#ex-railway line

[yanban-san]

SCPMas - AU-Tober #2

I wrote the two as SCPs for the second day. I tried to keep it like a typical SCP document, so it was very interesting to try and keep it in the style of SCP writing! I hope y'all like. :3

(Tags: Submas, Slight, implied X-reader) Item #: SCP-9018

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures:

Instances of SCP-9018-W and SCP-9018-B spotted are to be reported to the supervising officials immediately. Containment procedures are in place at locations of previous manifestations of SCP-9018, and any and all locations noted on "station" maps are to be secured following encounters with SCP-9018.

Chainlink fences are established around the perimeters of all locations where SCP-9018 have manifested. Due to the potential for re-appearances, all buildings and areas surrounding previous instances are to be monitored closely and inspected once a month by Foundation personnel for signs of re-establishment. Security cameras and EMF detectors are also to be placed strategically across designated areas and monitored for anomalous activity.

SCP-9018-B and SCP-9018-W are to be contained in the abandoned Northern branch of the [REDACTED] platform of the New York Subway System. Containment procedures are to be carried out by Foundation Personnel with Psionic Training Level III at minimum. Refer to Incident reports 9018-A-19900317 and 9018-A-19960401 for further information. Electrified fences lining the perimeter of the containment area are primarily for the prevention of explorers from reaching the containment area.

In the event of a containment breach, all personnel are to communicate purely through electronic means. Any personnel attempting to communicate through physical talking and actions are to be treated as SCP-9018-B and SCP-9018-W causing psychic distortions to prevent themselves from being perceived. The full limits of SCP-9018-B and SCP-9018-W's psionic manipulative abilities are yet to be studied following the previous containment breach.

Description:

SCP-9018 is an anomalous Subway Station that manifests within abandoned structures and and buildings and potentially other locations. [Refer to Interview Log 9018-Int-002] On the surface, it functions almost identically to a regular subway station. During the day, the station is devoid of any life forms outside of instances designated as 9018-A, who resemble and act as regular human employees of the station. [Refer to Interview Log 9018-Int-001] Upon approaching the ticket counter, an individual will be presented with a schedule of stations to go to. Should a ticket be purchased, the individual becomes an instance now designated as 9018-P, for passenger. At this point, the individual is compelled by unknown reasons to wait for their train and board it. Beyond that, 9018-P holds all of their original cognitive functions, but any attempts to get them to leave the station with the ticket will result in them attempting to rationalize a reason why they cannot. No tickets have been recovered to date.

Within 4-12 minutes after purchasing a ticket, a train will appear to take 9018-P to their chosen destination. These locations occasionally match to actual, existent railway stations and stops across the world- However, other stations with no known match have been documented appearing. [Refer to Experiment Log 9018-Ex-101] Upon arrival at an actual station, 9018-P will appear stepping out of a regular arriving train or on the train they departed on, depending on the liveliness and schedule of current trains at the station. If the station is a non-existent, communication is typically lost with 9018-P for the duration of their trip. [Refer to Experiment Log 9018-Ex-101]

At night, SCP-9018 suddenly springs to "life", with trains arriving and dropping off hundreds of instances of 9018-P-D, which were originally thought to be other human passengers disembarking at a random station- However, Experiment Log-9018-Ex-101 reveals that the individuals disembarking typically resemble both recent and long deceased persons within the local area. At this point, two individuals identified as 9018-B and 9018-W emerge from any trains within the vicinity, and attempt to leave the station. Instances of 9018-A have been observed chatting with and engaging in friendly actions towards instances of 9018-P-D- At this point, any human individuals within the station are encouraged to engage and talk with 9018-P-D and 9018-A, typically by 9018-A.

SCP-9018-B and SCP-9018-W appear to be two train conductors, and in particular, two twins, who control the entirety of SCP-9018. [Refer to Interview Log 9018-Int-001]. They have the ability to set train schedules and determine where SCP-9018 will manifest next. Instances of 9018-A obey their orders, as well as instances of 9018-P, which they are amicable towards.

9018-B and 9018-W at this point attempt to leave SCP-9018 entirely and enter any local population center. Their actions in cities and towns have not been observed, but they have been observed returning to SCP-9018 with humans. However, these humans are later observed walking around their town with no recollection of any supposed interaction with 9018-B and 9018-W. Typically within one to two weeks of this interaction, however, the individual dies by any multitude of means. After this, these individuals can be seen among the litany of 9018-P-D instances.

Addendum:

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[Interview Log 9018-Int-001] Interviewed: SCP-9018-W. Interviewer: Junior Researcher █████. Foreword: SCP-9018-B and 9018-W were seen leaving an instance of SCP-9018 and were apprehended by Foundation Security Personnel. This begins the first interview with a junior researcher who happened to be present during an observation of SCP-9018. [Begin Log] Interviewer: Hello, is this uh- On? SCP-9018-W: Hello. Who are you? My brother and I must get back to work. Interviewer: Please identify yourself. SCP-9018-W: Mm. I don't think I want to. Interviewer: So… Uh, well, we can hold you here indefinitely if we choose to, so I would- I would suggest you do that. SCP-9018-W: Oh dear. That is verrry not nice. Interviewer: I would appreciate if you would answer my question. Now, who are you? SCP-9018-W: I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss. I run the Subway with my Brother, yup! It is verrry fun. But you won't call me Emmet, will you? Those people like to give us silly names. Interviewer: You will probably receive a classification of some kind. Thank you for introducing yourself, Emmet. I am █████. Can I ask where this train station came from? SCP-9018-W: It comes and goes as needed. Like the trains. We take our passengers where they are needed, or wanted, and then they disembark. Interviewer: Where do they go once they disembark? SCP-9018-W: They stay in the station. They don't like to go far. That's another one of our jobs! Interviewer: What do you mean? SCP-9018-W: Hmmhmm. We help them sometimes. That is all I will say. Interviewer: …Alright, I'll leave that there… SCP-9018-W: Would you like to ride our train? Interviewer: Excuse me? SCP-9018-W: Yup! You seem like you could use a ride, yup. Our trains are verrrry nice. Interviewer: Uh- No, thank you- Er- What did you say your title was again? You're a… "Subway Boss?" SCP-9018-W: That is correct. And you won't ride? That makes me sad. Interviewer: Er- No, Sorry- But what does that mean? Are you employed at the Subway? Er- What duties do you carry out, exactly? SCP-9018-W: Mm. No. I won't tell you that. Brother and I keep it secret. If you want to know, you should ride our Subway! Interviewer: …No, thank you. [End Log.] Closing Statement: [Despite Researcher █████'s inexperience, they handled the interview well. However, SCP-9018-W refused to talk anymore on the subject, instead insisting on offering researcher █████ free tickets if they rode on SCP-9018's trains.]

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Interviewed: SCP-9018-B. Interviewer: Junior Researcher █████. Foreword: SCP-9018-B and 9018-W were seen leaving an instance of SCP-9018 and were apprehended by Foundation Security Personnel. This begins the second interview with a junior researcher who happened to be present during an observation of SCP-9018. Interviewer: Alright, let's begin with your- SCP-9018-B: Who are you? Why did those men attack me and my brother? Where is he? I won't speak with you until I've seen him! Interviewer: I can't let you see your brother right now, but he is safe. I uh- I've spoken to him myself. SCP-9018-B: And how can I trust you? You… Interviewer: You'll have to trust me. If you answer my questions, we should be able to reunite you both. SCP-9018-B: Very well. I am Ingo. I am a Subway Boss, alongside my brother. We run the trains you've been- Or, well, those men have been spying on. Your group refuses to let us alone, you know? We're not doing anything wrong. Interviewer: I- I can understand that, but- Well, we don't know exactly what you're doing anyway. How does your train system even work? SCP-9018-B: Simple; trains go places. People wish to go places. We take people where they wish to go- And make a few stops along the way. If you like, you may ride our trains too- In spite of the abhorrent way your… company have treated us. Interviewer: Again, I'm sorry about that- SCP-9018-B: Would you like to ride our train? I'm quite sure you would find it lovely. Interviewer: I'm quite alright, thank you- I'm more curious about your train, and the work you and your brother do. Where did you guys find your employees? SCP-9018-B: Our train is a train. I'm not quite sure how to explain it anymore than that. And… The work we do… Well, we keep the trains running on schedule, and going wherever people might want them to go. Our employees… I'm not sure why you would be interested in them. They, like us, work for the railway company. Interviewer: The Railway company? SCP-9018-B: Yes! They employ us. I'm certain the Company would not be happy if our schedule was delayed; Ergo, you should let me and my brother go. Interviewer: We'll get back to that. For now, can you tell me… Where do your passengers come from? SCP-9018-B: You should ride our train. The passengers we carry… They do love to tell their stories, and I'm certain you would find more answers talking to them than with us. Interviewer: [laugh.] I doubt they'd have anything to say to me. SCP-9018-B: You would be surprised. [End Log.] Closing Statement: [Recording Equipment shut off at this point, and researcher █████ requested the pair be released after concluding the interview. █████ was sent for a full medical and psychological examination following the events of whatever interview took place with SCP-9018-B. Researcher █████ was later provided with class-b amnesiacs per request.]

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Experiment Log 9018-Ex-101

D-Class Personnel Serial Number 247187, Name █████ █████- Subject 9018-001. Sent into SCP-9018 to ascertain anomalous properties of SCP-9018. Subject 9018-001 is guided by Dr. Martin. [Note of Interest: Subject 9018-001's criminal record was subject to particular scrutiny. Subject 9018-001 refused association or responsibility for all criminal activity that resulted in their subsequent life sentencing. Subject 9018-001 was particularly interested in redeeming themselves and removing their resultant record.] Subject 9018-001 enters SCP-9018. Subject 9018-001 remarks on the "cleanliness" of the station and how they did not expect to see such a station down here. Subject 9018-001 is instructed to purchase a ticket from the ticket booth. Subject 9018-001 does so. Subject 9018-001 engages in conversation with an instance of SCP-9018-A. SCP-9018-A appears to be aware of Subject 9018-001's criminal record. SCP-9018-A expresses pity and offers Subject 9018-001 a "special ticket" and rate. Despite orders not to, Subject 9018-001 agrees after viewing SCP-9018-A's map (not available from recorded footage) Upon purchase of the ticket, Dr. Martin insisted that Subject 9018-001 exit SCP-9018 immediately. Subject 9018-001 at this point became an instance of SCP-9018-P, and refused. Subject 9018-001 proceeds to wait for their train to arrive. Ticket information is displayed to their personal camera. [Boarding Station: [REDACTED] Destination: [REDACTED]] After approximately eight minutes and thirty-two seconds, a train rolls into station. Subject 9018-001 asks if they have permission to board, and begins walking towards the train before receiving Dr. Martin's Approval.

