Derek

**Derek** is a diesel engine, who is known for his initial "teething" troubles after arriving on Sodor.

## Biography

In Nationalisation, Derek appears in the last shot along with Bear, Francis and Dennis. They are seen working as Edward mentions how British Railways lasted nearly fifty years with its pros and cons and how it is a story for a very distant day.

Derek also makes an appearance towards the end of Secrets. Edward talks about how BoCo and his class were an embarrassment for BR, and Derek was among several other embarrassments. Derek is seen pulling a quarry train next to Thomas as Edward mentions this will be elaborated on in future stories.

He officially arrived on Sodor in 1964. He was briefly assigned to the Ffarquhar Branch, then to help construction on the Waterton Branch. When his engine troubles made both of these assignments untenable, the Fat Controller was forced to limit him to shunting duties. However, after the staff of Crovan's Gate Works solved his cooling issues, he decided to join the Fire and Rescue Service, where he has apparently seen great success.

## Persona

Derek is a jolly, enthusiastic diesel engine, keen on making an impression, being brought to help on the many jobs given to him. Unfortunately, the rushed engine design of his class left him with numerous faults, namely overheating and frequent breakdowns. He was greatly embarrassed and apologetic about this, especially since his failures always resulted in inconvenience for other engines. However, his friendly nature and likable demeanor nevertheless endeared him to most of his colleagues.

Derek can be shy and timid whenever other engines reject and insult him because of his problems. However, by the same token, he feels greatly appreciative whenever other engines, (Henry and Daisy, for example) stick up for him.

Ever since his engine was repaired properly, he has been more dependable and positive. He was also inspired to join the Fire and Rescue service with Mickey, both as a result of his positive experiences being rescued himself, and as a way to fulfill his new lease on life.

## Livery

Derek is painted in the BR Deep Bronze green livery. He has yellow warning panels on his front and back ends. He has white lining on his window frames and he has the BR Ferret and Dartboard crest on his sides.

## Basis

Derek is based on a BR Class 17. The Class 17s, also known as the Clayton Type 1s, were notoriously unreliable, with an average uptime of around 60%. The twin Paxman diesel engines used on most members of the class were prone to camshaft and cylinder head failures. While the two last 17s instead used Rolls-Royce engines that had higher reliability, even those suffered several crankcase failures, leading to one of the two being switched to use the regular Paxman engines. Ultimately, the Class 17 was withdrawn between 1968 and 1971, having the shortest lifespan of all the BR diesel-electrics. Many had service lives of less than five years.

D8568 is currently the only Class 17 in preservation, most often based out of the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway. According to her owner, the Diesel Traction Group, preventative maintenance has ensured consistent reliability for her, to contrast with her class' reputation.

## Appearances

### The Stories of Sodor

#### Season 4

* Secrets *(cameo)*
* Storm *(cameo)*
* Dieselisation

#### Season 5

* Vandalism
* Rescued
* Experiment *(cameo)*
* Munitions
* Fallout

#### Sodor Shorts

* Marc
* Switch *(cameo)*
* Overreaction *(cameo)*
* Health
* Hole *(mentioned)*