Sir Topham Hatt

The Fat Controller ("Sir Topham Hatt"), as seen in the Series 2 episode "Duck Takes Charge" (1986)

## Physical description

### Gender

Male

**Sir Topham Hatt**, also known as **The Fat Controller**, is a fictional character in *The Railway Series* books written by the Reverend W. Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. In the first two books in the series (*The Three Railway Engines* and *Thomas the Tank Engine*) he is known as **The Fat Director**, and as of the third book (*James the Red Engine*) he becomes The Fat Controller, as the railway has been nationalised. Sir Topham Hatt's full name is revealed in the foreword to the 1951 book *Henry the Green Engine*.

The Fat Controller also appears in the television series *Thomas & Friends*, adapted from the books. On television, he was usually portrayed in the form of several different static figures made with either wood or lead during series one, and resin from series two onwards, but has been portrayed using CGI from the twelfth season onward.

The term "fat controller" has since been adopted in various contexts in the English language, beyond the sphere of the original stories.

## Origin of nickname

The character is first seen in "The Sad Story of Henry" in the first book in the *Railway Series*, *The Three Railway Engines*. When Henry refused to leave a tunnel, the story says "a Fat Director who was on the train told the guard to get a rope". The character is referred to as the Fat Director/Controller for the remainder of the *Railway Series*, both in the narrative and by the other characters. The name Sir Topham Hatt is first mentioned in the foreword to *Henry the Green Engine* and also appears on his luggage trunk in the same book in the story "Percy and the Trousers". The first use of the name Sir Topham Hatt in the TV series comes in the episode 'The Sad Story of Henry' when the narrator (Ringo Starr in the UK version and first US version and George Carlin in the second US version) introduces him to the audience.

The American version of the television series always refers to him as Sir Topham Hatt, and never as The Fat Controller due to different societal norms between the US and Britain.Template:Cn

## Biography (*Railway Series*)

There have been three Fat Controllers. This is not revealed directly in the stories, as they all look very similar and are all known as Sir Topham Hatt. However, the books *The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways* (written by Rev. W. Awdry and George Awdry) and *Sodor: Reading Between the Lines* (by Christopher Awdry) make this clear.

### Sir Topham Hatt, 1st Baronet (1880-1956)

He was a talented engineer who was apprenticed with Sir William Stanier at the Great Western Railway's Swindon works, which gave him a great love of all things Great Western. He went on to assist A. W. Dry in the construction of the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway, which became the branch line, and designed the locomotives that ran upon it.

When the standard gauge railways of the Island were merged into the North Western Railway in 1914, Topham Hatt was called upon for his engineering skill. He constructed a bridge to link Sodor with the Mainland, as well as a number of branch lines and improvements to locomotive facilities. He was immediately made a Director of the railway.

Topham married Jane Brown and fathered a son (Charles Topham Hatt) and a daughter (Barbara Jane Hatt). Jane was sister to Sir Handel Brown, Liberal MP for Sodor East and owner of the Skarloey Railway, making all successive descendants of the two railway families cousins. Charles wed Amanda Croarie, daughter of the owner of the Ffarquhar Quarry Company, and Barbara married Henry Regaby, the Viscount Harwick. In light of this, Topham's family unit can be seen as an alliance of several of the most prominent families in Sodor.

When the North Western Railway was nationalised and became part of British Railways in 1948, Topham Hatt was made Controller of the railway. 1948 also saw him made a baronet for his services to the railways of Sodor.

This Fat Controller appears to be the one shown in the series.

He appeared in:

* *The Three Railway Engines* Template:Small
	+ The Sad Story of Henry
	+ Edward, Gordon and Henry
* *Thomas the Tank Engine*
	+ Thomas' Train
	+ Thomas and the Trucks
	+ Thomas and the Breakdown Train
* *James the Red Engine* Template:Small
* *Tank Engine Thomas Again*
	+ Thomas and the Guard Template:Small
	+ Thomas Goes Fishing
	+ Thomas and Bertie Template:Small
* *Troublesome Engines*
	+ Henry and the Elephant Template:Small
	+ Tenders and Turntables Template:Small
	+ Trouble in the Shed
	+ Percy Runs Away
* *Henry the Green Engine*
	+ Coal
	+ The Flying Kipper
	+ Gordon's Whistle
	+ Percy and the Trousers
	+ Henry's Sneeze Template:Small
* *Toby the Tram Engine*
* *Gordon the Big Engine*
* *Edward the Blue Engine*
	+ Saved from Scrap Template:Small
	+ Old Iron

