Holly

This article is about the Green Tank Engine. You may be looking for the Voice Actor.

"I am so excited to train you; I like a challenge."

— Holly

Holly is a Great Western tank engine who is both an event trainer and technician.

Bio

As Thomas is now a veteran in the Great Railway Show, new contestants are being introduced, and they prove a challenge for Thomas to race against, leading some to question when he will be retiring. The problems are only made worse after Thomas is involved in a rough accident during the Great Railway Show, putting his career in a bad position. In order to recover and train for the important Shunting Challenge event, Thomas turns to Holly, who attempts to figure out how an "old dog can learn some new tricks".

After Thomas is forced out of the race in the Wales Grand Prix following a devastating crash, he is taken to the York Event Center, where he is introduced to Holly. Excited to be helping out her idol in a "senior project", the two begin training to help Thomas grow to defeat Lexx and the other next-generation racers at the British Railways Grand Prix. She uses a voice command assistant named Chester, which she uses to track Thomas' speed during training sessions.

During their training, Thomas finds himself outclassing Holly at times, such as in a beach race when she spins out and is buried in sand, while Thomas has little trouble. Thomas also sees his former Great Railway Show contestant The Shooting Star as inspiration, and the two visit the same place that was where the Great Railway Show takes place at.

They also meet many of the Great Railway Show legends, including Colton, Lacey, Drew, and Emeritus, who also assist Thomas in his training.

Additionally, Thomas and Holly go to a derailment derby stadium named the Norwich Rail Speedway, where they compete in disguise under the aliases Teddy and Clarise, respectively.

When the Doncaster Grand Prix finally arrives, Thomas continues to struggle to overcome Lexx throughout the race. Thinking quickly, he realizes that he can send Holly into the race in his place, as long as she wears the same number as him, which Victor's workers took care of. Thomas serves as Holly's crew chief as she tries her best to beat Lexx. Holly utilizes techniques she learned while training with Thomas, such as weaving through other race engines, which she learned by practicing with his Steam Team Friends on Sodor. She also performs a streamlining move to pass Lexx, allowing her to win the race, as Gordon once did.

After her victory, Holly decides to sign with the Great Race instead of the Shunting Challenge, replacing Giselle as the Great Race contestant. Thomas decides to stay as Holly's crew chief for the rest of the season, wearing a real streamlining and the same number which is little bit inspired by the Shooting Star.

It is currently unknown when she became friends with Duck, Oliver, Toad, Logan, Little Western, and City of Truro.

Persona

Holly is a sunny-but-fierce unconventional trainer at the Great Railway Show Event Center. She expertly arms the team’s talented rookies with cutting-edge tools to tear up the track—but she nearly stalls when her longtime idol Thomas shows up. While she’d love to help him find his way back to the top, she knows the competition is faster than ever, and victory is all about speed—or is it?

Basis

Holly is based upon a GWR 1500 Class. Her number is taken from the 1501, which was one of the first of the class to be withdrawn in 1961, but was sold along with 1502 and 1509 to the National Coal Board for use at Coventry Colliery. The three locos were sent to Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., in Kilmarnock, Scotland for overhaul before delivery to the NCB. All three locomotives were purchased in 1970 by the Severn Valley Railway. Locomotives 1502 and 1509 were used as sources of spares for the restoration of 1501. The remains of 1502 and 1509 were cut up and scrapped at Cashmore's, Great Bridge in October 1970.

In 2006 No. 1501's boiler certificate expired and it was withdrawn from traffic. The locomotive has recently been completely overhauled, and is now once again in revenue earning service. It has been repainted in British Railways lined black colour scheme with the early BR emblem on its tanks.

Near the end of the special, she is modified and loosely based upon a Pennsylvania Power and Light locomotive.

Holly's Basis

Livery

Holly is GWR green with yellow lining. She has the letters "GWR" written on her tanks in yellow and red, and had the number plates "1501" on the sides of her cab.

