Oliver (excavator)

"This is an important day for the Island of Sodor!" "Thanks to Oliver's careful digging!" "It makes me proud to be an excavator."

- Sir Topham Hatt, Jenny Packard & Alfie remark on Oliver's discovery of the dinosaur skeleton Oliver is a big excavator who works for the Sodor Construction Company.

Biography
In his first appearance, Oliver was helping to clear room for new railway lines at the quarry. Later, the Foreman assigned Oliver to move some rocks, but Jack wanted to do it and instead toppled over a hill. Jack learned his lesson and after that he allowed Oliver to continue with his jobs. Once, Oliver uncovered a complete dinosaur skeleton while digging a swimming pool. The following day, Oliver was on the front page of the Sodor Times with the headline, "Digger Digs Dino!".

When Max and Monty carelessly crashed into the lightning tree, Alfie, Kelly, and Oliver used their arms to prevent the tree from falling over until it was propped and saved. However, he proved to be unsuccessful after trying to demolish a building with a wrecking ball.

Oliver, along with the rest of the Pack, also helped with the restoration of Great Waterton.

Oliver later helped to construct the Harwick Branch Line with Jack, Alfie, Max and Monty. While he was heading to the site, he ended up blocking Bertie's way which made him very annoyed since he lost a race with Thomas. When Marion first met the excavator, she believed that Oliver the engine had made a wish to Rex, Bert, and Mike (who Marion believed to be magical) to turn himself into an excavator. Oliver tried to explain, but Marion gave the excavator no chance to do so. It was not until the opening ceremony of the new branch line that Marion found out that there were two Olivers on Sodor.

Later on, when he, Jack, Alfie, Max, and Monty was working on Ffarquhar Branch Line, one of the dump truck twins knocked a rock into the hydraulics in Oliver's arm causing him to disable. When he was repaired, Oliver helped clear the branch line after Max and Monty dumped their loads on the line.

After James' accident at Tidmouth Sheds when his brakes malfunctioned, Oliver helped with the shed's reconstruction.

Personality
Oliver is wise and kind and keeps an eye on the other members of the Pack. He is good-mannered and hard-working and never complains about his work or gets impatient. He has the power and precision capability of moving and digging tons of earth in a single day. He likes to be a leader and treats the younger members of the Pack with respect.

Basis
Oliver's exact basis is unknown and appears to be a freelance design, although his chassis bears a striking resemblance to the Russian KV series of Tanks. Adding to this, when Oliver is seen rotating, he's seen turning from the same location as the turret ring of the aforementioned tank.

Livery
Oliver is painted pale brown with a pale green panel on his back and his number painted on him in red. Oliver has the cap rim of a builder's hat between his forehead and cab windows.

Appearances
Television Series= {{Scroll box|

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 6 - Jack Jumps In and A Friend in Need
 * Jack and the Sodor Construction Company - Alfie Has Kittens, Jack Owns Up , On Site with Thomas, A Visit from Thomas, Mud Glorious Mud , Thomas and the Moles , The Tortoise and the Hare, Percy's Scary Tale , Percy Helps Out , A Happy Day for Percy, Thomas' Trusty Friends and A Tale for Thomas
 * Series 20 - Mucking About
 * Series 21 - The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor and A Shed for Edward
 * Series 23 - Mines of Mystery, Out of Site, First Day on Sodor! and Deep Trouble

Oliver had roles in the cancelled episodes, Grass is Greener, The Importance of Being Patrick, Kelly's Heroes and Jack's Snow Rescue.

Specials

 * 2008 - The Great Discovery
 * 2015 - Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure
 * 2016 - The Great Race

Music Videos

 * Jack and the Sodor Construction Company - The Work Song and One Friendly Family
 * The Great Discovery - There's a Job for Everyone and Thomas, You're the Leader
 * Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure - We Make a Team Together
 * The Great Race - You Can Only Be You
 * Series 23 - Legend of the Lost Engine and The Sodor Construction Crew

Videos
}} Other Media= {{Scroll box| {{Appearances header|Books}}
 * 2018 - Still the Best of Friends
 * 2019 - Meet Gina of Italy, Meet the Sodor Construction Company! and Meet Ester of Italy!
 * 2006 - Jack
 * 2007 - Alfie
 * 2011 - Alfie the Excavator and Jack the Front Loader
 * 2015 - A Really Useful Engine, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: Sticker Activity Book, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie Storybook and Thomas' New Friend

Video Games
}}
 * 2008 - Begins Educational Learning
 * 2017 - Read and Play!

Official Description
2006-2009= From Official Media

From Official Website
 * -|2010-2015=

From Official Website
 * -|2015-2021=

Audio Files
Horn

Trivia

 * Oliver is capable of switching between different tools, including his usual bucket, a chisel for digging, a scissor claw, and a wrecking ball for demolition.
 * An early concept art design for Oliver reveals his name was originally meant to be Buster. That name would actually be given to another Pack member instead.
 * When Oliver returned in full CGI, his smaller wheels appear to have slightly increased in size.
 * Tim Whitnall gave Oliver an Irish accent.
 * Oliver is the first character to share his name with another character in Thomas & Friends, and the second to do so in the entire franchise, the first being Bert and Iron Bert, the third being Bertram and Sir Topham Hatt in Thomas & Friends as of the thirteenth series, and the fourth is Stephen, like Sir Topham Hatt's grandson.
 * Oliver's horn sound in the CGI series is similar to Max and Monty's original horn sounds from Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, as well as Flynn's.
 * Oliver had a total of thirteen facial expressions, three of which (sleeping, neutral, and angry) were never used on screen.
 * Oliver is one of the few Pack members to have a horn, the others being Jack, Alfie, Max, Monty, Kelly and Patrick.
 * Like the engine, his name is Olek in the Polish dub.
 * In the 2015 app, Express Delivery!, Oliver is seen working alongside another excavator of the same design.

Merchandise

 * TrackMaster
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Wooden Railway
 * Adventures