- “No, uh, we can't do anything.”
- ― Theo doubting himself
Theo is a shy experimental railway traction engine who works at the Steelworks on the Mainland.
Biography
When Thomas travelled to the Mainland, he befriended the experimental engines: Theo, Lexi and Merlin. Theo and Lexi warmly welcomed Thomas and Theo hauled Thomas to refill his coal. Later, Theo, along with the other experimental engines, helped Thomas rescue James, who had been trapped in the Steelworks.
Afterwards, Thomas convinced the experimental engines to stay at the Steelworks with Frankie and Hurricane.
Personality
Theo is very shy, extremely cautious and highly awkward. He has an unusual, experimental drive system that does not always function the way it should. He finds it particularly difficult when going in reverse. This only undermines Theo's confidence and he firmly believes he cannot do anything, although this is not entirely true. Theo is quiet and thoughtful, but when he speaks, he is usually direct, to the point and sometimes blunt. He speaks his mind and is usually a pessimist of thoughts, but Theo is kind and generally caring. He would just like to keep to himself and his friends as safe as possible so they can hide away and have a quiet life.
According to executive producer Christopher Keenan, Theo is very particular. He has a great knowledge of mechanics and likes to understand the world around him and how things work. He is open and honest with his emotions, but is not as comfortable with others as he is with mechanics and has trouble with communicating and understanding.[1]
Technical Details
Basis
Theo appears to be mainly based on an Aveling & Porter TJ class locomotive, like Fergus, albeit with heavy modifications. Unlike a standard TJ class, Theo has a cab, which may have been inspired by Aveling & Porter's Sir Vincent. He also has an experimental gear drive system on his right side, with a similar setup to that of the Coalbrookdale Locomotive. This system drives both sets of wheels using one large cog, giving him an 0-4-0 arrangement rather than the standard 2-2-0. Because they are both driven by one large cog, his front wheels rotate faster than his rear wheels, causing his gear system to jam frequently. His fly wheel may also have been inspired by Aveling & Porter's No. 807.
Livery
Theo is painted brownish-black with gold lining, head lamp, whistle, and a light brown cab. His wheels and lower traction wheels are emerald green while his upper traction wheels are dark red. Theo also carries his name on gold nameplates fixated on each side of his smoke box.
Appearances
Thomas & Friends
Specials
Music Videos
Videos
|
Official Description
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | Theo: Theo is very shy, extremely cautious and awkward. He has an unusual experimental drive system that doesn't always run very smoothly and he makes sudden jolts forward or back when his rods or cogs jam. He finds it particularly difficult when going in reverse. This of course only undermines Theo's confidence and he firmly believes that he can't do anything, although this is not actually true. Theo is quiet and thoughtful, but when he speaks he is often direct and to the point, sometimes even blunt. He just says what's on his mind, and it's usually not the most optimistic of thoughts. But Theo is genuinely kind and caring. He would just like to keep himself and his friends as safe as possible so they can hide away and have a quiet life. | ” |
Audio Files
Whistle
| Only used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|
| Journey Beyond Sodor |
Trivia
- Theo was created with the intention of displaying personality traits of autism. However, he was not overtly recognised as being autistic by Mattel.[1][2]
- This makes Theo the franchise's first character to be written with the intent of showing autisic traits with the second being Bruno from Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, who is officially recognised as being its first autistic character.
- Theo speaks with a mild lisp.
- Similarly to Fergus, a semicircle has been cut into Theo's front bufferbeam to accommodate a face.
- On the back of the Journey Beyond Sodor DVD, Theo's lamp is white instead of gold.
- Theo fretting and saying "I think I can't, I think I can't" is a direct reference to the famous children's book The Little Engine That Could.
- In most merchandise lines, Theo is depicted with only his rear wheel being driven by the cog, therefore having a 2-2-0 arrangement rather than the 0-4-0 depicted in the series. This is to prevent the gears from locking up or breaking, as the front wheels would rotate quicker than the rear wheels if both were connected to the gear. His plarail unmotorized model is the exception, being remedied by both wheels being the exact same size.
- Some parts from Theo's model have previously been reused elsewhere:
- A copy of Theo's flywheel is shown in Crocks Scrap Yard in the twenty-first series episode P.A. Problems.
- One of Theo's cogs is reused as a part on a flatbed in Brazil in the twenty-third series episode Batucada.
- Cleo's engine reuses some of Theo's cogs.
- Theo is the only character with a front coupler in the series to not have one in the Adventures range.
- According to Michael White, Theo may have been intended to appear in the twenty-fourth series double length episode Thomas and the Royal Engine, but was dropped due to time constraints.
Merchandise
Adventures
| Name | Released | Discontinued | Highlights | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Plarail
| Name | Released | Discontinued | Highlights | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Capsule Plarail
| Name | Released | Discontinued | Highlights | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
References
| Locomotives | Steam | City of Truro | Flying Scotsman | Spencer | Stephen's Competitors | Connor | Caitlin | Samson | Logan | Theo | Lexi | Hurricane | Merlin | Duchess | Flying Thistle | Thirteen |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Class 40 | The Mainland Diesels | Frankie | |
| Rolling Stock | Connor's Coaches | Caitlin's Coaches | Bradford | |
| Non-Rail Vehicles | 040 BMC | Beresford | Tony | Mitchell | The Hawker Hurricane | |
| People | Elizabeth II | The Duke and Duchess of Boxford | The Thin Clergyman | The Fat Clergyman | Baz and Bernie | |
| Stations | Barrow-in-Furness | Brighton | Crewe | Victoria | |