Iron Duke

Iron Duke
Background Information
First appearance	Thomas and the Great Railway Show (1991)
Last appearance	Thomas and the Great Railway Show (1991)
Creator(s)	Christopher Awdry (RWS)
Character Overview
Name	Iron Duke
Gender	Male (RWS)
Country	England
Technical Details
Basis	GWR Iron Duke
Gauge	7'¼" (2,140 mm; broad gauge)
Power type	Steam
Vehicle	Locomotive
Type	Tender engine
Fuel type	Coal
Configuration	4-2-2
Wheels	14
Top speed	80 mph (129 kph)
Designer(s)	Sir Daniel Gooch
Builder(s)	Resco Railways
Year built	1985
Owner(s)	National Railway Museum

“This is broad gauge. The Great Western used it until about a hundred years ago.”

― Iron Duke

Iron Duke is a replica of a broad gauge engine of the same name, which used to work on the Great Western Railway. Iron Duke is part of the National Railway Museum collection.

Biography

The Railway Series

Iron Duke, the replica, was a top attraction at the National Railway Museum running on the broad-gauge demonstration line.

Thomas met him on his visit to the National Railway Museum. He told Thomas that his gauge was used on the Great Western Railway until a century ago. Thomas resolved to tell Duck later.

Personality

Not much is known about Iron Duke's personality, though he appears to have a vast amount of knowledge on the history of the Great Western Railway and broad gauge. Thomas enjoyed talking to him while they were running across the demonstration line.

Technical Details

Real-life History

The original Iron Duke, designed by Sir Daniel Gooch and built by Swindon Works in 1847, could haul a large load at 60 mph (96 kph). The original Iron Duke was displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851, and by 1855, Gooch had produced another twenty nine locomotives in this style.

Although the real Iron Duke did not survive into preservation, a replica was built. The replica was based at the National Railway Museum in York, but has since take up permanent residence at the Didcot Railway Centre running a broad-gauge demonstration line. The boiler of RSH Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST 7135 of 1944 was used on the replica Broad Gauge locomotive. Parts also came from another Hunslet Austerity.

The above technically makes Iron Duke the same class as Wilbert, Sixteen and The Austerity Engine.

The original Iron Duke

The Iron Duke replica

Livery

Iron Duke is painted brown with a green tender and wheels and has gold lining. Iron Duke also has a walrus moustache and whiskery eyebrows. The buffer beams are painted red with black buffers.

Appearances

• Railway Series

The Railway Series

• Thomas and the Great Railway Show - Trouble on the Line

Companion volumes

• 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (mentioned)
• 2007 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection

Trivia

• Iron Duke is the first engine to have a moustache in The Railway Series.
  • If the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends television series is included, he is the second engine, the first being Earnest.
• Iron Duke is the first and, so far, only broad gauge engine to appear in The Railway Series.
  • However, several characters in the Thomas & Friends television series are based on broad gauge engines, such as Ivan, Rajiv, Noor Jehan and Shane but have been scaled down to standard gauge.

Gallery

The Railway Series

Main Series

Iron Duke talking to Thomas

Miscellaneous

The real Iron Duke and Thomas at a Days Out with Thomas event

References

United Kingdom

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National Railway Museum

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