Flynn

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This article is about the fire engine. You may be looking for the German book, the Engine Adventures book or the Thomas Story Time book.

Flynn the Fire Engine
Background Information
First appearance	Day of the Diesels (T&F)
Last appearance	Steam Team to the Rescue (T&F)
Creator(s)	Sharon Miller Ian McCue
Voice Actors
UK/US voice actor	Rupert Degas (2011-2012) Ben Small (2013) Kerry Shale (2015) Rob Rackstraw (2016-2019)
Character Overview
Name	Flynn
Title	Flynn the Fire Engine
Nicknames	"Fiery" Flynn Fumblin' Flynn (by Dart) Big Red Wobble on Wheels (by Charlie) Big Red Hero On Wheels (by Thomas)
Gender	Male
Country	Island of Sodor United States (built)
Affiliation	North Western Railway Thomas Edward Gordon Percy Diesel Den Dart Sodor Search and Rescue Centre Belle Rocky Harold Butch Captain
Technical Details
Basis	Oshkosh W800 ARFF
Gauge	4'8½" (1,435 mm; standard gauge)
Vehicle	Road-rail vehicle
Type	Fire engine
Fuel type	Petrol
Configuration	4w
Drivetrain	4X4
Wheels	8 (10 with trailer)
Top speed	On rails: 85 mph (137 kph) On roads: 80 mph (129 kph)
Designer(s)	Oshkosh Trucks
Builder(s)	Oshkosh Trucks
Railway	North Western Railway
Company	Sodor Search and Rescue Centre
Owner(s)	Sir Topham Hatt

“You need Flynn the Fire Engine! He's fast, and he's fearless, and he's a really red fire engine! He's a hero.”

―Belle to Sir Topham Hatt

"Fiery" Flynn is a fire engine who is part of the Search and Rescue Team. He is equipped to operate both on road and rail, and is also accompanied with two types of trailers designed for rail and road usage respectively.

Biography

Thomas & Friends

Flynn worked with Belle on the Mainland before they came to Sodor. Belle suggested to the Fat Controller that Flynn be brought to Sodor to help her fight fires. Flynn had instantly become popular with the engines on Sodor. Later on, Flynn and Belle helped Percy save Thomas and Kevin from Den and Dart at the Vicarstown Dieselworks. Flynn also used his ladder to assist welders during the restoration of the Dieselworks.

Flynn was criticised by Diesel for "just standing around looking fancy", but Flynn soon proved that he was really useful by rescuing Thomas and Mavis.

Flynn usually runs on the rails despite being a road and rail vehicle. This was due to his road wheels being non-operational for a time. When they were repaired, he went on the roads and found himself wobbling all over the place, so he returned to the rails. However, after putting out a fire at a farmhouse, he regained his confidence in using the roads and was able to help Bertie and Butch.

Later, some railway inspectors questioned whether the Fat Controller really needed two fire engines. Since Belle beat him to emergencies twice in a row, Flynn decided that he was not useful and sulked in his shed while Belle kept guard at a fireworks display at Ulfstead Castle. At the rescue centre, Butch arrived, telling Flynn that there was a fire at Brendam Docks. Flynn put the fire out, knowing now that Sodor really does need two fire engines.

When the Search and Rescue Team was dispatched to save a stranded whale at Bluff's Cove, Flynn and Belle sprayed water on the stranded whale in an attempt to keep it wet. After Rocky fell off the tracks at Ulfstead Castle, Flynn, Belle, Butch and Harold came to lift him back onto the rails. They all initially believed they could individually pull him back onto the rails by themselves, but soon agreed to work together and they all pulled Rocky back onto the tracks.

One summer, Flynn and Belle were busy putting out fires caused by the boiling summer weather. They came across a stretch of buckled track, where Flynn suggested that Belle pour water on the rails to prevent further buckling. Belle, however, decided to keep her remaining water in case they came across another fire. This decision came back to bite her, as she later derailed on the buckled tracks while they were responding to an emergency. While he offered to help her, Belle urged him to continue on to the fire, which he was able to successfully extinguish.

Personality

Flynn is a "really red fire engine" who fights fires on Sodor and is part of the Sodor Search and Rescue team. He has both tyres and flanged wheels, meaning that he is capable of running on roads and on rails. Flynn is fast, fearless, and ready to fight any fire. He is popular with the engines and held in high regard all over Sodor, but his overly-enthusiastic bravado can lead to not listening to instructions amidst his racing about and result in him making mistakes. He can also be self-conscious about maintaining his fire-fighting hero status. Nevertheless, Belle and the rest of the Search and Rescue team are often there to support him and keep him on course. And, at the end of the day, Flynn always has it in him to prove that he is always ready to rescue, and is a Really Useful hero.

