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tornadoyoungiron · 6 months

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Traintober | Day 17 - Holiday

Taw Valley takes a holiday to the Great Western. Chaos ensues.

For Nick. And our discussions about Taw Valley being the premier, desperate Wine Aunt of the UK heritage railway scene.

~~~

“We need to talk about your sister.”

Braunton sighed as he heard the bark of a Black 5 coming up beside him. He looked over and found a polished black engine with red trim, the number, 5025 emblazoned on his cab and buffer beam.

“If anything the less talk about my sister the more she’ll cease being an insufferable flirt!” Braunton interjected. “I don’t know whether she does it for attention or she’s just that desperate to find an engine to settle down with.”

“I’ve struggled to find anyone who wants to go down to Severn for their winter gala,” 5025 stressed. “The main trouble being-”

“They don’t want Taw Valley to incessantly flirt with them while they’re there,” Braunton conceded with a frustrated sigh. “You don’t think I’ve been trying for decades to get her to stop Connor?”

The Black 5 gazed at Braunton sympathetically. He gave a thoughtful hum and tutted.

“I was actually thinking of sending her away for that weekend, maybe an exhibit or a visit to the NRM,” Connor suggested and Braunton gave a choke of a laugh.

“Flying Scotsman is tolerant but he’s not that tolerant,” the West Country scoffed. “The more famous they are the more she’s going to be extra… ah shall we say, insistent. Despite, well, you know.”

“The fact that Scotsman and Truro are a thing?”

Braunton snorted in mirth.

“Worst kept secret in existence, no thanks to Pendennis.”

Connor stared at the sheds in front of him for a long while, considering their options before a smirk appeared on his face.

“What?” Braunton questioned as he saw the devious look in the Black 5 eyes.

“Pendennis hmm? I was thinking, has Taw Valley ever experienced, ‘the Great Western Way?’” Connor asked of the Southern Engine.

Braunton smirked, knowing exactly where the LMS engine was going.

“Why, no, I don’t believe she has Connor.”

~~~

“The Great Western’s?” Taw Valley was surprisingly unenthused by the prospect of meeting new engines she could mingle (or more accurately, flirt) with. “A bunch of prudes stuck in their ways, it’s incredibly undesirable!”

Braunton bit back his impulse to shout in frustration.

“That friend of yours though…” Taw Valley inquired suggestively. “Will he be there? I don’t think I’ve met him.”

Braunton looked back at his sister in surprise. He knew exactly who she meant and he was reluctant to throw his friend onto the tracks.

“I’ve told you to leave my friends out of your conquests,” Braunton hissed at her annoyed. “Yet you keep flirting with Scotsman!”

“Oh everyone flirts with Scotsman!” Taw Valley dismissed his concerns.

“That doesn’t mean he likes it!” Braunton snapped back. “There are boundaries you should not cross Dotti!”

Taw Valley sighed and huffed at him.

“You’re such a drag, little brother,” Taw Valley tartly chirped. “So Scotsman’s really with that pretty little Western hmm?”

“Will you at the very least entertain the idea of going to Didcot?” Braunton asked exasperated, ignoring her question.

“If it pleases you, little brother, I shall,” Taw Valley finally conceded.

“Please just leave Pendennis out of your conquests, he’s one of my best friends,” Braunton appealed to his elder sister.

To his surprise, Taw Valley smiled at him, her eyes kind.

“I promise, Braunton, I am, of course, not completely without scruples.”

Braunton however wasn’t so sure.

~~~

Taw Valley did attempt to make good on her promise to her brother, however, it was all so tempting, but she kept strong and refused to even look at the Castle class who seemed to be there at every turn.

She was getting frustrated and tried to distract herself with the King Edwards but they were insufferably up their own tenders. They were always insisting upon themselves, always looking down on the other engines even though Taw Valley towered above them.

How irritating.

King George was marginally better but he seemed… well, he seemed old, to put it one way. She did not want to settle down with someone whose personality felt like a doddering elderly man. It was exceedingly poor form. Even if his Golden Bell was extremely charming.

That Clun Castle was the one she disliked the most. She was snivelling and she was crass, not a single rivet of class in her. Taw Valley had shooed her away, the irritating engine cursing her and calling her ugly.

Ha! Her? Ugly?

She was as blind as she was stupid.

There was a reason why she never really tried to flirt with the Great Western’s. They were all obsessed with work or with adhering to the ‘Great Western Way,’ whatever that meant. They were all so… boring.

“Is there any reason why yer avoidin’ me, you purple beaut?” A very Australian-sounding voice greeted her and to her surprise, she found the engine of the hour, Pendennis Castle himself idling up next to her.

“Oh, hello you!” Taw Valley shrilly exclaimed, flattered by the Great Western. “I’ll have you know that my brother does not approve of me ‘flirting’ with his friends.”

“Ah, I see,” Pendennis chuckled, his voice changing to a strange mix between Welsh and Australian which Taw Valley could only assume was his natural accent. “Well, we’re both adults, we can make our own choices.”

“Contrary to many people’s beliefs, I do actually want to respect the wishes of my little brother,” Taw Valley disputed, she eyed Pendennis with a wandering gaze. “No matter how hard such a thing may be.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, My Lady in Purple,” Pendennis charmed her and Taw Valley blushed, she wasn’t used to being flirted at for once. “And if Braunton asks, I did approach and flirt first, so technically-”

“It doesn’t count,” Taw Valley chortled. “You’re a sly thing, Pendennis Castle. And here was I thinking that you Great Western’s were nothing but boring and tasteless!”

“Now, I’m technically an honorary Australian,” Pendennis laughed. “I suppose that’s where the ‘forwardness’ comes from. No nonsense over there, just straight to the point. Pendennis before Australia was just as boring.”

“Straight to the point is how I like my engines!” Taw Valley implored. “And here was me thinking you had a big crush on the Flying One.”

Pendennis simply chuckled at that.

“Once. A long time ago. But we discussed it and it was never meant to be I’m afraid,” Pendennis admitted regretfully. “I do adore Scotsman, but we just don’t… ‘click’ if you know what I mean?”

“I don’t,” Taw Valley bluntly replied. “But I’d like to find out if you ‘click’ with me, if you know what I mean.”

Pendennis gave her a smirk.

“I do believe I do, Taw Valley.”

“Please, it’s Dottie!”

“Charmed, call me Penpen or Rio Fe!”

Taw Valley couldn’t help but feel a little guilty at her interactions with Pendennis because of her promise to her brother. But then again, like he said, Pendennis had approached her. He couldn’t be mad at her for that.

Maybe this little Holiday would turn out to be a good one after all.

