In message , at 08:48:09 on Tue, 9 Mar 2021,
Graeme Wall remarked:
On 09/03/2021 08:34, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:02:52
on Tue, 9 Mar 2021, Trolleybus remarked:
On Mon, 8 Mar 2021 11:45:41 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 09:44:35 on
Mon, 8 Mar 2021, Trolleybus remarked:
On 7 Mar 2021 11:02:37 GMT, Marland
wrote:

Sigh. Youngsters.

When I were a lad it wasn't The Fat Controller and it certainly wasn't
Sir Topham Hat (who sounds, not coincidently, like a character from
Bridgerton).

It was The Fat Comptroller.

Notwitstanding:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...AC_SL1184_.jpg

I have some first edition Thomas books (plus the one with Gordon in the
tunnel: The Three Railway Engines, the first in the series) and the
person in question then was "The Fat Director".

Book 2 "The Fat Director"

Book 3 (James the Red Engine) Arghh - This one seems to be missing from
***** my collection. If someone has an original copy from the 50's
***** maybe they can look.

But by book 4 and onwrds it was "The Fat Controller".

Gordon was rehabilitated in number seven of the series (published 1953)
the forward of which says:

****** Dear Ian,

****** You asked for a book about Gordon. Here it is. Gordon has been
****** naughty, and The Fat Controller was stern with him.

****** Gordon has now learnt his lesson and is a Really Useful Engine
****** again.

I wonder if Andrew Lloyd Webber was a Thomas fan.

That seems odd. Have any fictional characters had more names?

Were there different editions, perhaps regional?
Regional books - no I don't recognise that concept.

My memories would be from copies circulating in the 60s.
Mine are from the 50's

I've only one survivor from the 1950s, Toby The Tram Engine, he's
definitely the Fat Controller in that one.

That's number 7, and I've already posted that the name had changed by
number 4.

The only open question is what the name was in number 3.
--
Roland Perry