| For other uses, see Harold. |
- “I think railways are slow! They're not much use and quite out-of-date.”
- ― Harold to Percy
Harold is a white and red helicopter who patrols the skies of Island of Sodor, nicknamed "whirlybird" by the engines, searching for emergencies. He later becomes part of the Search and Rescue Team and is operated by two pilots.
Biography
As in The Railway Series, Harold saw that railways were "slow and out-of-date" when he first met Percy, but was proven wrong when Percy beat him in a race. He also had to chase Thomas down the line with an inspector after Thomas' brakes failed while boarding at a station and also dropped hot drinks for Percy's crew when they were stranded in a flood.
Harold became friends with Duck after rescuing an injured sailor. One Christmas/Thanksgiving, he flew to Ulfstead, where he dropped off hot food and drinks for the villagers.
However, he still had a bit of a rivalry with Percy. Once, when the Mail Train was threatened to be scrapped, rumours began to spread that Harold would make the deliveries instead. However, Thomas and Percy worked even harder than ever to prevent that from happening and Harold's chances of taking over the mail run were stopped when the unpredictable strong winds caused him to be grounded.
One day, while checking for danger around the Skarloey Railway, Harold met Rusty, who told him that The Fat Controller had sent him to help the other engines. Harold then left, telling the little diesel to "Keep up the good work".
When Percy stopped at a broken signal, Harold was sent to take the mail for him and continued to tease Percy about being slow. However, the net of mail was too heavy on Harold, got him caught in a tree and caused Harold to fall into a haystack. Percy, who witnessed the incident, ran off to get help. Harold thanked Percy, who had the last laugh with the engines and this was the last time Harold had ever teased Percy.
Harold used to live at Dryaw Airfield by Thomas' Branch Line, all the while he has kept a watchful eye over Sodor in case of trouble and speeds to the rescue of anyone in distress.
As of Misty Island Rescue, he joined the Sodor Search and Rescue team and lives in his own hangar at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre. Since joining the team he has been involved in a search for Thomas when he got lost, saving Bertie from the Shake Shake Bridge and helping Charlie to recapture an elephant that escaped from the Sodor Animal Park. Once, Harold's rotors became jammed, so Thomas and Duck took him to the Search and Rescue Centre.
Harold and the rest of the rescue team helped out after a big storm and they were rewarded with a new alarm bell for the rescue centre. He later found Percy and Diesel trapped in a flood at the Old Quarry and the rescue team helped them out. He also helped The Duke and Duchess of Boxford get to Callan Castle after Thomas, Spencer and Bertie failed.
In the twentieth series, Harold and Percy's rivalry resurfaced at Christmas, even recalling the first time that the two ever met. Percy was struggling to get through the snow while delivering mail for Santa, so Harold offered to help. Percy however refused and accidently left behind a stack of letters at Dryaw. Harold decided to get them to him, but Percy, believing Harold was mocking his speed again, decided to race him, only to crash into a snowdrift. Harold again offered to help deliver the mail and this time, Percy agreed. While he was able to deliver the mail to Hiro, Harold ran out of fuel and was grounded in a field on the Mainland for the night. When Percy found out, he raced off to find him and then brought him some fuel, not wanting him to spend Christmas alone and believing "one good turn deserves another". The two friends then returned to Sodor.
Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Harold flew by at Tidmouth Sheds for a routine flyby and greeted the steam engines, accidentally spreading sneezing powder all over Thomas, Splatter and Dodge, dumped by Diesel 10. In earlier scripts, he did not speak and he spread quarry dust in the quarry bowl all over the three engines.
Personality
When Harold was first introduced, he was shown to be very proud of being able to fly and the speed and versatility this gives him. He somewhat tended to be cocky, as he believed that "railways are slow and quite out of date". This caused a bit of rivalry between him and the engines, particularly Percy and he is usually nicknamed "whirlybird" for that, but he usually got his comeuppance in the end. Sometimes, he finds himself in need of Percy's help after he teases him for being slow. Despite this, he still works hard and deep down, he knows that the engines on the Fat Controller's railway, including Percy, are just as useful as he is. He is always helpful and highly alert whenever there is an emergency, especially on patrol. Because of this, he remains a friend to the railway.
Harold also speaks in a manner reminiscent of an RAF pilot, using terms such as "wizard" and "old chap" in conversation.
