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imitation-steamroller · 1 year

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General TTTE Headcanons

No engine in particular this time, just stuff I’ve been thinking of lately.

- The reason we don’t see BoCo anymore is because he was sent to help out a heritage railway on the mainland. He was meant to come back ages ago, but general shenanigans on said railway have kept him there. You’d almost think that they wanted to keep him there...

- Thomas will never admit it, but the DOWT engines wig him out a bit. There’s something about so many engines dressing up as him that doesn’t quite sit right. And don’t get him started on the dummy units in the States.

- Nia actually has some experience with railway shows, but she has a low opinion of most show engines because of it. Once, the Great Railway Show was being held in Kenya, and Nia was chosen to take part in the shunting competition. Unfortunately, most of the engines there that year were rather rude and unsportsmanlike.

- There’s an old saying about mountain engines: “You can take the engine off the mountain, but you can’t take the mountain out of the engine.” And no engine exhibits that more than Ashima. She loves the fresh air, the dizzying heights, the weight of the coaches against her, and the view from the peak. Honestly, she would live on a mountain summit if she could.

- Nia sometimes puts her work before her own needs. If she’s working with an engine who’s giving her a hard time (i.e. Dennis or the Ironworks twins) or she has some sort of mechanical issue, she’ll often put more focus on getting the job done on time than her own health.

- Bill and Ben stayed blue all the way up until Timothy arrived. When they realized the new engine had ‘their’ color, they threw the biggest hissy fit they could until they were painted yellow again. Some say you could hear the noise all the way from Edward’s station.

- Theo was actually built by Ruth when she was visiting the UK. But something came up and she had to go back to the States, so she left him in the old yard with Lexi and Merlin until she could come back. She meant to come back, but by the time she had the chance, he was working at the Steelworks.

- Long before Great Waterton was abandoned, a fireless engine worked near the mines. There was no sign of them when the town was being rebuilt, but Thomas swears up and down that he heard something during his adventure in Morgan’s Mine.

- Percy and Nia 100% teach each other swears. Why, imagine the Fat Controller’s surprise when he overheard Nia calling a particularly rude stationmaster a... well, I'm not quite sure it’s fit for print.

- Billy has proven that engines can survive underwater. He had an accident similar to Percy’s at the harbor, only Billy slipped much further into the sea. Luckily, they were able to fish him out.

- Engines can will themselves to grow facial hair. Not suddenly like Dennis from SpongeBob, of course. But they can decide if they want it. Flying Scotsman actually had a rather distinguished looking beard in the mid 70′s.

- Whiff used to have contact lenses, but everybody - himself included - was squeamish about putting them in. In the end, it was decided that glasses were easier for everybody.

- Bridgette Hatt grew up to be Toby’s driver, but he didn’t recognize her at first. It wasn’t until she jokingly asked if he was electric that he finally realized who she was.

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commitchanges · 3 months

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As technology progresses, and as machines become more ergonomic, I can't help but feel that we've lost our appreciation for the beauty of creation, and the respect towards the immense forces at play in these machines.

I visited the railway museum today and had the thought while waddling between steam locomotives; titanic masses of steel, wrought to serve the will of man after hundreds and thousands of collective hours of fabrication alone. Wild machines in which were used to tame the forces of nature, but yet still possessed the bestial will common to all of gods creations.

Mechanical joints, intricate pipes, infinite rivets, laid bare for one to see. These commanded wonder for the dedication of man. Relentless power harnessed from nature commanded respect for the power of machine.

The engineer operates the machine through primitive interfaces.

Opening and closing valves of the creature's circulatory system.

Shoveling coal directly into its flaming belly.

Looking ahead by leaning out the side of the cabin.

This is a beast of a machine where the human is both the most important component, but paradoxically an afterthought.

Now I'm not saying that this is comfortable or preferred by any means. I'd take the present day mech piloting paradigm of air conditioned lounge room over this any time. But with this ergonomic and minimalist design, we've also began to lose respect for The Machine.

Respect for The Machine isn't just a thing I made up here. As part of employee training, JR West used to require certain employees to crouch in a service ditch as a Shinkansen passed over head at over 300kph. Objectively terrifying, but also extremely effective at allowing one to feel the power of a 400m long 700ton aluminum tube traveling up to half the speed of sound.

youtube

The lack of respect for The Machine can be seen in how we go about our day to day. For those of us who drive, we hop into finely tuned machines consisting of thousands of moving pieces, and we take it for granted that we expect it to work. We use magical black rectangles which allow us to talk to the other side of the planet in milliseconds. And behind the sleek, streamlined veil, is a delicate ballet of electrons and metal, with not even a slight demand for attention or appreciation.

This effortlessness of use of technologies, coupled with design language comparable to Orwellian Newspeak results in us, as humans, struggling to viscerally understand the power and complexity of our own creations. Our lizard brain is just not capable of it.

Technology used to command your attention. Computers used to scream before connecting to the internet. Cameras used to hiss, tick and click. Telephones used to require at least three humans in the right place to operate. All these things are now abstracted and automated away for ease of use, and hidden away for ease of mind, and so; we take it for granted. As a result, the lizard brain thinks technology is simple. But now, one must peel back the Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 to see the same arcane wizardry, artfully crammed into a portable rectangle. The culmination of human ingenuity.

Something about this disrespect for technology feels analogous to approaching wild animals without caution; like touching an irukandji jellyfish. Like the seamless and harmless looking jellyfish, magical technologies like Tesla Full Self-Driving lure us to approach it without caution. We place our lives in its its flawed, mechanical hands, and when it fails, we are met with it being "intended to be used only with a fully attentive driver".

OECD published a study in 2016 with regards to the international job-related skills. Of which they found that 69% (nice) were only capable of very simple tasks on a computer; and this is just computer literacy! Completely ignoring whether or not the person has an understanding of how a computer functions. This, I would personally would say, is very concerning given how integrated into our lives technology is becoming.

Minimalist design language not only leads us to be unaware of the hidden complexity, but also being uninterested. Unable to fathom the miracle of microscopic connections and diodes that lie milliliters below the the sleek glass exterior. None of the complexity to appreciate the craftsmanship. None of the teeth that the lizard brain would perceive as dangerous.

In the 80's, science communication was at the very least, a critical criteria in the decisions made in the pursuit of science. That whether or not it was to be Big Bird on the Challenger space shuttle, or some other educational figure. Where computers laid their internals bare to let you know "I'm serious business". There's something about it which gives you an appreciation for the complexity.

I think it's the same lack of appreciation which leads people recklessly to AI art. To self driving cars. To touching the irukanji jellyfish.

Undervaluing the process. Pursuing only the results. Unaware of the terms and conditions of service. Leading us to casually make dangerous decisions.

Ultimately, we are all weird apes with weird quirks; gifted with the double edged sword of creation. We swing it where we want, creating whatever we like. However, we have the ability to manipulate our environment beyond what our lizard brains evolved to understand. Thus, if we are going to create beyond the lizard brain's understanding, we should perhaps invest in understanding it instead.

All in all, technological advancement is inevitable. Accessibility of technology to the masses is good. But, we spent all this time and effort, tricking rocks into doing math; building our Tower of Babel. It's odd that we're not investing in some buttresses as well.

