| “ | SILENCE!! | „ |
| ~ Fat Controller tells the engines to be quiet. |
| “ | You have caused confusion and delay. | „ |
| ~ Sir Topham Hatt's catchphrase. |
| “ | My engines are much more important to me than any treasure. And you, Thomas, are my number one. | „ |
| ~ Sir Topham Hatt praising Thomas for stopping Sailor John - his most famous quote.
|
Sir Topham Hatt, also known as The Fat Controller (Formerly The Fat Director) in the UK dub of the original show, is the overarching protagonist of the Thomas & Friends franchise.
He is the controller of the North Western Railway and is the one responsible for giving all the engines their jobs and tell them what they're to do. He is quite a strict, stern, and very firm character that will remind the engines that he is in charge and he gives orders when some try to rebel against his authority. But overall, he is a fair, forgiving, wise and kind-hearted gentleman who loves his engines and is very proud of all of them and can always rely on them to be really useful.
He has fourteen engines in his fleet: Thomas (#1), Edward (#2),Henry (#3), Gordon (#4), James (#5), Percy (#6), Toby (#7), Duck (#8), Donald and Douglas (#9 and #10), Oliver (#11), Emily (#12) Nia (#18) and Rebecca (#22).
In the CGI series, he was voiced by Keith Wickham in the UK and also in the US starting with The Adventure Begins and Kerry Shale from Hero of the Rails to the eighteenth series in the US. In Japanese, he was voiced by Takeshi Aono, Rokuro Naya and Kohei Miyauchi.
Biography[]
In his youth, it is known that Hatt was a boy scout and at one point had chicken pox. His grandfather would call him Little Topham Hatt. When he was a young man, every year on his birthday, he would ride around in his special carriage pulled by Edward.
According to the 1990's Official Website, and the Question Time with Sir Topham Hatt audio cassette, Sir Topham Hatt left school at 14 years old, and joined Swindon Engineering Works as an apprentice. 2 years later, after learning all there is to know about steam engines, he came back to the Island of Sodor, and worked as a railway engineer for one of the railway companies at the time. In time, his good work was noticed, and he eventually rose quickly in the company, being a director at an early age of a newly formed company called the "North Western Railway". His imposing appearance, no less than his firm but kindly handling of both engines and staff, earned him the affectionate nickname of "The Fat Director". Then, after nationalisation when he was awarded a knighthood for his services to the railway industry, he became Sir Topham Hatt - The Fat Controller.
Prior to him becoming Controller of the North Western Railway, Sir Topham Hatt owned a Sentinel steam lorry named Elizabeth, who notes that he was not the best driver. He also built the Coffee Pots, including Glynn, some time prior to Thomas arriving on Sodor.
Sir Topham Hatt married Lady Hatt and is the grandfather of Stephen and Bridget Hatt. His mother is Dowager Hatt, and he also has a twin brother named Sir Lowham Hatt. According to the Official Website, "we have yet to meet his children". Furthermore the 2015 Trading Cards states Sir Topham Hatt "is not the first to run the the railway. He follows his father and grandfather".
As well as owning the railway, he owns a cat and a blue car and lives in a mansion somewhere on the outskirts of Wellsworth.
When Henry refused to come out of the tunnel, Sir Topham Hatt bricked him up and left him there. However when Gordon's safety valve burst, Henry was allowed out of the tunnel again. When the big engines went on strike, he decided to bring a little saddle tank to the railway and named him Percy. He would also go on holiday in the north of Sodor with his family where he came across an old steam tram named Toby whose line was closing down, so Sir Topham Hatt arranged to bring him to the North Western Railway.
With the new harbour opening up, Percy was overworked and so he decided to bring a great western engine named Duck to the railway. However when Percy fell into the sea, he decided to trial a diesel shunter named Diesel, however Diesel would be sent away. With all the extra work, Sir Topham Hatt decided to buy an engine from Scotland but was very surprised when two engines, named Donald and Douglas, showed up. When Thomas crashed into the stationmaster's house, he brought on a diesel railcar named Daisy to fill in for Thomas, only she would later stay on the railway. When Percy entered the station unannounced, he crashed into a trolley and ruined Sir Topham Hatt's trousers. When Douglas saved Oliver from scrap, Sir Topham Hatt had him and his Toad|brake van restored.
