Henry

Henry is an LMS Stanier 5MT mixed traffic engine. Originally the shape of an GNR A1 Pacific, and a poor steamer, Henry was rebuilt into his current shape in 1935.

Personality
Henry is generally well-behaved, but he is occasionally arrogant and vain. Henry is at heart a very hard worker, but his frequent bouts of illness hinder his work. His illness almost always involves his boiler having some sort of issue.

In the television series, Henry has been portrayed with a much kinder and softer personality. He has been shown as a nature-lover as evidenced in Henry's Forest. This personality carried on throughout the more recent seasons with Henry being occasionally a tree-hugging engine too as he tried to prevent the tall pine tree and the wishing tree from being cut down.

In the newer seasons, Henry is portrayed as not too bright and sometimes really worrisome, as shown in multiple episodes. This worrisome personality was also featured in The Adventure Begins, which greatly contrasts to the original version of The Sad Story of Henry. However, he has shown instances when he was either moody, arrogant, vain, proud, strong and witty, much like the earlier seasons.

Basis
Henry's history is unusual. The Fat Controller had intended to buy a Robinson Atlantic of the Great Central Railway, but was swindled and instead received Henry. He was built from rejected plans for Sir Nigel Gresley's A1. The plans were stolen from Gresley by an anonymous rival. The resulting engine had a superficial likeness to Gordon, but aesthetics were as far as this went. Henry in this shape developed performance issues from flaws in the design, compounded by his stay in the tunnel. Henry was a bad steamer: with good-quality coal he could get enough heat to make plenty of steam, but when there was a poor lot delivered, his undersized firebox could not hold enough coal to make a proper fire. On advice from Henry's fireman, the Fat Controller ordered high-grade Welsh Coal, which made an appreciable difference in Henry's performance. When Henry suffered an accident and severe damage that winter, the opportunity was taken to send him to Crewe, where he was rebuilt an LMS Stanier 5MT "Black Five" 4-6-0. After "The Eight Famous Engines," Henry's LMS Stanier 5MT tender was replaced by a Fowler tender.

In the television series, Henry has always had a one-window cab with an LNER-style tender. The main difference between his shapes was removed splashers and the Belpaire firebox replacing the tapered. This was done to ease the changeover to his "Black Five"-esque appearance.

Trivia

 * Henry has appeared in the Railway Series more than any other engine, having been in both the most books and the most individual stories.
 * In the 1997 annual story, We Wish You a Merry Christmas!, Henry's fireman was revealed to be named Ted. In the magazine story, Henry Helps, Old Bailey is Henry's driver.
 * Awdry's own model of Henry was as troublesome as its fictional counterpart; it never really worked properly. The model was eventually scrapped but never replaced.
 * Henry is the second character to be removed from the Steam Team, the first being Edward.
 * In the Greek narration of the Classic Series, Henry is called "Charlie". From the thirteenth season onwards, Henry has been referred to with his original name.
 * One of Henry's models is on display in Japan at the Hara Model Railway Museum (previously at Nitrogen Studios) and is currently wearing his sad face mask.
 * An ERTL Henry appeared in the American sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond.
 * Henry's whistle sound is actually Edward's and Percy's, but with a lower B flat chime.
 * No merchandise line has produced a model of Henry in his original shape, although a prototype was produced for the Thomas Engine Collection Series.
 * When nameboards were still used in the series, Henry never had a nameboard shot where he was in his new shape.
 * Martin Sherman said in an interview with Sodor Island Fansite, that he originally auditioned to voice Henry, but did get the part for Thomas and Percy instead.
 * Henry (along with Thomas and James) are the only characters to have at least one line of dialogue in every special. They, along with Gordon are the only characters to appear in every special.
 * Although he does not have a Fowler tender in the television series, some merchandise of him have him with said tender.
 * Henry was called Henri in the French dub of the first seven seasons.