Duck

Duck was built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow and worked as the station pilot at Paddington before moving to Sodor in 1955 to take over Percy's shunting duties at Tidmouth, leaving the latter free to assist with the construction of Knapford Harbour. While piloting at Paddington, Duck was part of a barbershop quartet called The Panniers. The group consisted of 4 engines, Floyd, a 5400 Class and was the groups Tenor, Brankers, was a 9400 Class and was the groups Bass, and finally Keyes, a 1366 Class and the groups Counter Tenor. Duck was the groups lead singer and baritone, they were known all over the Western Region and around London, after Duck left for Sodor, the group disbanded and after modernization, the only surviver was Duck. Duck was a hard worker, but the others mistook his work ethic for simplicity and tried to use this to their advantage. They soon found their mistake when Duck and Percy took revenge on them by barring them from entering the shed. Duck earned a reprimand from the Fat Controller for this, but so did the other engines, who were told - as Duck put it - that it is the Fat Controller's railway, and as the controller, he is the one who gives the orders.

When Diesel arrived, the others took a liking to his flattery. Duck, on the other hand, was doubtful and left Diesel to his own devices, which resulted in the latter getting into a mishap with some old trucks. Duck tried to help Diesel when the trucks started to tease him but to no avail. Diesel vowed to get revenge and inspired by several incidents occurring around the yard in Duck's absence, spread rumours that Duck had given offensive nicknames to the others. Duck was sent to work as a banker for Edward at Wellsworth pending further inquiry and after bravely stopping a runaway goods train at his own risk, he regained the respect of the others. Of course, by this time the others were aware that the matter was all Diesel's fault, but Duck's heroism certainly helped.

Duck would later show Donald and Douglas around when they arrived, and they soon became friends. He also allowed Stepney to take a special visitor and helped him double-head a passenger train when Class 40 broke down from sucking an inspector's hat into his air-intake. When Peter Sam told Duck about a duke coming to Sodor, Duck told him that all dukes have been scrapped, causing him to worry. Whether or not Peter Sam meant that it was the Duke of Sodor or the engine Duke, Duck was most likely unaware of what Peter Sam meant, but as Skarloey had put it, Duck was probably pulling Peter Sam's wheels.

Later, Duck was trapped at the docks with the big engines and Cranky during a storm. A tramp steamer crashed into the shed, causing it and Cranky to topple over, trapping the engines. Thomas and Percy rescued Cranky, who then rescued the other engines. Afterwards, George refused to let Duck clear a truck from the Main Line, resulting in Gordon crashing into it. Neither Gordon nor Duck got into trouble for this when the Fat Controller found out that George was to blame for the accident.

Duck continued working on the Main Line until 1967. When Donald and Douglas brought in new ballast for the track, they mentioned that "verra wee engines" brought it down from the hills. Duck was curious about this and asked to take some trucks along the line that was later known as the Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch line - nicknamed "The Little Western". It is there that Duck met three small engines, Rex, Bert and Mike, who all bring in the ballast and helped restore the branch line. Duck was later asked to run it with help from Oliver and on occasion, Donald and Douglas.

One time, a double-decker bus named Bulgy tried to steal Duck's passengers but got stuck under a bridge where Duck encountered him. When his passengers realised that Bulgy lied to them by saying he was a railway bus and accepted railway tickets, Duck managed to regain his passengers and made it safely across the bridge, where he brought the passengers home in good time. Bulgy, however, was turned into a hen-house close to his line.

Duck would later help Henry with the Flying Kipper as a banker, only to end up crashing into his rear trucks when the tail lamp fell off. He also helped Thomas and Percy triple-head the express when Gordon and Henry were unavailable.