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Bertie is a little red bus who works alongside Thomas' Branch Line.
Biography[]
As in the television series, Bertie reprised some of his roles from The Railway Series, but was later chosen to take visitors to the Vicar's party and teased Trevor by calling him a "stick-in-the-mud" and old fashioned. However, he proceeded to get himself stuck in the mud and had to be pulled out by Terence. After that, Bertie thanked Trevor and gave him an apology for teasing him.
When Edward had an accident on the day before he was to take the Brass Band to a concert, Bertie had to take them instead but got stuck in the mud again. Luckily, Edward was repaired and took the Brass Band to their concert.
Bertie is continuously alluding to his race with Thomas and how he could win next time. He actually raced Thomas again and won after Thomas got side-tracked with collecting the sports medals.
Bertie and Thomas have seemed to continue this tradition of racing. However, in the seventeenth series, he was re-routed, giving him an advantage. Thomas is still able to beat him occasionally.
In the nineteenth series, he, Thomas and Spencer got into an argument after Mr. Percival claimed two wheels was best; Bertie argued four wheels was in fact best. He tried to prove his point by taking The Duke and Duchess of Boxford to Callan Castle after both Thomas and Spencer failed to do so, but he too failed after receiving a flat tyre. Harold eventually came to the Duke and Duchess' rescue. Bertie later teased Thomas by telling him about what was on the other side of a mountain on his branch line. Thomas was cross by Bertie's teasing and became determined to find out what was there. Thomas eventually discovered it was a roadside billboard Bertie was describing, though he got into an accident while trying to find out. Bertie visited him at the Steamworks and apologised, though Thomas was able to trick him into believing that he was getting fitted with wings.
In Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, while he and Thomas were racing, Thomas nearly collided with Toby while Bertie nearly collided with Oliver the Excavator. At Ffarquhar, he complained that he was always getting stuck behind slow construction vehicles since the construction of a new branch line had started. He was then seen on the road by the Harwick Branch Line. Sheep were in his way, but Bertie just smiled.
In the twenty-first series, Bertie ended up breaking down while he and Thomas were racing. This ended up with Thomas taking on his passengers but ended up getting requests for lots of unscheduled stops, which made him run late. However, Bertie was soon temporarily replaced by Bulgy, leading to Thomas running on time.
After being repaired, he shared the mantle of keeping Bulgy in line. Bulgy, however, was still up to his old ways, so Bertie had to remind him that The Fat Controller brought him back to help him with the passenger service; he later broke down due to struggling with passenger transport (flourished due to train halting courtesy of Bulgy). Bulgy took his passengers while Butch towed him away.
Later, when Percy created rumours of a railway show for little engines at Ulfstead Castle, Bertie took Thomas' passengers from Ffarquhar to Knapford after Thomas abandoned his duties to attend.
Personality[]
Bertie is friendly and ready to help anyone in need. However, he can be quite cheeky and even boastful about himself, especially to Thomas, always joking around and teasing him about their races. He can sometimes be quite grumpy, always grumbling whenever he breaks down or gets stuck. He is always, however, easy-going and cheerful to everyone he sees. Unlike Bulgy, Bertie respects the railway and its engines, and serves as one of the many minds keeping the double-decker bus in line.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
Bertie is based on the post-war Leyland Motors "Tiger", type PS-1/PS-2. Specifically, the single-decker half-cab front entrance buses were built between 1946 and 1953, with several examples surviving in preservation. Other notable Leyland Tiger Buses appear around Sodor, including the Hospital Bus.
It was previously suggested by the 2004 fansite, "The Real Lives of Thomas the Tank Engine", and by the Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia, that Bertie specifically resembled an AEC Regal "T Class" single-decker bus of the 1930s and 1940s. The 2013 Writer's Bible and 2015 Trading Cards confirm this, however, it is likely that they sourced their information from the aforementioned fansites. Algy's original design was based on this bus.[2][3]
Livery[]
Bertie is painted in the common red livery of buses in the United Kingdom, mostly famously used by London Transport. His number plate, CRD 54, refers to the fact that it was first seen in Edward the Blue Engine, published in 1954 and illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby. His interior was originally cream-coloured with red seats, but in the CGI series, he retained his red seats while his interior became red. He had black lining on his cab-door and sides up until the twenty-third series.
