Oliver is a Great Western tank engine who works on Duck's branchline. He has 2 coaches named Isabel and Dulcie and a brakevan named Toad. He also has a brother, Harry, GWR 1400 Class No. 1450, who is in fine working order on the Dean Forest Railway, where Wilbert works, and has 3 other brothers in relatively good condition. He speaks with a British accent.
Bio[]
Oliver worked on the Great Western Railway. In December 20, 1955, he arrived at Westbury Station, but there was a Modernisation Plan to wipe out Steam Traction, and Replace it with the more efficient Diesel and Electric Services. The last Region to be wiped out was the southern Region, and then there were a few 8Fs, Black 5s and Standard classes left in Service. In August these last engines were withdrawn and every engine on British Rail was either Diesel or Electric. He was scrapped at Swindon Dump in 1958. Sometime during the 1960s, he ran away for fears of being scrapped with Isabel and a brake van named Toad, and were forced to hide between signal boxes and rely on the goodwill of signalmen to pass at safe times. When control got wind of the runaways, they hid in an old quarry branch and had the cutting blocked by rubbish to avoid being spotted of the diesels outside. The runaways decided it was safe to leave at some point, but before they could reach the greener pastures of Sodor, Oliver ran out of coal. Luckily, Douglas was able to rescue Oliver and hid him on a siding at Crovan's Gate. The Fat Controller soon found out and arranged for the 3 to be repaired and painted in Great Western colours. Toad decided to be Douglas' brake van to thank him, and The Fat Controller rescued an auto coach named Dulcie and gave her to Oliver.
Oliver was then sent to work on the Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch line, but became conceited after the big engines gave him their respect in recognition of his adventures, ignored Duck and Donald's advice about trucks and pushed his weight around, prompting several ballast trucks to push him into a turntable well. Oliver received little respect from the trucks after the incident, but got his own back by pulling the ringleader, Scruffey, apart. Oliver is now well respected by the trucks, for fear they will be pulled apart too.
Oliver has since had many adventures, such as running Thomas' branchline during the engines' trip to England, discovering an abandoned house which was later turned into a tea house and spending a night as a snowman after crashing into one in the village.
Persona[]
Oliver is considered brave and a good role model by the engines. This went to his smoke box and led to his incident with the ballast trucks, but Oliver has since then learned his lesson and started to behave like a real role model.
Oliver is friends with Duck, Donald, Douglas, Rosie, Toad and Todd and enemies with Diesel and Diesel 10.
Basis[]
Oliver is based on a GWR 14xx 0-4-2T, designed by Charles B. Collett and built at Wolverhampton Works in 1932, 29 ft 11 in long.
Livery[]
Oliver is painted in the GWR's green livery with green wheels, GWR logo painted on the side of his tanks in yellow and the number "11" painted on his cab sides in yellow with a red border. His paint had faded by the time he was rescued, leaving him a rusty red colour. After his rescue, he was repainted green and has remained so since.
Voice Actors[]
- Joe Mills (UK/US; Series 18 onwards)
- ひかる みどりかわ (Japan; 第3-7シリーズ)
- ゆうた おだがき (Japan; 第12シリーズ、第18シリーズ onwards)
- Rafael Rivera (Mexico)
Trivia[]
- Recent information has revealed that there really was a 1436 on the Great Western Railway.
- In the 12 series, Oliver was given a Welsh accent in the UK version and a British accent in the US version.
- In the story "Oliver Gets the Bird" from the 1985 Thomas and Friends annual, Oliver was incorrectly depicted as an 0-4-4. In Wilbert the Forest Engine, Oliver was incorrectly depicted as an 0-6-0.
- Oliver's whistle sounds like 2 low blasts.