| This article is about the character. You may be looking for the 1999 magazine story, the other magazine story or the Story Library Book. |
- “You're a very naughty engine! I hope I can trust you to behave when you next come out of this shed!”
- ― Sir Topham Hatt
Sir Handel - originally named Falcon, after the works where he was built - is a blue narrow gauge saddle tank engine originally of the Mid Sodor Railway. He now works on the Skarloey Railway.
Biography
Falcon and Stuart lived together with Duke until their line was closed down and they were bought by the Skarloey Railway and were renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.
Upon arriving, Sir Handel had many adventures, all of which were reprised from the Railway Series. He was very pompous and refused to do his job well when he arrived on the Skarloey Railway, so he was sent to the sheds for a while to repent. After coming back out, he was derailed by his own coaches when he stopped too quickly in front of some sheep. He soon got into a fight with George the steamroller, which ended in a race with George smashing Sir Handel's trucks. Once George had left, Sir Handel became even more conceited than ever and believed that he had made George go away.
Sir Handel did not reappear until years later, apparently because he was working in the Skarloey Slate Quarry. When he returned, he had a much different attitude. He did his jobs without complaining, but had trouble getting up hills. He became wiser in most situations, but was still pompous sometimes. He was generally of the opinion that he knew best and should have been in charge. This sometimes led him into trouble with the other engines and the trucks. However, he always gets the job done. According to Mr. Perkins, Sir Handel can be cheeky sometimes.
He did get to be in charge one time by Mr. Percival when he was put in charge of a special delivery following a meeting with him and Sir Topham Hatt. He told Rusty, Duncan, Peter Sam and Mighty Mac to wait by saying he would find the best engines after telling four of them each he needed someone to take a train to Thomas at the Wharf because he didn't listen properly much to his self-importance.
When Samson was sent to the quarry to collect stone with Thomas, he asked Sir Handel if the other trucks were meant to go to Brendam, with the little engine replying that they were, but he was not sure if Samson could pull all of them. Sir Handel and Peter Sam laughed at him for his actions by pulling the heavy trucks.
Percy later told him and Peter Sam that there was a railway show for little engines being held at Ulfstead Castle. Peter Sam wondered if his funnel would win a prize at the show, which led to Sir Handel once again boasting about his special wheels.
He currently works on the Skarloey Railway with Skarloey, Rheneas, Peter Sam, Rusty, Duncan and Luke.
Personality
Sir Handel - named Falcon and under the supervision of Duke in his younger days - has been prone to moody tantrums and thinking that he knows better than others, suggesting a superiority complex. He has been known for being impulsive, arrogant, pompous, rude, stubborn, naughty and bad-tempered; he took a disliking to the narrow gauge coaches (often referring to them as "cattle trucks", which gave him a bad reputation with them), feigned illnesses to avoid jobs he hated, bumped trucks even if they behaved themselves and deliberately derailed himself. He believed that he should be in charge and tended to get too big for his wheels. When he was given broad wheels that held well to the rails and have been said to give a smooth ride, this contributed to his self-importance and his belief that he is a grand engine. He once claimed to be an express engine himself.
Sir Handel can be quite impressionable when it comes to engines who he views as important, such as Gordon, Duke or Skarloey. However, when the advice he is given results in him getting into trouble, as shown by Gordon, he can have second thoughts and wish to get revenge (much like Peter Sam and, in fact, many other engines). Despite all of this, Sir Handel always works to get things done and wants to be a reliable, goodhearted and really useful engine. After many years in the quarry, Sir Handel has been portrayed as a steady, thoughtful and mature engine who is ready to offer advice and be put in charge. Although he remains a stubborn sort, who believes himself to be a natural leader who should be in charge, he now enjoys helping others. He still has his cheeky side, as he and Peter Sam teased Samson on how many trucks he was capable of pulling, and later bragged about his special wheels when a little railway show was coming; despite this, Sir Handel means well, works hard and actually does care deeply for all his friends.
Technical Details
Basis
Sir Handel is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Sir Haydn, a Hughes Falcon 0-4-2ST locomotive that originally worked on the Corris Railway. Proteus shares the same basis. The Corris Railway built another "Falcon" locomotive in 2022, numbered 10 in their fleet.
