#Ashton the steam engine

[goblin-iz-whack]

Rusty: What's Dad's name?

Little Ashton: Dad.

Rusty: And What's Papa's name?

Little Ashton, imitating Rusty yelling at GB: GREASEBAAAAALL

[trainalt22]

NEW AND IMPROVED ✨️CHARACTER PROFILES✨️ GET THE LORE WHILE ITS HOT PEOPLE

Name: Jamie Alrick

Age: 23

Occupation: NWR#1 Fireman

Likes: The cold, chocolate, photography and RPG games

Dislikes: being hot, narcissists, tight clothes and being late

Bio: Born on Sodor to Richard and Alice Alrick in March of 2000. Unfortunately, Rick's wife Alice was infertile so a surrogate was needed. Even more unfortunate is that the surrogate (that was randomly chosen) was the rich CEO of a British-American business empire, Janice Weddle. When her only son died in 2007, she took the Alricks to court over custody for Jamie. She won in 2008 due to less than ethical means, taking Jamie from the loving family he had grown up in and placing him into a cold and calculated corporation where his every move was judged. He was put under severe stress. All he wanted was to go home, but he was alone in a different country, so he could only revel in the small comforts, like the gifts his family on Sodor would send him for Christmas and his birthday, which were irreplaceable.

He ran away from home in 2016, living on the streets for 2 years before he scrounged up enough money for a plane ticket to England, where he showed up at the Alrick household back on Sodor. He was welcomed with open arms, but the trauma from his childhood made it hard for him to acclimate to a more relaxed environment.

He moved to the mainland in 2019 for studies and work, enjoying being on his own greatly, until he received a call from his mother in early 2023 urgently sending for him to return to Sodor due to his father's untimely passing.

Name: Amilea Lilian Collins

Age:21

Occupation: NWR #12 fireman

Likes: sweets, the fall season, steam locomotives, knifes

Dislikes: Bigotry, the summer, Spicy food, being bossed around

Personality: she's sly sarcastic but never rude she tries her best to be as open minded and friendly as possible

Bio: Born in September of 2003 to her family her mother, Lidia Collins, her father, Maxwell Collins, and her brother, Ashton Collins. Most of her early childhood, Amilea naturally gravitated to her female classmates, which Maxwell found especially concerning because Amilea was AMAB.

During her later years, she discovered herself and transitioned with the support of her mother and brother.

However, her father kicked her out, devastating her. Luckily, her brother took her in while he worked at the NRM. It was then that she developed her love for locomotives of all types.

In her spare time, she worked on heritage railways all over the UK. It helped that her brother was recently promoted to lead mechologist for the NRM, and she used him as a reference to get on the footplate of some of the most famous preserved engines in the UK.

She applied to the NWR as soon as she hit 21 for an engine crew position. She got an interview, so she traveled to the small island of Sodor by rail, where she met someone who she thought could use a hand.

She was never extroverted, but if she got the job, it could be worth it if she tried to present herself as she always wanted to. So, she went up to him, offering her help.

When they went their separate ways, he seemed in higher spirits, and Ami felt glad that she could help someone in need.

Unfortunately, her interview had to be postponed to a few days later due to an emergency. But when she finally did get her interview, she was hired.

She found a studio apartment near Arlesburgh. It wasn't cheap, but it was leagues cheaper than an apartment in Tidmouth. Her brother helped her move everything in, wishing her the best in starting this new chapter of her life.

Name: Riley Mcdoon

Age: 26

Occupation: NWR#6 fireman

Likes: older woman, programming, hanging out with his drinking buddies and musicals

Dislikes: keith, rain, and snow

Personality: burtaly honest but rude hell tell you when your outta line or have to shape up but when your on his good side he's funny and charming

Bio: Born in Wales in August of 1997 to Michael and Ashley McDoon, he inherited his Irish accent from.

During his early childhood to late teens, he was a troublemaker and was on a first-name basis with almost every officer in Cardiff. However, by the time he went to college, he mellowed out while volunteering on the Talyllyn Railway.

He inherited a house in Ffarquhar from his great aunt and moved there. Originally hired as a signalman on the North Western, after he completed his training, he became a fireman and has been doing it ever since.

Name: Phi Montley

Age: 23

Occupation: NWR#7 Fireman

Likes: being left alone, the sounds of steam engines, Toby, walks in the forest

Dislikes:loud noises, people, crowed spaces, tomatoes

Personality: quite and rarely speaks but if you piss them off you will wish you Hadn't

Bio: Born in January of 2000, Phi had a good early life. They and their mother, Melissa Montley, lived in Ffarquhar until 2008, when a car accident claimed her life.

Unfortunately, the accident had a lasting effect on Phi. They didn't speak for almost a year afterward, and when they finally did, it was only to warn her grandfather, Wilfred (who was now their guardian), about a plank of wood that was going to hit him in the head.

Phi still lived in Ffarquhar for most of their life after their mother's accident. They tried moving away a few times, but it never worked out.

Wilfred was just happy to have someone around after the death of his wife and child. Years later, he did everything he possibly could to look after Phi.

Phi came out as non-binary shortly before working with their grandfather on the North Western Railway. They had their name changed right before applying.

They deal with anger issues often, almost resulting in violence. But with both Toby and Wilfred, they managed to stay grounded and not lose their cool often.

Their hot-headedness earned them the nickname "the phoenix of Ffarquhar" for their temper and good looks.

Name: Wilfred Montley

Age:63

Occupation: NWR#7 Driver

Likes: tea, hiking, kayaking, cooking

Dislikes: being lied too, bland food, being used, Loud music

Personality: as kind and loyal as they come Wilfred and his engine are the best to come too if you need advice he's always willing to lend a hand

Bio: Born in June of 1960, Wilfred was abandoned on the steps of St. Tibba's Nunnery in Welsworth, where he was raised. When he was 16, he got a job as a cleaner for the NWR on the Suddery Branchline.

By the time he turned 18, he was a fireman, moving from place to place and never being stuck to one engine for long before being transferred to Ffarquhar in 1980 as a fireman for Toby.

That same year, he fell in love with a local shopkeeper's daughter named Roselyn, whose father owned the tramway. By 1982, they got married and bought a home in Ffarquhar. In 1983, his daughter Melissa was born. Unfortunately, Roselyn died in childbirth.

Raising a daughter on his own was hard work. By 1985, he became Toby's driver. Some semblance of normalcy returned to their lives as Melissa grew. Wilfred would often sneak Melissa onto the footplate on her days off from school.

By 1999, Melissa found love of her own in a high-school love story in the making. Unfortunately, carelessness led to Melissa getting pregnant that same year, but her father helped and supported her, even when her "partner" ran off.

All was well; the little one was born with no serious problems, and his daughter survived the ordeal. Unfortunately, in 2008, Melissa passed away in a car accident in Tidmouth. The accident permanently affected Wilfred, with the only thing keeping him going during the next few years being his grandchild.

However, Phi took the accident hard. They screamed for their mother to return home so much that they started coughing up blood, damaging their vocal cords.

After that, they didn't speak for a year, only finally speaking when Wilfred was doing some housework and a plank of wood he had propped against a wall started falling toward him (which still hit him because he was in shock of hearing his grandchild's voice for the first time in a year).

After that, they started talking more, little by little. Eventually, the years passed them both by, and "Phi," as they started to call themselves, was 18. They tried moving away, but no one understood Phi like their grandfather, so in Ffarquhar they stayed.

When Phi turned 20, they applied to work for the NWR on the Ffarquhar Branchline and passed both the interview and training with flying colors.

When Phi approached Wilfred about wanting Phi to be their legal name, he took them the same day to get it changed. In that same conversation, they came out as non-binary. Wilfred didn't care; he loved his grandchild all the same.

They have worked together since, helping Toby and Henrietta work the Ffarquhar tramway.

Name: Adalyn Aberdeen

Age:53

Occupation: NWR D#3 Driver

Likes: warm weather, fancy clothes, wine, railway Galas

Dislikes: rain, snow, children, slobs

Personality: posh but not insufferable she acts more like the mother figure of the Ffarquhar crews and she loves to gossip over wine with Wilfred after a day's work

Bio: Born in 1970 in Manchester, her father was a railwayman through and through. She would often spend her early childhood watching the locomotives of the London Midland Region thunder by her childhood home.

When she was 16, her father would bring her along to help start up the locomotives. She took a liking to the engines, and slowly but surely, they took a liking to her, blossoming her love for diesel engines.