He became in charge of the Skarloey Railway, where he sent Rheneas off for repairs and shut Sir Handel up in the sheds. He also organised the search for Duke, the lost engine. Her majesty, the queen would visit Sodor where Sir Topham Hatt greeted her at Knapford station. Sir Topham Hatt tried tirelessly to get to Lady Hatt's birthday party, having to ride in Caroline, George and become Thomas' fireman just to meet her. He also tried to reopen Boulder Quarry but later regretted it.
He sent Salty to the Centre Island Quarry, but later sent him to the docks. He also brought a crane engine named Harvey to the railway. When Thomas broke down, Thomas' crew discovered Elizabeth the vintage lorry. Sir Topham Hatt and Elizabeth reunited and she was soon restored by Jem Cole. He brought lots of new engines to the railway such as Emily, Arthur and Murdoch. When Harold's rotors wouldn't start, he and Lady Hatt took a red balloon to the grand opening on the Skarloey Railway, however they soon got stuck in a tree. Sometime after this, Sir Topham Hatt would step down as the controller of the Skarloey Railway and would be succeeded by Peregrine Percival.
In the eighth series, Sir Topham Hatt gave Emily a new route up to Castle Loch. In the ninth series, he brought Neville and Molly to the railway and gave Thomas and James new trucks. Sir Topham Hatt would later become sick and Percy was asked to temporally become the controller of the railway. When Thomas rediscovered the town of Great Waterton, Sir Topham Hatt brought a new engine called Stanley over from the Mainland to help with the restoration. He later gave a speech at the town's reopening on Sodor Day.
When Thomas discovered Hiro, he tried to keep him a secret from Sir Topham Hatt in fear that he would be scrapped, but Sir Topham Hatt did not want to scrap him; instead, he had Hiro restored at the Sodor Steamworks. After Sir Lowham Hatt visits the railway (much to Thomas' confusion), Sir Topham Hatt also crashed his car into mud, a bail of hay and a lake. When Allicia Botti came to the Island, Thomas accidentally splashed her and Sir Topham Hatt in muddy rain water. When the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre was being built, Thomas was sent off to the mainland as a reward for saving Diesel. But when Thomas got lost at sea, Sir Topham Hatt tried desperately to find him. When he saw Thomas' smoke signals on Misty Island, he ordered James, Edward and Gordon to travel over to the Island where they reunited with Thomas. When the diesels took over the Sodor Steamworks, Sir Topham Hatt reprimanded Diesel 10 and orders the engines to work together. When Thomas took Bertie on a tour around Sodor, Sir Topham and Dowager Hatt joined them for the tour. After Flynn mistook Gordon for being on fire, he soaked Sir Topham Hatt in water. Sir Topham Hatt soon obtained a new track inspection vehicle named Winston and asked Thomas to work at the Blue Mountain Quarry while Paxton was repaired. He later lost his hat during winter and asked Emily to find it for him. His open top carriage that he used to ride around in on his birthdays years ago was also rediscovered by Thomas and Winston.
When Ulfstead Castle was being reconstructed, Sir Topham Hatt asked Thomas, Percy and James to help out the Earl of Sodor . When the docks got busy, he had Kevin help out at the docks. When Sir Topham Hatt forgot to put Winston's break on, he had to chase after him across the Island. When Bill and Ben played a trick on Connor, Sir Topham had Bill repainted blue. When Diesel joined the back of Hiro's train, Hiro shunted the trucks very hard and caused milk churns to fly out and ruin Sir Topham's trousers. During the summer, Sir Topham loaned the Slip Coaches from the mainland to help out. A Deputy Minister later came to give Sir Topham a reward for "Services for transport" but ended up in the Clay Pits by mistake. After two inspectors came to the railway, things don't go so well initially for Sir Topham Hatt and was later visited by Bridget and Stephen Hatt when they had chicken pox. While his office at Knapford was redecorated, Percy misinterpreted this as him leaving Sodor, which caused a lot of confusion with the engines.
