Stanley (narrow gauge)/Behind the Scenes

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Behind the Scenes

This is a behind the scenes subpage for Stanley (narrow gauge). This subpage contains all behind the scenes material relating to said article.

Background Information

The Railway Series

Stanley was a fictional American narrow gauge pannier tank locomotive on the Mid Sodor Railway created by the Rev. W. Awdry. He appears in the Railway Series book, Duke the Lost Engine, which was published in 1970.

The engine is only known as "No. 2" in that book; his nickname was not revealed until the publication of The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.

Stanley's second appearance, in the back of the shed in "Bulldog", creates a continuity error. According to "Granpuff", Stuart and Falcon did not know about Stanley, implying Stanley's arrival and rebuild occurred before their arrival. However, Stanley is seen in the same shed as Falcon, meaning Falcon would have known about Stanley and what happened to him. Also, it has been confirmed that Falcon was built and came to the railway before Stanley, while Stuart was built and came to the railway before Stanley was turned into a pumping engine.

1904 Stanley as illustrated by Gunvor and Peter Edwards (1970)

1927 Stanley as a pumping engine as illustrated by Gunvor and Peter Edwards (1970)

Stanley is described as being a rough rider and had the tendency to come off the rails, a trait that his basis (Baldwin Class 10-12-D 4-6-0) had. Two of these locomotives worked at the Snailbeach District Railway from 1923 to 1950, which partly formed the basis for the Mid Sodor Railway.

Stanley's basis

His basis seen on the Snailbeach District Railway

Stanley becoming a stationary boiler was based on a time early in the preservation period of the Ffestiniog Railway when the locomotive Palmerston (a sister locomotive to Prince, Duke and Bertram's basis) was being used as a stationary boiler. Palmerston was eventually restored to operating condition in 1993.

Palmerston as a stationary boiler

Television Series

Stanley was not introduced in the television series, however his role in the magazines and fourth series episode, Granpuff was replaced by Smudger, a dark green British 0-4-0 narrow gauge well tank engine. This was because the production crew were on a very slim budget and had to be recycled from Rheneas' model by painting it dark green and giving it separate face masks, one of which was later reused for Bertram. Unlike Stanley, Smudger was referred to by name and he was converted into a generator. Both locomotives share the same number.

The magazine story, Duncan Has a Spill, incorrectly portrays Smudger as a saddle tank engine. The same error was made in the illustration of Stanley as a pumping engine in Duke the Lost Engine.

Smudger, the television series counterpart

Smudger as a generator in a magazine story

Behind the Scenes

Awdry's model

Wilbert Awdry created an OO9 model of Stanley for his Mid Sodor Railway layout. It was built from a GEM Baldwin 590 kit, heavily cut down and modified to fit on a Minitrix 0-6-0 chassis. Unlike how the character was depicted in the books, Awdry's model of Stanley was not painted red, but was actually black, with his name and number painted in yellow. For a brief time the model also wore tram skirts on the right side, likely to hide the lack of valve gear.

On the layout, Stanley was used for workmen's trains. However, the model proved to be unreliable. It was not as powerful as the other engines and had a tendency to derail. It was eventually retired and broken up, with a few of the leftover parts being turned into a pumping engine for scenery on the layout. It was the mishaps Awdry experienced with his own model that inspired Stanley's fate in the books, rather than the rough riding the real locomotives of his class actually endured.

Stanley, as a pumping engine, was still a part of the layout when it was donated by Awdry and put on display at the Reverend Teddy Boston's Cadeby Light Railway in Cadeby, Leicestershire, before the railway finally closed in 2005. The layout is now back with the Awdry family.

Awdry's model of Stanley

Stanley, as a pumping engine, on the Mid Sodor Railway layout circa 2021

A Minitrains Baldwin locomotive