This writeup was inspired in part by @gallusrostromegalus and a conversation I had with @shitmynamewastoolong

#graphic design #design #product design #ai art #chatgpt #steam locomotive #train

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trainalt22 · 3 months

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1955-1956

In 1955, the traffic to the NWR showed no signs of stopping. The express went from 6 coaches to 8, and Gordon enjoyed the new challenge. However, with Thomas on his branch line and Edward overseeing the Suddrey branch line, Tidmouth was left without a pilot. This meant that the big engines had to marshal their trains, much to their detriment. In February of 1955, the three big engines went on strike.

The new Fat Controller was furious that he could have gone six months without an incident. He went to Tidmouth to investigate. When he arrived, he was frustrated that his engines would strike over something as petty as this. But he soon reached a compromise with the engines. They would go back to work immediately, and as they did, he would look for a pilot. They reached an understanding and soon left for their trains.

Sir Topham came across an offer for a small saddle tank. From the looks of it, they were a kitbash of some kind from an independent workshop, a rarity in the time of British Rail. The engine, Percy, was cheap, and he needed a quick fix to the issue at Tidmouth. Percy was elated to have been bought. He saw more use in the industrial sector than on a railway. His kit-bashed nature made Topham wary of purchasing him, but after ample testing, Percy was in full mechanical order and ready for work.

Thomas's schedule was shifted so that he could have more time between trains to help Percy learn how to marshal trains. The two got on immediately. Percy found his gruff, sarcastic nature reminiscent of his old manager at the steelworks where he was built. Percy was a quick learner. He had experience shunting, but his size made it far easier for him to slip into tight sidings. He soon zipped around the yard. Of course, Thomas said he could do it better, but he was proud of how far Percy had come in such little time. By April, Thomas's schedule had gone back to normal, and Percy was adapting to his new job running the yard and bringing smaller trains from the yard to the docks.

The Tidmouth Harbour saw an increase in traffic as well, and Percy was soon overwhelmed. So Sir Topham approached the Tidmough Harbor board to buy a new locomotive. The board couldn't find an engine quick enough, and by spring, the port was soon overwhelmed. The Fat Controller, annoyed with the bottleneck of traffic, loaned an engine from British Rail. As Sodor had limited infrastructure for the newer "revolutionary" diesel locomotives, BR begrudgingly sent a steam engine. Montague was his name, but he preferred Duck, a nickname he picked up in his days as the pilot for Paddington Station.

The port was soon sorted, and the Fat Controller saw it fit to take a holiday to East Anglia. While there, he discovered a disused tram line, and against his wife's wishes, went snooping around. He found a small engine shed showing signs of overgrowth. Inside was a slumbering tram engine, a C53 from the looks of it. They were in pristine condition. They soon awoke, startled by the man who they believed to be a vandal. But after introductions were exchanged, the tram engine, or Toby as he liked to be called, was curious about the holidaying railway controller. He listened to his tales of the North Western from when he was a boy. Toby asked the controller rather bluntly if he had room for him as retired life wasn't what it was cracked up to be. The controller promised that if he needed a tram, he would come to Toby post haste. This pleased the tram, and they soon said their farewells.

Meanwhile, back on Sodor, Percy was getting bored of his station pilot duties. And while Duck was a lovely engine, he was trying at times. He would always go on and on about the great Western way, which Percy found to be too strict and disciplined for his industrial laid-back attitude. Thomas, on the other hand, was well-acclimated to his branch line. He would take passengers to Tidmouth and trucks to the harbor. But it was getting a bit much for the tank engine, although Thomas didn't mind the hard work.

It wasn't until the Fat Controller got back from his vacation that Thomas ran into an issue. The old constable that was in charge of Ffarquar retired, and a new, younger officer was hired. The first time he saw Thomas, he flagged him because Thomas didn't have any wheel coverings. It was illegal for him to run on the tracks from the quarry to Ffarquar station as they passed through the town on the roads. As such, Thomas was forbidden from running up to the quarry unless he had proper wheel coverings.

Sir Topham Hatt soon arrived to find Thomas and the officer in a full-fledged argument, shouting back and forth. After he was able to defuse the situation, he was told that if he couldn't find an engine to the requirements, then he was forbidden from going any further up the line than the officer's post. And if any of his engines were caught going through Ffarquar without the proper modifications, then he would be fined. He thought back to Toby and quickly went home to write to his controller.

By 1956 Toby was on Sudrian soil and being repaired to full working order and started to work up in the quarry his schedule was earlier than Thomas's but for good reason, he would take the first shift of workmen up to the quarry and bring the stone back to Farquhar

This soon turned into an issue however Toby had a significantly shorter trip than Thomas so stone trucks were just piling up in Farquhar and Thomas couldn't pull all of them down to the Harbor

With an overflow of trucks at Ffarquhar

It became apparent that another engine was going to be needed on Thomas's branchline however after Toby's purchase the board of directors voted against buying another engine

Thopam soon found a solution and went to Tidmouth Harbor to find Percy

When asked if he would like to work on a branchline instead of being a station pilot Percy immediately agreed luckily the harbor board found an engine to purchase they were a class 08 diesel fresh out of the works they didn't have a name just a number D3102

They arrived in Sodor later that year and soon proved how revolutionary diesels were he could be ready to go at the twist of a key and usually was the first out of the shed shunting the early morning trains like the flying kipper or overnight goods

Duck however was fed up with the new diesel as he was extremely prejudiced against steam engines saying how they all had outlived their usefulness and were heading for the torch

Duck scoffed at this but deep down he was concerned he was only on loan from BR if he went back he could be cut up

This drove Duck to be better than D3102 or diesel as he was the only one of his type on Sodor it made for an easy nickname

Duck strove for greatness he kept up with diesel at every turn sparking a heated rivalry between the two

Duck had managed to convince a line of trucks to hold back if Diesel tried moving them to which they gleefully agreed with the trucks ready duck feigned illness to get Diesel to move them and when he tried they wouldn't move an inch diesels wheels slipped on the wet harbor tracks as he pulled harder and harder until the coupling snapped launching diesel into the buffers at the end of the key

Diesel hung precariously over the edge of the key below him was the sea and a swift demise he screamed for help and Duck rushed to his aid with the two attached ducks gave a swift heave but Diesel was heavier than he expected ducks wheels began to slip and diesel swayed his middle wheel was close to sliding off the pier when a barge slid under him but he didn't have time to question it as the coupling gave and he fell onto the barge slightly damaging his front end

Duck and the barge captain were praised for their quick thinking while Diesel was certain that Duck planned the accident but without proof, he couldn't go to the fat controller

Later that night Henry was set to take a goods train when he arrived in Tidmouth the trucks in the sidings all called him square wheels and a useless engine

Who was undeserving of their rebuild Henry was appalled angrily bumping the trucks when questioned they said Duck told them about his rebuild

Later that week James passed Duck pulling a goods train to Ellsworth and the trucks began saying that James's red paint made him look like rusty scrap iron duck didn't hear so he just smiled at James when he overtook him

Gordon who was napping at Tidmouth station was awoken by some truck singing

"Old number four that gallant galloping sausage always pulls the express what a bore to rush from place to place as that big blue disgrace" they giggled loudly as Gordon stormed off in a huff

The three big engines summoned the fat controller to Tidmouth sheds that night they made their complaints known rather bluntly calling for Duck to be sent away in disgrace sir topham however summoned Duck to Tidmouth so he could defend himself

The big engines welcomed Duck harshly calling him a liar and a manipulator diesel who was in the yard approached the scene cautiously he interjected that he speculated Duck caused his accident because of how quickly Duck came to his aid after saying he was ill

This and the insults that the others had received forced Sir Topham who believed that Duck hadn't spread the rumors to send the poor pannier away for the time being he sent him to work with Edward at Welsworth

#ttte #thomas and friends #ttte au #ttte thomas #vivamus machinis #ttte duck #ttte diesel #i gave diesel a real running number look it up hes real #(spolier alert hes dead lmafo)#oh and modernization thats a thing #the great purge is coming #batten down the hatches #ttte edward

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star3xian · 3 months

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[H4NS]

Redrawn Reference for Hans 02 0201-0 Alias 18 201

Rambling down below

Me when Drawing the funny chromoxidgreen runner again

For real nah, I think redrawing Hans was a task of proving slightly my knowledge of more mechanic creatures, I personally dislike the way I used to draw his body because it basically looked like a bunch of spheres stuck together xD Not to mention the anatomy was very off for someone fast / supposed to be experimental. Combining strength and speed is always hard, as one sometimes contradicts the other when designing characters.