She would help out cleaning the sheds or cabs of the brand new diesels. After she graduated high school, she wanted a job working with her father, but she was denied. Even after many attempts, still nothing. She tried for any position they had open, and every one was denied (which she suspected was because of her gender).

Fed up, she tried one last time, but she made a mistake on the address of the letter, and it was sent to Sodor, where she was hired as an engine driver immediately.

Sodor was in a shortage for anyone with experience working with diesel locomotives, or anyone who wanted to. The interest was in the older steam engines, so when they got a resume from the Midlands, they hired her on the spot.

When she realized her mistake, it was too late, but she figured she would be turned away regardless.

Much to her surprise, a letter showed up a week later asking if she could do an in-person interview on the island of Sodor.

Her surprise only grew when she got to the small island and got the job. With what little savings she had, she rented an apartment in Knapford and started work. She was the first female diesel driver in the island's history.

It didn't take long for her and her engine, Daisy, to warm up to one another, and she works the same service to this day. Some would say doing the same job for so long would get boring, but Adalyn and Daisy know that on Sodor, there's never a dull moment.

Name: Keith Williams

Age:20

Occupation: NWR #6 Diver

Likes:wealth, praise,being in charge, men

Dislikes: being told he's wrong, not being in control, alcohol,

Personality: rude stuck up and arrogant it'd hard to imagine how he got a job on the NWR

Bio: Born in 2003, he was adopted by two very wealthy people who always wanted an heir to their business empire. He was raised with a golden spoon in his mouth; as a child, he was never told no. He naturally developed a love for locomotives from watching Thomas and Friends.

As he grew older, so did his passion, until he went to see The Flying Scotsman when he was 13. Ever since that moment, he wanted to be an engine driver. His parents didn't understand why he wanted to do such dirty and filthy work, but as he was their only child, they humored him.

When he turned 20, they pulled some strings with the branchline manager for the Ffarquhar Branchline to have him hired as an engine driver, even though he flunked out of his engine driving test on Sodor.

He was still experienced, and it wasn't his fault that the rugged, scruffy fireman he was paired with was kinda cute but rude to him. He would have aced that training if it wasn't for him.

He got the job regardless, and they assigned him to Percy. He was upset that he wasn't assigned to a more important engine, but he took it, hoping to one day move up the ranks.

[richwall101]

Bristol City Centre and Harbour

Bristol is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in South West England. The wider Bristol Built-up Areais the eleventh most populous urban area in the United Kingdom.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Built the first Iron Clad steam ship here in the city docks "The Great Britain" the largest passenger ship in the world from 1845 - 1854 The Ship is now restored as a museum in its original build dock in the City. Brunel also engineered The Great Western Railway from London To Bristol and South Wales, He also built the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge that spans the Avon Gorge at Clifton in Bristol.

A major port, Bristol was a starting place for early voyages of exploration to the New World. On a ship "The Mathew" out of Bristol in 1497, John Cabot, a Venetian, became the first European to land on mainland North America, and In 1499, William Weston, a Bristol merchant, was the first Englishman to lead an exploration to North America. At the height of the Bristol slave trade, from 1700 to 1807, more than 2,000 slave ships carried an estimated 500,000 people from Africa to slavery in the Americas. The Port of Bristol has since moved from Bristol Harbour in the city centre to the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Dock.

Bristol's modern economy is built on the creative media, electronics and aerospace industries; the city-centre docks have been redeveloped as centres of heritage and culture. The city has two universities: the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). There are a variety of artistic and sporting organisations and venues including the Royal West of England Academy, the Arnolfini, Spike Island, Ashton Gate and the Memorial Stadium. It is connected to London and other major UK cities by road and rail, and to the world by sea and air: road, by the M5 and M4(which connect to the city centre by the Portway and M32); rail, via Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway mainline rail stations; and Bristol Airport. Bristol has two football teams Bristol City & Bristol Rovers. A major new Entertainment venue is now under construction at Filton (north of the city) The YTL Arena will open in 2024

Bristol was named the best city in Britain in which to live in 2014 and 2017; it won the European Green Capital Award in 2015.

[timeclonemike]

"Alright, let's get this peace treaty shindig going! I've never done this before so playing it by ear. Territory first. The land of Veck and the cities of Aludra and Horm, turns out my followers really wanted to not be oppressed by the Inqusition, so you guys gotta pack up those cathedrals and go home. Stained glass and all. Fair is fair, we will withdraw forces and civilian workers from the occupied territories of Morningsburg and pull everyone back to Veck. Okay, reparations. Lots of damage on both sides, lots of life lost, things can be rebuilt but those who died can't be brought back... except for me obviously... so I'm thinking we put our heads together and form a multinational alliance of construction and civil engineering services. First priority is roads and railroads and docks, get the logistics up to move everything else we need to rebuild. Exact priorities will be different everywhere but that will also let us move relief supplies. Food, drinking water, medicine, that kind of thing. I amassed quite the substantial fortune before my assassination and I'm willing to put forward most if not all of that as a good faith gesture to secure the resources we will need. Long term peace provisions, my people have their own concerns and those are important, my second in command and his entourage can itemize those for you, as for me all I want is a concession from the Republic that the Prime Minister was ethically and legally at fault for ordering my assassination and my reprisal as an undead wraith is justified under the 'Stand Your Ground' law you folks love so much. That's it. Good so far?"

"...can you still cause nuclear explosions with your mind?"

"Killing me the first time did not take that power away. And bringing me back didn't restore it, either. I was undead, not dead-dead. Sweeping away everyone's nuclear arsenal and fleets wasn't my opening act of reprisal, that was me blowing off steam after getting my skull exploded. That should not matter to you unless you're trying to rebuild nuclear programs behind everyone's back, in which case, way to tip your hand. In other words, that's always going to be on the table. But enough about me, let's talk about you guys. Maria, legendary Hero, love your work. Doctor Ashton, don't blame you for bailing, things got really extra for a while there. Sir Howe, sorry about your sister, my medical team is doing their best to fix everything that can be fixed. Erin, I love airships and yours is one of the best I've ever seen. Congrats on the top surgery by the way. Julius... actually I don't know anything about you. Awkward. How's the wine? And the fried chicken? Dad's recipe. The chef had a devil of a time finding the spice mix in a war zone."

You have failed and your foes have achieved their long sought goal of reviving their God-king. Everyone expected him to lead the final assault and solidify his rule once and for all. Turns out, he’s actually a pretty chill guy and immediately calls the whole thing off.

[maytheoddshq]

Hart Harriman (he/him). District Six Tribute. 23. Ashton Sanders.

  What was their childhood like?

From the day he was born, Hart only understood one thing: go.

The trains were always going. The sound of the engines chuffing near and far, bringing things out of District Six—always out and never in—were the background to his life.

People were always going. The Harrimans had a bit of a reputation in their neighborhood, and it had never been a good one. Hart’s mother left when he was still just a kid, just packed up one day and left without looking back. Years later, Hart would find out that she had upgraded—a husband with a stable income, an apartment with an elevator and no leaks, a few kids with good grades and table manners. It was okay, Hart was glad he wasn’t the thing his mother spent her life resenting. His father was what other people would politely call resourceful, and what others would less politely call a thief and a swindler. They weren’t a family of real book smart people, but Hart’s father taught him how to make an easy buck, and in the times when his old man took to drinking, Hart knew how to bring home the money it’d take to keep them afloat. He knew how to pick apart a car in the night without making a sound, and he knew where to sell the stolen parts for the best value—his father had taught him well.

He was always going. As a baby, Hart was always squirming and wiggling. His parents would lay him down on a blanket and a moment later he’d rolled clear across the room. In school, Hart was always moving, often being sent out into the hallway with an order to calm down, but it was no use. Hart didn’t care at all about what was being taught; his thoughts were always racing somewhere else, and his feet were always tapping in time with them. It was easy for a while to blow off steam with the neighborhood kids, with friends like Ripley, who didn’t care if he was just the no-good Harriman kid. But eventually, Hart realized that people were always going, and sometimes they were going better places than the ones you were. It wasn’t right to hold Ripley back by always hanging around. It was time for him to go, so Hart went.

Hart dropped out of school. (He’d stayed in longer than anyone expected him to.) The trains were always going, so Hart got on one. Then, he got on another and another after that. He got so good at hopping the trains, that the entire district suddenly felt like it was all at his fingertips. And if he could go anywhere, he never had to stay somewhere long enough for people to even learn his name. Get to town, make a buck, hit a party, skip town. Go, go, go. The only thing that anchored Hart again and again was the Reaping. Go home, see pops, hear some other kid’s name get read, skip town. Go, go, go.

