Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki
Advertisement
This article is about the character from Thomas & Friends. You may be looking for The Den.

Den is a big hydraulic diesel engine who runs the Vicarstown Dieselworks alongside his best friend and assistant Dart.

Biography

During Diesel 10's takeover of the Sodor Steamworks, Den and Dart took Thomas and Kevin to the Back Shed, but released them after the Dieselworks caught fire. He later helped with the reconstruction of the Dieselworks.

One Christmas, Den, Dart and Diesel tried to find a Christmas tree for the Dieselworks whilst in competition with Thomas. Den later teased Flynn for spraying the Fat Controller and Gordon.

When Mavis was sent to the Dieselworks, he was sent to the quarry as a temporary replacement. Initially, Den struggled with the Troublesome Trucks. But after some encouragement from Toby and Henrietta, he toughened up and finished his job. When Mavis came back, Den went back to the Dieselworks.

Den, Dart and Paxton were part of Diesel's plot to be taken to The Great Railway Show. Diesel had the three disguised under crates in a large train, to make it look as though he was pulling it himself so he would be entered into the strength competition. This plot failed when the three diesels mistook Thomas' whistle for Diesel's horn, leading them to push Thomas and cause him to collide with Norman.

After the workload at Brendam Docks got quadrupled thanks to Salty falling in the sea, Den was to be sent in the dockside diesel's place. The slippery seaweed Salty dragged with him caused Den to slip out of control and set off a series of events that ended up trapping several of the diesels in the Dieselworks.

Personality

Den is the diesel engine who runs the Vicarstown Dieselworks, repairing other diesels. He is stately and deeply pensive. He tries to make sure everything he says is deeply considered and can often be heard muttering "what I mean to say is..." and can tend to over-think. He may come across as a little slow, but nothing could be further from the truth. He is rather astute and likes to take into account as much as he can with regards to a problem. Although he is not a worrier, he may tend to be on the fence about taking particular action over a matter before making a calculated, informed decision that will be worth the wait.

Den is usually the one communicating first, but, Den isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and his words come out the wrong way, so, sometimes, Dart - his assistant at the Dieselworks - can tell what he is thinking and cut to the chase a little quicker for the benefit of the other engines, which is why they support each other so well as a team. Den is a hard worker and is popular and well respected among the diesels for fixing them with a whisk of his wheels, even if his tools may be old and shoddy and his machinery may be outdated. Although he is trustworthy and authoritative, Den may have the occasional chuckle at an engine's expense.

Technical Details

Basis

Den is based on a Rolls Royce Class 4DH Sentinel diesel-hydraulic 0-4-0. These engines were built to replace Sentinel's steam line for use in various industrial shunting roles. Larger 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 variants were also produced. Several engines of this type are preserved, including one at the National Railway Museum and another at the Bluebell Railway.

Livery

Den is painted slate grey and orange with ivory lining. His buffer beams are painted with orange and black wasp stripes. He has the Vicarstown Dieselworks logo on each side of his cab. It is based upon the livery the D-500 diesel based at the Southern San Luis Valley Railroad in the USA wore. [1]

Appearances

Official Description

From Official Website:[1]

Den: Den is a diesel who runs the Dieselworks… when Diesel 10 is not around. While he isn't devious, he is still a diesel. Den is a hard worker and popular among the Diesels. He is very thoughtful and thinks hard before he speaks. When Den does speak it is very slowly. This gives the appearance that he may be a little slow, but nothing could be further from the truth. Engines can wait a long time for Den to give his insight, but it is worth the wait!


Fun Fact: Den is based on a 0-4-0 Rolls Royce Sentinel.

Audio Files

Horn

First used Last used Sound Effect
Series 15 Series 23

References



--- Dropped | * 1991-1994 maps only | ** 2014 map only
Advertisement