Appearances[]
Official Description[]
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | Bertie: Bertie has a great deal in common with Thomas. Ever since their Great Race, they have been the firmest of friends. Bertie's strongest characteristic is his friendly grin and his readiness to help any engine prepared to admit that - - just sometimes - - roads have their use as well as rails.
|
” |
Audio Files[]
Themes[]
| Only used | Composers | Theme Song | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | Mike O'Donnell Junior Campbell |
||
| Series 2 | Series 3 | ||
Horns[]
| First used | Last used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | Railway Adventures |
From the fourth to seventh series, Bertie has a different horn sound that would later be used for Elizabeth in the eleventh series.
| First used | Last used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Series 4 | Series 7 |
In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Bertie has his original horn, but at a higher pitch and processed.
| Only used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|
| Thomas and the Magic Railroad |
From the eighth to twenty-fourth series, Bertie reused Caroline's horn sound.
| First used | Last used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Series 8 | Series 24 |
In the Korean Website from 2010, Bertie has Diesel's horn but in a lower pitch.
Trivia[]
- Bertie used to be one of twelve characters, as well as the only non-rail vehicle character, to appear in every series of the television series until the twenty-second series, where he did not appear in an episode, possibly due to his model being updated for the twenty-third series. He also has the most appearances out of all of the non-rail vehicle characters in the series.
- In the French dub, Bertie was known as Bertrand in the first seven series.
- In some countries such as Poland, Bertie is portrayed as a female character.
- Bertie is the only road vehicle to have visited Misty Island.
- Between the seventh and tenth series, Bertie would have moving eyes edited on.
- Bertie was the only vehicle character to retain his driver in Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- Bertie is currently one of the only characters introduced in the first series to not appear in the 2021 reboot, Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, the other being Henrietta.
References[]
| Locomotives | Steam | Thomas | Percy | Toby |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Mavis | |
| Former | Glynn | Coffee Pots | Daisy | |
| Rolling Stock | Passenger | Annie and Clarabel | Henrietta | Hannah |
| Non-Rail Vehicles | Terence | Bertie | Harold | Bulgy | Caroline | Bulstrode | Tiger Moth | Elizabeth | The Hot Air Balloon | Cleo | |
| People | Mrs. Kyndley | Farmer Finney | Farmer McColl | Farmer Trotter | Ruth | |
| Affiliates | Toby's Branch Line | Ffarquhar Quarry Company | |
| Infrastructure | Stations | Knapford | Dryaw | Toryreck** | Sports Field Halt** | Elsbridge | Maithwaite** | Hackenbeck | Ffarquhar | New Harbour* |
| Sheds | Elsbridge Engine Sheds (Carriage Shed) | Hackenbeck Shed | |
| Tunnels and Bridges | The Valley Bridge* | Elsbridge Viaduct | Bulgy's Bridge* | The Watermill | Hackenbeck Tunnel | |
| Road vehicles | Terence | Bertie | Trevor | Bulgy | George | Caroline | The Horrid Lorries | Butch | Thumper | Elizabeth | Nelson | Jack | Alfie | Oliver | Max and Monty | Kelly | Byron | Ned | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | Harold | Tiger Moth | Jeremy | Emerson | Isla | The Hot Air Balloon | Aeroplanes | |
| Watercraft | Bulstrode | Captain | Terrey | Krystyna | Canal Boats | S.S. Roxstar | Lucinda | Alysia | Northlight | Wharf Canal Boats | The Mayor's Yacht | Sodor Line | |
| Cranes | Cranky | Colin | Ol' Wheezy | Hee-Haw | Happy Hook | Merrick | Reg | Carly | Big Mickey | Beresford | Kobe | Cassia | Carter | |
| Others | Owen | Stefano | Trailers |