Hart never imagined that one of these times it would be his name pulled from that Reaping Bowl, but there he was being yanked up on stage, and there was Ripley right beside him. By the end of the day they’d both be on a train to the Capitol. The trains were always going—bringing things out and never back in—people were always going, he was always going, and he would’ve given anything to be going alone.

    What is their district token?

A small allen wrench that Hart accidentally already had in his pocket. It was nearly confiscated by peacekeepers before they decided it wouldn’t do any really damage to anyone and let him keep it.

    Three strengths and three weaknesses.

+resourceful, adaptable, courageous

-proud, impulsive, childish

Penned by: Hair

[tetsuwan-atom]

@fckin-multi​ sent in : Ashton wasn’t really looking forward to this.. it was a treaty signing with the kingdom of Avalon, one that his father didn’t wish to go to. So here he was instead, performing a duty that wasn’t meant to be his. He had to meet with the king and prince of Avalon as the youngest and only prince of Wisteria.. 

PROMPTED : ALWAYS Accepting!

Of course, regardless, the Kingdom of Avalon were expecting a proper representative to come and sign this treaty. While the King himself was a little disappointed that the youngest child of Wisterian Royalty was to come and sign, Bowen himself didn’t really think about it at all, at first.

Duties were duties. Once this treaty was signed, things should be a lot easier between the two countries, then he can get back to his own hobbies of steam engines and the like.

He had no idea meeting this prince would very well change his life forever.

[dustedmagazine]

Colin Fisher Quartet – Living Midnight (Astral Spirits)

Daniel Carter and Marc Edwards having been making albums in the spirit of Living Midnight for most of their lives. Edwards, through early tenures as the engine room for the energy trio Apogee with David S. Ware and Cooper Moore (then Gene Ashton) and a celebratory iteration of Cecil Taylor’s Unit, onward. Carter, most memorably as one quarter of the New York subways-abiding creative crucible that was Test with Sabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, and the late Tom Bruno. Both men know their way around galvanizing improvised music marathons like the backs of their respective hands.  

Colin Fisher and Brandon Lopez come from a subsequent generation but remain equally enamored with the sort of free jazz that is long in duration and deep in visceral impact. Assembled at a studio, the foursome recorded three pieces spanning over seventy minutes of music. Two were released as opposite sides of a cassette with a CD edition adding the third piece as reflective coda. “Crescent Moon Furnace” clocks to nearly a half-hour and follows an itinerary that echoes the sort of spontaneous, pan-directional interplay that was Test’s calling card. The shifts in thematic trajectory feel spontaneous, but there is an obvious amount of close listening and communicating going on amongst the group.  

Fisher and Carter joust, jest, and gesticulate on a host of reed and wind instruments with the latter adding soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute and (curiously uncredited) trumpet to the tandem fielding of alto and tenor. Passages of ruminative restraint alternate with excoriating blasts and outbursts, but the means always remains intelligible and momentum driven whether full-steam or incremental. Edwards’ invigorating sticks are a serious boon in this regard, forging cascading beats and rhythms that push the horns and Lopez to keep up or scaling back to comparatively quiet small percussion and what sounds like musical saw. The bassist has no difficulty in that regard, his patterns oftentimes a roiling blur amidst the churn.  

Plenty of precedence exists for these organized sound edifices in a non-specific sense. Players have been engaging in similar cathartic conclaves for well over a half-century. As with all involving art, the value comes not in the components, but how the musicians personalize and collectivize them in the moment. On that score, Fisher and his colleagues soundly hit the mark.  

Derek Taylor 

[handeaux]

Remember When Everything Was Made In Cincinnati?

Back in the day, Cincinnati made things. Cincinnati made lots of things. Cincinnati made so many things that Cincinnatians almost never needed anything that was not made in Cincinnati.

While Cincinnati still holds its own as a manufacturing center, our economic drivers have shifted into other sectors. According to the Port Authority, Hamilton County witnessed a 67 percent decline in manufacturing jobs since 1969.  While Cincinnati has seen healthy economic growth in recent years, almost all of that gain has been in the non-manufacturing sectors of professional and business operations, education, health care, social assistance, retail and finance.

On the contrary, a 1903 report by the Chamber of Commerce indicates Cincinnati once manufactured an immense range of products. According to the Cincinnati Post [7 September 1903]:

“Industries of special prominence include wood working machinery, machine tools, machinery and engines of every kind, vehicles, soap, metal products of every description, clothing, shoes, leather, harness and saddlery, furniture, bank, bar and office fixtures, distilling and brewing, printing, printing inks, playing cards, chemicals, pianos, lumber, pork and beef products, fireproof safes and tight cooperage.”

Almost 10 years later, that was still the case. The Cincinnati Post [4 September 1911] imagined a transplanted Cincinnatian returning home to see the new Fernbank Dam:

“He entered a ‘place’ and ordered a drink, and the label on the bottle said ‘Made In Cincinnati.’ He went to a store to buy a shirtwaist for his wife . . . and the label read ‘Made In Cincinnati.’ He visited a drug store to buy throat lozenges, and the sticker on the box announced ‘Made In Cincinnati.’ What’s the use of going elsewhere, when you can get everything you want right here?”

That “Made In Cincinnati” label traveled the world. The Post [25 December 1902] itemized the sorts of Cincinnati merchandise known far beyond the Queen City:

“Cincinnati printed schoolbooks for the children of the United States. Cincinnati made shoes for millions. Cincinnati tanned leather for foreign countries. Cincinnati made pumps for England, France, Russia and Germany. Cincinnati made metal working machinery for Europe and Asia. Cincinnati furniture gladdened homes in England and Ireland. Cincinnati soap washed away the dirt in every corner of the world.”

It is a list redolent of industries gone by. The American Book Company, publisher for many years of the famous McGuffey Readers, has long since been gobbled up by some multinational conglomerate. The leather industry faded with the stockyards, and the metal-working machinery disappeared with LeBlond and Milacron.

Here are some of the brands that used to carry the “Made In Cincinnati” tag. Do you remember any of them?

Butler Pianos The Butler Brothers piano factory on McMicken Street produced pianos under their own name and player pianos under the Ebersole name.

B. Duwel & Brothers With Kentucky’s farms just across the river, Cincinnati was a big tobacco producer and this was one of the biggest firms, turning out smoking and chewing tobaccos under the Red Horse brand.

Dolly Varden Named for a Charles Dickens character, the Dolly Varden Chocolate Company occupied several addresses over the years and introduced the chocolate-covered cherry to America in 1917. The company’s slogan was, “When words fail . . . send Dolly Varden.”

Fiber & Aluminum Artificial Limb Company Cincinnati companies made a lot of artificial body parts at one time – arms, legs, feet, hands, ears, noses, teeth and hair. According to the Post [17 May 1907], only artificial eyes needed to be imported. New York had a lock on glass eyes.

Globe-Wernicke Company The classiest offices in the world featured Globe-Wernicke’s distinctive wood and glass book cases on prominent display. Times and fashions changed and the company went defunct in the modernist 1950s.

Huenefeld Company Gas heaters and oil stoves under the Boss brand claimed that they produced heat without dirt, smoke, fumes or odors.

Icy Hot Manufactured in Cincinnati, the Icy Hot insulated bottle advertised that it would keep contents ice-cold for 72 hours or steaming hot for 24 hours. Founder George P. Altenberg died in 1919 and the company was acquired by the Thermos Corporation in 1925.

Nunner & Ashton Brass beds were the specialty of this company, and a heavy brass bed made at the Pearl Street factory could be had for under $12. At their Main Street outlet, Nunner & Ashton also sold furniture and rugs.

O. Armleder Company The Armleder factory occupied an entire block at the southwest corner of Twelfth and Plum, where Otto Armleder turned out trucks until around 1922.

Ohio Butterine Company At the foot of Walnut Street, this company imported “luscious, fat-filled cocoanuts” to produce Kernel brand nut margarine.

Pattentwood Keg Company Out in Brighton, at the corner of Plum and Charlotte, this company made artificial wood buckets for a very specific product – white lead pigment.

Quality Clothes Sold from a shop on Vine Street, Quality’s “all-wool, snappy, up-to-the-minute” suits were tailored in a shop on Walnut and retailed (in 1914) for $9.99.

R.F. Johnston Paints The top-seller for this Pearl Street company was the Dull-Kote brand, guaranteed not to fade, crack or peel off.

Wy-So Products Company “The tube that saves a thousand stitches,” Wy-So (Why sew? Get it?) was a glue used to mend clothing without sewing.

