Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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===[[:Category:Books|Books]]===
 
===[[:Category:Books|Books]]===
 
* '''2018''' - [[The 12 Engines of Christmas]]
 
* '''2018''' - [[The 12 Engines of Christmas]]
* '''2019''' - [[The Steam Team]], [[No.1 Sticker Scenes]], [[Big Sticker Adventures]], [[Engines Around the World]] and [[Ten Little Engines]]
+
* '''2019''' - [[The Steam Team]], [[No.1 Sticker Scenes]], [[Big Sticker Adventures]], [[Engines Around the World]], [[Ten Little Engines]] and [[Five Useful Engines]]
 
* '''2020''' - [[Best Birthday Ever!]], [[Teamwork Makes the Steam Work]], [[The Big Book of Engines]], [[1001 Stickers]] and [[All Aboard! (First Look and Find book)]]
 
* '''2020''' - [[Best Birthday Ever!]], [[Teamwork Makes the Steam Work]], [[The Big Book of Engines]], [[1001 Stickers]] and [[All Aboard! (First Look and Find book)]]
   

Revision as of 22:20, 18 June 2020


Rebecca is a large streamlined tender engine that originates from The Mainland. She sometimes helps Gordon pull the Express during busy periods, but otherwise performs mixed traffic duties on the Main Line.

Biography

Thomas & Friends

Rebecca first arrived on the Island of Sodor after Henry moved out of Tidmouth Sheds and Sir Topham Hatt wanted another engine to help with Gordon and the Express, though she arrived a day earlier than what Sir Topham Hatt expected and nearly bumped him and Winston off the rails when she tried to stop at Knapford. Her first job was to pull the express, though she caused a small mishap when she accidentally collected Flying Scotsman's passengers at Vicarstown early. After hearing how the other engines mentioned how fast and strong they were, Rebecca decided that she would leave the stations early to prove how she can get things done fast, but this caused a lot of confusion and the passengers got angry. Sir Topham Hatt scolded her at the end of her first day about what was happening and Rebecca apologised for what she did, making up for it and even surprising the Flying Scotsman.

Rebecca met BelleMarion, and Harvey and complimented them on their respective special features (Belle's water cannons, Marion's digger, and Harvey's crane), only to feel as if she was not special due to not having one. After hearing Duck mention that the crew at the Sodor Steamworks "can do anything", Rebecca went there to get the features fitted on her, but to no avail. Thomas and Marion helped Rebecca realise that complimenting others and making them feel good about themselves is her special quality.

When Sir Topham Hatt arrived asking for an engine to take the Troublesome Trucks, Thomas, James, and Percy placed the special's responsibilities on Rebecca, leaving the entire Steam Team concerned about their tricks. Contrary to expectations, she pulled them just fine, leaving the trucks confused and Thomas, James and Percy in their own predicaments. She arrived back at Tidmouth Sheds almost bumping Sir Topham off the rails.

In an attempt to get the other diesels into trouble for a change, Diesel had Rebecca do their jobs improperly. Unfortunately, he did not count on her honesty and he was punished by Sir Topham Hatt.

Personality

Despite her large size, Rebecca is shy and sometimes clumsy, but not afraid to stand up for herself and is not intimidated by the older engines. At times, she feels the need to be on the same level as the other engines, which can sometimes make her anxious or overhasty. But despite her insecurities, Rebecca loves to see the best in everyone and all her friends appreciate her kindness and enthusiasm. She also has the uncanny ability to work with Troublesome Trucks without trouble on the first try, something that confuses even the trucks themselves. Because Rebecca is so willing to see the good in others, she can occasionally be gullible, as shown when she fell for one of Diesel's tricks, but she is also very honest, willing to tell the truth if needed.

Technical Details

Basis

Rebecca is based on the Southern Railway "West Country" and "Battle of Britain" class (also known as "Light Pacifics"), a class of 4-6-2 tender locomotives designed by Oliver Bulleid and built between 1945 and 1951. These engines were classified as mixed-traffic locomotives when introduced and used for a wide variety of passenger and goods trains, including famous expresses such as the 'Golden Arrow' and the 'Atlantic Coast Express'. The "West Country" and "Battle of Britain" class engines were smaller and lighter versions of Bulleid's earlier "Merchant Navy" class, originally built with 'air-smoothed' casing, chain-driven valve gear and tenders with tall streamlined sides. Ten unrebuilt members of the class have been preserved, one of them, Blackmoor Vale on the Bluebell Railway and another, Winston Churchill at the National Railway Museum. Another preserved member of the class, Swanage, appeared in Thomas and the U.K. Trip when Gachapin and Mukku were visiting several heritage railways.

While Rebecca is modelled on the unrebuilt version of the locomotive, her tender design resembles the cut-down version used by rebuilt and unrebuilt members of the class in British Railways service. Additionally, she features several differences over her real-life basis, including an altered front end with a larger and lower bufferbeam, driving wheels which share the same design as Hiro's and plain disc wheels for her front bogie, trailing truck and tender, as opposed to the Bulleid Firth Brown disc wheels found on her prototype. Rebecca's cylinders and cab roof also have a significantly different shape compared to those on the real "Light Pacifics".

Livery

Rebecca is painted sunshine yellow and navy with white lining. Her wheel rims are painted white, her front end is painted red and she has red and orange stripes painted along her sides. Rebecca also carries two blue nameplates on her smoke deflectors, each with her name in white lettering. Her cabsides have the number "22" and her tender has the letters "N.W.R.", both painted in white.

Appearances

Audio Files

Whistle

First used Last used Sound Effect
Series 22 Active
First used Last used Sound Effect
Thomas' Magical Birthday Wishes Thomas' Magical Birthday Wishes

Trivia

  • At one point during her creation, she was originally going to be called Miranda.
  • An official Thomas & Friends magazine incorrectlly states that Thomas meets Rebecca on the Mainland in Big World Big Adventures. This idea was most likely dropped during production.
  • She is the third character numbered 22, the first two being Isobella and Luke. Her number is a reference to the series she was introduced in.
  • She is the third engine to have NWR lettering painted on her, with Emma being the first and Rosie second.
    • She is also the only member of the Steam Team to have it.
  • Rebecca is the last known character created by Andrew Brenner before his departure in 2018.
  • She is the newest, second-youngest and second-fastest member of the Steam Team, with Gordon being the fastest and strongest. Despite this, Rebecca is visually taller, wider and longer than Gordon.
  • She uses Mighty's original whistle sound, which is also the same as Bert's.
  • Her basis appears in some episodes before she was introduced, such as in the ninth series episodes, Mighty Mac and Thomas and the Birthday Picnic.
  • She is the only member of the Steam Team to not appear in any of the feature-length specials of the series since they all take place before she arrived on Sodor.
  • Rebecca has the longest name out of all the Steam Team members in spelling terms.
  • Rebecca shares her name with Hilary Fortnam's granddaughter. Fortnam was the youngest daughter of The Railway Series creator Wilbert Awdry.

Quotes

“My name's Rebecca. And, I don't know why you keep on calling Gordon 'little brother.' You look the same size to me. If anything, I think Gordon looks bigger!”
― Rebecca introduces herself to Flying Scotsman as well as chastising his teasing to his brother , Confusion Without Delay
“Hello, sir. And, uh, sorry, sir. I miscalculated how long it would take me to stop...by, uh, quite a lot!”
― Rebecca unexpectedly arrived, Confusion Without Delay

Merchandise

Video



* RWS only | ** T&F only | --- Dropped