SCP-9018-W greets 9018-001 at the door of the train. SCP-9018-W expresses interest in Subject 9018-001's physical appearance. SCP-9018-W is joined by SCP-9018-B. 9018-B also remarks on the acceptability of their appearance. Both instances take hold of Subject 9018-001's ticket and begin conversing with Subject 9018-001 on the subject of their criminal record and subsequent service to the SCP Foundation. Subject 9018-001 sits down in a passenger cabin and SCP-9018-B leaves the cart, presumably to drive the train. SCP-9018-W continues conversing with Subject 9018-001. SCP-9018-W reveals [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] to Subject 9018-001, causing the subject to enter a slight panic. SCP-9018-W offers Subject 9018-001 a position working for their "Railway Company." Subject 9018-001 is heard accepting after several seconds of silence. Dr. Martin is unable to communicate with Subject 9018-001 at this point. SCP-9018-W addresses Dr. Martin from Subject 9018-001's personal camera and microphone. SCP-9018-W informs Dr. Martin that they will be "keeping" Subject 9018-001 for the "foreseeable future." At this point, communication with Subject 9018-001 ceases. Subject 9018-001 has not been recovered to date, nor seen among the passengers of SCP-9018. [End Log.]

#Submas #Submas au #Submas AUber #x Reader #Emmet #Ingo #Submas x Reader #Ingo x reader #Emmet x Reader #emmet/reader #ingo/reader #SCP #SCPmas

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Happy 4/4 Gordon Day to those who celebrate

I have a Gordon drawing on the way, it will take a little bit but for now... enjoy this perennially old meme I find funny...

Here's to Gordon Nigel Gresley, North Western Railway ex-LNER A0 Pacific No. 4; the first of the proud line of the Gresley A1s/A3s, the Shooting Star; around whom the Railway Series begins and ends.

#ttte #rws #happy gordon day #gordon the express engine #gordon the big engine #ttte gordon #4/4 #thomas and friends

[susartwork]

-UNDERWIZARD SECONDARY CHARACTERS-

English isn’t my first language, sorry in case of misspelling.

-GASTER- Age: ±400 years old - ✧boss monster✧ Magic color: lilac Gender: male Pronouns: he/him Orientation: homosexual

Extra info: - He has been an omnipresent being for the past 4 years. (I won't explain here how the Void and his omnipresent powers work). - He was one of the main figures of the Great War. The cracks on his body and holes in his hands are the scars left. - A goopster, a jokester, and a good dadster. - He has loved Grillby for nearly three hundred years, but he has always been rejected :C - He uses sophisticated words just to show he's smart. - A stupid genius. - °Slaps egg° this boy can fit so much trauma.

-GRILLBY- Age: ±420 years old - ✧boss monster✧ Magic color: mix of colors - orange and blue Gender: male Pronouns: he/him Orientation: open to interpretation

Extra info: - He has a wife and a daughter. Both fire elementals. - He always felt like an uncle to Sans and Papyrus after Gaster's... death, but tries to distance himself. - Religious man. Believes in the good Angel of the Delta Rune. - He fought on the front lines of the Great War. There his soul was damaged and now it's difficult for him to speak. - Uses sign language. One of his regular customers translates for him. - Monsters rarely have multiple colors of magic. It can happen that a child takes more than one color from the parent's DNA when born.

-MUFFET- Age: 24 Magic color: thulian pink Gender: female Pronouns: she/her Orientation: bisexual

Extra info: - She loves wearing hair accessories and especially bows. A lot of bows. - She may act sweet and kind, don't trust her. You don't want to become part of those pastries you're eating right now. - She has an obvious crush on Papyrus. - Though she dislikes Sans, and Sans dislikes her.

UW!Mettaton EX design and ref made by @nova2cosmos Thank you so much! (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ) I added a few headcanons to it as you see

-NAPSTABLOOK- Age: 27 years old Magic color: magenta Gender: agender Pronouns: any (mostly uses they/them) Orientation: open to interpretation

Extra info: - They sell tickets to use a cable railway that will take you to a town above Waterfall, called "Raintown". - No one is allowed to see their face except the family. - They keep trying to reconnect with Mettaton, failing. However, they sometimes get a few visits from Silver. - They're also doing their best to be a good neighbor to Undyne.

-METTATON- Age: 29 years old Magic color: french blue Gender: male Pronouns: he/him Orientation: open to interpretation

Extra info: - His main weapon is an electric whip, but he's armed like a tank. - Despite not paying much attention to Alphys, he's always willing to help her, as he's in debt. - Often argues with Sans about his "bad friendship" with her. - Founder of the “Human Fanclub”. Alphys and Sans (<- didn't want to accept) are the only members.

Silver is based on the Undertale OC Red by @/taxiderby

-SILVER- Age: 26 years old Magic color: silver of course Gender: demigirl Pronouns: she/her - they/them - it/its Orientation: ??? (she won't tell you)

Extra info: - Undyne's 1# rival. They're also best friends. - Despite spending years together, you'll find out that you know little to nothing about her. - She always speaks politely and mysteriously. She likes to see others frustrated with her behavior.

#scheduled post #my art #undertale #undertale au #underwizard #gaster #gaster au #uw!gaster #grillby #grillby au #muffet #muffet au #uw!muffet #mettaton #mettaton au #uw!mettaton #napstablook #napstablook au #uw!napstablook #undertale red #uw!silver #reference sheet #underwizard ref #SO MANY TAGS #The only refs left to do are the Amalgamates! #I think...? Except fix up Frisk/Chara/Asriel refs. #Nova I hope you get so many more comms cuz you're fantastic!! #I love MTT design so so much aaaah

[wearyeyebrow]

Love to Hate Him

Summary: Mephistopheles makes another remark about Lucifer not respecting Lord Diavolo. MC has had just about enough.

Tags: SFW, lucifer x MC, pre-relationship, gn MC, brothers included, mild conflict, drabble

The dark and alluring scenery whizzes by as you speed across the horizon line. The train car is filled with chaos incarnate, all seven avatars of sin, the crown prince, his retainer, and a nobleman together in the same train car. You sit amidst it all, Lucifer to your right, Diavolo, Mephistopheles, and Barbatos sit across from you. Mammon occassionally jostles you to your left, and the others are spread about.

This year's FTA Summit will be held in the carrion mountains, far from RAD. Mephistopheles was invited by Diavolo to join your enterouge, attending as a representative of his family.

So far everything has gone smoothly, which is a miracle in and of itself. Levi has a new game to occupy him, Beel is kept full by rotating railway staff (Lucifer planned ahead), Satan has a new book, Asmo is on devilgram, Mammon is occupied by online slots, and Belphie is half asleep in Beel's lap. They're in it for the long haul but the offer of a reward for good behavior (one of your suggestions) is keeping them in line for now.

You're reading over some notes Solomon sent you on your DDD, a couple ancient spells he wants you to memorize by the time you return. You're also half listening to a conversation between Lucifer and Diavolo.

"Absolutely not." Lucifer mutters.

"Oh c'mon, it's a great idea!"

"It's a terrible idea."

"Well, what about a piano bar? It would be a great way to unwind."

Lucifer hesitates, "It isn't that it's a bad idea, but it is a recipe for disaster with everyone here coming along."

"Maybe so, but I'd enjoy a lively outing."

"If you want to subject yourself to the chaos, be my guest. I will be at home."

Diavolo pouts and opens his mouth to complain when Mephistopheles chimes in.

"You know Lucifer, you really need to show Lord Diavolo more respect. He is your direct superior, you have no business refusing a request."

Lucifer stiffens beside you and his lightly discarded mask is firmly back in place. You were having such a good time, too.

"Oh come off it Mephistopheles." You pipe up, eyes still glued to your DDD.

"What did you just say to me?"

You sigh and look up from your phone with great effort.

"You heard what I said."

Mephistopheles rises from his seat to glower down at you, fists tightly balled at his sides.

The car is suddenly quiet.

"Maintaining a strict royal hierarchy is how we keep order in the Devildom, something these ex-angels aren't exactly known for. I for one-"

You meet his eyes. "Sit down, Mephistopheles."

"What-"

"I said, sit down."

His face burns in anger but when he takes one step toward you a chill runs up his spine. All of the brothers tense, hackles raised. Another step toward you is a death wish.

He tuts, trying to save face. "I was just saying-"

"You were just saying what, exactly?" You raise an eyebrow.

Lucifer is guarded on your right, regarding Mephistopheles as a speck of dirt beneath your shoe. Mammon shifts closer to you, forearms on his knees, eyebrow cocked in annoyance. The power you hold in this moment is almost exillerating, but you were never interested in power for its own sake.

Mephistopheles bites his tongue "I was just saying-"

"Nothing, was it? Oh good!" Your smile is too wide as you return your attention to Solomon's notes.

Lucifer is well amused beside you, chest puffed out, head held high as he fully leans back against the seat. His knowing smirk is insufferable. Mephistopheles wants to wring his neck. Satan privately gives his condolences.

"Whatever, I'm going to get some air." He huffs, slamming the door on his way out.

Barbatos chuckles, "Shall we go check on him, My Lord?"

Diavolo sighs, "Indeed. I'll be back shortly, please continue enjoying yourselves."

As soon as they're gone, Lucifer regards you, bemused. "You needn't intervene on my behalf, I'm perfectly capable."

"Oh I know, but his comment put me off."

"Really? I didn't notice."

You fondly roll your eyes. "I don't care about hierarchies, especially when they're contractual or coercive." You click your tongue, "It's just - look, you and I may have a pact but I don't own you or your time - no one should. Now I know Diavolo means well, but Mephistopheles is an ass. He just had to butt in, anything to reinforce his precious hierarchy. It bugged me so I said something."

Lucifer's quiet so you shrug, "But, well, maybe I'm overstepping-"

Lucifer huffs, but there's a smile on his face. His hand grazes your own, just slightly. "While unnecessary, the sentiment is noted and... appreciated."

Belphie makes a gagging sound in the background so you shoot him a look.

The car returns to its original chatter and the hills contine to roll on by. What further chaos awaits?

#lucifer obey me #obey me brothers #obey me shall we date #drabble #obey me mephistopheles #wearyeyebrow #my writing #silly little thing #i love to hate Mephistopheles #obey me drabble #obey me mc #obey me

[eosr-by-muxse]

Two Ends of the Shed

May 1925

The Adventure Begins (2015)

Word Count: 4,114

James realizes that by listening to outdated engines, he'll end up like them: broken and soon withdrawn.

~

.

.

.

The yard at Barrow-in-Furness was as busy as ever. Engines came or left with their goods trains. LYR 920 was one of them.

The congested yard surprised him and the rest of the locomotives under the newly formed London, Midland, and Scottish Railway. It was only the middle of January, and the Amalgamation had gone into effect at the beginning of that year, 1923. Despite that, he still hadn't been repainted and given his new number. His original brass plaques with the deep green background were still on the sides of his cab, and so were the words "Lancashire & Yorkshire" in bold, bright yellow with cyan shadows painted on his tender.

He was waiting for his goods train to be filled. When he arrived, it hadn’t been filled halfway with whatever goods he would be delivering, so he had to stick around. All he could do was stay put and look around, leading to eventual pouts of impatience, while his crew waited inside his cab.

And that's when she came in.

The small six-driver spotted the larger tender engine with four leading wheels and four driving wheels from a distance. She was painted Deep Indian red with Indian red and black lining, and her eyes were bronze.

LYR 920 furrowed his eyebrows as anger boiled within him. The engine looked uncannily similar to one from the Furness Railway, who was loaned to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in 1914. Though he had never spoken to the engine, especially after the near collision, he heard enough about the engine. Said engine turned out to be hostile, differing from her initial reclusive personality.

Shortly after, however, he learned that her class was demoted to regular passenger service after she left. The rumors were that the class was currently working mixed-traffic work.