When Thomas accidentally caused a huge derailment at Knapford Station, Sir Topham unfairly sent him to work on the new branch line as punishment. When Marion discovered pirate treasure, Sir Topham Hatt kept it in his safe in his office. However, Sailor John blew up his office and escaped with it until Thomas stopped him.
When Skiff saved Duck and Oliver from a crash, Sir Topham Hatt decided to give him a reward. He also attended a puppet show inside of Daisy's window. Dowager Hatt once gave Sir Topham Hatt a new white hat to keep him cool, but he didn't like it (even though it did keep him cool). When Henry was mistakenly repainted in a luminous green paint, he scared Sir Topham Hatt. When Skiff thought he spotted a Mermaid, he and Sir Topham Hatt got lost at sea. After Glynn the coffee pot was rediscovered and he and Sir Topham Hatt go up to the castle on Christmas Eve.
When the Great Railway Show came to the Mainland, Sir Topham Hatt entered Thomas, James, Emily, Henry, Percy and Shooting Star Gordon into it, and Thomas ultimately won it.
When he became very ill, Dowager Hatt temporally took over as controller for the day. Sir Topham Hatt also decided to buy a new P.A. system, however, nobody had any idea which trains to get on. When Cranky started creaking, he decided to go to the mainland and purchase a new crane named Carly. When Bertie broke down, Sir Topham Hatt becomes suspicious of Thomas making unscheduled stops. When James crashed into the back of Tidmouth Sheds, Edward went to stay at Wellsworth with Philip; Sir Topham later allowed him to stay their permanently. When Thomas took James's goods train to the mainland, Sir Topham Hatt became worried about Thomas when he didn't return. When Thomas went on a ship to Dakar, Senegal, Sir Topham Hatt went on the S.S. Roxstar and chased after him going to Tanzania, Brazil and America. When Thomas, Nia and Sir Topham Hatt were back on Sodor, a new tender engine named Rebecca came to help Gordon out. He later gave Lady Hatt flowers and a cat on Valentines Day. When Salty and Porter had accidents at Brendam Docks, Sir Topham Hatt had to arrange for the Steam Team to save the day. After a technology fair came to Sodor, Sir Topham Hatt welcomed Sonny to the railway.
Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt later travelled to London to meet the Queen. Along the way, Sir Topham Hatt got covered in mud, his hat got squashed and later volunteered to be Thomas' fireman when his original one was accidentally left behind and helped bring Thomas all the way to London. In Victoria Station, Queen Elizabeth II rewarded Sir Topham Hatt for his services to the railway.
Quotes[]
| “ | If you're not going to pull the Express, then you can go back to your shed! | „ |
| ~ Sir Topham Hatt punishes Gordon for his misbehavior. |
| “ | So, Thomas, don't puff around the island, pulling heavy loads or any other silly ideas. I need really useful engines, not the broken ones. | „ |
| ~ Sir Topham Hatt forbids Thomas not to rush around the island with heavy loads when he heard about Spencer's silly idea. |
| “ | DIESEL 10! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! | „ |
| ~ Sir Topham Hatt scolds Diesel 10. |
| “ | Sir Topham Hatt: It seems, Diesel, You were wrong. you did not find out the whole story before you caused confusion and delay. It is always important to find out what really happened. Because what really happened is what really matters. Diesel: (shamefully) Yes, Sir. |
„ |
| ~ Sir Topham Hatt scolding Diesel for his devious actions and his attempt to get Luke sent away from Sodor and falsely blaming the latter for "pushing" the yellow engine (which is really Victor) into the sea and tells him what really happens is what really matters.
