Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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“Other engines came and went, but Duke outlasted them all.”
― The Narrator[src]

Several other engines worked alongside Duke, Stanley, Falcon and Stuart on the former Mid Sodor Railway. By 1936, the Mid Sodor had six locomotives (excluding Stanley), three of which (Albert, Jim and Tim) were sold off that year to keep the company's head above water, leaving only Duke, Falcon and Stuart to run the line.

Although these engines never appeared in any of The Railway Series stories, they appeared on the Reverend W. Awdry's model layouts of the Mid Sodor Railway. Though their existence was implied, they were never mentioned by name. Some of these engines were on display at the Reverend Teddy Boston's Cadeby Light Railway before the railway finally closed in 2005.

In the television series, Skarloey, Rheneas and Duncan made various cameo appearances on the Mid Sodor Railway as though they were depicted as the other engines working alongside Duke, Falcon, Stuart and Smudger.

Albert

This article is about the narrow gauge engine. You may be looking for the standard gauge engine or the workman.

Albert was a maroon narrow gauge tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway until 1936.

Biography

Little is known about Albert's origins, however he was at some point acquired by the Mid Sodor Railway and given the number 5. According to Awdry's scrapbook, Albert pulled a passenger service named "The Parliamentary". In 1936, he was sold off alongside Jim and Tim in order to keep the railway's head above water.

Technical Details

Basis

Awdry had a number of models of Albert, all completely different from one another.

The first model of Albert was built from a Minitrains Baldwin 0-4-0ST. Alfred was also made using this model. A spare twin of Albert Mk2 was later made using a Minitrains Baldwin 0-4-0ST, in case the regular model broke down.

In 1974, Awdry wished to update the layout to more closely match the Mid Sodor Railway as depicted in Duke the Lost Engine, and thus Albert had to lose his American look. Initially, this second model was given an 0-4-0ST wheel arrangement, however it was later converted into a spare model closely resembling Falcon. Modifications included a new running board, 0-6-0 chassis, sideplates, smokebox, and chimney all sourced from a GEM Vari-kit type B. The second model originally had no specific basis, but after being converted into a spare model now resembles the Corris Railway's Hughes Falcon locomotives, albeit with sideplates.

The third and final model of Albert was built from a GEM Vari-kit type B, which was also used to build Tim.

Livery

The first model of Albert was painted red with gold domes. His name was painted on the sides of his saddle tank and a number 3 was applied to his cab sides.

The second model of Albert was initially painted in a deep maroon livery. He retained the name on his saddle tank, however the number on his cab was now updated from 3 to 5, as Falcon had by this point taken the number 3. The spare twin Baldwin 0-4-0ST was painted in a similar maroon livery, with black wheels, a gold dome and a copper-capped chimney.

After the final model was made, the second model was modified and repainted a sky blue to closely resemble Falcon, receiving a copper-capped chimney, but losing its name and number.

Albert's final model is painted a deep maroon similar to the original Mk2 model, with red wheels and a gold dome. His name and number 5 are painted in gold on his side tanks and cab respectively.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

Trivia

  • Albert Mk3 was featured in a 1984 episode of the Anglia Television series Bygones, in a brief segment focusing on Wilbert Awdry and his layout.

Jim

This article is about the narrow gauge engine. You may be looking for the magazine character or the other magazine character.

Jim was a green narrow gauge tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway until 1936.

Biography

Jim worked on the Mid Sodor Railway and was given the number 6. According to Awdry's scrapbook, Jim pulled "the Horse and Cart" (the railway's goods train) and occasionally did mineral traffic.

Jim was one of three engines to be sold in 1936 due to the railway's financial burdens. It is unknown what his fate was after his selling.

Technical Details

Basis

Jim's model was built by the Rev. W. Awdry from an OO9 scale Gem Vari-kit type A. The Gem Vari-kits are freelance designs.

Livery

Jim was painted green with a bronze dome and a black footplate. His name was painted in yellow on the sides of his tanks and his number was also painted yellow on each side of his cab.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

Trivia

  • At some point between 2005 and early 2021, Jim's front bufferbeam fell off of his model. This was later fixed by the Awdry Extravaganza in August 2021.

Tim

This article is about the narrow gauge engine. You may be looking for the standard gauge engine.

Tim was a black narrow gauge tank engine fitted with side-plates who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway until 1936.

Biography

Tim was purchased by the Mid Sodor Railway as a tram engine for passenger duties and was the railway's number 7. In one of Awdry's scrapbooks, it is noted that Tim pulled workman's trains to Cas-ny-Hawin.

Tim was one of three engines sold off in 1936 to keep the railway's head above water, alongside Albert and Jim.

