Donald and Douglas
Encyclopedia
Donald and Douglas are two fictional steam locomotive
s from The Railway Series
books by the Rev. W. Awdry. They also appear in Thomas and Friends, the television series based on the books. They are twin Scottish
engines.
originally only ordered one engine from Scotland, but was surprised when two arrived, neither with numbers or any distinguishing features – both engines were painted completely black. He could not tell which engine was which, and so decided to keep whichever one was the more useful. Unfortunately, Douglas accidentally shunted Thomas' Special Coach, full of Passengers, into a siding at Tidmouth, thus infuriating the Passengers. Things worsened when Donald managed to demolish a signal box
and Douglas destroyed a spiteful brake van
by mistake.
However, the twins proved their worth to the railway in winter, when their experience and expertise with snow made them excellent snowplough
engines. The other engines appealed to the Fat Controller in "The Deputation" and he decided to keep both of them. In the Railway Series
, they were painted blue shortly afterwards and given nameplates.
The twins are almost identical, and some episodes of the television series have depicted them as being inseparable (notably the episode "Twin Trouble"). The reason for their both arriving on Sodor was that Donald was bought and saved from scrap, but Douglas was not and was due to be cut up (this fact is revealed in the story "The Missing Coach"). They could not bear the thought of one being saved and the other not so they decided to go to Sodor together and hope for the best. As their crews were also related, it was not difficult for them both to stay on the island. To allow the engines to be told apart, the Fat Controller ordered that numbers be painted on their tenders. Following an incident in which the engines swapped tenders, he decided that it would also be wise to give them nameplates on their boilers as well.
Donald and Douglas are popular among the other engines, not only for their versatility but also their practical and friendly demeanour. They enjoy a good joke, as exemplified when Duck's driver slipped a duck into Donald's tank, resulting in Donald gaining a new friend in Dilly the duck. They put their all into any job, no matter how difficult. And, because of their own brush with scrapping, they have the utmost sympathy for engines escaping the scrapyard. It was this sympathy that made Douglas a hero, when he rescued Oliver and Toad (and an autocoach
named Isabel in the books) from scrap and brought them to Sodor. In the Railway Series
, Toad became his brake van following this incident.
The Twins are mainly used for goods work, but can be used for all sorts of jobs all over the railway. They are very much the "odd job engines" of the line. They carry out track repair, collect engines from the Works, rescue engines that have broken down or crashed and, of course, clear snow in the winter. The railway would not be the same without them. They are, in the Fat Controller's words, "Really Useful Engines".
They first appeared in the book The Twin Engines, published in 1960. Their first appearance in the television series was in Season 2. They appeared at regular intervals until Season 7, then were not seen again until Season 11, although they did get a mention in the Season 8 episode "You Can Do It, Toby!" and also appeared in a deleted scene in Season 8's "Edward the Great". They also played a prominent role in Season 11's "Gordon and the Engineer" and Season 12's "Saved You!"
, in that they speak in a strong Scots
dialect
. This can be difficult to understand at times (and indeed, the Rev. W. Awdry received a number of letters complaining of this very problem). This is exemplified in their excuse for not carrying numbers: "They maun hae slyly slippit aff, sir!" (They must have slyly slipped off, sir).
Their accent
has been identified by a number of readers as originating in Glasgow
, although the writer Martin Clutterbuck notes a strong Robert Burns
influence.
The engines' Scottish heritage has been referenced in a number of stories. In the book Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine, Douglas mentions the song 'The Bluebells of Scotland'.
While in Jock the New Engine, Douglas regards the unnamed engine's unusual colour (undercoat): "Some o' the engines up in the Highlands were yon [your] colour. Jocks, we used to call them." He goes on to suggest that "Jock" might be a good choice, and so the title character gets his typically Scottish name, and is painted in the distinctive pale green livery of the Highland Railway
.
In The Railway Series and in My Thomas Story Library, Donald and Douglas were painted NWR
blue when Sir Topham Hatt (the Fat Controller) decided to keep them; however, in the television series they remained black.