Serves her right! he thought then. Give her a struggle! Engines like her aren’t meant for hard work like mine!

So the minute the ex-Furness Railway engine stopped beside him, he tensed but stood his ground. His bulbous nose scrunched up. Steam seeped out of his nostrils and through his lips as his jaw clenched, prepared to bite if necessary.

The larger tender engine peered at him with a smile. "Hello!” She took notice of his frown. Her eyebrows shifted in concern. “Is this yer train?” The ex-Furness Railway engine gestured to the train she'd backed up to, thinking that was why he was upset.

“No. I've already got mine,” he replied nonchalantly, mimicking the Furness engine’s gesture. A way to insult her subtly. “How's life as a mixed-traffic engine?”

“It's quite nice actually,” she replied, though thrown off by the question and how the engine spoke as if he knew her. “It's dirty work but it's no’ bothersome… somewhit. Whit's yer name?”

“Don't worry about it."

"But thon's rude!" she insisted.

The goods engine scoffed. Ridiculous. “Oh, you would know, alright.”

Like a deer caught in headlights, the other engine froze. Her steam got hotter to the point that LYR 920 felt suffocated just standing next to her. “Excuse me?” she asked in a threatening. tone.

“Fess up! I know you’re Alice!” LYR 920 claimed, dismissing his crew, who smacked his backhead. Their protests, telling him to quit it, were fruitless. “Don’t act stupid and not recognize me!”

Fury flashed across her face, leaving as soon as it came. “Din’ ye dare speak o’ her like thon,” she hissed, her voice full of prey’s venom, before exclaiming. “We dinnae look yon same!” 

Oh dear.

“She’s dead!” she continued, the fire sparked within her eyes, roaring at the smaller engine. But before she began ranting, her fireman climbed out of the cab and onto her running board, rushing towards her smokebox. Her words caught the attention of nearby workers, who initially ignored the confrontation between the two engines.

He whispered soothing words, calming her down, and didn’t dare touch her smokebox. Just stepping on her running board was all his feet could tolerate, the heat from her boiler spreading to the rest of her metal parts.

Once her steam wasn’t suffocatingly hot, she asked, “Whit is yer name?”

Weird was the only word, and an understatement, the smaller engine could use to describe her behavior. Both he and his crew were bewildered, even more so with the sheepish, apologetic smile her fireman gave them before the latter rushed back to his engine's cab.

Yet, LYR 920 answered.

Might as well.

Not like I have anything better to do, he thought, glaring at the yardmen still filling up his goods train. Oh for heaven's-

And just like that, he stopped himself. He was getting ahead of himself like an impatient dog. "I don't have a name,” he finally replied.

Again, the larger engine's eyebrows shifted, confused. Her behavior was going to make LYR 920 dizzy if she didn't stop. It was difficult to follow and process. "Ye…” she began, registering his response, “...dinnae hae a name?"

"Nope," he replied. "Not as privileged as the passenger engines."

"Eh?” she squawked, catching the attention of those nearby. “Guids engines can hae names, too!" she argued. The English engine wondered if this behavior was normal within this class. "Whit’s yer number then?"

LYR 920 eyed the other engine suspiciously. "But that's improper from what I hear."

“I said, ‘Whit's yet number?’”

"Nine-Twenty."

"Awrite, Nine-Twenty. Mine is Fourty-Five."

"Nawsense!" she exclaimed with a quick huff. "It's no’ fair thon I huv a name but ye dinnae, sae we shall go by numbers.”

And just like that, a guard blew his whistle before LYR 920 could say anything. The smaller engine felt his driver tapping against his backhead. He bid FR 45 farewell and left for his destination.

.

.

.

Thundering through the Ballahoo Tunnels, the black mixed-traffic engine hauled a goods train to Knapford Harbor. He passed by dull green junctions, the brick stations on the Main Line, and the branch lines. Every time he’d pass by them, he noticed that all but two branch lines were closed. Time had done its thing to some of them, covering rusted iron tracks in mangled branches. Twigs intertwined and dragged everything around it with a tight but fragile grip.

Time had not been so kind.

The more time that passed, the more James wanted to go back home. Home to his friends. Home to his older sister. Home to a place that he knew the most and could traverse easily without having to learn any new malicious trick being played by fellow workers.

It’d been a week since the incident. James refused to sleep on either side of the sheds, claiming the center berth. He was surrounded by the worst. It was either engines talking behind his back or engines who saw themselves above him.

“Slow down, chap!” exclaimed Fred. “Don’t want to burst your safety valve now, do you?”

James perked up. “No, Mr. Quill!” he quickly replied, unaware of how much his frames swayed. Pulling on his brakes, he eased to a slower and safer speed. He heard the raven man hum with approval, despite the thunderous noise of his pistons. A smug grin crept on his face, full of pride.

But as he continued his journey, his rampant thoughts about the other engines raced about. One was violent and a liar, one was an enabler, one was prideful and rude, and another was petty and envious.

He just wanted to go home.

At least his crew came along with him. He was surprised they did.

For once, he was thankful for his old railway's decision.

…

The brick building with the green canopy sunroof that was Tidmouth Station came into view as James continued up the west coast, leaving the green pastures of the countryside behind. He was due to pull the passenger service on the Ffarquhar Branch Line.

As the black mogul pulled into the yard and was uncoupled from his train, he heard a loud steel groan nearby, followed by an engine stopping and someone walking on the ballast. It was coming from the sidings closest to the Big Station. Curious, and with a hum, he wandered over, only to find Edward, sitting idly, and his crew, on their knees and examining the cerulean engine’s chassis. This would've alarmed James and his crew if they hadn't noticed the lack of steam billowing from the smaller engine's chassis.

“Hey, Charlie! Everything alright there?” hollered Mr. Quill as he leaned over the side cutout of James’ cab. 

“Old boy’s broken down!” Charlie grumbled without looking up. His engine glanced at the other but stayed quiet, which the latter rolled his eyes to.

Unaware of the present tension between the two, Fred asked, “Want us to take him to the works?”

Bronze and heterochromatic eyes shrunk. Edward quickly looked away, breaking the one-sided eye contact. In protest, James jerked, only to get a flick against his cab.

Damn it!

“Please do!” thanked Charlie, patting Sidney on the back before getting up and climbing into Edward’s cab.

Within minutes, accompanied by grumbles and pouts, James was coupled up in front of Edward. He blew his whistle, startling the workmen in the yard, Edward, and said engine’s crew, before departing for Crovan’s Gate.

The trip was silent.

…

Much to his dismay, James had to fill in for Edward. Grumbles and pouts sputtered from his lips as he huffed about the yards, shunting trains left and right.

“How could an engine break down from work like this?” he grumbled as he aggressively bumped a truck into others. His whining was loud enough to catch the ear of his Express service co-worker.

“It was about time,” Gordon replied. His response startled James, who’d been unaware of his presence.

Once James composed himself, he asked, “About time?”

“Edward is old. The four-leader, four-driver may have been the newest, the best, the pinnacle standard… but those days are over. They have been for a very long time.”

“That doesn't mean he can't do basic shunting,” James argued, leaving out what he wanted to say. This engine was talking to him as if he didn't know. For goodness’ sake, he was friends with an entire class of 4-4-0s, or the 7 of the 8 that remained, that is, and his former co-workers of those 4-4-0s from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway were still going.

Gordon scoffed. “Tender engines aren't meant to shunt, little James.” He ignored James’ little “Why you-!” “The yards are much too small for a tender engine to shunt about.” He rolled closer towards James, and the venom of his voice thickened as he continued. “His days are numbered. That’s just how it goes. He may have paved the way for engines like me,” he boasted, “but his importance will cease to exist. There is a reason why the Fat Director continues to bring on better engines. Engines that are meant to be and will be better.”

Though James wanted to be furious, he couldn't. He wouldn't straight up admit it to the egotistical express engine beside him but Gordon was right.

For one, as much as James didn't want to admit it, afraid of putting down his older friends, 4-4-0s were losing importance. James heard this happen time and time again in the other three railways, before and after his rebuilds. The Atlantics quickly came in, followed by the Pacifics, claiming the prestigious express passenger services of their predecessors. Six-drivers, like he once was, were taking the goods services as quickly as they were given to the 4-4-0s, simply because that was their job. 0-6-0s were made for that job, as opposed to the 4-4-0s, who were designed for express passenger services and any other more important trains.

His friends and former colleagues were lucky that their railway refused to follow those examples, opting for the small-engine policy of the old Midland Railway.

But how long would that last?

The simple fact of the matter was that newer whytes were better and more efficient. 4-4-0s were slowly becoming a second option and would eventually become the last.

And while his previous owners dismissed his experimental rebuilds as a waste of time and deemed him a failure, the Fat Director did not. He must've seen value in him. Why else would the young gentleman buy him? The praises he would receive for his “splendid performance” only proved it; the Fat Director's words, not his own.

He was wanted because he was better. He was bought because he was better.

With that in mind, James spent the rest of his day with no complaint and pure pride.

…

Days passed by the time Edward returned from the works. James saw him ease into the yard, the lack of steam still prevalent, and halt. Bronze eyes inspected the area until he perked up once they landed on James.

As quickly as he could, the Edwardian-styled engine puffed over to the Edwardian goods engine. The latter immediately veered somewhere else but the former persisted and followed.

“James, may I speak wit’ ye for a moment?” Edward asked as he caught up to the other. He could feel the anger fuming from his steam. It was suffocating and unwelcome, and Edward couldn't blame him.

“What?” James replied, annoyed. His natural brash tone seeped fury in it, startling Edward.

However, the smaller engine pressed on. “I want tae apologize for no’ tellin’ ye why ye were in the yards in the first place.”

James scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I still don’t get why you thought it was necessary to do that.”

“I didnae want tae hurt ye.”

“Ha! Well, guess what? You. Did,” he snapped.

The smaller engine stayed put. It was easier with his crew holding onto his brakes. “I-I ken! And I’m truly sorry.”

“Say sorry all you want but I’m not taking it!” huffed James, blasting steam directly at Edward.

The little engine yelped and jerked at the sudden heat spewed at him, knocking his crew off their feet. Once his crew lost their grip, Edward was able to back away. Just enough to get away from the heat irritating his metallic-like face.

As Edward’s eyes fluttered and his freckled face scrunched, James rushed off without another word. Besides his pistons pumping, the yardmen could hear James’ crew scold their engine, audibly upset. Their protests were in vain, however, as James left the yard without stopping.

Once his vision cleared up, the small cerulean engine frowned. His brow scrunched and his nose twitched as frustration bubbled within his boiler.

…

James thundered down the Main Line with his goods train, still fuming from what took place at Tidmouth. Fred kept an eye on his steam pressure, which went crazy for a bit, as George, a dirty blond Englishman, tried getting his engine’s attention. His attempts were fruitless as the mogul engine crossed the Vicarstown Bridge and dismissed the tapping against his backhead and cab. From there, the pair let their engine be.

The yardmen at Barrow-in-Furness were startled by James’ loud three-chime whistle, having gotten used to not hearing it for over a month, as it announced the engine’s arrival. The shrill had gotten the attention of all the engines there. All of them bore LMS in yellow on their tenders and were painted in either black or red. One engine in particular, who had been humming about as she waited for the yardmen to empty her train, perked up at the familiar sound. Slowly, she shifted her frame, dipping her cab end slightly, to get a look over the other awaiting trains.

