BoCo

**BoCo** is a green mixed traffic diesel engine, who primarily works on Edward's Branch Line and occasionally on the Main Line.

## Biography

BoCo was built for British Railways on 29th September 1958, and along with the rest of his class worked in the Barrow-in-Furness area from 1962. In 1965 he found his way to the Brendam Branch Line. Sir Charles Topham Hatt expressed interest in buying him, and BR allowed him to keep the engine for trials. These proved satisfactory, and BoCo was purchased.

BoCo once accidentally took Bill and Ben's China clay trucks. The twins decided to play a trick on him, playing on their identical looks to make the diesel think that one engine was vanishing and reappearing around him. Edward was nearby to sort out the confusion and Bill and Ben soon came to respect BoCo.

Duck, who was suspicious of diesels due to his own experience, nevertheless took quickly to BoCo when the diesel took trucks to Tidmouth and found out that he was good friends with Edward. The two started talking in the shed, but were interrupted when James arrived and called BoCo a "buzzbox." Ironically, James was attacked by a swarm of bees the next day and so BoCo had to take the express. Gordon was furious that a mere branch line diesel got to pull a mainline train. Gordon was later stranded on Edward's branch line due to a signalmen's error. Bill and Ben were quick to tease Gordon and jokingly threatened to haul him away as scrap. When BoCo arrived with some trucks, he sent Bill and Ben to work and the relieved Gordon felt he owed his life to BoCo.

When Edward had trouble pulling an enthusiasts' train, BoCo helped Duck to shut the big engines up, who said Edward should be preserved. BoCo later filled in on the branch line while Edward was at the Works. Donald and Douglas were the last engines to accept him.

BoCo showed Old Stuck-Up around but abandoned him when the new diesel insulted Sir Charles for keeping steam engines in service. Things had been smoothed over between James and BoCo by this time.

BoCo tried to cheer Gordon up when he got into trouble for spraying ashes onto a wedding party and later helped him to Barrow-in-Furness when his fire bars collapsed. BoCo also helped Edward to the Works when his bogie wheel snapped off and ran the branch line while Edward was undergoing an overhaul. He met Victoria when Edward stopped at Wellsworth with her while being brought back to service on Thomas' Branch Line and later laughed at Donald after his accident with a set of buffers.

## Personality

BoCo is a tame diesel engine, who is sensible, kind, and has a decent sense of humour. Upon his arrival, he was unfortunate enough to be set upon by the mischievous Bill and Ben, when, thinking he had intentionally stolen their trucks, they pretended to be one engine and nearly made his eyes pop out. BoCo is now wise to the tank engine twins' pranks though he still somewhat humours them to a point. He is also good friends with Bill, Ben, Edward, and Duck. He is a true friend and is often willing to stick up for the underdog. BoCo is firm, but fair and friendly in his nature, not being afraid to speak his mind. Even Gordon soon thought of him in high regard when he "saved" him from Bill and Ben's antics. BoCo upholds a more praiseworthy and respectable, likeable image for diesel engines everywhere, being happy to show the more pompous steam engines that diesels have their uses. BoCo helps bring good order across Edward's branch line, even occasionally pulling mainline trains, as the Fat Controller recognizes how versatile he is.

## Technical Details

### Basis

BoCo is based on a BR Class 28 Co-Bo diesel-electric engine. His name is derived from his Co-Bo wheel arrangement, though reversed as the Reverend W. Awdry thought "BoCo" sounded more affectionate. These engines were initially used on the "Condor" express freight services but the class's Crossley engines quickly proved problematic. They suffered frequent failures, and in 1961 the entire class was handed back to the manufacturer for remedial work on the engines, and to cure problems with cab windows falling out while running. Upon return to service in 1962, all members of the class were allocated to Barrow-in-Furness. BoCo was susceptible to the mechanical failures of his class - according to the Awdrys, however, the Fat Controller eventually found a fix to prevent these malfunctions. The real engines were not so fortunate, and most were withdrawn and scrapped by 1969.

BoCo's number is that of a real Class 28. The real D5702 was built in 29th September 1958 and was withdrawn on 7th September 1968, before being scrapped at J. Cashmore Scrapyards the following year.

### Livery

BoCo is painted in the Brunswick green livery of British Railways with yellow warning panels. In the television series, he is painted in a more vibrant shade of green without yellow warning panels. The number "D5702" is painted on his cab sides in white.

