Spencer

**Spencer** is a silver streamlined tender engine privately owned by The Duke and Duchess of Boxford. He often visits the Island of Sodor with his owners. He is Mallard's brother and a cousin of Gordon, Flying Scotsman, Green Arrow and The Flying Thistle.

## Bio

During his first visit to Sodor, Spencer took the Duke and Duchess of Boxford on a trip around Sodor. He ignored Gordon's warnings about taking on water and thus ran out; however, he blamed the incident on a leaky tank.

Upon his next visit, Spencer challenged Edward to a race and maintained a lead for the majority of the race, but vainly fell asleep while the Duke and Duchess stopped to take photos and lost to Edward, after Edward got onto the summer house branch first.

Spencer has since developed a rivalry with Thomas, with the latter often trying to outshine Spencer - largely without success.

Spencer returned to Sodor to help build a new summer house for the Duke and Duchess of Boxford, much to the annoyance of all the engines. First, he insulted the other steam engines - especially Thomas by calling him a "toy tank engine", which as a result they had a competition of strength. However, Spencer neglected to build the new summer house when he became suspicious about Thomas, thinking he was being a tricky tank engine and ended up getting slate down his funnel at Sodor Slate Quarry. When Spencer discovered Percy's mail coaches (thinking that Thomas was hiding them from Percy), he got into trouble with the Fat Controller, who thought that Spencer was hiding the mail coaches all the time. Afterwards, Spencer lost his pride when his owners turned up for their holiday. He then got stuck in the mud when he chased Thomas to Knapford. After being rescued by Hiro, Spencer apologised to Thomas and Hiro and they all work to finish the summer house.

Sir Robert Norramby borrowed Spencer as his private engine during the restoration of Ulfstead Castle. He transported the Earl around, and, much to his embarrassment, had to pull some stones for the job. During that time, he attempted to have races with Gordon, but when the two met Connor and Caitlin during one of their runs, they called off the race. After the restoration was complete, Connor, Caitlin, Gordon and Spencer had another race from Ulfstead's grounds. Spencer brought a VIP from the Mainland to present the Fat Controller with an award. Due to showing off, he ended up on Edward's Branch Line. Once he finally arrived at Knapford, the Deputy Minister crossly announced that he would not travel back to the mainland with Spencer. Throughout the day, as the other engines were showing off, Spencer felt sorry for himself and wished he had done his work properly. He learned from his mistake and successfully brought the Deputy Minister back to Sodor the following day.

One day, Spencer was travelling through Henry's Tunnel and almost ran into Thomas, who was hiding in the tunnel pretending to be a made-up engine called Geoffrey, to trick the Fat Controller. At winter, he had to stay on Sodor because the Vicarstown Bridge was blocked with snow. He teased Henry by telling him he might see an abominable snowman. But when the two engines saw something covered in snow walking towards them, Spencer tried to run away, but his valves blocked. Luckily, it was only the Fat Controller, who had gotten into trouble in the snow. Later, Spencer had to take the Duke and Duchess to Callan Castle, when his valve gear has snapped and broke down, so Thomas, Bertie and Harold had to take the Duke and Duchess to Callan Castle.

Spencer would then go on to participate in The Great Railway Show where he served as a UK representative and competed in The Great Race event against his cousins, Gordon and Flying Scotsman, Axel and Etienne. He came in second place, narrowly losing to Etienne.

On New Year's Eve, Spencer was to take guests to Callan Castle. He decided to take platform 1 and Gordon went on platform 2, but they got the wrong coaches. The passengers got upset and Gordon and Spencer had to take the express passengers to the stations they had missed. They later apologized and watched the fireworks together.

## Personality

Spencer is very arrogant, snobby, egotistical, bossy and pompous and considers himself to be above doing menial duties such as shunting. He is very proud of his speed, with his ego far exceeding even the likes of Gordon and James. Although the engines were impressed by him when he first came to Sodor, he constantly antagonized them and they would eventually grow to dislike him, especially Thomas and Gordon. When he came to build the summer house, the engines dreaded his arrival, saying that having him around for one day was already horrible. During his prolonged stay on Sodor, Spencer proved himself to be very nosy, sneaky, disobedient and rather neglectful, and was willing to abandon his work in order to get petty revenge on Thomas.

While most steam engines have a sense of camaraderie due to dieselization, Spencer has no such sympathy and is willing to scrap even fellow steam engines if he views them as beneath him. Following Hiro’s discovery, Spencer spent the entire summer trying to get him scrapped, going to great lengths in his efforts to do so and only stopping after Hiro was successfully restored.

Gordon and Spencer strongly dislike each other despite being “cousins”. This is mainly because of Spencer's pompous behaviour, which exceeds even that of Gordon's. His arrogance has also shown that he is not willing to take advice from other engines, which only results in him needing help from those he shrugs off. Despite this, he has shown a kind side when he realized his mistakes, especially when reprimanded by the Duke and Duchess or the Fat Controller for causing trouble. This side once came through when he helped Percy find his way home to Tidmouth Sheds. Despite his pompousness, he also wants to be really useful just like all the other locomotives.

## Trivia

* Spencer guest star in Thomas and Twilight Sparkle's Adventure Series including *Thomas and Twilight Sparkle Meets Paddington* where it took place on the Mainland where he lives.
* Spencer is best friends with Fancypants.
* Spencer is also best friends with Hanzo.
* Spencer is Rainbow Dash's friendly racing rival.
* Spencer is the brother of Olwin, since they share the same basis.
* Based on the fact that he and Mallard are of the same class, many fans consider the two to be brothers. Similarly, since Gordon once mentioned Mallard to be his cousin, many also believe that, by extension, Spencer is a cousin of Gordon and Flying Scotsman. While these relations are widely accepted in "fanon" especially in Thomas and Twilight Sparkle's Adventure Series, this has never been confirmed in canonical material.
* In his The Great Race promotional video, it states he is the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives. In the actual special, it is stated that he is a former world record holder.
* Spencer is the first steam engine to be the main antagonist in a special, with that special being Hero of the Rails.
* In the nineteenth season he gained two LNER style headlamps.
* Fitting his position as a chaffeur, Spencer's name has been affiliated with several fictional characters with similar positions.
* In the magazines file facts, it is stated that Spencer and Gordon are cousins.

## Gallery

Spencer's model form (bronze buffers)Spencer's model form (silver buffers)Spencer in full CGISpencer stuck in a marshSpencer in Season 13Spencer with a coal moustacheSpencer being repaintedSpencer covered in snowSpencer in Misty Island RescueSpencer in the fogSpencer in Season 15Spencer in Season 16Spencer in King of the RailwaySpencer and StephenSpencer in Season 17Spencer in Season 18Spencer in Season 19Spencer in Season 20Spencer in The Great RaceSpencer with Etienne, Axel and Flying ScotsmanSpencer in Thomas' memorySpencer in Season 21Spencer's brother and basis; Mallard