| For other uses, see Fred (disambiguation). |
"Fearless" Freddie is an old narrow gauge tank engine on the Skarloey Railway.
Biography
After many years of absence, Freddie returned to the hills of Sodor. Although the reason for his absence is not stated, it is most likely that Freddie was either on loan to another railway or undergoing an extensive overhaul. He and Sir Handel were close friends when they were younger.
Upon returning home, Sir Handel greeted Freddie, having not seen him for years. Rheneas and Skarloey, both of whom Freddie did not recognize, raced into the wharf and declared themselves the fastest engines in the hills, so Freddie challenged them to a series of races up and down the mountain. After realising that he was not as strong as he once was, Freddie used his knowledge of the mountain routes and shortcuts to secure victories. However, when his cheating placed Rheneas in danger, Freddie was forced to put his knowledge to better use.[2]
When Mr. Percival's new bike was delivered to the Wharf without a bell on it, Freddie decided to find a bell - even though he did not know where to find one until he saw Thomas taking an old foghorn and decided that the bell from the old bike could be used for the new one.[3]
One Christmas, Freddie tried to reorganize a party so that Colin could take part. Despite his best efforts, Freddie left telling Mr Percival about his idea until the last minute. Luckily, Freddie's idea was sorted out with the party taking place at the Wharf for Colin.[4]
Personality
Freddie is the warhorse engine of the Skarloey Railway. In his youth, he was known as "Fearless Freddie," and he was the daredevil of the hills, known for being fast, fun and of course, fearless. As a result of having worked on the narrow gauge line many years before, Freddie knows the route, as well as many hidden tracks, like the back of his buffers and he can use this to his advantage. Although he is now a much older engine, Freddie is still full of boyish charm, has his wits about him and is always game for a competition. He is chucklesome, will never forget a friend and is still very much capable of giving the other engines a run for their money.
Technical Details
Basis
Freddie is based on Russell, a Hunslet 2-6-2T locomotive. Russell is most famously associated with the original Welsh Highland Railway in North Wales, though it was first built for one of its predecessors, the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways, in 1906 by the Hunslet Engine Company. Following the Welsh Highland Railway's closure in 1937, Russell moved between several different owners until finally being bought for preservation in 1954. Slightly mirroring Freddie's own association with the Skarloey Railway, one of Russell's first homes in preservation was the Talyllyn Railway (the Skarloey Railway's basis) where it was displayed for a decade. Russell currently runs on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, though returned to the Talyllyn Railway briefly for a visit in 2015.
Unlike his basis, Freddie has two-link couplings as well as added buffers and lamp irons. Additionally, he lacks brake pipes and the air pump seen on Russell. His gauge is also 2ft 3in, as opposed to the gauge of his basis, 1 ft 11 5⁄8 in (597 mm).
Livery
Freddie is painted grey with black and white lining. He has gold name and number plates with black backing. His cab portholes and bufferbeams are painted red. He has a bronze dome and chimney cap, as well as a bronze stripe around the middle of his funnel.
Appearances
Thomas & Friends
Specials
Music Videos
Learning Segments
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Magazine Stories
Books
My Thomas Story Library
Video Games
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Official Description
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | Freddie: "Fearless Freddie" is the warhorse engine of the Narrow Gauge railway. A handsome engine with a big, brass dome: he was, in his youth, the daredevil of the hills. He could go faster and more fearlessly than any other engine. After a spell away, Fearless Freddie is back! And the other engines are delighted. He's very popular and something of a hero to the younger ones. Although Freddie now has to contend with the unflattering rattles and creaks of age, he's still determined to give the other engines a run for their money!
|
” |
Audio Files
Theme
| First used | Last used | Composer | Theme Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 10 | Series 12 | Robert Hartshorne |
Whistles
Freddie shares and reuses Emily's original whistle sound with Peter Sam.
| First used | Last used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Series 10 | Series 12 |
In the Me Reader audio story Thomas Makes a Wish, Freddie uses Henry's whistle sound at a lower pitch.
| Only used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|
| Thomas Makes a Wish (Me Reader) |
Trivia
- In the UK narration of the twelfth series, Freddie gains an Irish accent. But he then gains a Welsh accent in The Man in the Hills.
- Freddie is the only engine on the Skarloey Railway to have six driving wheels.
- He is also the second engine on the Skarloey Railway not to have an 0-4-0 or 0-4-2 wheel arrangement, the first being Mighty Mac.
- Like Mighty Mac, Freddie has never been seen with a crew.
- Freddie was originally intended to return in full CGI in either Blue Mountain Mystery or the sixteenth series voiced by Bob Golding, however he was later dropped.[1]
- In some international dubs, Freddie's name was changed:
- In the Finnish dub, Freddie has two Finnish names. In the tenth series, he was called "Reiska". However, in the eleventh and twelfth series, he’s called "Reetu". This name was later used for Reg.
- In the Polish dub, Freddie has three names. In the tenth and twelth series, he was called Frycek. In the eleventh series, he was called Ferdek. In Great Discovery, he was called Fredek.
- It's possible that Freddie was an engine on the Mid Sodor Railway, as Sir Handel states that he hasn't seen him for years in Freddie's debut episode. Also, the Skarloey and Mid Sodor Railways have shared many tracks as seen in Series 4 which would explain how he knows the old tracks in Fearless Freddie, and the narrator mentions in Granpuff that many engines came and went, with Freddie possibly being one of them.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://twitter.com/SteamTeam3211/status/1546115810585886720
- ↑ T&F S10 #11 "Fearless Freddie"
- ↑ T&F S11 #26 "Ding-a-Ling"
- ↑ T&F S12 #9 "The Party Surprise"