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O.J
STAR TUGS #3
HARBOUR PADDLE TUG
VOICED BY TIMOTHY BATESON
Slow-moving but versatile, O.J is special to Captain Star for he is the only working paddle-steamer Harbour Tug left in Bigg City. The eldest and wisest of the Star Tugs, OJ plays a grandfatherly figure to Ten Cents and Sunshine, he will often be their first port of call when they need advice or guidance when faced with a dilemma, and will always step in when they need help, but they always remember to return the favour when O.J occasionally suffers from his age and mechanical condition.
However, O.J has proved to Captain Star that the Star Tugs would be worse off without his guidance
O.J has gained much experience over his many years in service, and is barely short of an idea when his friends are in trouble.
When an old tramp steamer trapped Sunshine, Top Hat, Big Mac and Zug up river, O.J suggested using their barges as a battering ram to crash through the tramper, which freed them all.
Perhaps his finest hour worked out and helped execute a plan to save Grampus from being blown up by the Navy, proving that just like any other Star Tug, when the chips are down, he can step up and be among the bravest as well as the brightest.
OJ Therefore is, due to his age, one of the slower Tugs in the harbour, and certainly not one of the most mechanically reliable or strong, but he is living proof that experience and leadership are strong qualities to have, and that everyone can continue to be contributing and important members of a team no matter what age they are.
He remains a favourite with the fans, and with the Star Tugs Trust. He's unique and loved by all.
It comes to no surprise that Captain Star, as a result of his experience, would usually leave O.J in charge of a big job.
He sucessfully co-ordinated Top Hat, Warrior, Ten Cents and Sunshine docking the Duchess when Big Mac and Hercules were unavailable, no mean feat without the 2 strongest tugs in the fleet.
He also was quick to take vital command during the Munitions contract, ensuring the safety of all the tugs and provided invaluable instruction and quick thinking during the dockside fire caused by Bluenose.
OJ's history is one of the more interesting of the models in our collection.
At present he looks rather different to how he appeared in the show. The reason for this is he was converted after TUGs by David Mitton for use on Thomas The Tank Engine, Series 4. He appeared as "Lakesider III" on the dockside set of the Skarloey Railway and appeared in a few episodes thereafter.
In this condition he represents a bit of Thomas history as well as TUGs but fortunatly his original wheelhouse and stack were retained so he can regain part of his former identity, and we can switch between the two.
We're not sure what to do in the future as we really do not wish to meddle with either TV history, but hope one day in one form or another, we can bring OJ in his former glory, be that as a conversion or as a replica that uses the Wheelhouse and Stack.
THE CHARACTER
THE MODEL
