#A2/1 Pacific

[hazel-of-sodor]

Tonight’s engine, the LNER Thompson A2/1 Pacific!

[sergeifyodorov]

who's in a playoff spot?

entering Feb 1, 2025

Everyone's making trades! Everyone's going crazy! The Rangers traded away JT Miller in 2018 when he was just entering his prime, and they traded for him like yesterday, when he's 32 and exiting it. Masterclass. The average team has played 51 and a half games. If the playoffs started today, these would be the first round matchups:

Eastern conference:

Panthers - Blue Jackets (A1-WC1)

Leafs - Senators (A2-A3)

Capitals - Lightning (M1-WC2)

Hurricanes - Devils (M2-M3) ***

Western conference:

Jets - Flames (C1-WC2) **

Stars - Wild (C2-C3) ***

Oilers - Avalanche (P1-WC1)

Golden Knights - Kings (P2-P3)

A star * is added to matchups that have not changed since last post. An additional star ** is added for each week they remain unchanged.

A lot to get through this week. Let's start in the East: Leafs-Senators seems... fun. The Leafs have gone on a bit of a cold streak of late -- some of their players are out with injury, etc, but the result is that they're 4-6-0 in their last 10 and have slipped narrowly into second in the division, where the red-hot Sens have stepped over both Bruins and Lightning ahead of them. Because of the Capitals' significant lead on the Metro (Carbery for Jack Adams), the Hurricanes-Devils are basically locked in to their matchup.

Meanwhile in the West, I am inordinately happy to announce that the Oilers have taken first place in the Pacific, meaning that Oilers-Kings is, for now, NOT HAPPENING. Thank the hockey gods. Instead, they get the Avs! Yay!

[sir-adamus]

the thing about the NieR anime is that it's really leaning into concepts from Drakengard 3

the show isn't an adaptation of the game, it's another timeline of events, which results in different characters being around, personalities being different (shown most clearly with Pascal whose peaceful goals are rooted more in him finding faith than it is strictly pacifism), things changing but the big things still playing out to the same end result

the encoded messages seen in each episode are even associated with Accord, who was observing (and later directly intervening) during Drakengard 3 (those messages also directly label A2 as a Singularity like Zero was - i believe encoded messages on the home release of season 1 say the same of 2B and 9S - a being whom these multiple timelines revolve around)

it even played in on a lesser extent in the remake of Replicant - despite being almost 1:1, it's explicitly a different timeline to the original as the novelised Ending E only had one administrator in the quantum server while the remake has two (which is a major plot point in Reincarnation as well - that there used to be only one, and the creation of the second led to several unprecedented events)

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Tuesday, 11-26-24, 8am Pacific

'Mornin' everyone, Mr. Baggins back with our Morning Coffee Music, selections to get us in gear and in good cheer on this chilly Tuesday morning. Let's start this morning off right with Bach. So far in our survey of the classic boxed set by harpsichordist Malcolm Hamilton of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier, we have heard Preludes and Fugues numbers 1 through 12. Now let's hear Nos 13, 14, and 15.

Ah, isn't that better? Only thing that could make it better is more Bach! So far in our survey of the complete Brandenburg Concerti in its 1960 reading by Karl Ristenpart, we've heard Nos 1, 2, 4, and 5. Let's listen to No. 3 this morning. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, in G Major, BWV 1048, Karl Ristenpart and The Chamber Orchestra of The Saar.

Let's turn from Bach to Vivaldi, his Trumpet Concerto in A-flat, in a classic recording by trumpeter Maurice André and Jean-François Paillard Chamber Orchestra.

Let's step from the Baroque right into the Romantic, with Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, The "Scottish" Symphony, in an exceptional performance by (now) SIR Neville Marriner and The Academy, recorded in 1994.

And as a treat, let's hear Rudy Serkin's 1959 recording of Mendelssohn's First Piano Concerto, with Ormandy/Philadelphia. This is the reference recording by which all others are measured.

Now here is a rare treat, Igor Stravinsky conducting his 1945 revision of The Firebird Suite in Japan in 1959! It doesn't get any better than this, other than the studio version of this same 1945 revision.

Now let's hear oboist Heinz Holliger with Marriner and The Academy in Telemann's Oboe Concerto in C minor, TWV 51:c1.

And to send us all off to a pleasant rest of our day, here is the Jean-Francois Paillard Chamber Orchestra, with their famous 1968 recording of Pachelbel's Canon, a "feel-good" piece if there ever was one.

That's all the space I've got for today's Morning Coffee Music. I do hope you've enjoyed the selections today! This is Mr. Baggins signing off for now, I'll return at 2pm Pacific with your Afternoon Stack of Classic Wax!

Until then, be kind, babies, be kind.

Baggins out.

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Red And Black Steam On Southern Metals (Victorian Railways RWS AU/EU)

The Island Of Sodor isn’t the only place with non-faceless vehicles.

On the other side of the world, on a railway network the size of Great Britain and every Victorian human is no more then 25 kms away from a railway line; the steam locomotives of the Victorian Railways live and work.

They breathe and suffer and love like humans; from Newport Works where many locomotives were built, to the notorious soot-caked North Melbourne Loco Depot and the 1-30 slopes of the high country at Cudgewa, known as ‘K-class Country’, and the ever stylish Spirit of Progress and The Overland; when the Oz version of the Beeching Axe and Lokodammerung strike their Broad Gauge fiefdom, their world is upended forever.

And the survivors must carry on as best they can.

This is an Extended/Alternative Universe existing parallel with the Island of Sodor and overlapping with This is Sodor: Iron Age, though the sweep of time is longer. It will feature humanisation.

The 'Red and Black' of the title refers to two common liveries, black for goods work, red for passenger work during the active days of the VR (with plenty of variation such as the blue and gold "Spirit of Progress" livery of the S-class Pacifics).

It will feature OCs of mine based on real life locomotives like VR Pocono H220 ‘Heavy Harry’, Hudson R707 ‘City Of Melbourne’ (but here called ‘Cerberus’), A2 4-6-0 No 986 (in this universe, ‘Pluto’) and others. And there will be some reference to real life personages.

These are fictional representations of locos and humans and no comment is to be inferred from them, or offense intended in their depiction.

There will be very heavy coarse language (like I said in my intro, the word ‘cunt’ being used will be the least of it) and adult themes, and be written in the Australian vernacular.

A lot of it will jump time as the mood takes me. They will be dated if possible.

[ice-to-orange-blossoms]

Edward Thompson may not have been the evil schemer that he's portrayed as, but goddamn did the man make some ugly ass Pacifics, that didn't even work very well. The good parts of the Pacifics were all due to Gresley (the A4 boiler used on the A1/1 or the P2 boiler on the A2/2) or the fact they actually maintained the things while letting Gresley's designs fail (this I don't blame on Thompson). He could make some mixed traffic designs though, although without any of the beauty before or after him.