Since joining the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, he has acted a lot more mature and almost never teases the engines. He takes his job as part of the team very seriously and continues to remain on patrol.
Technical Details
Basis
Harold is based on the Westland Whirlwind helicopter with added pontoons. These helicopters were built by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom as license-built versions of the Sikorsky S-55 helicopter (also known as Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw), which originated in the United States. The Whirlwinds were primarily used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in anti-submarine and search and rescue roles, the latter of which was the inspiration for Harold. Around 70 of these helicopters still survive in some form.
Livery
Harold is painted white with red lining. His name is painted on his sides, near his tail, in red.
Appearances
Official Description
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | Harold the Helicopter: In a Railway family, Harold can hardly avoid having a high profile. He brings a welcome spot of dash to the quiet landscape of Sodor whenever he appears and even if the noise he makes is occasionally wearing, he is good-hearted and the engines are always pleased to see him.
|
” |
| “ | Harold: In a railway family, Harold can hardly avoid having a high profile. He brings a welcome spot of dash to the quiet landscape of Sodor whenever he appears and even if the noise he makes is occasionally wearing, he is good-hearted and the engines are always pleased to see him.
|
” |
From Official Website:[4]
| “ | Harold: Harold is a good-hearted helicopter who is a Really Useful Engine in the skies! He likes to hover above the roadways and rails of Sodor, always keeping a watchful eye out for his friends. He's excited to be part of the Sodor Search and Rescue Team.
|
” |
Song
- Where in the World is Thomas? (partially performed)
Audio Files
Theme
| Only used | Composers | Theme Song | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 2 | Mike O'Donnell Junior Campbell |
||
Trivia
- In both of his appearances in the sixth series, Harold's unhappy expression was always visible behind his mouth on his happy face.
- He is the only member of the Search and Rescue team to be created by the Rev. W. Awdry.
- He was the only non-human/animal character to be fully animated in the twelfth series.
- Harold was the only character introduced after the first series to have a speaking role in Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- Harold appears in a Pixar short called "Float" as an ERTL like toy.
- Harold's theme in the second series is a musical variation on the main score of the 1955 film, The Dam Busters.
- The fifteenth series episode, Stop that Bus!, was the first time Harold has flown outside of the Island of Sodor.
- Harold is the second anthropomorphized helicopter to be voiced by Kerry Shale, who had previously voiced Chuck the American twin-rotored helicopter from Budgie the Little Helicopter.
- In the television series, Harold never had eyebrows. However, he did have them in the magazine stories Mountain Rescue and False Alarm, in illustrations by Ken Stott, and in the book adaptation of Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree, illustrated by Clive Spong. Harold also had eyebrows in his Thomas Story Library book.
- Harold was called Herbert in the French dub from the second to the fifth series.
- In the model series, Harold is shown to have two pilots operating him. In the CGI series however, he is only shown to have one.
- According to the Playing Around with Thomas & Friends shorts, Harold's favourite colour is orange.
Quotes
- "Hello", said Percy, "Who are you?"
- "I'm Harold. Who are you?"
- "I'm Percy. What whirley great arms you've got!"
- "They're nice arms!" said Harold, offended. "I can hover like a bird. Don't you wish you could hover?"
- "Certainly not! I like my rails, thank you".
- "I think railways are slow!" said Harold in a bored voice. "They're not much use and quite out of date".
- A conversation between Percy and Harold in Percy and Harold, Percy the Small Engine.
- The engines were just leaving the station, when they heard a familiar buzzing.
- "I say you two, there's news flying about!"
- "Where?" puffed Percy.
- "All over the place. They're going to scrap the Post Train and use me instead. Wings work wonders you know! Always!"
- "Rubbish!" huffed Thomas.
- Harold boasting to Thomas and Percy in Thomas, Percy and the Post Train.
| 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 | |
| Locomotives | Belle | Flynn |
|---|---|
| Rolling Stock | Rocky |
| Non-Rail Vehicles | Harold | Jeremy | Captain |
| Stations | Maron | Sodor Airport | Killaban | Cabalnoo Maritime Museum | Cabalnoo | Whispering Woods Halt |
| Members | Rocky | Harold | Captain | Butch | Belle | Flynn |
|---|---|
| People | Search and Rescue Centre Manager |
| Locations | Sodor Search and Rescue Centre |