- "Dynamite's exciting stuff - makes lovely big bangs! Fairly harmless if you know how to handle it, like I do."
- — Billy Shoepack ("Trapped")
Billy Shoepack is an alligator tug who resides up river.
He speaks with a strong West Country accent.
Biography
TUGS
When Zug and most of the Star Tugs were trapped up river by a tramper blocking the river, Sunshine was sent upriver to get help. Instead, he found Billy. Billy offered to blow up the tramper with his dynamite and despite Big Mac and Top Hat's reservations, blew it in half setting the tugs free to return to Bigg City.
During winter, he helped Sunshine out of a burning log jam by blowing up the logs in the way to make a path. Unfortunately, the blast caused the logs to be washed downstream, out of control, towards Uptown. Once he realized this, he promptly said "Well I think I'll be going then" and was never seen again.
Personality
Billy Shoepack is described to be just as dangerous as a real alligator due to his bizarre personality and common occupation of transporting dynamite. Despite this, Billy is shown to be surprisingly competent and sensible when it comes to actually handling explosives.
Technical Details
Basis
Billy Shoepack is based on the alligator boats that worked in Ontario, the Maritime provinces of Canada and the northern Untied States from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. They were used for the forestry industry and were a pioneer in the mechanization of the industry. These tugboats are named “alligators” due to their ability to travel on land to different lakes by pulling themselves with a winch.
Livery
Billy Shoepack is painted white with a black stack and a dark green cap.
Appearances
Episodes
Salty's Lighthouse
- Mixed Signals
- The Last of the Red Hot C-Gulls
- Sofie Come Home
- Guilty Gull
Audio Files
His whistle has two middle-to-low pitches with a distinct whooping noise. It is modified from Hercules' whistle.
Trivia
- In 2012, Billy Shoepack's model was purchased by The Star Tugs Company and is currently on display at the Tugs Exhibition.
- A small pile of wood can be seen on his deck, hinting that he is fueled by wood instead of coal.
TUGBOATS | Sunshine (previously) | Billy Shoepack* | Sea Rogue* | Sea Rogue's Uncle* | Burke and Blair |
---|---|
OTHER WATERCRAFTS | Lillie Lightship | Old Rusty* | Little Ditcher | Top Town Crane* | Shrimpers | Fishing Boats | Schooners | The Galleon | The Old Paddle Boat** | Pearl* | Barges | Light Barge* | Buoys |
LAND VEHICLES | Puffa* | Little Owl* | Rolling Stock* | Cranes |
PEOPLE | The Fuel Depot Manager* | Boomer's Old Captain* |
FLEETS | Salvage Fleet* |
LOCATIONS | Mittsville* | Uptown* | The Munitions Factory* | The Fuel Depot* | Dun Tuggin'* | Oil Yard* | The Breaker's Yard | The Logging Camp* | The Sawmill* | Big Boulder Rock Co.* | Melon Produce Company* | The Old Docks* | Dock Railway* | Several small quays* |