[mitchbeck]

CALDER CUP PLAYOFF SCHEDULE RELEASED

By: Jason Chaimovich, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, MA - The AHL Playoff Games begin on Tuesday: OPENING SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED FOR 2024 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS The American Hockey League has released the following schedules for the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs opening series, including the best-of-three First Round and the best-of-five Division Semifinals. Atlantic Division First Round (best-of-3) A3-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. A6-Lehigh Valley Phantoms Game 1 - Wed., Apr. 24 - Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 Game 2 - Fri., Apr. 26 - W-B/Scranton at Lehigh Valley, 7:05 *Game 3 - Sun., Apr. 28 - Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton, 5:05 *if necessary… All times Eastern Atlantic Division First Round (best-of-3) A4-Charlotte Checkers vs. A5-Hartford Wolf Pack Game 1 - Thu., Apr. 25 - Hartford at Charlotte, 7:00 ^Game 2 - Sat., Apr. 27 - Hartford at Charlotte, 4:00 *Game 3 - Sun., Apr. 28 - Hartford at Charlotte, 4:00 *if necessary… All times Eastern lower seed designated as the “home” team for the last change North Division First Round (best-of-3) N4-Belleville Senators vs. N5-Toronto Marlies Game 1 - Wed., Apr. 24 - Toronto at Belleville, 7:00 Game 2 - Fri., Apr. 26 - Belleville at Toronto, 7:00 *Game 3 - Sun., Apr. 28 - Toronto at Belleville, 3:00 *if necessary… All times Eastern Central Division First Round (best-of-3) C4-Texas Stars vs. C5-Manitoba Moose Game 1 - Tue., Apr. 23 - Manitoba at Texas, 8:00 ^Game 2 - Thu., Apr. 25 - Manitoba at Texas, 8:00 *Game 3 - Fri., Apr. 26 - Manitoba at Texas, 8:00 *if necessary… All times Eastern The lower seed was designated as the “home” team for the last change Pacific Division First Round (best-of-3)   P2-Tucson Roadrunners vs. P7-Calgary Wranglers Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 24 – Calgary at Tucson, 10:00 ^Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 26 – Calgary at Tucson, 10:00 *Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 28 – Calgary at Tucson, 10:00 *if necessary… All times Eastern The lower seed was designated as the “home” team for the last change Pacific Division First Round (best-of-3) P3-Ontario Reign vs. P6-Bakersfield Condors Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 24 – Bakersfield at Ontario, 10:00 Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 27 – Ontario at Bakersfield, 10:00 *Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 28 – Bakersfield at Ontario, 8:00 *if necessary… All times Eastern Pacific Division First Round (best-of-3) P4-Colorado Eagles vs. P5-Abbotsford Canucks Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 24 – Abbotsford at Colorado, 9:05 ^Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 26 – Abbotsford at Colorado, 9:05 *Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 28 – Abbotsford at Colorado, 5:05 *if necessary… All times Eastern Lower seed was designated as the “home” team for lat change Atlantic Division Semifinals (best-of-5) A1-Hershey Bears vs. CLT/HFD/LV Atlantic Division Semifinals (best-of-5) A2-Providence Bruins vs. WBS/CLT/HFD North Division Semifinals (best-of-5) N1-Cleveland Monsters vs. BEL-TOR winner North Division Semifinals (best-of-5) N2-Rochester Americans vs. N3-Syracuse Crunch Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 26 – Syracuse at Rochester, 7:05 Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 28 – Syracuse at Rochester, 3:05 Game 3 – Thu., May 2 – Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00 *Game 4 – Sat., May 4 – Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00 *Game 5 – Fri., May 10 – Syracuse at Rochester, 7:05 *if necessary… All times Eastern Central Division Semifinals (best-of-5) C1-Milwaukee Admirals vs. TEX-MB winner Central Division Semifinals (best-of-5) C2-Grand Rapids Griffins vs. C3-Rockford IceHogs Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 27 – Grand Rapids at Rockford, 8:00 Game 2 – Wed., May 1 – Rockford at Grand Rapids, 7:00 Game 3 – Fri., May 3 – Rockford at Grand Rapids, 7:00 *Game 4 – Sun., May 5 – Grand Rapids at Rockford, 5:00 *Game 5 – Fri., May 10 – Rockford at Grand Rapids, 7:00 *if necessary… All times Eastern Pacific Division Semifinals (best-of-5) P1-Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. COL/ABB/BAK/CGY Pacific Division Semifinals (best-of-5) TUC/ONT/COL/ABB vs. ONT/COL/ABB/BAK Twenty-three teams qualified for the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. The first-round series are best-of-three, the division semifinals and division finals are best-of-five, and the conference finals and Calder Cup Finals will be best-of-seven. All Calder Cup Playoff games will stream live on AHLTV. In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 32 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years, the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOWLINGS   Read the full article

[alicesara611]

Goat Milk Infant Formula Market Forecast: Growth Opportunities Ahead By 2023 to 2030

The global goat milk infant formula market size was valued at US$ 1167.1 million in 2023 and is forecast to reach US$ 2147.8 million by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.7% during the forecast period.

The market growth is attributed to the increasing awareness of the health benefits of goat milk, such as its higher digestibility, lower lactose content, and hypoallergenic properties. Goat milk is also a good source of vitamins, minerals, and proteins, which are essential for the growth and development of infants.

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Another key driver of the market growth is the rising demand for goat milk infant formula from parents who are looking for natural and healthy alternatives to cow milk infant formula. Goat milk infant formula is also becoming increasingly popular among parents of infants with allergies or sensitivities to cow milk.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing market for goat milk infant formula during the forecast period. This is due to the growing population of infants in the region, as well as the rising awareness of the health benefits of goat milk.

Factors driving the growth of the goat milk infant formula market:

There are a number of factors driving the growth of the goat milk infant formula market, including:

Increasing awareness of the benefits of goat milk: Goat milk is a good source of protein, calcium, and other nutrients that are essential for the growth and development of infants. It is also easier to digest than cow's milk, making it a good option for babies with lactose intolerance or other digestive problems.

Rising demand for natural and organic products: Goat milk infant formula is often perceived as being more natural and organic than cow's milk-based formula, which is appealing to many parents.

Growing disposable income: As disposable incomes rise, parents are more willing to spend money on premium products, such as goat milk infant formula.

Key Takeaways:

The global goat milk infant formula market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.7% from 2023 to 2030. This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including:

Increasing awareness of the health benefits of goat milk formula, such as its easier digestibility and lower lactose content.

Rising disposable incomes and increasing urbanization, which are leading to a growing demand for premium and specialized infant formulas.

Growing awareness of food allergies and intolerances, which is leading to a growing demand for hypoallergenic and lactose-free infant formulas.

Regional Outlook:

The Asia Pacific region is expected to be the largest and fastest-growing market for goat milk infant formula over the forecast period. This growth is being driven by factors such as the increasing prevalence of food allergies and intolerances, rising disposable incomes, and growing awareness of the health benefits of goat milk formula.