Most people associate speed with slim/athletic bodies and not with muscle/bulk bodies. I personally like to differ or say otherwise as steam engines for many reasons would sometimes end up more bulky

But having seen the engine in person back in 2021 in Nossen, I personally cannot imagine Hans having a slim body at all, too big and bulky actually for that.

anyway, about his character now. He suffers slightly from trust issues as he was often passed around by owners, he is a hater of the current German railway as he sees them as a bunch of clowns, sometimes talking about how he could do a better job or how steam engines could do a better job if they were let to work again.

Hans was built from many different engines, he is the only one of his kind to exist and will be forever, making him associated with engines like 10 001 and so on.

more I wrote on his Toyhou.se.

OLD REFERENCE:

#art #hans

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engineer-gunzelpunk · 1 year

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Big Harry Is Ailing by Jack Evans

The Argus, Saturday July 21, 1951

I took the text because the article shape is so awkward.

*cues in Sad Henry music*

BIG HARRY IS AILING By JACK EVANS

HEAVY HARRY, the bad boy who later become the pride of the Victorian railways, is ill. Seriously ill. All 260 tons of him. Slumped in hospital - the repair sheds at Newport workshops, Victoria's only H220 engine could hardly raise steam above a whisper yesterday.

Heavy Harry, built at Newport - the heaviest locomotive in the Southern Hemisphere, is the only one of its type in Australia. His massive size and varied adventures made him pride of the rail engine fleet during World War II.

"Overwork, that's what caused it," he gasped yesterday. "I've got something wrong with my boiler." He said sadly: "You know, you're the first visitor I've had since I came to hospital. No one cares."

Work Of Two

"Why, Mr. Hyland, Transport Minister, was proud to drive me when I was launched in '41. Kiddies flocked to see me when I went on exhibition. "But as soon as you get sick you're forgotten. "In 10 years I've travelled more than half a million miles for the Railways. And I've pulled millions of tons of freight between Albury and Melbourne, doing the work of two engines."

He added, indignantly: "These new R Class engines are getting all the limelight now. Running around painted red and black, with all the glamor of Essendon footballers "

"And letting girls ride on their footplates. I was brought up better than that, and I've never worn anything but decent black all my life!

"Going to haul passenger trams from Bendigo, are they? Bah! When the Railways got into a jam with the Spirit, who did none Help they yell for? Heavy Harry! "They tell me those R Class engines stole the show in the Engineering section at the Festival of Britain. They sound more like mannequins instead of machines. "And boasting about their mechanical stokers! Let me tell you, I had the first mechanical stoker in the whole of Victoria. And the best! "I heard my boss, Commissioner Wishart, say that 70 of them -were coming from England. And half-a-dozen streamlined diesels from U.S.A.

"What about accommodation problems? He wants to remember there is a shortage of engine round-houses here." Harry brightened up towards the end of the interview.

"I'll be back on the track soon," he prophesied. "All 92ft. 6in. of me, and fighting fit. "Those glamor jobs had better hunt a quiet siding. If I meet them on a foggy night I'll show them that Old Harry hasn't lost his punch."

A couple of notes:

Jack Evans seems to be using the character of Heavy Harry to critique the VR, which is entirely valid since the railways were about to get absolutely slaughtered by our own native version of Beeching and didn't recover for another 60 years.

The North British Works-built Hudson R-class "glamor jobs" they talk about weren't bad engines, just wholly unsuited to the jobs VR assigned to them, which were goods trains rather than express passenger trains like they were built for.

(And they're Scottish, Harry! They were built at Glasgow! You know this!)

They did bear a scarlet and black color scheme... possibly to connote in a new era their passenger engine status (red, used on express passenger locos in the pre-Clapp era on A2s and other passenger locomotives), wedded to standard VR black.

(Hudson R 707 "City Of Melbourne")

The Lancastrian built J-Classes, the last steam engines built for VR, also bore this scarlet and black scheme.

Essendon Football Club were the glamor team of the Victorian Football League (Australian Rules football) at the time, having appeared in almost every single Grand Final since 1941, which is kinda funny that he gives the Rs a serve for their color scheme... as I have Harry as an Essendon supporter in my OC headcanon, lol. (strong IRL historical associations between Essendon and Heavy Harry).

(Outside of Essendon Railway Station, bearing a photo of ‘Harry on the Express to Albury at Essendon, 1949’… old timers living here would recall Harry shaking the earth as he passed).

Him threatening to bash the "glamor jobs" though... is dead on like my OC Harry! Cranky, prone to melancholia, painfully aware of how alone he is. That is Heavy Harry.

Also:

"Overwork, that's what caused it," he gasped yesterday. "I've got something wrong with my boiler." He said sadly: "You know, you're the first visitor I've had since I came to hospital. No one cares."

"I SUFFER DREADFULLY AND NO ONE CARES"

Both rebellious, troublesome engines with issues.

Canonically both melancholy and lonely engines with wide angry streaks.

Both are fairly unique engines. Harry is the sole Pocono with a third cylinder that exists, sole member of his class. Henry was a failed hybrid turned Black Five, the sheer fact of this makes him fairly unique.

Both seem fond of flowers (see the illustration in my earlier Heavy Harry post).

Both he and Henry were originally meant to be express passenger locomotives but turned to the purpose of night/early-morning fast goods.

Both are fond of their "special coal" (Harry worked best on the Oz version of Welsh coal, Maitland coal).

"Harry" is a variant of the name Henry.

This particular article was put out less than two weeks after the publication of the book "Henry the Green Engine", on the 10th of July 1951.

Neither seem interested in ladies, canonically.

The little drawing they put in it is basically Henry…

Just sayin'! If Twin Flames existed... It’d be these two. Har’ is basically an Oz version of Henry…

So fucking weird when you find such off-kilter content about something you are interested in. Also, H220 and its the 22nd of the month so...

#Victorian Railways H-class Pocono H220 “Heavy Harry”#The Argus newspaper #The Railway Series Down Under #trains in the wild #thomasallgrownup #Victorian Railways #real locomotives #VR H-Class Pocono H220 “Heavy Harry”

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greatwesternway · 2 years

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Duck v. James

On this most glorious Duck Day, I would like to talk about perhaps my favorite Duck related topic: his supposed rivalry with James.