[tigermike]

*** Medal of Honor Monday 🇺🇸🇺🇸 ***

On this day in 1916, a U.S. Navy armored cruiser is wrєcked by a massive tidal wave. USS Memphis was effectively destrοyed and dozens of her crew were lost. Three sailors would earn the Medal of Honor for their actions that day.

One of the three Medals had to be awarded posthumously.

Perhaps the tragєdy drives home two points? First, our milίtary makes sacrifices even outside the sphere of battle. Second, captains and generals may get many headlines, but sometimes it is the guy in the engine room, toiling away to get a boίler working, who proves to be the real hero of the day.

USS Memphis was then anchored in Santo Domingo. Bad weather was not unusual at that time of year, so Memphis sat at anchor with 2 of her 16 boίlers operating.

It wouldn’t be enough.

Not too long after noon on August 29, Memphis began to roll a bit in the water. No weather warnings had been received, but Captain Beach ordered more boίlers lit. He was told that Memphis would have enough steam to get moving at about 16:35.

Unfortunately, the cruiser wouldn’t have that kind of time.

By 15:45, a gigantic wave had been spotted. It stretched the length of the horizon. By 16:00, Memphis was lurching at a 45 degree angle. Water cascaded into the ship via her gun ports and ventilators. By 16:25, water was washing into the ship via her funnels. The crew had been trying to get the boίlers going, but now the fires in the boίlers were extinguished.

Soon the full strength of the massive wave hit the ship. Crewmen were washed overboard. Memphis hit the beach and was more or less destrοyed within 90 minutes.

Was Captain Beach at fault? Was it a tsunami? A wind-generated rogue wave? You can imagine that these issues have been discussed at length during the course of the past 100 years.

But maybe the heroes of the tragєdy deserve a little attention, too.

Claud Ashton Jones was the senior engineer officer working to get the boίlers up to full speed. He was so close to succeeding. But he didn’t quite make it. “[B]oίlers and steampipes [were] bursting about him in clouds of scąlding steam,” his Medal citation notes, “with thousands of tons of water coming down upon him and in almost complete darkness.” He stayed as long as there was any chance—but then the boίlers explοded.

“Jones would not leave his post,” Captain Beach later wrote, “until all the fίre rooms were cleared. I have heard captains praised for being the last to leave a wrecked ship; but what about the chief engineer, who, standing in darkness, scąlded by steam, with boίlers popping about him, is the last to leave his Hell?”

Jones was lucky. He lived to tell the tale. Chief Machinist’s Mate George William Rud did not. Rud’s Medal citation describes a man steadfastly holding to his post “amidst scąlding steam and the rushing of thousands of tons of water into his department.” He was seriously bυrned and kίlled.

Machinist Charles H. Willey narrowly escaped the same fate. He, too, remained at his post in the midst of scalding steam and rushing water, refusing to leave until he was finally ordered to do so. When the boίlers explοded, he continued to help many of his fellow sailors into the breathable air in the engine room.

All three men would receive the Medal of Honor. Their stories deserve to be told. Don’t you think that such “extraordinary heroism” and “supreme unselfish heroism” would prove so inspirational to younger generations today?

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

If you enjoy these history posts, please see my note below. :)

Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2022 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the shar e feature instead of cutting/pasting.

#TDIH #OTD #History #USHistory #liberty #freedom #ShareTheHistory

[ashandhisocs]

oh yeah babey it's my OCs -- fandom version

Prowl

Fandom OC - Steam Powered Giraffe

Having been with me for about four years now, Prowl is the first OC who I really took the time to give a detailed backstory, family, and personality. She is a robot made of a gold alloy who was originally designed to fight in the war, but was unfinished before the war ended, and forgotten by her creator. Her core, which is her consciousness, was the only finished part of her. As such, she is technically older than her three siblings, but her body was not built until about five years after the completion of her youngest sibling, Clash. She still has combat capabilities, her blueprints having been followed by her creator's son, but chooses not to use them and instead enjoys singing and learning different instruments.

AUs: Becile!Prowl - Basically an "evil" version of her.

Wonderland!Prowl - An Alice in Wonderland AU created by a friend of mine wherein Prowl was originally a knight, but now represents the role of the Cheshire Cat.

Adrian

Fandom OC - Steam Powered Giraffe

Adrian is Prowl's personal mechanic and a Walter Worker. She was originally an independent engineer who worked with the two most powerful types of matter in this universe, Blue Matter and Green Matter, but after an incident wherein she was very careless with mixing the two, Walter Robotics took her in as she healed. The incident, an explosion which briefly opened a portal to another dimension, irradiated Adrian so badly that her injuries were permanently altered by Blue Matter. Her hands and eyes, which she should have lost or heavily burned, now exist in a half-there half-gone state. They both exist and do not at the same time, with her eyes constantly covered by a blue fog under her bangs and her hands shifting on a spectrum of holographic blue to non-visible. She often covers her eyes with a blindfold which she is still able to see through somehow (likely due to the finicky nature of Blue Matter) and her sleeves are long enough to hide her hands.

AUs - Becile!Adrian - Also basically an "evil" version of her, except the concoction which caused the explosion contained more Green Matter than Blue. Green Matter has necromantic properties; as such, Adrian is supposed to be dead, but is basically a zombie. Her eyes are removable from their sockets and she often holds them with her Doc Ock-like robotic arms which she installed into her back, allowing her to see almost 360 degrees around her.

Azul

Fandom OC - RWBY

Azul is first and foremost obviously not canon-compliant at all, both because she's an OC but also because I had her cast as the Winter Maiden before the most recent volume(s). She is a bluejay faunus and has been the Winter Maiden for about three years, though nobody knows this because the Winter Maiden two iterations prior disappeared and with her, Ozpin's ability to trace the lineage of the power. The power transferred from that iteration to Azul's younger sister, Royal, who was murdered with Azul unable to do much except hide. The power transferred to Azul, who decided that she was tired of hiding away and being afraid, and applied to Beacon.

Ashton Emberlynn

Fandom OC - RWBY

Ashton was originally a student at Atlas Academy with their teammates Timberwolf, Pyrite, and Carnelian, but they all tragically perished on a mission gone very, very wrong. Ashton had gone to find help, but when they returned, their team had lost the fight against the Grimm. Haunted by the memories of them at Atlas, Ashton chose to transfer to Beacon mid-year, although they were not assigned a team because nobody was available to form one. They did not receive a team in time for the fall of Beacon. Ashton has an odd color palette that often puts people off regardless; with silver hair that ombres into a grey just shy of black and bright red eyes, they are often compared to Grimm. It is unfortunate how correct these people are. Ashton is indeed part Grimm, though this is only part of their closely kept secret-- they are also the biological child of Salem herself, the product of an experiment in which she wanted to see whether her Grimm genetics were passed down. Ashton is the perfect evidence that they are, but so too is her magic, and as such Ashton possesses the ability to traverse shadows and transform into a Grimm, albeit a small, runt version of one.

Akari

Fandom OC - BNHA

From a very young age, Akari learned to distrust the world and its plans for her. Her mother was neglectful and unpredictable, making Akari and her twin's childhood tense to begin with. The day Akari got her quirk changed everything, though, and not necessarily for the better. Her quirk allows her to "steal" the senses of others through skin contact to amplify her own. She never received quirk counselling due to her mother's refusal to have much of anything to do with her after this development; her inability to control her quirk caused enough incidents that her reputation quickly soured in both the eyes of her peers and her teachers. Meanwhile, her twin developed a healing quirk, which became the final nail in the coffin as their mother suddenly cared deeply for her, but hurt Akari in several ways. Akari ran away at age nine and made a friend named Shou, who was also running from an abusive situation. Heroes found the two of them and took them home; Akari lived to tell the tale, but only a few days later she saw on the news a report of a murder-suicide-- with Shou's father as the murderer, and Shou and his mother the murdered. Akari lost her faith in the heroes that day, and not even a week later, ran away again. This time she was found by the League and taken in, becoming the villain Thief from that day forward.

