Winnie

Winnie is based on Canadian National Railway's U-4-a class 6400. The U-4-as were primarily used for passenger service in southern Ontario and Quebec due to the railway's shortage of coal supplies. One representative of the class, No. 6400, is preserved at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, Ontario.

Vinnie's number is taken from Grand Trunk Western U-4-b #6407, decommissioned in April 1960.Livery
Vinnie is painted dark blue with a gray boiler with a yellow lining and red trim around the cab windows. He wears his number and name on plaques on the smokehouse and on the sides of the running board.

Vinnie is very rude and aggressive, has a reputation for being a bully, and will do anything to win a competition, including cheating. He considers smaller engines like Thomas and Philip to be inferior to him, often calling them derogatory names like "Shrimp" (Thomas) and "Shorty" (Philip), and often takes pleasure in smashing them together. His nasty behaviour means that hardly any engines get along with him.

He is also shown to be reckless, as seen when he punches through a pile of rocks and Gina's platforms.

Vinnie, along with the other international Great Railway Show hopefuls, arrived on Sodor when the ferry carrying them mistakenly docked at Brendam Docks instead of the Mainland. He and the other engines (except Ashima) quickly made their way back to the ferry, where Vinnie managed to push Thomas out of the way.

At the Great Railway Show, Vinnie took part in the Endurance Competition. On his way to the competition, Philip blocked his path. Vinnie insulted Philip by telling him to watch his wheels. Later, Philip found himself in Vinnie's path again. Angry at Philip, he rushed after him, but was buried under coal from the bunker. Enraged, Vinnie began chasing him around the yard, ending up in the middle of the Shunting Competition. Vinnie knocked off the rails of Gina's two flatbed trucks that were blocking his path, cornering Philip at the turntable, determined to push the little locomotive into its well. Luckily, Thomas and Ashima arrived in time, hooking onto Vinnie and holding him, allowing Philip to drive away safely. Vinnie resisted so much that Thomas' coupling snapped. Vinnie ended up flying straight onto a track with a switch pointing the wrong way, derailing and crashing into an electrical pylon, which fell on top of him as a result of the collision. Vinnie was trapped under the pylon, screaming for help. He remained there for the rest of the day and was rescued that evening, after which he returned home to America.

Some time later he worked at the port of San Francisco.

Technical details
Prototype
CNR U-4-a
Track
4'8½" (1435 mm; standard gauge)
Propeller type
Steam
Mode of transport
Locomotive
Type
Optimized tender steam locomotive
Fuel type
Coal
Configuration
4-8-4
Number of wheels
28
Maximum speed
90 mph (145 km/h)
Designers
Montreal Locomotive Works
Builders
Montreal Locomotive Works
Year of construction
1936
Number
6407