Now I thought this was the brain child of some enterprising individual on the writing staff of the CGI iteration of the show. The finer nuances of this dynamic certainly are, but the very beginnings of this concept are actually in one of Christopher Awdry's entries to The Railway Series, James and the Diesel Engines' "Crossed Lines":

"Toby has two cabs," remarked Duck, "and he gets on all right."

"Toby's just a little engine," scoffed James. "If an important engine like me didn't know which way to turn, what would The Railway come to?"

---

"I suppose it must be difficult to know which way to go when you've got two cabs," whispered a voice, "but to go two ways at once with only one cab - that really is something!"

I don't think C. Awdry quite had the shape of it; Duck is just the convenient implied speaker here because if there is one thing Duck enjoys, it is watching Vicious Sodor Karma come to pass. Man loves to see some justice served (see also "Domeless Engines", "Pop Goes the Diesel", "Bulgy", "Scaredy Engines").

But there is one fine point here that is pretty clear right from this very early start: if there is indeed a rivalry, it is one-sided. Duck is either unaware of it or, more likely, does not care to participate in it. Look at that first illustration: James is fully engaged with this debate whereas Duck gives nary a fuck. Does getting into a pissing match with James help get his work done? No? Then he's not interested.

And why should he be? Duck is secure in and content with his standing in the world. He knows exactly who and what he is. He's proud of his past and happy with his present. He aspires to nothing.

That last part would be a little sad for a person, but for an engine that's practically a state of nirvana. To be able to get out and work every day without wanting for more? I would actually go so far as to say that Duck already has more than he ever anticipated having and he has earned this by recognizing himself as only a part of a larger whole, like a bee in a beehive ironically enough in respect to James.

Compare to James who always wants more. James is constantly trying to differentiate himself from the rest of the fleet. His being painted red was a rejection of the railway's livery at the time. In a way, it's a symbolic rejection of the railway itself. James does not want to be a team player or a part of the group. He wants his successes to be his alone (and, possibly, his failures as well).

In The Adventure Begins, James speaks of wanting to have a branch line, expecting to be given one any day now. He thinks, ideally, he should only be pulling coaches and complains when asked to pull anything else. He feels entitled to the best jobs, but only because he is splendid and red, the only thing James has ever done that he considers an accomplishment. What James aspires to be is Gordon, who gets to pull the Express because he's big and grand.

The thing about being a train though, is that you are what you are and aside from minor mechanical improvement, you are only ever going to be what you are. And James is not, nor will he ever be, a Gordon.

What James actually is... is Duck. (Or Edward, which if Duck does aspire to anything, it's to be like Edward). James is faster, but otherwise he and Duck occupy roughly equal places on the roster for what work they can do and what they're built for. And knowing that he is more or less the same as a boxy tank engine with a dull green paint job who's happy to shunt in the yard and yet has been given everything James feels entitled to as a splendid red tender engine... well, it hits a nerve right in the delicate train feefees, don't it? It's hard to watch this guy happily going about his business unbothered by the obvious and grave injustice occurring between them.

That's why James is tryin' to start shit in "Duck in the Water".

All trying to reverse engineer Duck into feeling slighted to have to a goods train. "It's a shame you've been stuck with a goods train, Duck, but I suppose somebody has to pull cars." If Duck is unhappy with his lot in life, then maybe James can feel a little less insecure in his. It's an inverse proportion! Clearly!

But his name's Duck and he don't give a fuck, so he just returns that shit right to sender. "Oh? I thought you sometimes pull cars too."

What can James say to that apart from, "yeah, but shut up"?

This is actually a great moment too because it calls back to one of Duck's earliest character traits, that he does not respond to teasing or attempts to demean him. He simply does not give it the time of day. He is immune, barring certain specific circumstances (he did get upset in "Donald's Duck" when Donald said he was quacking on about his branch line, but that was Donald whose opinion he cares more about.)

Anyway, imagine you're a delicate little train like James who tried to drag this sandwich of a tank engine down to your level and he just ignored your shit. Maybe in a way you are unpleasantly used to being ignored, by much bigger and grander engines who in your estimation at least might be entitled to ignore you like that. And now - now! - Sir Topham Hatt is coming and he says you gotta leave your coaches to go pull this guy who refused to acquiesce to your train bullshit out of a puddle. Shitsux, but surely this is an opportunity to pay Duck out a little? Now he's relying on James to come rescue him.

But nope. Even in vulnerability, Duck does not let James get to him. James tells his little "I thought ducks liked water" joke (again) and Duck just rolls his eyes. Even gave him a little smile 'cause there's a joke he's never heard before! The bit about his real name might have been meant to ruin it a little, but Duck's still not invested in whatever James is trying to make happen here. All he cares about is expediting his return to work.

Then of course the knocked-over signal causes a massive clusterfuck, a four engine pile up because James couldn't wait for Rocky to secure his crane arm. And James has to own up to all of this happening because he was so desperate to get back to his blessed coaches that he tried to make Duck jealous of that morning.

If ever there was a time to bust out the ol' "There's only two ways of doing this, the Great Western Way or the wrong way", that time is now, right?

But Duck doesn't do that. Duck loves seeing Vicious Sodor Karma enact justice, but justice is also measured and fair. It is Enough that James is gettin' a dressing down from Hatt and that he had to admit that he caused all this confusion and delay and that he has to pull Duck's cars until Duck can pull them himself again. To kick James while he's down, to tell him the precise Way in which all of this should have been done, it'd be too much. It would risk invoking Duck's own helping of Sodor Karma, in fact.

This is distinct from a situation where the offending party talked some shit before they went out, got hoist on their own petard, and now they need to be informed that the irony of the situation is being observed, like as in "Domeless Engines" and "Crossed Lines". In actually admitting that all of this was his fault rather than trying to slink away unnoticed, James acknowledged he was actin' a fool. Duck therefore does not feel the need to rub it in.

Even though this really would be the PERFECT time to hear about the Great Western Way.

Wild that in the very next episode, James is even more egregious in his instigatin' train bullshit.

In "Duck and the Slip Coaches", James is dismissive of Duck's stories about his past on the Great Western Railway, then steals a bit of that past to try and earn himself recognition.

And this actually hurts! It's not a dumb little jibe that Duck can brush off. James literally stole his work history, the thing that Duck is most proud of. The very work history that James called "silly" the night before (silly being about the worst insult in the world as a train). And James had the absolute gall to look right at him while taking credit for his idea.

(And as an aside, what the fuck was up with everyone else cheering James on for his brilliant idea? They all called his ass out when he lied about Henry dreaming that he promised to take the Flying Kipper that one time but they just let him take credit for some shit none of them had ever heard of until last night? Fuckin' rood. I see how it is.)

But like I said, Duck earned everything he's got by being a team player. He's got beehive brain, and it means that even when logically he should want to sabotage James or even just let him wreck himself through his own hubris, Duck's motivation is always the overall success of the railway, not personal gain.

Had Duck never come to Sodor, where there are far fewer engines and its much easier to distinguish oneself, he probably never would have received the recognition that he does currently. As such, Duck never really had any expectations that he should be acknowledged personally. So even though he knows this was his idea, that James does not deserve to benefit or succeed in using it, Duck nonetheless gives James advice rather than just letting him fail. After all, slip coaches are also dangerous if not used correctly and passengers are more important than what idea was whose.