Meanwhile, James was led to the same area she was in for the workmen to disembark the goods. He pulled up two tracks left of the engine, facing north like she was, and came to a sudden halt.

The sound caught the other engine’s attention, and she immediately peered over. Once she saw him, she gasped, “Fifty-Six?”

The black medium-sized tender engine froze before flipping his smokebox door open to face his right side. His eyes landed on the bronze-eyed engine, and excitement bubbled within him. She was a Class 21 from the Furness Railway, about the same size as he was, and painted LMS Crimson Lake red. Her old number, FR 45, was replaced with her LMS number years ago.

“Thirty-Eight!” exclaimed James.

“It’s sae guid tae see ye!” exclaimed LMS 10138. “How’s Sodor, huh? How is it?”

“Oh! It’s- uh- interesting!” he replied, lying through his clenched teeth with a fake grin. “No other railway quite like it!”

“I told ye! We both did!” she recalled cheekily before chuckling.

“You certainly did!” he strained again, joining her laughter.

Once their laughter died down, LMS 10138's expression changed suddenly. She looked at James with suspicion, making the modified Class 28 nervous. While she was sweet to him and their friends, she was truly a menace to not be messed with. It was then that James realized how foolish he was to think she wouldn’t notice his mood. She was the oldest survivor of her sisters, keeping a hawk’s eye on them as much as possible.

“It’s no’ goin’ sae well, ain’t it?” she asked, leaning towards him.

Despite feeling nervous, James admitted to it. “No, it's not.”

“Whit’s goin’ oan?” she asked softly, her tone now different from just before. “Dinnae tell me it’s those Pacific engines.”

“It’s not them,” replied James. “You and Fifty-five were wrong about them. If anything, they’re nicer than the other two.”

“Nicer?” repeated LMS 10138 before laughing in disbelief. “Ye’re jokin’, richt? Those Pacifics were yon worst of the North Westerns."

"Well, they probably manipulated you into thinking that, Thirty-Eight."

Her eyebrows furrowed, scrunching her face. "Or maybe thon's whit those Pacifics huv done tae ye," she retorted.

"I'm not stupid!"

"I didnae say ye were!" huffed the crimson-red engine. "I'm jist worrit for ye… er-" She peered at his tender. "North Western Six?"

"It's James," corrected the North Western.

"Pardon? Ye huv a name?" she inquired as excitement practically sparkled from her eyes. "Och, ye huv a name!" cheered LMS 10138.

Pride filled the black tender engine's boiler. "Oh, yes I do!" he boasted. "Now can I know yours?"

"Nah, thon would’nae be far tae the twins and Fifty-Five," she replied.

James pouted and thought. As the workmen continued emptying his trucks, an idea struck him. "What if we gave them names?"

"Whit?"

"We can give them names!" exclaimed James. "Who said that only people could give us names?"

LMS 10138 hummed. "Ye huv a point,” she replied after considering it. “A very guid ane! Let’s go tell ‘em.”

“Right now?”

“Aye!” she replied, nudging her frame to her left. “The twins and yer sister ur here, too!” With swift movement, LMS 10138 popped her smokebox door open, jerking her body to the side. The motion, unnecessary but natural, grabbed her crew’s attention. “Can we please see ‘em?” she asked her crew, who pulled themselves back up from the sudden jolt.

While most crew typically didn’t bother acknowledging their engines, the eldest of the remaining Larger Seagulls was lucky that hers were willing to. “I dinnae see why no’,” replied her driver as he peered over to James’ crew. “Ye up for it?”

“Might as well,” replied Fred. “We’ve still got a good while before we leave. Come on, chap!”

James cheerfully whistled, joined by LMS 10138's bright FWHEE-EEP!, sounding remarkably like her class’ nickname-sake. Both engines, once uncoupled, left the area in search of the other three. Much to their luck, the twins and James’ sister were waiting to depart with their goods trains. The twins were to head back up north while the other Class 28 was to head down south. The oldest of the twins caught sight of the Larger Seagull and “Class 29” heading their way. “‘Ey, look!” he exclaimed, catching his brother and the Class 28’s attention. “It’s Fifty-Six!”

“Fifty-Six?” repeated the Class 28 as she perked up and flipped her smokebox door open. “It is him!”

“Fifty-Five! Fourty-Six! Fourty-Seven!” piped up James as he came into audible range. “Were you about to leave?”

“We should in a bit,” replied the youngest twin. “We were supposit tae leave a while ago but somethin’s goin’ oan up aheid.”

“Somethin’ aboot a stallit train,” murmured the oldest twin, LMS 17646. He and the other twin, LMS 17647, were Class 652s of the Caledonian Railway, having been given LMS Black. They followed the same color scheme as Fifty-Five and James did. “How’s it goin’, big man?”

James playfully scoffed at the nickname. Ever since he’d come out of Horwich Works from his rebuilds, the twins drilled in the nickname as, in their own words, “Ye’re the biggest o’ us now, mate!” They weren’t wrong as he was a few centimeters taller than LMS 10138. “It’s… something,” James eventually replied.

His friends became concerned. “What happened?” asked Fifty-Five. “They’re not picking on you, are they?”

“No, it’s not that! It’s…” James struggled to form his sentences but he just couldn’t. “It’s complicated. I don't want to talk about it.”

His friends grimaced, growing concerned for James.

“But I come with news and an idea!” he exclaimed, nudging the Crimson red steam engine.

LMS 10138 announced, “He's got a name! And he thinks we should come up with names for ye three!”

“A name?” exclaimed the three six-drivers, eyes shining with excitement.

“James! Given to me by the director himself!” he puffed proudly.

“By the director?” squawked LMS 10138.

“Ye really are the big man!” exclaimed LMS 17647.

“I'm so happy for you, James!” squealed LMS 12555. “Such a lovely name!”

James beamed with pride. “Thank you!” he replied. “Now, what about names for you three?”

The five engines pondered and proposed names for a while. The disturbance that was preventing the Class 28 and the Class 652s from leaving still wasn’t cleared.

“Whit aboot ‘Katherine’?” suggested the red Larger Seagull.

“Do I look like a ‘Katherine’?” asked LMS 12555.

“Mmm, naw,” replied LMS 10138. “No’ ane bit.”

“‘Lily’?” proposed James.

“She's small but no’ thon light,” said the oldest twin.

“Hey!” exclaimed the black Class 28. “At least I didn't get something like ‘William’ and ‘Billiam’,” she mocked, sticking her tongue out while being careful not to curl it up.

“Aye, I wonder who'd come up wit’ such names,” the youngest twin wondered loudly, eyeing James.

“Now that's just mean,” huffed James.

“Those were pretty bad,” LMS 10138 noted.

“Fine! What about ‘Jasmine’?”

The others stayed quiet before looking at LMS 12555. Her brown eyes sparkled with adoration. “Jasmine…” she repeated. “I love it! Jasmine!”

“Then ‘Jasmine’ it is!” exclaimed the oldest twin.

“Now what aboot us?” inquired the other.

“Well, I'm out,” replied James. “What about you two?” he asked the newly named engine and the other whose name was still unknown.

“I was thinkin’ ‘Donald’ and ‘Callum’,” suggested LMS 10138.

“What about ‘Barclay’ and ‘Douglas’?” added Jasmine.

“Absolutely no’,” hummed LMS 17646, “but I like ‘Donald’.”

“And I like ‘Douglas’,” piped LMS 17467. “‘Donald and Douglas’...”

The other engines thought, mutters amongst them.

“We like it!” exclaimed the twins.

“So do we!” agreed the other three.

“Come on, Thirty-Eight!” exclaimed Jasmine. “What's yours?”

With a well-meant eye-roll, LMS 10138 replied, “Goldilocks. Ma name is Goldilocks.”

“Oh, like the little golden-haired girl from that story about the three bears?”

“Aye! Even ma nickname is an ‘homage’ tae the story.”

“Hold on,” interjected James. “How do you get named?”

“Well, it's nawthin’ special, really,” the Larger Seagull replied. “When I first steamit, a workman stood in front o’ me, pointit at me and said, ‘This lassie looks like a Goldilocks.’ The same thin’ happenit tae ma siblin’s-!”

“Hey, you three!” hollered a yardman, pointing his finger at the three 0-6-0 engines. “You better get going! The line’s all cleared now!”

“Yes, sir!” piped the three engines.

“Bye, James! See you soon!” exclaimed Jasmine, letting out a fierce whistle and going on her merry way. “Take care!”

“Bye, Jasmine!” replied James. “Bye, Donald and Douglas!”

“Huv a safe trip, James!” exclaimed Donald. Both twins blew their whistles, letting out a soprano harmonic shrill before setting off.

Once the trio departed, Goldilocks piped up. “Well, I best get goin’! I got a passenger train tae pull soon.”

“Of course!” piped James before giving a smug grin. “I got to pull a passenger train, too.”

The LMS-red engine gasped. “Passenger service? Look at ye go! Ye’re goin’ tae huv tae tell us more aboot thon next time!” she exclaimed with a chuckle. “Awrite, I must go noo. Bye, James!”

“See you around, Goldilocks!” exclaimed James as Goldilocks whistled and left. Once she was gone, he grimaced.

It was time to go back.

~

Lot of stuff happened with this one!

I took one look at Donald, Douglas, and James being under the same railway before James was sold off and went, "they are brothers."

and because why not, have some trivia!

Goldilocks is a lesbian. Jasmine is demiromantic she/they demi-girl. Donald and Douglas? haven't figured them out yet ("they sure do exist!")

Within this canon, all of the names of the Larger Seagulls are derived from fairytales + folklore from England and Scotland. Following Alice Edward ("Alice's Adventures in Wonderland") and Goldilocks ("Goldilocks and the Three Bears") are Tangle ("The Golden Key"), Mhara ("The Sea Maiden"), Fiorimonde ("The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde"), Daylight ("Little Daylight"), Speur ("The Daughter of the Skies"), and Emmelina ("The Doll that Came Straight from Fairyland"). Yes, Speur and Emmelina are the youngest two built in 1900, aka Edward's baby twin sisters.

Goldilocks and Jasmine, as indirectly mentioned, were loaned to the NWR during the 1920 Locomotive Crisis. An LYR Class 7 (Atlantic) was also loaned to the NWR during that time period.

Goldilocks' face is a reference to the Orange Chinese Engine from BWBA, which is just a modified version of Edward's model with eyelashes and different textures. They look VERY identical from a distance, but Goldilocks has less of what Edward has. Less freckles, less eye wrinkles, less eyelashes, and her nose isn't as curved up as Edward's. I just thought it would be funny.

James and Jasmine (LMS 12555 and 12556 respectively) are the only LYR Class 28s with a Hughes Twin Plug superheater and a Belpaire firebox.

#engines of sudrian rails (shipverse) by muxse #engines of sudrian rails by muxse #my writing #ttte james #eosr goldilocks #eosr jasmine #ttte donald #ttte douglas #ttte edward #ttte gordon #ttte fic

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

I heard that increased power was to be provided for this train, and waited in pleased anticipation of a Class 5X or a Baby Scot. On 18 January 1937 there arrived at Ayr for the 7.46am Caledonian class 60 4-6-0 No 14641! I am not exaggerating when I say that of all classes of engine employed on main line express work at that time, none had a poorer reputation than the Caley 60s. My own runs behind them had been dull in the extreme. I knew an LMS official (ex-Caley) who commuted by the 7.46am, and in conversation I ventured to hint that the authorities might have done something better for that train. He was shocked. 'Oh, but these are grand engines!' he protested.