Other key regional markets for goat milk infant formula include North America and Europe. The North American market is expected to grow at a steady pace over the forecast period, driven by factors such as the increasing prevalence of food allergies and intolerances, and the growing popularity of goat milk products. The European market is expected to witness moderate growth over the forecast period, driven by factors such as the rising disposable incomes and increasing awareness of the health benefits of goat milk formula.

Key Players:

Some of the key players in the global goat milk infant formula market include:

Ausnutria

DGC

Danone

Kabrita

Nannycare

Nestle

Saint-Allet

The a2 Milk Company

Trifecta Nutrition

Segmentation:

The global goat milk infant formula market can be segmented by type, distribution channel, and region.

By type:

First class (0~6 months)

Second class (6~12 months)

Third class (1~3 years)

By distribution channel:

Supermarkets (hypermarkets)

Retail stores

Online selling

By region:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

[jetsoday]

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[primalspice]

Sewma: A2, A3, A7, A10, A20, B2, B8, B16, C2, C3, C7, D1, D3, E4, E5, F1, F4, F6, F11, G1, G5, H7, H9, I2, I5, J3, J7, L9

sewwy...

A2: What alignment are they? Chaotic neutral, lawful evil, et cetera…

chaotic good i think.......... hes definitely out doing Good Deeds but definitely also without regard for the opinions of others opposition......or laws.....

A3: Do they have any emotional or psychological conditions? Are they aware of it? Do they try to treat it? 

honestly after all that's Happened to him he's come out relatively unscathed (MENTALLY, mentally). he's traumatized from the ivy event and is coping with it kinda strangely but if he has any degree of ptsd its not severe. besides his questionable womanmode-ing and relocation to the border (might've done that anyway even if things didnt go the way they did), he's recovering mentally better than anyone could reasonably ask of him. he's relatively neurotypical otherwise he's just a weird guy.........Horrifying.

A7: Is your OC confident in their reactions to life in general, or do they get embarrassed or easily shamed for it? I.e., if something startles them, do they insist it WAS scary? When they cry, do they feel like they overreacted?

he is OVERLY confident he thinks he is always correct never wrong ever in his life. the only person really remotely capable of shaming him into reconsidering his reactions are people particularly close to him (ivy, leslie Especially) because he cares about their opinions. otherwise, he's kinda always been the first guy to make a fuss about something without caring about the general climate of opinions. which is sometimes good but sometimes really fucking annoying LMAO. i promise he has positive opinions on things too.........somewhere in his brain.....

A10: Does your OC compromise easily? Too easily?

I'd say no but i mean....he IS housing the ex president..... i think the compromises he makes are still quite strictly limited to being made Only due to his code of ethics (career-related or otherwise). His big beliefs about pacifism and turning no one away and etc can be a little..... 'liberal' at times. he PROMMIES it will pay off in the longrun and it makes you the bigger person he prommies he prommies (he barely believes it anymore himself but hes not ready to accept such a thing)

A20: Are they harsh on themselves?

as hard as a highly arrogant person can be LOL i think he has a lot of guilt over things he couldn't/can't have control of but i think that goes hand-in-hand with the arrogance. like GRR WHY couldnt i STOP ivy from being murdered and SOLVE region-wide hunger and STOP the spread of radiation and cancer im DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT (i know this for a fact and if u tell me im not you are wrong)!!!!

B2: Do they get frustrated when lines at places like pharmacies, check-outs, delis, banks, et cetera, are moving slowly?

he does because he's an impatient and angry person but he could never admit it because that would be 1. hypocritical 2. not very leftist unionizing justice slay of him

B8: Is your OC considered funny? Do they believe they’re funny?

LMAO IDK I THINK HE TAKES HIMSELF TOO SERIOUSLY TO BE TRULY FUNNY BUT HIS RANTS ARE OVER THE TOP ENOUGH TO BE FUNNY AT TIMES. VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT SILLY SHIT.

B16: Does your OC like to be the center of attention or more in the mix?

he fucking LOVES attention. always has.

C2: Would your OC feel bad if they acted against their morals? If not, would they find a way to excuse themselves for it?

he feels bad and looks for a way to excuse himself anyway LOL once again this would only happen in one of those aforementioned conflict-of-interest type situations. he'd probably say something about how it benefits the cause in the longrun or at worst how he's constantly Learning and Evolving 😤

C3: Is it important for them to be with people (socially, intimately, whatever) whose major ideological tenets align with their own?

absolutely. important enough that he'd skip military school over it. important enough that he'd start a doctors' union and zine periodical and community-building projects and doiflkhgdfkghdfkjhfkj. its not that he CAN'T be around people he doesn't quite align with, its more like those people wont want to be around Him bcz hes obnoxious. it's part of his Identity and Community at this point (u can see why the past few years have been so painful to him)

C7: Do they believe people change over time? If so, is it a natural process or does it take effort? 

he has a ton of faith in peoples' ability to change WITH effort and community support. i think it's part of why he agreed to take harvey in. classic case of guy who thinks he can fix everyone. he IS a doctor after all cmon.

D1: How religious is your OC? What do they practice, if anything? If they don’t associate with any religion, what do they think of religion in general?

religion is pretty unspoken about in general Regionally so he doesn't really consider it much. i think if he lived in Outsider America he'd be horrified by how many wars its caused/played part in, generally speaking, and be pretty turned off by it LOL. he'd probably enjoy the stories though (only the ones that involve kindness to the less fortunate). and he'd enjoy the idea of ghosts and eternal souls and such since for now he's busy eternalizing people via the Things they've left behind. oh also i was originally gonna make him a member of some fringe religion before i even Designed him, just to make him more of a social reject ig LMAOOO. that never stuck

D3: How comfortable are they with the idea of death?

see above. he's not particularly comfortable with it mentally, like it bothers him and it specifically upsets him that it's happening so much more than it needs to, but he's gotta be able to cope with it, again, considering he's a doctor n all. he does what he can to avoid dying, personally. he's relatively careful about his health n all (as careful as one can be in region zero? LOL). he wants as much time as he can be afforded. he deeply hopes that he wont end up like his peers who have died. he doesn't want to die a gorey or painful death, he's already dealt with enough gore and pain and made it out to see the aftermath. he wasn't as afraid of dying as he should've been when he was closest to it. i think he believed he was going to live like 80% of the time as shit was going down with the ivy incident. which is strange for someone to believe foa (he is overconfident in himself in all situations) but also sucks for him because now he's gotta actively think about how he's gonna deal with his dead friend and the disfigurement he's actively undergoing while it's all happening??? GREAT.

E4: Did they enjoy school if they went to it?

absolutely not LOL he's booksmart n all but he'd skip a lot. he'd blame it on hating the structure or the prison-like qualities or something but i think the real answer is that he didn't like it because he doesn't know how to shut up and sit down for extended periods of time. guy who gets an A on all his tests but a D- in homework. once he got more hands-on in medical school he enjoyed things wayyyy more. he needs the human interaction and freedom to move around.

E5: What’s their highest education level? Do they want to continue their education?

