Den & Dart

**Den & Dart** are two diesel engines that work together at the Vicarstown Dieselworks.

## Personalities

Den is the diesel engine who runs the Vicarstown Dieselworks, repairing other diesels. He is stately and deeply pensive. He tries to make sure everything he says is deeply considered and can often be heard muttering "what I mean to say is..." and can tend to over-think. He may come across as a little slow, but nothing could be further from the truth. He is rather astute and likes to take into account as much as he can with regards to a problem. Although he is not a worrier, he may tend to be on the fence about taking particular action over a matter before making a calculated, informed decision that will be worth the wait. Sometimes though, Dart, his assistant at the Dieselworks, can tell what he is thinking and cut to the chase a little quicker for the benefit of the other engines, which is why they support each other so well as a team. Den is a hard worker and is popular and well respected among the diesels for fixing them with a whisk of his wheels, even if his tools may be old and shoddy and his machinery may be outdated. Although he is trustworthy and authoritative, Den may have the occasional chuckle at an engine's expense.

Dart works at the Vicarstown Dieselworks supporting and assisting Den. Den and Dart have worked together for so long that Dart can often guess what Den is thinking before he can get it out himself. Although not so much the thinker of the duo, he is usually the doer and can be the chattier of the two. He quickly buzzes about the Dieselworks, occasionally bashing, crashing, and clanging into things. He can be heard to grumble "Dizzy Diesels!" when something goes wrong. Dart is very able in his work and a valuable team player. Despite being small in size, he is feisty and fast. Dart also likes jokes, sometimes to the annoyance of the other Diesels. If feeling bothered, particularly by the steam engines, Dart is far from devious, but can get grumpy, gruff, irritable, cantankerous, and sometimes cheeky too, but otherwise he is the quick-witted assistant of the Dieselworks.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Den is based on a Rolls Royce Class 4DH Sentinel diesel-hydraulic 0-4-0. These engines were built to replace Sentinel's steam line for use in various industrial shunting roles. Larger 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 variants were also produced. Several engines of this type are preserved, including one at the National Railway Museum and another at the Bluebell Railway.

Dart based on 0-4-0 diesel-hydraulic shunter no. 3207 "Leys" built by W. G. Bagnall. It was the last locomotive built by Bagnall before the firm was taken over by English Electric. It is now preserved on the Foxfield Railway, along with Harvey's basis.

### Livery

Den is painted slate grey and orange with cream lining. His buffer beams are painted with orange and black wasp stripes. He has the Vicarstown Dieselworks logo on each side of his cab.

Dart is painted yellow and maroon with white lining and the Dieselworks logo on the sides of his cab. He has yellow and black hazard stripes painted on his bufferbeams.

## Appearances

**Alsop Productions**

TBA

**Thomas & Friends**

* Day of the Diesels

## Creators

* Sharon Miller
* Ian McCue