Victor

* **Designer**: Baldwin Locomotive Works
* **Builder**: Baldwin Locomotive Works
* **Built**: 1915
* **Gauge**: 2ft 3in
* **Configuration**: 0-4-0ST+PT
* **Arrived on Sodor**: 1960

"*You have come to the right place, my friend.*"
— Victor

**Victor** is a Cuban narrow gauge engine who runs Crovan's Gate Works with the aid of Kevin.

## Biography

Victor was built in the United States by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to a "one off" design, but is very similar to a standard gauge engine built at the same time. He was exported to Cuba to work on the lines connecting the sugar plantations and mills owned by a Sugar Company in Santa Clara Province, near the town of Yaguajay. For over 40 years he lead a rather uneventful life, simply shunting and delivering trucks of sugar cane between the fields and mills. Despite being built in the United States, he didn't know English and could only understand Spanish.

By the late 1950s, revolution was in full swing on Cuba, and Victor's American owner, fearing the actions of the Communist revolutionaries after they won, decided to sell off some of his assets, including Victor. Fortunately for him, Sir Charles Topham Hatt was looking to aquire an engine to run the internal rail network at the North Western Railway's Works and, being unable to find a suitable engine in the British Isles, had been forced to look abroad for an engine, and Victor was one of a few engines built to a 2ft 3in gauge, similar to the narrow gauge standard on Sodor, meaning he would not require expensive regauging.

A deal was reached, and Victor was dispatched to the Island of Sodor by boat in August 1960, days before the Castro Government nationalised foreign property in Cuba. After a long journey across the Atlantic, with delays caused by fierce storms, the ship stopped in Ireland, where it picked up additional cargo and a excited little green engine, also destined for Sodor. Victor tried to strike up a conversation with the engine, named Luke, but neither was able to understand the other.

After leaving Ireland, the ship continued on its way to Sodor but encountered more fierce storms. The storms were fierce enough to break the chains holding him to the deck. When the ship arrived at Tidmouth Harbour, Luke convinced the workmen to unload him first, despite Victor's attempts to warn them that he was not properly secured to the ships deck. When Cranky unloaded Luke, he accidentally swung the engine into Victor, which caused him to roll off to the deck and into the sea, where he landed on a jetty.

## Persona

Victor is the engine who keeps the Steamworks operating. He is a busy engine with a winning sense of humour and a heart of gold. He is highly respected among all of Sodor's engines for helping to sort their repairs and see to their needs. He is very friendly, can often put a smile on an engine's smokebox and will often help guide an engine where he feels it may be to their benefit. Victor also has a firm manner when something needs to be sorted and stands for no nonsense from naughty steam engines or lurking diesel engines. He takes his work very seriously and takes great pride in helping to maintain the service of the Steamworks. In his time, Victor has helped restore, repair and repaint most of Sodor's locomotives and he keeps the Steamworks a welcoming, bustling, hospitable environment. He keeps a keen, watchful eye over Kevin the crane, who assists him in the works' operations. Kevin's clumsiness and antics may cause Victor bother and disturbance, but Victor is fond of Kevin and glad to have him as part of the team.

## Livery

Victor is painted dark red with yellow lining, and black and yellow hazard stripes on his bufferbeams. The sides of his cab are painted yellow and have the Steamworks logo on them.

Victor was painted bright yellow with green lining and was numbered 1173 when he worked in Cuba and when he first arrived on Sodor.