Rebecca (Thomas & Friends)

Rebecca is a large streamlined tender engine that originates from The Mainland. She sometimes helps Gordon pull the Express during busy periods, but otherwise performs mixed traffic duties on the Main Line.
==Bio==
Rebecca first arrived on the Island of Sodor after Henry moved out of Tidmouth Sheds and Sir Topham Hatt wanted another engine to help with Gordon and the Express, though she arrived a day earlier than what Sir Topham Hatt expected and nearly bumped him and Winston off the rails when she tried to stop at Knapford. Her first job was to pull the express, though she caused a small mishap when she accidentally collected Flying Scotsman's passengers at Vicarstown early. After hearing how the other engines mentioned how fast and strong they were, Rebecca decided that she would leave the stations early to prove how she can get things done fast, but this caused a lot of confusion and the passengers got angry. Sir Topham Hatt scolded her at the end of her first day about what was happening and Rebecca apologised for what she did, making up for it and even surprising the Flying Scotsman.
Rebecca met Belle, Marion, and Harvey and complimented them on their respective special features (Belle's water cannons, Marion's digger, and Harvey's crane), only to feel as if she was not special due to not having one. After hearing Duck mention that the crew at the Sodor Steamworks "can do anything", Rebecca went there to get the features fitted on her, but to no avail. Thomas and Marion helped Rebecca realise that complimenting others and making them feel good about themselves is her special quality.
When Sir Topham Hatt arrived asking for an engine to take the Troublesome Trucks, Thomas, James, and Percy placed the special's responsibilities on Rebecca, leaving the entire Steam Team concerned about their tricks. Contrary to expectations, she pulled them just fine, leaving the trucks confused and Thomas, James and Percy in their own predicaments. She arrived back at Tidmouth Sheds almost bumping Sir Topham off the rails.
In an attempt to get the other diesels into trouble for a change, Diesel had Rebecca do their jobs improperly. Unfortunately, he did not count on her honesty and he was punished by Sir Topham Hatt.
==Personality==
Despite her large size, Rebecca is shy and sometimes clumsy, but not afraid to stand up for herself and is not intimidated by the older engines. At times, she feels the need to be on the same level as the other engines, which can sometimes make her anxious or overhasty. But despite her insecurities, Rebecca loves to see the best in everyone and all her friends appreciate her kindness and enthusiasm. She also has the uncanny ability to work with Troublesome Trucks without trouble on the first try, something that confuses even the trucks themselves. Because Rebecca is so willing to see the good in others, she can occasionally be gullible, as shown when she fell for one of Diesel's tricks, but she is also very honest, willing to tell the truth if needed. She is also a bit of a tomboy.
==Basis==
Rebecca is based on the Southern Railway "West Country", "Merchant Navy" and "Battle of Britain" class (also known as "Light Pacifics"), a class of 4-6-2 tender locomotives designed by Oliver Bulleid and built between 1945 and 1951. These engines were classified as mixed-traffic locomotives when introduced and used for a wide variety of passenger and goods trains, including famous expresses such as the 'Golden Arrow' and the 'Atlantic Coast Express'. The "West Country" and "Battle of Britain" class engines were smaller and lighter versions of Bulleid's earlier "Merchant Navy" class, originally built with 'air-smoothed' casing, chain-driven valve gear and tenders with tall streamlined sides. Ten unrebuilt members of the class have been preserved, one of them, Blackmoor Vale on the Bluebell Railway and another, Winston Churchill at the National Railway Museum. Another preserved member of the class, Swanage, appeared in Thomas and the U.K. Trip when Gachapin and Mukku were visiting several heritage railways.
While Rebecca is modelled on the unrebuilt version of the locomotive, her tender design resembles the cut-down version used by rebuilt and unrebuilt members of the class in British Railways service. Additionally, she features several differences over her real-life basis, including an altered front end with a larger and lower bufferbeam, driving wheels which share the same design as Hiro's and plain disc wheels for her front bogie, trailing truck and tender, as opposed to the Bulleid Firth Brown disc wheels found on her prototype. Rebecca's cylinders and cab roof also have a significantly different shape compared to those on the real "Light Pacifics".
==Livery==
Rebecca is painted sunshine yellow and navy with white lining. Her wheel rims are painted white, her front end is painted red and she has red and orange stripes painted along her sides. Rebecca also carries two blue nameplates on her smoke deflectors, each with her name in white lettering. Her cabsides have the number "22" and her tender has the letters "N.W.R.", both painted in white.
==Appearances==
Television series
*Season 22 - Forever and Ever (not named; indirectly mentioned), Confusion Without Delay, What Rebecca Does, Seeing is Believing, Apology Impossible, Samson and the Fireworks, Thomas' Animal Ark, Counting on Nia and Hunt the Truck (cameo)
*Season 23 - Free the Roads (mentioned), Chucklesome Trucks, Gordon Gets the Giggles, Diesel Do Right, Steam Team to the Rescue, Panicky Percy, Rangers of the Rails, Out of Site (fantasy) and Diesel Glows Away (cameo)
*Season 24 - Thomas and the Royal Engine, Emily's Best Friend, Emily to the Rescue, Nia and the Unfriendly Elephant, James the Super Engine, A New Arrival, World of Tomorrow, Sonny's Second Chance, Gordon and Rebecca, Coming Through!, Nia's Bright Idea and Thomas' Animal Friends
==Trivia==
*At one point during her creation, she was originally going to be called Miranda.
*An official Thomas & Friends magazine incorrectlly states that Thomas meets Rebecca on the Mainland in Big World Big Adventures. This idea was most likely dropped during production.
*She is the third character numbered 22, the first two being Isobella and Luke. Her number is a reference to the series she was introduced in.
*She is the third engine to have NWR lettering painted on her, with Emma being the first and Rosie second.
*She is also the only member of the Steam Team to have it.
*She is the newest, second-youngest and second-fastest member of the Steam Team, with Gordon being the fastest and strongest. Despite this, Rebecca is visually taller, wider and longer than Gordon.
*She uses Mighty's original whistle sound, which is also the same as Bert's.
*Her basis appears in some episodes before she was introduced, such as in the ninth series episodes, Mighty Mac and Thomas and the Birthday Picnic.
*She is the only member of the Steam Team to not appear in any of the feature-length specials of the series since they all take place before she arrived on Sodor.
*Rebecca has the longest name out of all the Steam Team members in spelling terms.
*Rebecca shares her name with Hilary Fortnam's granddaughter. Fortnam was the youngest daughter of The Railway Series creator Wilbert Awdry.
*In March 2021, according to series producer Ian McCue, she was intended for introduction in the twenty-first season of the series, following Edward’s departure from Tidmouth Sheds, but this was dropped due to rushed production.
==Quotes==
Category:Thomas the Tank Engine Heroes
Category:Female
Category:TV Show Heroes
Category:Anthropomorphic
Category:Possessed Objects
Category:Honest
Category:Dimwits
Category:Insecure
Category:Pacifists
Category:Merciful
Category:Brutes
Category:Loyal
Category:Categories Needed
Category:Cartoon Heroes
Category:Controversial