But James is as James does. He rolls his eyes and blows Duck off and immediately gets his face shoved in a heaping helping of Sodor Karma. He slows down out of vanity, the last slip coach bumps into the back of his train, and all his passengers are jostled. And of course, Sir Topham Hatt is there to see it and hear everyone's complaints about what a Bad Railway it was. James gets yelled at, the slip coaches refuse to work with him, and Duck is able to swoop in and save the day. It all comes out that Duck knows how to use the slip coaches, has an established rapport with these exact ones and - since James didn't admit what he did himself - Duck even gets to let slip (oi oi oi) that he was the one who told James about them in the first place.

And then everybody cheered and James died mad about it.

The hilarious and tragic thing about all this is, everything Duck has that James is jealous of... nearly all of it is a direct result of James' initial rejection of the NWR livery. Without James' pursuit of individuality and distinction on the railway, Duck probably is not afforded his GWR livery later on. Without his livery, he probably does not take it as an invitation to reassert his old railway's Ways. Without his livery, Oliver is also probably not given his livery either. Duck might have earned a branch line still, but it's almost certainly not called the Little Western without two visibly identifiable Great Westerns on it. None of that happens without James first bucking the standardized livery first.

And that's just Duck.

If you asked Duck what James ought to be proud of, it would probably be that James' choice to be painted red instead of blue resulted in the NWR's greatest feature: that nearly every engine on it is painted in a unique livery. Maddening as the disorganization and lack of cohesive identity would have been to Duck at the time, he's also seen the railway develop around this concept and he can't deny its success. It was such good marketing for passenger services that the Skarloey Railway also adopted this scheme, as did Arlesdale once it was founded. The very economy of Sodor has shifted towards tourism in response to and relies on it's individual and identifiable engine liveries now.

Arguably, James has had the greatest single impact on the railway of any engine on it. In trying to separate himself from the fleet, the fleet ended up being built around him. Everything the NWR is today is derived from that splendid red paint of his.

Duck would be reluctant to tell him though. James is already insufferable enough as it is.

Anyway, here's two subsequent occasions in which James was embarrassing himself and Duck just happened to be nearby.

Here's James sitting in the shed, watching Duck pull coaches, because he was a grump ass about not getting to pull coaches himself.

Why is Duck here? Out of all 80+ engines on Sodor, it just happened to be Duck pulling in Rocky? Yeah, of course, because James just ate shit in a real big way and Vicious Sodor Karma loves her favorite spectator.

#ttte duck #ttte james #tl;drrrrrrrrrr

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mitcorerbarshi · 13 days

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In conclusion,

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#MITCORERSuccess #EngineeringJourney #CareerLeap #IndustryPreparation #GlobalOpportunities #EngineeringExcellence #RealWorldReady #IndustryInsights #FutureEngineers #SocietyServingEngineers

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uniquejobs · 11 months

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மத்திய அரசு வேலை | NHPC Recruitment 2023 | Qualification - Mech, Civil, EEE, IT - B.E. Eng & Diploma

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#govt jobs for diploma holders in mechanical engg #govt jobs for diploma mechanical in railway #govt jobs for electrical engineers #govt jobs for experienced electrical engineers #govt jobs for mechanical engineers #govt jobs for mechanical engineers freshers #மத்திய அரசு வேலை

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houseboatisland · 1 year

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For the ask game: Arthur?

The locomotive version of "a pleasure to have in class."

just mentioning again, this'll be my last "send a character for headcanons" thing for a while! feel free to send other questions as long as they're more specific. ty all for sending! <3

The NWR Numbering scheme is... a mess, and has nothing to do with engines' order of arrival. When the NWR became independent at BR's privatization, they were basically like, "Okay, guys. This is the last numbering order. For real this time. On God. I don't care who has what questions or suggestions, we're NOT doing this again. Numbers 1-11 everybody knows. Numbers 12 and up... what happens, happens. And from now on until numbers stop existing, THIS IS THE ORDER." Additionally, that renumbering threw every earlier renumbering out the window. Oh, you were No. XYZ in 1950? No, you weren't; as of now, you've ALWAYS been No. ABC, don't dispute this, you'll do my head in. Toby's first NWR number for instance WASN'T No. 7, but later became it, (and nobody knows when anymore,) and that's good enough to say he's always been No. 7. And that's why Arthur, despite being preceded by dozens of engines for decades, is considered No. 12, and on paper at least, has ALWAYS been No. 12.

Arthur was bought directly from BR in 1967. At that time, the NW Region was going on a huge engine buying spree as the final abolition of BR steam neared. Several of the engines weren't in running order at the time of their purchase, but Arthur was.

He appears much the same in my canon, but his wheels are black, he doesn't carry his "LMS" initials, nor does he carry the number 41241. What his actual BR number was specifically is immaterial, but it wasn't that. Also, his dome is brass! This was inspired by James, who had been in the Works for some maintenance or another during Arthur's preparation for service. James was *flattered,* and he's taken a shine to Arthur ever since. If you mess with Arthur and James finds out, your life won't be worth living.

Arthur floated from place to place as a spare engine until getting the Norramby Branch in the Nineties, which he now runs with Ryan's help. They're a couple <3

Arthur's "Spotless Record" thing was sort of like his TV debut. Since the dawn of public railways, (depending of course if said railway was diligent in record-keeping, and we know many weren't!), behavioral profiles have been kept by the various managements on their engines. These were considered important not just for rewarding or punishing engines, but also their potential resale values. Say you had two twin engines, both exactly the same in strength and build and upkeep from funnel to rail, but, Engine A was a saint who behaved well and never shied from work, while Engine B was rude, spiteful or lazy. Engine A, all mechanical qualities aside, would command a slightly better price than Engine B. Arthur, from the minute he rolled out of the workshop, has been, and I'm hardly exaggerating when I say this, an angel. Crews used to fight or bribe to get assigned him for shifts. He was and is so willing, saw no job as beneath him, and followed instructions to the letter. He was everything an engineman would want for a fuss-free day of work. Being in working order at time of purchase, with this in mind, Arthur was worth a pretty penny compared to his siblings. But, that made him an especially worthy find in Sir Topham Hatt's eyes.

The accident that tarnished his record happened when Thomas was temporarily pulled aside to teach him piloting, and happened in Tidmouth Yards, not out on the line. Arthur forgave him coldly, but bygones were TRULY bygones when he found out Sir Topham Hatt wouldn't put the accident on his record, it having been Thomas' fault. Then things could really be hunky-dory between the two tank engines.

#ttte #ttte arthur #ttte headcanon #ttte worldbuilding #ttte james #ttte toby #ttte nwr numbering scheme #ttte ryan #ttte shipping #arthur x ryan #shedside manner #ttte thomas

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ran-orimoto · 11 months

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Interesting. I'm interested in your stories about these underrated pair and characters. But don't let me months away without knowing what your headcanons about Junpei'parents are. Izumi's mother intrigued me but I need you to introduce the parents of Izumi too properly. Good job, Kurumizu

Hey, Anon! Thank you for having read the new chapter of MTTCI! I’m happy to hear you have liked it💕. I’ve FELT this chapter because it’s very close to my heart, experiences I’ve felt on my skin (which I’ve obviously adapted to them), so…It’s a double joy🥺💕.

