Sir Topham Hatt

Sir Bertram Topham Hatt (AKA the Fat Controller) was controller of the North Western Railway.

Biography[]

Background[]

When Topham was a little boy in London, he lived next to a large railway station and watched the big steam engines puff in and out every day. When he was 8, he dreamed of running a railway.

Season 1[]

Sir Topham Hatt was celebrating Sodor Day at Maron Park when a strange car came into the park came in and pulled the statue of King Maron away. Upon disocvering the statue in a cow pasture, Sir Topham declares the incident as a political statement, and dismisses any overaching consequences.

The next day, he met with Rudolph Diesel. Despite his persistence, Mr. Diesel fails to sell any more diesels to the Fat Controller. Upon departing, Rudolph Diesel witnesses a flaming coal truck shoot from the Skarloey Railway tunnel, to which he fills in Sir Topham Hatt. Instantly suspectIng Mr. Percival, he races to his office to confront him. Upon accusing him of the incident, Mr. Percival ernestly denies any involvement. As he walked out the door, he discovers his car has been crashed into a nearby car pasture. The following day he supervises the unloading of a new car to replace the old one.

Sir Topham Hatt retaliates against Mr. Percival by sending a flaming truck to his side of the island. Initally planning to utilize Diesel, he instead chooses Thomas to help him, sending Diesel to find another engine to pull Annie and Clarabel. When the truck crashes into the Transfer Yard's coal supply, Flynn attempts to use the tunnel to put out the fire, but the Fat Controller informs him that a truck has been derailled over the opening.

Following Spencer's derailment, Hatt becomes fed up with Percival's perpetrated responsibility to the point where he decides to cut off trade between the two railways.

Following his decision to cut off trade, Hatt goes to Maron Park, reflecting on recent events. When Percival confronts him, Hatt further blames him for Spencer's accident. Later that day, he met with Charles Laxey, warning him not to betray him.

Following his warning, Sir Topham Hatt and his assistant Phil Aardman watch Charles Laxey and Farmer McColl to make sure neither break their promise to cut off trade with Mr. Percival. When the pair eventually does, the tractor pulling the load mysteriously com-busts, most likely at the hands of Sir Topham Hatt.

Diesel informs Sir Topham Hatt of Thomas' dangerous detainment at the Scrapyards, and he then takes him there. Sir Topham Hatt calls the scrapyard diesels off, saving Thomas. After the rescue, Sir Topham Hatt notes that Diesel saved Thomas' life, prompting the latter to apologize to Diesel.

When Rudolph Diesel makes a successful sale, Sir Topham informs Mr. Diesel that despite this, there will always be a place for steam engines on his railway.