Oliver the Excavator

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For other uses, see Oliver (disambiguation).

Oliver the Excavator
Background Information
First appearance	Jack Jumps In (T&F)
Last appearance	Deep Trouble (T&F)
Creator(s)	Phil Fehrle Jonathan Trueman Abi Grant Robert Gauld-Galliers Chris Lloyd
Voice Actors
UK/US voice actor	Tim Whitnall
Overview
Name	Oliver
Title	Oliver the Big Excavator
Gender	Male
Country	Island of Sodor
Affiliation	Sodor Construction Company Nelson Jack Alfie Max and Monty Kelly Byron Ned Isobella Brenda Buster Darcy Jenny Packard North Western Railway Thomas Percy Marion
Technical Details
Power type	Diesel-hydraulic
Vehicle	Construction vehicle
Type	Crawler excavator
Fuel type	Diesel
Year built	1920
Number	14
Company	Sodor Construction Company
Owner(s)	Jenny Packard

“This is an important day for the Island of Sodor!"
"Thanks to Oliver's careful digging!"
"It makes me proud to be an excavator.”

―Sir Topham Hatt, Jenny Packard & Alfie remark on Oliver's discovery of the dinosaur skeleton

Oliver is a big orange excavator who works for the Sodor Construction Company. He carries out demolition and digging work. He is capable of switching between different tools, including his usual bucket, a chisel for digging, a scissor claw, and a wrecking ball for demolition, plus a jackhammer.

Biography

Thomas & Friends

In his first appearance, Oliver was helping to clear room for new railway lines at the quarry. Later, the Foreman assigned Oliver to move some rocks, but Jack wanted to do it and instead toppled over a hill. Jack learned his lesson and after that he allowed Oliver to continue with his jobs. Once, Oliver uncovered a complete dinosaur skeleton while digging a swimming pool. The following day, Oliver was on the front page of the Sodor Times with the headline, "Digger Digs Dino!".

When Max and Monty carelessly crashed into the lightning tree, Alfie, Kelly, and Oliver used their arms to prevent the tree from falling over until it was propped and saved. However, he proved to be unsuccessful after trying to demolish a building with a wrecking ball.

Oliver, along with the rest of the Pack, also helped with the restoration of Great Waterton.

Oliver later helped to construct the Harwick Branch Line with Jack, Alfie, Max and Monty. While he was heading to the site, he ended up blocking Bertie's way which made him very annoyed since he lost a race with Thomas. When Marion first met the excavator, she believed that Oliver the engine had made a wish to Rex, Bert, and Mike (who Marion believed to be magical) to turn himself into an excavator. Oliver tried to explain, but Marion gave the excavator no chance to do so. It was not until the opening ceremony of the new branch line that Marion found out that there were two Olivers on Sodor.

Later on, when he, Jack, Alfie, Max, and Monty was working on Ffarquhar Branch Line, the dump truck twins knocked a rock into the hydraulics in Oliver's arm causing him to have to be repaired. When he was repaired he helped clear the branch line after Max and Monty dumped their loads on the line.

After James' accident at Tidmouth Sheds when his brakes malfunctioned, Oliver helped with the shed's reconstruction.

Personality

Oliver is wise and kind and keeps an eye on the other members of the Pack. He is good-mannered and hard-working and never complains about his work or gets impatient. He has the power and precision capability of moving and digging tons of earth in a single day. He likes to be a leader and treats the younger members of the Pack with respect.

Technical Details

Basis

Oliver's exact basis is unknown and appears to be a freelance design, although his hull bears a striking resemblance to the Russian KV series of Tanks. Adding to this, when Oliver is seen rotating, he's seen turning from the same location as the turret ring of the aforementioned tank.

Livery

Oliver is painted orange with a pale green panel on his back and his number painted on him in red. Oliver has the cap rim of a builder's hat between his forehead and cab windows.

Appearances

• Television Series
• Other Media

Thomas & Friends Series 6 - Jack Jumps In and A Friend in Need Jack and the Sodor Construction Company - A Visit from Thomas, Jack Owns Up (cameo), On Site with Thomas, Percy's Scary Tale (cameo), A Happy Day for Percy, A Tale for Thomas, Thomas and the Moles (does not speak), Percy Helps Out (cameo), The Tortoise and the Hare, Thomas' Trusty Friends, Alfie Has Kittens (does not speak) and Mud Glorious Mud (cameo) Series 20 - Mucking About Series 21 - The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor (cameo) and A Shed for Edward (cameo) Series 23 - Mines of Mystery, Out of Site, First Day on Sodor! and Deep Trouble Oliver had roles in the cancelled episodes, The Importance of Being Patrick, Grass is Greener and Jack's Snow Rescue. Specials 2008 - The Great Discovery 2015 - Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure 2016 - The Great Race (fantasy) Music Videos Jack and the Sodor Construction Company - The Work Song and One Friendly Family The Great Discovery - There's a Job for Everyone and Thomas, You're the Leader Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure - We Make a Team Together The Great Race - You Can Only Be You (fantasy) Series 23 - Legend of the Lost Engine and The Sodor Construction Crew Videos 2018 - Still the Best of Friends (cameo) 2019 - Meet Gina of Italy (cameo), Meet the Sodor Construction Company! and Meet Ester of Italy! (cameo)

Books 2006 - Jack 2007 - Alfie 2011 - Alfie the Excavator and Jack the Front Loader 2015 - A Really Useful Engine, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: Sticker Activity Book, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie Storybook (cameo) and Thomas' New Friend Video Games 2008 - Begins Educational Learning 2017 - Read and Play!

Audio Files

Horn

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Jack and the Sodor Construction Company	The Great Discovery

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure	Active

Trivia

• An early concept art design for Oliver reveals his name was originally meant to be Buster. That name would actually be given to another Pack member instead.
• When Oliver returned in full CGI, his smaller wheels appear to have slightly increased in size.
• Tim Whitnall gives Oliver an Irish accent.
• Oliver is the first character to share his name with another character in the television series, and the second to do so in the entire Thomas franchise, the first being Bert and Iron Bert, the third is Stephen, like Sir Topham Hatt's grandson, and the fourth being buster and Sir Topham Hatt in the television series.
• Oliver's horn sound in the CGI series is similar to Max and Monty's original horn sounds from Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, as well as Flynn's.
• Oliver had a total of thirteen facial expressions, three of which (sleeping, neutral, and angry) were never used on screen.
• Oliver is one of the few Pack members to have a horn, the others being Jack, Alfie, Max, Monty, Kelly and Patrick.
• Like the engine, his name is Olek in the Polish dub.

Merchandise

• TrackMaster (discontinued)
• Capsule Plarail (discontinued; reintroduced)
• Wooden Railway (paired with Oliver the GWR engine; discontinued)
• Adventures (paired with Jack, Thomas, and a Truck, sold only in Jack and the Pack 4-Pack; discontinued)

References

Sodor Construction Company

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Non-rail vehicles

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | *** Other Media only