- David Smith, Legends of the Glasgow & South Western Railway (in LMS Days)

#thus begins the ex-caley cohort's mission to inflict errrrrm *donate* 60s to the ex-g&sw section sdafkl;sadf #THE 60S WILL CONTINUE TO ARRIVE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES #WHY DON'T YOU LOVE USSSSSS #real true railway stuff #glasgow and south western engines #lms engines #caledonian engines #david l. smith

[henghost]

Twig Liveblog for Arc 13

aaaaaa ‼️‼️‼️ idk if i've metabolized my thoughts enough to be fully coherent about them but i feel like i'll burn alive if i don't get them out, so:

it's like, after 3.1-10: "oh this is fun! a little cat and mouse game with the lambs." then after 3.11: "i am ready to commit grievous acts of violence." the earlier chapters are nonetheless worth discussing as without them there could not be such a "devastating" fifth-act catastrophe. particularly the communication experiments fascinated me. what a perfect metaphor! what if a radio could feel fear? what if a a radio could feel love? might we not also ask--what if a weapon could feel horny?

of course the lillian perspective deserves special attention as well. even before she says so explicitly, we understand that she is "ruined." there is her drug use, her physiological response to even the smallest mention of sy. this is perhaps the anatomical effect of being so close as the lambs, who are essentially a single organism: losing one, especially the one to whom you were closest, is like cutting off a limb. poor girl! like the rest of them she's wrapped up in shit too vast to possibly understand much less overcome.

helen is also going through it :( maybe she'll be the next one to join sy... mary's perspective is also quite rough--this is when i realized that this sy guy is on a level of psychosis i hadn't really considered before lmao.

and then at last there's That Scene with lillian, which reads at first like some kind of fanfiction--some kind of fanfiction lillian herself might have written--complete with typically teenaged overdetail, melodramatic descriptions of flushes, body heat, etc., till finally there's a sort of "surrealist coup," we realize we are too deep in sy's subjectivity to understand the reality of the situation, there's a break, we are lost.

it's all just so (say the line, henghost!) freudian... one of freud's most correct insights is that eros permeates all aspects of life, and therefore that to deny, suppress, or compartmentalize it cannot achieve anything but to make it sick, make the host neurotic. for example, instead of simply fucking your best friend who's clearly into you, you might design an obscenely elaborate rube goldberg type contraption throughout a monument to your darkest trauma (that psychotic fucking carnival orphanage lmao) in order to "win" your ex back. it is wrong, therefore, though understandable, to say that sy has "castrated himself"--it would be more accurate to say that wyvern has his dick twisted up in knots while he's still trying to get hard, poor guy. (by the way, i really have to write something about how wyvern is an allegory for ssri's lol.)

i won't even broach the moral ambiguity, though i'm sure there's something interesting to be said about it--for me, it's like asking about the morality of a withered tree or oedipus rex. and it really is that sophoclean: it was doomed to happened; it was fate. it is written into jamie's dna. sy is a gun who wants, and a gun cannot help but fire. libido is the engine pushing us down a railway designed at best by deus sive natura or at worst by the Academy. i feel fucking sick to my stomach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nonetheless, i found it life-affirming. it's pessimistic, yes, but it's a pessimism of strength.

anyway, i've gotta give kudos to the author. for all the (deserved) shit i've given him, the wildbow of twig is clearly a far more mature writer than the wildbow of worm.

i must also--since this the last recorded arc for the audiobook!!--shoutout kim dauber, who provided professional-level audibook-reading for free!!! it's possible my reading will slow down without it :(

#twigblr #twig live blog #twig web serial #henghost's twig arc #sobbing #feel free to ask more!!! #sylvester lambsbridge

[shelli-gator]

How's about Diesel?

He's so fucking funny I love him, I do!

Freespace: He's so tragic I love that for him

Really, the guy shows up on Sodor and his only crime is being a bit of a kiss ass and Duck immediately starts taking swings at him. Yes, steam engines rightfully feel threatened by diesels and the animosity is well founded. But take the 'diesel' part out of the equation, because years down the line most of the cast don't really care about diesels vs steam engines anymore unless someone is feeling particularly racist that day. He's a new guy who shows up and after the first punch is thrown, he's destined to be the pariah over something he didn't even start. Yes, he retaliates, but who doesn't?

He doesn't even get the mercy he did in the railway series where he doesn't *really* come back to Sodor, not consistently anyway. He goes back to the mainland permanently, where he can remain amongst his diesel peers. The incident on Sodor doesn't shape his whole life like it does in the show. Coming back to Sodor permanently means he never escapes from the incident, like being forced to keep living with an ex after a breakup. You can say he does it to himself by being an asshole, but it's not JUST that, and I don't think its any less sad for characters who make their own battles and hardships. In fact, it's even sadder if you ask me. He's a tragic fucked up little guy and he's so ANGRY and bitter and that must be so damn lonely, but he knows no other way of being. I would give him a biscuit.

#ttte #ttte diesel #thomas and friends #i wish trains were real #isnt it fucked how the one bit of character development he gets in springtime for diesel immediately backslides #when Daisy punishes him for daring to think he isnt so alone #and he retaliates by doing EXACTLY what he did to Duck all those years ago #with the rumours #wild absolutely wild #poor fucking guy #we love to see it

[angryskarloey]

Early Victoria State Locomotives - 1866-1872.

A/N.: This is by no means comprehensive, nor does it start at the very beginning of railways in Victoria. It is an excuse for me to say Buzzwinker several times. Most of the information here comes from one source. This is what we will call the 'context' portion. For those wanting to read about only about Buzzwinkers, see the next portion. I wish to inform @jobey-wan-kenobi this is your fault.

Characters.:

- The Protectionists - a faction in the Victoria State administration, with two key goals. Reclaiming as many local sheep runs as they could, and keeping industry development in the state.

- Thomas Higinbotham - Engineer-in-Chief of Vic Rail.

- Francis Longmore, William Wilson, Joseph Jones - various Ministers for Railways (this being a Govt position, its holder changed regularly.)

- William Meikle - Chief Mechanical Engineer of the system, from around 1870 to 1877. Also known as the poor bastard holding the whole together.

- The locomotives - a mixed bag. Some decade-old ex-Geelong & Melbourne, Stephenson-built tank engines, and a clamp of rigid English tender engines, consistent of some designs by Daniel Gooch, some by Archibald Sturrock (of the English GWR and GNR respectively), as well as a few others from Beyer, Peacock. Those still extant by the mid-1880s got letter designations, and I have used these where applicable.

As of 1866, the effective roster stood at 77 engines (discounting the G&MR engines, which were stored rusting in a shed.) Of these engines, most of the work was being done by Sturrock's B-class 2-4-0, and O-class 0-6-0. The track so far extended nearly two-hundred miles from Sandhurst to Ballarat, with steep gradients everywhere except the original 45-mile route from Melbourne to Geelong.

The authorisation to construct a new North Eastern Main-line to Wodonga arrived shortly before Meikle - the new route would increase the route mileage of the Govt. Railway by 72%, and therefore more locomotives would be needed.

Only a few engines had so far been built in the colony, so Francis Longmore, although anxious to promote local construction, was on unsure footing. The Melbourne & Hobson's Bay (not incorporated into the state system at this point) had constructed a couple, and opened its line with them, but they'd had relatively brief careers.

In 1862, Enoch Chambers, a Melbourne firm, had put together a Robert Stephenson 2-4-0, which came with a set of spare wheels, axles, springs, and boiler tubes. Little Collins Street Foundry used these, as well as copies of every part of the existing engine, and outshopped the 'First Victorian' that October. This sort of thing would become commonplace as time went on.

Longmore's investigation had found that colonial builders would be unable to fulfil a large order of locomotives, so instead sent for 14 of Sturrock's designs from Beyer, Peacock. However, when William Wilson took over as Minister for Railways, and got wind of this, he sent a telegram cancelling part of this order (six of the 14 engines.) He believed that with Meikle as his CME they could, in fact, build sufficient engines locally.

This telegram could only make part of its journey by wire, and took six weeks to reach Beyer, Peacock's works. Wilson got confirmation of the stopped contract another six weeks later, and instructed Meikle to start work on eight engines at the railways' own works at Williamstown. Local ironworkers, up to this point out of work, were given this good news in late October, but this only lasted a week before a second telegraph came from B.P., saying they'd already purchased the relevant material for the cancelled locomotives, and that therefore the cancellation would incur a penalty.

Williamstown only had sufficient boiler-plate to build one locomotive, so at any rate, Wilson decided to let the B.P. contract stand, but told Meikle to construct a single prototype 2-4-0. Work on this design began in November 1870. The engine was not wholly new, more an amalgamation of the best of the English designs, as Meikle only had a very small team (probably less than five) in the drawing office.

In January tenders (tenders for supply, not engine tenders) were called for, to make the complex cylinder casting, which Williamstown were not yet equipped for. Meikle also began to rebuild the five J-class 2-2-2s into 2-4-0s with smaller driving wheels. The intention was that these could be installed on the Geelong - Melbourne section, and some of the existing B-class 2-4-0s could be put to work in the North East.

The first of these rebuilds showed great promise, consuming less fuel than a B, and keeping time well. Two more followed by May 1871, but with plenty of engines to go around for the time being, the remaining two only appeared in the latter half of the next year.

There was a secondary reason for this slowing of work - uncertainty about the gauge. For a while it was mooted that the North Eastern line would be converted to 3'6", spoiling all of Meikle's efforts. But this would surely have upset the North Eastern backers, and so Longmore, back in office, contented himself ensuring all future locomotives were locally made. Hopefully.

After work on Meikle's all-new 2-4-0 had commenced, he had also begun to develop a new 0-6-0, slightly smaller than an O-class but able to draw the same load, albeit more slowly. Williamstown turned out the 2-4-0 in January of 1872. No.100 it was, and a proud achievement. It would go on to draw the first train over the new North Eastern main line a few months later.

The railwaymen, flushed with success, had probably hoped to build the new 0-6-0s at Williamstown, however there were not sufficient facilities. Plans to the tune of £1,190 for a new boiler-shop were approved, with the likely idea of building more 2-4-0s, however there still wouldn't have been capacity for the six-coupled engines.

Wilson had, while in office, ordered six 0-6-0s from the Yorkshire Engine Co., which started to arrive in May 1871. Meikle was less than impressed - the 'Yorkies' were expensive (nearly three grand each) and shoddily built (you could talk them into coming apart.) Meikle wrote a disgruntled letter, with a laundry list of problems and concluding that no English company would accept machines such as this. The whole debacle gave the protectionists plenty of ammunition - when the Commissioner called tenders for ten more 0-6-0s to Meikle's new design, he gave only six weeks, keeping the English buildes out, and put on a 20 per cent import duty, to prevent builders in New South Wales weighing in.

Longmore, to the horror of the free-traders, also gave any fledgling Victorian builders a fortnight extension, and in answer to criticism cited Meikle's letter re. the 'Yorkies'. He also terminated the highly expensive English agent's contract, for allowing such dodgy work to be sent on.

