Flying Thistle

Flying Thistle is a big crimson express tender engine who works on a railway on the Mainland.

Biography
Flying Thistle arrived on Sodor as a visiting engine. Percy was the first to meet him, but the other engines did not think he was real at first. He arrived to run an express line that had not been used in a while. While running it, he broke down and was helped back by Donald. He was later cheered up by Gordon.

Personality
When the Flying Thistle first visited the Island of Sodor, he was rather snooty, believing himself to be too important to talk to the other engines. He was later humbled when Donald rescued him and he was cheered up by Gordon, and he is said to have made friends with the other engines by the end of his stay.

Basis
Flying Thistle is based on a London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) A3 Pacific. Gordon and Flying Scotsman are also based on this engine along with their brothers and sisters. Flying Scotsman is also Flying Thistle's first namesake, with his second being another member of his class: the Knight of Thistle (formerly Knight of the Thistle, until the "the" part of the name was removed in December 1932). Knight of Thistle was built in 1924 and entered service in August of the same year; it was withdrawn and sold for scrap in June 1964.

Livery
Flying Thistle is painted crimson with yellow lining and light grey wheels. He has a gold nameplate on the sides of his middle wheel arch with his name on them in black. He has a crest painted on the sides of his tender.

Appearances
Magazines=

Magazine Stories

 * 1992 - The Visitor

Trivia

 * He is depicted with a face in the original illustrations of The Visitor. In the final version of the story, however, he has only a smokebox door.