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in: Thomas, Tender Engines, Blue Characters,
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Edward the Blue Engine

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Edward the Blue Engine
EdwardCGIpromo3

Promotional picture of Edward in full CGi
Number 2, previously 34, and 7
Class Rebuilt Furness Railway K2 "Larger Seagull" 4-4-0 with Fowler tender
Livery FR Indian red with yellow lining and black footplate (1915), black with red lining (1924), NWR blue with red lining (since 1950)
Line Wellsworth-Brendam branchline
Designer Pettigrew Stewart
Built 1915
Builder

Sharp, Steward and Co.

Good

Date of Birth January 14, 1915
First Appearance Edward's Day Out
Voice Actors

Keith Wickham (UK)
William Hope (USA)

Frank Welker (Thomas and Friends: The Magical Railroad Adventure Quests)

Edward is a blue mixed-traffic engine. He is one of the main protagonists.

Alies: Thomas (Good Friend), Henry (Big Friend), Gordon, James, Percy, Toby, Duck, Donald and Douglas, Oliver, Emily, BoCo (Best Friend), Bear, Rocky, Stepney, Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Rusty, Duncan, Mike, Rex, Bert.

Enemies: Diesel, Arry and Bert, Diesel 10, Rocky (formerly), Spencer (formerly), George, Bulgy (formerly), D261, D199, Old Stuck Up, Splatter and Dodge.

Charlie Sand and Sidney Hever

Edward is the only engine whose driver and fireman are named in The Railway Series (Henry's driver was named in the annuals, being 'Ted'). In the foreword to 'Edward the Blue Engine', their names are given as Charlie Sand and Sidney Hever, and in the story 'Saved from Scrap', Charlie's name is mentioned.

These names are puns on their jobs. One of an engine driver's jobs is to sand the rails when they are slippery in order to allow the engine to grip. A fireman's job is to "heave" the coal from the tender or coal bunker to the engine's fire.

Their first names come from a real engine crew named Charlie and Sidney on the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway (see Toby the Tram Engine).

Behind the Scenes

Edward was the first character that appeared in the The Railway Series in 1950. The inspiration for the character came from the Rev. W. Awdry watching trains on the Great Western Railway as a child. He said in interviews with Brian Sibley that to him, the noise of the locomotives' exhaust almost sounded like dialogue. For instance, the larger engines having trouble climbing the hills would appear to be saying, "I can't do it, I can't do it," and the smaller engines helping them would sound like they were saying, "I will do it! I will do it! I will do it!" This was the direct inspiration for the second story in The Three Railway Engines, 'Edward and Gordon'. The first story was 'Edward's Day Out', which was an introduction to the character.

Unlike later characters in the Railway Series, Edward is not directly based upon any particular class of locomotive, but is a generic 4-4-0. The Rev. W. Awdry has claimed that Edward is based on a heavily modified Sharp, Stewart & Co. "Larger Seagull" locomotive supplied to the Furness Railway in 1915, but this is a piece of retcon created for the book The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways. Martin Clutterbuck notes that Edward bears a closer resemblance to certain Scottish locomotives of the North British Railway, notably the D20. It is likely that Awdry chose the Furness Railway locomotive because the Furness Railway was the closest mainland railway to Sodor.

The Furness origin for Edward is once again brought up in book 41 Thomas and Victoria, as Edward and Victoria are both from that area.

Edward in the television series

Edward is one of the eight engines in The Steam Team.

In recent episodes of the TV series, Edward has been portrayed as a back engine, to help engines up Gordon's Hill – a reminiscent nod to the Season 1 Story Edward and Gordon.

In Season 10, Edward appears almost as cheeky and inexperienced as Thomas was in the first season. This is especially evident in the episode Edward Strikes Out, where he went as far as to call a new arrival "new-fangled nonsense". After this little mishap he became his old self again.

Edward was strangly absent in Thomas's feature film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. However, he did appear in the straight-to-dvd episode, Calling All Engines.

In Railroad Station Series, Edward was voiced by Long John Baldry, and almost as cheeky and inexperienced as Thomas was in the first season.

In the Japanese version, Edward is voiced by Yasuhiro Takato.

Merchandise trivia

  • Because there's a space in the Learning Curve Wooden Model, Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway depicts Edward as an 0-4-0 with a tender, instead of 4-4-0 with a tender in the TV and Railway Series. Also, Edward is seen as 2-6-0 in one of the earlier annual illustrations.
    • Hornby's model of Edward is based on their earlier London and North Eastern Railway "Shire" class 4-4-0, with coupling rods removed, and a taller chimney added.

Trivia

  • He has been seen with all characters (except Billy, Madge, Rusty, Ivo Hugh, Freddie, Mighty Mac, Bertram, Smudger, Daisy, Mike, Rex, Bert, The Pack and Molly who haven't been seen with him so far).
  • Edward did not appear in Thomas and the Magic Railroad because his model wasn't finished in time.
  • Edward's model is on display at Drayton Manor.

Theme

Edward's theme is his Season 1/2 theme.

Theme (T,J&H Version)

Edward's T,J&H theme is his theme from the Season 2 Episodes "Cow" & "Edward's Exploit"

Counterparts (Hero Version) (Male Version)

Counterparts (Villian Version)

  • The Diesel/D261 (Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends)
  • Nantucket (TUGS)
  • Lyle Lanley (The Simpsons)
  • James Woods (Family Guy)

Counterparts (Female Version)

  • Molly, Emily, Belle or Madge (Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends)
  • Sigrid, Emily, Lily the Lighthouse, or Constance (Theodore Tugboat)
  • Olwin or Zephie (Chuggington)
  • Daisy or Peach (Super Mario Bros.)
  • Bunnie Rabbot or Princess Sally Acorn (Sonic the Hedgehog)
  • Maude Flanders, Marge Simpson, Edna Krabappel Flanders or Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)
  • Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle or Applejack (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)
  • Olive (Justin Time)
  • Natalie, Penny, Mona or Ashley (WarioWare (T,J&H Version),Edward and Mona are Both Blue)
  • Didi Pickles (Rugrats)
  • Jane Read (Arthur)
  • Mary or Sergeant Calhoun (Wreck-It Ralph)
  • Olive the Stonehenge Girl (Justin Time: The Big Stone Circle)
  • Great Bear's Wife (Kong: The Animated Series)
  • Panda Mom (Happy Tree Friends: Ka-Pow!)
  • Princess Cadence (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)

Gallery

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