Emily

Emily is a Stirling Single tender engine. She works mostly on the Main Line and once ran the Misty Valley Branch Line. She also has her own set of coaches.

Personality
Emily acts as a sisterly figure to the others. Emily is kind and compassionate, and is always sensitive to the other engines' feelings. If she wrongs someone, knowingly or not, she is quick to apologise.

From the eighth to the sixteenth seasons, Emily had an occasional nature of being either bossy and/or testy to others. She strived to be one of the best and sometimes causes mishaps, but often made up for her mistakes when she realised any problems.

From the seventeenth season onwards, Emily has matured and has been portrayed with her original personality from the seventh season, along with subtler shades of bossiness or overconfidence. She often acts as a voice of reason to the rest of the Steam Team, particularly when James gets too big for his wheels, or when a friend needs moral support.

Basis
Emily is based on a Great Northern Railway G3 Stirling Single 4-2-2. Designed by Patrick Stirling in 1870 with 8ft 1in driving wheels and outside cylinders, they were specifically built for high speed expresses between London and York. These locomotives were capable of hauling 280 ton trains at 50 mph, though they could reach 85 mph on lighter services. A total of 53 were built at Doncaster between 1870 and 1895, in three series introduced in 1870, 1884 and 1894 respectively; the last was withdrawn in 1916. The only surviving member of her class (No. 1) is on display at the National Railway Museum.

Trivia

 * Although the second female steam engine to ever appear in the television series (the first being Lady), Emily is the first female steam engine to appear and remain on a regular basis.
 * Michael Angelis, Pierce Brosnan and Teresa Gallagher give Emily a Scottish accent reflecting the origin of her designer.
 * One of Emily's models was on display in Canada at Nitrogen Studios, it is now part of the touring Thomas and Friends: Explore the Rails exhibit.
 * Emily is the first character besides Thomas himself to say his phrase, "Cinders and ashes!", which was done in the thirteenth season episode, Tickled Pink.
 * Some literary articles show her being sisterly mostly to Thomas and James: according to a magazine bio, she has a particular fondness for James and treats him like a little brother. In Railway Rhymes, the author states that Emily and Thomas act like brother and sister.
 * According to Emily's Slide Show, she was built around the same time as Donald and Douglas.
 * Emily's seventh season whistle sound would later be re-used for Peter Sam and Freddie.
 * Her whistle was also used in the Mr. Men Show episode "Parks".
 * Up until the Big World! Big Adventures!, Emily was the only member of the Steam Team not created by Wilbert Awdry, as well as the only female member. She was also the only character in the Steam Team (excluding Nia and Rebbeca) to not be introduced in season 1. She is also the only member, including former members, to not have a number.
 * According to Robert Gauld-Galliers's concept art, Emily was originally going to have handrails on top of her smokebox, three front coupling chains and a gold builder's plate on her wheel arch.
 * Emily was called Emilie in the French dub of the seventh season.
 * Emily had many modifications throughout the television series. These include:
 * Season 8:
 * Her buffers changed from bronze to silver.
 * She shares the same whistle sound as Henry.
 * Season 9:
 * She had Edward's fourth season whistle sound, which is really Henry's in a whole step higher in pitch. This whistle sound was used until the twelfth season.
 * Season 11:
 * Her forward buffer housings' colour changed from black to red.
 * Season 12:
 * Her face became larger.
 * Hero of the Rails:
 * Her face became a bit thinner.
 * Her whistle sound is the same as Henry again.
 * Season 13:
 * Steam incorrectly emits from her safety valve.
 * Tree Trouble:
 * Steam no longer comes out of her safety valve.
 * No Snow for Thomas:
 * She gains a permanent headlamp and tail-lamp, as well as lamp irons.
 * She gains a new whistle sound, which sounds almost identical to her seventh season one and is actually Stephen's in a higher pitch.
 * Season 19:
 * She gains brake pipes.
 * She received more prominent front and rear brake-pipe outlets. Strangely, the front ones that have been there since she was introduced have not been removed.
 * Her side rods became silver.
 * Snow Place Like Home and parts of Best Engine Ever only:
 * Her brake pipe faces downwards.