Games - Fat Controller

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	Games - Fat Controller

Sir Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller is the head of the railway in The Railway Series
of books written by Rev. W. V. Awdry. In the first two books in the series (The Three Railway Engines and Thomas the Tank Engine
) he is known as The Fat Director. In the third book (James the Red Engine
) he becomes The Fat Controller, as the railway is nationalised. His full name is revealed in the book Duck and the Diesel Engine

He has his own song in the TV series ('Sir Topham Hatt').

Character

The Fat Controller might best be described as a "firm but fair" leader, and is an extremely complex character. He acts as a sort of parent to the engines of Sodor. When Diesel had been spreading rumours about Duck telling jokes about the big engine he sent Duck to Edwards Branch line but a few weeks later or days he was chased by the trucks down the line and they pushed him into a barber shop not long afterward The Fat Controller arrived and spoke kindly to Duck for stopping a serious accident and for being so brave. Everytime an engine is upset he speaks to them kindly he loves all his engines. He does not stand for any nonsense, but he is also forgiving. When an engine misbehaves, as they often do on his railway, he is willing to allow them a second chance if they are truly sorry. He is also quite perceptive and shrewd, and is not above using elaborate schemes to get to the bottom of a problem. Early in the series The first four engines were Thomas Edward Henry and Gordon many years ago they had to work the main line and were very busy for many years but he bought more engines in the years he reopened Ffarquhar line and made it into Thomas's Branch Line He is undeniably nostalgic, and the way he runs his railway recalls the better elements of the days of steam. Indeed, he is not afraid to get his hands dirty if it is on the footplate of a steam engine.

In his first appearance, in 'The Sad Story of Henry', he was a rather more pompous and lazy figure. By the next book, 'Thomas the Tank Engine', he had evolved into his more sympathetic present form.

In the television series, he is also a highly philanthropic individual, performing a number of charitable acts for the people of Sodor. He gets on well with children, with he and his wife often looking after their grandchildren, Stephen and Bridget.

Biography (Railway Series)

In the Railway Series, there have actually been three Fat Controllers. This is never discussed directly in the stories, as they all look very similar and are all known as Sir Topham Hatt. However, the books 'The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways' (written by Rev. W. Awdry and George Awdry) and 'Sodor: Reading Between the Lines' (by Christopher Awdry) make this explicitly clear.

Sir Topham Hatt I

This man was a talented engineer who served under William Stanier at the Great Western Railway's Swindon works. He went on to assist A W Dry in the construction of the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway (which ultimately became Thomas' branch line) and designed the locomotives that ran upon it.

When the standard gauge railways of the Island were merged into the North Western Railway in 1914, Topham Hatt was once again called upon for his engineering skill. He constructed a bridge to link Sodor with the Mainland, as well as a number of branch lines and improvements to locomotive facilities. He was immediately made a Director of the railway.

When the North Western Railway was nationalised and became part of British Railways in 1948, Topham Hatt was made Controller of the railway. 1948 also saw him made a baronet for his services to the railways of Sodor.

It is no exaggeration to say that the prosperity of modern day Sodor can be put down to this man.

Sir Topham Hatt II

Charles Topham Hatt was the son of the first Sir Topham Hatt and the second Controller of the NWR. Like his father, he was an innovative engineer and made a number of improvements to the railway and its engines. He was also the originator of the scheme to construct the Arlesdale Railway and the ballast consortium that used it.

He was responsible for the line's policy of retaining steam locomotives long after they had been abolished on the rest of British Railways, and while Richard Beeching was closing down branch lines on the Mainland, he was reopening them on Sodor.

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