Dai

"*I might be old, but i'm reliable. I can still do my work.*"
— Dai, Dave and Dai

* **Class**: S&DJR Class 7F
* **Designer**: Henry Fowler
* **Build date**: August 31st, 1914
* **Age**: 62
* **Configuration**: 2-8-0
* **Voice Actor**: Rhys Davies

**Dai** is a large goods engine who once visited the Dark Railway.

## Bio

Dai was built on August 31st, 1914 at Derby Works. He was built for use on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, hauling goods trains over the steep hills.

In 1961, Mr. Dark was looking for an engine to handle the increasing coal traffic on the line, so he arranged for Dai to visit the line for a while. When he arrived, Dai was immediately teased by the other engines due to his age and worn out appearance, but Theo and Otto supported him. Dave picked on him worst of all, but he soon met his comeuppance when he stalled on the climb out of Gasworks Tunnel and Dai managed to push both him and his train up the hill. When Colin was teased for a mishap involving him leaving a train of coaches behind, Dai supported him, and the two became friends.

One day, Dai was taking some trucks from Merecombe Gasworks down to Merecombe Industrial Estate, when the trucks decided to push him down the hill. Dai was unable to stop in time and crashed, sending his tender into a coal pit. While his tender was being repaired, he had to use a very small, old tender which led to further taunts from the other engines. Once again, Dave was the worst, but once again got his comeuppance when he crashed through the back of Galen Junction sheds, damaging his tender beyond repair and forcing him to use the old tender until a new one could be made.

At the beginning of 1962, Dai's manager on the Somerset and Dorset Railway asked for Dai to return home. He was given a send off by Dave, Brian, Raymond, and Colin at the Junction before departing. On his way home, Dai had a run in with a diesel named Howard, who wanted to take Dai to the scrapyard in exchange for money. He managed to evade Howard and send him crashing into a train of milk tankers, before returning home to Templecombe, where he recieved a large welcome from his friends on the line.

## Persona

Dai is a wise, no-nonsense and kind engine who gets on with most engines.

## Livery

Dai is currently painted in British Railways black with the early crest. Before nationalisation, he would have worn LMS black and before the grouping he would have worn S&DJR black.

## Basis

Dai is based on a Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway Class 7F 2-8-0.

## Appearances

### The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

* Series 2 - Dave and Dai, Colin and the Coaches, Tenders, Allan (*does not speak*), Hide and Seek, Goodbye, Dai, and Eddie and Maxen (*mentioned*)

Specials:

* 200 Subscribers
* You Bang Snowploughs (*not named*)

## Trivia

* Dai is the main character of the Angry Welshman Productions series, *Over the Hills*. However, since Dai's appearance in *The Dark Railway Series*, the series has been rebooted, meaning that the character of Dai seen in *TDRS* is not the same one in the current *OTH*series.
* Dai is the first character from another series to make an appearance in *The Dark Railway Series*.
* Dai's lack of a name in You Bang Snowploughs is a reference to the fact that in the rebooted *Over the Hills* series, Dai did not have a name prior to being rescued from scrap.