Description and Appearances
Annie and Clarabel both have seating accommodation for carrying passengers; Clarabel also has a brake compartment for luggage and a guard. They have been described by the Rev. Awdry as being old and in need of new paint; however, Thomas loves them dearly and would never dream of being separated from them. The two coaches are nearly always seen coupled together, with Annie usually facing Thomas and Clarabel facing backwards.
Not only do they carry passengers for Thomas, but they also act as advisors and confidantes. On several occasions they have warned him about potential hazards, and Thomas invariably runs into trouble when he ignores their warnings. Annie and Clarabel are occasionally pulled by other engines when Thomas is busy (usually by either Percy or Toby), but Thomas always worries for their safety and can sometimes be jealous.
The coaches first appeared in the 1946 book Thomas the Tank Engine, in which they were awarded to Thomas along with his branch line. In this first, brief appearance, they were not named. In Tank Engine Thomas Again (1949), they were given names and their characters were greatly expanded upon. They appeared in the first season of the television programme Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and have been in every season since, although they have not had a speaking role since Season 11.
In The Railway Series, they are depicted as bogie coaches (i.e. each coach is supported on a pair of four-wheeled bogies or "trucks"). In the television series they are depicted as four-wheeled coaches – they are built on a rigid chassis, with fixed axles. In both series they appear in a plain orangey-brown colour, and in the television series they additionally have their names painted on their bodysides. The colour scheme is based on that of the former British LNER railway, which formed the basis for a number of Awdry's early characters, whose carriages were not painted in the normal manner of other railways, but had a teak-wood finish on the outside, which was plain varnished over, the resulting livery being known as "varnished teak". When steel carriages were introduced later a paint scheme was devised by the LNER which closely resembled this colour scheme.
Read more about this topic: Annie And Clarabel
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