Sir Handel (T&F)

Sir Handel - originally named Falcon, after the works where he was built - is a blue narrow gauge saddle tank engine.

Biography
As in The Railway Series, Falcon and Stuart lived with Duke until their line was closed and they were bought by the Skarloey Railway and were renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.

Upon arriving, Sir Handel had many adventures, all of which were reprised from the Railway Series. He was very pompous and refused to do his job well when he arrived on the Skarloey Railway, so he was sent to the sheds for a while to repent. After coming back out, he was derailed by his own coaches when he stopped too quickly in front of some sheep. He soon got into a fight with George the steamroller, which ended in a race with George smashing Sir Handel's trucks. Once George had left, Sir Handel became even more conceited than ever and believed that he had made George go away.

Sir Handel did not reappear until years later, apparently because he was working in the Skarloey Slate Quarry. When he returned, he had a much different attitude. He did his jobs without complaining, but had trouble getting up hills. He became wiser in most situations, but was still pompous sometimes. He was generally of the opinion that he knew best and should've been in charge. This sometimes led him into trouble with the other engines and the trucks. However, he always gets the job done. According to Mr. Perkins, Sir Handel can be cheeky sometimes.

When Samson was sent to the quarry to collect stone with Thomas, he asked Sir Handel if the other trucks were meant to go to Brendam, with the little engine replying that they were, but he was not sure if Samson could pull all of them. Sir Handel and Peter Sam laughed at him for his actions by pulling the heavy trucks.

Percy later told him and Peter Sam that there was a railway show for little engines being held at Ulfstead Castle. Peter Sam wondered if his funnel would win a prize at the show, which led to Sir Handel once again boasting about his special wheels.

He currently works on the Skarloey Railway with Skarloey, Rheneas, Peter Sam, Rusty, Duncan and Luke.

Personality
Sir Handel - named Falcon and under the supervision of Duke in his younger days - has been prone to moody tantrums and thinking that he knows better than others, suggesting a superiority complex. He has been known for being impulsive, arrogant, pompous, rude, stubborn, naughty, and bad-tempered; he took a disliking to the narrow gauge coaches (often referring to them as "cattle trucks/cars", which gave him a bad reputation with them), feigned illnesses to avoid jobs he hated, bumped trucks even if they behaved themselves and deliberately derailed himself. He believed that he should be in charge and tended to get too big for his wheels. When he was given broad wheels that held well to the rails and have been said to give a smooth ride, this contributed to his self-importance and his belief that he is a grand engine. He once claimed to be an express engine himself.

Sir Handel can be quite impressionable when it comes to engines who he views as important, such as Gordon, Duke, or Skarloey. However, when the advice he is given results in him getting into trouble, as shown by Gordon, he can have second thoughts and wish to get revenge (much like Peter Sam and, in fact, many other engines). Despite all of this, Sir Handel always works to get things done and wants to be a reliable, goodhearted, and really useful engine. After many years in the quarry, Sir Handel has been portrayed as a steady, thoughtful, and mature engine who is ready to offer advice and be put in charge. Although he remains a stubborn sort, who believes himself to be a natural leader who should be in charge, he now enjoys helping others. He still has his cheeky side, as he and Peter Sam teased Samson on how many trucks he was capable of pulling and later bragged about his special wheels when a little railway show was coming.

Basis
Sir Handel is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Sir Haydn, a Hughes Falcon 0-4-2ST that originally worked on the Corris Railway. Proteus shares the same basis. The Corris Railway is currently building another "Falcon" locomotive.

Livery
Sir Handel is painted dark blue with red lining and brass fittings (the same colours from when he was formerly Falcon on the Mid Sodor Railway). He has red and gold name and number plates on the sides of his saddle tank and coal bunkers respectively.

Appearances
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 * -|Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 4 - Granpuff, Sleeping Beauty, Bulldog, You Can't Win, Four Little Engines, A Bad Day for Sir Handel, Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady, Trucks, Rock 'n' Roll , Special Funnel, Steam Roller, Passengers and Polish , Gallant Old Engine and Bowled Out
 * Series 10 - Follow that Flour, A Smooth Ride, Duncan Drops a Clanger, Thomas' Tricky Tree, Fearless Freddie, Which Way Now? and Missing Trucks
 * Series 11 - Thomas and the Big Bang, Cool Truckings, Wash Behind Your Buffers , Duncan Does it All and Sir Handel in Charge
 * Series 12 - Mountain Marvel, Henry Gets it Wrong , The Party Surprise and The Man in the Hills
 * Series 13 - Steamy Sodor
 * Series 16 - Don't Bother Victor! and The Christmas Tree Express
 * Series 17 - Luke's New Friend
 * Series 18 - Disappearing Diesels and Long Lost Friend
 * Series 20 - Bradford the Brake Van, Saving Time, Engine of the Future and The Missing Breakdown Train
 * Series 21 - Runaway Engine
 * Series 23 - Diesel Do Right and Diesel Glows Away
 * Series 24 - The Great Little Railway Show

Specials

 * 2008 - The Great Discovery
 * 2009 - Hero of the Rails
 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery
 * 2016 - The Great Race

Music Videos
}} {{Scroll box|
 * Series 4 - Thomas' Anthem Grand Finale, Let's Have a Race and The Island Song
 * Series 5 - Accidents Will Happen and Come for the Ride
 * Series 6 - James the Really Splendid Engine and Little Engines
 * Series 10 - Navigation, Responsibility and Jingle Bells
 * Series 11 - The Narrow Gauge Engines
 * The Great Discovery - Where, oh Where is Thomas? and Thomas, You're the Leader
 * Blue Mountain Mystery - Working Together and Blue Mountain Mystery
 * Thomas' YouTube World Tour - Never, Never, Never Give Up
 * The Great Race - Will You Won't You
 * -|Other Media=

