The Fat Controller is a fictional character from the British children's books, The Railway Series, written by the Reverend W. Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. He is the controller of the North Western Railway on the Island of Sodor, which includes Thomas the Tank Engine among its engines.

In the first two books in the series (The Three Railway Engines and Thomas the Tank Engine) he is known as The Fat Director, and as of the third book (James the Red Engine), The Fat Controller. In the introduction to the 1951 book Henry the Green Engine, his real name is revealed to be Sir Topham Hatt.

The Fat Controller also appears in the television series Thomas & Friends, adapted from the books. In Series 4-7, he controls the narrow gauge Skarloey Railway as well as the standard gauge North Western Railway. From Series 9 onwards, he only controls the North Western Railway while The Thin Controller, Mr. Peregrine Percival, controls the Skarloey Railway. The Fat Controller was usually portrayed in the form of several different static figures made with either wood or lead during series one, and resin from series two onwards, but has been portrayed using CGI from the twelfth series until the twenty-fourth.

The term "fat controller" has since been adopted in various contexts in the English language, beyond the sphere of the original stories, usually in reference to someone who runs a railway.

The Railway Series

In the original books, there are three Sir Topham Hatts, all of whom are direct descendants of one another. A fourth Topham Hatt is introduced as the railway director in the 2025 edition of Sodor: Reading Between the Lines but has made no appearances in the series proper.

Sir Topham Hatt I (1880–1956)

Aged 14, Sir Topham Hatt acquired an apprentice job at Swindon Works. While there, he became friends with W. A. Stanier. He came to Sodor in 1901, joining A. W. Dry & Co at Tidmouth. On their recommendation, he became an engineer successively for 3 railways on the Island of Sodor. In 1953, he welcomed Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to Sodor. He retired the following year, and was succeeded by his son Charles Topham Hatt.

Sir Topham Hatt II (1914–1997)

After graduating from Cronk School, Charles worked at a factory in Crewe, but joined the Royal Engineers upon the outbreak of World War II. He then was promoted to a Colonel, and completed his military service upon the war's conclusion. In the spinoff Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, he is always referred to by his real name in both American and British releases.

In real life

"Day Out with Thomas" events are a popular way of raising money for heritage railways. These events are an opportunity for children to meet characters from the books and television series (or at least, engines that have been "dressed up" to resemble them). These events are invariably presided over by a Fat Controller, played by a railway volunteer of appropriate age and build. The copyright holders are strict about how these volunteers should appear: the South Devon Railway's Fat Controller was forced to either quit or shave off his beard, and it is absolutely forbidden for a Fat Controller to be too thin. In the United States, on the other hand, he is instead portrayed as a costumed character (with the performer's face hidden).

Notes

References

  • The Real Lives of Thomas page on the Fat Controller