I think I have already replied a similar ask, but let’s say now my headcanons are more fleshed out (even if I’ll be brief, I’ll try ahahah)

• Izumi’s mother has got no stable job, like I’ve said in the fic. She continuously changes her occupation and she will always go for part-time contracts. She has worked in disparate places such as supermarkets, clothing shops, malls, but her favourite activity is to take care of her family and their house. Maybe in Italy she managed to be hired by a grocery shop and she worked there for a longer while than usual.

• Izumi’s father is a diplomat working for the japanese embassy and being gifted of great eloquence and persuasiveness. He’s so skilled the embassy sent him to Rome for some years, provided him with a nice house, with documents and papers that could allow him to move there along with his whole family. Tw friends and me often joke about the fact the man likes eating as much as Izumi, - especially because his wife can cook very well- , but tends to gain weight very easily, for his wife’s utter irritation. So dude is not THAT thin, or at least he didn’t use to be 🤣.

• Junpei’s father is an engineer but is also the director of his family’s company, one dealing with trains and railways, assembling stuff, building them, selling them. He managed to climb the corporate ladder thanks to his skills but also thanks to favours…Certain kinds of maneuvers which helped him defeat his sibiling in the race to the top.

• Junpei’s mother is in the same field of her husband, 99%, of possibilities they work together in the same company, sharing the top in two. She might still be an engineer, but maybe a mechanical engineeing, whereas Shibayama-San is a electric one *cough* *cough*. A love among engines🤣. This is why Junpei knows how to use blueprints, “collects train models” and, most of all, “has got no parents around”.

Junpei lives with some uncle and aunt most months of the year and they let him live like he pleases, like he deserves…Except when Shibayama-San sends him disappointed letters about the bad grades he gets at school. He should focus on school instead of magician stuff🤣.

Thank you for the ask again💕!

#izumi orimoto #junpei shibayama #digimon frontier #junpei #izumi #these people have got no name and it’s high time I started looking for ones #btw they kinda resemble Sorato and Koumi but in a warped way #I DID SAY KINDA AHAHHAHA #ehhhhhhh this bbies deserves a family wtf #my lonely pups #asks #headcanons

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crowley1990 · 4 months

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I just applied for a job that’s like railway engineer! Must know mechanical engineering! But also this job is all data analysis and I’m like. Please sir. I didn’t do mech eng but I’m very good at data and I did physics so I know the fundamental theories please give me a railway job 🥺

#I just love trains #And I want that sweet sweet free/discounted rail travel #It’s with the TFL and I’m like yess give me free TFL travel #And discounted Eurostar

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butterfrogmantis · 1 year

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*COUGH*SECRETEXTRADOODLE*COUGH*

Flynn Oshkosh was born and raised in America. He was a pretty typical city boy of his young age, liked to party, didn’t take life or school too seriously, but was still intelligent enough to get good grades. He enrolled in college for mechanical engineering but dropped out when the partying and flirting became his main priority. Unsure of what to do with himself after, he decided to uproot his life on a spur of the moment decision and move country, choosing England thinking he could woo English women with his American charms

Well, he arrives and decides to enlist in a firefighting programme as he sees an advert for it in a shop window and thinks “why not”. He’s still very much in the college boy mindset and is messing about during the course introduction. There’s another student there and she’s not taking any bullshit from the guys. Her name? Belle Riddles, and she’s focused and determined, the best of the class and by far the course leader’s favourite for her dedication To the practise of fire safety. Flynn finds her stuck up and boring. Belle finds him frat-ish and annoying … thus began a rivalry. this did somewhat kick start Flynn into taking some kind of serious stance on the course but it was more to show Belle up. Despite not being as studious, Flynn was still strong, charismatic and brave and could handle the physical aspects of the course fine, so he was getting good marks too much to her annoyance, but then going out on the town and getting drunk with the lower level recruits before stumbling back to the training halls. Well one night he comes back from a party, stumbling around, pretty disoriented and can’t find the light switch. In his drunken state he lights a candle before passing out … the problem being he was still holding on to a bottle of strong vodka, and he manages to knock over both the bottle and the candle onto the floor, where a small fire starts. If it had burnt out this might have been ok, but the fire catches onto his bed Post and spreads .. all whilst he’s sleeping. Soon enough the other recruits wake to the smell of smoke and begin to panic when they see smoke from under Flynn’s door. Most of the other lads are also still to drunk to really comprehend the situation - enter Belle. She wastes no time at all in grabbing an extinguisher and breaking into Flynn’s room to pull him out herself. He wakes up in hospital, having inhaled a lot of smoke and having some minor burns to his forearm but is otherwise going to be ok. The experience humbles him, knowing he put not only his own life but the life of others in danger had shaken him to the core, and knowing now how dangerous fire really is and that his rival Belle of all people saved him … well he admires that.

After recovering he returns to the course. The next time the other’s ask him to go out to a bar he’s initially excited … then tells them to go ahead, he’d rather stay sober and study with Belle. And they do, he thanks her for saving his life and She comments on his changed attitude. The two end up becoming best friends and completing the fire training course with first and second honours.

Belle is offered a job immediately, she is to go to Sodor and be given a modified railway engine to fight summer fires. Of course whilst there, there’s still plenty of fires, and the Fat Controller wants to bring another fighter onto Sodor … well Belle knows who to recommend for the job

Flynn can still be a bit full of himself of course, maybe a bit reckless but that’s who he is. He still takes his job seriously, even if he’s a bit jealous sometimes, and Belle’s there to keep him in line.

****

Idk why I can't stop thinking about these two rn tho they weren't really on my mind during my main fandom days but I've rewatching old eps + a really nice fake ep on youtube that characterises them PERFECTLY and I love them, I love their dynamic.

They're best friends, they're rivals, they're coworkers, they're married, they're signing divorce papers wait nvm, they fight and break up and kiss and make up, they'd sell the other for a corn chip, they'd sacrifice themselves for each other, they're girlbossing and malewifing, they're doing all of it and I love them for it.

Belle and Flynn (c) TTTE / Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends

Clumsy and Dopey (c) The Smurfs

#smurfs #the smurfs #ttte #thomas and friends #Thomas The Tank Engine

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scriberat · 10 months

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The day was quiet, repairs all made and the machinists tinkering in their corners. All was well with the world, which meant Stephanivien was bored, and he did so hate being bored. But what was he to do?

As he leaned against the stone railway outside the workshop, breathing in the cold air and dusting off bits of snow so he could keep his sleeves dry, his ears twitched. Something was out there. He listened closer, narrowing his eyes.

Parrrratatata. It happened fast, over and over, the purr and firing of an engine, and he knew that distinctive rhythm, had put it into that engine, himself.

Steve launched himself onto the rail, his hand just snatching the roof overhang to keep himself steady as he watched a pretty, white, little ship stroll across the sky to the nearby gate, with its pretty, black-haired, confident pilot steering it with... well, with as much ease as someone trying not to shake the thing to pieces.

He frowned.

The ship disappeared from sight behind the iron gates, appearing some minutes later as it was escorted through town to the workshop, all per procedure. Stephanivien jumped off the railing. Despite his concern, he couldn't help but beam as his favorite client came inside.

"Leofard!" he called, grinning ear to ear. Leofard smiled back at him.

"Steve! Been awhile, eh?"

"Three months, as promised. Thank you for keeping to schedule." It had been three and a half, but Steve wasn't going to hold that against him. That the ship arrived safely at all was all that mattered here. He helped get it into its berth, where the mechanical arms to hold it took the weight and let it rest.

