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For other uses, see Stanley (disambiguation).

Stanley is a silver saddle tank engine who lives on the Island of Sodor and works as both a shunting and a mixed-traffic engine on the North Western Railway.

Biography

Stanley was first brought to Sodor by the Fat Controller to take care of Thomas' workload during the restoration of Great Waterton for Sodor Day. Upon his arrival, Stanley became very popular and enjoyed the company of the engines, much to Thomas' jealousy.

Stanley's popularity caused Thomas to feel jealous and later neglected. When Stanley took charge of the Great Waterton restoration after Thomas had an accident, Thomas plotted to make Stanley look weak by giving him too many trucks. This trick backfired when the trucks broke away from Stanley on a hill and ran into the half-restored Water Works.

When Thomas later went missing, Stanley was the first to realise Thomas' feelings. He searched for Thomas until he finally managed to find him in a ditch and rescue him, though burst a valve shortly after due to the strain. Thomas then helped push Stanley to Great Waterton. Upon the town's restoration, Stanley brought the Mayor of Sodor to its re-opening ceremony in Annie and Clarabel.[2]

Stanley later worked in Knapford Yards with Thomas and James during the winter and helped with the rebuilding of Sodor River Bridge.[3][4]

When Sir Topham Hatt asked Gordon and Stanley to collect some workmen and important passengers from Great Waterton, Gordon was determined to beat Stanley there. While trying to find a shortcut, he blocked Stanley's track with logs after crashing into Ben's flatbed. Fortunately, Gordon was able to warn Stanley before he hit the logs and - as a sign of friendship - allowed Stanley to take the important passengers.[5]

Stanley was amongst the engines at Knapford who were worried about Percy's whereabouts when Percy was spending all his time with the Diesels at the Dieselworks.[6] Later on in the winter, he suffered from a faulty firebox and Thomas came to his aid once again.[7]

More recently, Stanley has been one of the main shunting engines stationed in Knapford Yards. During Samson's first visit to Sodor, Stanley attempted to warn him that he had accidentally coupled up to Gordon's Express Coaches instead of the trucks he was meant to take to the Blue Mountain Quarry, but to no avail.[8] Stanley was also one of the engines told about the rumour of Toby being scrapped.[9]

When the Harwick Branch Line was being constructed, Stanley was one of the engines used to bring materials to the construction site.[10]

Stanley was also one of the many engines who wanted to go to the Great Railway Show. Like most engines, however, he was not chosen and stayed on Sodor.[11]

When the diesels at the Dieselworks were put out of action, Stanley worked with Rosie to help shunt at Knapford Yards.[12]

Personality

Stanley is the "boy-next-door" of Sir Topham Hatt's Railway. Cool, boyish, courteous and cheery, he is a little bit bigger, a little bit newer and a little bit stronger than Thomas. This, at first, made Thomas jealous when all focus seemed to be on this shiny, new arrival, especially when he began helping with the restoration of Great Waterton. However, even Thomas was soon won over by Stanley's positive attitude, charm and friendliness and came to see why he was so popular and well-liked among the other engines. As such, Thomas and Stanley are now firm friends.

Stanley is incredibly compassionate and empathetic: there is nothing he would not do for another engine. And if he cannot do it, he will find someone who could. He was however oblivious of how upset he made Thomas feel at first until Thomas went missing. When he eventually realised this, he was quick to search for Thomas and apologise. He is sleek, smart and stylish and his silver and light grey appearance, striking red wheels and shining smokebox certainly makes him look the part as he eagerly goes about his work.

Technical Details

Basis

Stanley is based on the Stewart & Lloyds 16" 0-6-0STs, albeit with an arched smokebox and the sandboxes above the running board removed. Introduced in 1921, specifically for Stewart & Lloyds, they were based on a similar, smaller Manning Wardle design - that being the "T" class. These engines were originally built by Manning Wardle, however were later produced for Stewart & Lloyds by Kitson & Company, as Manning Wardle had by then ceased trading. The last five were constructed by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns, after Kitson stopped building locomotives in 1937. Several of these locomotives have been preserved, including No. 42 "Rhondda", No. 44 "Conway", No. 45 "Colwyn" and No. 47 "Carnavon".

The Official Website and 2013 Writer's Bible erroneously state that Stanley is a hybrid of a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST engine and Kitson's No. 5459 "Austin I".[13][14]

Livery

Stanley is painted in a silver-white livery with a metallic silver smokebox, red wheels and lining. He has a red running plate with a dark grey base coat and has red nameplates with his name in silver on each side of his saddle tank.

Appearances

Thomas & Friends

Specials

Television Specials

Music Videos

Learning Segments

Official Description

From Official Website[1]

Stanley: Stanley is a new tank engine on the Island of Sodor. He's grey, chrome and shiny. He's a little bit bigger, a little bit newer and a little bit stronger than Thomas. Stanley is a very good engine and is everyone's best friend: the boy-next-door of Sir Topham Hatt's railway.


Fun Fact: There's nothing he wouldn't do. When you're a friend in need…Stanley is a friend indeed.

From Official Website[2]

Stanley: Stanley is one of the newest engines on the island and is the boy-next-door of Sir Topham Hatt's railway. He is a little bit bigger, a little bit newer and a little bit stronger than Thomas. There's nothing he wouldn't do for another engine. And if he couldn't do it, he'd find someone who could. Stanley is a great friend to everyone.


Fun Fact: Stanley was brought to the island to help out while Thomas worked on restoring Great Waterton. Stanley is a Hudswell Clark/Kiston 0-6-0ST/Austin No. 1 hybrid.

Audio Files

Theme

First used Last used Composer Theme Song
The Great Discovery Series 12 Robert Hartshorne

Whistles

First used Last used Sound Effect
The Great Discovery Series 20
Series 12

Trivia

  • Stanley's standard whistle is Thomas', but at five steps lower-pitched.
    • Additionally, Stanley's whistle from the twelfth series was originally used by Percy in the US dub of Thomas and Stepney.
  • Stanley's popularity with the public has grown following a YouTube video called "A Toy Train in Space", in which a 2008 Wooden Railway toy of him was sent into the stratosphere, and multiple Wooden Railway Stanley's were sold. As a result, Take-n-Play, Collectible Railway and Adventures "Stanley in Space" toys have been released.
  • Stanley is named after the town Great Waterton is based off of: Stanley, County Durham.
  • Stanley is the last character to be introduced in the full model series, as he was introduced before the show's transition to partial CGI in the twelfth series.
  • Stanley's theme is heard in two scenes of the twelfth series episode Heave Ho Thomas!, despite not appearing in that episode.
  • According to Michael White, Stanley was planned to be fully removed from the series after the twenty-second series until he told Ian McCue about Stanley's fan following online.
  • The thirteenth and seventeenth series are the only series in which Stanley does not appear since his debut in The Great Discovery.

References


--- Dropped | * 1991-1994 maps only | ** 2014 map only
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