Donald and Douglas

Mr. Douglas (By Toad)

Rob Rackstraw (2016-present)

Douglas:

Joe Mills (2015-present)

**Donald** and **Douglas** (originally known by their old numbers, **57646** and **57647**, respectively) are a pair of Caledonian Railway mixed-traffic tender engines from Scotland. Douglas tagged along with Donald to Sodor in order to escape from scrap, despite Donald being the only engine expected. After proving themselves to be really useful, they were both allowed to stay. They now work as utility engines on the North Western Railway; working wherever they are needed. They work primarily on the Little Western, but sometimes on Edward's Branch Line and the Main Line.

## Appearances

Donald and Douglas are twins. They are both Scottish, painted black and they have red bufferbeams and black buffers. They have nameplates on their boilers from the third-twelfth series, until they were placed back onto their smokeboxes onwards like in the second series.

The twins also have six wheels and deep-toned whistles. And they have numbers on their tenders. Donald is nine, and Douglas is ten.

## Personalities

Donald and Douglas are Scottish twin engines. They are practical, peppery, proud and level-minded, but, despite their maturity, they enjoy playing practical jokes and have been known to impersonate one another in the past. They were fitted with nameplates to specifically end this element of their humour.

Donald and Douglas are very able workers, strong performers and handle any task well. They are fully capable of being firm with the other big engines, such as Gordon and Henry and even the Troublesome Trucks know better than to try their tricks on them. They are both used to harsh winter conditions too. Coupled back to back, with a coach between their tenders, they are very capable of patrolling the lines, clearing them of the snow. The twins both pull their weight on the Main Line and both Duck and Edward's branch lines. They can enjoy a joke with any engine. They are happy to act as the brawn of the Fat Controller's steam-driven goods haulers. Both are smart. Between the two, Donald tends to be the charming, witty joker whereas Douglas is the quick-thinking, calmer-natured one of the pair. Both display a keen sense of wit and the pair usually get to have the last laugh, more often taking the moral high ground. But that does not mean they will not be just a little bit smug about it when a deserving engine meets their comeuppance.

Donald and Douglas hate to be parted from each other, but, like most twins, they occasionally have their arguments among themselves and can squabble with one another. Also, Donald and Douglas used to have a strong dislike of diesels. But over time their dislike for diesels has softened and they appeared to have grown accustomed to their diesel companions.

## Trivia

* According to a magazine story, Donald and Douglas were built at The Scottish Engine Company around the same time as Emily, however this is inaccurate as their class was built between 1899 and 1909 and Emily's class was built between 1870 and 1895.
* Donald and Douglas' television series models are currently on display at Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan. As a result of the eye mechanisms not being replaced after the twelfth series, new eyes and pupils have been put in for display.
* In the My Thomas Story Library and Engine Adventures series, Donald and Douglas were painted blue following their being allowed to stay, just as they were in the *Railway Series*.
* Donald and Douglas' original numbers are fictional, much like Bear. The 812/652 Class numbers only went up to 57645.
* In the *Railway Series*, Donald and Douglas are nicknamed "**The Caledonian Twins**". In the television series, they are nicknamed "**The Scottish Twins**". This is because they originated from the Caledonian Railway, in Scotland.
* Donald and Douglas' models did not have any water tanks on their tenders, this is also carried on to their CGI models. However, this was present in their large scale models.
* In the Slovenian dub of the series, Donald and Douglas are not Scottish. They are stated to be from Jesenice, a town in the Gorenjska region of Slovenia, and speak in a regional accent.
* For Donald and Douglas' speaking roles in the sixth series, Alec Baldwin did not attempt a Scottish accent when voicing them for the US releases, as Ringo Starr, Michael Angelis and George Carlin had done so before him. This is also evident with Duncan.
* In the fourth series episode, "Thomas and the Special Letter", the narrators accidentally call Douglas "Donald."
* Throughout the fourth to eleventh series, with the exception of the sixth and seventh series, (where he has his original whistle), Donald shared Duck's whistle sound with Gordon, although Gordon regained his original whistle sound throughout the fifth series, with the exception in some scenes in Gordon and the Gremlin, Bye George! and the eighth series episode Thomas to the Rescue:
	+ Throughout Thomas and Stepney in the UK narration and one scene in Toad Stands By to Series 11 with the exception of the rest of the fourth, sixth and seventh series (where he has Thomas' whistle, but some steps lower-pitched and shared Donald's original whistle), Douglas shared Duck's whistle sound with Donald, Gordon and Duck, although Gordon regained his original whistle sound throughout the fifth series, with the exception in some scenes in Gordon and the Gremlin, Bye George! and the eighth series episode Thomas to the Rescue.
	+ Throughout the fourth series only, with the exception of Thomas and Stepney in the UK narration and one scene in Toad Stands By (where he has Duck's whistle), Douglas gained a new whistle sound, which is Thomas' at some steps lower-pitched. This whistle sound was also reused for Molly but in a lower pitch.

## Quotes

* **Ye're a muckle nuisance! It's ta leave ye behind, I be wantin'!**
* **Anyone would think that Donald had his accident on purpose. I heard tell about an engine and some tar wagons.**
* **Don't mention that word! It makes my wheels wobble!**
* **Say nae more, Duck. It's mebbe a pity, but the wee engine'll have tae learn fer himself.**
* **Why, 'tis a floatin' basket with folk in it!**
* **Whatever will they dream up next?**