### Sir Charles Topham Hatt, 2nd Baronet (1914-1997)

Charles Topham Hatt was the son of the first Sir Topham Hatt and the second Controller of the NWR. He too served an apprenticeship with Stanier, this time working under the locomotive designer. Like his father, he was an innovative engineer and made a number of improvements to the railway and its engines. He was also the originator of the scheme to construct the Arlesdale Railway and the ballast consortium that used it.

He was responsible for the line's policy of retaining steam locomotives long after they had been abolished on the rest of British Railways, and while Dr Beeching was closing down branch lines on the Mainland, Charles was reopening them on Sodor.

He appeared in:

* *Percy the Small Engine*
	+ Percy and the Signal Template:Small
	+ Duck Takes Charge
	+ Percy's Promise
* *The Eight Famous Engines*
	+ Percy Takes the Plunge
	+ Gordon Goes Foreign
	+ Double Header Template:Small
	+ The Fat Controller's Engines
* *Duck and the Diesel Engine*
	+ Pop Goes the Diesel
	+ Dirty Work
	+ A Close Shave
* *The Twin Engines*
* *Branch Line Engines*
	+ Thomas Comes to Breakfast
	+ Daisy
	+ Percy's Predicament
* *Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine*
	+ Bluebells of England Template:Small
	+ Bowled Out
* *Main Line Engines*
	+ Buzz, Buzz Template:Small
	+ Wrong Road
	+ Edward's Exploit Template:Small
* *Small Railway Engines - Ballast* Template:Small
* *Enterprising Engines*
	+ Tenders for Henry
	+ Super Rescue Template:Small
	+ Escape Template:Small
	+ Little Western
* *Oliver the Western Engine*
	+ Donald's Duck Template:Small
	+ Resource and Sagacity
	+ Toad Stands By
	+ Bulgy Template:Small
* *Tramway Engines*
	+ Woolly Bear Template:Small
	+ Toby's Tightrope
* *Really Useful Engines*
	+ Stop Thief!
	+ Fish
	+ Triple-Header

### Sir Stephen Topham Hatt, 3rd Baronet (1941-)

Stephen Topham Hatt was first seen as a child in the book *Toby the Tram Engine*. As an adult, he was made the third Controller of the North Western Railway. His son, Richard Topham Hatt, is tipped to be the next Fat Controller on Stephen's retirement, and at Stephen's death, he will inherit the family's baronetcy and the title 'Sir Topham Hatt'.

He appeared in:

* *Toby the Tram Engine* - Toby and the Stout Gentleman
* *James and the Diesel Engines*
	+ Old Stuck-Up Template:Small
	+ Crossed Lines Template:Small
* *More About Thomas the Tank Engine*
	+ Thomas, Percy and the Coal Template:Small
	+ *The Runaway*
	+ Better Late Than Never Template:Small
* *Gordon the High-Speed Engine*
	+ High-Speed Gordon Template:Small
	+ Smokescreen Template:Small
	+ Fire Escape
	+ Gordon Proves His Point
* *Toby, Trucks and Trouble*
	+ Mavis and the Lorry
	+ Toby's Seaside Holiday Template:Small
	+ Bulstrode Template:Small
	+ Toby Takes the Road
* *Thomas and the Twins*
	+ Scrambled Eggs
	+ Trevor Helps Out
* *Thomas and the Great Railway Show*
	+ Museum-Piece
	+ Not the Ticket Template:Small
	+ Trouble on the Line Template:Small
	+ Thomas and the Railtour
* *Thomas Comes Home*
	+ Snow Problem Template:Small
	+ Washout! Template:Small
	+ Thomas Comes Home
* *Henry and the Express*
	+ Out of Puff Template:Small
	+ Overhaul
	+ Sliding Scales
	+ Henry Sees Red
* *Wilbert the Forest Engine*
	+ Percy's Porridge
	+ Wired-Up
* *Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines*
	+ Birdstrike
	+ Edward and the Cabbages
	+ Rabbits Template:Small
	+ Golden Jubilee
* *Thomas and Victoria*
	+ Overloaded Template:Small
	+ Avalanche Template:Small
	+ Toby's Vintage Train
* *Thomas and his Friends*
	+ Thomas and the Swan
	+ Buffer Bashing
	+ Gordon's Fire Service Template:Small
	+ Centenary