Livery
Sir Handel is painted royal blue with red lining, black wheels and brass fittings. His name and number are written on the sides of his saddle tank and coal bunker respectively, on brass plates with red backing.
Appearances
Official Description
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | Sir Handel (Falcon): Brought up under instruction from Duke, Sir Handel is one of the oldest of the engines. Generally is of the opinion that he knows it all and should be the boss. Given to the occasional tantrum and can be rather bad tempered, but gets on with the job none the less.
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” |
From Official Website:[2]
| “ | Sir Handel: Brought up under instruction from Duke, Sir Handel is one of the oldest engines on the Narrow Gauge Railway. He generally is of the opinion that he knows it all and should be the boss. This occasionally leads him to have a tantrum or a bad attitude. Still, he always gets the job done.
|
” |
From Official Website:[3]
| “ | Sir Handel: Sir Handel is one of the oldest engines on the Narrow Gauge Railway. He generally is of the opinion that he knows best and should be the boss. This occasionally leads him to have troubles with other engines and the trucks. Still, he always gets the job done.
|
” |
From Official Website:[4]
| “ | Sir Handel: Sir Handel is one of the oldest engines on the Narrow Gauge Railway. While he sometimes gets into trouble by thinking he knows best and should be in charge, Sir Handel always gets the job done.
|
” |
Songs
- Sir Handel's Rhyme
- Will You Won't You (partially performed)
Audio Files
Themes
| Only used | Composer | Theme Song | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 10 | Robert Hartshorne | ||
| Series 11 | |||
Whistles
| First used | Last used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Series 4 | ||
| Sleeping Beauty (US only) | ||
| Series 10 | Series 20 | |
Trivia
- In the twelfth series, Michael Brandon gave Sir Handel a voice that sounds like an impression of late actor Marlon Brando.
- In the Railway Series, along with his ERTL and 1997-2005 Wooden Railway toys, Sir Handel is depicted with Sir Haydn's original cab design, which meant his cab was only open on his right side until Great Little Engines and his coal bunkers were not visible until New Little Engine. In the latter book, while his coal bunkers became visible, he retained the old cab design. In the television series, he is depicted with Sir Haydn's post-1968 and current, cab design.
- In various merchandise and books, Sir Handel's name is often misspelled as "Sir Handle".
- Sir Handel's original Motor Road and Rail toy had grey wheels.
- Despite Sir Handel being a narrow gauge engine, his TrackMaster toy came with updated versions of the red branch line coaches which are standard gauge.
- Lady and Millie's whistle sound would later sound similar to the one Sir Handel used in the US version of Sleeping Beauty.
- In the Czech dubbing of the fourth series, he was simply referred to as Handel.
- Sir Handel's current whistle from the tenth series onwards is reused from Mighty Mac's whistles from the same series. His whistle sound is their whistle sounds from the ninth series only, but at five steps lower-pitched (Mighty) and seven steps lower-pitched (Mac/Rex).
- Sir Handel, along with Duke, were the only Skarloey Railway engines introduced at the time, not to make an appearance in the fifth series.
- Sir Handel's trailing wheels were referred to as 'steamroller wheels' in only two episodes; Steam Roller and The Great Little Railway Show.
- Sir Handel is the only narrow gauge engine not to have a speaking role in the eighteenth series. Ironically, he is the only Skarloey Railway engine to have more than one speaking role in the twentieth series.
- When Sir Handel had his Falcon nameplate, it would not cover up the entire space where his Sir Handel nameplate would be, so the rest of the space was covered by black adhesive tape. This is because of its smaller size.
- According to the Thomas and Friends Writers' Bible, Sir Handel was named after Sir Handel Brown I, the former owner of the Skarloey Railway (as in The Railway Series).
Merchandise
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References
| Locomotives | Duke | Smudger | Falcon | Stuart | Bertram |
|---|---|
| People | The Mid Sodor Railway Manager |
| Stations | Arlesburgh Harbour** | Arlesburgh Bridge Street** | Ffarquhar Road** | Bertram's Old Mine** | Marthwaite** | Arlesdale Green** | Duke's Station | Cas-ny-Hawin** | Ulfstead Road** | Elm Farm | Ballamoddey** | Valesbridge | King Orry's Bridge** |