Technical Details

Basis

Tim's model was built by Awdry to be a generic tram locomotive, from a OO9 scale Gem Vari-kit type B, the same type used to build Albert Mk3. The Gem Vari-kits are freelance designs.

Livery

Tim was painted black with a brass dome. His name was painted in yellow on the sides of his tanks and his number was also painted yellow on each side of his cab.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

The Mine Engine

The Mine Engine was a cabless narrow gauge pannier tank engine who worked at Cas-ny-Hawin mine.

Biography

The mine engine was built at Decauville in France circa 1899. It was later shipped to Sodor to work at Cas-ny-Hawin mines on the Mid Sodor Railway.

No information was given about the fates of the engine when the mine and railway were later closed. It can be assumed that it was either scrapped or sold.

Technical Details

Basis

The Mine Engine's models were built by the Rev. W. Awdry to OO9 scale. They were created from Jouef models of the Decauville Type 1 0-4-0PT locomotive named "Stéatite", with the cab removed. On the second model, the funnel was also shortened.

Livery

The Mine Engine was painted light brown with bronze domes.

The original model used on the Mk1 layout and currently preserved at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at Tywyn also featured the number 9 on one side in gold. It was originally painted green.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

Trivia

  • The model Awdry used for the Mine Engine was prone to motor burnouts.
  • Although the original model was numbered 9, the second model featured no number at all and was not included as one of the six engines owned by the Mid Sodor Railway in 1936. Presumably, this means that the engine was privately owned by the Cas-ny-Hawin Mining Company.

Alfred

Alfred was an American narrow gauge saddle tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway.

Technical Details

Basis

Alfred's model was built by Awdry from an AHM Minitrains Baldwin 0-4-0ST. Albert Mk1 was also made using this model.

Livery

It is unknown what colour Alfred was painted, however surviving photographs indicate he had gold domes. His name and number were painted on his saddle tank and cab side respectively.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

Trivia

  • Like Atlas, Alfred only appeared on the first and second versions of Awdry's Mid Sodor Railway layout and were not part of its operating sequence. The two would be used as spares until Gerry and Jennings were made redundant, and thus they were removed from the layout entirely. It is unknown what happened to their models afterwards.

Gerry

Gerry was a narrow gauge tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway.

Technical Details

Basis

Gerry’s model was built by Awdry from am OO9 scale Peco "Jeanette" kit. The model itself is of a freelance design. However, the kit has a resemblance to the narrow gauge locomotive named "Doll". "Doll" and its older sister "Gertrude" are preserved. After becoming a spare model alongside Jennings to replace Alfred and Atlas, Gerry's middle wheels were removed, making him an 0-4-0.

Livery

Gerry was painted green with a bronze dome, red wheels and a black footplate. He originally had his name and the number 5 painted on his side tanks and cab respectively, however these were removed when Awdry made him into a spare model and gave the number instead to Albert.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

John

John was a narrow gauge saddle tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway.

Technical Details

Basis

John's model was created using a Peco James kit on an 0-4-0 chassis. The kit is based off of no engine in particular, however bears a notable resemblance to 0-4-0STs produced by Bagnall, one of which named Pixie was owned by Teddy Boston.

Livery

John was painted the same light blue livery as Jennings and wore his name and the number 6 on his saddle tank and cab sides respectively.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

Trivia

  • John's model was later dismantled and the chassis reused for Stuart.

Jennings

Jennings was a narrow gauge well tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway.

Technical Details

Basis

Jennings' model was built by Awdry from a OO9 scale Peco James kit and modified into an 0-4-0WT. The result strongly resembles Dolgoch, the basis of Rheneas and Smudger.

Livery

Originally, Jennings was painted the same light blue livery as John and wore the number 7 on his cab. When converted into a spare engine alongside Gerry, Jennings was repainted red with a brass dome and a black running board.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

Trivia

  • Jennings' model was originally used for Rheneas.

Atlas

Atlas was an American narrow gauge saddle tank engine who worked on the Mid Sodor Railway.

Technical Details

Basis

Atlas' model was built by Awdry using the saddle tank, boiler, funnel and domes of a Minitrains Baldwin (the same type used to build Albert Mk1 and Alfred) along with a spare cab and an Atlas 0-6-0 chassis.

Livery

It is unknown what colour Atlas was painted, however surviving photographs indicate he had gold domes. His name and number were painted on the sides of his cab.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion volumes

Trivia

  • Like Alfred, Atlas only appeared on the first and second versions of Awdry's Mid Sodor Railway layout and were not part of its operating sequence. The two would be used as spares until Gerry and Jennings were made redundant, and thus they were removed from the layout entirely. It is unknown what happened to their models afterwards.
  • Atlas' name originates from the manufacturers of his model's chassis.

External Links

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