- "Far away, across the sea... I'm missing you... You're missing me... But no matter how far away you are, know that I'm here to guide you home."
- — S.S. Vienna singing the ending tune, Bigg Freeze.
The S.S. Vienna is a famous passenger liner. Whenever she arrives in Bigg City Port, the Star Tugs and Z-Stacks have the contract to dock her, and give her supplies, as well as to load and unload her cargo. Hercules usually brings her in.
Biography
TUGS
S.S. Vienna debuts as a cameo in the episode, Sunshine. In this episode, she is seen being docked by the Z-Stacks as O.J. passes by.
Later one winter when the port was frozen over, the tugs from both fleets had to supply her out in the open sea. Hercules had to bring her as far out as Lillie Lightship, whose light didn't have enough fuel to turn on. She and Hercules only saw their way when Warrior lit his garbage on fire, and Ten Cents and Sunshine brought an emergency light barge down from an upriver gully. Zorran had found a fuel barge to fill her up with fuel, however, Vienna had already fueled up and declined Zorran's offer to fill her up, so he instead gave his fuel to Lillie. After all cargo was loaded and unloaded from Vienna, Hercules gave her clearance to get to the next port.
Behind the Scenes
S.S. Vienna is based on the Kaiser class of Ocean Liner.
After production on TUGS ended, S.S. Vienna's model was carried over to the set of its sister show, Thomas & Friends in 1991. Despite being a cameo, she made her debut in show from the third series, retaining her original livery until her smokestacks were later repainted red.
After the third series, S.S. Vienna was renamed to "S.S. Roxstar" and was given a brand new livery. Her hull was repainted black, while her smokestacks were painted black and white. In this new livery, her superstructure remained white for the most part.
After production using the models for Thomas & Friends ceased in 2008, S.S. Vienna's model went into permanent storage. As the show transitioned from model animation to CGI animation in 2009, S.S. Vienna made her debut in this new style. She carried on featuring as an ocean liner but still retained her "S.S. Roxstar" guise and livery.
In 2018, S.S. Vienna's model would be brought out of storage by HiT Entertainment/Mattel Creations and loaned to the The Star Tugs Company for their exhibition at the Midland Railway - Butterley in Derbyshire, England. In 2019, the model was displayed publicly alongside other TUGS character models and props at the exhibition's Bigg Weekend event. In 2021, it was put on display again for the Clearwater Weekend on the 28th-30th August and the 23rd October. Despite the model being used as various ocean liner characters in TUGS, it remains in its "S.S Roxstar" guise from Thomas & Friends. Somehow, the staircase coverings from Peel Station appeared on the model when it was displayed.
Appearances
Episodes
- Sunshine (stock footage cameo)
- High Tide (stock footage cameo)
- Bigg Freeze
Books and Annuals
- Ten Cents' Busy Day (cameo)
Salty's Lighthouse
- Strike up the Band (does not speak)
- High Spirits (cameo)
Voice Actors
TUGS
Trivia
- Her top speed is 30 knots.
- S.S. Vienna's model was on loan to The Star Tugs Company 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 S.S. Vienna’s model:
- The model was described as very light, as it was made from plywood.
- Given Hercules' length of approximately 3 feet, S.S. Vienna's model would be around 12 feet in length. Seen alongside Hercules in Bigg Freeze, she appears to be almost 3-4 times Hercules' length.
- A model-maker from Germany built her and brought her over by vehicle.
- According to Jeremy King, S.S. Vienna is named after Ringo Starr's 1974 album, "Goodnight Vienna."
- Top Hat, Sunshine and Ten Cents' lines at the end of Bigg Freeze (which are the final lines in the series) were a direct reference to the album.
- S.S. Vienna, Princess Alice, and the Duchess share the same model. S.S. Vienna shares her front superstructure with The Duchess (while Princess Alice's is unique).
- The three ocean liners share the same horn sound: