Marion

**Marion** is a self-propelled steam shovel. She usually works at the China Clay Pits with Bill, Ben and Timothy.

## Biography

### *Thomas & Friends*

Marion works at the Clay Pits. She is bubbly and friendly and loves digging, talking, and talking about digging. She is always ready to share her tales with the other locomotives, who sometimes try to avoid her. Thomas is always happy to hear her stories. Items she has claimed to dig up in the past include a pirate chest. She enjoys playing "Guess What's in My Shovel", although the answer is almost always mud, rock, or dirt.

The morning after a large landslide at the clay pits, Marion met Thomas for the first time, scaring him with her bucket. When she introduced herself, Thomas found that she talked a lot. A few days later, she was still cleaning up the fallen rocks when Percy and James came her way trying to escape from another landslide caused by James' whistle. Although James escaped, Percy was swept up by the landslide. He was buried wheel-deep when he saw a large rock coming his way. It looked like the end for the little green tank engine, but Marion put her bucket in front of him and caught the rock, which she identified as the skull of a Megalosaurus.

Whilst repairing an embankment on the main line, Marion once hit a water pipe, causing a leak. Marion decided to cover up the leaky pipe, but Thomas later spotted water trickling out of the ground. When he took Marion to inspect the site, water gushed up from the ground and caused a landslide. Luckily, Marion was able to clear the line just before Gordon raced through with the Express. Marion promised that she would tell someone if she unearthed a water pipe in the future.

Later, Marion became worried when Ben did not bring any coal to the clay pits. She was cross when she realised that the twins had used it all up, and got them to thank and apologise to Timothy, who came to the rescue by fetching more coal for Marion and the twins.

Some time later, during the construction of the Dinosaur Park, Marion was sleeping on a siding when Samson pulled a train of animatronic dinosaurs past her. She did not see Samson and believed the dinosaurs were real. She reversed all the way to Ulfstead Castle, and a few minutes later Samson arrived, revealing that the dinosaurs were in fact fake.

Once, Marion witnessed Bill and Ben taking away trucks she was loading, causing rubble to land on the tracks. She said that they were unhelpful, and Timothy agreed. This infuriated the twins and, as a trick, they sent Timothy to the Docks to help Porter and Cranky. This only caused trouble at the Clay Pits because Marion's trucks were getting too full. She ended up getting trapped due to the heavy trucks. Bill and Ben framed Timothy, angering her. Despite Timothy coming back, Marion was still trapped for a while.

She was later brought in to help with the construction of the new branch line. Upon meeting Bert, Rex and Mike, she believed that they were magical - a thought that became more remarkable when she thought they turned Oliver into an excavator. Marion was present when Rocky lifted the Pirate Ship out of Calles Cavern, and decided to make a wish to the Small Railway engines that she would be the one to dig up the buried treasure. The three of them were less than enthusiastic when the steam shovel arrived at Arlesburgh West, and while Rex and Bert managed to flee, Mike got trapped on the chute by Marion's shovel, and she did not let go until she had made her wish. The little red engine escaped in full speed, but this only strengthened Marion's belief that he was magical. She helped Alfie and Oliver dig part of the site when she discovered a buried treasure chest. She later attended the branch line's opening ceremony, and was surprised to discover that there are *two* Olivers on Sodor.

At Christmas time, Marion was working on Thomas' Branch Line to help make room for a new warehouse on a disused siding and discovered a *"talking Christmas tree"*. Marion tried to tell Thomas, Toby and their coaches about her discovery, but they did not believe her. She then went to Knapford to get Sir Topham Hatt to take him to the talking Christmas tree, but when they arrived, it was gone. Marion was later recognised for Glynn's discovery.

In the twenty-second series, Rebecca came across Marion, who was digging a hole. Rebecca thought Marion's steam shovel looked great. Later, Marion helped Rebecca realise that she is special because she brings out the best in everyone by making kind comments about the other engines.

## Personality

Marion is very enthusiastic and likes to think of herself as well-informed and is happy to share her knowledge. She is very talkative and loves to tell stories of her discoveries. However, not all the engines prefer to stick around and hear her stories.

Despite her enthusiastic demeanour, she can also be rather stern, as seen when she told off Ben for not delivering any coal and making the twins apologise and thank Timothy.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Marion is based on a rail mounted Marion Model 40 Revolving Steam Shovel, hence the name. However, unlike Marion, the actual steam shovels were not self-propelled. Many of these steam shovel types were used in the construction of the Panama Canal, with some of them still in place at the bottom of portions of the canals and reservoir that provide water to the canal and locks.

