Bear

Bear the Hymek Diesel
Number: D3 Original Number: D7101 Gender: Male Stationed: Tidmouth Designer: Beyer Peacock Ltd. Builder: Beyer Peacock Ltd. Configuration: Bo-Bo Arrived on Sodor: 1967

Bear, so named for the growling noises he makes, is a hymek diesel engine.

Bio

Bear started out in life as an engine on the Other Railway, numbered 7101, who came to Sodor along with #199 for a loan period. He did not approve of his companion's comments toward the engines they were staying with and duly told him so. During a run with the Limited, in which ironically both diesels failed and had to be brought home by Henry, 7101 struck up a friendship with the big green engine and won a second chance with the Fat Controller. The other engines gave him the nickname of Bear because of the way his engine growled, although this cannot be helped, Bear doesn't mind and accepts the nickname as a term of endearment.

When the Fat Controller brought him back to help out on the Main Line and he was painted green and was called Bear due to his engine growling, which he decided to keep. Bear liked this name, saying it meant he "really belonged". He treats the engines were nicely and occasionally takes the Express.

Persona

Bear is loyal and friendly - even James, who was the last to accept diesels, couldn't help but like him. Bear even stuck up for the steam engines when D199 was bad-mouthed the steam engines, because of this Henry managed to put in a good word for Bear to stay.

Basis

Bear is based on a BR Class 35 "Hymek" Bo-Bo. His initial number, 7101, is an in-joke: the Class 35 was only numbered up to 7100.

Livery

Bear is currently painted in the livery he should have carried when first built: all-over B.R. loco green with a narrow band of lime along the bottom of the sides with cream window surrounds and yellow warning panels. When he first arrived on Sodor, he wore the B.R. "Rail Blue" livery with yellow warning panels.

Trivia

• The ERTL and Hornby ranges depict Bear in his BR blue livery and name him "D7101 Diesel".
• At his rear cab, he has a headcode that reads "AC47".

North Western Railway

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59 Engines | 53 Rolling Stock | 5 Non-Rail Vehicles | 8 People | 15 Lines | 17 Former