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Oliver is a Great Western Railway tank engine who works on Duck's Branch Line.
Bio[]
Oliver formerly worked on push-pull duties in the West Country, during which he bonded with his faithful autocoach Isabel. Sometime during the 1960s (steam on the then-Western Region of B.R., aka the Other Railway finished at the end of 1965), he ran away for fear of being scrapped with Isabel and a brake van named Toad. The three were forced to hide between signalboxes and rely on the goodwill of signalmen to pass at safe times. When control got wind of the runaways, they hid on an old quarry line and had the cutting blocked by rubbish to avoid being spotted by the Diesels outside.
At some point they 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 - having brought in a goods train - 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 three 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 autocoach named Dulcie and gave her to Oliver.
Oliver was then sent to work on the Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch line, but the big engines were quick to give him praise in recognition of his daring escape. He got carried away over it and discarded the fact he was inexperienced with trucks, 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 their ringleader apart, albeit unintentionally and with Toad's help. Oliver is now well-respected by the unknowing trucks, out of fear they will be pulled apart too.
Persona[]
Oliver was considered "an example" and is praised as a role model, but despite his heroism he is an engine who is willing to admit every day is a learning curve. He appreciated this following his affair with the unruly ballast trucks, and only takes goods in the event that Duck, Donald and Douglas are not available despite the respect he earned. He understandably feels his benefits deeply though, and can still be prone to gumption and being temperamental on occasion, but he has come to be on excellent terms with all of the engines.
Basis[]
Oliver is based on a GWR 14xx class 0-4-2T. The particular engine Oliver is stated to have been based on, No. 1436, was built at Swindon Works in August 1934 as No. 4836, being renumbered with the others in 1946. It worked until it was withdrawn in October 1958, being scrapped the following year by Morkot Ltd. at Ystrad Mynach in Wales. According to The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways and Sodor: Reading Between the Lines, "It is doubtful whether this (1436) was the number actually allotted to him in 1946".
A suitable alternate match for Oliver's characterisation might be No. 1424, built at Swindon in November 1933. Starting its working life at Goodwick in Wales for its first decade, it became permanently stationed at Gloucester until it was withdrawn in December 1963, having attained the highest recorded service mileage of its class. It was sold to scrap giant John Cashmore Ltd. and cut up at their yard at Great Bridge, Tipton. The later withdrawal of this engine also aligns more closely with Oliver's Sodor arrival date.
Related[]
It transpires Oliver was indeed formerly No. 1424. His relationship with Isabel began when he moved to Gloucester, from where, with others of his class, he regularly worked the push-pull service to Chalford. He had a difficult start, and Isabel - who also entered service in 1933 as a wood-bodied autocoach - recognised it, so it didn't take long for them to form a working relationship that played a part in subsequent events. In the 1950s he valued his charmed sister 1401, who gained major fame as a star of the 1953 Ealing Comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt.
At the time he was withdrawn, his regular driver and fireman - who were dismayed by the rapid withdrawal of steam engines - supported Oliver and Isabel's case. For the duration of 1964, Oliver stood in Gloucester Horton Road shed as "a reserve" while his crew worked out a plan, but complications arose when the Chalford service was withdrawn by the year's end, and Oliver's crew were given notice they had until the final withdrawal of steam from their region to settle on a sale.
The escape trek north to Sodor was very much a desperate solution. It took some three months with all the stops made on the way and the fear of being found out considered, though understandably to Oliver it felt like ages before he had any sign of assurance. Upon being brought to Crovan's Gate, he and his accomplices sat in their siding for the best part of a year while the rebuilding of the Arlesburgh branch took priority, and the complications behind their arrival were sorted out.
Livery[]
Oliver is painted in the GWR's green livery with yellow lining, black wheels and a brass GWR numberplate on his cab side.
Gallery[]