The only remaining steam shovel is a Model 91, which was taken out of service in 1949. It resides in Le Roy, New York, USA on caterpillar treads. It is on treads because in 1916, the Marion Company began selling conversion kits, to allow the shovel to be placed on caterpillar treads. Model 91 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

### Livery

Marion is painted orange and light brown with yellow lining. She has her name painted on her sides in yellow.

## Appearances

* Television Series
* Other Media

### *Thomas & Friends*

* **Series 18** - Marion and the Pipe, No Steam Without Coal, Timothy and the Rainbow Truck, Marion and the Dinosaurs and Samson at Your Service (*cameo*)
* **Series 19** - Best Engine Ever and No Help at All
* **Series 20** - The Christmas Coffeepot and Over the Hill
* **Series 22** - Forever and Ever (*cameo; fantasy*), What Rebecca Does, Thomas and the Dragon (*stock footage*) and Counting on Nia (*does not speak; fantasy*)
* **Series 23** - Gordon Gets the Giggles (*stock footage*), Thomas Makes a Mistake (*stock footage*) and First Day on Sodor! (*stock footage cameo*)

#### Specials

* **2014** - Tale of the Brave
* **2015** - Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure
* **2016** - The Great Race
* **2017** - Journey Beyond Sodor (*cameo*)
* **2018** - Big World! Big Adventures!

#### Music Videos

* **Series 18** - The Best Friends Express
* **Thomas' YouTube World Tour** - The Island Song, Ode to Gordon and That's What Friends Are for
* **Series 19** - Spring is Here! and Engine Roll Call
* **Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure** - Never Overlook a Little Engine and We Make a Team Together
* **Series 20** - Glynn's Christmas Wish and Accidents Will Happen
* **The Great Race** - Will You Won't You
* **Journey Beyond Sodor** - I Want to Go Home (*cameo*)
* **Series 21** - Set Friendship in Motion, Doing it Right and Trying
* **Big World! Big Adventures!** - Where in the World is Thomas?
* **Series 22** - Engine Roll Call, All the Girls Around the World and Let's Dream

### Magazine Stories

* **2014** - Leaves on the Line! (*speaks in speech bubble only*)
* **2015** - Marion and the Dinosaurs

## Voice Actors

* Olivia Colman (*UK/US; speaking voice*)
* Teresa Gallagher (*UK/US; singing voice only*)
* Blanche Ravalec (*France and French Speaking Canada*)
* Dagmar Dreke (*Germany*)
* Talya Barkay (*Israel*)
* Marjolein Algera (*The Netherlands*)
* Chiaki Mori (*Japan; Tale of the Brave onwards, excluding The Great Race*)
* Keiko Nemoto (*Japan; The Great Race only*)
* Adriana Casas (*Latin America*)
* Tiril Heide-Steen (*Norway; Tale of the Brave only*)
* Beata Wyrąbkiewicz (*Poland*)
* Suzete Piloto (*Brazil*)
* Alina Leonte (*Romania*)
* Elise Langenoja (*Finland*)
* Vina Papadopoulou﻿ (*Greece*)
* Habermann Livia (*Hungary*)

## Trivia

* Marion is the first character to have separate voice actors for speaking and singing in both English narrations.
* Marion does not have any front windows, making it difficult for her crew members to see.
* In the first trailer for Tale of the Brave, Marion's 3D model lacked the protective corners on her main body. They were added on for the second trailer onward. Because of these being added, her lamp was moved slightly.
* Marion has a rear coupling hook, but the size of her coal bunker makes it impossible to couple anything to her. This implies that her bunker *may* be retractable.
* She is Cassandra Chowdhury's favourite character, according to an interview on SiF.
* Marion's name is derived from her basis (the Marion Revolving Steam Shovel) as well as the company that built her (the Marion Steam Shovel Company).
* She, apparently, has a rock collection.
* Marion is the first female character who Toad has referred to as "Miss".
* Marion's headlamp changed from white to silver in Big World! Big Adventures!
* The twenty-second series episode Forever and Ever is the very first instance of Marion pulling rolling stock in the television series.

## Merchandise

* Wooden Railway (*discontinued*)
* TrackMaster (*cancelled*)
* Take-n-Play (*discontinued*)
* Mega Bloks (*discontinued*)
* Motor Road and Rail (*unmotorised; two-pack with Gator, Looking for Pounding Treasure Set, and Friends Set*)
* Capsule Plarail
* Collectible Railway
* Adventures (*discontinued*)