Inspectors

Inspectors are people who visit Sodor from the Mainland to ensure the Island and its railways are running properly and efficiently. They also approve new railways and engines for operation.

Engine Inspectors

Engine Inspectors

Often engine inspectors are called on to help when something has gone wrong with an engine. One of these helped Thomas when there were fish in his tank, another when James became a runaway, and another told him it was not okay to stay in the shed, when Percy tricked him, and another knew exactly how to stop the runaway. The engine inspectors usually wear the same clothes as regular drivers.

Appearances

Voice Actors

• Kōzō Shioya (Japan; Thomas Goes Fishing)
• Toshio Kobayashi (Japan; Old Iron and Percy and the Signal)
• Takeshi Endo (Japan; The Runaway)

The Inspector with the Bowler Hat

The Inspector with the Bowler Hat

At the same time Class 40 came to the island, an Inspector with a bowler hat came to quieten the engines after they make a noise protesting at the Diesel. While the Diesel tries to start up, he sucks up the inspector's bowler hat, which results in him breaking down. The inspector complains to Sir Topham Hatt about the incident.

Appearances

Railway Series

• Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine - Bowled Out

Television Series

• Series 4 - Granpuff (cameo), Trucks (cameo), Gallant Old Engine (cameo), Thomas and Stepney (cameo), Train Stops Play (cameo) and Bowled Out
• Series 5 - Lady Hatt's Birthday Party (cameo)

Voice Actors

• Yasuhiko Kawazu (Japan)

Trivia

• His body is reused from Jeremiah Jobling's from No Joke for James.
• His head was used for a cricketer in Train Stops Play, a party guest in Lady Hatt's Birthday Party and a waiter in Bye George!.

The Three Railway Inspectors

The Three Railway Inspectors

The railway inspectors (known as the railroad inspectors in the US) are three men who commonly inspect the railway.

Bio

Thomas tried to impress one of them, but only succeeded in causing havoc; covering both the inspector and the Fat Controller in coal dust. Thomas was given a chance to put everything right and the inspector was very impressed with the Fat Controller's Railway. He was one of the very important visitors that attended Dowager Hatt's tour of Sodor and after party.

He returned to inspect the island once again, but with two other inspectors that look like him. When they went to inspect the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, he and the other inspectors were not sure if having both Belle and Flynn is really necessary. However, the Fat Controller persuaded them that it's much safer with two.

Two of the railway inspectors came to inspect the North Western Railway, but proved to be grumpy and hard to impress. They eventually showed a change of heart to the railway after Thomas returned a lost watch to one of the inspectors, which was given to the inspector for working for the railway company for twenty years.

All three later returned to the Island again to observe Hugo. They expressed concern about Hugo's propeller.

A Railway Inspector, presumably the same one, is mentioned in the magazine story Caroline's Cruise. This story reveals that he lives on the Mainland.

Appearances

Voice Actors

Railway Inspector #1:

• Matt Wilkinson (UK; fourteenth series only)
• William Hope (US; fourteenth series only)
• Keith Wickham (UK/US; seventeenth series)
• Bob Golding (UK/US; nineteenth series onwards)
• Nobuaki Kanemitsu (Japan; fourteenth series onwards)
• Christoffer Staib (Norway; fourteenth series onwards)
• Kai-Henrik Möller (Germany; seventeenth series onwards)
• Jarosław Boberek (Poland; fourteenth series onwards)
• Jukka Voutilainen (Finland; fourteenth series onwards)

Railway Inspector #2:

• Steven Kynman (UK/US; Too Many Fire Engines)
• Keith Wickham (UK/US; Hugo and the Airship)
• Hiroo Sasaki (Japan; Too Many Fire Engines)
• Shōto Kashii (Japan; Hugo and the Airship)
• Jens Wendland (Germany; seventeenth series onwards)

Railway Inspector #3:

• William Hope (UK/US; seventeenth series)
• Keith Wickham (UK/US; nineteenth series onwards)
• Shōto Kashii (Japan; Too Many Fire Engines)
• Kunihiro Kawamoto (Japan; Lost Property)
• Tōru Akiyoshi (Japan; Hugo and the Airship)
• Andreas Birnbaum (Germany; seventeenth series only)
• Kai-Henrik Möller (Germany; twentieth series onwards)

The Island Inspector

Island Inspector

The island inspector is a man who checks that the island is running well and looking well. Before his visit, Sir Topham Hatt insists that everything is cleaned on a day that he calls "Clean Sodor Day".

Appearances

Television Series

• Series 14 - O the Indignity
• Series 15 - Wonky Whistle (cameo)

Voice Actors

• Matt Wilkinson (UK; fourteenth series)
• Glenn Wrage (US; fourteenth series)
• Shigenori Sōya (Japan; fourteenth series onwards)
• Jarosław Boberek (Poland; fourteenth series onwards)
• Jukka Voutilainen (Finland; fourteenth series onwards)

The Railway Coal Inspector

Coal Inspector

The railway coal inspector (known as the railroad coal inspector in the US) inspects coal on the railways. He once visited Sodor to study Henry's special coal, but Henry was unaware that he was a coal inspector and wanted to impress him, so he took on normal coal. The coal inspector later told Henry that he should be very proud of his special coal. He was also one of the very important visitors that attended Dowager Hatt's tour of the island and party.

Appearances

Television Series

• Series 15 - Henry's Happy Coal and Wonky Whistle (cameo)
• Series 16 - Express Coming Through (cameo) and Muddy Matters (cameo)

Magazine Stories

• 2012 - Henry's Happy Coal

Voice Actors

• Keith Wickham (UK)
• Kerry Shale (US)
• Christian Greger Strøm (Norway; fifteenth series onwards)
• Jukka Voutilainen (Finland; fifteenth series onwards)
• Nobuaki Kanemitsu (Japan; fifteenth series onwards)