Emi

Fandom OC - Bleach

Emi can split her life into three eras-- before, during, and after. She was once a respected Shinigami of the Gotei 13 and friend of Urahara, Yoruichi, and the future Vizards. She was part of the Shiba, though not a member of the main family, but a distant cousin. One day her life would change irrevocably; she was assigned a mission that took her to Hueco Mundo, one that she had no idea was truly organized by Aizen, who wanted to observe how the Hollow reiryoku in the air might affect a Shinigami. He would be surprised to find that, in order to survive, she had resorted to killing and consuming Hollows, which had permanently changed her DNA. He decided to make her into an arrancar, one of the first, and she would later become an Espada. However, both her experiences surviving on Hollow reiryoku and becoming an arrancar would damage her memory severely, leaving her to become very quiet, distant, and often lost in her head. She is a terrifying fighter in that she uses this to her advantage, hiding in her mind as she sustains injuries without batting an eye, battling until her body gives out on her. Her zanpakuto is a church grim and she is friends with a deer-like hollow calling itself Shika.

Lucille

Fandom OC - BOTW/AOC

Lucille is a Sheikah whose life took a drastic turn when she was blessed by Hylia to bear the mark of the Sage of Shadows, and later the Sage of Spirit. Cousin to Impa, Lucille thought she'd never have to deal with any sort of responsibility other than listening to her cousin panic over her duties as the heir, but boy was she wrong. Terrified of this sudden burden, Lucille takes her horse Noir and runs as far as she can, ending up at Rito Stable, where she meets Revali, who is coincidentally looking for a missing Sheikah bearing a blessing that might just win their war against Ganon. . .

Amethyst

Fandom OC - Soul Eater

Amethyst was once on top of the world. She had the perfect weapon partner, they were just shy of their ninety-ninth soul, she was acing all her classes. . . and then, on a mission gone south, Amethyst's partner dies, and her whole life is flipped upside down. Suddenly she's a year from graduation with no weapon partner, no souls, and no one to lean on. There's also the fact that she can't remember the battle that killed her partner, and her dreams are surreal nightmares of that day that make no sense whatsoever. In some she sees a woman claiming to be her mother deliver the killing blow; in others, it is a Kishin egg, just as she was told. Amethyst wants-- no, needs-- answers. Thistle is lucky to find Kari when she does, a fellow third-year who has coincidentally recently lost her meister partner. Though Kari warns her that her soul is incredibly difficult to resonate with, Thistle is desperate, and the two of them decide to work together. . . as best as two complete opposites can.

Rei

Fandom OC - Bleach

Rei has always been a bit odd in the eyes of others. There's plenty to blame that on, from her queerness to the spirits she sees, but she's never cared to try and figure it out. She has two priorities-- to protect her younger brother, and to survive. When her mother kicks the two of them out, her priorities go from difficult to near impossible as she tries to figure out where to go from there. As time passes, Rei grows more and more desperate, until her savior arrives in the form of the strangest man she's ever met-- Urahara Kisuke.

Unbeknownst to her, Urahara's been looking for a powerful weapon in the form of the zanpakuto Gemini, and he's positive he's found it-- in Aki, Rei's younger brother, who practically screams duality with his dual toned hair and heterochromatic eyes. His reiryoku is an untapped well that Urahara intends to help him access, with the added benefit of having the wielder of Gemini under his control.

Rei is incredibly grateful to Urahara and his family, but things quickly begin to sour as Aki disappears for days on end with Urahara and refuses to tell her where he's gone. Urahara is no help, and is in fact openly hostile at times, clearly creating a chasm between Rei and her brother. She wants to find out just what's going on, but she's plenty occupied with the spirits inside her head calling themselves Gemini.

Coincidentally, Aki shows no signs of hearing his zanpakuto in training, unable to reach out to what should surely be Gemini.

Blythe

Fandom OC - Sword/Shield

Blythe is amazed and a little stumped as to how he's gotten to where he is. He started this journey thinking he might beat a gym leader or two and then watch Hop dominate the gym challenge and become champion, but suddenly he's standing across Leon as the crowd goes absolutely wild at Blythe's win, and things get very real very fast, because Blythe was in no way prepared for the burden that is being the champion. Everyone wants to know everything about him, but the truth is they hardly know anything about him-- starting with his pronouns. And, to top it all off, he's pretty sure Hop is pissed at him, because Blythe not only beat him by a landslide every battle, but demolished Leon's team as well, embarrassing him on public television for thousands of people to see. Of course he didn't on purpose, but he's sure that's how Hop sees it, and probably Leon too.

Ash

Fandom OC - Legends Arceus

When Ash wakes up on a sandy beach an unknown number of years back in time, his first thought is, what the hell am I going to do if they're transphobic?? It doesn't help that the village already treats him strangely for being from the rift in the sky, and that it's near impossible to survive in the wilderness when you're cluelessly reliant on technology like Ash is. He wants nothing more to fit in, but he has to face the facts-- he's the odd one out.

Akira

Fandom OC - Demon Slayer

Akira wasn't always strong enough to stand as a Pillar. Years ago, when Akira was hardly a teen, his entire family was slaughtered by an incredibly powerful demon known as the Mistress of Spring, whose ability to grow fatally toxic flowers has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of humans and demons alike. And, oddly enough, the Mistress has taken a personal interest in Akira, taunting him with the heirloom she stole. Since that day Akira swore to avenge his family and trained day and night, following what was left of his family's records of their unnamed style. Under the light of the stars Akira finally figured it out; his family had carefully hidden the secret of the Star Breath, and Akira had managed to preform the first style. He realized, then, that he could use this to his advantage, and mastered the style by training day and night, eventually presenting it to the Ubuyashiki family, who accepted him as the first Star Pillar. Now with access to better resources, research, and manpower, Akira works towards his mission of ending the terror of the Mistress of Spring.

[goblin-iz-whack]

How do Rusty and Greaseball celebrate pride?

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ASK

Rusty likes to make food w pride themes to it, lots of cupcakes with bi, grayromantic, and non-binary colored frosting

Greaseball complains that the trans flag and omnisexual flag are too pink but he still puts them all over their house (alongside demiromantic flags)

Apollo Victoria has a pride festival every year that they attend, and since GB is the alpha of the diesels and Rusty’s the champ they have a big part in planning it

Greaseball gets stuck w the heavy lifting parts and hanging up things while Rusty does most of the actual planning

Geebs is dramatic so he does his face paint all rainbow for the month (clashes horribly w his style but whatevs)

Their sons are involved in everything too

Ashton has like seventy pan flag pins that GT keeps getting him even tho he assures his twin that his jacket is full and he doesn’t need anymore-

Greasetrap has a bi sticker on his racing helmet and it’s tradition for him to replace it every pride (it gets worn and torn cuz racin’)

Lucky doesn’t know his sexuality or anything yet, he’s still young and doesn’t really focus on it, but he sticks those little rainbow flags everywhere in the yard-

Every year the yard does a huge group photo for pride and GB and Rusty have several years worth of them in their photo album and always the most recent one on their wall

[lickmystamp]

US postage stamp, 1992 "Christmas Toys” Scott #2711 - #2714 Issued: October 22, 1992 in Kansas City, MO Quantity: 125,000,000 Designers: Bradbury Thompson Printed By: Ashton Potter America, Inc (Lithographed) To usher in the holiday season, the Postal Service issued four contemporary stamps featuring colorful renditions of antique toys. A pony and rider, a locomotive, a steam engine, and a steamship are reminiscent of toys of the 1800s.

[thedesperatehousehusband]

The Super Bowel

So I had committed to blogging at least once a month and here it is February 8th and this is my first post of year. But, y’all, 2021 has been like a shot out of a cannon. Motherfuckers, January was SOMETHING.ELSE. But I’m not here to talk about that. I’m going to talk about the big deal of February.

THE SUPER BOWL. Or in this instance the Super Bowel (Movement).

The game was a turd. There’s nothing left to say about it. Tom Brady is such a douche nozzle. I cannot deal with him and his mouth kissing monkey business. I was so hoping Patrick Mahomes could pull it off. Because I love Patrick Mahomes. As well as Travis Kelce. He is delish.

Let’s talk pre-game musical stuff. H.E.R did a good job. Subdued until she tore it up on her guitar. I really like her (aka H.E.R.) Now I don’t want to call anyone’s baby ugly but that national anthem was not good. Eric Church and Jasmine Sullivan really lost their way. They lost the melody pretty early on and never got it back. And, let’s be real, it’s a really recognizable melody.

Shifting gears to the halftime show, oof. I give credit to the Weeknd for singing live. We can say that much. He sang live. Unfortunately he did not sing live well or good or even mediocre. Ooooof. I really like the Weeknd and think his songs are great but he is very clearly incredibly enhanced and autotuned. I said very quickly that JLo had nothing to worry about if she was concerned. Her show remains the best in years. And I will NEVER, EVER understand the controversy surrounding that show. People are lunatics.

