Harry & Bert

## Bert

**Bert**

* Kerry Shale (2010-2011)
* William Hope (2012-present)

**'Arry** and **Bert** (also known as **Iron 'Arry** and **Iron Bert**) are twin diesel shunters who work at the smelters and scrapyards of the Sodor Ironworks. They also frequently work at the Ffarquhar Quarry.

## Personality

'Arry and Bert are unquestionably devious and scheming. They feel superior to steam engines and, working at the scrap yards, they enjoy the chance to break up engines, or at least make their lives more difficult. Due to their grim task, they have earned a reputation on Sodor as "The Grim Messengers of Doom".

'Arry and Bert also have a tendency to act scheming, slimy, greasy, and oozy. According to their merchandise bios, they wish to scrap Oliver and Stepney, who have both escaped the cutter's torch once before.

However, despite their prejudices, the diesels have co-operated with steam engines on occasions, and when they are in trouble, steam engines often come to the rescue.

## Technical Details

### Basis

'Arry and Bert are based on BR Class 08 diesel-electric shunters. Over 70 members of this class survive today in preservation, while around 100 remain in service on the national rail network. They were in fact the most successful shunting engines in the world, with 996 of them built. Diesel, the Diesel Shunter, Splatter, Dodge, Paxton, Sidney, Ulli and the Mainland Diesels are also members of this class.

'Arry and Bert’s basis
### Livery

'Arry and Bert are painted green-grey with yellow hazard stripes on their fronts with yellow cabs. They have "Sodor Ironworks" written on their sides in white.

## Appearances

### Thomas & Friends

* **Season 22** - Banjo and the Bushfire (stock footage cameos)

## Trivia

* The 2 are not quite identical: Bert has more stubble.
* Bert is the first character in the franchise to share his name with another character, and the 2nd to do so in the television series.
* The 1998 Official Website and Question Time with Sir Topham Hatt called 'Arry and Bert "The Yellow Diesels".
* In merchandising and the official website, the twins are named "Iron 'Arry" and "Iron Bert".
* 'Arry is called "ハリー" in Japan.
* 'Arry and Bert's television series models do not have handrails, although some of their merchandise lines do.
* 'Arry and Bert's 5th season models were repainted and constructed into Splatter and Dodge for Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
	+ 1 of the models might have been previously used from Diesel hence why he didn't appear in Season 5.
* A model of 'Arry and 1 of Bert used to be on display in Canada at Nitrogen Studios.
* 'Arry's name was not revealed until merchandising of him was released.
* 'Arry and Bert have gone through a few changes in the television series:
	+ Season 6:
		- Their side rods change from silver to black.
		- Their faces became smaller.
		- The text, "Sodor Ironworks", on their sides became bigger.
		- Their models were significantly less weathered than the previous season.
	+ Season 12:
		- Their faces become smaller still.
	+ Season 14:
		- Their faces returned to the size they were in Season 5.
		- They gained new horn sounds.
	+ Season 18:
		- They each gained a tail-lamp.
* On 'Arry's trading card, he is depicted with more stubble than Bert, opposite of how they usually are.
* There were a few occasions where they went faster than their basis' top speed.
* 'Arry is the only character whose Mini does not have a classic variant, despite have a DC comics variant.
* 'Arry and Bert's liveries might've been inspired by the NS Class 600's livery of black and yellow in some merchandise, even though the NS Class 600 resembles a British Rail Class 11 more than a British Rail Class 08, 'Arry and Bert's basis.