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| “ | Sir Topham Hatt: THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE!! What are you playing at now?! I thought you could learn to be more responsible if I sent you to work here! Thomas: But sir, this time it’s really not my fault! I- Sir Topham Hatt: (rudely interrupts, still raging furious, refuses to listen) NO, THOMAS! I’VE HAD QUITE ENOUGH OF YOUR EXCUSES! Go to your shed IMMEDIATELY! And you can stay there for the rest of the afternoon! And everyone else can get back to work! (angrily storms off, leaving Thomas dejected, disgraced and saddened) |
„ |
| ~ Sir Topham Hatt's furious breakdown towards Thomas, refusing to listen to him and punishing him and sending him to his shed, even though Thomas did nothing wrong and he was actually saving Ryan from the dynamite exploding and blowing up. |
Trivia[]
- Unlike The Railway Series, Sir Topham Hatt is not three controllers but one mono entity of them all.
- Due to different societal norms, the Fat Controller is always referred to by his real name, "Sir Topham Hatt" in the US.
- In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Diesel 10 calls him "Fat Hatt", a combination of his nickname and his surname.
- According to the Sodor Daily News newspaper in The Great Discovery, Sir Topham Hatt was 63 years old as of 23rd March 1953. This puts his date of birth in the year 1890, ten years after his counterpart in The Railway Series was born. This is likely not a concrete date, however, as a Sodor Times newspaper which appears in King of the Railway dates the special as taking place during April 2013, which would make Sir Topham Hatt 123 years old, older than the oldest verified human to have ever lived, Jeanne Calment.
- The Fat Controller's television series model from The Grand Opening appeared in the 2009 "Children in Need" charity single and was animated using stop-motion.
- Throughout the series, it has been shown that he isn't a very good driver to both Elizabeth and Winston.
- Sir Topham Hatt is often accompanied by two men in standard blue railway uniforms. They are presumed to be his assistants. In the sixteenth series episode, Percy and the Calliope, the narrator refers to them as "helpers".
- In the book, Thomas-saurus Rex, it states that Sir Topham Hatt used to be called "Little Topham Hatt" in his youth. His grandfather also appears in the book.
- Sir Topham Hatt's Thomas & Friends model had eyebrows inconsistently. Between the sixth and eleventh series, the model usually didn't have them at all, excluding the seventh series episode, The Grand Opening. It wouldn't be until the CGI series that he would permanently have eyebrows.
- The alternative rock band Catherine Wheel released a song named after the Fat Controller called "Here Comes the Fat Controller" on their 1997 album, Adam and Eve.
- From the thirteenth to fifteenth series, Sir Topham Hatt was referred to as "Bertram" by Allicia Botti and Dowager Hatt, though his first name is actually Topham.
- Despite this, the portrayal of Sir Topham Hatt in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go is revealed to have his real name be "Bertram" in the book, Meet the Engines.
- In most episodes and specials, Sir Topham Hatt is seen writing with his right hand. However, in the nineteenth series episode, No Help at All, he is seen writing left-handed. This could be a mistake, but it may also mean that he's ambidextrous.
- Sir Topham Hatt is the only named human character to appear and speak in every series of the television series.
- In the Polish dub, his name is very rarely spoken, and the characters who referred to him in this way (including the narrator and his mother) usually did so only once.
- Whenever someone gets into trouble, Sir Topham Hatt would say, "You have caused confusion and delay!"
- In Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, Sir Topham Hatt got cross with Thomas four times. First, he was cross with Thomas when he tried to blame Gordon and Emily for causing an accident at Knapford Station. Next, he was cross with Thomas when he fell into a cavern. Then, he crossly told Thomas that he had to stay on the new branch line, due to the fact that he still needed to learn how to be really useful. Finally, he was cross with Thomas when he blew up the dynamite. And even though he was just trying to get rid of it, Sir Topham Hatt thought that Thomas was trying to use the dynamite to get rid of Ryan. Fortunately, Ryan explained everything to him offscreen. He was likely acted this way to be more like his railway series counterpart.
Gallery[]
