Frankie

### Family

Eleanor and Lauren Papadimitriou (oldest twin sisters, in the fanfic), Mavis Papadimitriou (older sister, in the fanfic), Adelaide Papadimitriou (younger sister, in the fanfic), Douglas and Lavinia Papadimitriou (parents, in the fanfic)

### Friends

Thomas, Percy, James, Gordon, Edward, Henry, Emily, Rebecca, Nia, Toby, Duck, Bill and Ben, Timothy, Rosie, Stanley, Ryan, Sonny, Diesel, Daisy, Salty, Porter, Paxton, Sidney, Philip, Victor, Skarloey and Rheneas, Whiff, Marion, Skiff, Hiro, Kenji, Annie and Clarabel, Charlie, Billy, Terence, Bertie, Bulgy, Cleo, Ruth, Donald and Douglas, Cranky, Carly, Judy and Jerome, Elizabeth, George, Peter Sam, Sir Handel, Mighty Mac, Duncan, Freddie, Duke, Owen, Merrick, Harvey, Millie, Luke, Stephen, Glynn, Shane, Aubrey and Aiden, Tamika, Ace. Isla, Spencer, Henrietta, Hugo, Rocky, Harold, Flynn, Captain, Butch, Belle, Nelson, Jack, Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty, Kelly, Byron, Ned, Isobelle, Patrick, Brenda, Buster, Darcy, Kevin, Oliver, Ashima, Rajiv, Noor Jehan, Shankar, Charubala, Lorenzo, Beppe, Gina, Stefano, Ester, Gabriela, Gustavo, Raul, Marcia and Marcio, Fernando, Hank, Sam, Gator, Norman and Dennis, Hong-Mei, Yong Bao, An-An and Yin-Long, Den, Dart, Beau, Toad, Duchess, Lexi, Theo, Hurricane, Merlin, Beresford, Caitlin, Connor, Ferdinand, Bash and Dash, Emerson, Lei, Natalie, Cassia, 'Arry and Bert, Bert, Rex, Mike
**Fanfic:** Ten Cents, Sunshine, Theodore, Emily, Hercules, Big Mac, Warrior, Grampus, O.J., Top Hat, Big Mickey, Sally, Boomer, Frank and Eddie, Oliver, Foduck, The Dispatcher, Izzy Gomez, Captain Star, Captain Zero, Zak, Zorran, Zebedee, Zip, Zug, Mighty Mo, Lucy, Phillip and Filmore, Hank, George

### Likes

The engines forced to stay in the Steelworks to help her and Hurricane, shunting, working in the Steelworks**Fanfic:** Her family (including her four sisters), Thomas visited her and Hurricane at the Steelworks

### Dislikes

The engines leaving her and Hurricane in the Steelworks without help**Fanfic:** Thomas became seriously ill due to his illness

## Character's Bio

### Full name

Francine Papadimitriou (fanfic, as a human)

### Birthdate

1958 (built)7th June 1967 (fanfic, as a human)

### Birthplace

England (built)Kellsthorpe, Island of Sodor (fanfic, as a human)

### Race

Greek Cypriot, English, Lebanese and Icelandic (fanfic, as a human)

## Physical Apearance

### Species

Diesel engine (cartoon)
Human (fanfic)

### Eye Colour

Black (cartoon)
Blue-green (fanfic, as a human)

### Complexion

Blue-green and black with gold lining (cartoon)
Pale (fanfic, as a human)

### Status

Alive

**Frankie** is one of *Thomas & Friends* characters. She was a diesel shunter who works at the Steelworks on the Mainland along with Hurricane.

In the fanfic, *The Secret & Dearest Life of Everything in Sodor*, Frankie's surname, Papadimitriou, was a likely reference to American author, Lisa Papadimitriou.

## Biography

### *Thomas & Friends*

When Thomas arrived at the Steelworks, looking for Bridlington Goods Yard to deliver his trucks, Frankie, along with Hurricane, patronized Thomas so he would not leave them and that he could take a look inside the Steelworks. They began singing about how exciting the Steelworks is, to try and persuade Thomas to stay there. Their singing made Thomas feel excited about being there, and he agreed to stay.

The following morning, Frankie and Hurricane soon put Thomas to work; they convinced him that because they helped him, he should help them in return. Thomas set to work carrying molten slag out of the building and to a pit. Frankie agreed that he was very good at it, and said that he was her favourite *new* engine. Frankie later thanked Thomas for being there because now she and Hurricane could do more deliveries. Thomas soon wanted to go home, so Frankie, again, convinced Thomas that because he helped them, he must stay and continue to help them out, and they left him all alone in the Steelworks.

Thomas found what he thought was a way out, but he ended up derailing on some old and unused track. Soon, Frankie and Hurricane came to his rescue, both disappointed that he tried such a stunt and Frankie scolded him that he had left them both to do all the work when they have other jobs to do if he left and Thomas was brought back to the Steelworks. Later that night, Thomas again tried breaking out of the Steelworks, ramming some flatbeds into the gate, using the cover of a thunderstorm to conceal his escape attempt. The sounds woke Frankie and Hurricane up, raising the alarm, and they immediately told him to stop, but Thomas broke through the gates and rushed away, and she and Hurricane chased after him.

