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“Proteus' lamp was so bright you could see it for miles around!”
Skarloey[src]

Proteus is a legendary yellow narrow gauge saddle tank engine with a magic lamp hung upon his funnel.

Biography

Proteus was a very old engine from the high hills of Sodor with a magical lamp, and the legend goes that if any engine ever found it, their wishes would come true. The clues to finding the magic lamp are feeling a rush of wind when the lamp is near, hearing a strange creaking sound, and see a flickering light that shines on and off.

Skarloey once told Proteus' story to the other narrow gauge engines and Thomas at the Transfer Yards. At first, Peter Sam scoffed at the tale, but almost thought he discovered the lamp himself. He later realized that maybe just believing in the lamp will grant your wishes.[1]

Miss Mary Marvel, a famous storyteller, later visited the Skarloey Railway to read stories about the legend at a special show. Peter Sam found a neglected statue of Proteus that was lost for many years. The statue was then restored and is now preserved in a park near the railway.[2]

Technical Details

Basis

Proteus is based on the Talyllyn Railway's No. 3, Sir Haydn, a Hughes Falcon 0-4-2ST that originally worked on the Corris Railway. Sir Handel and Albert's Mark 2 model share the same basis. His cylinder block, wheels and valve gear, however, are reused from those of Peter Sam, a Kerr Stuart Tattoo Class 0-4-2ST. Interestingly, Sir Haydn was briefly seen sporting a mustard yellow livery similar to Proteus' own in 1958.

Livery

Proteus is painted in bright yellow with red lining and black wheels. His bufferbeams are a deep maroon colour. He has gold handrails and silver buffers.

Proteus' Wooden Railway and TrackMaster toys depict him as having gold nameplates with red backing, despite not having them in the television series. Additionally, his TrackMaster toy depicts him with gold side rods instead of his original silver ones.

Appearances

Official Description

From Official Media[1]

Proteus: Proteus was a very old engine from the hills of Sodor with a lamp that was so bright you could see it for miles. Legend has it that the lamp was magic and if any engine ever found it, their wishes would come true.

Trivia

  • Proteus is likely named after the legendary sea god of the same name from Greek Mythology.
  • The statue of Proteus is missing his signature lamp.
  • Prototypes of Proteus' TrackMaster toy erroneously show him carrying the number 3 sticker from Sir Handel.
  • Although he never spoke in the series, he has a speaking role in the Thomas & Friends Storytime series, where he is voiced by Keith Wickham.
  • While no one knows what actually happened to Proteus, a popular belief is that he was Rusty's Ghost Engine from Duncan Gets Spooked, and therefore perished in the fall from the Old Iron Bridge.

Merchandise

Gallery

Thomas & Friends

Model Series

Promotional Material

Others

Merchandise

References


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