Oliver

Oliver
Number: 11, previously 1436 Class: GWR 14xx 0-4-2T Designer: Charles B. Collett Builder: Swindon Works Configuration: 9-4-2T Built: August 1934 Rebuilt: 1959 Arrived on Sodor: 1967

Oliver is a Great Western Railway 14xx auto tank engine who works on Duck's Branch Line. He has a brakevan named Toad.

Bio

coming soon

Persona

Oliver escaped the dreaded scrapyards of the Mainland, mainly thanks to Douglas, but also as the result of sympathetic signalmen, luck, and using "goods only" routes under cover of darkness, with some close calls along the way. Despite his previous heroism and daring feats, Oliver is an engine who is willing to admit every day is a learning curve. When he was still new to Sodor, he let the other engines' responses to his courage, resource, and sagacity from his amazing recounts of daring escapes and adventures get to his smokebox and he became conceited. However, when troublesome trucks pushed him into the turntable well, he grew into a much more humble, settled engine and was far warier of trucks. But later, with some help from his brake van Toad, he did gain much respect and authority among the trucks when he showed his strength with the ringleader of the trucks, S.C. Ruffey, a little more than he had perhaps been intending. Oliver still has gumption, but is now a more obedient, sensible engine. He feels his responsibility on the railway deeply, is ever thankful for being aided in his escape from scrap by Douglas, and is a trustworthy, tenacious, plucky engine. However, he does occasionally have one or two temper problems and grumbles quite easily, but despite this setback, Oliver is still one of the more really useful, and well-behaved engines on Sodor.

Basis

Oliver is based on a GWR 14xx 0-4-2T. These engines were fitted with a mechanical system allowing the driver to control the locomotive remotely from the cab of an 'autocoach', such as Isabel. The particular engine Oliver is based on, No. 1436, was built at Swindon Works in the August of 1934 and worked until it was withdrawn in 1958. It was scrapped the following year.

Livery

Oliver's paint had faded by the time he was rescued, leaving him a rusty-red colour. After his rescue, he was repainted in unlined NWR green with a GWR crest and has remained so ever since.

Appearances

• Season 1 - Geoffrey's Real (cameo), The Great Western Way, Skarloey Comes Home (cameo), Oliver and the Snowman, The Lost Breakdown Train, Bert's Milk Train, and Fergus and the Small Engines

Specials:

• Thomas and the Storm

Trivia

• Oliver is named after Oliver Wicks, who was a much respected member of Stroud Baptist Church. He was the Reverend W. Awdry's next door neighbour in Rodborough, Stroud.
• Recent information has revealed that there really was a 1436 on the Great Western Railway.
• Oliver is the creator's (OliverDuckandToad11) favourite Thomas character in the franchise.