Dustin is a self-propelled rotary snowplough who works in the mountains on the Mainland.

Biography

Dustin is a snow-removal steam engine who works high in the mountains clearing snow. During a particularly heavy blizzard, Sir Topham Hatt arranged for him to visit the North Western Railway to help clear the lines of snow. He also helped clean up after a big storm hit the Island and won the charity races.

Dustin later helped build a weather station with Thomas, James, Belle, Flynn and Harold.

Once his work on Sodor was completed, Dustin returned to the Mainland.

Personality

Dustin is a strong but slow snow-removal steam engine. He enjoys clearing snow and being a Really Useful Engine no matter the weather. He is always eager and determined to help out in any way he can. Dustin is also experienced and always happy to share his knowledge, so makes a great team leader.

Technical Details

Basis

Dustin is based on the Oregon Short Line #762. 762 was constructed for the Oregon Short Line by ALCO's Rogers Works in 1912. The original body was wood-sided, but the Union Pacific later replaced this with more durable riveted steel plates. In 1971, the plough was retired and moved to a restaurant at Blackfoot, Idaho for display. By 1980, the owners of the restaurant no longer wanted the plough and it was donated to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, United States.^[2]

Dustin has several modifications from his original basis. His cab has been made taller and the lamp moved to the roof to accommodate his face. His tender is of a completely different design and is fitted with chain couplings and buffers. Dustin is also capable of moving under his own power, whereas his original basis cannot do so, and runs on coal instead of oil.

Livery

Dustin is painted burgundy and black. He has the number "1869", the words "THE ROTARY", and the initials "J.W.E." painted on his sides in white. He also has black nameplates with his name in white mounted on the sides of his tender.

Appearances

Official Description

Audio Files

Whistle

First used	Last used	Sound Effect
Meet Dustin the Snow Plow!	Dustin Helps Thomas & Friends!

Trivia

• Dustin's shorts were initially created for 2016, but went unreleased for unknown reasons. They were eventually uploaded to the official Thomas & Friends YouTube channel in late 2025 at the request of Ian McCue and Sam Wilkinson.
• Dustin is one of three merchandise-exclusive characters (the others being Logan and Sam) with book tie-ins for the Wooden Railway's "Sodor Story Collection" series. Unlike Logan and Sam, however, Dustin has two books based on him (Dustin Comes in First and Dustin and the Sodor Storm Team), whereas the other merchandise-exclusive characters only have one.
• Dustin's number, 1869 and the J.W.E. initials painted on his sides are historical references. The first concept of a machine railroad snowplough was conceived by J.W. Elliot, a Toronto dentist, in the year 1869.
• Concept artwork depicts Dustin in preliminary yellow and orange liveries, the latter of which was used on his Wooden Railway prototypes.
• Dustin's CGI model reuses Marion's bogies.
• Dustin is the third rotary snowplough to appear in any media relating to The Railway Series and Thomas & Friends, the first two being Gordon's Snow Machine and Marshall. This is not counting Bertha from the cancelled The Adventures of Thomas film.
• Despite his basis being powered by steam, Dustin’s Side Orthography depicts him with a diesel generator instead of a boiler, cylinders and valve gear of typical rotary snowploughs, which are all steam powered.

Merchandise

• Wooden Railway (discontinued)

References