. In The Railway Series, it is stated that one of them is number 57646 (though it is only revealed to the reader that this is in fact Donald, when Douglas has the alarming thought "I hope the Fat Controller disnae realise I shouldna be here") . None of the original 812 class carried this number — the joke being that in real life, the highest numbered was 57645.
The blue they carry in the Railway Series is significant, as blue was the colour most associated with the Caledonian Railway
. In the book James and the Diesel Engines, Donald explains that while on the Caledonian Railway they were never painted blue, they always carried the black goods livery. Interestingly, the black that they used to carry (and indeed still do in the television series) is British Railways black with red and white lining, making them the only engines to carry a BR livery
The engines have deep-toned whistles, which Gordon
and Henry
observed made them sound like bus
es or ships. Although unusual on Sodor, such whistles were typical of the Caledonian Railway.
One Caledonian '812' class survived into preservation: 828 is currently based on the Strathspey Railway, Aviemore
, Scotland
and is nearing the end of a long overhaul.
converted a Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
class engine into a tender engine, a move which was greeted by a negative reaction from rail fans. This rebuilt locomotive poses as Douglas for special events.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s from The Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
books by the Rev. W. Awdry. They also appear in Thomas and Friends, the television series based on the books. They are twin Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
engines.
Introduction
The Fat ControllerThe Fat Controller
The Fat Controller is the head of the railway in The Railway Series of books written by the Rev. W. V. Awdry. In the first two books in the series he is known as The Fat Director...
originally only ordered one engine from Scotland, but was surprised when two arrived, neither with numbers or any distinguishing features – both engines were painted completely black. He could not tell which engine was which, and so decided to keep whichever one was the more useful. Unfortunately, Douglas accidentally shunted Thomas' Special Coach, full of Passengers, into a siding at Tidmouth, thus infuriating the Passengers. Things worsened when Donald managed to demolish a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
and Douglas destroyed a spiteful brake van
Brake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard...
by mistake.
However, the twins proved their worth to the railway in winter, when their experience and expertise with snow made them excellent snowplough
Snowplow
A snowplow is a device intended for mounting on a vehicle, used for removing snow and ice from outdoor surfaces, typically those serving transportation purposes...
engines. The other engines appealed to the Fat Controller in "The Deputation" and he decided to keep both of them. In the Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
, they were painted blue shortly afterwards and given nameplates.
The twins are almost identical, and some episodes of the television series have depicted them as being inseparable (notably the episode "Twin Trouble"). The reason for their both arriving on Sodor was that Donald was bought and saved from scrap, but Douglas was not and was due to be cut up (this fact is revealed in the story "The Missing Coach"). They could not bear the thought of one being saved and the other not so they decided to go to Sodor together and hope for the best. As their crews were also related, it was not difficult for them both to stay on the island. To allow the engines to be told apart, the Fat Controller ordered that numbers be painted on their tenders. Following an incident in which the engines swapped tenders, he decided that it would also be wise to give them nameplates on their boilers as well.
Donald and Douglas are popular among the other engines, not only for their versatility but also their practical and friendly demeanour. They enjoy a good joke, as exemplified when Duck's driver slipped a duck into Donald's tank, resulting in Donald gaining a new friend in Dilly the duck. They put their all into any job, no matter how difficult. And, because of their own brush with scrapping, they have the utmost sympathy for engines escaping the scrapyard. It was this sympathy that made Douglas a hero, when he rescued Oliver and Toad (and an autocoach
GWR Autocoach
The GWR Autocoach is a type of coach that was used by the Great Western Railway for push-pull trains powered by a steam locomotive. The distinguishing design feature of an autocoach is the driving cab at one end, allowing the driver to control the train without needing to be located in the cab of...
named Isabel in the books) from scrap and brought them to Sodor. In the Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
, Toad became his brake van following this incident.
The Twins are mainly used for goods work, but can be used for all sorts of jobs all over the railway. They are very much the "odd job engines" of the line. They carry out track repair, collect engines from the Works, rescue engines that have broken down or crashed and, of course, clear snow in the winter. The railway would not be the same without them. They are, in the Fat Controller's words, "Really Useful Engines".
