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| “ | Got ya, this time, Stepney. You'll make very fine scrap indeed. Buffer 'im, Bert! | „ |
| ~ 'Arry after capturing Stepney in "Stepney Gets Lost" |
Harry, accented as 'Arry, and Bert are minor characters in Thomas & Friends.
In the model seasons, just like all of the other characters, they were voiced by the narrator, a role assumed in the seasons that they appeared in by the late Michael Angelis in the UK, and Alec Baldwin and Michael Brandon in the US.
In the CGI seasons, both of them were initially voiced by Kerry Shale from the fourteenth to fifteenth season. From the sixteenth season onwards, Bert was voiced by William Hope, while Shale continued to voice 'Arry.
Personality[]
In their first appearance, 'Arry and Bert were depicted as mysterious and murderous diesels looking to scrap steam engines, which they took great glee in. Also, there was some suggestion that 'Arry was the brains of the duo, while Bert was the brawn, as the former was the only one who spoke.
In all of their appearances following their debut, while still very much antagonistic and hostile to the steam engines, 'Arry and Bert's personalities were heavily toned down, with them losing their homicidal portrayal and instead becoming mischievous troublemakers looking to make lives miserable for the steam engines.
Biography[]
Season 5[]
"Stepney Gets Lost"[]
'Arry and Bert approach a lonely Stepney, who has mistakenly traveled to the Smelter's Yard. They shunt him into the Smelter's Shed and place him underneath the "Grabber" before leaving him there to be scrapped. Fortunately, Stepney is saved by the Fat Controller at the last second.
Season 6[]
"Twin Trouble"[]
In the first shot of the Smelter's Yard, either 'Arry or Bert can be seen in the background when viewed in widescreen.
"Middle Engine"[]
As Percy is collecting a train of coal trucks from the Smelter's Yard, 'Arry and Bert place another one in front of him. This causes Henry to mistakenly force him onto the coal tipper, which lands him in trouble with the Fat Controller. When James brags that he can handle 'Arry and Bert, the Fat Controller sends him to do Percy's work at the Smelter's Yard the next day, much to his dismay.
The next day, James initially does not let 'Arry and Bert get in his way and thinks that he has put them in their place, but when he prepares to leave with his train, 'Arry places another one in front of him. Not wanting to be seen like this, James refuses to move, so the Fat Controller sends Percy to bring him and the trucks to Brendam Docks.
Season 7[]
"Bill, Ben and Fergus"[]
In the close-up of Mavis after Fergus arrives at the Ffarquhar Quarry, either 'Arry or Bert is seen shunting a train of trucks on the bridge behind her. One is also seen doing the same after Ben traps Fergus in a siding.
"James and the Queen of Sodor"[]
'Arry and Bert are seen in the second shot of the Smelter's Shed as James pulls in with an old barge.
"Fergus Breaks the Rules"[]
After being tricked by Diesel, Fergus reluctantly heads to the Smelter's Yard and is immediately unsettled upon arrival, which is only worsened when 'Arry and Bert arrive and give him such a fright that he runs away.
Season 8[]
"Percy's New Whistle"[]
While delivering a train of trucks to the Ffarquhar Quarry, Percy whistles a greeting to 'Arry and Bert, who laugh at his whistle and claim their horns to be better, with Bert even blasting his horn to startle Percy. Annoyed, Percy vows to show them that his whistle is just as good as their horns as he leaves. Later, he returns and sneaks up on 'Arry and Bert before blowing a great toot on his whistle, which startles the two diesels.
"Thomas to the Rescue"[]
'Arry and Bert break down after taking on the new diesel fuel due to it having been contaminated with water. Later, Thomas brings them a delivery of clean fuel.
"Percy's Big Mistake"[]
In the shot of Percy exiting the Ffarquhar Quarry with a train of trucks at the beginning of the episode, 'Arry and Bert are seen in the background.
"Halloween"[]
The Fat Controller sends Thomas and Emily to the Smelter's Yard on Halloween Night to collect a delivery of iron. Upon arrival, both engines become spooked by the piles of scrap. Unbeknownst to them, 'Arry and Bert are lurking behind the Breakdown Train and, seeing that they are already afraid, plan to scare them even more. Moaning and bumping a flatbed, the two diesels successfully frighten Thomas and Emily, who are convinced that the sounds are a ghost's doing and race to the Smelter's Shed, much to 'Arry and Bert's amusement.