## Biography (television series)

Template:Unreferenced
In the television series, The Fat Controller is always the same man, with the same wife and grandchildren. He is in his mid 60s (as evident in a newspaper article in the Great Discovery), although his voice in the UK versions sometimes hint at old age, and he has even appeared with a white moustache in certain episodes. Very little of his history is revealed, although we do see more of his extended family, including his mother (Dowager Hatt), and his mischievous twin brother (Sir Lowham Hatt). In the first season, he and all the other human characters were made out of lead. From the second season onwards, they were made out of resin so they could move around more easily.

He is shown to be a qualified railway engine driver when he brings Percy to the yard for the first time. He is in charge of all the engines on Sodor and seemingly has a great deal of say over other vehicles. As a young man, he learnt to drive in Elizabeth the vintage Sentinel lorry, though in a few episodes, his driving skills are poorly developed, which were used as comedic gags for when the chance arises (often in Winston the Inspection Car). He has overseen the construction of a number of lines, railway services, and has been involved with the opening of several tourist attractions on Sodor.

British narrator Michael Angelis portrayed the character with a strong Yorkshire accent, with a low gruff voice a trait of which has been continued when Pierce Brosnan briefly took over the mantle, and also when individual voice artists were brought in to voice the characters, The Fat Controller being voiced by Keith Wickham in both the UK and US versions from 2015 onwards. Kerry Shale initially voiced him in the US prior to 2015, and gave the character a clear American accent and a deep, booming voice. In the American version, he has always been referred to by his actual name, Sir Topham Hatt, possibly because "fat" is a much more pejorative term in the US than in the UK.

The Fat Controller's name was revealed to be Bertram by Alicia Botti, the famous opera singer, in "Play Time", and by his mother Dowager Hatt in "Percy's Parcel", "Jitters and Japes", "Edward the Hero" and "Stop that Bus!".

## Mode of dress

In his iconic top hat and morning suit, the Fat Controller looks rather old-fashioned and formal.

In the television series, Sir Topham's suit has often been used for comic effect, being augmented with scarf and mittens in winter. The series plays on the outdated nature of this outfit, giving Sir Topham an entire wardrobe of old-fashioned and formal clothes for occasions when he is not "on duty". In the Series 8 episode "Halloween", he is shown wearing pyjamas and a nightcap, and in the Series 9 and 10 episodes "Flour Power" and "Sticky Toffee Thomas" he is briefly shown wearing a wizard costume. In yet another episode, he is shown wearing a kilt, a gift from a visiting Scottish Lord. In various CGI episodes, he dresses like Santa Claus.

## Sir Topham's household

### Wife: Lady Hatt

**Lady Jane Brown Hatt** helps her husband run the railway, and is happiest when she sees new lines opened, and has had some special birthday parties. She likes the railway, but had a certain dislike of Annie and Clarabel, calling them beach huts. Later, she took a liking to them, after they got new coats of paint. Although her husband runs a railway, she likes a day out in their car or on a boat.

**Voices**:

* Teresa Gallagher (*UK; Season 13 onwards / US; Season 17 and 21 only*)
* Jules de Jongh (*US; Season 13–20, excluding Season 17 and 21*)

She has appeared in:

