Geoffrey

   Geoffrey    Geoffrey is a Gresley J50 tank engine who lives at Copley Hill.
 * Number: 68952 (formerly 8952 and 616)
 * Class: GNR Class J23/LNER Class J50
 * Designer: Sir Nigel Gresley
 * Built: 1926
 * Configuration: 0-6-0T
 * Dispotion: Scrapped

Bio
Geoffrey was built sometime between 1926. Allen (then without a name), met him in 1948. At that point, Geoffrey was working at Copley Hill depot, in Leeds. During that time, he was much more of a caring engine than in his later years. In 1953, he was told to shunt Nigel into the shed as he needed cylinder repairs. Geoffrey thought that this was a waste of time. It seems likely that upon learning of the approaching end of steam, Geoffrey's caring attitude changed into a sarcastic, angered tank engine.

In 1959, Geoffrey was confused like the other engines about who moved Nigel to the Out of Use line, but when Deltic showed up in the yard, he thought that if more diesel engines like him turned up, steam would end. When Deltic revealed that it was Gronk who moved Nigel to the Out of Use line, Geoffrey became furious, and when the other engine interrogated Gronk, he demanded that Gronk was thrown out of the shed. Even when the others realised that Gronk had done it under the Foreman's orders, Geoffrey still thought that he should be kicked out. When Stephen asked the tank engines if that was what they thought, Geoffrey said yes. After Gronk left, Stephen angrily told the engines that the end of steam really was coming, and it shut Geoffrey up completely.

Later that year, Geoffrey's regulator broke, and the other engines sadly speculated that he would be scrapped. When workmen removed his broken regulator, Geoffrey protested and complained angrily.

Geoffrey was one of the last engines to be allocated at Copley Hill a few weeks before its destruction.

Persona
While once an overall friendly engine, the changes to the railways over the years turned Geoffrey into a grouchy and stubborn engine who was at first in denial about the end of steam.

Basis
Geoffrey is based on a LNER J50 (GNR Class J23) 0-6-0T. None were preserved but a replica is being planned. There hasn't been any progress yet but one day, Rail fans might end up with a new J50/2.

Livery
Geoffrey is painted in unlined BR mixed traffic black.

Episodes

 * Christmas, 1952 (cameo; with Hawk's face)
 * Suburban Tank (not named)
 * Day of the Deltic
 * The Parting of Ways (cameo)
 * Great Scott! (cameo)
 * The Ghosts of Engines Past (does not speak)
 * The Last Run

Books

 * Tale of the Unnamed Engine

Trivia

 * Geoffrey is apparently the leader of the small tank engines.
 * Simon Martin says that Geoffrey was the secondary antagonist in "Day of the Deltic".
 * Geoffrey's face is also that of The Old Western Engine from A Great Problem Goes West!. He also wore Hawk's face in Christmas, 1952.
 * Geoffrey was based on the real 68592, however the real engine wasn't allocated at Copley Hill instead, it was allocated at St. Margarets and then reallocated to Eastfield.