Frankie and Hurricane were unable to find Thomas but were able to find his friend James who had also come looking for him. Frankie and Hurricane later tried to convince James that the Steelworks was the place for him with their singing, but James was not convinced and demanded to know where Thomas was. They pretended that they did not know him until James pointed out that Hurricane had delivered his trucks. They realized that James had seen through their fib, and admitted they do not know where he went. After James then said he must go find him, Frankie again lied that he was coming straight back and they made him stay and get to work.

When Thomas returned to the Steelworks with three experimental engines named Lexi, Theo, and Merlin, Theo and Lexi provided a distraction to draw Frankie and Hurricane out of the Steelworks, and this allowed Thomas to slip inside unnoticed. However, Frankie and Hurricane were not taken by the distraction and soon noticed Merlin trying to sneak inside the Steelworks to help Thomas. They followed him inside and then saw Thomas trying to convince James to leave with him.

Seeing their two "friends" betray them, Frankie and Hurricane began forcefully attempting to make Thomas and James stay. Frankie ran straight up behind James in an attempt to derail him, but James narrowly avoided the impact. Frankie and Hurricane followed James inside and repeatedly tried to stop him, but James kept dodging their attempts. Thomas and Theo cleared James' track while Lexi and Merlin blocked Hurricane and Frankie inside, and James managed to escape the building, but the trucks Theo was pushing hit a control panel and a magnet picked Thomas up, suspending him over a vat of molten slag. Theo tried to get Thomas down, but Thomas was dropped towards the molten slag, only to be knocked away by another bucket at the last minute. Thomas hit some more ladle trucks, and the slag poured onto the floor, dangerously close to Thomas. Hurricane rocketed to Thomas' rescue, shoving him out of the way of the slag, but his back wheels were caught and began to melt. Frankie was horrified, as she did not know what to do, but thankfully, Merlin shoved Hurricane out of the slag, saving his life.

Frankie was now very unhappy, as now Hurricane was out of commission and the engines were about to leave them with no help at all. James and Lexi scolded her for all that she and Hurricane have caused, prompting Frankie to admit that they only wanted someone to help with all the work, and no other engines were available. Thomas had an idea and said that he knew some engines who were not as busy as she thought: the experimental engines. Although reluctant at first, Merlin, Theo and Lexi agree to stay and help make deliveries.

While Hurricane was having his wheels replaced, Lexi, Theo and Merlin started settling in with their new lives at the Steelworks helping Frankie. He then later joined in once again once his wheels were repaired.

## Personality

Frankie is a charming and intelligent diesel shunter who can be very commanding. A natural leader, Frankie actively takes charge of operations at the Steelworks. She can be scheming at times, putting on a front to try and manipulate others into doing what she wants them to do.

Frankie, however, is not mean at heart. She feels hard-done-by and rejected because there is more work to do at the Steelworks than there are engines to do it. She would love to be free to go off making deliveries with Hurricane, but feels the only way she will ever be able to achieve this is by tricking others into doing the work she doesn't want to do.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Frankie is based on a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 diesel shunter which worked at the Manchester Ship Canal. No. 4002 Arundel Castle, affectionately known as "Billy", is preserved in working order by the East Lancashire Railway Diesel Group. Sister locomotive No. 4001 Alnwick Castle was also preserved as a static non-operational exhibit at the Winfields Store site at Rising Bridge before being broken up in early 2019. The American Diesels are also members of this class.

## Physical Appearance

### Livery

Frankie is painted blue-green and black with gold lining. She has red and gold nameplates on either sides and "M.S.C.", which stands for "Manchester Ship Canal", written above her face. The number "4002" is written in yellow on her front bufferbeam.

### Fanfic

As a human, Frankie has pale skin, long wavy black hair tied in a low ponytail with a blue-green hair tie and a pair of blue-green eyes. She wore a blue-green jacket with gold lining and yellow "M.S.C." on the left and number "4002" on the right, white shirt, black necktie, a pair of blue-green trousers and black shoes.

## Fanfics

The Secret & Dearest Life of Everything in Sodor

Frankie appears as a human in the fanfic. She and her four sisters are all of Cypriot Greek, English, Lebanese and Icelandic descent. Unlike her family, she lived in the Mainland with Merlin and his wife, Duchess. In the first series, Thomas comes back to the Mainland to visiting her, Hurricane, Theo, Merlin and Lexi at the Steelworks. Suddenly, Frankie and Hurricane saw Thomas exhausted and sitting on the outside of his own engine. She asks him what happens to him. Then, Thomas told her and Hurricane that he got himself nearly didn't breathing. Hurricane told Thomas to going home and taking some rest or going to see the doctor at the hospital.

Later, in the second series, Frankie going to Sodor to visiting her family in Ffarquhar. The Papadimitriou family decided to see Thomas at Wellsworth Hospital, who had been seriously ill and looking after by his older sister, Celine, who worked here as a nurse.