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Minor Vehicle Characters (RWS)

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This page is for the minor non-rail vehicle characters who have appeared in The Railway Series.

The Green Bus

The Green Bus was a passenger bus that worked alongside Toby's Old Tramway.

Biography

The green bus was one of the many buses who took passenger traffic away from Toby's Old Tramway, causing Toby to have no more passengers. During those days, Toby and Henrietta were unhappy with the buses taking all their passengers, but they temporarily got their passengers back when the bus crashed through some roadworks and into a big hole. The bus was eventually repaired, and competition from the buses, as well as lorries, forced the tramway to close in 1951. Toby later told the story of his old tramway and the bus to Thomas and Percy.

Technical Details

Basis

The green bus is based on the post-war Leyland Motors "Tiger", type PS-1/PS-2. Specifically, the single-decker half-cab front entrance buses were built between 1946 and 1953, with several examples surviving in preservation. Bertie shares the same basis.

Livery

The bus is painted lime green with a white stripe along his sides and a grey roof.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Thomas & Friends

JTK 62

In the sixth illustration of Steamroller, a blue car is driving down the street and can be seen with the number plate JTK 62. This references both the initials of the illustrator, John T. Kenney, and the year in which the book was published, 1962.

Technical Details

Basis

JTK 62 is based on a 1962 Wolseley built by the British Motor Corporation.

Livery

JTK 62 is painted blue with a silver/chrome bumper and silver window surrounds and door handles.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion Volumes

Willie's Tractor

Willie owns a tractor that he drives alongside the Arlesdale Railway. It is accompanied with a green trailer.

Biography

Once, Willie and his tractor were late to deliver a load of wool and he did not secure the bales properly. Unfortunately, due to Willie's carelessness and an overloaded trailer, the load slipped onto the line, causing Rex to crash into it and derail at Arlesdale Green.[1]

Technical Details

Basis

Willie's tractor resembles a Fordson Dexta tractor from the 1960s.

Livery

Willie's tractor is painted dark blue.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion Volumes

Trivia

Bulgy's Friend

"Bulgy's friend has come. He's red and rude too. He's taking Bulgy's passengers home so's to leave him free to steal ours."
― Oliver[src]

Bulgy's Friend is a bus that is one of Bulgy's closest friends.

Personality

Bulgy's Friend was mentioned by Oliver as being rude, just like Bulgy, as he was trying to take Bulgy's passengers home so that Bulgy could steal Duck's and Oliver's passengers.

Technical Details

Livery

According to Oliver, this bus is painted red just like Bulgy.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Farm Tractors

These tractors reside at a farm in Ffarquhar. At least one of them is owned by an angry farmer.

Biography

The Quarry Tramroad runs through a farm lane, and in wet weather, the tractors make the lane muddy and slippery. This makes it difficult for an engine to grip its wheels onto the rails.

On one occasion, the lane was blocked by Mavis, who got stuck in the middle of the level crossing. A blue cab tractor and all other traffic were forced to wait until Toby came to free Mavis from her predicament. An angry farmer (who was the tractor's driver) told Mavis "just what she could do with her train".[2]

Technical Details

Basis

The tractors are based on the Ford 5000 model. Dan the Front Loader shares the same basis.

Livery

The tractors are painted indigo. They are also depicted with black faces and have headlight eyes.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion Volumes

Thomas & Friends

Videos

Books

Trivia

Oliver

For other uses, see Oliver.

Oliver is a green soft-side lorry, who was once seen near the Ffarquhar Branch Line.

Biography

Oliver was briefly seen travelling across on the Elsbridge Road Viaduct. He was on the opposite side to Bertie, who was waiting impatiently at the traffic lights during his infamous race with Thomas and Annie and Clarabel.

Technical Details

Basis

Oliver is based on designs by Austin, Dodge and Leyland from the 1940s and 1950s.

Livery

Oliver is painted green with an orange-brown cargo compartment.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion Volumes

Thomas & Friends

Videos

Trivia

  • It was not until 2022 that Clive Spong gave the green lorry the name Oliver in an email correspondence with 01Salty.[3] This means that Oliver is the second character in The Railway Series to be named Oliver, after the engine. If Thomas & Friends is included, he is the third character to be named, after the engine and the excavator.

Murphy

Murphy is a crawler crane that is owned by some workmen. He was once seen working near the Ffarquhar Branch Line.

Biography

When the water level in a stream near Hackenbeck rose to a dangerous level, the wooden bridge across the stream started to break apart and eventually collapsed. The line was closed down whilst the bridge was in the process of being restored. Some workmen and their crane, Murphy, helped mend the broken bridge.

Technical Details

Basis

Murphy's design is officially unknown, although he does strongly resemble Unit mobile cranes from the 1950s.

Livery

Murphy is painted orange with black lining and dark grey caterpillar tracks.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Trivia

  • It was not until 2022 that Clive Spong revealed Murphy's name, and likened him to an "Irish navvie cliché".[3]

George's Friends

"I'd build a road along your old tracks. Nothing to it, my mates have done it all over the place!"
― George[src]

George's Friends are steamrollers and friends of George. Like George, they are anti-rail and are known for ripping up railway lines and turning them into roads.

When George worked near Thomas' Branch Line, he told Daisy that his friends have paved roads over old railway lines and he was eager to do the same on Sodor.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Cliff

Cliff is a power shovel who works at the Ffarquhar Quarry.

Technical Details

Basis

Cliff's design is currently unknown.

Livery

Cliff is painted orange with black lining and dark grey caterpillar tracks.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Trivia

  • In December 2025, illustrator Clive Spong christened him with the name "Cliff". It was suggested he could be a distant relative of Murphy and Terence.[4]

Bertie's Friends

Bertie's Friends are buses and friends of Bertie. After the partial collapse of Henry's Tunnel, it is mentioned that Bertie and his friends helped pick up visitors who wanted to see the bust of the Thin Clergyman unveiled at Tidmouth. Algy is one of them.

Appearances

The Railway Series

External Links

References

  1. ↑ RWS #22 Small Railway Engines - Useful Railway
  2. ↑ RWS #26 Tramway Engines - Mavis
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Happy New Year!". Twitter. 01Salty. 1 January 2023. Archived from the original on 21 July 2024. "The orange crane, I imagined as MURPHY - sort of Irish navvie cliché. The green lorry you mentioned - how about Oliver (as he's green)?".
  4. ↑ https://x.com/01Salty1/status/2003723517226041362
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