Mike the Strong Red Engine

""Take no notice. It's an Improper Engine.""

- Rex, Small Railway Engines



Mike is a strong red engine who prefers goods trains to passengers. He is the youngest out of the original three Arlesdale Railway engines.

Bio in the Railway Series
Mike worked on an unnamed line in England until 1967, at which time their line closed down and he, Rex and Bert, were sent to Sodor to work the Arlesdale Railway. Not long after arrival, Mike mocked Duck when the Great Western Engine had trouble with his whistle making unusual noises, which lead to Rex telling Mike to lose his whistle. While pulling a passenger train, a stray cow had wandered onto the line and Mike whistled so loudly to make it move that his whistle flew off. This meant that his crew and passengers had to whistle for him. To make matters worse, there were no spare whistles for Mike so he was sent to the quarries for the rest of the day.

Years later, a few months after Jock came into service, Mike decided to pay the new engine back for all his cockiness. So, whilst double-heading a passenger train, Mike reduced steam after the Green, causing Jock to pull him and the passenger train alone. However, Mike's plan backfired when his injector failed on the return journey and Jock had to take him home. After being mended, Mike apologised to Jock.

Bio in the Television Series
When Marion meets the small railway engines for the first time, Mike took her belief that they were magical much less kindly than the other two. The following day when Thomas came up to Arlesburgh Junction, depressed about having had his branch line taken away and given to Ryan, Mike, along with the others, sang "Never Overlook A Little Engine" to cheer him up. However, this lead to Thomas becoming overly eager to be useful, which lead to him falling into Calles Cavern. At dusk that day, Mike was shunting ballast wagons onto the chute when Marion reappeared at their junction to make a wish; while Rex and Bert managed to escape unnoticed, Marion trapped Mike on the chute with her shovel and held on until she made her wish. Mike escaped at full speed when Marion let go, but this only strengthened Marion's belief. When Sailor John went through with The Pirate Ship two nights later, the three small engines shunted a train of ballast wagons off the chute in front of the ship to decrease its speed after hearing Thomas approaching the junction. It worked; and with Ryan's help, managed to derail the slowing ship.

Personality
Mike can sometimes appear a little arrogant. He thinks he should be in charge of the other two engines, though neither of them really let him boss them around. Bert simply humours him, but Rex goes out of his way to tease Mike and wind him up, which is not very difficult. Mike much prefers pulling goods trains to passengers, unlike Gordon, as he considers goods much more straightforward and less likely to complain. He is proud of his strength and appears rather confident, but he would not be so easy to tease if he was not hiding at least a little insecurity. He can sometimes be a little irritable.

Basis
Mike is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's River Mite.

Livery
Mike is painted in the NWR red livery with blue-and-yellow lining. He has a brass dome, red nameplates with yellow writing mounted each side of his smokebox and "Arlesdale" written on his tender in yellow. According to Rex, Mike used to be painted green. In the Railway Series his wheels are black, but in the television series they are red.

Appearances
Railway Series


 * Small Railway Engines
 * Oliver the Western Engine (cameo)
 * Duke the Lost Engine
 * Jock the New Engine
 * Wilbert the Forest Engine (does not speak)

Television Series

Specials:


 * Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure

He is likely to appear in the twentieth season.

Trivia

 * His trading card promo depicts him as a 4-8-2. Rex and Bert share the same dilemma.
 * When Mike was introduced in the television series, he gained a brakepipe, lamp iron and a permanent lamp above his smoke box.

Gallery
(Coming Soon!)