- “The Stationmaster wanted to use her as a hen-house, but that would never do!”
- ― Toby
Henrietta is a faithful tram coach who travels with Toby. Percy usually takes her when Toby is absent.
Biography[]
Henrietta worked with Toby on their old tramway between Lower Arlesburgh and Arlesdale End in the north of Sodor. She became depressed when buses and lorries took over her work and when their line closed down, due to the lack of passengers and freight, Toby could not bear to leave her behind. So Toby brought her with him to the North Western Railway. He mentioned to the Fat Controller that a stationmaster on his tramway wanted to use her as a henhouse, but the Fat Controller agreed that "that would never do".
At first, Toby and Henrietta were teased by James for having shabby paint. However, Toby and Henrietta later received new coats of paint for their hard work and James stopped teasing them after he crashed into some tar tankers and spoiled his own paint. When the engines went to England, she was used as the Fat Controller's "private coach". Later, when Daisy was brought to Sodor, she insulted Henrietta along with Annie and Clarabel when Daisy found that she had to share the Carriage Shed with them and Percy and Toby were forced to take them away and stay up half the night trying to cheer them up.
One Christmas/Thanksgiving, the villagers from Ulfstead loaded Henrietta up with paint pots and presents to give to the engines as a token of gratitude for their hard work in the snow.[1] During a snowstorm, Henrietta allowed Farmer McColl's sheep and newly-born lambs to warm up inside her cabin until the snow thawed.[2] Sometime afterwards, Toby and Henrietta attended the Great Waterton tram parade, alongside Flora and her tram coach.[3]
Henrietta helped Toby get over his fear of Knapford junction.[4] Thomas was sent to pull Henrietta when Samson accidentally took the Express coaches by mistake, which meant that Gordon had to take Thomas' coaches, Annie and Clarabel.[5]
Henrietta advised Toby to go to the Steamworks to repair his wobbly side plates and also told him to fill up with coal on his way to Wellsworth Scrap Yard, which he did not. She later heard Paxton talking to Emily about Toby being scrapped and knew that it was nonsense. Emily took Henrietta to Wellsworth Scrap Yard where they found Toby safe, but out of coal.[6]
Henrietta had to get her seats refurbished at the Steamworks. After Toby took Henrietta to the Steamworks, he was given a replacement coach named Hannah. After Henrietta had her new seats fitted, Toby took Hannah to the Steamworks to be repaired, where Henrietta reunited with Hannah and revealed to Toby that they were sisters. Afterwards, she began working with Toby once again.[7]
Personality[]
Henrietta is Toby's faithful coach, who likes to be full of passengers and take them on journeys. She does not like to be separated from Toby, although she rarely transports a full load of passengers. Henrietta is quite content with her life on the Island. Toby is attached to Henrietta and always takes her with him, as he says "she might be useful one day".
From the eighteenth series onwards, Henrietta is seen motivating and encouraging Toby when he feels nervous about the capabilities of his work and performance. She also encourages others and gives them good advice.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
Henrietta is based on a Great Eastern Railway (GER) Wisbech and Upwell Tramway 4-wheel coach.
From the beginning, the Wisbech & Upwell used its own special passenger stock. Initially, only four wheelers were used, but bogie coaches were introduced in 1884. The coaches had balconies at each end and a drawbridge type gangway between coaches. Each balcony had an emergency hand-brake wheel. The coaches looked squat and low-lying due to the need to handle raised track and the absence of platforms at some of the depots. All the four-wheeled coaches were scrapped by 1948, but the bogie coaches survived into British Railways ownership. One of them, Irene (No. 7), has been preserved by the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society.
Hannah is also based on this coach.
Livery[]
Henrietta is painted persimmon with grey rooftop. Her buffer beams are painted red with black buffer holds.
Appearances[]
Official Description[]
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | Henrietta: Henrietta is Toby's faithful coach. She came to Sir Topham Hatt's railway with Toby after almost being turned into a hen house. Although she rarely carries many passengers, she is quite content with her life on the Island. Henrietta is the only named character on the Island who does not have a face.
|
” |
| “ | Henrietta: Henrietta is Toby's faithful coach who came to Sir Topham Hatt's railway with Toby after almost being turned into a hen house. Although she rarely carries a full load of passengers, she is quite content with her life on the Island.
|
” |
From Official Website:[4]
| “ | Henrietta: Henrietta is Toby's faithful coach. She came to Sir Topham Hatt's railway with Toby after almost being turned into a hen house. She now works with Toby, although she rarely carries a full load of passengers. Henrietta is quite content with her life on the Island.
|
” |
Trivia[]
- Despite not having a face until the eighteenth series, Henrietta was shown to be able to speak in the first and second series.
- Until the twenty-third series, Henrietta used to be one of eleven characters to appear in every series of the television series.
- Henrietta is one of three characters to have been given a face after debuting without one, the other two being Big Mickey and Butch.
- In the magazine story, Toby Takes a Tumble, Henrietta can apparently 'move' by herself but just by releasing her brake and rolling.
- Henrietta's first model was made from a Tenmille Stroudley Coach, like Annie and Clarabel, but with its ends cut off and replaced with balconies.
- At The Train Shed, Henrietta is depicted with her name on the side, similar to Annie and Clarabel.
- Henrietta 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 Bertie.
Quotes[]
- “It's not fair at all!" grumbled Henrietta as the buses roared past full of passengers. She remembers that she used to be full and nine trucks would rattle behind her. Now there are only three or four, for the farms and factories send their goods mostly by lorry.”
- ― Henrietta, Toby and the Stout Gentleman, Toby the Tram Engine
Merchandise[]
- Ertl (discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Interactive Learning Railway (discontinued)
- Motor Road and Rail (with Toby; discontinued outside Asia)
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- Collectible Railway (discontinued)
- My First Thomas (discontinued)
- Bachmann (HO and N scale)
- Trading Cards (discontinued)
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
- Mini Die Cast Collection (discontinued)
- Departing Now (discontinued)
- Thomas Town (discontinued)
- Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
- Nakayoshi
- Capsule Plarail
- Adventures (discontinued)
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 | |
| Locomotives | Toby |
|---|---|
| Rolling Stock | Henrietta |
| Affiliates | Ffarquhar Branch Line | Ffarquhar Quarry Company (Mavis) |
| Stations | Tidmouth* | Bluff's Cove** | Tidmouth Bay** | Bertram's Old Mine** | Lower Arlesburgh | Arlesburgh* | Upper Arlesburgh* | Marthwaite* | Arlesdale End | Ulfstead** |