He's been through the equivalent of medical school basically, he's current a Medical Doctor officially speaking (and practices primary care/family doctoring basically). He finished normal civilian high school, went through 2ish years of basic college-level schooling in the military then started working toward his medical license there as well. After he left the military he completed his 'residency' type training with Leslie at the community clinic mostly + her extension of her family's practice while that was a thing. He's not gonna continue his education he hates classrooms and ppl telling him what to do so much.

F1: What sort of home do they live in now, if at all? How did they end up there?

:) he lives in ivy's office that she was gonna relocate to with him and probably leslie eventually :) he IS technically a co-signer on the paperwork for it its not illegal for him to stay there. its just fucking weird LOL. especially when there's so much work to be done back in the suburbs and so few comrades to do it. he moved there a few weeks after the ivy incident because he couldn't take how tense shit was getting between him and leslie and couldn't take being reminded of everything that happened every day. he wouldn't word it that way tho.

F4: How clean are they overall with home upkeep?

not messy, but messier than you'd hope your doctor to be LOL. he's not dirty, just disorganized. HE knows where everything is but it would never be very obvious to anyone else.

F6: How much do they work? What do they do? Do they enjoy it?

he's basically on-call 24/7 but what he actually does is.....whatever he can do <3 he takes a few patients per day for checkups and prescriptions and referrals and such, basic urgent care type stuff. and he takes a lot of phonecalls from people with questions. it's definitely not what he'd prefer to be doing in terms of doctoring jobs but he's not ready to face the world and interact with more patients as he is.

F11: What are some of their favorite things to do for recreation? How did they get into it? What part of it do they like the most?

he loves to COMPLAIN RECREATIONALLY and WATCH JEOPARDY and PLAY DRESSUP (THIS IS NOT AS RECREATIONAL AS HE CLAIMS IT IS). this is SELF CARE to him. rare selma pre daily beautification routine:

G1: Is your OC close to their family?

Nah they kinda hate his ass for being difficult and he kinda hates their asses for being military scum but. he IS their only child. they probably talk once in a while but not recently. not since the ivy stuff especially.

G5: Did they go through any typical phases growing up?

idk if he had anything especially typical, he was just a kinda bougie brat LOL. probably the first kid to try alcohol Once in his friend group in middle school and brag about it really hard.

H7: What do they look for in partners? (Emotionally, mentally, physically..)

he looks for someone who has the same values as him (very important) but can also challenge him Intellectually. someone who will entertain his more abstract ideas (he wants to start a band so bad). someone who will balance his cunty femmeness.

H9: What are some things that your OC finds to be an instant turn-off in potential partners?

bad politics 😒

I2: Do they have any eating requirements or preferences? Allergies, vegetarian, organic-only, religious restrictions…

i think given his pacifism it only makes sense for him to be vegetarian but his options are pretty limited considering the Nontoxic Food Shortage......

I5: Are they a good cook?

hes not a BAD cook. hes definitely no chef tho LOL he knows how to make like 6 meals thats enough <3

J3: How politically active are they?

incredibly politically active for a guy who has like 675599484 better things to be doing. as least he Used to be that way up until the past year. he's on hiatus now because he dare not show his wretched face around his people but he still supports the cause. he's REFINING HIS PHILOSOPHY give him some time.

J7: How much interest in environmental health do they have?

very much interested, it's one of the pillars of his politics and he believes it to be one of the biggest overarching issues facing the region currently and in the future (it is). he's not extremely well-versed in environmental protection or how any of that really works, he's kinda learning as he goes/talking to other people who know more. doesnt take a rocket scientist to say 'hey maybe we need a more sustainable method of income and maybe less improper disposal of toxic waste people are dying'

L9: How did you come up with your OC?

he kinda took a longer time than the others to design/decide a specific role and personality for. had to grow on me for a while. i wanted someone to be a strong contrast to harvey tho. he fluctuated for a long time between being someone generally hated and someone generally appreciated LOL. i never really originally intended for him to be such a political person (more of an eccentric one than anything) but he eventually grew into that. plus i got like 2 more ocs out of it (his comrades) <3

[hazel-of-sodor]

So I obsess over engines on like a weekly basis, but heres some.

1. The most recent:GWR River class, specifically No.69 Avon, who will be aplearing in -A Screech in the Night' bc screw you I'm saving her.

2.LNER A2/1. Thompson's planned successor to the V2. Just quirky, oddly lovely engines.

3.Earl of Cadwor -a GWR engine fit with a unique cab and boiler for use on hills. It was later converted back but look at her! Yes I'm an LNER fangirl why do you ask?

4. Highland Railway Clan Class. The most beautiful british 4-6-0s. Just yes.

5. Gresley P1. Cackles in tractive effort. A 2-8-2 version of the A1 pacific. Yeeesssss.

6. This friendly little mogul is converted into a diesel switcher in Louisiana, and served in that condition until at least the late 70s. 11/10 shes doing her best <3

7. L&YR class 7 Atlantic's. Nicknamed high fliers due to their abnormally high boiler postition and high speed, these were regularly clocked at over 90mph, and two claimed 100 before turo did. Also my beta calls them giraffes.

8. QJ. Just the steam engine. Wonderful. Best thing China ever made. I want one. Theres actually three in America, and I need to see them.

9.Turbomotive my beloved. Found a custom oo model on ebay and I've been in love ever since. Crews called her Gracie Fields (after a famous singer at the time) due to her unique exhaust beat.

10.GT3. A gas turbine Loco, this is just so precious. An engine that was loved by crews, but she took so long to build modern styles of diesels were already around. Imagine if she had been built quickly.

Alright people! I have a question for you all.

What locomotive (Steam/Diesel/Electric/Whatever) do you love like it's a favourite of yours, or love so much that it could almost be call an obsession?

(That's a bad thing btw)

For me it's the:

NBR H Class Atlantics

GWR 4000 Class

PRR T1

LNER A1/A3's

VR S Class

[hazel-of-sodor]

Hazel Locomotive Shops presents the LNER A2/1 Pacific. In 1944, Edward Thompson ordered the last four ordered Gresley V2 2-6-2s to be built to his own modified 4-6-2 design. Built in 1944-45, The four engines were meant to be the successor to the V2, part of Thompson's  standardization plan. In reality, all four would be scrapped before V2 withdrawls began. In my Au, No.508 Duke of Rothesay would be saved by private buyer Gywneth Amari for an undisclosed sum. In 1966 Amari would purchase the recently closed Great Central line from British Rails, and 508 was overhauled at Doncaster, pulling the reopening train for the new London New Eastern Railway. She has since become the symbol of the railway's heritage operations. She completed her most recent overhaul in 2016, and recently doubled-headed a heritage special with fellow LNER Pacific 60103 Flying Scotsman to celebrate the latter’s 100th birthday.

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

Douglas XA2D-1 Skyshark

On 25 June 1945, Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) asked Douglas Aircraft for a turbine-powered, propeller-driven aircraft. Three proposals were put forth in the next year and a half: the D-557A, to use two General Electric TG-100s in wing nacelles; the D-557B, the same engine, with contra-props; and the D-557C, to use the Westinghouse 25D. These were cancelled, due to engine development difficulties, but BuAer continued to seek an answer to thirsty jets.