OK. Let’s talk advertisements. One caveat. We quit watching the game in the 4th quarter because it was so awful so we missed some commercials. My gut tells me that there weren’t amazing spots at the 2:00 minute warning but if I omit your favorite that’s why. Here we go:

·       Old, the new M. Night Shyamalan movie. This looks quite interesting. And it will be available ONLY IN THEATERS so mask up, fuckers.

·       M&Ms. There was Dan Levy, there was mention of “Karen”, there was mansplaining. It was clever and I appreciated it for the cleverness. Who doesn’t like M&Ms?

·       Paramount+ Streaming. Snooki, Christine Baranski, Bryce DeChambeau, some level of animated programming, that judge from All Rise, Cedric the Entertainer, Star Trek: Discovery. Jesus. H. Christ. They crammed it all in there and then some. They promoted this shit FIVE times. They’re going to make this service happen or someone will be killed.

·       The Falcon & the Winter Soldier on Disney+. I’m here for it. I’m into it. Bring it on.

·       Doordash. Combing Sesame Street and Daveed Diggs is a wonderful idea. In my opinion, this was the best spot of the Super Bowl. An appropriate nod to the situation that most restaurants are facing with relevant tie ins to their actual business.

·       The Equalizer. Here comes the Queen. This got four promos. If this fails, someone will lose their job at CBS.

·       Doritos 3D. With Matthew McConaughey in 2D. It was pretty fun for about 10 seconds but it lasted much longer than that. Then it got weird. #flatmatthew. C’mon, part of looking at Matthew is seeing him in 3D.

·       GM Engines? I don’t know what it was truly for? Carbon neutral cars? Engines? That’s the sad thing. The good thing it was really funny. Will Ferrell. You just can’t go wrong. Then you throw in Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina and you basically have gold. But I still don’t know what the hell the spot was for.

·       Pringles and astronauts. I didn’t get it.

·       Bud Light. Legends and then also Post Malone. Silly.

·       Chipotle. For Real. So stupid and heavy handed. No one needs that kind of message from fast casual burritos.

·       Clarice. CBS wants this to happen but not as much as they want The Equalizer to happen. Who is the actress impersonating Jodie Foster?

·       Mountain Dew with John Cena. I don’t know what the flavor was. I don’t what the spot was about. I don’t care. Mountain Dew is diabetes in a bottle.

·       Which plays nicely into Dexcom. Now that’s how you use a celebrity. Nick Jonas is a Type 1 diabetic. He’s credible. He’s appropriately aspirational. Smart.

·       Indeed. This had something to do with jobs. Getting a job? Job postings? I don’t know. It was too much and I hated it.

·       State Farm. Oooh. This was funny. “Stand ins don’t talk”. That’s what Jake said to Drake. Paul Rudd as Patrick Mahomes? Yes, please. More of this. I love that Drake was even willing to do this. I suppose he got a million bucks. That’ll do it.

·       Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade. Lemon of the year. Making lemons with lemonade. Or lemonade seltzer. How can there be that many hard seltzers?

·       Scot’s Lawn Care. It was bad.

·       Skechers with Tony Romo. Enough said. Tony Romo, while looking real good, is just kind of grating.

·       WeatherTech. My goodness. This was intense. It was a Benetton ad for all-weather car mats. We get it. Diversity.

·       Rocket Mortgage. This was very close to my favorite. Both executions were very funny. You don’t want to be “pretty sure” about your mortgage. Tracy Morgan was the right person for this. It wasn’t smarmy at all. It could have been. It was just the right tone and the other actors were very funny.

·       Oatly. Wow, no cow. Wow, hot mess.

·       Toyota with Jessica Long. Now THAT’S how you do an Olympic spot. Love, love, love.

·       eTrade. You are NOT the best around despite the throwback soundtrack. Terrible.

·       Hellmann’s with Amy Schumer. This was very clever. Use up the stuff in your fridge by sprucing it up with mayo.

·       TurboTax. So awful.

·       Mercari. What is this? I still don’t know and I even Googled it. I’m unclear. I think it’s an online market of some kind. But for what? Angel dust? Pastries? Tires? It could be anything.

·       Tide. It’s dirtier than it looks but also with Jason Alexander. That tween doesn’t know who Jason Alexander is, does he? I dunno. It was fine.

·       Dr. Squatch. What the fuck is this brand or product?

·       Vroom.com. Why?

·       Jimmy John’s. Does Jimmy John’s have Super Bowl money and enough to pay for Brad Garrett? I guess they think they do.

·       T Mobile with Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine. This was likely a little meta and you have to understand the history to think it’s funny but I enjoyed it. There was also a LOT of mention of 5G or similar during this particular Super Bowl.

·       Because the next spot was AT&T Fiber with Frodo and a bunch of LOTR superfans. Meh.

·       Fiverr. What in the ever loving fuck?

·       Coming 2 America. Yaaaas. I’m here for this movie.

·       Cheeto’s with Shaggy, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. We get it. Cheeto’s make your fingers orange. I’m over it.

·       Squarespace. Working 5 to 9. I don’t get it. Were you working 9 to 5 and then a side hustle from 5 to 9. Areyou working 5:00 AM to 9:0 PM?

·       Cadillac Lyriq. I wanted to like this but it just got so stupid.

·       Anheuser-Busch. This was overwrought.

·       Jeep. But THIS was really overwrought. I’m in the minority on this one. I think lots of people were very moved by this. I thought it was too much and, dammit, if I’m going to watch Bruce for 60 seconds, he had best to sing.

·       Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer. I can’t with all these fucking seltzers.

·       Klarna. What in the ever loving fuck is this product or service? I still don’t know.

·       Bass Pro Shop/Cabela’s. Calm down.

·       Robinhood. What is this company? What do they sell? Terrible.

·       Alexa as Michael B. Jordan. The joke ran out of steam. This would be better as a :30 as opposed to a :60.

·       Guaranteed Rate Mortgage. Believe you will or some shit? Whatever.

Hey, at least there was a Super Bowl. That’s the win. May Tom Brady get quinoa stuck in his colon and be unable to poop it out next year. That’s my fervent hope.

[bunnyjoyce-blog]

My StEx OC’s

To say that these are my “OC’s” is not to imply that I have fully crafted character bios and sketches of each one. Only a few are ones that I’ve actually developed (like the fanbabies, e.g. Rusty’s kids, Ashton and Starla). Mostly I keep this list for when I need a character. “Oh, I need a repair truck in this scene -- I’ll use Emma the M.O.W. car.” “There should be some kind of food-service vehicle -- let’s use Olive the dining car.” “Poppa needs to mention an old friend in his story -- how about Malachi the Mallet?”

Locomotives Bernadette the steam engine Big Roy the Big Boy steam engine Sandy the sea-side train engine Malachi the Mallet Warren the Warbonnet diesel engine (Santa Fe) Eris the atmospheric train Bonnie the female Warbonnet diesel engine Jammer the female diesel (roller derby) Alpha the A-Unit engine Beta the B-Unit engine Bill the Billboard freight engine (Santa Fe) Amber the electric engine Juice Jack the electric engine Davenport the female electric Columbia the Columbian steam engine Watson the electric engine Gina the steam engine Raymond the solar-powered engine Coltrane -- coal train locomotive Shock the electric engine (contributed by little brother) Miles the long-haul train Pilot the switch engine Bumper the switch engine Ilene the tilting train

Non-Locos and Associates Taxi the cab car Ella the L Train Coleman the tender (coal car) Colette the tender Nicole the tender Hep Cat the H.E.P. car (head-end power) Jenny the steam-generator car

Head-End Equipment (Passenger Cars that Don’t Carry Guests) Millie the milk car Darian the milk car Maylee the mail car Posie the postal car Arthur the RPO (mail) Arlene the RPO Travis the Traveling Post Office car Otto the autorack car Zipporah the baggage car Sue Casey the baggage car Handel the baggage car Dorothy the dormitory car Marian the horse car Clydesdale the horse car (partner with Bonnie: "Bonnie and Clydesdale")

Passenger Coaches (Non-Sleeper) Corrie/Cordelia the corridor car Charity the chair car Priscilla "Miss Priss" the private car Penny the open car Opal the open car Columbine the combine car Cassie the casino car Cynthia the cinema car Emily the emigrant car Collin the colonist car Daisy the day coach Mark 3 the British carriage Peace the quiet car Seymour the observation car Prima the first-class car Parthenia the parlor car Lora the parlor car Sofia the lounge car

