Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor

Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor
Number: 47 Class: RSH 0-6-0 Saddle Tank Designer: RSH Build date: 1955 Configuration: 0-6-0ST Voice Actor: James Littlewood Scrapped: 1968

Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor was a large saddle tank engine.

Bio

Bob was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn's in 1955.

He was initially purchased by the Formintedore & Galvenslade Colliery, Northumberland, becoming N.C.B No. 47, North East Division. For the first few years of his life, Bob (then known as No. 47) was friendly but conservative, being cautious and safety concious within the confines of the colliery.

In 1958, No. 47 was involved in a severe derailment, which permeanantly changed his personality, becoming outgoing, slightly insane and full of energy. He also developed a quick love for the sea, fashioning a new name for himself, "Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor".

In 1959, he ran away from the "boring" colliery and set out for an adventure. During this time, he inadvertantly ran into trouble. First, he accidently slept with a gangster's daughter, prompting the gangster and his crew to hunt Bob down. Fortunately for Bob, the gangsters ended up running afoul of Dan, who promply broke them up to earn money to purchase gifts for sick children in hospital.

Next, he inadvertantly angered Ed and Sid at their Templecombe home by filling their entire yard complex with pig manure, under the proviso that he was "trying to grow magic kidney beans!". Ed and Sid beat him up before ejecting him from the railway forcefully. After that, he headed to Liverpool, where he was almost scrapped, but luck was again on his side, as he was kidnapped by pirates and loaded onto a ship alongside an unconcious tank engine called Sir Edgar Woolwinder.

His trip to America ended badly, when Edgar and Bob infuriated the local locomotives by accidently blowing up their yard. However, the duo managed to escape, thanks to Bob's pleas for forgiveness, which amused the American locomotives and changed their hearts on the mischevious Bob and "the boring one", Edgar.

Once back in England (having been shipped back across by Nick the Challenger), Edgar and Bob became good friends, travelling around together solving mysteries and causing mischief wherever they went. In 1966, Bob managed to save Dave from the clutches of Leanne, when he and Edgar were contacted by Theo and Otto to save them. 

After this point, both Edgar and Bob went their separate ways, with Bob attempting to get purchased for preservation. However, in the later months of 1968, Bob was captured by a rogue diesel, who dragged him off to a scrapyard in North Wales, where he was broken up during the week of Christmas, 1968...

Persona

Bob was seen by almost everybody as being insane but fun loving, being thrilled to get into any kind of adventure, no matter how dangerous.

Livery

Bob was painted blue with the number "47" on his cabsides.

Basis

Bob is based on a Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn outside cylindered 0-6-0 saddle tank. His primary basis is of preserved member of the class, No. 47 Moorbarrow, which is currently preserved at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. However, these engines are not the same locomotive, due to many detail differences.

Appearances

The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

• Series 3 - Revenge of the Forgotten

Specials:

• The Adventures of Sir Edgar Woolwinder and Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor
• 200 Subscribers

Trivia

• Bob was originally going to star in a spin off series called The Adventures of Sir Edgar Woolwinder & Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor. The seres itself never materialised, but the pilot episode was re-released on Dark DJ's channel a year later under the "TDRS Specials" banner.
• Bob has the longest full name of any character in the series.
• Bob is voiced by James Littlewood, who also used the character in a sketch on his YouTube channel, Problem Productions, entitled Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor's Sister's Birthday.