On 11 June 1947, Douglas got the Navy's letter of intent for a carrier-based turboprop. The need to operate from Casablanca-class escort carriers dictated the use of a turboprop instead of jet power. The advantages of turboprop engines over pistons was in power-to-weight ratio and the maximum power that could be generated practically. The advantage over jets was that a turboprop ran at near full RPM all the time, and thrust could be quickly generated by simply changing the propeller pitch.

A production A2D-1 in flight.While resembling the AD Skyraider, the A2D was an entirely different airplane, as it had to be, the XT-40-A2 at 5,100 hp (3,800 kW) having more than double the horsepower of the Skyraider's R3350. Wing root thickness decreased, from 17% to 12%, while both the height of the tail and its area grew. Engine development problems delayed the first flight until 26 May 1950, made at Muroc by George Jansen. Allison failed to deliver a "production" engine until 1953, and while testing an XA2D with that engine, test pilot C. G. "Doc" Livingston pulled out of a dive and was surprised by a loud noise and pitch up. His windscreen was covered with oil and the chase pilot told Livingston that the propellers were gone. The gearbox had failed. Livingston successfully landed the airplane. By the summer of 1954, the A4D was ready to fly. The escort carriers were being mothballed, and time had run out for the troubled A2D program.Due largely to the failure of the T40 program to produce a reliable engine, the Skyshark never entered operational service. Twelve Skysharks were built. Most were scrapped or destroyed in accidents, and only one is believed to have survived.

Douglas XA2D-1 Skyshark

Last revised October 24, 2001

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Douglas A2D Skyshark was intended as a successor to the Douglas AD Skyraider. It appeared at a time when the Navy was reluctant to use pure jet aircraft on its aircraft carriers, and it was powered by a turboprop engine. Although it had substantial performance improvements over the Skyraider, there were serious reliability problems with its engine, and the program was cancelled after only a few examples were built, and the aircraft never entered operational service with the Navy.

On June 25, 1945, with the war in the Pacific still in progress, Douglas was asked by the Navy to explore the possibility of producing a turboprop-powered carrier-based attack aircraft. At that time, the Navy was reluctant to consider pure jet aircraft for its carriers because of the high fuel consumption of the jet engines of the day and the resulting short ranges and low endurance times. Nevertheless, it was assumed that Navy attack planes might eventually be called upon to go up against an enemy equipped with jet fighters, and the Navy wanted an aircraft that could survive in such an environment and deliver its weapons successfully on the target. It was thought that an engine thrust approximately twice that which was currently available in the most powerful piston engines would be required to make it possible for an attack aircraft to be able to fly unescorted against enemy jet fighter opposition and still have an useful range and payload. The XBT2D-1 (the prototype of what later would be the AD Skyraider had only just flown a couple of months earlier. The aircraft, if it were ordered, would have been naturally designated XBT3D-1.

Douglas initially followed three separate strategies. The first was the Model D-557A which was to be owered by two General Electric TG-100 turboprops housed in wing nacelles, the second was the Model D-557B which was powered by a pair of nose-mounted TG-100 engines driving contrarotating propellers, and the third was the D-557C powered by as single Westinghouse 25D engine. These proposals went as far as the construction of a mockup, but plans to convert a XBT2D-1 to turboprop power were cancelled after developmental problems were encountered with the turboprop engines.

In the meantime, the Navy had contacted several aircraft engine manufacturers to develop the turboprop engine further. The Allison Division of General Motors submitted a proposal for a twin axial-flow turbine mounted in parallel and driving a contrarotating propeller via a common reduction gearbox. A Navy contract was awarded to Allison in December of 1945 for development of this engine under the designation XT40-A.

By late spring of 1947, the Navy had revised its requirements. Not only did the new attack aircraft have to be able to defend itself against enemy jet fighters, it now had to be able to participate in air-to-air combat. It was also necessary that the aircraft be able to operate from CVD-55 Casablanca class carriers. A combat radius of 600 nautical miles with a reduced bomb load was required.

Although the requirements were indeed difficult, Douglas went ahead and submitted a proposal, based on the Allison XT40 engine. The new aircraft was designated XA2D-1, and on September 25, 1947 two prototypes were ordered (BuNos 122988 and 122989).

Initially, the XA2D-1 was to have been a fairly straightforward adaptation of the AD Skyraider airframe to accommodate the T40 engine, but it soon became apparent that in order to take full advantage of the additional power that would be available from the XT40, the airframe would have to be entirely redesigned. The result was essentially an entirely different aircraft, one which bore only a superficial resemblance to the Skyraider.

Like the Skyraider, the XA2D-1 was a low-winged aircraft, but the wing root thickness ratio was reduced from 17 percent to 12 percent. The wing leading edge was no longer straight, but with a significant wing root extension. The wing had a moderate taper in plan and thickness. It was hinged at the midsection (just outboard of the main underwing pylon) for folding aboard aircraft carriers. The main undercarriage members retracted backwards and rotated through 90 degrees to lie flat in wheel wells inside the wing. Both the tailwheel and the arrester hook were fully retractable.

The fuselage was somewhat longer and deeper than that of the Skyraider. The cockpit was somewhat farther forward than it was on the AD series of aircraft, which provided good visibility during landing. The cockpit was pressurized, and was covered with a canopy which slid to the rear. Unlike in the Skyraider, the canopy was not entirely transparent--there were two oval glass panels on either side of the pilot, plus a glass panel immediately above the pilot's head. The pilot was equipped with an upward-firing ejection seat.

The engine was the Allison XT40-A-2, rated at 5100 eshp and 830 lb of residual thrust. The engine had two Model 501 (XT-38-A) gas turbines mounted side-by-side and connected to a common reduction gearbox. The gearbox drove a set of co-axial propeller shafts that turned a pair of three-bladed -14-foot diameter contrarotating propellers. The two power sections could drive both propellers independently when the other section was declutched. In cruise, one of the T38s could be shut down to increase range and endurance. The engine was mounted in mid-fuselage below the pilot, and was fed by a pair of intakes, one on each side of the lower part of the nose between the wing leading edge and the contrarotating propellers. There were large exhausts on the lower rear fuselage, one on each side, just behind the wing trailing edge.

Armament was to be 4 20-mm T31 cannon in the wings, with 200 rounds per gun. The offensive armament was to be carried entirely externally, 11 stations being fitted. The three major stations (one underneath the fuselage and one under each inner wing) could carry a 200-lb bomb, a torpedo, a rocket, or a 300 US-gallon drop tank. The minor outer underwing stations could each carry a single 5-inch HVAR rocket or equivalent store.

Provision was also made for the Skyshark to carry the AN/APS-19A radar, with the scanner being located inside the extreme nose of the propeller spinner.

The first XA2D-1 made its maiden flight on March 26, 1950. Almost immediately, severe engine vibration problems appeared. These would have to be overcome if the aircraft were ever to be suitable for Navy service.