Technical Details

Basis

Flynn is a hybrid design based on Tatra, Oshkosh, and Latil fire rescue vehicles.

Flynn's basis

Livery

Flynn is painted red with yellow lining, with the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre emblem on his cab doors in white.

Appearances

• Television Series
• Other Media

Thomas & Friends Series 15 - Wonky Whistle (cameo), Percy the Snowman (cameo) and Fiery Flynn Series 16 - Race to the Rescue and Welcome Stafford! Series 17 - Too Many Fire Engines and The Frozen Turntable Series 18 - Millie and the Volcano (mentioned) Series 19 - Toad and the Whale, Rocky Rescue and Wild Water Rescue (does not speak) Series 20 - Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks Series 21 - The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor (cameo) and Daisy's Perfect Christmas Series 23 - Steam Team to the Rescue Specials 2011 - Day of the Diesels 2016 - The Great Race 2017 - Journey Beyond Sodor (cameo) Music Videos Day of the Diesels - Day of the Diesels Series 16 - Go, Go Thomas Series 17 - On a Journey Today Series 19 - Engine Roll Call Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure - We Make a Team Together The Great Race - Will You Won't You Journey Beyond Sodor - I Want to Go Home (cameo) Series 21 - Set Friendship in Motion Series 22 - Engine Roll Call and All the Girls Around the World Series 23 - Don't Stop Videos 2018 - Still the Best of Friends (cameo) and Different Ways to See the World (cameo) 2020 - Thomas the Rescue Engine (mentioned) and Thomas & Percy Learn About Different Vehicles (does not speak)

Magazine Stories

• 2011 - Flaming Flynn
• 2012 - Fiery Flynn!, The Fat Controller's Bedtime Story (Issue 639) and Welcome Stafford (cameo)

Audio Files

Horns

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Day of the Diesels	Go, Go Thomas! (video game)

In Steam Team to the Rescue only, Flynn reuses Dennis' horn.

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Steam Team to the Rescue	Steam Team to the Rescue

In the mobile app Read and Play!, Flynn is incorrectly portrayed with a different horn.

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

Siren

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Day of the Diesels	Series 23

Trivia

• From the seventeenth series onwards, Flynn's water cannons are almost always worked by the firefighters, more accurately reflecting the operations of his basis than the previously-shown mechanical operation. In the nineteenth series episode Toad and the Whale, they are shown operating both mechanically and manually.
• Flynn, Skiff and Stefano are the only multi-terrain characters in the franchise.
• When Flynn arrived, it appeared that special road-rail transitioners were added especially for him, as they allow him to transition from rail to road in a matter of seconds.
• The winch on his front bumper is rarely seen being used.
• The rear bufferbeam on Flynn's tanker trailer is based on Bill and Ben's rear bufferbeam despite being introduced before the twins' CGI debut.
• Flynn's horn sound is similar to Max and Monty’s original horn sounds from Jack and the Sodor Construction Company.
• In Steam Team to the Rescue, Flynn had Dennis' horn sound.
• In Richard Courtney's illustrations, Flynn is depicted with blue wheel arches instead of red.
• Flynn's siren was reused for Hugo.
• In some of Flynn's merchandise such as Take-n-Play, his tanker trailer is stated to be his "tender."

Merchandise

Wooden Railway (two-pack with tanker; "Fiery Flynn"; two-pack with Butch as "Race to the Rescue"; all discontinued) Motor Road and Rail (Asia only) TrackMaster Take-n-Play (discontinued) Mega Bloks (discontinued) Engine Adventures Capsule Plarail (Japan only) Pocket Fantasy (discontinued) Boss (pullback; discontinued) Collectible Railway Capsule Collection Motorized Railway Minis Classic Minis Racers Minis DC Super Friends Minis (as Firestorm) Light Up Minis Icky Minis Music Minis Adventures (discontinued) Wood Push Along Motorized

North Western Railway

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

Sodor Search and Rescue Centre

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Members	Rocky | Harold | Captain | Butch | Belle | Flynn
People	Search and Rescue Centre Manager
Locations	Sodor Search and Rescue Centre

Non-rail vehicles

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | *** Other Media only