They first appeared in the book The Twin Engines, published in 1960. Their first appearance in the television series was in Season 2. They appeared at regular intervals until Season 7, then were not seen again until Season 11, although they did get a mention in the Season 8 episode "You Can Do It, Toby!" and also appeared in a deleted scene in Season 8's "Edward the Great". They also played a prominent role in Season 11's "Gordon and the Engineer" and Season 12's "Saved You!"
Scottish engines
Donald and Douglas are unusual among characters in the Railway SeriesThe Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
, in that they speak in a strong Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
. This can be difficult to understand at times (and indeed, the Rev. W. Awdry received a number of letters complaining of this very problem). This is exemplified in their excuse for not carrying numbers: "They maun hae slyly slippit aff, sir!" (They must have slyly slipped off, sir).
Their accent
Accent (linguistics)
In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
has been identified by a number of readers as originating in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, although the writer Martin Clutterbuck notes a strong Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
influence.
The engines' Scottish heritage has been referenced in a number of stories. In the book Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine, Douglas mentions the song 'The Bluebells of Scotland'.
While in Jock the New Engine, Douglas regards the unnamed engine's unusual colour (undercoat): "Some o' the engines up in the Highlands were yon [your] colour. Jocks, we used to call them." He goes on to suggest that "Jock" might be a good choice, and so the title character gets his typically Scottish name, and is painted in the distinctive pale green livery of the Highland Railway
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
.
In The Railway Series and in My Thomas Story Library, Donald and Douglas were painted NWR
North Western Railway (fictional)
The North Western Railway is the main railway company featured in The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry. Although the company's name has never been specifically stated in the books, it was mentioned as such in tie-in books such as The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and...
blue when Sir Topham Hatt (the Fat Controller) decided to keep them; however, in the television series they remained black.
Prototype
Donald and Douglas are based on the Caledonian Railway 812 ClassCaledonian Railway 812 Class
The Caledonian Railway 812 Class, or "Jumbos" is a class of 0-6-0 steam tender locomotive designed by John F. McIntosh and introduced in 1899. It featured the boiler from the 721 “Dunalastair” Class 4-4-0s....
. In The Railway Series, it is stated that one of them is number 57646 (though it is only revealed to the reader that this is in fact Donald, when Douglas has the alarming thought "I hope the Fat Controller disnae realise I shouldna be here") . None of the original 812 class carried this number — the joke being that in real life, the highest numbered was 57645.
The blue they carry in the Railway Series is significant, as blue was the colour most associated with the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
. In the book James and the Diesel Engines, Donald explains that while on the Caledonian Railway they were never painted blue, they always carried the black goods livery. Interestingly, the black that they used to carry (and indeed still do in the television series) is British Railways black with red and white lining, making them the only engines to carry a BR livery
The engines have deep-toned whistles, which Gordon
Gordon the Big Engine
Gordon the Big Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry. Gordon is painted blue and carries the number 4. Gordon views himself as the most important engine because he is the biggest and he pulls the Express...
and Henry
Henry the Green Engine
Henry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
observed made them sound like bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es or ships. Although unusual on Sodor, such whistles were typical of the Caledonian Railway.
One Caledonian '812' class survived into preservation: 828 is currently based on the Strathspey Railway, Aviemore
Aviemore
Aviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and is nearing the end of a long overhaul.
Douglas on the Mid Hants Railway
In 2000, the Mid Hants Railway in HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
converted a Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
The Hunslet Engine Company Austerity 0-6-0ST is a steam locomotive designed for shunting. The class became the standard British shunting locomotive during the Second World War, and production continued until 1964 at various locomotive manufacturers....
class engine into a tender engine, a move which was greeted by a negative reaction from rail fans. This rebuilt locomotive poses as Douglas for special events.
Merchandising
| Model range | Type |
|---|---|
| Ertl | die-cast metal |
| Take Along/Take n Play | die-cast metal |
| Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway | wood |
| TrackMaster | plastic motorized |
| Bachmann Trains | HO gauge plastic models |