Top Hat

"Do I have to go on living with this motley crew?"
— Top Hat, Munitions

* Final Design
* Concept Art

**Top Hat** is a railway tug and fourth member of the *Star Fleet*.

## Biography

Although he tries to avoid any job that will make him dirty, he is used for a wide variety of tasks around Bigg City Port, mainly distributing railway rolling stock with his barges, Frank and Eddie. Despite his problem with dirty jobs, he is often used to tow Lord Stinker the garbage barge in episodes such as "High Tide." In that episode, he gained a great respect for the barge. Yet in other episodes he complains about the garbage itself, and often teases Warrior for his garbage smell.

Aside from his snobbish personality, Top Hat's most distinguishing feature is his elevated wheelhouse; it's this feature that distinguishes him as a railway tug, as real tugs built to haul railroad rolling stock on barges had equally high wheelhouses to allow their pilots and crews to see over the top of their high loads. Unlike his real-world counterparts, however, Top Hat can bob his wheelhouse up and down, giving his model an extra element of movement which was often used for dramatic or comedic purposes.

Top Hat cares mainly about himself and saving his own neck. He may pretend to be cool and collected, but when he is actually faced with a threat or is placed in danger, he will panic and complain. This type of behaviour is shown in the episodes "Ghosts" and "Regatta." He is often ridiculed by his companions, particularly Ten Cents and the villainous Z-Stacks.

Despite his self-absorbed and arrogant demeanour, Top Hat has proven himself on numerous occasions and can cope fairly well in an emergency, such as when he propped up Zebedee's steel load under a railway bridge to help Puffa get across, and when he used Lord Stinker to save the Goods Engine from a serious accident when the bridge collapsed. Despite the fact that he very rarely shows it, he cares deeply for the Star Fleet.

Like O.J., Top Hat's whistle is very deeply pitched, but softened somewhat in comparison with O.J.'s. He also has the deepest whistle of the Star Fleet.

## Personality

Top Hat is an uppity and snobbish character with a monocle, vintage top hat (hence his name) and a tall wheelhouse that can move up and down, causing him to quite literally look down on others. He often voices is disdain for jobs he finds unpleasant, such as garbage deliveries, and has been known to get out of jobs he doesn't like. Despite this, when push comes to shove, Top Hat will take action to help others, such as when he helped Ten Cents rescue Izzy Gomez, saving the Goods Train from falling into the canal with Lord Stinker or travelling into the night to find Sunshine and apologise.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Like the rest of the Star Fleet, Top Hat is based on the tugs of San Francisco waters from the 1920s, although he also resembles John-A.-Dialogue-&-Sons-built New York Central Tugboat 13, which is also a railway tug, and his personality is based on Kenneth Williams. His name derives from his trademark hat he wears.

### Livery

Top Hat is painted in the Star Fleet's corporate livery. This consists of a black hull, a yellow superstructure, white mast and an American flag-styled red, white and blue funnel. His name is painted on the sides of his bow in white and he has the number "4" on his funnel. He wears a black vintage top hat and a monocle.

## Appearances

### Episodes

* Sunshine
* Pirate
* Trapped
* Regatta
* Munitions
* Warrior
* High Tide
* Quarantine
* Ghosts
* Jinxed (*cameo; larger role in deleted scene*)
* High Winds
* Up River
* Bigg Freeze

### Books and Annuals

* Kidnapped
* Nothing to Declare
* The Race
* Ship In Distress
* Naval Manoeuvres

## Voice Actors

* John Baddeley
* Masashi Ebara (*Japan*)
* Pauli Virta (*Finland*)

## Trivia

* Top Hat's whistle is actually taken from the movie **Rocky II**.
* In 2012, his face masks (sans 'shocked' mask) were purchased by The Star Tugs Company and are currently on display at the TUGS Exhibition. His model's whereabouts remain unknown and it is presumed his 'shocked' face mask is still on the model.
* Top Hat is the only character who can raise his wheelhouse up and down.
* Top Hat is the only railway tug in Bigg City Port.
* Top Hat, along with Ten Cents and Sunshine, is one of the only characters to appear in every episode.
* Top Hat is the only tug of the Star Fleet known to have a foghorn, which is the same sound as battleship New Jersey's.

## Merchandise

* Port Set (*discontinued*)
* Takara (*discontinued*)
* Kabaya Stamp (*discontinued*)
* Pin Badge (*discontinued*)
* Thimbles (*discontinued*)

**Bigg City Port**

*\** **Television Series** *only* | *\*\** **Annuals** *only* | *~~---~~ Cut*