"I've got a pile of coins for you and stories besides, as promised. New adventure every week and all," Leo said, grinning. Steve smiled back. He always loved the stories Leo told.

"Have you put those ropes in like I suggested? Letting the ships rest off their engines is important to their health," Steve said. Leo chuckled nervously.

"Not exactly..."

Steve looked at him, his mouth drawn in a tight line.

"Aw, now don't look at me like that. You know I hate your pout," Leo said, giving Steve his most winning smile.

"Don't make me pout, then," Steve said. He returned the smile and leaned in for a kiss. Leo obliged, then swung himself up into the air and onto the ship as Steve collected his tools and popped the chassis open like it was nothing.

"Winds over a hundred malms a bell can do nothing to her, but one knock to her hull and she comes right apart for you," Leo said, laughing. Steve waggled his eyebrows.

"That's not the only thing."

"Oy, Stevie, are you cheating on my ship with others?"

"Oh, Leo, you know no ship could compare to yours." Steve chuckled as he strapped on his belt. Then he leaned into the ship's wired interiors and started poking around, tightening everything methodically.

Leo watched him wiggle and move, knowing that Steve probably didn't know half of what he was doing physically. The engineer's shirt drew up, revealing a small patch of ungreased skin amidst the blackened soot of everything else on Stephanivien.

"Have you considered a less messy job?" Leo asked. "Maybe you could be a full-time sky pirate. You're a whizz with that gun."

Steve laughed and was about to reply when Leo spoke again.

"Or maybe you can just be my bonnie lass and sit pretty in my lap any time I have unwanted visitors—with the gun, of course."

The ship lurched and Steve shouted in pain before exiting the hatch, rubbing it. His face was aflame.

"That's not a nice joke, Leo," he said, laughing all the same. Leo put up his hands, then motioned Steve over. Obliging, Steve moved into his reach and let Leo caress the bump, pressing his forehead into Leo's chest as the pirate kissed the back of his head.

"Maybe I'm not joking. Perhaps this is the time I finally convince you to go with me," Leofard said quietly. Stephanivien closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of being safely curled into Leo's embrace, and it only got warmer and safer as Leo hugged his head.

"My place is here. Ishgard is seeing a new day, and I need to help them," Steve whispered. Leo let go of him.

"And I'll be proud to proclaim its progress at your hands," he said.

Steve got back to his maintenance work, tightening and replacing and gently chiding Leo for every part. The stack of coins on the workbench grew. Leofard told his stories of lands in the clouds and the trade routes of the northern countries.

When the ship was finished, Steve and Leo set to counting the money out, doling it for the pay of the workers overall and the shop, and then Leo produced another small bag of coin.

"Forgotten Knight? My treat."

"We always go there," Steve said.

"That's because there's a dearth of food stalls and restaurants here, and you won't let me take you to Limsa Lominsa," Leo replied, poking Steve in the chest. Steve pulled his coat on, laughing all the while.

"Hold down the fort while I'm gone!" he called. The others waved him on, used to this routine by now.

"So about being a bonnie lass in the lap of the captain. Does that even pay well? Or are you hoping that me threatening your visitors is enough?"

"Course I'd pay you! Can't take me out for drinks if you're broke."

"You'd make your lady pay for you?"

"Ah. Well."

They laughed as they trotted across Ishgard and its high towers, spirits jovial, all the way to the Forgotten Knight and its warmth, barely noticing the difference.

#ffxiv #putting this here rn #stephanivien de haillenarte #leofard myste

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lswro2-222 · 2 years

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The time has come…

… for the full story of my engine OC, Violet, and how she got to Sodor!

(Drawing by @fraiserabbit!! Thanks again for that btw)

Strap in, folks, this’ll be a long one :)

The Beginning

Violet is an LSWR O2 Class tank engine, built in 1891, making her Old As Hell even by Sodor standards. She’s small, with four driving wheels, four trailing wheels, and two inside cylinders, and she bore the number 222. She and the other members of her class were made mainly to run commuter services between London and its suburbs, which Violet hated. The intense timetables and hectic pace made her very anxious, not helped by the fact that the Manager and Stationmasters put a lot of pressure on her to perform despite any mechanical issues or delays out of her control. Her quiet, nervous demeanor caused her first driver to call her a “shrinking violet”, and that became her name.

Fortunately for her, she was moved onto a much quieter branch line after just a few years. Violet really blossomed on the branch line. The more relaxed atmosphere gave her the chance to open up to others. Although she did still occasionally pull passenger trains on her new line, the job she loved most (and the one she’s still best at) was shunting. She became fast friends with the yard workers, who taught her songs and told her stories. When she was assigned passenger duties, she hummed the songs the workmen taught her as a way to keep herself calm and grounded. She lived and worked on the line for many years, making a great many friends in that time. Her class was widespread and long-lived, getting through the tail end of the Gauge War and surviving well past the Grouping. Her anxiety still got the best of her some days, because she is That Sort Of Engine, but she knew her friends would be there for her…

Until, one day, they weren’t.

Tucked Away

One day in 1933, the message came: Violet was to be withdrawn from service, and she would be scrapped. She was devastated by the news, and so were her friends, both engine and human. The workmen especially had grown very attached to their sweet old shunter, and so they came up with a plan to save her. There was an abandoned stretch of line some miles away, in a rural area that had been hit hard at the start of the Great Depression a few years earlier. Along that line was an empty engine shed. In the middle of the night, literal hours before she was to be taken for scrap, the workmen stole her away and drove her there. They wrapped her snugly in tarpaulins and promised her that they would come back when they’d found a new home for her.

None of them did.

They hadn’t meant to lie to her, but the lives of humans are complicated. The Depression took a toll on the railway, and cuts had to be made, including closing what was once Violet’s branch. Her friends had to go elsewhere to find work. Then, World War II happened. After all that, many of the former railwaymen were deceased, and the ones that weren’t were busy with families of their own. They forgot about the little old engine tucked away in that abandoned shed.

Violet was alone for 35 years.

She slept for a good portion of that time, but sometimes, she woke up, still alone. In those instances, she would sing the songs her friends had taught her long ago to comfort herself. The locals swore up and down that the singing came from a ghost, but it was only a lonely engine, waiting for the friends she’d known in days gone by.

One day in the spring of 1968, a small group of rail enthusiasts were exploring the area. One of their members, Jack Barton, had a grandfather who’d worked on the old lines when he was a young man, and the enthusiasts thought it would be fun to try and find out what, if anything, still remained there. The tracks that led to the abandoned yard were overgrown, but still there, and so the enthusiasts followed them. It wasn’t long before they could hear a voice, singing softly and mournfully through the brush and the mist. The more superstitious among them believed it was the ghost they’d heard tales about growing up. The more grounded ones thought it could be someone in need of rescue. It turned out they were all correct, in a way.

Finally Found

The enthusiasts were surprised to see an engine. The engine was just as surprised to see them. The tarpaulins that covered her were dusty and moth-eaten, moss and weeds were climbing through her wheels, her green paint was flaking and rusting, but she was there, alive. And one of the enthusiasts looked awfully familiar to her…

Jack’s grandfather, John Barton, was one of the workmen who hid Violet away. When the old man was told what they’d found, he insisted on seeing his engine friend despite his age, saying he needed to apologize to her. The grandson and grandfather made the trek through the brush, and although the conversation Violet and John had was long and difficult, it was much-needed. John and Jack swore to uphold the promise John made to her all those years ago, to finally find a home for her.

