Slip Coaches

Slip Coaches are Great Western bogie coaches, which can be uncoupled at stations without stopping.

Duck has three slip coaches, two male coaches and one female coach. It's currently unknown whether or not the coaches have any proper names, but Duck has given them the collective nickname of "Slippies".

Bio
Before coming to Sodor, Duck used to pull three slip coaches on the "The Sunshine Line", part of the Great Western Railway. Later, Duck told the other engines about his coaches. James told the Fat Controller about purchasing slip coaches, claiming Duck's idea as his own, when the Fat Controller was concerned about passengers getting to their destinations on time during the peak summer months. James was rewarded with the chance to pull the coaches on Duck's Branch Line, but did not know how to time the uncoupling correctly. At Bluff's Cove, after uncoupling the rear coach, he slowed down to show off his paintwork. Because the last coach was still moving, it bumped into the back of the rest of the train.

Since Duck knew how to handle the slip coaches, he was soon put in charge of pulling them round the island. By coincidence, the Slip Coaches that the Fat Controller purchased were the same Slip Coaches Duck used to pull on the Great Western Railway.

At Christmas, when Connor needed extra coaches for his last train on Christmas Eve, the slip coaches offered to help. The third was released at Kellsthorpe Road, the second coach was released at Maron, and the first coach was released at Wellsworth. Unfortunately, the first coach overshot the platform, but Thomas managed to shunt the coach to the platform.

Persona
The Slip Coaches are very good friends with Duck. Like most coaches, they do not like being bumped by an engine. They can be very judgmental if they are not treated right, and need to be handled delicately.

Basis
The Slip Coaches are based on the Great Western Railway's Slip Coaches. These coaches had the unique ability in which they could be uncoupled at stations without stopping. The uncoupled coaches are stopped when the guard sets a handbrake.

Livery
The Slip Coaches are painted maroon and cream.

Television series

 * Season 18 - Duck and the Slip Coaches and Last Train for Christmas

Trivia

 * Duck's first and third slip coaches are the first male coaches to be introduced in the television series.
 * These coaches are the first sentient coaches to be introduced in the television series since Old Slow Coach in the fifth season.