The new 0-6-0 was neat but austere, with the object of competing with English builders on cost - Meikle did away with unnecessary brightwork - stove-pipe chimneys, plain splashers and painted dome covers, which prompted the nickname 'Greenbacks'.

There were a handful of very new foundries in Ballarat. The Victoria Foundry, the Phoenix Foundry, Victoria Ironworks, and Soho Works. Each had built a small number of 3'6" gauge locomotives for customers in Western Australia and New Zealand, mostly for use on timber tramways. All were quite eager for the job, and in the end, the contract for the 'Greenbacks' was awarded, tentatively, to a ready and willing Pheonix Foundry.

These new machines, the 'Q' class, might well have been the last new 5ft 3in gauge engines, with the govt. still reeling from the decision to make the new North Eastern line broad-gauge. Highinbotham and Longmore, the latter a strong narrow-gauge advocate, struggled over this issue for another year.

The new lines in the north-east were laid light, with 50lb iron rails, and the large, rigid English engines absolutely hammered them. The effect was nearly as disastrous as a break-of-gauge would have been - of the 102 engines rostered or ordered when the new light lines were confirmed, only a handful were light enough for the task. A locomotive of axle load 14 tons could do serious damage, crushing or laminating the rails, and splitting frail wooden sleepers.

There was also no way to prevent badly balanced locomotives being driven far too hard, and the light lines suffered badly. The Americans had solved this with their flexible 4-4-0s, and even the English had locomotives that could manage, but the protectionists wouldn't have it.

Worse still, on the steep light lines the small engines necessary to keep axle loading down would tend to have small driving wheels, and therefore would use a lot of steam to run even at low speeds, with the cylinders making more strokes in the same distance. They simply ran out of steam working at 'high' speeds (25mph) for too long. The large, heavy O class weighed 39 and a quarter tons, and could pull a 200-ton train up a 1-in-50 gradient. A Queensland Rlys. 'C', of 16 and a quarter tons, could only draw 65 tons up the same grade.

It was quite clear by mid-1872 that no local builder could supply all the engines required - the first 'Greenback' would not steam until March 1873, and with Longmore for the time being out of the way on the Opposition, Higinbotham and Meikle asked the new govt. to call tenders in England. This was done, with plans for six engines as a stop-gap measure, and two more light engines, one of a bogie design, which could be used as patterns and copied in the approved manner.

The protectionists were furious about this, and, lead by Major William Collard Smith MLA, or just 'The Major', raised hell in the Legislative Assembly that August. Not only was the Major the Mayor of Ballarat, he was also Chairman of the Pheonix Foundry Board... The idea of a conflict of interest apparently had not reached colonial Victoria just yet. At any rate, the Major, while prepared to accept the two 'pattern engines', he trusted that 'the Government will make an effort to withdraw the contract for the six engines.'

Somebody also raised the possibility of refurbishing the old G&MR engines, but the Minister of Railways tried to placate the protectionists by stating that he would call tenders in just a fortnight for nine more engines to be built locally, but Major Smith was not satisfied. The debate went on for some time. In the event for order for the six engines was cancelled, and with work on the telegraph cables somewhat more complete, this development reach Beyer Peacock in a timely manner.

The next day, 15th August, the Overseer of Locomotives' Office must have been in a state of disarray and panic. Design work for the nine engines may have been underway, but certainly not to a point at which it might tender for the contract with only two weeks' notice, not to mention specifications for the other six locomotives to be prepared. The two designs that came from this flurry of development were rather against Meikle's personal ideas, but are reflective of the state of being at the time.

Longmore had been assured by local ironworkers that local builders could build whole engines, sans wheels and complicated cranked-axles (ever the bane of locomotive builders.) To avoid them, the onus was on Meikle to put the cylinders outside. There were only two outside-cylindered engines on the roster at that point, G&M 'singles' No.34 and No.36, and Meikle therefore objected. He said that 'if you want a perfect engine, you must have inside cylinders.'

The implication of outside cylinders is that, on a small six-wheeled engine, the short connecting rods would create great lateral oscillation, but with the situation desperate, and no-one in the colony being able to make cranked axles, they were a rigid design requirement. For the sake of avoiding importing this single piece, the protectionists almost ended the light lines before they had begun.

#real true railway stuff #history #victoria railways #victoria

[jobey-wan-kenobi]

WIP GAME

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPS.

Thanks for the tag @youcandalekmyballs ... (this forced me to organize my Evernotes so now i hopefully actually have all my WIPs in one place!)

--

Okay, so now (even after deleting a few) my WIP evernote tag is RIDICULOUS, i have more WIPs than i have mutuals (what a loser thing to say), so that last bit ain't gonna exactly happen like that

They're all Railway Series/Thomas the Tank Engine fic unless otherwise noted. Yes, these days i am THAT cool 😎 S'how i roll now

(ph) 9 Times Lena Ebsley's Orientation Didn't Serve Her (and 1 Time It Did) — original fiction

(ph) The Positive Truth — original fiction

(ph) Two Time — original fiction

(ph) Untitled ("It wasn't odd to hear a stray zipping siren on the Lordeway at any hour of the day or night...") — original fiction

3 and 4, con't — rws/ttte meta

'10s

125 & 36

125 fic prologue

anonymous prequelly edward

another crew #2 scenelet coz WHY NOT

baby 124 + 125

barbara/stephen + bridget

barbara + edward

Bird - autumn

Bird - wherein we unlock the coppernobs' tragic backstory

Counterfeit — original fiction

Crow

diesels deserve ghost stories too

early 20s just put it here

early 20s—Bits

early 20s—Clearing a Line #2

early 20s—detritus?

early 20s—Firelighters

early 20s—H.'s first goods

early 20s—Names and Numbers

early 20s—One Eye Open

early 20s—Railman's Holiday

early 20s—The Autumn After

early 20s—The Conspirators

early 20s—The Express Engine****** v6

early 20s—The Spare Engine

early 20s—Timetables

engine mental health ask — rws/ttte meta

Ex Condor Through the Time Machine

Geometry in Jewels/Irmafax — original novel

good place/cheers crossover — the good place & cheers

Henry Tricks the Clergyman

James prequel

James the branch line BOSS 😎

joscelyn—beginning?

Les Frenês — original fiction

oliver & boco

philip !

rocks fall lansky wins — original fiction

splendid spin-off — edward & henry

splendid spin-off — scrapyard

splendid spin-off

splendid spin-off — emily

splendid spin-off — scrapyard 2?

splendid spin-off — thomas & toad

splendid spin-off — toby & joe

Stack Alone

Steam and Light II

Suited — the fugitive

the gays can have a little gordon!angst. as a treat

The Penitent — original fiction novel

The River — original fiction

the problematicness of thomas & friends — rws/ttte meta

Taboo2 — original fiction novel

Tobeisel

Trouble in the Big Station

Untitled ("The bump wasn't so much hard as unexpected")

Untitled ("36's entire world was bitter")

Untitled ("Trusty old Dumpling was missing")

Untitled (" 'Bless my bell,' Toby murmured, staring at the receding train")

Untitled ("The return had to be the best run of Edward's life")

Ward B — original fiction

@shinygoku, @academicgangster, @angryskarloey @houseboatisland, @joezworld, @lswro2-22, @putuponpercy, @whumpster-fire, @janetm47, uhhh yeah my brain's pretty fried and i am blanking on writer mutuals, @savageandwise, @youcandalekmyballs (why not have another go? idek), @weirdowithaquill ... @anyone at all who sees this and wants to play

[cerenemuxse]

TGR but There's a Roleswap - Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - The Mixed-Traffic Challenge

The story can be found at @tgr-2x5-roleswap-au for easier access.

~

As James lined up with the other engines, he was pumped with confidence. Pulling coaches and trucks was what James did for a living. This is easy, he thought, distracted enough that he was startled when a diesel shunted an extra set of coaches behind him.

With an "Omph!" James was reign back from his mind, and that's when he heard him.

"James?"

With a quick hum and his attention caught, James peered to his left and saw Edward on the other side, at the very end of the line of engines.

"It was you!" Edward exclaimed joyfully.

"I did!" James replied with surprise. He didn't recall Edward saying he was joining the competition among the many things they'd talked about two days ago.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, the North Westerners were nervous. Though they wouldn't dare admit it to the red engine, they knew James had it. They were just concerned about James' tendency to mess up at any point.

"Come on, Jimmy," Emily whispered hastily. "You've got this! If there's any-engine that can win this, it's you."

Back in the arena, the engines and coaches just had their couplings checked over, making sure they weren't weak. When the yardmen gave the ready signal, the announcer spoke.

"Let's give one final round of applause to the participants of the first Mixed-Traffic Challenge!" the announcer exclaimed, followed by loud cheers and roars from the crowd. "Engines and crew, are you ready?"

Whistles of all different tunes shrilled throughout the arena, overpowering the obnoxious hollers that some of the crews bellowed out.

"Ready!"

James wheeshed heavily, ready to loosen his brakes.

"Set!"

His driver released the brake, along with the other drivers of other engines. All eight engines slowly crept forward, some slightly farther than others.

"Go!"

Regulators were open and the engines were off. Some had a slow start while others had a quick one. James started right smack in the middle, quickly catching up to the ones up ahead. He surpassed two engines as the engine furthest away, the Caledonian Railway Single No. 123, pulled ahead the curve and stopped once their train went past the first line, followed by a blare of a horn.

"The Caledonian Railway's ex-Number One-Twenty-Three has finished first in heading a passenger train! An impressive performance from a single!" the announcer exclaimed, his voice booming in the area. "Who will roll in second and third?"

And as soon as he finished that sentence, Edward rolled in, his line right next to the Caledonian, and came to a halt.

"One-Twenty-Three has been followed by the Furness Railway's ex-Number Twenty-One, taking second place for the Furness Railway Trust! A grand example of what 'shy steamers' are capable of!" he announced, running on the adrenaline from The Great Race and The Shunting Competition. "Followed by in-service BR Number D-S-Two-Thirty-Nine, the Southern Eastern and Chatham Railway's ex-Number Five-Twenty-Nine, taking third place for the Southern Region of British Railways! Looks like the four-leader-four-driver engines are taking their title as the most powerful engines once again!"

The announcer continued to ramble on, announcing each engine's arrival. James had landed fourth place, four spots away from last place.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that's the first section! Engines, leave your passenger trains and get your goods trains ready!" the announcer exclaimed, followed by the sound of points switching in unison.

The referee of the first checkpoint blew his whistle and waved his flags forward, walking towards the engines. All eight engines eased backward, all pumping with adrenaline.

"Ye're catching on!" hollered Edward once he set his coaches on their designated track. The Furness fella pulled forward and switched points. The exhaustion could already be heard in his voice.

"I'll catch up to you!" James exclaimed proudly amongst the noises of couplings clanking and buffers bumping into one another.

"Like tae see it!"

Quickly and smoothly, the engines were coupled to their goods train. A repeat of the callouts and signals happened, and the engines soon stormed down the tracks again.

