Franklin is a little forklift who works at Brendam Docks.
| Franklin | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Number: |
40 |
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Basis: |
Doosan Forklift |
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Vehicle: |
Forklift |
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Wheels: |
4 |
Bio
When work was becoming too much for Salty, Porter, and Cranky at the docks, Sir Topham Hatt decided to bring in a forklift to help with the heavy work load. The he found was Franklin, who claims he worked at Barrow-in-Furness and was the fastest, quickest, and strongest forklift at the port.
When Franklin was put to work, he was as good as his word and helped keep the work moving. However, on his second day, Franklin started to forget where the loads go and relied on the trucks to help him. They gladly did, but unfortunately for Franklin, he didn't realize they told him to put the cargo in the wrong trains, which caused trouble for Henry, Emily, and James. When Franklin realized this, he was ashamed of himself, but Sir Topham Hatt and the dockside crew helped him realize he was still new and learning and they weren't cross with him, which made Franklin feel better.
A little while later, when there was no work for him at the docks, Franklin decided to try working somewhere else to see how different it was working somewhere else.
So first Edward took him to Wellsworth, then Percy took him to Knapford Yards, then Oliver took him to Arlesburgh West and soon, Franklin was hopping all over the place across island and was forgetting about the docks.
Finally, after breaking down at the Dieselworks, Franklin realized that working at the docks is better for him than anywhere else. So Edward and Thomas took him back and he helped with the work at the docks again, much to the relief of Salty, Porter, and Cranky.
Persona
Franklin is nice and friendly and welcoming to everyone he meets. He tends to do more than he can handle, but the others know he is still really useful. He also tends to be a little gullible as he listened to the trucks on his first day, but he has since learned his lesson and knows better than to listen them. He is also good friends with Salty, Porter, Cranky, and Edward and is always willing to ask them for help when he needs it.
Basis
Franklin is based on the Doosan Forklifts.
Livery
Franklin is painted light blue with his cab painted black. His name plate is painted black with red around it and he has "40" painted in yellow with red around it as well. He has yellow hazard stripes on the base of his carriage and he has yellow hubcaps.
Appearances
The Many Adventures on the Island of Sodor
- Season 1 - Franklin the Forklift and Franklin All Around Sodor
- Season 2 - BoCo's Return, BoCo’s Boxcab Bother (cameo), Bill and Ben's Big Mistake (cameo), Henry Knows Best, and True or False?
Specials:
Trivia
- Franklin's forks have been placed slightly more forward than his basis so he can see better. Also, his face was enlarged a little bit so that it wouldn't appear so small.
- Franklin's number comes from the fact that he is the fortieth non-rail vehicle introduced.
- Technically, he's actually the forty-second if you count Beresford and Carly, but as Franklin's first appearance took place during the events of the twentieth season of the television series (which occurred before Journey Beyond Sodor and Cranky at the End of the Line), this makes him the fortieth non-rail vehicle.
Gallery
