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"Yeah, we can't wait around though, Sally! This afternoon, the Duchess is coming in. If we finish early, we can watch!"
Ten Cents, Sunshine.

The Duchess is one of the biggest passenger liners in Bigg City Port.

Biography[]

TUGS[]

When the Duchess first arrived in Bigg City Port, the Star Fleet had the contract to tow her in. Meanwhile, the Z-Stacks had a plan to steal their contract. This plan was to lead Big Mac onto a sandbank while attempting to "help" him with the barge he was towing, so as to prevent him from docking the Duchess with the other Star tugs.

Ten Cents and Sunshine helped dock the Duchess in Big Mac's place, which ultimately caused the Z-Stacks' plan to fail. In a last ditch attempt to win the contract from the Star Fleet, Zorran bumped Sunshine hard and sending the latter going into the Duchess' stern, damaging her rudder. Zorran thought no one was looking, but he was unaware that Izzy Gomez had witnessed the whole incident.

The Zero Fleet were quite pleased with their second attempt. However, the truth soon got out and they ended up losing out on the contract for the Duchess. The Star Fleet's contract with the Duchess was re-instated.

Personality[]

Going by the draft of the original first episode, it would seem that the Duchess is rather arrogant, especially when she arrives at Bigg City Port early.

Basis[]

The Duchess is based off of the RMS Majestic II, with differing cowl ventilators.

Behind the Scenes[]

After production ended, the Duchess' model was carried over to the set of TUGS' sister show, Thomas & Friends. She first appeared in Series 3, retaining her S.S. Vienna guise for a short while.

After Series 3, the Duchess was renamed to S.S. Roxstar and was given a brand new livery. Her hull was repainted into a solid black without her white and red stripes, while her smokestacks were painted black and white. In this new livery, her superstructure remained white.

When Thomas & Friends was converted from traditional models to CGI animation in 2009, the Duchess made her debut in this new style. Albeit in the form of S.S. Roxstar.

After the use of models ceased in 2008, the Duchess' model went into permanent storage. The model would see the light of day again, a mere ten years later. When it was brought out by HiT Entertainment/Mattel Creations and loaned to the The Star Tugs Company for their exhibition at the Midland Railway in Butterley, Derbyshire, UK for display alongside other character models and props used in TUGS.

Despite the model being used as various ocean liner characters in TUGS, it remains in its S.S Roxstar guise from Thomas & Friends.

Livery[]

Duchess has a black hull with red and white lining at the bottom and a white stripe at the top. Her superstructure is white and she also sports three black and red smokestacks.

Appearances[]

Episodes[]

Books and Annuals[]

Salty's Lighthouse[]

  • Too Young to be Included (unnamed; does not speak)
  • Let's Party (cameo)
  • Hands Off (does not speak)
  • The Last of the Red Hot C-Gulls (cameo)
  • High Spirits (cameo)
  • Treasure Hunt (cameo)
  • Let's Wing It (unnamed; does not speak)

Trivia[]

  • Duchess' model was on loan to the Star Tugs Trust until 2019, in the form of "S.S. Roxstar."
  • In an interview with Jeremy King conducted by Sodor Island Fansite (SiF), King recounted a number facts regarding Duchess' model:
    • The model was described as very light, as it was made from plywood.
    • The model is said to be around 4 feet long. However, this may be incorrect as when it is seen in its S.S. Vienna guise alongside Hercules in Bigg Freeze, it appears to be almost 3-4 times Hercules' length. This would make her model around 12 feet long.
    • A model-maker from Germany built her and brought her over by vehicle.
  • The Duchess, Princess Alice, and S.S. Vienna share the same model.
    • The Duchess shares her hull and smokestack colouration with Princess Alice with the same front superstructure as S.S. Vienna.
  • The three ocean liners share the same horn sound:

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