Magazine Stories
Sir Handel also appeared in the magazine stories, Duncan Gets Upset, Hello, Skarloey!, Smoke Signals and The Cliff Railway.
 * 1997 - Duncan, The Flower Train and Skarloey and Santa
 * 1998 - Duncan Has a Spill
 * 2000 - Wet Wheels
 * 2001 - The Hairy Black Run, Sir Handel and A Special Story About Sir Handel
 * 2009 - Thomas and the Big Bang and The Man in White
 * 2011 - Reindeer Rescue
 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery
 * 2013 - Don't Bother Victor!
 * 2014 - Edward the Helpful Engine

Annual Stories
}}
 * 1985 - Whistle Trouble
 * 1997 - Percy in Print, Skarloey Gets a Scare! and Edward Saves the Day
 * 2001 - The Good Old Days

Songs

 * Will You Won't You

Whistles
In the US dub of Sleeping Beauty, Sir Handel has a different whistle, which sounds very similar to Lady and Millie's whistle.

From the tenth series onwards, Sir Handel reuses Mighty Mac's original whistles at a lower pitch.

Trivia

 * In the twelfth series, Michael Brandon gave Sir Handel a voice that sounds like an impression of late actor Marlon Brando.
 * Sir Handel's current whistle was sourced off of the miniature engine 1001 the Monarch.
 * In the Railway Series, along with his ERTL and 1997-2005 Wooden Railway toys, Sir Handel is depicted with Sir Haydn's original cab design, which meant his cab was only open on his right side until Great Little Engines and his coal bunkers were not visible until New Little Engine. In the latter book, while his coal bunkers became visible, he retained the old cab design. In the television series, he is depicted with Sir Haydn's post-1968 and current, cab design.
 * In various merchandise and books, Sir Handel's name is often misspelled as "Sir Handle".
 * Sir Handel's original Motor Road and Rail toy had grey wheels.
 * Despite Sir Handel being a narrow gauge engine, his TrackMaster toy comes with updated versions of the red branch line coaches which are standard gauge.
 * In the Norwegian and Czech dubbing of the fourth series, he was simply referred to as Handel.
 * Sir Handel's whistle from the tenth series onwards is reused from Mighty Mac's whistles from the same series. His whistle sound is their whistle sounds from the ninth series only, but at five steps lower-pitched (Mighty) and seven steps lower-pitched (Mac/Rex).
 * Sir Handel, along with Duke, were the only Skarloey Railway engines introduced at the time, not to make an appearance in the fifth series.
 * So far, Sir Handel's trailing wheels were referred to as 'Steamroller Wheels' in only two episodes; Steam Roller and The Great Little Railway Show.
 * Sir Handel is the only narrow gauge engine not to have a speaking role in the eighteenth series. Ironically, he is the only Skarloey Railway engine to have more than one speaking role in the twentieth series.

Quotes

 * The new engines looked very smart. One was called Sir Handel and the other Peter Sam.
 * "What a small shed!" grumbled Sir Handel. "This won't do at all! We're much too smart for this old shack!"
 * "I think its nice", said Peter Sam.
 * "Humpf!" grunted Sir Handel. "What's that rubbish?"
 * "Shh!" said Peter Sam. "That's Skarloey the famous old engine. I'm sorry, Skarloey", he whispered. "Sir Handel's upset now, but he's quite nice really".
 * Skarloey felt sorry for Peter Sam.

- Sir Handel and Peter Sam arrive at the Skarloey Railway, "Sir Handel", "Four Little Engines".


 * Peter Sam told them about the television as well. And they were pleased and excited too, all except Sir Handel.
 * "I don't hold with it!" he grumbled. "Vulgar, I call it. Fancy traipsing about making an exhibition of yourselves. I won't do it, I tell you! Telly something indeed. Just let the Thin Controller come here, I'll tell him something!"
 * Skarloey said nothing, he just winked at Peter Sam. But next day, when the Thin Controller did come to explain about the television, Sir Handel kept strangely quiet.
 * "Now", said the Thin Controller at last. "I want every engine to take part".
 * "I..I..I don't feel well", quavered Sir Handel.
 * "You poor engine", said the Thin Controller gravely. "You can stay in the shed".
 * Sir Handel smiled broadly.
 * "And your driver and firemen can take you to pieces. That would make a very interesting picture. Just what we need!"
 * Sir Handel's feelings were beyond words.

- Sir Handel complaining about television, "Little Old Twins", "The Little Old Engine".


 * Next day, the workmen put up a fence between road and railway and went away taking George with them. This was because they had finished their work, but Sir Handel thought he had made George go away. He was more conceited than ever and talked ever lastingly about steamrollers.
 * "Oh dear!" whispered Skarloey one evening. "He's worse than ever, I'm sorry my plan was no good".
 * "Never mind", said Rusty. "We'll think of something else!"
 * But they had no need to do that, for some boys came and asked Mr. Hugh if they could look at the engines. Almost at once, one called out...
 * "...Look! Here's Sir Handel. He raced a steamroller last week, but the roller nearly beat him too! It was most exciting!"
 * Sir Handel never mentions Steamrollers now!

- Sir Handel thinks he sent George the Steamroller packing, "Steam Roller", "Gallant Old Engine".