Duke

Duke was built at Boston Lodge in Minffordd, Wales to the order of John Arnold Norramby, Earl of Sodor and Chairman of the Mid Sodor Railway, in 1879 for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway in 1880. The Board of Directors named him in honour of the Earl and rostered him to haul the Opening Train. He worked with several other engines on the Mid Sodor, including Falcon and Stuart (later named Sir Handel and Peter Sam, respectively).

Soundly built, Duke was well maintained and kept in service until 1947 when the railway closed. While Stuart and Falcon were sold, no buyers were interested in him, so he was left oiled, greased and sheeted up in Arlesdale Sheds, where he was all but forgotten. He believed that the Earl would come to rescue him, but as time went on, he did not show and Duke began to have doubts which grew stronger and stronger. He was unaware the Earl he knew had been killed during the Second World War and that his successor was just a boy, who did not know of Duke.

He was later discovered by Mr. Fergus Duncan, the Rev. Teddy Boston and the Rev. W. Awdry in 1969 and taken by road and rail to Crovan's Gate Works. There Duke was restored and rebuilt, through the kindness and generosity of the Fat Controller and the present Earl of Sodor, who shared the cost with Sir Handel Lloyd Brown. He was finally reunited with Sir Handel and Peter Sam and for the first time in its history, the Skarloey Railway had motive power to spare, which allowed Sir Handel to be lent to the Talyllyn Railway in 1982, while Sir Haydn was out of service for repairs.

Duke attended Ivo Hugh's naming ceremony in 1996.

Thomas & Friends

Duke is the oldest and most experienced of all the narrow gauge engines. He lived on the Mid Sodor Railway with several engines including Stuart, Falcon, Bertram and briefly Smudger, until the line went bankrupt and Stuart and Falcon were sold. Duke, however, was sheeted until a group of adventurers found his shed, buried under the soil that had washed down from the mountains. Skarloey and Rheneas took him back to the Skarloey Railway, where he was soon returned to service.

Personality

Duke is one of the oldest, wisest and most experienced engines of the Skarloey Railway. He is also the mentor of Peter Sam and Sir Handel, from their younger days on the Mid Sodor Railway, when they were called Stuart and Falcon respectively. Being the oldest engine on the line, Duke liked everything to be "just so". Although once lost for many years in an old shed that nature tucked away and forgotten about after the Mid Sodor came to an end, he was found by rescuers, although quite by accident when one dropped in through his shed roof. He may have a headteacher attitude and maintain his authority at all times, but can be quick to apply his knowledge and years of experience to help guide and correct any younger engine. He is proud of his name and keen to uphold the respect it merits. He can often be heard to say "That would never suit His Grace!" upon hearing or seeing something that he takes disapproval to, or pedantically stating how he thinks someone would have adhered to the rules and regulations in his younger days. Despite their teasing ways, Sir Handel and Peter Sam have grown to become very fond and deeply respect Duke and dearly nicknamed him "Granpuff" for his long service to the railway.

Technical Details

Basis

Duke himself is based on a small England tank-tender engine (Prince, Princess and Palmerston are surviving examples) from the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog, North Wales. Unlike his basis, Duke is built to 2ft 3in gauge, while the small England's are built to 1ft 11½in gauge. Bertram is also based on a small England and has the same modifications as Duke.

Duke's basis, Prince

Prince at Tywyn Wharf

Princess at Paddington

Palmerston at Boston Lodge Works

Prince illustrated by Edgar Hodges

Livery

In the Railway Series, Duke was painted red-brown with black lining. On the Mid Sodor Railway, Duke was numbered 1 and his tender had the Mid Sodor Railway's crest on it. When he moved to the Skarloey Railway, he was not repainted in the railway's standard red livery, instead being restored to his original livery; red-brown with brass nameplates. He neither has his MSR number (1) or his SR number (8) for unknown reasons. In the television series, Duke is painted orange-brown with yellow lining and has two red plaques on the sides of his saddle tank with his name painted on them in gold.

On the Rev. W. Awdry's model railway, Duke had "The Duke" painted on his sides in yellow and his company's initials, MS, painted on his tender, also in yellow.