Toby

**Toby** is a brown tram engine who works on the North Western Railway. He is the railway's number 7 engine.

## Biography

Toby is old, but wise, hardworking and knowledgeable enough about running Branch Lines to justify running Thomas' line with Daisy after Percy's accident with the trucks until Thomas came back. He is also savvy enough to control the trucks. However, his advanced age and design means that he is weaker than the other engines. While Toby is always ready to work hard without any fuss, he can be a bit temperamental sometimes, especially when young and inexperienced engines who are full of themselves make things difficult for him, particularly Mavis and Daisy. However, work at the quarry line often soothes off his moods without any cause of grief to anyone, except of course his old faithful coach, Henrietta.

After working on the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway in East Anglia, Toby came to work at Ffarquhar Quarry on Thomas' Branch Line after his tramway closed in 1951, as it was found to be illegal for Thomas to go on the Quarry Tramroad without sideplates or cowcatchers. At first, Toby was teased by James for his shabby paint. However, James stopped teasing him after he crashed into some tar wagons.

Toby also got into a bit of trouble with a diesel shunter named Mavis, as she was unwilling to shunt trucks where they needed to be placed. After an accident, the two engines made up their quarrel and became good friends.

When Mavis was sent to the Dieselworks after her accident with a lorry, Toby did her work at the quarry, leaving Percy to do Toby's work as well as his own. Toby once came off the rails at a crossing when the earth was swollen over the rails and ended up on the road. Luckily, with the fireman guiding the driver, they managed to reverse Toby back on the rails. The Fat Controller, however, heard about it, but rather than being cross, he only joked with him and told him that he should leave the roads to what they were made for.

In November 1959, Toby was chosen to be an attraction at the seaside village of Ballahoo's festival and was repainted and polished for the event. However, after travelling across the island and seeing how smart he looked, the village notified him and his driver that plans changed at short notice and did not let him join in the festival.

## Basis

Toby is based on a Great Eastern Railway (GER) Class C53 0-6-0T Wisbech and Upwell steam tram (reclassified as J70 by the LNER) built at Stratford Works.

## Livery

When the Hatt family visited him, and before his old tramway closed, Toby was painted a dark brown (due to age and wear), with black wheels hidden behind black sideplates and cowcatchers. His current number at the time (No. 68221) was painted on his front bufferbeam in cream. He also had black bufferbeams.

After rescuing James from the tar wagons, Toby was rewarded with his current livery and number. He is now painted a lighter brown with a darker varnished brown on his frames and black wheels hidden behind grey sideplates and cowcatchers. His new number (7) is painted on his middle side panel in yellow with a red outline. He also now has red bufferbeams.

## Appearances

### Season 1

* Toby and the Stout Gentleman
* Thomas in Trouble
* Dirty Objects
* Thomas’ Christmas Party
* Paint Pots and Queens

### Season 2

* Thomas, Percy and the Coal
* Cows
* Duck Takes Charge *(mentioned)*
* Percy and Harold *(does not speak)*
* The Runaway *(does not speak)*
* Percy’s Promise
* Thomas Comes To Breakfast
* Daisy
* Bull’s Eyes
* Percy’s Predicament
* Ghost Train
* Woolly Bear *(does not speak)*
* Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree *(does not speak)*

### Season 3

* Time For Trouble
* Gordon and the Famous Visitor *(cameo)*
* Henry’s Forest
* Mavis
* Toby’s Tightrope
* Thomas and Percy’s Christmas Adventure

### Season 4

* Sleeping Beauty
* Train Stops Play *(does not speak)*
* Thomas and the Special Letter
* Stop Thief! *(does not speak)*
* Mavis and the Lorry *(does not speak)*
* Toby Takes the Road
* Special Attraction

### Season 5

* Horrid Lorry
* Baa!
* The Fat Controller’s Holiday *(does not speak)*
* A Surprise For Percy
* Stepney Gets Lost

### Season 6

* The World’s Strongest Engine *(cameo)*
* Percy’s Chocolate Crunch *(cameo)*
* The Fogman

### Season 7

* Harold and the Flying Horse *(cameo)*
* Toby’s Windmill
* Peace and Quiet *(does not speak)*
* Three Cheers For Thomas *(cameo)*

### Season 8

* Thomas to the Rescue *(does not speak)*
* Percy’s Big Mistake

### Season 9

* Percy and the Oil Painting
* Dream On
* The Great Discovery
* Tram Trouble

### Season 10

* Hero of the Rails
* Blue Mountain Mystery

### Season 11

* King of the Railway
* The Lost Puff
* The Missing Christmas Decorations *(does not speak)*
* Thomas' Shortcut

### Season 12

* Scrambled Eggs *(cameo)*
* Thomas the Quarry Engine
* Marion and the Dinosaurs
* Samson At Your Service *(mentioned)*

### Season 13

* The Truth About Toby
* Very Important Sheep *(cameo)*
* Thomas the Babysitter
* Den and Dart

### Season 14

* Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure
* Toby’s New Friend
* Letters to Santa
* Love Me Tender
* Ryan and Daisy
* Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks
* Three Steam Engines Gruff
* The Christmas Coffeepot
* The Big Freeze

### Season 15

* Philip’s Number
* P.A Problems
* Hasty Hannah

### Season 16

* Off to See the World *(cameo)*
* Rebecca the Substitute *(does not speak)*

## Gallery

Toby’s current livery (1951-present)Toby’s current number 7 (1951-present)Toby’s old nationalisation livery (1948-1951)Toby’s old nationalisation number 68221 (1948-1951)Toby’s old British Railways logo (1948-1951)
## Trivia

* Toby's favourite station is Maithwaite.