Daisy

**Daisy** is a diesel railcar who came to work on the Ffarquhar Branch Line after Thomas crashed into the Stationmaster's house. In the television series, she now works on the Harwick Branch Line carrying out passenger duties, while Ryan runs the goods duties.

## Biography

Daisy was built especially for service on the Ffarquhar Branch Line. After Thomas was sent to the Works to have his bufferbeam repaired in 1960, Daisy arrived to do his work. Daisy was nasty to Henrietta, Annie and Clarabel, refused to sleep in the Ffarquhar engine sheds on the grounds that it was "smelly" and blatantly refused to pull freight because it was "bad for her swerves". Daisy later called Toby cowardly for having side plates and cowcatchers and claimed that one only needed to "toot and look them in the eye" to shoo animals away. This, of course, was proven false when Daisy tried to shoo an inquisitive bull named Champion and ended up being humiliated. The Fat Controller discovered that Daisy was lazing about and spoke to her sternly, saying that lazy engines were not welcome on his railway, but he gave her a second chance after Daisy helped clear up the mess made when Percy crashed into a train of stone. Daisy promised to change her ways.

In 1962, after Douglas claimed all diesels were "devils", Percy used Daisy as an example of a good diesel to try and change his opinions about them.

Once, Mavis sought Daisy's advice about how to show Toby that her method of doing things was correct. This was not exactly the best move, as Daisy knew next to nothing about trucks.

In the latter half of 1990 and the former half of 1991, Daisy was put in charge of Thomas' fast run to Knapford while Thomas was in York. Daisy later claimed that she was not afraid of snow, but changed her mind after getting stuck in a snowdrift for a week.

When Thomas finally returned from York, Daisy was given charge of a special train to bring guests to Knapford for the welcome-home party but was delayed after running over some cones left inside the crossing gates at Dryaw crossing. She only just made it in time.

In 1993, Daisy - along with Thomas, Percy and Toby - saw Wilbert off when he returned to Gloucestershire.

While the Railway was preparing for the Golden Jubilee of the Railway Series in 1995, Daisy became stranded on the Main Line when the stretch before Dryaw was declared unsafe as rabbits had burrowed beneath it and so she was given the task of ferrying passengers from the airfield to Knapford. She later tried to cheer Henry up when he started to worry about the Golden Jubilee.

In 2006, Daisy teased Percy for being afraid of grass snakes but was humiliated when she blew a fuse out of fright when a crate of eels dropped beneath her.

In 2011, Daisy attended the ceremony where the bust of the Thin Clergyman was unveiled at Tidmouth.

## Personality

Daisy is a diesel railcar, who has been known to consider herself "highly sprung and right up to date". She was brought to help run passenger services on Thomas' Branch Line, while Thomas was "indisposed" after running into the stationmaster's house. She can be hard to please, mostly indignant, and highly opinionated. She is extremely authoritative, trustworthy, and confident in herself and can sometimes boast of her abilities in particular situations, unconcerned, despite having never actually been in such a position before. She will sometimes presume she can show other engines a thing or two, despite knowing little on the matter, until she actually learns for herself.

After arriving on Sodor, Daisy insisted that she required delicate handling and considered pulling trucks and vans to be below her. She was very lazy and stubborn, but the Fat Controller spoke severely to her, telling her that his engines must work hard and that he sends lazy engines away. However, the Fat Controller felt she deserved another chance after she worked hard clearing up after an accident Percy had. Daisy is now good friends with the other engines on Thomas' Branch Line, tries to work much harder to be a Really Useful Engine and is better capable of handling things alone. Daisy can be described as a self-obsessed diva and also vain about not wanting her interior be dirty one bit.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Daisy is based on the BR/Metro-Cammell Class 101/102 DMU. She is, however, a single railcar instead of the traditional two to four-piece units. These were one of the longest serving class of "First Generation" DMUs, with its service life of 47 years only being replaced by the Class 121. A total of 41 cars are preserved. A preserved Class 101 set (#101680) appeared on a Mr. Perkins' Railway segment.

### Livery

In the Railway Series, Daisy arrived on Sodor painted in BR Brunswick green with yellow lining with the 'Cycling Lion' British Railways crest, the livery of British Railways DMUs in the 1960s. After she was bought, Daisy was repainted in NWR Green with yellow lining. In the television series she is painted in a much lighter shade of green. She wears makeup, including eyelashes, red lipstick, blush and blue eyeshadow.

In the Railway Series, Daisy's face is the same colour as her livery; in the television series, it is light grey like all other engines.

## Appearances

### Season 1

* Daisy the Royal Diesel Rail-Car
* Diesel's Christmas Carol (*cameo*)

### Season 2

* Toby and the Express (*cameo*)
* George's Pub (*cameo*)
* Blue Engine for Sale (*mentioned*)
* A Sticky Situation for Gordon and James (*cameo*)
* Fibbing Thomas (*does not speak*)
* A Cow in the Tunnel (*does not speak*)
* A Christmas for Diesel (*cameo*)

### Season 3

* Daisy and the Cows
* Dirty or Clean?
* Fear (*cameo*)
* NWR 100 (*mentioned*)
* James' Branch Line (*does not speak*)
* Farewell Mrs. Kyndley (*cameo*)
* Heavy Goods (*does not speak*)
* A Kyndley Christmas

### Season 4

* High Speed Sneeze (*cameo*)
* The Fishy Smell (*cameo*)
* Thomas the Cheeky Tank Engine (*does not speak*)
* Dynamite For The Quarry (*cameo*)
* Stanley In Space
* Daisy's Fertiliser
* The First Visit (*cameo*)
* Hard Work Brings Success
* Rumours and Reveals
* New Year, New Life

### Season 5

* Thomas and the Cleaner
* Daisy and the Sick Passenger
* Ryan
* The Fat Controller's Bad Day (*cameo*)
* Mike's Christmas (*cameo*)

### Season 7

* Percy "Spots" James (*cameo*)
* Bill and Ben's Christmas Rescue

### Season 8

* Paxton (*mentioned*)
* Lobster on the Line
* Cottage for Sale
* Typical Engines

### Season 10

* Auld Faker (*cameo*)
* Unusual Engine
* Pardon My French

### Season 12

* Reckless Rex (*cameo*)
* Harold the Hero (*illustration*)
* Fowl Train
* Softy Bulgy
* A Cranky New Year! (*music video cameo*)

### Series 1

* Toby and the Old Coaches (*cameo*)
* Daisy Does It Better