Prototype
Donald and Douglas are based on the Caledonian Railway 812 Class. In The Railway Series, it is stated that one of them is number 57646 (though it is only revealed to the reader that this is in fact Donald, when Douglas has the alarming thought "I hope the Fat Controller disnae realise I shouldna be here") . None of the original 812 class carried this number — the joke being that in real life, the highest numbered was 57645.
The blue they carry in the Railway Series is significant, as blue was the colour most associated with the Caledonian Railway. In the book James and the Diesel Engines, Donald explains that while on the Caledonian Railway they were never painted blue, they always carried the black goods livery. Interestingly, the black that they used to carry (and indeed still do in the television series) is British Railways black with red and white lining, making them the only engines to carry a BR livery
The engines have deep-toned whistles, which Gordon and Henry observed made them sound like buses or ships. Although unusual on Sodor, such whistles were typical of the Caledonian Railway and LMS.
One Caledonian '812' class survived into preservation: 828 is currently based on the Strathspey Railway, Aviemore, Scotland and is nearing the end of a long overhaul.
Read more about this topic: Donald And Douglas
Famous quotes containing the word prototype:
“The Ancient Mariner seizes the guest at the wedding feast and will not let go until he has told all his story: the prototype of the bore.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)