- “Toby's only a little engine. If an important engine like me didn't know which way to turn . . .”
- ― James, "James and the Diesel Engines"
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Toby is a tram engine.
Bio
Toby was built by James Holden at GER's Stratford Works in 1903 and originally lived at Great Yarmouth docks in Norfolk with three of his brothers. In 1951, Toby came to work at the quarry on Thomas' branch line in "Toby the Tram Engine" after his old railway in East Anglia closed, as it was found to be illegal for Thomas to go on the quarry line without sideplates or cowcatchers.
Toby is old and, at first, was teased by James for his shabby paint. James stopped calling him names after he crashed into some tar wagons, and Toby was given chocolate-brown and blue paint for his hard work.
Toby has two coaches named Henrietta and Victoria and a luggage van called Elsie.
It is revealed in "Toby, Trucks and Trouble" that, prior to working on his tramway, he worked at the harbour at Yarmouth with at least three of his brothers, at which time he had brown paint and black sideplates with "LNER" in yellow on them.
Persona
Toby has been established as part of the "Steam Team" in the television series, and in real time and in recent episodes has been portrayed as being nervous and uncertain, but he always learns his lessons and is never careless anymore. Toby is brave and loyal in some episodes and real time. Like Edward, Toby is old and wise, he never complains about anything, while working.
Basis
Toby was inspired by a GER Wisbech steam tram J70 0-6-0T seen by the Reverend W. and Christopher Awdry on a holiday at Yarmouth, hence Toby's origins.
Livery
In the Railway Series, Toby was painted brown with black cowcatchers and sideplates before working on his tramway, where he was painted grayish-brown with gray sideplates and cowcatchers. After helping James he was repainted chocolate-brown with olive frames and blue sideplates. In the television series, he has consistently been painted brown with grey sideplates and cowcatchers.
Toby is currently painted chocolate brown with olive frames, blue sideplates, gray cowcatchers, black wheels and a number 7 painted on his sides in bright yellow with a red border. Toby originally had gray body work, black cowcatchers, sideplates and bufferbeams. Later he had brown body work, and "LNER" written on his sideplates in yellow. When working on his tramway, he was painted grayish-brown with gray sideplates and cowcatchers with no "LNER" writings. After helping James he was repainted chocolate brown with blue sideplates and olive frames.
Appearances
Toby's Railway Series appearances are listed below, in chronological order:
- "Toby the Tram Engine"
- "Gordon the Big Engine"
- "Edward the Blue Engine"
- "Percy the Small Engine" (does not speak)
- "The Eight Famous Engines"
- "Duck and the Diesel Engine" (cameo)
- "Branch Line Engines"
- "Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine" (does not speak)
- "Tramway Engines"
- "James and the Diesel Engines" (mentioned)
- "More About Thomas the Tank Engine"
- "Toby, Trucks and Trouble"
- "Thomas and the Twins" (does not speak)
- "Thomas and the Great Railway Show"
- "Thomas Comes Home"
- "Wilbert the Forest Engine"
- "Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines"
- "Thomas and Victoria"
Toby has appeared in every season of the television series.
Merchandising
Toby is available as a Learning Curve Wooden, TOMY, Trackmaster, Hornby and Bachmann model. He is also available as either a regular or metallic Take-Along model.
His ERTL model remains discontinued.
Trivia
- Toby's Learning Curve Wooden model depicts Toby as a 0-4-0.
- In both the Railway Series and the television series, Toby usually has a square face on his front cab. Oddly though, in "Toby's Megatrain" in Thomas Comes Home, Toby has a another square face on his rear cab. This is probably due to the ability to switch faces between ends, as what the diesels in the Railway Series do. In real time, Toby has a square face on his front cab, just like in the Railway Series and the television series.
- Toby made two discoveries in these episodes; "Toby's Discovery" and "Toby's Special Surprise".
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