash Splosh. Billy had the role of the engine getting splashed at the signal by Thomas instead.
• Charlie shares his name with Edward's Driver.
• Charlie's whistle sound was previously used for the engine in the 1957 war-drama film, The Bridge on the River Kwai. It would later be reused for the character Pramath in the 2013 Disney movie, Planes.

Merchandise

• Wooden Railway (normal and battery-powered; discontinued)
• Take-n-Play (normal and talking; discontinued)
• TrackMaster (discontinued)
• Mega Bloks (discontinued)
• My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
• Capsule Plarail (Japan only)
• Collectible Railway
• Boss (discontinued)
• Push Along
• Minis
  • Classic Minis
  • Robo Minis
  • DC Super Friends Minis (as The Riddler)
  • Sweets Minis
  • Glow in the Dark Minis
  • Fruits Minis
  • Pop Art Minis
  • Light Up Minis
  • Neon Glow in the Dark Minis
  • Christmas Minis
  • Spring Basket Minis
  • Music Minis
• Adventures (discontinued)
• Engine Adventures
• Wood (redesigned in 2019)
• Railway Pals
• Motorized

References

North Western Railway

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | --- Dropped