Toby

## Toby the Tram Engine

Toby is a steam tram engine who works both on The Island of Sodor and Crotoonia's Inkblotia-Celgreb City Branchline.

## Personality

Toby is old but wise, hardworking, and knowledgeable enough about running branch lines. He is also savvy enough to control the trucks. However, his advanced age and design means that he is weaker than the other engines. While Toby is always ready to work hard, he can be a bit temperamental sometimes, especially when young and inexperienced engines who are full of themselves make things difficult for him. However, he can also have moments when he's a bit nervous and work at the quarry line often soothes off his moods without any cause of grief to anyone, except of course his old faithful coach, Henrietta.

He can also be placid and easy-going, enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Toby is based on a GER Class C53 0-6-0T Wisbech steam tram (reclassified as J70 by the LNER) built at Stratford Works. The J70 started their career on the Great Eastern Railway. They spent most of their career on the Wisbech and Upwell tramway pulling slow goods trains and, until 1927, passenger trains, though several were also assigned to the docks at Ipswich and Yarmouth. The first withdrawal came in 1942. Eventually, the sole survivor of this class was withdrawn from service and scrapped at Stratford Locomotive Works by 1955. They were replaced by BR Class 04s, Mavis' class.

Toby’s basis
### Livery

In the Railway Series, Toby was painted brown with black cowcatchers and sideplates (which sported "LNER" in bright yellow letters) before working on his tramway, where he was repainted greyish-brown with grey sideplates and cowcatchers. After helping James he was repainted chocolate-brown with olive frames and blue sideplates.

In the television series, Toby has consistently been painted brown with grey sideplates and cowcatchers. He has the number "7" painted on his sides in yellow with a red border. Throughout Season 1 to Season 5, Toby's wheels were painted red. They are currently painted black.

In the Railway Series, he carries two plaques on the sides of his cab stating that he works on the NWR, his number, and the last time and place that he was rebuilt.

In various books released by Publications International, the top side of his sideplates are red, going along with the bufferbeams.

## Trivia

* Toby is Christopher Awdry's favourite engine. This is because while on a trip in Yarmouth, he and his father got to ride in the cab of a J70 tram, thanks to Wilbert's good friend, the late Reverend Charlie Rand.
* Due to an illustration error in Thomas Comes Home, the illustrations of "Toby's Megatrain" show Toby with a face at the rear cab as well as the front cab. This is the only time in the Railway Series that Toby has been illustrated with two faces.
* One of Toby's models is currently on display in Japan at the Hara Model Railway Museum (previously on display at Nitrogen Studios) and is currently wearing his worried face mask. Another was previously on display at Drayton Manor but the model was stolen from the display in early 2011.
* In the fifth season episode Baa!, Toby revealed that his favourite station is Maithwaite.
* In an interview with SiF, Andrew Brenner stated that Toby was one of his favourite characters, along with James, Bill, and Ben.
* His second-third season bell sound was heard after Ryan stops the pirate ship during the wide shot of Arlesburgh Harbour in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.
* Toby, along with Edward and Henry, are the first characters removed from the Steam Team. Of those three, Toby is the only one not replaced with a new engine.
* When Toby was still in the Steam Team, he was the only member not to have a berth at Tidmouth Sheds. This seems to be the very reason Toby was removed from the Steam Team: since it was established that Nia and Rebecca replaced Edward and Henry to bring the gender ratio of the "core Steam Team who live at Tidmouth Sheds" from six boys, one girl to a near 50/50 split, it inadvertently describes Toby as not being part of the Steam Team at all.
* He was confused for being electric by Bridget Hatt in the first season episode, Toby and the Stout Gentleman and for being a diesel boxcab by Philip in the twentieth season episode, Toby's New Friend.
* Toby's screen used sleeping face mask is now owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
* Even though he has six wheels, some merchandise of him has four.
* In the arcade game "Magical Truck Adventures," two J70 tram engines were seen at the first level, each with a 7, bearing a strong resemblance to Toby.
* Toby is one of only twelve characters to appear in every season of the television series and one of only eight to speak in each one. He has not appeared in every special, though.