The Korean War gave a new urgency to Navy carrier-based aircraft needs. Despite the fact that Skyshark program had encountered some severe developmental problems, further examples were ordered. On June 30, 1950, ten production A2Ds were ordered (BuNos 125479/125488). On August 18, 1950, 81 more Skysharks were ordered (BuNos 127962/128042). Plans were made for a Skyshark production line at El Segundo, California, and several subcontractors were identified.

In the meantime, the results of the test flight program were going from bad to worse. Not only were the engine vibrations still present, tests now uncovered problems with bearing failures, reduction gear failures, and overheating of the fuselage skin in the region of the engine exhausts. To make things even worse, the first XA2D-1 prototype crashed on December 19, 1950, killing pilot Lt Cdr Hugh Wood. An investigation later determined that the failure of one of the Model 501 units during a test dive was most likely the cause.

The second XA2D-1 (BuNo 122989) did not fly for the first time until Apr 3, 1952. During the test flight sequence, the protruding rear fuselage engine exhausts were replaced by flush exhausts. The fin and rudder were revised, and the aircraft had a bare metal finish as opposed to the blue-black paint scheme of the first prototype. The accessory gearbox was relocated from the top to the bottom of the engine. The number of compressor stages in the engine were increased from 17 to 19, which was the planned production version of the engine, the YT40-A-6A. The engine was equipped with an automatic decoupler to separate individual power units from the drive shaft in the event of a failure. However, the problems with the Allison turboprop engine were still there.

The problems with the Allison T40 seemed to be insoluble, and the Navy was now beginning to have doubts about whether the Skyshark would ever be turned into a reliable aircraft. In addition, Skyraider production was continuing at Douglas, and the plane appeared to be satisfying the Navy's attack aircraft needs for at least the next few years. Furthermore, the Navy was developing a new confidence in the suitability of pure jet aircraft on its carrier decks. This led to a growing disenchantment with the A2D program. In mid 1952, the Navy project office in charge of the A2D recommended cancellation of the project, and later that year the Navy cancelled most of the production A2Ds that were on order, leaving only ten remaining. This cancellation had the effect of freeing up space on the Douglas production line for more AD Skyraiders and freeing up developmental money for the A4D Skyhawk.

The first production A2D-1 (BuNo 125480) flew for the first time on June 10, 1953, with George Jansen at the controls. Four more planes on the order (125479, 125481, 125482, and 125483) were delivered later in the year. The flight testing continued, but there were still problems with engine and gearbox failures, and a spate of accidents continued to beset the program. 125480 suffered a gearbox failure and crashed near Lake Los Angeles on August 5, 1954. The pilot ejected safely. The last four aircraft on the order (125485/125488) were completed, but were never flown.

In April of 1953, the second XA2D-1 (BuNo 122988) was seconded to Allison to assist them in resolving the problems with the T40 turboprop. Under the terms of the contract cancellation, Douglas was supposed to make two previously stored A2D-1s (125481 and 125484) flight ready and deliver them to Allison. 125484 was to be assigned to the naval storage facility at Litchfield Park in Arizona, but was delivered instead to Edwards AFB for use by Allison. After the completion of the tests, Allison disposed of all three of their their aircraft. One was transferred to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland for armament tests, a second was sent to the Naval Air Material Center for barrier tests, and a third went to NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island for technical use. The remaining Skysharks at the Douglas plant were scrapped.

Only one Skyshark is believed to survive today. It is 125485, which never flew. Instead of being scrapped by Douglas, it was used (minus its engine) for ground radar calibration at the Los Angeles International Airport. It was later given to the Planes of Fame museum. I am unaware of its current status.

Specification of Douglas XA2D-1 Skyshark

Engine: One Allison XT40-A-2 coupled turboprop, 5100 eshp Performance: Maximum speed 501 mph at 25,000 feet. Cruising speed 276 mph. Initial climb rate 7290 feet/minute. Service ceiling 48,100 feet. Combat range 637 miles. Maximum range 2200 miles. Weights: Empty weight 12,900 pounds. Loaded weight 18,700 pounds. Maximum weight 22,960 pounds. Dimensions: Wingspan 50 feet 0 inches, Length 41 feet 2 1/2 inches, height 17 feet 0 3/4 inches, Wing area 400 square feet. Armament: Four 20-mm cannon in wings. Maximum external ordnance load 5500 pounds.

Serials of Douglas A2D Skyshark

122988/122989Douglas XA2D-1 Skyshark

c/n 7045/7046

125479/125488Douglas A2D-1 Skyshark

c/n 7590/7599

125485/125488 completed but not flown

127962/128042Douglas A2D-1 Skyshark

contract cancelled

132793/133042Douglas A2D-1 Skyshark

contract cancelled.

134438/134445Douglas A2D-1 Skyshark

contract cancelled.

Shark with No Teeth--The Story of the Douglas A2D Skyshark, Francis Allen, Air Enthusiast, Vol 53, 1994.

McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920, Vol 1, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1988

American Combat Planes, 3rd Edition, Ray Wagner, Doubleday, 1982.

Via Flickr

[psychothrillcologne]