In the Railway Series, BoCo has a yellow face. However, in Main Line Engines, he was first depicted with a yellow end from below his mouth to half-way up his nose. The top half of BoCo's nose and his eyes were in his green paintwork. This is evident in the fourth and sixth illustrations of "The Diseasel" as well as the last illustration of "Edward's Exploit". This type of face was also shown in "Old Stuck-Up" in James and the Diesel Engines. Since he had two faces at each end of him, this could explain why his face differs in different illustrations. In the television series, he has a grey face on one end only to match the other characters.

## Appearances

### Season 1

* A Near Miss For BoCo
* Henry's Nightmare (*cameo*)
* Rowdy Singing (*does not speak*)
* Donald, Douglas and the Presents Train (*cameo*)
* Diesel's Christmas Carol (*cameo*)

### Season 2

* Toby and the Express (*cameo*)
* Not a Toy! (*cameo*)
* Whistling Rescue
* A Sticky Situation for Gordon and James (*does not speak*)
* Fibbing Thomas (*does not speak*)
* A Christmas for Diesel (*cameo*)
* Thomas and the New Bell (*cameo*)
* Happy Hogmanay (*cameo*)

### Season 3

* First Impressions
* Non-Swindon Fashion (*cameo*)
* Engine Who (*cameo*)
* Trevor's Easter Sunday (*cameo*)
* A Gronk and Bucket Rivalry
* The Past Is In The Past (*cameo*)
* Dirty or Clean? (*cameo*)
* Inexperienced (*cameo*)
* Technology (*does not speak*)
* The Spiteful
Brake Van (*mentioned*)
* NWR 100 (*does not speak*)
* Emily and the Trespasser
* James' Branch Line (*mentioned*)
* William (*does not speak*)
* Heavy Goods (*cameo*)
* A Kyndley Christmas

### Season 4

* High Speed Sneeze (*cameo*)
* The Fishy Smell (*cameo*)
* BoCo's New Driver
* Oliver and the Enthusiast (*cameo*)
* Derek (*mentioned*)
* The 'Unlucky' Engine (*cameo*)
* Tender Engines Don't Shunt (*cameo*)
* Respect (*does not speak*)
* The First Visit (*cameo*)
* Twins Stick Together
* Looking Splendid (*cameo*)
* Jim (*cameo*)
* Neil (*cameo*)
* Gordon and the Pigs (*cameo*)
* A Christmas Wish (*cameo*)
* New Year, New Life

### Season 5

* Goodbye Percy (*cameo*)
* Timothy the 'Ghost' Engine (*does not speak*)
* The Train Protection and Warning System (*cameo*)
* Forgotten? (*cameo*)
* Duck and Scott (*cameo*)
* Gordon and Scott (*cameo*)
* The Fat Controller's Bad Day (*does not speak*)

### Season 7

* The Earl's Coffee Pot (*cameo*)
* Percy "Spots" James (*cameo*)
* The Lady of the Clay-pits (*does not speak*)
* Bill and Ben's Christmas Rescue (*cameo*)

### Season 8

* Paxton
* Changed? (*cameo*)
* Revenge Isn't Sweet (*cameo*)

### Season 9

* A New Friend For Trevor (*cameo*)
* BoCo and the Brake Tender
* Philip's Royal Rescue (*cameo*)
* Toby and the Cheeky Twins
* The Missing Kippers

### Season 11

* Oliver and BoCo
* The Beetles (*cameo*)

### Season 12

* Gordon's Fallout
* Framed!
* A Cranky New Year!

### Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends

#### Series 1

* Trial of Trust (*cameo*)
* Thomas and Timothy (*cameo*)
* Cursed Coaches
* Engines and Egos (*mentioned*)
* Duke The Proud Engine
* Bear Reads a Book (*cameo*)
* Duck Comes Around
* Fireless Engines (*cameo*)
* Diesel's Demons (*does not speak*)
* Oliver's Faithful Friend (*does not speak*)
* The Lonely Scrapyard (*cameo*)

#### Series 2

* Across the Bridge (*cameo*)
* Diesels and Dogma
* Bothering BoCo
* Pinning the Blame (*does not speak*)
* Down the Hill (*cameo*)
* Carol of the Bus (*cameo*)