Food Service Cars Mitropa the German dining car Mikki McTrain the McDonald's dining car Kitty the kitchen car Kappa the kitchen car Barney the bar car Ginny the tavern car Beverly the beverage car Barbie the grill car Bebe Queue the grill car Fred Harvey the dining car Delicia the dessert car Barbara the lounge car (with a barber shop) Libby the library lounge car Mimi the piano-bar car Ladonna the ladies lounge car Sally the saloon car Phryne the grill car (fry-knee) Olive the dining car Ambrosia the dining car

Earl Lee the breakfast diner (on sleeper trains that leave too late to serve dinner)

Sleepers Daytona Beach the Pullman sun-lounge car Delray Beach aka "Sundrop" the Pullman sun-lounge car Sunrise Beach the Pullman sun-lounge car The 2 twin twinette sleepers Obed the male sleeper Tori the tourist car Lacey the sleeping car Lunette the sleeping car Eve the sleeping car Andromeda the sleeping car (though you can basically use any constellation for sleepers, can't you?) Leah the sleeping car ("lay-ah")

Freight Trucks Minnie the mineral wagon Hermione the mine car Flo the water truck (tank car) Clayton the quarry train Diggory the mine train Digby the mine train Cornelia the vegetable truck Stix the lumber truck (like Trax, get it?) Holly the lumber truck Pip the Tropicana Juice Train reefer Blocker the female boxcar (sister of Jammer) Boombox the boxcar Roxy the hopper Agatha the aggregate hopper Heidi the high car Julie 4 the firecracker truck Bobby the bobber (caboose) Ruby the red caboose Captain the crew car Isis the freezer truck Wayne the way car Baxter the caboose (BACKster) Snowdrop the freezer truck Spumoni the freezer truck

Work Trucks Billie the revenue car (money truck) Persephone the money truck Clarence the clearance car Speedy the speeder Fraiser the crane car (he's the repair truck for the mind) Squeaky the hand car Laurice the lorry Mr. Plow the snow plow Emma the MOW truck

Component OC's Bolt the repair truck Dynamo the work truck Prada the wardrobe truck (baggage car) Julian

National OC's Lady Luna the royal saloon car (races with Prince of Wales) The City of Carlisle the APT-P power/motor car (races with the City of Milton Keynes) Herr Schnell, the German train Roulette the TGV carriage (races with Bobo) Siesta the sleeping car (from Spain) Europa Siegfried the ICE car (races with Ruhrgold) Hashiko the Shinkansen restaurant car (races with Hashamoto) Orka the Swedish vehicle Isabella the Swedish freezer truck (Isabella = is, which is Swedish for ice) Thanks to @tussockpride for her help.

Espresso's train (i.e. the other six cars on a Settebello) Rapido the Settebello (from the other side of Espresso's train) Cuscino the Settebello car Mangia the Settebello dining car Deliziosa the Settebello kitchen car Bottega the Settebello boutique car Compartimento the Settebello car

Fan babies Thundersnow - Electra's son by Volta, an electric-steam locomotive Candy the snack car -- Dinah and CB's daughter Starla -- Rusty's daughter, a coach Ashton -- Rusty's son, a steam engine Puff-Top the sleeping car -- Flat-Top and Duvay's daughter Rockabye - Rocky 2 and 2nd-class sleeper's daughter (So, would that make her a box-bed? Bah dum tish!) Rock'n'roll -- a Rocky and a food service car's child Rocky Road - a Rocky and a freezer truck's child Snow-in-Summer the freezer truck

Misc. Copper the railroad police caboose Sam Spade the murder-mystery train Carla the railway car Vanessa the railway van Gunther the railway gun Lt. Aimee the railway gun/armaments carrier Doggett the animal truck Katrina the animal truck Trixi the German, Trix-built vehicle (Trix being a toy manufacturer) Buddy the Budd-built vehicle Messenger of Hope the Baptist chapel car Sister Mary the Catholic chapel car Slammer the prison car Diana the funeral car Morgana the funeral car Mortimer the funeral-train engine

Buffet Bunny (avatar OC) Rosie the geekaboose

[daniellesimagines]

Nothing Else Matters (Ashton Irwin) *

word count: 1553 requested by: anonymous pronouns: she/her warnings: idk what to technically label this but she gets drugged at a bar basically fandom: 5 seconds of summer au type: regular summary: after a fight with your boyfriend, you go to the bar for a drink to relax. unfortunately, you end up anything but relaxed inspired by: none authors notes: none other parts: none

❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀

If you knew you'd find yourself in a situation of literally fearing for your life, you never would have walked out of your apartment. It was a stupid fight – one you knew wouldn't matter tomorrow – but you left anyway, leaving your boyfriend alone in your shared home.

You ended up walking to a small, local bar within walking distance of your apartment complex, just wanting to loosen up and let off some steam. You entered the bar, noticing there were only a few people scattered throughout the main room including the bouncers and bartender. You took a seat at the counter, ordering a small drink. It obviously didn't take you long to finish it, so you ordered another.

"Hey, Dax," you said, earning a hum from the man making your drink, "Have you guys gotten any new songs on that jukebox yet?"

"Should," he nodded, "Pretty sure your incessant interrogating got Bill to add that band you like."

You laughed loudly, hopping up from your seat and heading to where the jukebox was near the front door. As you were typing in the band's name, you heard your name behind you.

"Y/N!" Dax called out. You turned your head to look over your shoulder, finding him holding your drink up before putting it in front of your seat. 

You quickly turned back to the jukebox, pressed on the song you wanted to hear, and hurried back to your seat. You noticed a man at the end of the bar watching you, but didn't think anything of it – you came to this bar a lot with Ashton and people watched you all the time.

You took a big gulp of your drink, scrunching your face up as you swallowed it. It didn't take you long to know what was going on – you'd only had one drink previous to this so you obviously weren't too drunk to function – and when you realized you tasted salt, you started panicking to yourself. You heard Dax ask if you were okay as you sprung up from your seat and practically bolted to the bathroom, locking yourself inside the single room. You then pulled out your phone and dialed the number you'd come to know by heart.

"Y/N!" your boyfriend breathed the second he accepted the call, "What on earth do you think you're doing?! Where are you?! This isn't funny! Come home now!"

"A-Ash..." you managed to choke out.

"What's wrong?" the tone of your voice sent him into panic mode.

"I-I came to get- to get a drink, bu-but I think s-someone spiked i-it," you sobbed softly, not wanting anyone who could possibly be outside the bathroom – especially the person who did this to you – to hear, "I don't- It's salt- I'm not- I don't know wha-what to do, A-Ashton; Tell- Tell m-me what to do-do. I'm sc- I'm scared..." You covered your mouth with the palm of your hand so your cries weren't as loud.

"Listen to me, baby," Ashton said as you heard the sound of him picking up his keys off the kitchen counter and closing the front door behind him as he jogged out of the apartment, "You're going to be fine, do you understand me? Just tell me where you are, okay? I'm coming to get you."

"I-I'm in the-the bar," you moved your hand so he could understand what you were saying, "I-In the bath-bathroom." You heard a car door shut and an engine start, then the sound of Ashton's phone dropping into the cup holder in the center console, letting you know he'd put you on speaker so he could start driving.

"I need you to stay on the phone with me, okay?" he said, earning an uneven hum from your end, "How are you feeling? Do you feel dizzy or sick at all?"

"A-A little," you admitted softly, "Bu-But I don't- I don't know if- if it's becau-because of th-the drugs o-or because I-I know it's com-coming."

"Princess-" Ashton was cut off by the sound of someone pounding on the bathroom door, causing you to squeak loudly and start crying harder.

Without really thinking – since he was already pulling into a parking spot in front of the bar – he hung up the call and raced inside. He stormed into the building, making Dax look up. But he didn't have time to smile and greet him before he was speaking.

"I just thought you'd like to know that there's a man trying to force his way into the women's room," Ashton informed the bartender.

Since Dax already knew Ashton and knew he wouldn't joke around like that, he immediately shouted for the bouncer closet to the bathrooms to remove the problem, prompting the bouncer to disappear around the corner. He reemerged only a couple seconds later, shoving the man who had drugged you toward the door.

"You might want to keep him here and just have police pick him up," Ashton mentioned loudly enough for all three of them to hear, "I'm sure it wouldn't look too good on the bar's end if they let a rapist go free."

Before anyone could say anything, Ashton was rushing back to where the bathrooms were. He knocked on the women's room door, calling your name as well.

"Y/N?" he tried opening the door but it was locked, "Baby, I need you to open the door for me!" The moment you'd heard 'baby', you knew it was Ashton.