A little later, 'Arry and Bert see Thomas and a tarpaulin-covered Emily racing out of the Smelter's Shed. Thomas calls out to them that he is being chased by a ghost, which is actually Emily covered in the tarpaulin. This frightens 'Arry and Bert, who also become convinced that Emily is a ghost, and so they run away with her and Thomas. The four engines frantically race through the dark countryside and Henry's tunnel at high-speed, heading towards Tidmouth Sheds. Upon seeing Thomas, 'Arry, and Bert approaching and that they are about to crash, Percy calls out to them to stop. The three engines apply their brakes and come to a halt just in time. As Thomas informs Percy of what is going on, Emily races under a signal gantry, causing the tarpaulin to fly off of her. Seeing that Emily is what they thought was a ghost, she, Thomas, 'Arry, and Bert no longer feel scared, but they do feel foolish for having been scared over nothing. The Fat Controller arrives in his pajamas to see what all of the chaos is about, and after Thomas and Emily tell him about the spooky noises that they heard, he asks 'Arry and Bert if they have anything to do with it, to which Bert confesses that it was his and 'Arry's doing. As punishment for their prank, the Fat Controller sends them back to the Smelter's Yard collect the iron delivery.
"Percy and the Magic Carpet"[]
When Percy arrives at Brendam Docks, 'Arry and Bert pass by with a train of oil tankers.
Season 9[]
"Thomas and the New Engine"[]
'Arry and Bert are at the Timber Yard with the new engine, Neville, who mistakenly bumps into his train, much to the two diesels' amusement. As they laugh at Neville, Thomas arrives and assumes that Neville has befriended 'Arry and Bert. This causes a rumor regarding Neville being friends with the diesels and horrid to the steam engines to spread. Luckily, the rumor is eventually rectified, and Thomas befriends Neville after rescuing him from a broken bridge.
Season 11[]
"Dirty Work"[]
When James arrives at the Ffarquhar Quarry, 'Arry and Bert are seen in the background.
"Hide and Peep"[]
In the first shot of the episode, either 'Arry or Bert is seen passing James with a train of trucks at Brendam Docks.
"Thomas and the Stinky Cheese"[]
Thomas is working at the Coaling Plant with Diesel, 'Arry, and Bert. Annoyed at having to work with a steam engine, the three diesels begin making comments regarding them, especially Thomas in particular, being "stinky." Angered, Thomas fires back, claiming diesels to be the "stinky" ones. Just then, the Fat Controller arrives and asks Thomas to collect a delivery from the Dairy, which turns out to be stinky cheese bound for Brendam Docks.
On his way to the Docks, after taking a different track to avoid Diesel at a junction, Thomas sees 'Arry in a siding. Dismayed, he reverses and turns left at the next junction, only for him to then spot Bert, forcing him to turn right at another one. Thomas is dismayed that there are diesels wherever he goes, and so he gallivants across the island in an attempt to avoid them, resulting in him eventually winding back up at the Dairy. He then sees 'Arry approaching him, forcing him to reverse, unaware that Bert is approaching him from behind. As a result Thomas crashes into Bert, catapulting his delivery of cheese into the air and splattering it all over the three engines. Disgusted, the two diesels scutter away to the Washdown, leaving Thomas behind.
Later, 'Arry and Bert join Thomas, Diesel, and the Fat Controller at the Docks once they have finished being cleaned. To the three diesels' dismay, the Fat Controller tasks them with shunting Thomas' new delivery of cheese while Thomas gets a washdown.
The Great Discovery[]
Towards the end of the special, 'Arry and Bert are gathered at the Ffarquhar Quarry with several other diesels upon hearing that Thomas has been found in the days leading up to the reopening of Great Waterton.
Season 12[]
"Don't Go Back"[]
'Arry and Bert are resting in the engine shed at the Sodor Slate Quarry when Thomas and Diesel, who are racing each other backwards, appear and mistakenly shove them through the back of the shed and off the rails. The manager then scolds Thomas for the trouble that he has caused, and so the latter declines Diesel's challenge to another race and decides to correct his mistakes instead. After arranging Henry's train, Thomas collects Rocky to rerail Mavis (who he has also mistakenly derailed), 'Arry, and Bert.
"Gordon Takes a Shortcut"[]
When Gordon enters the Repair Yard, 'Arry and Bert are seen sitting in a siding.
Season 14[]
"Victor Says Yes"[]
'Arry and Bert are at the Sodor Steamworks to be fitted with new valves. However, the Steamworks continues to become packed with engines, making it hard for Victor to attend to everyone, much to 'Arry and Bert's annoyance. Eventually, Victor manages to sort things out and promises 'Arry and Bert that they will be attended to straight after Gordon, much to their delight.
"Thomas in Charge"[]
'Arry and Bert are seen sitting in the engine shed at the Sodor Slate Quarry when Thomas and Mavis leave just before Gordon arrives with the Fat Controller and the Railway Inspector.