Appearances

Television Series

• Series 15: The Great Railway Show Rematch, Part 1 and The Great Railway Show Rematch, Part 2

Voice Actors

• Alicyn Packard (The Great Railway Show Rematch only)

Quotes

• "I am so excited to train you; I like a challenge. I call you 'my senior project'".
• (dances to Bouje) "Then straight, then curve! Then straight, then curve! Beep, beep, beep, beep! Now you got some wheel damage! Whistle! Whistle! Now clean up-- the messy shed! Mud on the firebox! Mud on the firebox!"

[Holly is watching the news with a trophy while Thomas is completely miffed]

Holly: So ... trophy's kinda nice. Don't you think? [all she gets is Thomas' glare] I - I mean, I know like, you've got a billion of them, so y - you would know. [Thomas still doesn't respond] I still can't believe I won. Heheh. It's pretty shiny. I have never seen one up close. Looks like they spent a lot of money on it, I - I mean, I think it's real metal —

Thomas: Stop. Just stop, okay, Holly? You don't even know. You don't even have one clue!

Holly: Hey! I was just trying to —

Thomas: Do you know what happens if I lose this race?! [Holly doesn't answer] Every mile of this trip was to get me faster than Lexx. FASTER! I start off getting nowhere for a week, on a simulator! I lose a whole day with you on the coal mines, and then, I waste tonight in THE CROSSHAIRS OF MISS BLUFF!!! I'm stuck in the same speed I was a month ago, I can't get any faster because I'M TOO BUSY TAKING CARE OF MY TRAINING ENGINE!!! [Holly is feeling silent and hurt] This is my last chance, Holly. Last! Final! Finito! If I lose, I never get to do this again! If you were a race engine, you'd know what I'm talking about! But you're not! So you don't! [he slams his front end at the wall, causing Holly's trophy to break onto the floor; Holly is shock, and then, turns to anger of her own]

Holly: SAM! PULL OVER!

Sam: Wha? Now?

Holly: NOW! [she pushes the buttons of the doors to open Sam's boxcar coach]

Sam: AAAAHHH! OK, OK! [starts pulling over from the main track to the siding] Pulling over! Pulling over!

[Sam stops as Holly puffs out of his trailer while Thomas watches]

Holly: Ask me if I dreamed of being a training engine, Thomas, go ahead! Ask me if I got up, in the dark, to run laps before school every day! Ask me if I saved every penny to buy a ticket to the races when they came to town. Ask me if I did that so that I could be a training engine someday. Ask me!

Thomas: [brief pause] Did you--

Holly: NO! I've wanted to become a race engine forever! Because of you! [Thomas is shocked; heartbroken] I used to watch you on TV, telling Ashima to watch out for the flatbed. You seemed so ... fearless.
Dream small, Holly.
That's what my family used to say.
Dream small, or not at all.
They were just trying to protect me. But I was the fastest kid in town, and I was going to prove them wrong.

Thomas: What happened?

Holly: When I got to my first race, I figured it out.

Thomas: What?

Holly: That I didn't belong. The other racers looked nothing like me. You know ... they ... they were bigger, and stronger, and so ... confident. And when they stoked their boilers, that was it. I knew I'd never be a race engine. I just left. It was my one shot, and I didn't take it. [Thomas becomes remorseful; as she decides to leave] Yeah, so, uh ... I - I'm gonna head back to the training center. I think we both know it's for the best. [starts to drive away, but turns around again] But, can I ask you something? What was it like for you, when you showed up to your first race? How did you know you could do it?

Thomas: I don't know, I ... I just never thought I couldn't.

Holly: I wish I knew what that felt like. Good luck, Thomas.

Thomas: NO! Holly! Wait! Wait!

[Holly ignores Thomas and he sighs]

Trivia

• Alicyn Packard gives Holly the same accent she provided Lily Adams from Yo-kai Watch for her, consequently mimicking Cruz Ramirez's accent.
• Holly shares the same whistle sound with Merlin.
• Holly's face is actually reused from the Golden Steam Engine.
• Her GWR is reused from Duck.
• Her green color palette is reused from Flying Scotsman.

United Kingdom

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | *** T&F:C only