~~~

Hey Nick, if you’re reading this then I want you to know that this is equally your fault as it is mine. Go say hi to Taw Valley and Pendennis for me if you see them again. <3

#traintober #traintober 2023 #ttte young iron #ttte taw valley #ttte pendennis castle #one the rails #ttte fanfic

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weirdowithaquill · 6 months

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Traintober 2023: Day 29 - Out of Service

Oliver Wasn't the Only Engine in that Siding:

Oliver the Great Western Engine is thankful for the second chance that Sodor has given him. Every day, he wakes up and says ‘good morning’ and ‘thank you’ to Douglas before starting his day’s duties. Douglas never really understood the custom.

“Ye dinnae need tae thank me ilka day,” Douglas said one morning. “I do though,” Oliver replied quietly. “It’s important to me… to everyone. You saved us when we had no one to turn to, and it’s because of you that I’m here today. That alone is worthy of my eternal gratitude.”

Douglas left it at that, and puffed away to start his day.

Once Douglas had rounded the bend out of sight, Oliver released a sigh he didn’t know he had been holding in. The Caledonian couldn’t possibly know.

There are two days that Oliver will never forget: the first is the day that Douglas rescued him from the Other Railway, but the second…

The second is the day he arrived in that scrapyard; two months prior. He’d been out of coal, unable to find even a single lump of the black fuel source. He’d been captured by a smirking diesel, who’d dragged him up to the Barrow Scrapyard and left him in a cold, damp siding with his coach Isabel and his brakevan Toad. The trio thought they were alone, until an old, scratchy voice broke the silence.

“Welcome to the ‘out of use’ siding,” wheezed the voice. Oliver looked back. Behind him was a row of old, rusty engines. They were not Great Westerns like him – they were ex-LMS stock. The one who had spoken was a grimy Fowler 4F, who was missing both his tender and his dome. He stood right behind Oliver, but ahead of six other engines. Two were Jinty tank engines, one was a Black 5, one was a Stanier 8F, one was an Ivatt 2MT tank engine – and the last was Pettigrew D5, from the Furness Railway.

The other engines didn’t say anything. They just sat there – silent hulks leaving growing shadows on the ground.

“Hello, little runaway,” smirked an oily diesel. Oliver looked up to see a large, grease-smeared Class 28 rumble up alongside him. “We caught you at last.” Oliver glared defiantly. The Great Western engine refused to give the diesel the pleasure of a reply.

“Heh, not a talker?” sneered the diesel. “No matter. We’ve got a little treat in store for you. You’re last on our siding, so I hope you enjoy what comes next.”

And with that, men left the works coach the Class 28 was pulling, and made their way over to the first of the Jintys.

Oliver couldn’t bear to look – but he was forced to listen. Listen to the hiss of the blowtorch, to the screech of 1000 degrees slicing through metal, to the screams of the engine as it was slowly; agonisingly carved up and turned into a pile of parts.

The Class 28 shunted the parts into the smelter’s shed.

Oliver wanted to cry, but the look on the diesel’s kept his eyes dry. The glee – the sheer, unadulterated glee – in that engine’s eyes was sickening. Oliver wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing his sick, twisted game was getting to the Western engine.

The scrapper’s had waited a week before returning, with that same smarmy diesel. This time, Oliver got to read the engine’s number off its cab.

D5701.

Oliver noticed that the other Class 28s avoided this one. They looked at this diesel as if he was a monster. Oliver agreed with them. This diesel seemed to take enjoyment from the screams of his victims, listening in for the moment the screams dissolved into whimpers.

The torch worked its way through the engines in the siding. The Staniers and the other Jinty were gone by the end of the month, leaving Oliver with the D5, the Ivatt 2MT and the Fowler 4F. All four rarely spoke – especially not with the other diesels growling and sneering at them. All except the other Class 28s. The rest of that class seemed horrified at their siblings’ actions – and they were the only ones that came near them without bringing death.

D5703 rumbled up beside Oliver one evening, looking around fugitively. “Tonight, the Midnight Goods comes across from Sodor,” she hissed quietly. “We’re going to try and redirect their engine this way – but you need to grab their attention.” Oliver couldn’t find the steam to reply.

“We’ll try,” croaked the Fowler from behind Oliver. “Thank you.”

The night wore on, and the four engines, Isabel, and Toad all waited for signs of a Sodor engine puffing past. Instead, D5701 growled past, dragging D5703 behind as she hissed and hurled insults at her unfeeling sibling.

“Try and help those relics, huh?” he snarled. “Try and derail to bring those disgusting Nor-Westers this way? It’s such a shame that the company wants you gone, little sister.” Oliver watched with wide eyes as D5701 dragged their own sister into the smelting shed. There was the distinct hiss of smelting torches being fired up – and then a single, ear-piercing scream. D5701 growled out of the smelting shed, lip curled up in a snarl.

“And let that be a lesson!” he roared. “There is no escape!” The four steam engines said nothing, didn’t give the furious diesel the satisfaction of a victory.

The next day, the men came for the Ivatt, slicing the young engine up extra slowly.

That was when a second young Class 28 began to visit the trio. D5714 was an unassuming young girl - she wasn’t the youngest of her class, nor the oldest. She just was. She pulled her trains when her Crossley motor allowed her to, and she got her driver to play the radio for her when she couldn’t.

“What is the West like?” she asked Oliver one evening. “Well, it’s wonderful,” grinned Oliver. “Beautiful scenery – and all our coaches were painted chocolate and cream. But… the managers didn’t care about steam. Said we were too inefficient. They were… they were proud to claim their region was the first to… to… to abolish steam.” D5714 gasped. “That’s horrible! The same is happening to my class… they say we’re too expensive to keep running. We aren’t ‘revolutionary’ like the other diesels. Big brother 5702 said our best chance of survival was to learn from the steam engines, and use their wisdom to do better at work. Big brother 5701 wants us all to get into the… the scrapping business. He thinks if we do, we’ll survive on the scrap-merchant’s money. Big sister 5700 was scrapped though… and so was big sister 5703! I saw 5701 drag her off.” Oliver paused, realisation hitting him like a runaway freight train.

