Puffa is a steam engine who works on the Dock Railway with Little Owl in Bigg City Port and Up-River. Like many other non-boat characters and faceless boats, he communicates with a megaphone sticking out of his cab window. He speaks with a Birmingham accent.
Biography
Puffa is a heavily modified DRG Class 80 0-6-0 steam locomotive. He appears mostly the same as his basis, however is completely grey, and with the addition of a diamond stack on his funnel, a headlamp on his smokebox, and a cowcatcher, as well as burning wood instead of coal, likely to make him resemble that of an American locomotive, despite the fact that most of these additions were no longer standard practice on locomotives in America, and hadn't been for decades.
Puffa is shown to be shown to have been pulling the Mail Train and working at the Oil Yard. He is faster than the average tug, which is shown to have come to good use. In winter, Ten Cents told Puffa to alert the people in Uptown of the flow of logs heading towards the harbour. Puffa beat the logs to Uptown by a long shot and warned O.J., Top Hat, Warrior and the Uptown railway station.
Personality
He is frequently shown to be a firm friend of the Star Fleet. His relationship with the Z-Stacks has not been established. However, Zorran, Zebedee, and Zak are heard persuading him to escape from the flames in the episode, Munitions, so it is assumed he has good relations with them.
Basis
Puffa is based on a DRG Class 80, which is a German engine. However, he has been modified with several American and British features.
His American modifications include an oil-burning headlight, a diamond smokestack, a cowcatcher, and an American style whistle. He also burns wood instead of coal.
His British styled modifications are a screwlink coupling and rear buffers which accommodate the British style rolling stock in the show and made filming a lot easier.
Livery
Puffa is painted grey. He has an orange megaphone.
Appearances
Episodes
- Sunshine (cameo)
- Munitions (does not speak)
- High Tide (not named; does not speak)
- Ghosts (cameo)
- Up River
Audio Files
Puffa's whistle sound is that of a Star Brass 5 Chime, albeit higher-pitched. His whistle was also heard in the 1978 movie "Wombling Free" in the song "Wombling White Tie and Tails". Various people believe it was recorded from Union Pacific No. 4466, but this is actually not the case nor confirmed.
Trivia
- Since David Mitton wasn't fond of Little Owl for unknown reasons, Puffa was created to replace his roles.
- Puffa is the only rail character in TUGS to have a speaking role.
- Puffa's model was Gauge 1, similar to the models used to film the first twelve series of TUGS' sister show, Thomas & Friends.
- The sound of Puffa's brakes were originally from the film, "The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery" and in the Gerry Anderson television series "The Secret Service" episode "Last Train to Bufflers Halt".
- In Salty's Lighthouse, Puffa and Little Owl were combined together to create one character and was simply just referred to as "The Train" for most of his appearances. However he was referred to as "Chooch" in one episode. His gender was changed to female in some episodes, but a male actor played him.
- Although Puffa is not based on an American locomotive (due to his basis being a German engine with American modifications), his design does resemble a bit of the Albion Lumber Co. Loco #5 as both are tank engines with the same diamond smoke stack and an oil burning headlamp.
| 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* |
| Vehicles | Puffa | The Goods Engine | Rolling Stock | Frank and Eddie |
|---|---|
| Locations | The Transfer Dock | Uptown | The Logging Camp |