* Season 1 Template:Small
	+ Thomas' Train/A Big Day for Thomas Template:Small
	+ Toby and the Stout Gentleman/Tobythe Tram Engine Template:Small
	+ Thomas in Trouble/Thomas Breaks the Rules Template:Small
* Season 3 Template:Small
	+ A Scarf for Percy Template:Small
	+ Bulgy Template:Small
* Season 5
	+ Lady Hatt's Birthday Party
	+ Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday
* Season 7
	+ The Runaway Elephant
	+ Bulgy Rides Again Template:Small
	+ The Grand Opening
	+ Best Dressed Engine Template:Small
* Season 8
	+ Thomas and the Tuba Template:Small
	+ Percy and the Magic Carpet Template:Small
* Season 9
	+ Percy and the Oil Painting Template:Small
	+ Thomas and the Birthday Picnic Template:Small
	+ Tuneful Toots Template:Small
	+ Flour Power Template:Small
* Season 10
	+ Thomas and the Jet Plane Template:Small
	+ The Green Controller
	+ Topped Off Thomas Template:Small
	+ Which Way Now? Template:Small
* Season 11
	+ Thomas Sets Sail Template:Small
	+ Toby's Triumph Template:Small
	+ Thomas and the Runaway Car Template:Small
	+ Duncan Does it All Template:Small
* Season 12
	+ Rosie's Funfair Special/Rosie's Carnival Special Template:Small
	+ Saved You!
	+ Percy and the Bandstand
* Season 13
	+ Tickled Pink Template:Small
	+ Double Trouble Template:Small
	+ Toby's New Whistle
	+ Thomas and the Runaway Kite Template:Small
	+ The Biggest Present of All Template:Small
* Season 14
	+ Charlie and Eddie Template:Small
	+ Pop Goes Thomas Template:Small
	+ Jitters and Japes Template:Small
* Season 15
	+ Up, Up and Away!
	+ Wonky Whistle Template:Small
	+ Fiery Flynn Template:Small
* Season 16
	+ Express Coming Through Template:Small
	+ Thomas and the Rubbish Train/Thomas and the Garbage Train Template:Small
	+ Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor Template:Small
	+ Muddy Matters Template:Small
	+ Happy Birthday Sir! Template:Small
* Season 17
	+ Wayward Winston Template:Small
	+ The Afternoon Tea Express
* Season 19 Template:Small
	+ Who's Geoffrey? Template:Small
	+ Diesel's Ghostly Christmas
		- Part 2 Template:Small
	+ Reds vs. Blues Template:Small
* Season 20 - Engine of the Future Template:Small
* Season 21
	+ Terence Breaks the Ice Template:Small
	+ Confused Coaches Template:Small
* Season 22: Big World! Big Adventures! - Rosie is Red

* Films
	+ *Thomas and the Magic Railroad* Template:Small
	+ *The Great Discovery*
	+ *Hero of the Rails* Template:Small
	+ *Misty Island Rescue* Template:Small
	+ *Day of the Diesels* Template:Small
	+ *King of the Railway* Template:Small
	+ *Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure* Template:Small
	+ *The Great Race* Template:Small

### Mother: Dowager Hatt

**Dowager Hatt** lives on Sodor and on her first appearance in a TV episode ("Gordon and the Gremlin"), her son held a party for her. On this occasion, her Dalmatian dog (soon to be named Gremlin) ran away after being frightened by Gordon's whistle, and ended up in Thomas' cab, where he greatly enjoyed a long ride to the docks. She says the railway is really useful, and the Fat Controller says she is always right.

**Voices**:

* Keith Wickham (*Seasons 13 through 21*)

She has appeared in:

* Series 5 - Gordon and the Gremlin Template:Small
* Series 6 Template:Small
	+ It's Only Snow
	+ Thomas (and) the Jet Engine
* Series 9 - Thomas and the Birthday Picnic Template:Small
* Series 11 - Percy and the Left Luggage/Baggage Template:Small
* Series 12 - Excellent Emily Template:Small
* Series 13 - Percy's Parcel
* Series 14 - Jitters and Japes
* Series 15
	+ Gordon and Ferdinand
	+ Percy's New Friends Template:Small
	+ Edward the Hero
	+ Up, Up and Away!
	+ Stop that Bus!
	+ Wonky Whistle Template:Small
	+ Tree Trouble
	+ Fiery Flynn
* Series 16
	+ Express Coming Through
	+ Percy and the Monster of Brendam Template:Small
	+ Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor Template:Small
	+ Muddy Matters Template:Small
	+ Happy Birthday Sir! Template:Small
* Series 18
	+ Toad's Adventure
	+ Samson Sent for Scrap Template:Small
	+ Millie and the Volcano
* Series 19
	+ Diesel's Ghostly Christmas
		- Part 2 Template:Small
	+ The Beast of Sodor
	+ Reds vs. Blues Template:Small
* Series 20
	+ Engine of the Future
	+ Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks/Cars
* Series 21
	+ Dowager Hatt's Busy Day
	+ Terence Breaks the Ice Template:Small
	+ A Shed for Edward Template:Small
	+ Confused Coaches
* Series 22 - Rosie is Red

* Specials
	+ *Day of the Diesels* Template:Small
	+ *The Adventure Begins* Template:Small
	+ *Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure* Template:Small
	+ *The Great Race* Template:Small
	+ *Big World! Big Adventures!* Template:Small

She is the only household member to originate in the TV series, never having appeared in the *Railway Series* books.

#### Grandson: Stephen Hatt

**Stephen Topham Hatt** lives on the Island of Sodor, and regularly has outings and holidays with his grandparents and sister. Stephen loves trains, and was excited when he first met Toby the Tram Engine. Stephen also has a bit of knowledge about the Island, of which is the reason they discovered the Old Castle and the mine (in which Bertram was found).

In the *Railway Series*, Stephen ultimately took the railway over and is the current Fat Controller. In the television series, he has always remained a child.

**Voices**:

* Matt Wilkinson (*UK; Season 13 only*)
* Teresa Gallagher (*UK; Season 14 onwards / US; Season 19 onwards*)
* William Hope (*US; Season 13 and 14 only*)

He has appeared in:

#### Granddaughter: Bridget Hatt

**Bridget Amanda Hatt** lives on Sodor, and regularly goes for outings and holidays with her grandparents and brother. On one occasion they went to Toby's old line, where she thought Toby was an electric tram and was reprimanded by her brother for offending him.

Her parents (mentioned only in the book *Sodor: Reading Between the Lines*) are Charles and Amanda Hatt.

**Voices**:

* Teresa Gallagher (*UK; Season 14 onwards / US; Season 19 onwards*)
* Jules de Jongh (*US; Season 13 and 14 only*)

She has appeared in:

### Twin brother: Lowham Hatt

**Sir Lowham Hatt** is the jolly twin brother of Sir Topham Hatt, the son of Dowager Hatt, the great-uncle of Stephen and Bridget Hatt, and the brother-in-law of Lady Hatt.

Lowham is mischievous and enjoys playing with the children. He seems to know little or nothing about railways. He played hide-and-seek with the children and then went into a signal box and pulled the lever, switching Gordon to the branchline. He dresses exactly like Sir Topham but has a moustache. It is unknown how and why he got his knighthood.

He only appears in the series 13 episode, "Double Trouble".

**Voices**:

* Keith Wickham (UK)
* Kerry Shale (US)

### The Hatts' Butler

Sir Topham Hatt has a **butler** who is featured in *The Railway Series* and the *Thomas & Friends* TV series. He has appeared in only three stories - "Thomas in Trouble/Breaks the Rules" in Season 1, "Lady Hatt's Birthday Party" in Season 5 and "Fergus Breaks the Rules / Thomas and the Search for Fergus" in Season 7.

## In real life

"Day out with Thomas" events are a popular way of raising money for heritage railways. These events are an opportunity for children to meet characters from the books and television series (or at least, engines that have been "dressed up" to resemble them). These events are invariably presided over by a Fat Controller, played by a railway volunteer of appropriate age and build. The copyright holders are strict about how these volunteers should appear: the South Devon Railway's Fat Controller was forced to either quit or shave off his beard, and it is absolutely forbidden for a Fat Controller to be too thin. In the United States, on the other hand, he is instead portrayed as a costumed character (with the performer's face hidden).

## Other uses of the name "Fat Controller"

* In Series 3, Episode 2 of *To the Manor Born*, during a meeting to protest the closing of the local railway station, the Rector loses his temper with an overweight representative of British Rail, played by Richard Thorp, and refers to him as "the Fat Controller".
* In the fantasy novel *Railsea* by China Miéville, That Apt Ohm is a deity of the rails. His name is an anagram of Topham Hatt.

## External links

* The Real Lives of Thomas page on the Fat Controller

Template:Thomas
Template:Forbes Fictional 15

1. ↑ [1]
2. ↑ BBC News: Close shave for Fat Controller