The Class 28s weren’t even ten yet. They’d been built in the late 50s! The young girl in front of her couldn’t have been older than eight years old. And here they were, being forced to debate the best way to survive. It was sickening – and it was all British Rail’s fault.

The D5 was the next to go. The poor old engine had been sat in that siding for ten years and had accepted his fate long ago. When the cutters came for him, he simply smiled at them. His voice had been lost during the last downpour, and the rust was creeping up his smokebox. He didn’t scream like the other engines – and Oliver could tell how much that infuriated D5701.

“Why was he so quiet? Are the torches not hot enough?” he demanded. The scrappers all shot the diesel dirty looks. “That engine was meant to have been cut up years ago,” one of them snapped. “You’ve kept him on this siding for nearly a decade, and that’s all you have to say?” Oliver felt sick to his boiler. That old engine had been sat out in the wind and snow and driving rain and baking sun for an entire decade. Longer than most of his replacements had even been alive.

And he could tell that D5714 thought her brother’s words were horrible too. “Don’t mind him,” muttered the Fowler softly. Oliver jumped. The 4F had been silent ever since D5703 had been scrapped. “I… beg your pardon?” “Don’t mind that bully,” the 4F said. “His type has always existed, and they always will. But you can’t let them win.” “How do you know?” asked Oliver. The 4F didn’t reply. Oliver had a sinking feeling that he didn’t want to know.

“The Midnight Goods is due in two weeks,” hummed D5714 the next evening. “I wonder if it’ll be that Scot again?” “Scot?” asked Oliver. “Yes – the last one was pulled by some engine with a Scottish accent. He spent a good few minutes hissing insults at 5701.” Oliver noticed that the young engine was no longer referring to her classmate as ‘big brother’.

That evening, D5701 came for the Fowler 4F. Unlike the others, he was dragged out of the siding.

“Well, old timer?” sneered D5701. “It’s your turn. How does it feel to be scrapped by the very people you once worked for?” “Like a cruel irony,” came the blunt reply. “And one I feel you too will come to know.” D5701 laughed – but his laugh was like shards of glass falling, the laugh of a maniac.

“Me?! Ever be shunted off into a siding like you? You outlived your usefulness as a scrapper’s engine, Fowl one, though that’s to be expected from such a relic.” “And what of you? Even as we speak, they are cutting up your class in the sidings of Carlisle. Five gone, and a sixth being withdrawn tomorrow. I do not envy you, if that is what you want me to say. I do not wish to be you, and I will not argue, or beg, or plead, or scream. There is no satisfaction in that. Not anymore.”

D5701’s engine roared at this, backfiring with a massive Bang! A fireball shot up, and he surged forwards, bumping the Fowler hard enough that the old engine went sailing into the smelting shed, joints creaking and groaning before suddenly giving way. The Fowler 4F’s axles shattered beneath him, and he toppled cab over wheels to one side, parts snapping off and smashing down all around the husk of an engine. D5701 smirked.

“You’ll be next, Western,” he said. With that, he rumbled off to deal with scrapping the remains of the Fowler 4F. D5714 sidled up next to Oliver.

“I have a plan,” she said quietly. “But I need you to have at least a little steam. Can your crew build a fire?” Oliver blinked. His crew was somewhere in Barrow – probably trying to find a way to speak to the Fat Controller across the bridge – but he hadn’t heard from them in well over a month. “If you can get them to me, we can probably get something started with all the overgrown weeds…” Oliver replied. D5714 smiled. “Good. When the steam engine arrives, I need you to get their attention, no matter what. Oh! Or if it’s D5702. He’s also a Sodor engine. If you can do that, I can distract everyone else.”

Oliver felt a smile slowly grow on his face. “Thank you,” he whispered. D5714 smiled. “It’s the right thing to do,” she replied. And then she was speeding away before her psychopathic brother could reappear.

Oliver’s crew were back the next day, tugging weeds out of the ground and laying them out in Oliver’s firebox to dry out. They took a floorboard or two from Toad as well. Even so, it was dangerous work. D5701 kept rumbling over to gloat, counting down the days with a manic grin that split his face in two, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. On any other engine, that smile would have been natural, reassuring – D5714 smiled like that sometimes, when Oliver told her about all his adventures back on his branchline – but on D5701, it just seemed sinister.

But he was nowhere to be found the day before the Midnight Goods was due to arrive, in spite of it being the day before he planned to scrap Oliver. D5714 was smirking when she pulled in.

“We’re in luck,” she said. “5701 is stuck at Carnforth due to some faulty points. It gives us an even better chance.” And with that, her driver pulled a sack out of the diesel’s cab and tossed it to Oliver’s driver. The driver opened the bag and gasped.

“Coal!” “It was the last in the bunkers on the branch,” D5714 said. “So use it wisely.” Oliver beamed. “I can’t thank you enough,” he said earnestly. “Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?” D5714 thought for a moment, then smiled shyly. “I would like… a name.”

Oliver stopped dead, stunned. “You don’t have a name?” “Not many diesels do,” D5714 replied quietly. “British Rail says it encourages deviant behaviour – but I heard that all steam engines have names!” “We do,” said Oliver proudly. “I’m Oliver… and you… what do you think of Eleanor?” “Like that American woman?” asked D5714. “The one who helped found the United Nations?” “Yes,” Oliver replied. “Eleanor Roosevelt. I met her when she came to Britian during the war. One of the most amazing people I’d ever spoken to. She wanted to help everyone… a lot like you.” “I… I like it.” “Then pleased to finally meet you, Eleanor.” Eleanor blushed, and was about to leave when the pair heard a disturbingly familiar horn echo through the yards.

“Quick! He’s coming back!” hissed Oliver. Eleanor sped away, and vanished just before D5701 finally returned. Oliver’s crew hid in Isabel, daring not to make a sound. “One night left, steam kettle,” sneered D5701. “I’m going to enjoy tomorrow.”

With that, he rumbled away.

Night fell. Oliver’s crew began building a small fire in Oliver’s firebox, having first checked his tanks had water. They were in luck. All was still in the yards.

