Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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“Timothy is terrific, sir!"
"He may not be the biggest or strongest engine I've ever met, but he's a very hard worker.”
Cranky and Porter to the Fat Controller[src]

Timothy is a little oil-burning saddle tank engine, who works at the Sodor China Clay Company with Bill, Ben and Marion.

Biography

When Thomas came to the clay pits to work, Bill and Ben tricked him into taking a train of trucks. Thomas, however, was unaware that Timothy was on the other end which Timothy claimed was a bit of a funny trick. He gave Thomas some advice about the dangerous crumbling clay pit walls and he also told him not to mind Bill and Ben's tricks so much. Thomas accepted Timothy's advice to be cautious.[2]

Bill and Ben once teased Timothy for being an oil-burning engine instead of a regular coal-burning engine. Timothy started to get upset by this, but ended up having the last laugh when the clay pits ran out of coal. Timothy collected some coal from Brendam Docks and the twins finally apologised for their teasing.[3]

Some time later, the twins sent him on a wild goose chase to find them a multi-coloured truck which they claimed that they wanted for doing something important which was one of their usual tricks. This caused Timothy to run around the island until he came across a waste truck covered in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet paint at Brendam Docks. Salty claimed it to be a "rainbow truck", so Timothy took the truck back to the China Clay Pits where Bill and Ben could smell the rubbish inside the truck. The Fat Controller scolded Bill and Ben for their silly trick they played on Timothy and were told to take the truck to Whiff's Waste Dump as a punishment, so the China Clay Twins took the multi-coloured truck to the Waste Dump.[1]

One time, Bill and Ben constantly said Timothy was "no help at all" whenever they made mistakes, though no one was fooled. However, they convinced the Fat Controller to send Timothy to Brendam Docks to help Porter, who was working on his own due to Salty working on the mainland. But without Timothy, the work at the clay pits piled up. Finally Timothy came back with Salty and Porter behind him to help clear up the mess.[4]

Timothy was one of the many engines who wanted to go to the Great Railway Show but was not chosen.

Personality

Timothy is friendly, helpful, and loves being really useful, but can also be naïve and gullible. This can lead him to fall victim to Bill and Ben's tricks. He is also strong-willed and determined, and can be surprisingly witty when he puts his mind to something.

Technical Details

Basis

Timothy is based on an open cab oil-burning steam engine built by Bell Locomotive Works, Inc. of New York City. These engines, which were built in a variety of gauges, were used throughout the United States, Cuba, Central America, and South America in construction and industrial work, such as clay pits.

Unlike his basis, Timothy is erroneously portrayed with a saddle tank around his boiler in addition to the water tank behind his cab. Additionally, Timothy has been modified for use on Sodor with screw link couplings, added buffers and brake pipes.

Livery

Timothy is painted dark blue with red lining and brass fittings. The initials "SCC" are painted on the sides of his water tank in yellow. He also has brass nameplates with his name painted in black on the sides of his rear tank and red curtains in his cab.

Appearances

Audio Files

Whistle

First used Last used Sound Effect
Tale of the Brave Series 19

Trivia

  • In the twenty-second series, Timothy is called Timmy in the Czech dub.
  • Timothy's headlamp would later be reused for Skarloey, albeit minus the handle.
  • Timothy's whistle sound is Thomas' at ten steps higher in pitch.
  • Timothy is the fifth oil-burning steam engine to be introduced, following Victor, Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand.
    • Coincidentally, their basis were all built in the United States.

Quotes

“Don't look at me!”
― No Steam Without Coal
“Wait a minute! Is this one of your tricks?”
― Timothy and the Rainbow Truck

Merchandise

References



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

* RWS only | ** T&F only
International Characters

* RWS only | ** T&F only | ✦ Changed location
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