The distance was greater than the first section, allowing slower engines to catch up to others who were pumping their pistons fast as their boilers struggled to continuously steam so strongly. The Caledonian had fallen behind quite quickly, letting James and DS239 push ahead, along with Pennsylvania Railroad No. 1223. A New South Wales Z26 class and a Bavarian G 3/4 H, both still in service, were falling behind with Edward, though the latter was able to retain fourth place when all eight engines crossed the next finish line.

The crowd roared as the voice boomed throughout the speakers. "First is D-S-Two-Thirty-Nine, followed by James and Twelve-Twenty-Three taking second and third respectively! What a fallout for One-Twenty-Three and Twenty-One, dropping four places! But, oh dear! One-Twenty-Three has dropped another placement, losing to Twenty-One. Here comes the Australian engine in sixth place, followed by the Bavarian G in seventh and Five-Twenty-Nine in eighth!" As soon as the announcer spoke his last word, DS239 whistled brightly as it began to pull its train backward, having gotten into position as swiftly as possible.

James was thrown off, having expected to wait as they did first. It was enough leeway for the other engines to take advantage and get ready. By the time James was coupled up, the Pennsylvania Railroad No. 1223 and Edward passed by.

"Keep goin', James! It's a race!" huffed out Edward as he passed by hurriedly and left James confused by the last sentence. Though the other red engine had gone by quickly, James noticed Edward's freckled cheeks burn. The words "shy steamer" rattled around his smokebox as he reversed with his train once he was ready, quickly catching up to the Furness fellow.

"Meet you on the other side!" exclaimed James.

"Soon enough!" huffed out Edward. "I will!"

As they stormed closer to the finish line, an air horn went off. "Stop the race!" exclaimed the announcer. The engines immediately pulled on their brakes, buffers bashing against one another as they came to a stop. "We have a-!"

BANG! went the first truck of the Caledonian's goods trains once a Canadian engine bashed it aside as it chased a tiny yellow boxcab diesel.

"Help!" cried out Philip as the referees started waving their red flags and blowing their whistles frantically.

James hollered out, flipping his smokebox door open. "Philip, what is wrong with you?"

"Ask that guy!" cried out Philip once again as he passed by James, being chased by Vinnie, the massive Canadian engine. The points had immediately been switched to direct to the center area, where a radio tower was located. Both engines headed straight for the turntable near it, where it hadn't been set and ready to use.

"Philip!" exclaimed James as the yellow boxcab diesel tettered over the edge and Vinnie closed in on him.

Philip was frightened as Vinnie neared him, rearing his front end, ready to shunt him off into the space of the turntable. But then Vinnie stopped as James jerked forward, lassoing his coupling onto Vinnie's back buffer beam.

"You better not go a single inch towards him, you Pacific bullhead!" James hollered out furiously as he reversed, only to struggle to pull the heavy streamlined Canadian Confederation engine.

Vinnie laughed mockingly, holding onto his brakes. "So… wanna play tug-of-war, don't cha?" he asked slyly.

Suddenly, Edward lassoed his coupling onto James' read buffer beam and hollered out, "Aye! Pull, James!"

Despite being startled, James pulled with all his might with Edward. Both engines were able to pull Vinnie far away from Philip. The former was still startled by the Victorian Scottish engine’s sudden appearance, so he was surprised even more when he was quickly hauled away.

"Points!" hollered James. One of the signalmen, confused, changed the points as the two engines continued to pull Vinnie back. “Go, Philip! Go, go, go!” yelled James as his chubby cheeks began to burn once Vinnie pulled back.

Philip quickly scuttled away, though not without taunting Vinnie.

The strain became too much so James’ front coupling snapped, letting Vinnie send himself rolling forward, derailing on the set of points, and crashing into the radio tower with a BANG!

"Take that, big bully!" yelled Philip.

James and Edward were shocked but they smiled at each other until Edward noticed something. With a gasp, Edward immediately pulled James backward, startling the slightly larger red engine.

“Whoa! What-?”

BANG! The radio tower collapsed to the ground, right in front of James, who almost jumped off his chassis. As quickly as the nearby yardman could, he shut off the power before anyone could get hurt.

“Thanks,” James huffed out.

“N-No need tae thank me. It’s whit friends ur for,” Edward replied cheerfully before fully realizing what he said. “T-Thon is if we ur!” he stammered. “...Ur we?”

“Of course-!”

“Hey!” interrupted the Canadian engine, getting the other two’s attention. “Can somebody get me some help?”

As quickly as help arrived, the arena was cleared of intruders, and James' coupling was promptly replaced, the race resumed. The engines stormed down the final stretch with James overtaking Pennsylvania Railroad No. 1223, Edward, and British Rail No. DS239. DS239 began falling behind, allowing Edward to steam past and fall behind James. The “break” had done him some good, allowing him to rest his aching pistons.

James laughed joyfully. “You’re catching up!”

“I am!” replied Edward.

The two red tender engines strayed further away from the others, nearing the finish line and laughing about. They pushed along and before they knew it, both engines passed the finish line, one mere seconds before the other.

"What a close call!" hollered the announcer. "Ex-Furness Railway Number Twenty-One has finished first place for the tender-first section, with North Western Railway Number Five right behind! Judges, it's time to start calculating those points!"

"No!" huffed Emily with a pout. "He was winning!"

"I knew he was trouble," said Philip.

Meanwhile, Edward's eyes snapped open in shock, having shut them from laughter. "I-"

"Congrats!" hollered James as they both came to a stop.

"But-!"

"And here comes the Pennsylvanian, followed by D-S-Two-Thirty-Nine, the Australian, the Caledonian, Five-Twenty-Nine, and the Bavarian G Three-Sub-Four! Folks, now we wait for the final results!"

The audience went silent as the judges mumbled to one another, mics having been turned off, and calculating the points. Steam wheeshing was the only sound that could be heard across the arena as both engines and people held their breaths.

After what seemed like ages, it took a few seconds for one of the judges to turn on their mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, engines and crews, we would like to announce the top three winners. Our first place winner, overall, goes to the Furness Railway's ex-Twenty-One, with twenty-six points."

The crowd cheered, the engines whistled, and the crews hollered. Edward's face burned with embarrassment from the sudden attention.

"In second place, we have the North Western Railway's Number Five engine, James, with twenty-five points."

The other North Westerners whistled sharply, the sound shrilling throughout the arena.

"Let's go, James!" hollered Thomas. "Top three, top three!"

"That's my little brother!" exclaimed Emily.

"Aw, by just one point!" pouted Philip.

"And taking third place is British Rail's D-S-Two-Thirty-Nine from the Southern region, also with twenty-five points," finished the judge. "Ladies and gentlemen, this has been the Mixed-Traffic Challenge!"

Cheers roared from the audience and whistles shrilled from the engines surrounding the area.

"Congratulations!" exclaimed James to the flustered Furness fella.

"T-Thank ye!" Edward managed to huff out. "Congratulations tae ye, too, James!"

"James!" exclaimed the Fat Controller as he approached the two engines. "What were you even doing here in the first place?" he asked.

James had seen this coming. It was a continuation of his conversation with his controller before the competition. "I came with Gordon's safety valve, sir. It hadn't been reassembled properly. That's why his boiler burst."

"Ah," replied the Fat Controller. Thank goodness the burst hadn't been worse, ending as a full-out boiler explosion. "Now that is being a really useful engine, James. I'm proud of you for doing so for your fellow engines. Even more with you joining the competition, because you've taken a top three!"

Just then, the rest of the North Westerners approached them from outside of the arena, on a set of tracks much closer to it. Cheers and whistles roared from the group, cheering their friend on.

"He was just doing what he does best, sir!" exclaimed Emily.

"Being the best Mixed-Traffic engine of the show!" huffed James with pride. "You're not that bad of an engine. There's more than what you can see~" he sang, peering over to Edward…

Only to see the space next to him empty.

"...Edward?" James was confused. Edward was just there moments ago. "Where did he go? He didn't even say goodbye…"

~

#ttte james #ttte edward #ttte emily #ttte philip #ttte thomas #eosr sir bertram topham hatt II #tgr 2x5 roleswap au #my writing #a dozen years #ttte edward x james #ttte shipping

[osrphotography]

The NZR 12-axle jigger at Mamaku (2022).

The post-war period saw something of a revitalisation of our bush tramways. Mamaku, in particular, became a hub of activity.

After the ex-Railways D Class 2-4-0T broke down deep in the bush, a particularly ingenious engineer of G. A. Gamman & Co created his first bush jigger from his own 1937 Chevy truck.

Flash forward to 1954 and said engineer now has his own firm. O. W. Smith 24/1954 is one of a number of homegrown designs used in Mamaku. The 12 axle jigger was originally built for a pine milling company in the town. All of O. W. Smith's designs sported truck cabs, White, Ford, Dodge, and Morris, but what this one sports, I have no idea.

It spent a spell with Gamman's before NZR nationalised the bush tramway heading south-west(ish) out of Mamaku and the sawmill. Incidentally, this is the action that kills the Anawhata / Piha Line in rural West Auckland.

The 12-axle jigger worked faithfully with NZR deep in the bush for a mere decade (1964-1974) hauling logs on log bogies ('bugies' in local terminology) back to the sawmill. Gamman's closed in 1964, and their jiggers and bush locomotives ('lokeys') were left to rot away. NZR's own tramway befell a similar fate.

However, thanks to the work of enthusiasts, most notably Ian Jenner, the 12 and 5-axles, White (as in the truck brand, not the colour), Yellow (the colour, this one sports a Morris cab) and some other Mamaku jiggers were saved. Unfortunately, the Price Ar Type was lost to time. It was designed as something of a Meyer articulated locomotive.

#photos #locomotive #railroad

[graintrainbrain]

All by her lonesome, Thunder Rail 2004 crosses a snowy gravel road on the way back home to Arborfield, Saskatchewan after interchanging grain loads with CN, 03/19/2009. Photo by Matt Watson via Railpictures.ca

Initially built and operated by CN, the Arborfield branch line was sold to the shortline Carlton Trail Railway, who sold it on to Thunder Rail in 2005. THR uses the line for hauling grain products like wheat, barley, oats, alfalfa, and canola with an ex-Providence and Worchester Railroad locomotive.

#saskatchewan #thunder rail #shortline #mlw m-420r

[biggsodorcitystories]

Happy New Year!!

Thought I would start 2023 off right with a drawing of my Steam Team designs!

Warning(s):

Genderbent Edward

Genderbent James

Headcanons as to family relationships and ships below:

I hope you enjoy it! Please note that these are subject to slight changes.

NWR Number One: Thomas Billinton. The official - and self-proclaimed - face of the North Western Railway. Best friend to Percy, the main engine of the Ffarquhar branch line, and until recently the boyfriend of Liora "Lady" Moran. He is currently in a relationship with Rosie, though he visibly still holds a candle for Liora. Cocky and confident at face value, but highly insecure deep down and far more complex once you get to know him.

NWR Number Two: Lady Edward Stewart-Moran. Married to Zebedee Moran, a harbour tug from Liverpool and Bigg City. Mother to Percy, Liora (Lady), Bill, and Ben. Also has an older daughter, Susannah, and a baby daughter, Eve, who are both tugboats like their father. The "work Mum" for all engines on Sodor, and universally adored. Has a past history of mischief and trickery, which was passed to her youngest sons. The train equivalent of aristocracy, Edward is the rebellious, and sadly only surviving, daughter of the Earl/Count of Cumbria, a title she will inherit. Frequently regarded as one of the most attractive engines on Sodor in spite of her age, even being referred to as a "Milf" by Flying Scotsman.