Then, suddenly, the fire alarm rang out, just as a sharp, deep, Caledonian Railway whistle boomed in the distance. Oliver could see in the distance that the main sheds were on fire – and D5714’s plan was suddenly in motion.

Oliver could only hope that his crew had built enough of a fire to make steam.

Back to Master Post

#fanfiction writer #railway series #weirdowithaquill #thomas the tank engine #railways #traintober 2023 #traintober #ttte oliver #ttte D5701 #Class 28 Metrovicks #scrap #tw character death #prequel to Enterprising Engines 'Escape'#ttte douglas

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hazel-of-sodor · 1 year

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So small headcanon: Gordon keeps accidentally adopting pacifics. He's the oldest one in Britain (since the Great Bear was rebuilt into a 4-6-0 anyway) and they all look to him at the first. The A1/3s at first all looked to him as the big brother they loved to tease...until modernization. Suddenly their days were numbered, but he was safe on Sodor. They all agreed to not tell him, to spare him as long as they could. Gordon would learn in late 1967 that he and Flying Scotsman were the last of their siblings left, having never had the chance to say goodbye to any of the others.

When Great Northern escaped to Sodor in 68, D5701 was part of the team set to retrieve the escaped pacific. Gordon did not take kindly to the class 28's attempt to lung at his little sister, and bashed the diesel backwards. It would be discovered several months later that he had hit D5701 hard enough to cause a crack in the diesel's frames, leading to the engine's withdrawal.

Over the next decade, it would be revealed several of the A3's had escaped the cutter's torch, and their big brother would move heaven and earth to keep it that way.this culminated in late 1979, when Gordon and North Western's numbers 2, 3, and 5 stormed a British Railways owned scrapyard to save 60066 Merry Hampton, who had been discovered forgotten in a siding. While BR officials had tried to prevent 60066's rescue, they quickly found that they were no match for a furious locomotive.

Following this incident, BR put out a notice that any LNER Pacifics found were to be dumped in the NWR yard at Barrow in Furness for the safety of their workers.

But what of other Pacific's?

The first Pacific Gordon adopted was Battle of Britain 34090. Gordon met the bullied pacific during the 1949 exchange trials when she was new from the factory. He would take the young Pacific under his wing, and teach her the ins and outs of express work, as well as what he knew of goods work. By the end of the trials, he considered Rebecca his little sister. In 1967, following his discovery of the loss of his siblings, the North Western purchased 34090, and Gordon would collect her personally.

Later that year, Peppercorn A2 60532 Blue Peter, would visit Sodor. Gordon welcomed the fellow LNER pacific as a brother, even offering the Peppercorn a chance to haul Wild Nor'Wester, even though it meant he had to pull goods trains for the day.

Gordon was already cordial with his A4 cousins, but following 1967, he made concerted efforts to bond with his remaining LNER family. 2509 Spencer, Sir Robert Noramby's private engine, would become a dear confidant for Gordon over the years.

In the 1950s, LMS 6202 had been purchased by the NWR. A steam turbine, Gordon had known her from his rebuild at Crewe. They had been friendly, but their schedules had kept them from becoming closer. Gordon would request chances to run with her in 1968, in order to get to know her better.

The dying days of steam saw the Britannia class siblings Ariel, Arrow, and Lightning come to the Island. They were awed to be working with the first (successful) British pacific. Gordon saw their grief at the loss of their siblings. When Scotsman visited the NWR in the lead up to his American tour, Gordon, Great Northern, and Scotsman, they offered the Britannia's chance to join their little family. Pacific's had to stay together.

#ttte #rws #ttte headcanon #rws headcanons #ttte gordon

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topdisease · 11 months

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More Henry propaganda:

(TL;DR at end)

the reason why Henry is here in the first place is because of his small firebox, which gives heat to boil the water to make him move, and when given bad coal(coal that burns less well or is just not good) he starts having trouble,

from 1919 to 1935 he's had this design fault due to being stolen and rejected plans from the real life engineer, sir Nigel gresley, the guy who was building him found out about these faults to late and Henry was complete, and the NWR (the railway he works on now) was going through a engine crisis since it was still begining, and Henry was unknowingly part of a ploy to get him off his builders hands, and sir topham hatt canonically cursed "that ____ _____,____ sent me this"(we don't get to see what he said really)

Even with all the replacement parts, Henry still was sick, and Sometime, topham climbed on with his crew, and wanted to see what happened with him, his crew said that they needed special coal (Welsh coal in the books) to operate with a fair chance, it was expensive, but topham got it for Henry, and of he went as a rocket, energetic as ever

But then in 1935, he was sent to take a fish train named the flying kipper, he did it all, and set off at 5 o clock, but unfortunately ice and snow forced signals to show green, but it was actually red, and the switches were frozen and Henry was sent into a goods train at full speed(in the show it was James's train, but the illustrations in the book don't show), crashing, and after that he was sent to Crewe, a real life workshop which made him into a LMS stanier black 5, a real life Locomotive, now without the need of Welsh coal, but in the show it's not so good, as he was flanderized down to only that in the HiT era, even though he was fixed, and in season 2 of the show he gained back his wheel arches, indirectly making him a Stanier jubilee, a very similar class made by the same guy, just for passenger work

TLDR Henry has small firebox and can't do with bad coal, so better coal is gotten for him, crash in 1935, rebuilt into another engine without the fault, the LMS black 5, or the LMS jubilee post season 2

jesus 💀

#may the best diseased win #topdisease asks #henry ttte #thomas the tank engine

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stories-of-the-nrm · 1 month

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The Prince And The Pauper

Everyone got on well with Flying Scotsman except Henry. Henry was jealous. Despite his struggles, he wasn't nearly as respected as the Flying Scotsman. Henry pulled passengers and heavy goods and had to survive a complete rebuild. In his eyes, the Flying Scotsman hasn't done nearly enough to be respected as much as he has.

"Tenders are marks of distinction," he complained. "Everybody knows that. Why's he got two?"

Even though he knows why Flying Scotsman is famous, it still doesn't explain why he's the only engine to have two tenders. In his eyes, he can't acknowledge Flying Scotsman's celebrity status.

"I never boast, but I always work hard enough for two. I deserve another tender for that."

"Henry," Duck asked innocently, "would you like my tenders?"

"Yours!" exclaimed Henry. "What have you got to do with tenders?"

"All right," said Duck. "The deal's off. I'm only a tank engine, so I don't really understand tenders. Perhaps James might..."

"I'm sorry I was rude," said Henry hastily. "How many tenders have you, and when could I have them?"

"Six, and you can have them this evening."

"Six lovely tenders," chortled Henry. "What a splendid sight I'll be!" That'll show the others the sort of engine I am!"

Meanwhile, word had gone round, and the others waited where they could get a good view. Henry was cheered to the echo when he came, but he wasn't a splendid sight. He had six tenders, true, but they were very old and very dirty. All were filled with boiler sludge!

"Ha ha ha ha ha," laughed the engines. To make matters worse, the Flying Scotsman was laughing at him as well. Instead of looking down on him, he laughs at Henry as if he was a peer. Henry had made a big mistake.

"How do you fancy your six tenders, Henry?" asked Duck. But Henry was so embarrassed, that he said nothing. He simply slinks out of the siding with the trucks of boiler sludge until he was able to uncouple from the train.

"Oh dear! I was so silly to pull such dirty objects. Especially in front of the Flying Scotsman!" Henry wailed. "To think the Prince of the steam engines saw me in such a state. It's bad enough that I was made of stolen plans, but to see me pull something so vulgar? Why that's just despicable!"

Henry continued to moan and groan about his plight. Unbeknownst to him, his regulator malfunctions.

"Bother!" Henry complained. "Whatever will happen next? Now they'll laugh at me again. I'm a 'failed engine'!"

His driver starts to send Henry down the line in reverse. He reached a signal box and stopped, not realizing that two diesels have broken down on the other line.

"My goodness," Henry gasped. "What happened here?"

7170 groans, "Spamcan here has broken down. Sir Topham Hatt had asked me to help, but I broke down too. Can you help us, Henry?"

Henry tries to say no, but his driver intervenes. "Moving two 'dead' diesels and their trains? That's no joke for a 'failed' engine. D'you think you can do it?"

"I'll have a good try," Henry says sighing. He gently buffered up to the train. So, with 7101 growling in front, and Henry gamely puffing in the middle, the long cavalcade set out.

When he got to the next station, he was shocked to see the Flying Scotsman waiting. "Well done!" he exclaimed.

Henry can't help but blush as he's uncoupled from the train and tries to roll into a siding.

"You know, I never quite caught your name. But what you did today really showed those diesels a thing or two."

Henry stares in shock. The Flying Scotsman is actually talking with him. Despite his embarrassing situation not even a few hours ago, Flying Scotsman was willing to speak to him with respect. Perhaps he was wrong about judging the Flying Scotsman.

"I-I'm Henry," he says stuttering.

The Flying Scotsman takes in the sight of Henry. "How on earth did an LMS Stanier Class 5 end up on Sodor?"

Henry is left speechless. He wasn't aware of the horrific nature the Mainland possessed regarding the treatment of engines. Therefore, he had no idea of the significance this interaction will be.

"I wasn't originally built to be one," Henry explains. "I had a horrible crash in 1935. Instead of trying to repairing me, I was sent to Crewe. Because Sir Topham Hatt had connections to William Stainer, he had me rebuilt with this design."

If he could nod, the Flying Scotsman would do so as a means to acknowledge what Henry is saying. "So what was your original design if your controller had deemed it unreliable?"

Henry takes a breath saying, "I was made from stolen plans. They were supposed to be a prototype for the GNR Gresley A1."

Flying Scotsman's "jaw" drops. "You? You were supposed to our predecessor?"

Henry can see that the Flying Scotsman's taken aback. "No. The plans were deemed a failure as my firebox was too small. It wasn't until after I was built that they realized their mistake."

"My goodness!" the Flying Scotsman gasps. This is a lot to take in. "To think if your plans weren't originally rejected, you would've been our predecessor. Why you're even older than my brother, Gordon. How on earth did you survive?"

"Not that long after I was built, I was pawned off to Sir Topham Hatt. He needed a heavy goods engine for cheap and got me instead. I was given chance after chance to prove my worth despite my small firebox."

The Flying Scotsman whistles with joy. "Cheers! You really are an enterprising engine. Keep up the good work."

He rolls out of the station and into the night as Henry watches on in amazement. The Flying Scotsman had acknowledged his worth and determination.

"For an engine of his status, he actually has taste. Finally, someone can see how useful I am!" Henry beamed. No more angsting over his failed design. Henry is THE enterprising engine. And he hopes to stay that way in the Flying Scotsman's eyes.

AN: Thank you @klein-sodor-bahn for requesting this one shot.

Tagging: @nelllia, @gordon208, and @glitterking599.

#ttte fandom #flying scotsman #lner a3 #ttte henry #fan requests #rws fanfiction

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cerenemuxse · 2 months

Text

The engines as different basis (EoSR but built different) - 1

(Tender engines as tank engines, vice versa)

From No. 1 - 6 (Thomas, Edward, Emily, Henry, Gordon, James)

NWR 1 Thomas (formerly LBSCR 307, SR 2307)

Class: London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) Class C3 Horsham Goods

Previous Owners: London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway; Southern Railway; British Railways (Southern Region)

Built: August 1906

Real-life Withdrawal: May 1949 (never received a BR number)

Designer: Douglas Earle Marsh

Builder: Brighton Works

Bio:

Thomas is the first tender engine purchased by the NWR, after the withdrawals of the original NWR 1 - 6 (the last one being in 1925). The NWR had believed that they wouldn't need any tender engine power until the withdrawal of NWR 1 in 1925.

NWR 2 Edward (formerly W&SR 5)

Class: Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway (DW&WR) 52 class; North Western Railway (NWR) Class S-W52

Previous Owners: Wellsworth & Suddery Railway

Built: 1893

Real-life Withdrawal: n/a

Designer: William Wakefield

Builder: Sharp, Stewart and Company (Glasgow, Scotland)

Bio:

Edward was commissioned by the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway. His design was altered so that he could run on standard gauge rails. When the merger occured, he was passed down to the NWR, along with Emily, and the NWR attempted to rebuild him so he could handle the new jobs. This did not work out, resulting in Edward having poor steaming issues. He was swapped with Emily, working lighter and fewer jobs.

NWR 3 Emily (formerly GNR 1009 and W&SR 6)

Class: Great Northern Railway (GNR) Class H1 Stirling Tank; North Western Railway (NWR) Class S-S1 Stirling Tank

Basis (Inspiration): GNR Stirling Single A3, GNR G1, and B&ER 4-2-4 tank engines

Previous Owners: Great Northern Railway; Wellsworth and Suddery Railway

Built: 1882

Real-life Withdrawal: n/a

Designer: Patrick Stirling

Builder: Doncaster Works

Bio:

Emily is an experimental tank engine version of the GNR A1, A2, and A3 Stirling Singles, with a wheel config of 4-2-4T. While she did perform decently, she did not perform as they expected so she was withdrawn. The Wellsworth and Suddery Railway took interest in Emily. They purchased her from the GNR before she could be sold to a scrapyard. She worked welled on the W&SR, able to be passed down to the NWR in 1915, along with Edward. She ended up replacing Edward on the express passenger service when the latter's rebuilds proved to worsen his performance.

NWR 4 Henry

Class: North Eastern Railway (NER) Class F; North Western Railway (NWR) Class S-S5 (4-6-4T) Black Five Tank

Basis (Inspiration): NER Class D (pre-1935); LNER Class A2 (pre-1935); LMS Class 5MT Black Fives (post-1935); LMS 4MT 2-6-4T (two-cylinder) (post-1935)

Previous Owners: Unknown

Built: 1920

Real-life Withdrawal: n/a

Designer: Vincent Raven; Henry Stanier

Builder: Unknown

Bio:

Henry was built from stolen duplicates of Vincent Raven's plans of a 4-6-2T, which were derived from the NER Class D (4-4-4T). Unfortunately, these duplicate plans were the discarded designs due to uneven weights on the chassis and the use of a Schmidt boiler. He was under-powered and a hazard to operate. Sir Louis Topham Hatt I was swindled to buy Henry in 1922 when promised that Henry would be the next best thing for railways. This was when the NWR believed that they wouldn't need tender engines to run the railway. After the Flying Kipper crash, Henry was rebuilt into a new class of his own, the LMS Class 5MT Black Five Tank.

NWR 5 Gordon

Class: Great Northern Railway (GNR) Class B1; North Western Railway (NWR) Class S-G1

Basis (Inspiration): GNR Gresley Class A1, GNR Gresley Class A3, and GNR Gresley Class N2

Previous Owners: Great Northern Railway

Built: 1920 - 1923

Real-life Withdrawal: n/a

Designer: Nigel Gresley

Builder: Doncaster Works

Bio:

Gordon is an experimental tank version of the GNR Gresley A1s, in hopes of surpassing the capabilities of the Gresley N2s. This did not work out but served as a basis for the LNER V1s. He was sold off to the NWR, replacing Emily on heavy passenger duty, which was the express service for the NWR.

NWR 6 James (formerly L&YR 506, LMS 11546)

Class: Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) Class 24; NWR Class S-A25

Previous Owners: L&YR, LNWR, LMS

Built: 1919

Real-life Withdrawal: 1959 (BR number would've been 51546)

Designer: John Audley Frederick Aspinall

Builder: Horwich Works

Bio:

James was bought as he was originally built in 1925. However, Sir Bertram Topham Hatt II ordered for James to be rebuilt into a 2-6-2T. This took well over a few months until they finally came up with a decent design. Unfortunately, James' great performance came at the cost of James' loosing his memories.

#eosr but built different #ttte thomas #ttte edward #ttte emily #ttte henry #ttte gordon #ttte james #her train of thoughts #''what if'' AUs are so fun

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guerrerense · 2 months

Video

flickr

45690 'LEANDER' YORK 30/8/2018 por Matt Towe Por Flickr: West Coast Railways operated LMS Class 5 4-6-0 'Jubilee' number 45690 LEANDER pictured arriving into York station on August 30th 2018 working the 'Scarborough Spa Express'.

#flickr

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askyoungiron · 9 months

Note

Dear Green Arrow, mind telling us more about your days of the LNER and your siblings? Sounds like you got a lot of your own stories to tell.

What was a run you remember the most?

What engine was your best friend/worst enemy?

Was most of the A3's pricks as you mentioned??

What was the other Gresley engines like? (other classes then the A3's)

GREEN ARROW: My days on the LNER were quaint me and my siblings pulled express freight but we were so good that we also pulled express trains. I have a lot of stories, some involving getting into petty arguments with Black 5's and Jubilees! I still have a soft spot for those LMS lads and lasses!

The run I remember most probably wasn't a specific run. It was more, our siblings often challenged each other to beat each other's times on the fish trains. Coldstreamer always won though. Always. No one beat her time.

I've never really had a best friend. I was always kind of a loner. But my siblings were tight-knit so guess they counted.

Most of the A3s were stuck up, even the 'nicer' ones held an ego and were arrogant though. I know a few of my siblings had A3s for friends. I didn't and I never intend to.

The K4's and V class's were the ones we got along with the most. We often worked together being 'working class' engines. We'd often wager and stand together against the 'Express engines' if they interfered with our operations.

#ttte green arrow #green arrow answers

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siderods · 10 months

Text

First Post! (OCs!)

Hello all! I figure that for my first post on this site, I shoud talk a bit about my Main TTTE OCs. I have 3 main main guys that have fully customized trainz models, and then 2 more that don't.

The first 3, from left to right, are: Dean - A german Köf II shunter built in england, Dean is one of the most down to earth and clever engines around. He's very good at thinking logically and planning ahead, but he struggles with communicating. He finds it hard to put his thoughts into words and sometimes entirely misses social cues in conversations.

Hermes - A Caledonian Railway class 66, Hermes is an agreeable engine. He's optimistic, witty, relaxed, and a hard worker, but he also gets distracted quite easily and can sometimes forget important things when his train of thought is derailed.

Jayden - A freelanced 0-6-0, Jayden is an Eternal Middle Child. He's always playing second fiddle to the engines around him, despite his best efforts. He's very creative and talented, but he gets frustrated easily which leads to him just giving up on things sometimes.

Ares - An SR schools class, Ares is a very salty and bitter engine. He acts like he's somebody's ex-boyfriend but he's definitely never been able to have one date, let alone a full-on relationship. He especially likes dabbling in gossip & slanderous rumors!

Lastly, we have the only engine of my 5 mains that doesn't have a trainz model.

Angus - An Erie L-1, Angus is about the most chill someone could be. Strong as he may be, her patience is remarkable. They mainly care for their work (and not accidentally squashing any smaller engines) and almost look down on the other engines' antics like the critics from the muppets. (Also they go by literally any pronouns.)

I hope you guys enjoy these buffons as much as I do!

(Have an extra photo of Hermes in an LMS Crimson Lake paint scheme next to James, as a treat.)

#ttte oc #ttte #Hermes #Dean #Jayden #Ares #Angus #James ttte #busted's oc posts

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tornadoyoungiron · 6 months

Text

TRAINTOBER | Day 28 - Which Way Now?

Thomas gets lost on the mainland and meets Oliver Cromwell who points him the right way.

~~~

“Why does this always happen to me!?” Thomas lamented as he stared at the small quaint Station with a large frown on his face. It was no secret that Thomas’ sense of direction was extremely lacking. Which for an engine, was rather concerning all things considered.

The little station meant that they sure weren’t on the mainline and therefore not heading towards London for Gordon’s 100th Birthday celebration at King’s Cross. Sir Topham Hatt looked just as befuddled as his favourite engine.

“I am sure that this was the way Olivia said,” the man muttered looking to Thomas’s crew. Both men just stared at him blankly.

“We’re going to be late!” Thomas huffed, irritated. “Gordon’s never going to let me live it down! Henry and James made a bet that I would get lost.”

“Well, if we get there on time then no one will know,” his driver suggested but the fireman just gave a snort of mirth at that.

“I shall go and asked the station master for directions,” Thomas’s controller reluctantly lamented.

The man had hoped that he wouldn’t have had to resort to that, knowing that Thomas getting lost was a recurring joke in the books and show. He would rather not perpetuate that certain idea any further than it had to be.

Thomas sighed and looked down at the tracks as a few railway workers nearby began to gawk and take pictures of him with their phones.

Well, at least he’d make a few people happy, he thought to himself quietly. That was a positive. Yet, his worry about missing Gordon’s 100th birthday celebration hung over his mind like a cloud of miasma.

“Are you Thomas THE Tank Engine?” A voice excitedly asked and Thomas looked up at the track next to him.

A large Steam Engine was pulling in to the platform on the other side, no sign of coaches. Thomas was surprised. He hadn’t seen another steam engine on the mainland since leaving Sodor. He welcomed it though.

“I am!” Thomas smiled at the large engine. “Thomas the really useful engine at your service, er-”

“Oliver Cromwell,” the engine introduced himself. “A pleasure to meet such a famous engine in my humble abode.”

Thomas laughed heartily in response.

“So, what brings you to this neck of the woods Thomas? I’m not aware of any Galas or heritage train runs going on,” Cromwell asked and Thomas’ cheeks turned slightly red in embarrassment.

“Ah well, see I’m supposed to be heading to King’s Cross,” Thomas admitted and the other engine’s face creased into a frown.

“King’s Cross? This is by no means the way to King’s Cross, Thomas,” Cromwell pointed out. “This line heads to Scotland, not to London.”

“I took a wrong point,” Thomas confessed, incredibly embarrassed. “Silly, silly me!”

“It happens to the best of us Thomas, no need to fret,” Cromwell assured him.

“It does, but it keeps happening to me!” Thomas continued to fret despite Standard 7’s words. “I’m quite hopeless when it comes to directions.”

“I see,” Cromwell smiled. “Well, I have finished my runs for the day, I can take you as far as Stevenage. From there I’m sure one of the new engines could point you in the right direction!”

“Oh, would you be able to do that? That would just be fantastic!” Thomas enthused and Cromwell gave a low chuckle.

“It’s no problem, we engines must help each other out after all!” Cromwell exclaimed and a wide grin appeared over Thomas’ face.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself!” Thomas beamed.

~~~

Standard Class 7, Oliver Cromwell

youtube

Oliver Cromwell ‘racing’ LMS Black 5, Eric Treacy, 44932. That Black 5 engineer ain’t having none of Cromwell’s ‘overtaking’ shenanigans.

#ttte young iron #traintober #traintober 2023 #steam engines #ttte thomas #ttte fanfic #ttte oliver cromwell #ttte sir topham hatt #ttte #real railway #Youtube

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lnwrcauli · 2 months

Text

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

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burgerking-offical · 10 months

Text

time for some ttte headcanons since its pride month

No. 1- Thomas

Built 1915

Arrived 1915

Modified LBSCR E2 Class

LBSCR No. 110

0-6-0T

He/They

Cis Male

Bisexual

Atheist

No. 2- Edward

Built 1896

Arrived 1915

Modified FR K2 Class

FR No. 38

4-4-0

They/Them

Nonbinary

Pansexual

Hellenist

No. 3- Henry

Built 1917

Arrived 1922

LMS Black Five

4-6-0

He/They

Trans Male

Demisexual

Celtic

No. 4- Gordon

Built 1922

Arrived 1922

LNER A3

4-6-2

He/Him

Cis Male

Bisexual

Christian

No. 5- James

Built 1913

Arrived 1925

Modified LYR Class 28

2-6-0

He/They

Cis Male

Homosexual

Atheist

No. 6- Percy

Built 1898

Arrived 1930

Modified GWR 13XX Class

0-4-0ST

All Pronouns

Genderfluid

Pansexual

Celtic

No. 7- Toby

Built 1903

Arrived 1951

LNER J70 Class

0-6-0

He/Him

Cis Male

Homosexual

Christian

No. 8- Montague

Built 1929

Arrived 1955

GWR 57XX Class

0-6-0PT

They/Them

Nonbinary

Demisexual

Atheist

No. 9- Donald

Built 1909

Arrived 1959

CR 652 Class

0-6-0

He/Him

Cis Male

Asexual

Norse

No. 10- Douglas

Built 1909

Arrived 1959

CR 652 Class

0-6-0

They/Them

Nonbinary

Pansexual

Jewish

No. 11- Oliver

Built 1934

Arrived 1967

GWR 14XX Class

0-4-2

He/Him

Trans Male

Heterosexual

Buddhist

No. 12- Emily

Built 1895

Arrived 19XX

GNR Stirling Single

4-2-2

She/They

Trans Female

Pansexual

Muslim*

#ttte #ttte headcanons #ttte thomas #ttte humanized #ttte edward #ttte henry #ttte gordon #ttte james #ttte headcanon #ttte au #ttte percy #ttte toby #ttte duck #ttte montague #ttte donald #ttte douglas #ttte oliver #ttte emily

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hazel-of-sodor · 9 days

Note

The crop can’t get any smaller, but who is this?

Shes the C&HR's mallet, designed by Gresley himself.

I can't find the original lore post, so heres her lore

By the 1930s, the Chester and Holyhead mainline from Holyhead to Krestaen was overloaded. The railway's faithful class 5 2-8-0s rantheir goods trains as fast as was safe, but still struggled to keep up. Longer trains were not an option, as the existing trains already filled the passing sidings with mere feet to spare. The sidings could not be expanded without digging into cliffs along the line, which would risk landslides.Another route was needed. The existing mainline crossed the water at Holyhead onto Gwylan Island at Castell Hafan, then turned Northwest, climbing though farmland, plains, and forests in the heart of the Island before reaching the mountains. From there it climbed up the Llyn Pass to the capital, Krestaen. It was the clearest and best path to the city, but the path was narrow for long stretches in many places, taken up by the river Glaw. However, another line of the C&HR already came within 20 miles of the valley that held the capital city. A line ran North from Castell Hafan along the coast to the North Western port of Llanw.A path already existed between Krestaen and Llanw, and it would take minimal work to prepare it for track. Why then had the cities not already been connected then? Diawl's Bryn. The Devil's Hill. Climbing North, Northeast from the valley, the grade wound its way between the mountains with an average grade of 1 in 45 or 2.22%, in some places reaching 1 in 35 or 2.86% for short distances. For six grueling miles, the line climbed the mountain pass, before descending the 1 in 90 grade to Llanw. From there it was mostly flat running to Castell Haffan. It wasn't the steepest grade in Wales, nor the longest, but the combination was too great for the railway's existing fleet. The C&HR turned to May Traction and Railworks for an engine that could conquer the grade. A freight engine capable of making the run from Krestaen through the pass to Castell Haffan unaided. MTRW was forced to turn away the order, as such a monster was beyond their ability to manufacture. Next the C&HR turned to their mainland neighbor, the London, Midland, and Scotland Railway. The two railways had maintained a polite if distant working relationship since grouping, the the LMS running trains on the C&HR as far as Holyhead, and the C&HR running am express to London on LMS metals The LMS sent their number 4997, a 2-6-0+0-6-2 Garratt, for trials. While the engine certainly possessed the power required, the classes Achilles heel soon made itself known. The axle box design on the garratts was prone to hotboxes above 15 mph, far below the C&HR's running speed. Nonetheless, 4997 was purchased from the LMS to serve as banker until a suitable engine could be found. Several months later, a member of the C&HR board witnessed LNER U1 No.2396 banking at the Worsborough Incline . a 2-8-0+0-8-2, the U1 was the most powerful engine in Britain up to that point, and her frames were based on the LNER O4, the class the C&HR named the Class 5. The C&HR approached the LNER and its CME, Sir Nigel Gresley with their problem. The mention of the LMS's loan of 4997, and the subsequent chance to out-perform their rival, saw the LNER board order Gresley to design an engine capable of the task. Gresley spent a week watching the trains working Diawl's Bryn, before approaching the C&HR with his proposal. Rather than a Garratt like 2396, he wanted to design a simple mallet like those used in the United States. Whether Gresley truly believed a simple articulated was better suited for the C&HR than a garratt design, or if he simply wanted the chance to design such an engine is unknown; in either case, the C&HR approved the proposal. In Autumn 1933, Gresley presented the finalized design; a massive 2-6-6-4 locomotive which he dubbed the KM1.

Beyer Peacock was contracted to build the engine, and in early 1934, the KM1 left the works. With 6 cylinders and 76,000lbs of Tractive effort, she was the most powerful locomotive in Britain. She emerged in LNER Apple Green, shining in the morning light. The C&HR board, present to witness the unveiling of the engine, held a vote, and unanimously voted to name her Behemoth. Too large to travel by rail, she was delivered by sea to the harbor at Castell Haffan. Hundreds gathered to see the beast lowered onto the metals, even cold and with her fire unlit, she was an imposing presence. Two class 5 2-8-0s pulled her to Krestaen, where her fire was lit.A pair of American turntables had been purchased and installed at Krestaen and Castall Hafan in anticipation of her arrival, allowing her to be easily turned for the run to Castell Hafan. A line of 50 slate laden wagons waited as the engine backed down for her trail run, a pair of class 5's uncoupled at the back to bank the train in case of issues with the new engine. This would prove unnecessary. Behemoth charged the grade with a whistle, as was tradition on the C&HR, she was fitted with an American hooter whistle, and the echo thundered over the hills.the train had reached 30 mph when it reached the base, and the drivers of the two 2-8-0s eased their regulators, expecting the train to slow. To their shock, the train began to pull away from them, as Behemoth accelerated up the incline. They quickly caught back up, but kept having to increase the regulator as the monster at the front surged up the rails with a will. By the crest, Behemoth had broken 50mph, and the two bankers were left behind as she began the descent. Extra guard vans had been added to serve as extra braking power, but the C&HR had entrusted the 2-6-6-4 to a veteran engineer, and she skillfully kept the train in check. Behemoth would arrive in Castell Haffan ten minutes early to the cheers of the island's railfans. An order for a second engine was placed within the week, and Behemoth was soon joined by her sister Leviathan. Her arrival allowed 4997 to be sent to Beyer Peacock for a rebuild, emerging with new axleboxes, allowing her to join the two sisters on the run. By the advent of the second world war, the three engines were beginning to strain, so a third sister, Goliath, would be delivered in 1940. After the war, the facilities of MTRW would be expanded, and the C&HR would take delivery of a new Garratt design. Despite this, the three sisters would remain in service, keeping pace with the younger engines with ease.

#Ask Hazel #Hazel Asks #Hazel Q&A #LNER KM1 #LNER Mallet #LNER 2-6-6-4 #2-6-6-4 #C&HR #Chester and Holyhead Railway

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