Salty

**Salty** is a dockyard diesel engine from the Mainland who works at Brendam Docks. He also enjoys telling stories revolving around the sea and fantasy. He is often blunt about his indifference to the rivalry between steam engines and diesel engines.

## Biography

Unlike some diesels, Salty is an easy-going, jolly, friendly, and very practical diesel who very rarely gets upset. He also enjoys telling stories revolving around the sea and fantasy. His seafaring ways and nautical accent are sometimes ridiculed and teased by the other engines (though Bill and Ben imitated his accent since they thought he was amazing), but his usefulness almost always helps the others overlook that. He can work with trucks like no other engine; this is due to his enjoyment of working to a musical rhythm like the trucks and it may also be due to his vast collection of sea shanties. He loves the sea so much that he pines for it when he is away from it for long periods of time. He was once afraid to travel by ocean due to his knowledge of sea tales, but he overcame that. He also has a pirate accent.

Salty worked in Southampton Docks, where he acquired his vast collection of stories and songs and possibly his sailor's accent, before coming to Sodor to work at Ffarquhar Quarry with Mavis, Bill and Ben. Salty was upset, being used to working near the sea, but he soon won the trucks over with his tales and sea shanties and as a reward for his hard work was sent to work at Brendam Docks.

Salty's presence at the docks led to Cranky having a huge distaste for Salty's stories. Cranky snapped at Salty when he pulled up and when Salty thought that Cranky needed company, this made him recall a story about a lonely old Grand Banks lighthouse keeper. He started to tell this story to Bill and Ben (who had not heard it before) which infuriated Cranky and led to him dropping a load of pipes he had which knocked over the Brendam Docks sheds. With Salty, Bill and Ben being trapped at Brendam Docks, Salty decided to tell the twins many stories all night. When Harvey arrived to clear their line the next day, Cranky was very grateful.

Gordon once told Salty to keep his distance in case he made his paint sooty, but Salty pointed out that his job requires him to get sooty and Gordon does not know that because he is too full of himself. When Gordon had to pull trucks, he decided to "show Salty how an express engine pulls trucks", but he ignored a "Go slow" sign and had a horrific accident. Salty apologised for teasing him and Gordon apologised for being too full of himself.

Later, he and Fergus saved a ship from crashing into the rocks when the lighthouse lamp went out. He and Harvey later asked Murdoch about his past, which annoyed him.

Salty has shared many stories with his fellow engines that have often come into play later on.

Salty went to the Dieselworks, but ended up crashing into a flatbed of fuel cans in his hurry to return to the Docks. The fuel made his wheels slip and he ended up colliding with a shipment of party decorations. Salty was certain that he would be sent away, but, to his relief, the Fat Controller told him that he was meant to work with Porter, who had been sent to help him.

One foggy day, he told the engines about the flatbeds of fear. When Percy was missing Gator, Salty encouraged him to get on with his work. Salty and Porter both almost had a collision with Bill and Ben and also helped Timothy to play a trick on the twins.

Much later, Salty had been sent to work on the Mainland as they were short of an engine, but he was afraid to go on a ship and travel by sea. However, he overcame his fears thanks to Thomas, who reminded him of his past tall tales which scared the other engines. He later pretended to be the Ghost of Christmas Past to frighten Diesel and reminded him of his past mistakes.

He also told Edward, Henry, James, Cranky and Porter about a "lost pirate" when Henry saw Skiff and Sailor John and mistook them for a ghost boat the previous night.

Salty, along with Porter and Cranky were among the few who mistook Henry for a ghost, when the big green engine was accidentally given "glow-in-the-dark" paint at the Sodor Steamworks.

## Basis

Salty is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 07 diesel-electric shunter.

## Livery

Salty is painted crimson with scarlet warning stripes along his body, yellow and black hazard stripes on his front and rear and yellow buffer beams with signs of rust. At the top of his forehead, he has the brim of a skipper's hat. His name is painted on his rear section in black and his number 2991 is painted on the sides of his cab, also in black.

## Appearances

### Season 6

* Salty’s Secret
* Harvey to the Rescue *(cameo)*
* No Sleep for Cranky
* Thomas, Percy and the Squeak *(cameo)*
* Gordon Takes a Tumble

### Season 7

* Bill, Ben and Fergus *(cameo)*
* James and the Queen of Sodor *(cameo)*
* Salty’s Stormy Tale
* Edward’s Brass Band *(cameo)*
* Peace and Quiet
* Not So Hasty Puddings *(cameo)*

### Season 9

* Don’t be Silly, Billy
* The Great Discovery *(does not speak)*

### Season 10

* Too Many Fire Engines *(cameo)*
* Happy Birthday, Sir!

### Season 11

* King of the Railway *(cameo)*
* Kevin’ Cranky Friend
* Not Now, Charlie!
* Away from the Sea

### Season 12

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

### Season 13

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

### Season 14

* Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure
* Henry Gets the Express
* Henry in the Dark

### Season 15

* Dowager Hatt’s Busy Day *(cameo)*
* Stuck in Gear

### Season 16

* Two Shovels are Better Than One *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* Salty consistently speaks with a West Country English accent, which matches his bio and his deep love for the sea.