Which engine is known as the 'Pride of the Main Line'?

Gordon is the engine known as the “Pride of the Main Line.” He is a large blue tender engine and the principal express locomotive of the North Western Railway in the classic Sodor stories.

Gordon was introduced in The Three Railway Engines, the first Railway Series book, published in 1945. He is assigned to the Wild Nor’ Wester, the express passenger service running from Tidmouth toward London. His size, speed, and prestigious express duties explain why the railway’s characters treat him as its leading main-line engine.

Gordon is often confused with Henry or James because all three are important steam engines on the North Western Railway. Gordon is distinguished by his blue livery, large tender, and association with express trains. His railway identity is also linked to real locomotive history: he is based on the LNER Class A1, the same broad family of express locomotives associated with the Flying Scotsman. In the Railway Series, his duties later change, while the television version keeps him as the main express engine.