Day of the Diesels[]
'Arry and Bert are among the diesels who take over the Steamworks.
Season 15[]
"Edward the Hero"[]
When Edward arrives at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, 'Arry and Bert pass by, with each hauling a train of tankers.
"Henry's Happy Coal"[]
When Henry arrives at the coal hopper outside of the Steamworks to fill up with his special coal, 'Arry and Bert, who are shunting trucks, roll alongside and tease him for having to use special coal. Worried that his important passenger, who, unbeknownst to him, is the Railway Coal Inspector, heard the diesels teasing him, Henry decides to use ordinary coal instead, which proves to be a mistake, as it causes him to become ill and release black smoke. Almost anywhere Henry goes, 'Arry and Bert follow and continue to tease him. Eventually, the two diesels run out of diesel oil and ask Henry for help, to which he agrees.
Season 16[]
"Ol' Wheezy Wobbles"[]
'Arry and Bert are being attended to at the Vicarstown Dieselworks when Thomas arrives and asks Dart to come with him to Misty Island to repair the crane, Ol' Wheezy. When Dart returns after his failed attempt to mend Ol' Wheezy, 'Arry and Bert call him out for abandoning Den just before Thomas returns and asks Den to come and help instead. A little after Den returns, Thomas pulls in once again, much to the annoyance of 'Arry and Bert, who assume that he has come back to boss Den or Dart around again, but instead, Thomas apologizes to Den and Dart for his selfishness and kindly asks both of them to come and help him, to which they agree.
"Bust My Buffers!"[]
'Arry, Bert, and Diesel are shunting at Brendam Docks, where Gordon is dropping off passengers. Gordon attempts to one-up the diesels and seem superior, only for him to become so stuck-up that he foolishly hits Diesel's flatbed, damaging his buffer beam, much to his embarrassment and the diesels' amusement.
Later, when Gordon returns to the Docks after Den and Dart have given him a diesel buffer beam to wear while they mend his usual one, Diesel, 'Arry, and Bert roll past and laugh at his predicament.
Season 18[]
"Signals Crossed"[]
When Toby exits the Ffarquhar Quarry with Henrietta at the beginning of the episode, 'Arry and Bert pass by, with each hauling a train of trucks.
"Thomas the Quarry Engine"[]
At the beginning of the episode, 'Arry and Bert are seen moving trucks around the Ffarquhar Quarry. Later, when Thomas decides to take his and Diesel's train of rock-filled trucks to Brendam Docks by himself, one of the twins is seen next to him being coupled up to a train of slate-filled flatbeds, while the other is seen hauling a train of trucks in the background.
Season 19[]
"Salty All at Sea"[]
When Salty notices some passengers on the platform at Wellsworth complaining about their train running late, 'Arry is seen pulling out of a siding behind the station with a train of trucks.
The Great Race[]
At the beginning of the special, 'Arry and Bert are seen pulling out of Vicarstown with a train of trucks just as Thomas arrives. They are later seen passing Rosie on the Knapford Iron Bridge with a train of oil tankers. They are also among the diesels who Diesel passes towards the end of his song "Full of Surprises."
Season 20[]
"Diesel and the Ducklings"[]
When Thomas tells Diesel that he should be kind if he wants to make more friends, the latter claims that his friends, 'Arry and Bert, do not like him for being kind, but for being "rough and tough," to which the twins respond in agreement as they pass by, despite the fact that they are chasing a butterfly when they say so.
Later, Thomas discovers Diesel developing affection for a batch of ducklings and blackmails him into being kind with the threat of telling the other engines. When Diesel arrives at Knapford, he kindly greets Edward when he notices a puzzled 'Arry and Bert watching him. Not wanting his gruffness to be spoiled in front of them, Diesel begins throwing insults at Emily, much to 'Arry and Bert's amusement, only for Thomas to arrive and make quacking noises to remind Diesel of his promise, forcing him to apologize to Emily and speak to her kindly before leaving, much to 'Arry and Bert's confusion.
'Arry and Bert are later watching Diesel biff trucks around Knapford Yards when Thomas arrives and once again uses quacking noises, but Diesel has finally had it with trying to be kind, to which Thomas brings up his kindness towards the ducklings, leaving 'Arry and Bert confused and suspicious, so Thomas cheekily has them follow him so that he can show them the ducklings, much to Diesel's horror, prompting him to chase after them. Although Thomas intends to embarrass Diesel with this, they both notice 'Arry and Bert also taking a liking to the ducklings, showing that they and Diesel are all big softies when it comes to them.
