IT may have had a passing resemblance to Thomas the Tank engine, but for brave little Terri Calvesbert this train was far more special.For the dark green shunting engine, which will ply its trade at Felixstowe port, bears her name – the first Freightliner locomotive to be named after a member of the public.

IT may have had a passing resemblance to Thomas the Tank engine, but for brave little Terri Calvesbert this train was far more special.

For the dark green shunting engine, which will ply its trade at Felixstowe port, bears her name – the first Freightliner locomotive to be named after a member of the public.

The six-year-old, who suffered 85 per cent burns in a fire at her home in Ipswich as a baby, attended a special ceremony to see the train named in her honour and then it was all aboard the Terri for a ride through the port.

All trains operating at Felixstowe traditionally have names and staff at Freightliner took part in a competition to decide the name for the new engine.

Rachel Taylor, a data input clerk, suggested the name as a tribute to Terri's courage and determination in overcoming her horrific injuries.

She said: "I saw a TV programme about Terri and thought what a strong and brave little girl.

"I have a daughter nearly the same age as Terri was when she was injured, and if anything happened to my child, I hope she would have the same bravery and strength that Terri has shown in overcoming her injuries."

Freightliner operations manager Phil Jerstice said the trains were usually named after customers to mark their support and this was the first time one had been named after a member of the public.

Terri's dad Paul Calvesbert, who helped his daughter unveiled the name plate, said: "It is certainly one of the more unusual things we have attended – and I think it's lovely, a real honour.

"Terri was very excited about coming to see it.

"I have told her we are not going to start train spotting – except for this one."

Terri, who has become an inspirational figure after making a miraculous recovery from the terrible injuries she suffered in the blaze, was also presented with a model of the locomotive.

The engine will work in the port positioning rail wagons for the 30 container trains which Freightliner runs in and out of the container terminal each day.

The company handles around 280,000 of the boxes each year which arrive and depart from the port by rail.