Fergus

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This article is about the railway traction engine. You may be looking for the Small Controller or the Story Library book.

Fergus the Traction Engine
Background Information
First appearance	Bill, Ben and Fergus (T&F)
Last appearance	Fergus Breaks the Rules (T&F)
Creator(s)	Brian Trueman Robert Gauld-Galliers
Character Overview
Name	Fergus
Title	Fergus the Traction Engine
Nicknames	Fergus the Good Little Engine Pride of the Cement Works
Gender	Male
Country	Island of Sodor England (built)
Affiliation	North Western Railway Thomas Sodor Cement Works
Technical Details
Basis	Aveling & Porter TJ "Blue Circle"
Gauge	4'8½" (1,435 mm; standard gauge)
Power type	Steam
Vehicle	Locomotive
Type	Railway traction engine
Fuel type	Coal
Configuration	2-2-0WT
Wheels	4
Top speed	47.5 mph
Designer(s)	Aveling & Porter
Builder(s)	Invicta Works
Year built	1926
Railway	North Western Railway
Company	Sodor Cement Works
Owner(s)	Sir Topham Hatt

Fergus is a small railway traction engine, who works at the Sodor Cement Works.

Biography

Thomas & Friends

Fergus primarily works at the Sodor Cement Works on the Kirk Ronan Branch Line, and is thus called "the pride of the Cement Works".

Fergus was once sent to work at the Anopha Quarry with Mavis, Bill and Ben. Bill and Ben immediately began to get annoyed with Fergus telling them to "Do it right", so when they brought a rock crusher, they decided to do the opposite of what he told them to do, thus, to "Do it wrong". However, their naughty actions nearly caused them to get caught in a landslide caused by blasting and their heavy rock crusher, but Fergus managed to push them out of the way, only to end up in the rockslide himself. The twins managed to help Fergus out and apologised for their bad behaviour.

Fergus, being new, got lost once and ended up at the scrapyards. Salty was sent to fetch him, and the two departed for home. As they passed the lighthouse, the generator broke down, and the light in the lighthouse went out. Luckily, Salty suggested Fergus to use his flywheel to power up the generator. The plan worked, and the ship managed to clear the path before it crashed into the rocks.

The Fat Controller once sent Devious Diesel to help Fergus at the cement works. Diesel soon started to find Fergus annoying with his "Do it right" attitude, so he tricked him by telling him that the Fat Controller wanted him to work at the Sodor Ironworks. When Fergus arrived there, he found the place very scary, and when 'Arry and Bert showed up, Fergus and his driver immediately ran away. When the Fat Controller learned of Fergus' absence, he sent Thomas to search for him. Thomas eventually found Fergus, out of steam and hiding at the Maithwaite Quarry Mine. Fergus was worried he would be in trouble; but when the Fat Controller heard the whole story, he punished Diesel by sending him to the Ironworks, and Fergus returned home, thankful for his friendship with Thomas and relieved that he was still "the pride of the cement works".

According to the Official Website, Fergus now has a slight but persistent cough which affects his speech, caused by working at the dusty cement works.

Personality

Fergus knows the rulebook off by heart, and his catchphrase is "Do it right!" His insistence on doing everything absolutely according to the rules can annoy the other engines, but he is a decent engine at heart and will not hesitate to help others in trouble. He is also friendly to nearly everyone he meets.

Technical Details

Basis

Fergus is based on the Aveling and Porter 2-2-0WT 'TJ' class railway traction engine No. 9449 "The Blue Circle", which is believed to be the last railway traction engine built in the world. Like Fergus, "The Blue Circle" worked at a cement works, the Snodland Cement Works of Blue Circle Cement, between 1926 and 1962. It was initially presented to the Bluebell Railway in 1964, but was deemed unsuitable for the line and was eventually sold off in 2001. Since Fergus' introduction, "The Blue Circle" has been dressed up as Fergus on special occasions on its former home line, the Battlefield Line in Leicestershire. In January 2015, it moved to the Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway. After being bought again in 2018, it moved to work on the Nene Valley Railway. 

Fergus' basis

Fergus at a Day Out with Thomas event

Livery

Fergus is painted royal blue with gold boiler bands and red wheels. He has a brass funnel cowl and bronze buffers.

Appearances

• Television Series
• Other Media

Thomas & Friends

• Series 7 - Bill, Ben and Fergus, Salty's Stormy Tale and Fergus Breaks the Rules

Music Videos

• Series 7 - Five New Engines in the Shed, There Once was an Engine who Ran Away, Salty and The Whistle Song

Books 2006 - Fergus and Thomas' Sticker Express 2008 - Thomas and the Runaway 2009 - Trainloads of Fun and Thomas the Tank Engine Owner's Workshop Manual 2011 - Fergus the Good Little Engine and The Big Book of Engines 2012 - Full Steam Ahead! 2016 - Fun and Bumps Magazine Stories 2004 - Fergus' Funnel, Snake's Alive!, Rock Shock!, Salty by the Sea (cameo) and Fergus Runs Away 2005 - Working Christmas (cameo), Suits Me (cameo) and Fergus Runs Away 2007 - Fly Along, Fergus! and Bridge Bother (mentioned) 2008 - Fast and First! and Left Alone (does not speak) 2011 - Slowcoach Diesel Fergus also appeared in the magazine stories, Diesel Display and Rock and Roll!. Video Games 2006 - Engines Working Together 2008 - Begins Educational Learning Fergus also appeared in DVD Bingo.

Audio Files

Whistle

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Series 7	Series 7

Trivia

• According to the official website, Fergus' flywheel can be used as power tools such as a saw, drill or pump. It has also powered a generator in the past.
• In a SiF interview with Chris Lloyd, it was mentioned that Fergus' model was damaged during the filming of Bill, Ben and Fergus. His model still worked, but the flywheel could not turn anymore. This may explain why he never appeared after the seventh series.
• Fergus differs slightly from his basis: his smoke box is larger to accommodate a face. His bufferbeam is also missing a large section for the same reason.
• According to Robert Gauld-Galliers' concept art, Fergus was originally going to have black, oval-shaped buffers.
• His late 2013 Wooden Railway toy's wheels do not have the red interior of the previous toy.
• Fergus incorrectly has black buffers on most of his promotional artwork and in several magazine stories.
• Fergus travels far faster in the television series than his basis is capable of.
• The Fergus model made an unexpected appearance at the Gauge 1 Model Railway Associations annual show on October 12, 2019, when the Lower Tidmouth station prop was on display by Twitter user TomsProps. The model was brought to the display by Sam Wilkinson. This was the first time the prop had been seen in the public since 2003.

Merchandise

• ERTL (discontinued)
• Wooden Railway (reintroduced 2013; discontinued)
• Take Along (discontinued)
• Take-n-Play (cancelled)
• My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
• Nakayoshi (discontinued)
• Capsule Plarail  (discontinued)
• Super Surprise Egg  (discontinued)

References

North Western Railway

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

Kirk Ronan Branch Line

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* RWS only | ** T&F only