CLAUS BACHOR spinnin' NACHTAKTIV @ 674.fm Cologne 09-05-2020 Still no new "Post-Corona" club life in Germany! And so there is only one more recourse to one of the many 674.fm radio broadcasts hosted by Psycho Thrill Cologne. It doesn't always have to be the obvious peak-time tracks that make the sweat drip from the ceiling in the club. In his mix for the NACHTAKTIV collective in Cologne, Claus Bachor deliberately uses the category of tracks that DJs and vinyl nerds often only discovered for themselves at the second attempt and then made a club hit. Tracks that are no less hypnotic and just as natural at the end of the day, mesmerizing and hypnotizing every dancer and continue to do so. The following 27 vinyl club classics from 1994-2003 all turn out to be timeless in their own way, like "4evr young", simply efficient on today's floor. TRACK LISTING 01 CHRISTOPER JUST: Dobuito [ B2-track from “House 2” Cheap 12CHEAP 045 A 12” | 2004 ] 02 MEGALON [LAGGY PANTELLI & ZENO MESSIS]: Incantation [ B-side from “Semblance / Incantation” Plink Plonk Plk-003 UK Promo/WL-12” | 1993 ] 03 DEEPCHORD [ROD MODELL]: Electromagnetic Dowsing (The Final Step) _ Mike Huckaby remix 3 [ C-side from “E.D. (The Final Step)” SYNTH 001-C US ss Promo/BL-12” / Record Time | 2005 ] 04 DEEPCHORD: Electromagnetic Dowsing _ Mike Huckaby remix 2 [ B-side from “Electromagnetic Dowsing” SYNTH 001 US Promo/WL-12” / Record Time | 2005 ] 05 SHAKE [ANTHONY SHAKIR]: Breathe Deeper [ B-side from “Iconoclastic Diaries” Frictional Recordings FRCT-002 / Record Time Promo-WL-12” | 1995 ] 06 SUNRISE SOCIETY [ANDY SMITH & SIMON DONOHUE]: Astral Travel _ Sterac Remix [ B-side from “Matter” Pacific Records fic-010 UK Promo/WL-12” | 1997 ] 07 ACID SCOUT [RICHARD BARTZ]: Balance [ A-side from “Balance EP” Disko B DB-022 Promo/GRE-12” / EFA | 1994 ] 08 BILLY DALLESANDRO: Ocean Theme [ B-side from “Liquid Stimulationz” Force Inc. Music Works FIM-225 Promo/WL12” | 2002 ] 09 SYQUEST [DAMON WILD]: Centecon [ B1-track from “Freeforms EP” Synewave SW-008 Promo/WL-12” | 1995 ] 10 AUSGANG II [STEVE STOLL]: Untitled A [ A-side from “The Journey Continues ...” Synewave SW-006 UD Promo/WL-12” | 1994 ] 11 DAMON WILD & STEVE STOLL: Feed The Machine [ A-side from V.A. “New York To Midwest” Analog Records USA Analog-7 US Promo/WL-12” | 1994 ] 12 PLANET GONG [DYLAN HERMELIJN]: Phase Shiftin' [ B2-track from “The Love I Lost” Djax-Up-Beats DJAX-UP-311 Promo-12” | 1999 ] 13 DJ BOOM [Charles Webster & Matthew Herbert]: Kinda Kickin' [ Phonography GRAPH-05 UK ss Promo-12” | 1999 ] 14 PLANET GONG: Hurt Me, Hurt Me! [ A1-track from “The Love I Lost” Djax-Up-Beats DJAX-UP-311 Promo-12” | 1999 ] 15 EQUINOX [DAN WILD & PETER DEMARCO]: Into The Battle _ Joey Beltram Remix [ “Into The Battle J.B.Remix” Synewave SW-038 US ss Promo/WL-12” | 1998 ] 16 JOEL MULL: Untitled B2 [ B2-track from “Code Red 05” CODE RED 05 SWE 12” | 1998 ] 17 TITONTON DUVANTE: Inuendo _ Rue East (Mark Broom & Dave Hill) Remix [ B1-track from “Voyeurism Remix” STARBABY 002 US Promo/WL-12” | 1999 ] 18 AUBREY [ALLEN SAEI]: Stressed Squares [ A1-track from “Stressed Squares” Solid Groove SG-021 UK 12” | 2000 ] 19 JEFF MILLS: B2F-7 [ B2-track from “From The 21st Pt. 2” Axis AX-019 FV Promo/BL-12” | 2004 ] 20 ROBERT HOOD: Who Taught You Math? [ C1-track from “Point Blank” Peacefrog Records PFG-027LP UK 2x12” | 2002 ] 21 JEFF MILLS: Clark [ A1-track from “From The 21st Pt. 2” Axis AX-019 FV Promo/BL-12” | 2004 ] 22 MARK AMBROSE: Looney Rotator [ A2-track from “Stressed Squares” Solid Groove SG-021 UK 12” | 2000 ] 23 UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE: Sweat Electric _ Vocal [ A-side from “Sweat Electric” Somewhere In Detroit S.I.D.-001 / Submerge US 12” | 1994 ] 24 UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE: Lunar Rhythms [ A-side from “Soundpictures EP” Somewhere In Detroit S.I.D.-003 / Submerge US 12” | 1995 ] 25 M.I.A. feat. TEK BROTHERS [Ray7/ Raphael Merriweathers Jr. & André Womack]: All I See [ A-side from “All I See / Experiment 7” Local 3000 L-3000-5 / Submerge US 12” | 2003 ] 26 BRANDON CALLOWAY: Jit Beat #1 [ A-side from

“Jit Beats” Local 3000 L-3000-4 / Submerge US 12” | 2003 ] 27 THE FREAKAZOIDS [KEVIN LANCASTER, LEE COOMBS, NICK SLATER]: What Is A Dub? [ B-side from “What Is A DJ?” Zoid Recordings ZOID-006 UK Promo/WL-12” | 2000 ] All about Claus Bachor/ Psycho Thrill Cologne

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Monday, 11-25-24, 7pm Pacific

Welp, it has definitely been a Monday, hasn't it? Mr. Baggins here with some music to soothe your achin' nerves and help ease us all into a good night. Let's start the evening off with the music of Debussy, his "Nocturnes", L.91. No. 1 Nuages ("Clouds"), No. 2 Fêtes ("Festivals"), and No. 3 Sirènes ("Sirens") , performed by The Montreal Symphony, led by Charles Dutoit.

Now let's hear our Brazilian friend Guiomar Novaes, with her wonderful 1957 recording of the Op. 9 and Op. 15 Nocturnes from Book 1 of Chopin's Nocturnes.

Now we turn from Chopin to Haydn; we hear his Symphony No. 102, from a live recording made in 1971. Here is Lenny with The Vienna.

Let's hear them do Brahms' fourth and final Symphony, the Symphony No. 4, in E-minor, Op. 98, from a recording made ten years later, live, in 1981.

Next we hear the Beaux Arts Trio, with another of the Piano Trios of Beethoven. From a live performance, we hear them play The "Ghost" Trio in D Major, Op 70, No. 1. Splendid performance!

Next let's hear a unique performance of Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, the "Death and the Maiden" quartet, in a version for string orchestra, performed by Seiji Ozawa, leading the Mito String Orchestra.

Next we have a real treat: the legendary Fritz Kreisler playing seven of his own works with orchestral accompaniment led by Donald Voorhees, recorded live for a radio broadcast in 1945! Here is Fritz Kreisler playing his own most popular works on The Bell Telephone Hour, the Complete Program from April 16, 1945. We hear his Concerto in the style of Vivaldi, Old Refrain, Liebesfreud, Liebesleid, Schon Rosmarin, Rondino on a Theme By Beethoven, Tambourin Chinois, and Caprice Viennois.

Now let's hear Fritz Kreisler, this time with Sergei Rachmaninoff at the piano, in their landmark 1928 recording of Grieg's Violin Sonata No. 3, in C minor, Op. 45., from a truly HISTORIC series of recordings the two made together on RCA Victor.

To wind things up this evening, I thought we might hear Elly Ameling, Soprano, Hans Deinzer, Clarinet, and Jörg Demus, Piano (made by Franz Rausch, Wien 1835), performing that glorious bit of Schubert known as "Der Hirt Auf Dem Felsen", or "The Shepherd on the Rock", Op.129, D.965., from their legendary recording made in 1965.

And with the dulcet tones of a young Miss Ameling, we bring this evening's program to a close. I do hope you've enjoyed the selections this evening, and maybe heard something new to your ear. This is Mr. Baggins signing off for this evening. I'll return at 8am Pacific with Morning Coffee Music.

Until then, dream sweet dreams, babies, dream sweet dreams.

Baggins out.