NWR Number Three: Henry Stanier. The illegitimate half-brother of Gordon and Flying Scotsman, husband to Emily, and ex-husband to James as well as being the father of James's eldest son. Despite causing the breakup of Henry's first marriage, Gordon remains Henry's best friend and is unwittingly a rival of Flying Scotsman because of it. Blighted by ill health, made worse by the end of his marriage to James, Henry is very health conscious and suffers a little from hypochondria, but is now doing well thanks to his new wife, his son with James, and his growing family with Emily. After his last long illness, Henry grew a full beard and moustache, and decided to keep it after being told it suited him.

NWR Number Four: Gordon Gresley. The eldest legitimate son of the famous Gresley family (Henry is the oldest but illegitimate) and the official Express engine for the NWR. Older brother to Flying Scotsman and cousin to Mallard, Spencer, and Ryan. Now married to James, with whom he has always been in love but was too proud to admit until after her marriage to Henry, father of two children and stepfather/half-uncle to James' eldest son. Proud, arrogant, and pompous, Gordon is also capable of almost profound kindness and will always (eventually) own up to his faults, and will move heaven and earth for those he loves. Initially jealous of his more famous younger brother, Flying Scotsman, recent changes in his life have made him realise that perhaps his own life is much happier. Also the only reason Mallard is still in touch with the family. Very proud of his South Yorkshire roots, though he only ever reveals "The Accent" when flustered or angry.

NWR Number Five: James Stanier-Gresley. The original blonde bombshell of the NWR, known for her flamboyant, fast style as much as her splendid red uniform/paint. Wife of Gordon, ex-wife of Henry, and mother of currently three children between them. Her confident, vain persona masks a deep-seated lack of self-worth and terror of being abandoned that resulted in James placing all her value in her, admittedly very beautiful, looks. Although she has always been in love with Gordon, his seeming rejection led her to seek comfort in Henry, with whom she married and had a son. James has no regrets about marrying Henry, who she holds up as a very loving husband right up until their divorce and an exceptional father, she maintains her greatest regret is that she had an affair with Gordon rather than ending her marriage to be with him and keeps Henry's name for her son's sake. Her two children with Gordon have ensured the future of the Gresley line. James is half-Trinidadian through her father, using her memories of his experiences to try and help Nia transition into life on Sodor.

NWR Number Six: Percy Moran. The eldest son of Edward and Zebedee, younger brother of Susannah, older brother to Bill, Ben, and Eve, and twin brother to Liora (Lady), Percy is actually genetically half-tugboat, exhibited by his bulkier physique and is surprisingly strong. He works on the Ffarquhar branch line, handling the goods work, and is the official Sodor Mail train - a role he is obsessively proud of having and takes extremely seriously. Best friends with Thomas, although this is often a surprise to newcomers to Sodor and the UK as the two spend a lot of time insulting one another for fun. This relationship has become a little strained after Thomas dated Percy's sister and almost ended after the relationship ended, but is slowly recovering. After his mother, Percy misses his father the most, causing him to find substitute father figures in Toby and Gator. Next in line to inherit the Earl/Count of Cumbria after Edward, and possibly even less interested in it besides occasionally making jokes referring to his 'future countess.'

NWR Number Twelve: Emily Stanier (nee Stirling). The beautiful Emily is a popular figure on Sodor and the adored older cousin of Donald and Douglas. Emily met Henry without knowing that he was married to James, though the marriage was long dead, only learning about it when the two began divorce proceedings a few weeks into the relationship. Despite the initial shock, she continued with the relationship, eventually marrying Henry and becoming stepmother to his son while having a son of her own later. Luckily enjoys an excellent friendship with James and does not overstep as the stepmother. Often remarked on as being very similar to Edward, Emily has become something of a big sister figure on the NWR and has assumed Edward's role after the former's stepping down. Hardworking and friendly, Emily is also stern and serious when needed, capable of keeping her peppery cousins in line.

NWR Number Eighteen: Nia Kur. Originally from the East African Railway, Kenya, Nia is the youngest and most recognisable member of the NWR. Through her harder upbringing on a struggling railway, Nia is mature from her years. Combined with her early puberty, this makes everyone assume she is in her late teens like Thomas and Percy when she was in fact only eleven when she arrived on Sodor. Since her actual age was discovered, Nia has been mothered by Edward, Emily, and James. Thanks to her better understanding of the cultural struggles, Nia gets on best with James and sees the red engine as an auntie figure. She has a tendency to pick at her nails and fidget when nervous or upset, which is usually the only indication that anything is wrong. Nia has become very friendly with Bill and Ben, who are closest to her in age, despite their initial teasing of her. Nia accepted their unusual offer of friendship and unwittingly caused Bill to develop a crush on her. Nia is cheerful, hardworking, and determined to settle into her new life on Sodor.

NWR Number Twenty-Two: Rebecca Bulleid-Gresley. Rebecca is the newest member of the NWR and the relief Express engine for her Uncle Gordon so he can spend more time with his growing family. This was a surprise to everyone on Sodor when Gordon seemed happy with the idea until it was discovered that Rebecca is Gordon's (and Henry's) niece. Rebecca was the only daughter of Gordon's sister, "pretty" Polly Gresley, who was especially close to Flying Scotsman growing up. Sadly, she died when Rebecca was young. Believing her mother's family had abandoned her, Rebecca was very nervous to reveal her identity to her surviving uncles, not knowing that she had inherited several characteristics of her late mother. With the help of Henry, she has reconnected with her family and has taken on the Gresley name officially.

#ttte humanized #ttte human au #ttte thomas #ttte edward #ttte henry #ttte gordon #ttte james #ttte percy #ttte emily #ttte nia #ttte rebecca #ttte headcanons #gordon x james #4 x 5 #3 x 5 #henry x emily #3 x 12 #steam team but not steam team #the steam team is a hit invention

[wormhole2anywhere]

Some art stuff

Given I haven't fed anyone for a while I'm gonna dump old art that's floating around other places, I apologize if it kinda looks different from my current works--

I know a lot of you won't find the existence of twitter/X very fun and aren't willing to take a look into that... place, but this was a contribution for a twitter art project of redrawing the concept art to translate it organized by twitter user @PokeSuutamie!

You can find the translation edit version here!

Uh... something something Jun Magma session, something something "Don't cry, Satan ass, ok?" I have no excuse for this one.

A suspiciously smiling Emmet! I drew this after a mild discussion about various things with friends, I had fun going crazy with brushes without any particular expectation!

WIP! I got really into Mairimashita! Iruma-kun and had to port my favorite train men into the series somehow! I had fun with the symmetry tool here!

From an ex-tempore session where I drew outside and pasted it in the magma, two of my most beloved puyo puyo characters: Satan and Schezo! They're having their usual not very pleasant staredown! (the drawing is kind of incomplete since I was making sure only that they fit in the canvas, sorry)

I was gonna post this one alongside his twin, but alas I haven't found the motivation yet to design Depot Agent Levi... This, however, is Depot Agent Lucifer!! A young aspiring trainer who joined the battle facility to sharpen his combat abilities, which were already pretty good. He is a serious man who takes his pokémon battles to heart much like Emmet and enjoys opponents who have a well thought out strategy to fight him with! He works in the Singles Lines as a solo trainer and in the Multi Lines with his twin Levi!

another part of the ex tempore magma session, Wilhelm von Clausewitz Halcyon HISUIMARU (case sensitive) staring down at you with a not very sane face... oh well, they weren't very sane to begin with-- this is a sketch of a character I hadn't drawn in a while!

From a meme edit I cannot bring myself to post outside of pride month that I kept seeing going around, Monochrome Railway bosses (Mono-)Ray and Ray(-Bus) (left and right respectively)!

#ray doing stuff #ray in magma madness #ray drew stuff #submas #submas au #satan puyo puyo #pokemon #ingo and emmet #subway boss ingo #kudari #nobori #subway bosses #subway boss emmet #subway boss nobori #subway boss kudari #subway master #brassius #gym leader brassius #hassel #elite four hassel #smoliv #mairimashita! iruma kun #mairimashita! iruma kun au #puyo puyo schezo #len'en #wilhelm von clausewitz halcyon HISUIMARU #clause #len'en clause #oc #Ray's oc lucifer

[lnwrcauli]

The Sudrian Halls (and the tiniest bit about Duck and Casey) [NWR AU]

History

In 1935, the NWR entered into a locomotive loan contract with the Great Western in exchange for the sole right to supply coal to the railway for ten years. The locomotives sent to the North Western under this agreement were No. 4907 "Broughton Hall", No. 4915 "Condover Hall", No. 4911 "Bowden Hall" and No. 5948 "Siddington Hall". Also included in this deal was 5700 No. 5741, who would later become known as Duck.

The five GWR engines were stabled at Vicarstown Sheds with the LMS and ex-Furness residents, often having very loud arguments that kept the town awake. The four Halls were put to work on mixed-traffic and thunderbird duties while Duck was assigned to pilot duties, working tirelessly through the war. During 1941, Bowden Hall was recalled to the GWR to assist with the workload. Unfortunately however, he was struck by a bomb at Keyham and disposed of at Swindon Works.

After the war, the now trio of Halls were supplemented with Stanier Class 5 No. 5113, known as Casey. They continued to work diligently until 1963, when word started to spread of the Western Region recalling locomotives to Swindon Works for scrap. Not too keen on letting this happen to engines he considered part of his railway, Sir Charles Topham Hatt II purchased Condover, Siddington and Broughton, along with Casey too. The four were sent to Crovan's Gate to be repainted and lightly overhauled ready for service. While there however, the three 4900s decided they wanted to start anew. After all, they were NWR engines now. It was Condover Hall who asked Sir Topham if the trio could change their names, and he fully obliged. Condover Hall became Vicarstown Hall, Broughton Hall became Knapford Hall and Siddington Hall became Tidmouth Hall. Under these new names, the three re-entered service in 1964 and have served without fault ever since

Personalities

Vicarstown Hall is an amiable, friendly and cheeky chap who likes to have a laugh. He gets on very well with younger or sillier engines like Bill, Ben, Percy or Thomas, but is rarely allowed to interact with them due to the chaos that usually ensues. He works as hard as he plays, being a mainstay of the island's passenger and goods services.

Quite the opposite to her brother, Knapford Hall is an uptight, strict and by-the-book sort, not tolerating other engines stepping out of line even by an inch. This often puts her at odds with Vicarstown Hall, who thinks she's something of a stick-in-the-mud. Her work ethic is as strong as her anger for those who don't follow every single rule in the book, and trust me, she knows them all.

Rounding out the trio is Tidmouth Hall, one of the railway's designated thunderbird engines. Being a thunderbird engine is something he takes incredibly seriously, not having much patience for those who belittle or mock his work. Other than this, he's very friendly, caring, compassionate and trusting, though his trust and compassion can sometimes get him hurt.

All in all, the trio are a big cog in the clockwork mechanism of Sodor's railway system, doing whatever is assigned to them (for the most part) without fuss.

Thank you for reading, I'll see you in the next one.

Cheerio!

#steam engine #locomotive #trains #alt history #ttte #ttte au #steam locomotive #railway #rws au