Oliver

**Oliver** is a Great Western tank engine who works on the North Western Railway and is the railway's number 18 engine. After being saved from scrap by Douglas, he runs the Little Western with Duck and his brake van, Toad.

## Biography

Despite his heroism and daring feats of escape, Oliver is an engine who is willing to admit every day is a learning curve.

Oliver was built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works and was "push-pull" fitted for branch line work. He worked as a passenger engine on a branch line in the West Country.

Oliver reached Sodor in 1957. With the rapid closure of the West of England branch lines, Oliver’s crew were appalled at the prospect of their engine being scrapped, or left to rust away at Barry Scrapyard. Both were bachelors with no local ties, so they, along with Douglas, determined to take a chance and try to save their engine, along with his brake van. An escape route was carefully worked out with the help of a chain of sympathetic signalmen. It was necessary to travel at night - often over ”goods only” lines - and lie hidden by day. They had many narrow escapes, and the journey took longer than planned.

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 the Troublesome Trucks pushed him into the turntable well, he grew into a much humbler, settled engine and was far wareier 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 can still be occasionally boastful or temperamental; despite this setback, Oliver is still one of the more really useful and well-behaved engines on Sodor.

Oliver started repeatedly telling everyone about his "escape" from the scrapyard, even to the point of annoying Toad. After his brake van had an adventure without him, James told Oliver to listen to Toad's story for once. During a flood, he collided with Rocky and James who were rescuing Duck, who had stalled underwater. He also nearly collided with Duck who ran a red signal by mistake. Later, he broke down whilst on his way to the docks to deliver some trucks. When Gator arrived to take the train, Oliver was surprised by his unusual shape and wondered where Gator's lamp was, unaware it was not working properly.

Oliver began to get fed up of Toad singing during their journeys and explained to Duck that Toad is always like this when he is in a good mood. Later, Toad told Oliver that he saw a whale and he did not believe him at first until he saw the whale for himself. He then helped with rescuing the whale.

When the Harwick Branch Line was being built, Oliver helped with the line's construction. Marion believed that he had made a wish to turn himself into a digger and the Arlesdale engines had granted his wish. It was not until the branch line's opening ceremony that Marion discovered there was, in fact, two Olivers.

## Basis

Oliver is based on a Great Western Railway (GWR) 14xx Class 0-4-2T.

## Livery

Oliver's paint had faded by the time he was rescued, leaving him in a rusty red colour. After his rescue, he was painted in NWR unlined apple green with the 1934 GWR crest painted on the sides of his tanks and his number (18) painted on the sides of his cab in yellow.

## Appearances

### Season 3

* Escape
* Oliver Owns Up
* Toad Stands By
* Bulgy

### Season 4

* Thomas and the Special Letter *(does not speak)*
* Mind That Bike *(cameo)*

### Season 5

* Happy Ever After *(cameo)*
* Make Someone Happy
* Busy Going Backwards

### Season 6

* The World’s Strongest Engine *(cameo)*
* Harvey to the Rescue
* James and the Red Balloon *(does not speak)*
* Percy’s Chocolate Crunch *(cameo)*
* Edward the Very Useful Engine *(cameo)*

### Season 7

* Emily’s New Coaches
* James and the Queen of Sodor *(cameo)*
* Bulgy Rides Again *(cameo)*
* Edward’s Brass Band *(cameo)*
* Not So Hasty Puddings *(cameo)*
* Snow Engine

### Season 12

* Toad’s Bright Idea
* Last Train For Christmas
* Duck in the Water
* Toad’s Adventure
* Spencer’s VIP

### Season 14

* Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure
* The Way She Does It
* Blown Away
* The Missing Breakdown Train
* Skiff and the Mermaid

## Trivia

* Oliver is one of the three engines to be saved from scrap. The others being Hiro and Glynn.