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Duke, named after the Duke of Sodor and originally called The Duke, is a narrow gauge tank-tender engine, who is widely respected and considered a hero amongst all the engines. He is also one of the oldest engines on Sodor.
Biography
The Railway Series
Duke was built at Boston Lodge in Minffordd, Wales to the order of John Arnold Norramby, Earl of Sodor and Chairman of the MSR, in 1879 for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway in 1880. The Board of Directors named him in honour of the Earl and rostered him to haul the Opening Train. He worked with several other engines on the Mid Sodor, including Falcon and Stuart (later named Sir Handel and Peter Sam, respectively).
Soundly built, Duke was well maintained and kept in service until 1947 when the railway closed. While Stuart and Falcon were sold, no buyers were interested in him, so he was left oiled, greased and sheeted up in Arlesdale Sheds, where he was all but forgotten. He believed that the Earl would come to rescue him, but as time went on, he did not show, and Duke began to have doubts which grew stronger and stronger. He was unaware the Earl he knew had been killed during the Second World War, and that his successor was just a boy, who did not know of Duke.
He was later discovered by Mr Fergus Duncan, the Rev. Teddy Boston and the Rev. W. Awdry in 1969 and taken by road and rail to Crovan's Gate Works. There Duke was restored and rebuilt, through the kindness and generosity of Sir Topham Hatt and the present Earl of Sodor, who shared the cost with Sir Handel Lloyd Brown. He was finally re-united with Sir Handel and Peter Sam and for the first time in his history the Skarloey Railway had motive power to spare, which allowed Sir Handel to be lent to the Talyllyn Railway in 1982, while Sir Haydn was out of service for repairs.
He attended Ivo Hugh's naming ceremony in 1996.
Thomas & Friends
Duke lived on the Mid Sodor Railway with several engines including Stuart, Falcon, and briefly Smudger, until the line went bankrupt and Stuart and Falcon were sold. Duke, however, was sheeted until a group of adventurers found his shed, buried under soil that had washed down from the mountains. Skarloey and Rheneas took him back to the Skarloey Railway, where he was soon returned to service.
Personality
Duke is one of the oldest, wisest and most experienced engines of the Skarloey Railway. He is also the mentor of Peter Sam and Sir Handel, from their younger days on the Mid Sodor Railway, when they were called Stuart and Falcon respectively. Being the oldest engine on the line, Duke liked everything to be "just so". Although once lost for many years in an old shed that nature tucked away and forgot, after the Mid Sodor came to an end, he was found by rescuers, although quite by accident, when one dropped in through his shed roof. He may have a head teacher attitude and maintain his authority at all times, but can be quick to apply his knowledge and years of experience to help guide and correct any younger engine. He is proud of his name and keen to uphold the respect it merits. He can often be heard to say "That would never suit His Grace!" upon hearing or seeing something that he takes a disapproval to, or pedantically stating how he thinks someone would have adhered to the rules and regulations in his younger days. Despite their teasing ways, Sir Handel and Peter Sam have grown to become very fond and deeply respect Duke and dearly nicknamed him "Granpuff" for his long service to the railway.
Technical Details
Basis
Duke himself is based on Prince, a George England tank engine from the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog, North Wales. Unlike his basis, Duke is built to 2ft 3in gauge, while Prince is built to 1ft 11½in gauge. Bertram is another member of this class.
Livery
In the Railway Series, Duke was painted red-brown with black lining. On the Mid Sodor Railway, Duke was numbered "1" and his tender bore the Mid Sodor Railway's crest. When he moved to the Skarloey Railway, he was not repainted in the Railway's standard red livery, instead being restored to his brown MSR livery with brass nameplates. He bears neither his MSR number (1) or his SR number (8) for unknown reasons. In the television series, Duke is painted orange-brown with yellow lining and has two red plaques on either side of his saddle tank with his name written in gold.
On the Rev. W. Awdry's model railway, he had "The Duke" written on his sides and "MS" written on his tender.
Appearances
The Railway Series
Companion Volumes
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Thomas & Friends
Music Videos
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Books
Magazine Stories
Duke also appeared in the magazine stories, Diesel Display and Hello, Skarloey! (mentioned) Annual Stories
Video Games
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Audio Files
Whistle
| First used | Last used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Series 4 | Series 4 |
Trivia
- Duke's current grace is Richard Robert Norramby.
- Duke is the only narrow gauge engine in the Railway Series to have a tender, and, like the other Mid Sodor Railway engines, has no buffers (in order to prevent buffers locking together on tight curves).
- The Official Website and the 1986 annual both state that Duke is the oldest of the narrow gauge engines. However, Skarloey and Rheneas are older, having been built in 1864 and 1865/6, respectively, while Duke was built in 1879. The mistake likely comes from Duke's basis being older than all three of them, having been built in 1863. The packaging for his Ertl model also incorrectly states that this was when Duke was built.
- Duke was the first narrow gauge engine on the Skarloey Railway to not be based on an engine from the Talyllyn Railway.
- Although he has not appeared since Series 4, Duke was repainted for Series 6 into a lighter brown colour. His bufferbeam was also painted in this brown colour rather than red, which was most likely due to the smaller scaled Narrow Gauge engines not being used anymore at this point, and was thus left unfinished.
- Duke's model, nameboard and smiling face mask are owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
Quotes
- “Sometimes they would wink at each other and chant solemnly. "Engines come and engines go, Granpuff 'goes on' forever!"
You impudent scallywags." Duke would say indignantly. "Whatever are young engines coming to nowadays?!"
"Never mind Granpuff, we're only young once."
"Well you better mind, unless you want to end up like No.2...” - ― Stuart and Falcon teasing Duke, "Granpuff", "Duke the Lost Engine"
- “Duke was alone locked up in the shed.
"Where's His Grace?" he wondered. "Its not like him to forget me."
But his grace had been killed in the war. And the new Duke, a boy, hadn't heard of his little engine.
"Oh well," said Duke to himself. "I'll go to sleep. It will help to pass the time."
Years passed, winter torrents washed soils from the hills over the shed. Trees and bushes grew around. You wouldn't have known a shed was there, let alone a little engine asleep inside it.” - ― Duke alone locked up in his shed, "Granpuff", "Duke the Lost Engine"
Merchandise
- ERTL (normal and metallic; discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (two versions; discontinued)
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Take-n-Play (discontinued)
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
- Mini Die Cast Collection (discontinued)
- Departing Now (discontinued)
- Trading Cards (discontinued)
- De Agostini (discontinued)
- Brio (discontinued)
- Nakayoshi (discontinued)
- Capsule Plarail
- Waku Waku (discontinued)
- Royal Hampshire (discontinued)
References
| Locomotives | Duke | Stanley* | Smudger** | Falcon | Stuart | Albert* | Jim* | Tim* | The Mine Engine* | |
|---|---|
| Rolling Stock | Coaches | Saloon Coaches* | Coaches** | Cora* | Trucks (Slate Trucks) | Breakdown Train** | Gunpowder Wagons** | Flatbeds | Conflats | V-Tipper Wagons* | Brake Vans |
| People | The Mid Sodor Railway Manager |
| Locations | Arlesburgh (West, Bridge Street) | Ffarquhar Road | Marthwaite | Arlesdale Green | Arlesdale (Engine Sheds, Mines) | Cas-ny-Hawin | The Mountain Road | Ulfstead Road | Ballamoddey | King Orry's Bridge | Bertram's Old Mine** | Elm Farm** | Duke's Old Village** |