Isabel and Dulcie (Pstephen054 version)

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“Oh, Isabel's a funny coach and so is Dulcie too. If I didn't look after them, they'd not know what to do!”

―Oliver sings about his coaches

Isabel and Dulcie two Great Western autocoaches pulled by Oliver on The Little Western. Isabel joined Oliver and Toad when they escaped from the Other Railway, and Dulcie was later rescued by the Fat Controller and given to Oliver to help run the Little Western.

Biography

Isabel worked with Oliver and Toad on a branch line in the West Country. In 1967, the branch line was closed and Oliver's crew plotted an escape to the Island of Sodor. They were nearly caught by diesels several times, and eventually made it to Barrow-in-Furness, where Oliver ran out of coal. Shortly afterwards, Douglas helped the group escape across the bridge to Sodor and stored them at Crovan's Gate Works; Oliver's crew hid inside Isabel during the journey. Sir Topham Hatt then had the three repaired and repainted in Great Western colours for work on the Arlesburgh Branch Line.

The Fat Controller was already making plans to acquire an autocoach for the purpose of handling passenger traffic on the re-opened Arlesburgh branch. The coach turned out to be Dulcie, and thus the arrival of Isabel, with Oliver, to augment the stock could not have been better timed. Isabel and Dulcie were joined by Alice and Mirabel shortly after, who were paired with Duck.

Personality

Oliver says Isabel is very clever, as she always keeps a good look out when he pushes his trains and cannot see where he's going, and talks to him with her bell. He finds them to be funny coaches, and believes that they would not know what to do without him. Despite what Oliver thinks, they are very faithful to him and are easily able to see when he is heading for trouble.

Technical Details

Basis

Isabel and Dulcie are based on British Railways (BR) Hawksworth autocoaches, which were used in push-pull service on branch lines - while designed by Hawksworth for the Great Western Railway (GWR), they were never built until after BR was formed. The autocoaches were efficient because it eliminated the need for the engine to run around to the other end of the train to turn around. Fifteen Hawksworth autocoaches are preserved by heritage railways, such as the Llangollen Railway in North Wales.

Alice and Mirabel are also based on these coaches.

BRHawksworthAutocoach.jpg

Isabel and Dulcie's basis

Livery

Isabel and Dulcie are painted in the GWR chocolate brown with cream window surrounds livery. Their rooftops are pained light grey. When Isabel first came to Sodor, she was painted in the BR maroon with yellow lining livery. Dulcie was also painted in this livery in the 1985 annual.

Appearances

• Railway Series
• Other Media

The Railway Series Enterprising Engines - Escape Template:Isabel only; does not speak and Little Western Template:Do not speak; Dulcie, is not seen Oliver the Western Engine - Donald's Duck Template:Possible cameos, Resource and Sagacity and Bulgy (cameo) Companion Volumes 1976 - Famous Engines 1979 - Annual 1980 - Annual 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned) 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)

Books 1993 - Colouring Book 1996 - Bumper Colouring Book (cameo) 2004 - Oliver Template:Isabel only; does not speak 2005 - Thomas the Tank Engine Encyclopedia 2011 - The Big Book of Engines (mentioned) and Oliver the Great Western Engine Template:Isabel only; does not speak 2017 - Oliver Template:Isabel only; does not speak Magazines Isabel has appeared in the 2004 De Agostini magazine, Issue 19: In the Mountains. Annual Stories 1985 - Oliver Gets the Bird (cameo)

Official Description

• 2003-2004

From Official Media:[1]

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Trivia

• Isabel's name is a pun on the fact that there "is a bell" on her.

Merchandise

• Ertl Template:Isabel only; maroon; UK only; discontinued
• Wooden Railway
• Brio
• Wood
• Take Along
• Motor Road and Rail
• TrackMaster
• Motorized
• Minis
• Tomica
• Bachmann
• Hornby

North Western Railway

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | --- Dropped

The Little Western

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | *** Other Media only

Locomotives	Duck | Donald and Douglas | Oliver | William | Flint | Zach
Rolling Stock	Alice and Mirabel | Isabel and Dulcie | Branch Line Coaches | Express Coaches | Lola | Spikey | Toad | Chipmunk | Matthew | S.C. Ruffey* | Fred Pelhay* | Ballast Trucks* | Judy and Jerome
Vehicles	Algy | Bulgy | Bulgy's Friend | Skiff
People	Albert Regaby | Captain Joe
Locations	Tidmouth (Beach, Tunnel, Beach Village**, Harbour, Hault**, Hault Sheds**, Church Station**, Town Square**, Town Square Library**) | Dilly's Pond | Haultraugh (Bulgy's Bridge, Bulgy's Field) | Bluff's Cove** | Arlesburgh (West, Engine Sheds*, Harbour**, Maritime Museum)**

Red Characters

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