Journey Beyond Sodor[]
'Arry and Bert are seen moving trucks around the Ffarquhar Quarry at the beginning of the special. One of them is later seen shunting a train of trucks past Thomas and James at Knapford. They are also among a number of other engines seen in a fantasy sequence when Thomas thinks about all of his friends on Sodor during his song "I Want to Go Home."
Season 21[]
"Springtime for Diesel"[]
'Arry and Bert are informed by Mavis that Den and Dart have said that Daisy may have to be scrapped due to her being difficult for them to mend, much to their shock and horror. They then tell this to Diesel, who assumes that they are blaming him for it.
"Dowager Hatt's Busy Day"[]
The Fat Controller's mother, Dowager Hatt, takes control of the railway while her son has a cold, but she proves herself to be unqualified for her son's position, as she gives the engines the wrong jobs, one of which is having either 'Arry or Bert pull the Slip Coaches, as shown when he passes through Knapford.
"The Big Freeze"[]
The winter weather delays a fresh shipment of coal, resulting in the island running out of coal, all of the steam engines temporarily being left out of commission, and the diesels having to fill in for them until it arrives. Either 'Arry or Bert is seen assisting Salty at Brendam Docks, while the other is seen pulling a train of vans underneath the Wellsworth Bridge in the following shot.
Big World! Big Adventures![]
'Arry and Bert are seen moving trucks around the Ffarquhar Quarry at the beginning of the song "Where in the World Is Thomas?."
Season 23[]
"Steam Team to the Rescue"[]
'Arry and Bert are the only diesels featured in the episode who are shown to still be working, as all of the other ones become stuck at the Dieselworks. During the song "Don't Stop," they are each seen pulling a train of trucks at the Blue Mountain Quarry.
Trivia[]
- Unlike most twin characters in the franchise, 'Arry and Bert do not have their names or any numbers painted on them to distinguish them from each other, making them the most difficult set of twins in the franchise to tell apart. Despite this, they are still not quite identical, as Bert has more stubble than 'Arry.
- 'Arry's name is actually Harry, but the H is silent, as the twins speak with a Cockney accent, which is also why there is an apostrophe above the A. However, other characters who do not speak with a Cockney accents still refer to him as 'Arry instead of Harry.
- The 1998 official website and Question Time with Sir Topham Hatt refers to 'Arry and Bert as the "Yellow Diesels."
- Most of their toys and the official website have the twins called "Iron 'Arry" and "Iron Bert" due to the name Bert having previously been trademarked in the duo, Bert and Ernie, from Sesame Street.
- Unlike most of the diesel characters who are based off of the BR Class 08 diesel shunter, 'Arry and Bert do not have ladders going up the sides of the front. However, the ladders are featured on their ERTL, De Agostini, Hornby, and Lionel toys.
- For Thomas and the Magic Railroad, 'Arry and Bert's models were repainted to create the characters, Splatter and Dodge. After the film's production wrapped up, the models were reverted back into 'Arry and Bert.
- 'Arry and Bert's models used to be on display in Canada at Nitrogen Studios and wore their sly and suspicious faces. The models were returned to storage after Nitrogen left the series. As of late 2023, 'Arry's model is currently on display at the Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition at Drayton Manor Theme Park on the new layout wearing his happy face.
- All of 'Arry and Bert's horn sounds have been used elsewhere in the series.
- Their horn sounds from Calling All Engines! to the eleventh season are Diesel's at three steps lower-pitched ('Arry) and five steps lower-pitched (Bert) respectively. They are also BoCo's at two steps lower-pitched ('Arry) and four steps lower-pitched (Bert) respectively.
- Bert's horn sound from the eighth season episode "Percy's New Whistle" was later reused for Salty from the tenth season episode "Toby's Afternoon Off" to the twelfth season.
- 'Arry's horn sound from the fourteenth season onwards was later reused for a ship in the song "Hickory Tickory Tock" from the album Nursery Rhymes.
- Bert's horn sound from the fourteenth season onwards was previously used as a ship's horn in the fifth season episodes "Horrid Lorry" and "Something in the Air."
- 'Arry is the only character whose Minis toy does not have an ordinary variant.
- 'Arry and Bert's liveries may have been inspired by the colors worn by the NS Class 600, which bears a similar appearance to their basis, the BR Class 08.
- 'Arry and Bert are accompanied by a triplet in the 2006 video game Right on Time.
- Seventeen different facial expressions were sculpted for both 'Arry and Bert throughout the model era, but only fourteen were used on-screen, three of which (their depressed, disgusted, and tired faces) were left unused.
External Links[]
- 'Arry and Bert on the Villains Wiki
- 'Arry and Bert on the Antagonists Wiki
- 'Arry and Bert on the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki