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Heavy Harry And The Three Railway Engines (Red And Black Steam On Southern Metals, CW: Some coarse language)

This next one was actually the first RWS-type story outside of Sodor I ever wrote featuring my VR OCs. I was obsessed with the idea that the RWS books did exist within the Island Of Sodor, which is not an uncommon idea in the fandom...

But I don't think anyone did a story where locomotives outside of Sodor and existing in the same reality as Sodor actually read the RWS.

Heavy Harry And The Three Railway Engines

Newport Locomotive Depot and Works, late December 1950

The mighty VR H-Class Pocono H220 “Heavy Harry” has settled in his shed for the night. He has an express passenger train tomorrow to the border town of Albury all the way in New South Wales, the next state over across the Murray River, and needs plenty of rest. He is the largest locomotive built locally in Australia and the largest non-articulated loco in the Southern Hemisphere.

Somehow, it doesn’t really go to his head, probably because he pulls a lot of goods trains as well, overnights to Albury and back (VR seems to give everyone plenty of mixed work, not even the snooty S-classes are above pulling goods trains every now and again). It gives him ample opportunity to show his strength, for no other class of locomotive in Australia is stronger than he.

He is dark and shining in his majesty, painted in standard VR all-black; the imported American bar frames upon which his whole being is built, the pilot out the front and enormous smoke deflectors give him a proud and armored look.

Unlike the suave, stylish S-class Pacifics who are the lords of the fleet; who hid all their machinery under dark blue and gold streamlining, he unabashedly shows off his rugged mechanical lumps and bumps. He needs to be rugged if he is to mount the 1-50 and 1-44 inclines of the North Eastern Line on a daily basis, such as his purpose.

Near him is in the next berth the old fashioned, black VR A2 4-6-0 No 986 “Pluto”, who also pulls passengers, though not as often these days. He’s an older fellow that plays the doddering old man, but he’s sharp and cunning and won’t hesitate to take the piss out of anyone who he thinks is stupid.

“Your driver is coming to tuck you in and give you a kiss, Har’! Has he got a glass of warm milk?” giggles Pluto.

“He might be coming to change your adult nappy, Pluto!” snickers Harry.

“He’d better be dressed all sexy-like in a nurse outfit if he’s going to do that! Give me a sponge bath too! That’d make my night!”

They’re both laughing like crazy by the time Harry’s driver reaches them.

“Ready for bed?” his voice echoes.

“Just settling in, Driver…” says Harry

“Have a squiz at this!” His driver cheerfully, and shows him a tiny yellow book, The Three Railway Engines, “Just published! I bought it to read to me kids! I thought it would be fun to show you, Har’.”

Harry was curious at the little book.

“They have living locomotives in Britain as well?”

“Of course they do!… We’re not the only living ones out there! Its impossible!” barks Pluto.

Driver carefully reads the simple stories and shows up the pictures in front of Harry so he can appreciate them. Their faces are grey, like that of the Australian locomotives, but their classes and types are difficult to discern from the artwork.

Pluto listens in with interest.

“Blimey, Gordon is such a limp prick!” exclaims Pluto.

“That hill looks pissy as! Surely the A3 can’t be as great as they say if it struggles on a little hillock!.. “ snickers Harry.

They go to the next story.

“Pluto, there’s a 4-6-0 in this book!” exclaims Harry.

“Good for him! I hope he’s as splendid as me…” puffs Pluto, then suddenly the sound of snoring came from that berth.

“Heh! Old coot!”

They continue reading the stories.

After finishing the book, Driver asks “What do you think, Har’?”

“I’m not sure…”, Harry is a little uneasy.

“Whats the matter, boy? Don’t you like it?”.

Harry kept flickering his eyes to the side.

“I don’t like the story of Henry getting shut up in a tunnel… I don’t think he deserved his punishment…”, he looks down towards his bufferless footplate.

“He sure deserved his punishment! What a princess! Imagine stalling cuz you’re afraid of a few drops of rain? What a total pillock!” he laughed.

Driver thought it was very funny, but Harry didn’t think so.

“Sir, would you like it if the coppers threw you in jail because you went on strike over something?” he said with uncharacteristic solemnity.

Driver frowned at the realisation. He had joined the strike that year and Harry had struck a nerve.

“Have you been talking to one of the Communist locos, Har’?”

“No! Why? Didn’t you join the enginemen’s strike too? The one we locomotives wholeheartedly supported? And it made things better for everyone? Because that the promises that fucking terrible Pig Iron Bob bloke made didn't come true? ”

“Fair point, Harry… but striking for better pay and conditions is one thing… being silly over paint is another…”

“How do we know he’s being silly over paint? Just because the author said so?

'The stupid newspapers said you were all Communists or puppets of Communists! The other drivers were complaining about it!

‘They made the locos so silly-looking too! Like kiddies and children’s toys! Do they really look this silly in England?” grunted Harry.

“I don’t think these are meant to be literal, Harry…I mean, the paintings aren’t the most accurate depictions of locomotive types.. you can’t even see what classes they’re supposed to be…I mean, Henry’s a 4-6-0 in one picture and a Pacific in another!”

“Pacifics! Feh! Wankers!” yelled Pluto in his sleep ,“Too good for pulling goods eh? Why I oughta take them by the scruff and rub their noses in boiler sludge! ...” , snoring resumes.

“Do you think the Thin Commissioner would come down personally if one of us were to stall in a tunnel just to yell at the passengers, have them try to pull a 200-tonne locomotive with full consist, then lose his temper and brick it up?” asked Harry.

“No, Harry, that would be silly and absurd. But in the book, the Fat Controller is on the train… but I do get your point...”

“That Fat Controller must be a child, if his solution to Henry being silly in a tunnel is to brick him up and leave him there. The board of directors must have been spitting chips at that!”

Driver shrugged, “They’re just stories in a book, Harry. Not a thing to get upset over… I must admit now that you bring it up, it is a bit stupid in the way they seem to run it, leaving a perfectly good engine in his shed… then sending a wholly unsuitable locomotive to do a goods run on a steep hill… then bricking up another one in a tunnel...”

“Anyway Har’, best not think about it too hard… big journey tomorrow! Nighty night!”

Just stories… Harry thought.

And he put his discomfort away, and tried to get some sleep even though Pluto snored like it was going out of fashion.

Here are a couple of true events referred to for context:

Previous to the events of the story, there had been a major strike by the enginemen of the VR for better pay and conditions. Things that were promised to them when the war ended were not given to them. They were exhausted and a lot of the locomotives were in terrible shape because no one could afford to maintain them as often as they should. The railway workers union AFULE called a major strike which lasted for 55 days, and most of their demands were met by the VR.

The "Pig Iron Bob" referred to in the story is Sir Robert Menzies, the arch-Conservative Prime Minister of Australia at the time of the story. He was infamous as Attorney General for letting the sale of raw iron to the Empire of Japan even as it was clear they were allied with the Nazis and were committing atrocities all across Asia, such as the Massacre of Nanking.

The unions and every right-thinking Australian hated this and they refused to load iron on ships bound for Japan: