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This article is about the vehicles. You may be looking for the episode or the book.

The Horrid Lorries, individually referred to as Lorry 1, Lorry 2 and Lorry 3, are three small lorries who were incredibly rude to the engines.

Biography

When Percy was late one day, Cranky suggested that a lorry should do his work. True to his word (and delight), three red, incredibly rude lorries arrived the next day. Lorry 2 called Percy a lump of steaming scrap iron, while Lorry 1 called him a "little green goblin on wheels", told him he would be scrapped and he also insulted Thomas and James.

At the quarry, Toby encountered Lorry 2; he told Toby that he belonged in a museum and to "toodle off", saying that Toby was not useful. Toby tried to find work at the mill, but Lorry 3 was there already. He said that the three lorries were doing the "slow" engines' work, while the foreman said that times were changing.

Of course, all three got in trouble. Lorry 2 fell off a mountainside (in front of Toby; Percy ironically echoed the "steaming scrap iron" line to him), Lorry 3 broke down after being overloaded with flour (which led to Toby bringing up the usefulness insult) and was brought to the docks by Butch and Lorry 1 reversed into the sea. Later, Thomas saw the three lorries and due to the impact of their damage, he nicknamed them "Smashed" (Lorry 2), "Broken" (Lorry 3) and "Sunk" (Lorry 1). The lorries were then sent away and despite Lorry 2 declaring that they would return, they never have.

Personality

The Lorries were arrogant, mean, rude and disrespectful towards the engines. They believed that the railway was inferior to the roadways and also enjoyed teasing the engines for their appearances. They were also very careless, and this led to their disgrace.

Technical Details

Basis

The lorries appear to be based on Foden OG range lorries, which were once a common sight around railway yards.

According to their ERTL character bios, the lorries "are based on the famous Foden design. Fodens of Sandbach in Cheshire began building diesel lorries in 1931, with a continuous development for over 30 years. Lorry 1, 2 and 3 dates from designs of the 1940's and 1950's".

Livery

The Horrid Lorries are painted brownish-red. Their registration plates are black with the letters "LOR" followed by their respective numbers painted in white. They sometimes have grey tarpaulins over their flatbeds.

The lorries have also been seen in several other liveries aside from the standard brownish-red one and have been accompanied by other lorries in other medias:

  • In the Thomas Visits the Docks puzzle and an official 65th anniversary board game, Lorry 1 is painted green.
  • In the Round the Rails board game, while Lorry 1 is painted red, Lorries 2 and 3 are painted yellow and dark green respectively. There is also a "Lorry 4" painted blue. Each lorry was painted different colours to make them distinguishable from one another.
  • A fourth lorry, painted yellow, is seen at the crossing in the book, Thomas and Toby.
  • One of the Horrid Lorries, or an entirely separate one altogether, appears alongside Thomas at Brendam in a Schmidt puzzle. The lorry's design bears a resemblance to that of soft-side lorries.
  • In various magazines and books, the lorries are often seen without their registration plates.

Appearances

Magazine Stories

The Horrid Lorries also appear in the magazine stories, A Colourful Christmas, A Special Story about Steam, Bumpers and Buffers, Coal Weather, Fun With Friends, Good Games, Bad Sport!, Lorry Loads, Road Train, Slow Down, Bertie!, Sodor Goes Pop!, The Best Bridge and The Mountain Railway

Official Description

From Official Website:[1]

Lorries 1, 2 and 3: As the Lorries were all built at the same time, they consider themselves to be 'brothers'. However, to the Engines, they are just 'Horrid Lorries'. Built specially for The Sodor Construction Company, the Lorries have a bad attitude towards the Engines and threaten to take their work away from them. Rude and aggressive, they soon meet their come-uppance much to the amusement of Sir Topham Hatt's Engines.


Historical Note: All three Lorries are loosely based on the famous 'Foden' design.

From Official Website:[2][3][4]

Lorry 1: Lorry 1 and his two brothers, Lorry 2 and 3, are out to prove that rails are not really useful, and the most important work should be left to the roads. He was specially built to work at the Sodor Construction Company.


Fun Fact: When we last saw Lorry 1, he was being sent to the repair shop after he carelessly reversed into the water while working at the docks. The engines now refer to him as "Sunk."

Lorry 2: Lorry 2 and his two brothers, Lorry 1 and Lorry 3, are out to prove that rails are not really useful, and the most important work should be left to the roads. Lorry 2 is rude and aggressive, but he quickly learned that the Island is not really suited to his kind of work.


Fun Fact: When we last saw Lorry 2, he had an accident after being too full of rocks from the quarry and had lost control down the narrow and steep road. The engines now refer to him as "Smashed."

Lorry 3: Lorry 3 and his two brothers, Lorry 1 and Lorry 2, are out to prove that rails are not really useful, and the most important work should be left to the roads. Lorry 3 has a really bad attitude and is always quick to tell Toby, Percy and the rest of the engines that the Lorries are there to take their work away.


Fun Fact: When we last saw Lorry 3, he had broken down after carrying too much flour from the flour mill. The engines now refer to him as "Broken."

Audio Files

Horn

In Toby's Windmill, Lorry 2 (albeit faceless) shares the same horn as a lorry from Harvey to the Rescue.

Only used Sound Effect
Toby's Windmill

Trivia

  • The Official Website, as well as various magazine articles and file facts, state that the Lorries were "especially built to work at Sodor Construction Company". It is therefore possible that they may have been originally intended to be members of the Pack.
  • A similar looking lorry appeared in the magazine story, The Carnival. This lorry was introduced four months before the episode Horrid Lorry, in which the Horrid Lorries made their debut appearances.
  • Lorry 1 was the only one to be made in all merchandising ranges the Lorries were released in.
  • Each lorry has individually shaped noses and eyebrows. However, there has been several instances in which the lorries share the same style faces.
  • Of the trio, Lorry 3 makes the least amount of appearances in the magazines.
  • According to Season 5 concept art, the lorries were originally going to have their eyes where their headlights are, similar to Caroline. This was changed to them having removable face masks.

Merchandise

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