Edward

Edward is a protagonist and a member of The New Action Squad.

## **BIOGRAPHY**

Edward was built by Sharp, Stewart and Company at their Atlas Works in Glasgow, Scotland in 1896. He worked on the Furness Railway's Cumbrian Coast Line before coming to Sodor on loan with other engines in 1915 to assist with the building of the North Western Railway. The Furness had found him to be a "shy steamer" and were not interested in getting him back when his work was completed. In 1921, they sold him to the NWR for a nominal sum, who have, by careful maintenance and extensive modifications, turned him into a reliable engine.

By 1923, Edward was confined to Vicarstown Sheds, to the delight of the other engines, who claimed that he was too old and weak to work. Edward was eventually let out again and proved that what he lacked in strength, he made up for in work by pushing a stubborn Gordon and his heavy goods train up Gordon's Hill.

In 1924, when Thomas was fed up with fetching coaches for the big engines, Edward offered Thomas to take his trucks. However, Thomas, having no experience with trucks, was pushed down the hill and diverted into a siding. Later in 1925, Edward helped James double-head a passenger train when the splendid red engine was acting out.

Outside of Sodor, he is also a member of The New Action Squad. He has since then developed a platonic relationship with Don Andres and has acted as a role model towards him, giving him advice on bravery and how to help others.

## **APPEARANCE**

The Reverend W. Awdry stated that Edward is based on a heavily modified Sharp, Stewart and Co. "Larger Seagull" K2 Class, supplied to the Furness Railway in 1896.

Sodor "historian" Martin Clutterbuck notes that Edward bears a close resemblance to an LNER D34 "Glen" (NBR Reid Class K) 4-4-0 and an LNER D20 (NER Class R) from the London and North Eastern Railway. He also bears a strong resemblance to an LNER D40 (GNSR Class F). The Reverend W. Awdry also used an LMS Class 2P to represent Edward on his model railway.

Visible Crovan's Gate Works modifications are: making the rear splashers flush with the cab, removal of the coupling rod splashers, new cab windows as opposed to cutaways in his cab side sheets and square cab lookouts as opposed to the original round ones. In both the Railway Series and television series, Edward is depicted with a Fowler tender.

Edward is painted in NWR bright blue with red and yellow lining. The number 2 is painted on both sides of his tender in yellow with red lining and the lining around his cab windows is yellow.

It can be assumed that, before arriving on Sodor, Edward was painted in FR Indian red with black lining, the initials "FR" painted on both sides of his tender and black wheels.

## **PERSONALITY**

Edward is very kindhearted, mature, wise and keen to help a friend in need. The small engines trust him to lend a listening ear and sympathetic advice. He is a hard worker too and always does his best to finish a job. If ever an engine misbehaves or acts out, it is Edward that the Fat Controller turns to in order to soothe things out.

Unfortunately, the big engines, especially Gordon, often see Edward as old-fashioned and slow. While it is true he is the oldest engine on the North Western Railway (which he helped build), he has proved time and time again that he is more than capable of working as hard as any engine. He and BoCo have been the only engines who can look after Bill and Ben and know how to put them in their place should they misbehave. Like any otherwise old engine, he stands for no nonsense from anyone, especially from the bigger engines.

Edward had occasionally suffered insecurity within himself, such as keeping secrets from the other engines and Sir Topham Hatt, when he was once leaking steam and likewise when he was told to pull the post train whilst Percy was being repaired. He also had an occasional habit of being rude and cheeky, such as disbelieving Rocky when he thought he did not need help with his goods train and being unwelcome to Harvey when he was new to the railway. However, Edward has moved past all of that and he overall keeps his best wheel forward forever and always no matter the circumstance.

## **TRIVIA**

* Edward was the very first character created for the Railway Series, in 1942.
* Edward is one of few characters to appear in every series of the television series and one of even fewer characters to have a speaking role in each one.
* Edward is the only engine whose crew has been named in the Railway Series. In the foreword of "Edward the Blue Engine" their names were given as Charlie Sand (driver) and Sidney Heaver (fireman). Their surnames came from their duties (one of the driver's jobs is to sand the rails when they are slippery to let the engine's wheels grip, while the fireman "heaves" coal to the firebox); their first names came from an engine crew from the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway.
* One of Edward's television series models is on display at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan and is currently wearing his grinning face mask (previously on display at Nitrogen Studios in Canada). Another was on display at Drayton Manor, but it was removed in March 2020. Both are the brass models of him made during the tenth series. One of Edward's production made face masks is also owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
* Edward's neutral face mask was on his television series model when he first arrived in 2009 and was put on display at Drayton Manor, only to be replaced with a replica smiling face expression.
* In Steady Eddie, Charlie and Eddie and Edward the Hero, Edward refers to himself as "Eddie". Charlie also refers to him by this name. "Eddie" also happens to be Edward's real name in the Greek narration and in Italy from the fifteenth series onwards; however, in the Engine Roll Call he is referred as Edward.
* In the French dub, Edward is called *Edouard* in the first seven series.
* He is Michael White's favourite character.
* Edward, along with Henry and Toby, are the first characters to be removed from the Steam Team, beginning with the twenty-second series.
* His 2014 TrackMaster model and the story Edward Cracks a Nut incorrectly depicts him with a 2-6-0 wheel configuration, instead of a 4-4-0, as does his redesigned Motor Road and Rail model.