After that, the members of the enthusiast group began visiting her as often as they were able. They cleaned her up as best they could, taught her new modern songs, and told her about all the things that had happened in the world since she was shut away. Violet was happy not to be completely alone anymore, but also secretly doubtful that any place for her could be found, especially once she was told about diesel and electric locomotives.

She needn’t have worried about that, though.

A Special Visitor

A few months after Violet was found, Sir Topham Hatt received a letter from John, Jack, and the enthusiasts. The letter told Violet’s story, and ended with a plea for his help in finding a place for her. The Fat Controller was touched by their words, and he made arrangements to visit at once. He wanted to make sure she could be restored to working condition before giving a definite answer. To that end, he would be bringing along a pair of young engineers from the Crovan’s Gate Works, Gilbert “Gil” Jones and Sullivan “Sulley” O’Kelly, to assist in the assessment.

Violet’s new friends were very excited when they heard the news. In the days leading up to the visit, they brought copies of the Railway Series books to her shed and read them to her. She enjoyed hearing the stories, but couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the idea of actually meeting the Fat Controller. Sure, his railway was a haven for steam engines, but what would he want with her? She wasn’t like the engines from the stories. She wasn’t anything special. She didn’t make a daring escape like Oliver, Donald, or Douglas. She wasn’t unique like Toby. She didn’t have a significant legacy like Gordon. She’d certainly never done anything worth writing a book about, like Thomas, Edward, Henry, or James. And yet, Violet’s friends seemed so certain he would help her. They were over the moon about his visit and what it could mean, especially John and Jack. She didn’t want to take that away from them. So she kept her doubts to herself and put on a brave face for them.

Soon enough, the big day came. All of Violet’s friends were there, waiting for Jack and John to lead Sir Topham Hatt and his engineers to her shed. Violet was more nervous than she had been in ages. Her unexpressed doubts had turned to fear, and when she saw Jack, John, and the three Sudrians coming out of the woods, she froze up. She could barely manage a “hello” when the Fat Controller greeted her.

John immediately picked up on what was happening, and asked the others for a moment alone with her. Once the rest of the group were out of earshot, Violet told her old friend what was bothering her, and why she hid her feelings from him and the others. John assured her that she didn’t need to be anything other than the Really Useful Engine he knew her to be, and if anyone ever told her otherwise he would take them out at the knees with his cane. She felt much better after that, and once she was calmed down, Sir Topham Hatt, Gil, and Sulley began their examination.

As expected, time and stasis hadn’t exactly been kind to Violet’s body. However, it was determined that she was indeed repairable. It would take time and considerable effort, but Gil and Sulley were confident that it could be done. Sir Topham Hatt trusted their judgment, but before he could make his decision, he had one final question. He looked to Violet and asked her, “Once you are repaired, will you work hard?”

Her response was an emphatic “yes”.

It took about a year for Violet to be brought to Sodor. Aside from the logistics of physically moving Violet from her shed and onto the island, the fact that she’d been presumed scrapped since the 1930s meant that the North Western Railway’s lawyers had to work out the question of ownership before she could legally be considered one of their engines. In the meantime, Violet’s friends visited her at every opportunity. The day she could finally be moved to Sodor was a bittersweet one, but Sulley and Gil promised to send regular updates on her repairs to John and Jack, and they in turn promised to write letters to Violet as well. As a parting gift, the enthusiasts gave Violet a scrapbook full of photos of their time together, with plenty of room for more to be added in the future.

In the Works

It would turn out that, by sheer coincidence, another engine abandoned in an old shed and found by enthusiasts came into the Works at just about the same time Violet did. Duke and Violet became fast friends during their time at Crovan’s Gate, given their similar age and experiences. When they weren’t being worked on, the two old engines would swap stories and chat long into the night. Violet was grateful for his company. She felt lucky to have an engine friend to talk to who was going through the same things she was.

While doing research on Violet’s class, Gil and Sulley found out that Violet actually had one surviving sibling. Though Violet had known him as 209, his name was now Calbourne, and he lived on a heritage railway on the Isle of Wight. Violet was ecstatic at the news that her brother was still alive, and insisted on writing a letter to him. Getting in contact with Calbourne proved helpful, not only for the two engines’ morale, but also for the engineers working to restore them both. The teams could swap documents, photographs, and ideas in addition to the letters their engines dictated. Through their correspondence, the Crovan’s Gate team found out that Calbourne had been modified with a larger coal bunker and Westinghouse air brakes during his time on the Isle of Wight. It was decided that Violet would receive similar modifications. She was very pleased, as it meant that she would be just as Useful as her brother!

Unfortunately, John Barton passed away before Violet could be fully restored. She was heartbroken. It seemed like they had only just reconnected, and now he was gone for good. One of John’s last requests was to have some of his ashes sprinkled over Violet, and so Sir Topham Hatt gave Jack special permission to come to the Works in order to do that. Being an engine, Violet didn’t understand the significance of the ashes at first. When Jack explained that this was a way for a part of John to be with her forever, she was more than happy to let Jack put the ashes on her. Gil and Sulley helped him spread the ashes in places where they wouldn’t cause trouble later on, and after they’d finished, they gave him and Violet some space to mourn for a few hours. When it was time for Jack to leave, he told her that John was glad he got to see her again and fulfill his promise before he died. Violet was glad for that, too.

Into the Future

It took a little over a decade, but Violet’s restoration was finally complete. All that was left was for her to be painted. Sodor being Sodor, there is no standard livery. Instead, the Fat Controller asks each of his engines what color they would like to be painted. The question threw Violet for a bit of a loop, but she soon found her voice. She admitted that she’d always wanted to be painted, well, violet! The Fat Controller agreed that her choice was very fitting. So, she was painted a deep purple with green lining and a golden-yellow 222 on her tanks. When she was shown what she looked like in a mirror, she very nearly cried. She’d seen herself in the photos her mainland friends put in her scrapbook, and she didn’t like how she looked in them. Now, she looked at herself and saw a proper engine, one that John and all her LSWR friends would have been proud of. Finally, finally, she felt like she would be Useful again.

There was one more surprise for Violet. She had been assigned a crew, two men that the Fat Controller knew she would get along swimmingly with. He called them in… and Gil and Sulley stepped out, not wearing their normal coveralls, but the uniforms of the North Western Railway’s engine crews! The two had been training for the past few years, and the timing of their graduation to the footplate just so happened to work out with Violet’s return to service. (Or, at least, that’s what the pair told her. In reality they’d grown attached. She was their engine now, and they weren’t about to give her up that easily. Sir Topham Hatt suspected that this was the case, but didn’t say anything because these two were hard-working, reliable, and determined as hell, and besides, what better crew for an engine than one that literally and figuratively knew them inside and out?) Violet was elated! She was dreading having to say goodbye to them, and now she wouldn’t need to; she’d be working with them every day!

As Violet took her first wheel turns out of Crovan’s Gate Works and into the light of day, she was nervous, but excited. She’d been given so much, and now it was her turn to give back.

Who would she meet? What would she do? Where would she go?

Those, my friends, are stories for another day.

#ttte #ttte oc #thomas the tank engine #violet (oc)#my own writing #my own oc #if you read the whole thing: thank you!!#also please please please ask me questions about her

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