Toby is Christopher Awdry's favourite engine. On a trip in Yarmouth, he and his father got to ride in the cab of a J70 tram, thanks to Wilbert's good friend, the late Reverend Charlie Rand.
In Thomas Comes Home, the illustrations of "Toby's Megatrain" show Toby with a face at the rear cab as well as the front cab. This is the only time in the Railway Series that Toby has been illustrated with two faces.
One of Toby's models is currently on display in Japan at the Hara Model Railway Museum (previously on display at Nitrogen Studios) and is currently wearing his worried face mask. Another was previously on display at Drayton Manor but the model was stolen from the display in early 2011.
In Baa!, Toby revealed that his favourite station is Maithwaite.
In an interview with SiF, Andrew Brenner stated that Toby was one of his favourite characters, along with James, Bill and Ben.
His second-third series bell sound was heard after Ryan stops the pirate ship during the wide shot of Arlesburgh Harbour in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.
Toby went through several aesthetic changes in the television series:
Series 2[]
His bell sound changed.
His front lamp was lowered down.
Series 4[]
His bell sound returned back to its original sound.
He had an unseen whistle which sounds the same as Percy's whistle from the second half of the third series.
Thomas and the Magic Railroad[]
His wheels become black.
His bell became smaller.
His bell sound changed again to another different one.
Series 6[]
His bell sound was changed back to its original sound again.
Hero of the Rails[]
His side-rods and pistons disappeared.
His bell sound changed to be similar to the one that Flora uses.
His cabs appear to be blackened out.
He has decreased in size and is the same height as Henrietta.
Series 14[]
His driver was positioned at the back of Toby's cab, where the fireman shovelled coal into Toby's firebox.
Blue Mountain Mystery[]
His driver had returned back to his correct position at the front of Toby's cab.
Other[]
He was confused for being electric by Bridget Hatt in the first series episode, Toby and the Stout Gentleman and for being a diesel boxcab by Philip in the twentieth series episode, Toby's New Friend.
Toby's screen used sleeping face mask is now owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
According to an interview with Mike O'Donnell, Toby's theme was used as a demo for the Series' opening theme.
Even though he has six wheels, some merchandise of him has four.
In the arcade game "Magical Truck Adventures," two J70 tram engines were seen at the first level, each with a 7, bearing a strong resemblance to Toby.
Toby is one of only eleven characters to appear in every series of the television series and one of only eight to speak in each one. However, he has not appeared in every special.
He has the same number as the Railway Series book he first appeared in. He is the only engine to have this trait.
As Toby is based on the real life J70 No.68221, he is technically the first real engine to appear in the series.
He was the namesake of the Talyllyn Railway's inspection trolley, which later inspired Mark V.