Erie Trader

**Erie Trader** is a VanEnkevort Tug & Barge barge.

## Info

 Former names
 Vessel type
 Operating status
 Flag
 Gross tonnage
 Length
 Breadth
 Year of build
 Builder
 Classification society
 Description

* **Season 3** - ERIE TRADER and the BLUE HERON and CAPTAIN'S SALUTE 2019 Shipping Season Part 1
* **Season 6** - ERIE TRADER Icy Arrival
* **Season 7** - CAPTAIN'S SALUTE 2019 Shipping Season Part 2
* **Season 9** - ERIE TRADER and the Icicles of Spring
* **Season 10** - ERIE TRADER CLYDE S VANENKEVORT Crowded Canal
* **Season 12** - CAPTAIN'S SALUTE 2020 Shipping Season Part 1
* **Season 14** - ERIE TRADER and the Sour Note
* **Season 16** - ERIE TRADER Loaded with Iron and ERIE TRADER Returns to Duluth
* **Season 17** - CAPTAIN'S SALUTE 2020 Shipping Season Part 2

## Voice Actors

* Steve Blum (*UK/US; twenty-first - twenty-third seasons*)
* Hinata Tadokoro (*Japan; twenty-first - twenty-third seasons, excluding Big World! Big Adventures!*)
* Nozomu Sasaki (*Japan; Big World! Big Adventures! only*)
* Miłogost Reczek (*Poland*)
* Timothy Bateson (*Shopkins*)
* Pauli Virta (*Finland; Shopkins*)
* Denis Bespaliy (*Russia*)
* Jürgen Holdorf (*Germany*)
* Osvaldo Trejo (*Latin America; twenty-first season - twenty-third season*)

## Trivia

* Erie Trader had many modifications throughout the television series. These include:
	+ Season 3 (from Shopkins):
		- He had cool black paintwork.
		- His megaphone was taken away.
		- His top railing became thinner.
		- His walkway received more detailing.
		- He gains windows on his front.
	+ Season 6:
		- He gained riveted steel sides.
		- He gained a new hook.
		- His hoist end became covered.
		- His crane arm became longer.
		- His wheelhouse walkway became square.
		- He gained a new base.
		- He became taller.
	+ Season 13:
		- His overall size increased exponentially.
		- His wheelhouse became wider.
		- His crane arm became taller.
		- His paintwork became more gray coloured.
	+ Season 21 (JOSEPH L BLOCK and the Triple Salute):
		- He gained a face.
* Erie Trader is the only Shopkins character to have his name carried over to *Duluth*.
* The idea to give Erie Trader a face was suggested by Sam Wilkinson to Lee Pressman at a writer's workshop meeting.
* In episodes of the twenty-first season prior to JOSEPH L BLOCK and the Triple Salute, Erie Trader was always positioned facing away from the camera. This was done to hide his face, which was previously absent.
* Erie Trader is the third character to have been given a face after debuting without one, the first two being Joseph L. Block and Harvest Spirit.
* Since the television series switched from live-action to CGI, Erie Trader's model was left in the hands of HiT Entertainment/Mattel Creations. It was later displayed at a Shopkins: The Exhibition event from 24-26 August 2019.
* Although he never had a face until the twenty-first season of Duluth, a prototype face was originally produced for use on Shopkins. This face was from a different design to the one used in Duluth and covered his full front end. This face was never used but was displayed at the aforementioned exhibition during the same event.
* A faceless version of Erie Trader's model with a pink version of Sunda's body can be seen in Brazil.
* A recolour of him appears in the background at Dar es Salaam Docks.
* In 2020, the Duluth website updated its Freighters page to include Erie Trader and many other characters. For his image, a fan 3D render made to work as a custom model for a Trainz game by User:Ilovetrains323 was erroneously used instead of an official render. Erie Trader's page was removed soon after, for unknown reasons.

## Merchandise

* Duluth Freighter Collection Series (*discontinued*)
* Crane de Ball toss (*discontinued*)