Cranky

**Cranky** is an olive green tower crane situated at Brendam Docks.

## Biography

As his own name would imply, Cranky is extremely grumpy because he is initially kept working day and night without rest. Although nowadays he is able to sleep properly, he still maintains his cranky attitude. Cranky loves teasing the engines and has an intense dislike for Salty's stories. He rarely pays attention due to his perpetual bad temper. According to Big Mickey, throughout all the years he has been at the docks, Cranky has never said a single word to him.

Cranky bullied Thomas and Percy by delaying their loads and calling them "bugs". He later got his comeuppance after a tramp steamer crashed into him and he had to be rescued by the two tank engines. Afterwards, he promised never to insult them again. However, he still teases the engines occasionally, such as when Percy complained that there was too much work.

Despite his lack of sleep, Cranky works very hard, but his working attitude makes the engines cross whenever they think that Cranky is too slow - as a result of their insults, Cranky can sometimes cause accidents.

However, Cranky has at times shown a bit of kindness, such as when he used a large reflective mirror to show Henry his glowing paint. He has started to become friends with the engines working at the docks. Although Cranky is now easier to befriend, he still does not take criticism well. Although he has a serious and typically unflinching demeanour, Cranky has shown that despite his cynicism, he is able to have fun. However, he often attempts to hide signs that he is enjoying something to try and keep his grumpy image. These usually go fairly poorly, but on numerous occasions he actively chooses to join in the fun and not hide anything.

## Basis

Cranky is a hybrid design, based on various Tower Cranes that were mainly manufactured by the Stothert & Pitt Company of Bath, England.

## Livery

Cranky is painted olive green with black and brown pulleys amongst his mechanisms. He also has two nameplates on his sides that display his name in yellow lettering.

## Appearances

### Season 5

* Cranky Bugs
* Horrid Lorry
* Put Upon Percy *(cameo)*
* Make Someone Happy

### Season 6

* Harvey to the Rescue
* No Sleep For Cranky
* Thomas the Jet Engine

### Season 7

* Something Fishy *(cameo)*
* Salty’s Stormy Tale *(cameo)*
* Edward’s Brass Band

### Season 8

* Thomas to the Rescue *(cameo)*
* Percy’s Big Mistake

### Season 9

* Don’t Be Silly, Billy *(cameo)*
* The Great Discovery
* Tram Trouble *(cameo)*

### Season 10

* Hero of the Rails *(cameo)*
* The Suddery Statue
* Big Belle
* Too Many Fire Engines *(cameo)*
* Blue Mountain Mystery
* Happy Birthday Sir! *(does not speak)*

### Season 11

* King of the Railway
* Steamie Stafford *(cameo)*
* Santa’s Little Engine
* Kevin’s Cranky Friend
* Away From the Sea
* Gone Fishing *(does not speak)*
* The Afternoon Tea Express *(cameo)*
* The Smelly Kipper
* No More Mr. Nice Engine *(cameo)*

### Season 12

* Tale of the Brave
* Toad’s Bright Idea *(cameo)*
* Missing Gator
* Flatbeds of Fear
* Disappearing Diesels
* Thomas the Quarry Engine
* Emily Saves the World
* Timothy and the Rainbow Truck
* No Steam Without Coal *(cameo)*
* Long Lost Friend

### Season 13

* Who’s Geoffrey?
* The Truth About Toby *(cameo)*
* Salty All At Sea
* No Help At All
* A Cranky Christmas
* Diesel’s Ghostly Christmas
* The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead *(cameo)*

### Season 14

* Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure
* Henry Gets the Express
* Bradford the Brakevan *(cameo)*
* Saving Time *(cameo)*
* Toby’s New Friend *(cameo)*
* Pouty James
* Henry in the Dark
* All in Vain

### Season 15

* Dowager Hatt’s Busy Day
* Stuck in Gear

### Season 16

* Nia and the Trouble with the Twins *(does not speak)*

## Trivia

* Cranky can be dismantled and shifted to different locations, despite it never being mentioned or shown on screen.
* Cranky's crew can access him by a floor hatch underneath his body.
* Cranky was the first non-Awdry character introduced in the series who was not Railway Series-related with a freelance basis.