You jumped up from your curled-up position on the floor and shakily unlocked the door, throwing it open. You didn't even look at Ashton before your arms were around his neck and your face was buried in his shoulder, allowing yourself to cry even more.

"You're okay, baby girl," Ashton murmured into your ear over and over again as he hugged you back, kissing the side of your head repeatedly as well, "I'm here; I've got you."

"I d-don't- I don't f-feel good," you whimpered, feeling him squeeze you again.

"I know, princess," he replied, "Let's get you home before it gets worse, yeah?"

One of Ashton's arms released you so that he could hook his elbow under your knees, picking you up and carrying you back out into the main room. The bouncer was standing beside the man who drugged you as he sat at the counter, both of them as well as Dax looking over. Dax was on the phone with someone, but pulled it away from his ear and covered the speaker.

"Should I give the cops your number?" he asked. Your boyfriend simply nodded, hollering a 'thank you!' back to him as he returned to his call.

Ashton turned his back to the door to push it open, glaring at the man sitting at the counter before turning again and letting the door shut behind him. He carefully opened the passenger door, setting you down and buckling your seatbelt. He then ran around to the driver's side so he could make the three-minute drive home.

Upon pulling into the apartment complex's parking lot, Ashton parked in his usual spot and got out, coming back around to your side. He opened the door and hit the lock before picking you up again and closing the door. He carried you all the way back to your apartment, effortlessly getting you inside without breaking a sweat. He then took you to the bedroom, putting you down on the bed. He asked if you wanted to change into your pajamas and when you nodded, he helped you with that as well.

You watched him change into his own sleepwear before he came back to the bed, lying down beside you. You felt your eyes begin to get droopy but you powered through it, looking at your boyfriend.

"I'm sorry for earlier," you sniffled.

Ashton barely smiled at you, snaking his arm under your neck and bringing you into him. He kissed your forehead as you laid on his chest, murmuring an 'it's okay' to you. You didn't know what came over you, but the statement made you start crying again.

"No, it's not!" you squeaked, tears streaming down your face as you tilted your head upwards to look at him again, "If I didn't walk out, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Ashton cooed gently, bringing his hand up and wiping your cheeks, "It's not your fault. If you want to apologize about the argument, that's fine, but what happened at the bar had nothing to do with something you said here."

You made a small noise of detest, only making him chuckle as he held you closer. He kissed your head again, pulling away to find you struggling to keep your eyes open.

"Is it kicking in now, princess?" he asked softly. You nodded as best as you could but you didn't know whether or not he'd even felt it until he spoke again. "You can go to sleep," he said reassuringly, "You're safe now, baby girl; I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"I love you, Ashton," you whispered just before passing out, making him smile slightly as his lips returned to your forehead.

"I love you more," he murmured into your skin even though he knew you couldn't hear him.

❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀・・・❀

master list / master list for mobile users

you can also check out my last imagine here, my to do list to see what’s coming up, and click here to go to the page for my calum fic :)

[zipgrowth]

The 2019 EdSurde Annual Special: Edtech April Fool’s News That Should Stay Fake

Congratulations for making it through the first quarter of 2019! The reward that awaits: Our fine annual tradition of hijinks and horseplay, exaggerations and extrapolations, and all the absurdities not fit for print on any day other than April 1.

We’re not the only ones getting in on the fun. Chegg’s chalked up an excuse-generator to help you weasel out of doing homework, taking tests—just about anything. Duolingo is taking the idea of “push” notifications to a whole new, literal (physical?) level.

Happy April Fool’s. Now, let’s get EdSurde.

WONDERFUL WORLD OF CURRICULUM: Somehow still hungry for more content after acquiring 21st Century Fox, Disney has stooped to gobbling educational publishers to add to its ever-expanding empire Magic Kingdom. As early as Monday morning, students posted photos of word problems asking how many oranges Mickey Mouse has left after Donald Duck absconded with some, and how quickly Spider-Man would meet Homer Simpson if Spidey started swinging from Manhattan at noon and Homer’s Springfield train left the same time going 70 miles per hour.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: Weary of unwanted scrutiny, companies that once described themselves as the “Facebook of education” are now scrambling to disassociate themselves from the beleaguered social network. Public relations firms want to tap into our nostalgic past. Currently up for grabs: Angelfire for Tutors. Geocities for Test Prep. Friendster for Learning. Myspace for Math. (Somewhere, everyone’s-first-friend Tom is smiling.)

HAPPY MEALS, PERSONALIZED: McDonald’s just acquired an AI tech company to personalize the drive-thru experience. Why stop there? Chief Mascot Ronald confided with EdSurge that it is considering integrating that technology with school information systems to tweak Happy Meals based on how well children do in school. Good grades get kids hot nuggets, fries and toys. Being naughty nets a soggy McFlurry.

Coming soon: Naughty Meals

DAZED AND CONFUSED: No idea what personalized learning is? Neither do we! Join us today for the first annual CONFUSION conference featuring vague, stab-in-the-dark definitions and more questions than answers. All attendees are guaranteed to leave with less of an idea of what personalized learning is than when they came. And don’t miss special keynote guest Ashton Kutcher. See you there!

BRAT BOT: Colleges are increasingly turning to chatbots to help students navigate questions around areas such as financial aid or campus events. But some administrators say the tool feels impersonal and, well, robotic. One company is responding with a new approach. Meet Brat Bot, a sassy campus chatbot that isn’t afraid to chastise students for obvious questions. Where’s the dining hall? “Don’t you have Google Maps?” Can I turn the FAFSA in late? “Get real.”

SNEAK PEEK! A stealth San Francisco-based edtech startup offered a glimpse of a “revolutionary” new product. It’s made of organic materials, and lets students move at their own pace. A secret, patented technology reduces eye strain. And it uses the latest in kinesthetic research to get learners engaged physically, through flicks of their fingers and wrists. Did we say it’s also tactile? The company insists it’s not just selling print textbooks.

WHOLE CHILD CUTS: Budget constraints have forced school districts across the country to make difficult cuts to whole-child education programs, leaving many school leaders scrambling to decide which parts are more or less important. Left brain or right brain? The eyes or the ears? The femur or the fingers? For many, the decision may require divine intervention like that in the Judgment of Solomon.

The world’s first whole-child dilemma. (Source: Wikipedia)

HACKED AND HAPPY ABOUT IT: Local authorities investigating the recent data breach in a district’s payroll system announced a breakthrough in the case today. Rather than funneling funds out of teachers’ bank accounts, as was initially suspected, the hackers appear to have deposited $314,159 in the accounts of each math teacher on the payroll. The sum is consistent with the first six digits of π (Pi). Authorities have closed the investigation, and a source close to the math department says the teachers are being simply “irrational” about the number.

AUGMENTED ANGUISH: Augmented reality (AR) has been lauded for its ability to enhance students’ learning experiences. But what can it do for teachers? Don a Wistful Thinking headset and take a walk around the classroom, and you’ll see all sorts of digital delights superimposed on your environment. Brand new iPad Pros on every desk, classroom supplies you didn’t have to pay for, and a thicker paycheck (that didn’t require a week-long strike) are just some of the sensory features offered in this new AR headset. Side effects, the manufacturer warns, include dejection and depression once the headset is removed.

LIFELONG LABORING: If learning shouldn’t stop at age 25, or 65, or ever, why should work? That’s the argument put forth in a new paper which posits that the future of work … will forever be more work. Learning and laboring should extend beyond life as well, it argues. Developments on the horizon include the ability for cryogenically frozen humans to absorb knowledge through “learning fluids,” and a way to convert dead tissues into renewable energy drinks to help your fellow humans work harder.

The future of life and lifelong learning

A NEW DEAL: Sen. Kamala Harris’s bold plan to boost the average American teacher’s salary by $13,500 has hit a snag around funding issues. Among her ideas for Plan B: give every school district an iPad for each student. A senior official at Los Angeles Unified School District has already issued a statement: “Wait. Not this again.”

BECAUSE WE NEED MORE LETTERS: First there was STEM. Then someone decided that science, technology, engineering and math were not enough, and so added an ‘A’ for arts to make STEAM. Still unsatisfied, someone else demanded an ‘R,’ giving us STREAM education: science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math. (Hey people, that’s called school.)

UNBUNDLING THE ALUMNI NETWORK: Mark Zuckerberg famously dropped out of Harvard, but he clearly benefited from people he met during his brief time there. (His roommate was an early employee). So why not make dropping out of college the plan? A new startup, DegreeLite provides an online network for those who have done a year or two at a highly-selective school but didn’t bother finishing. Members trade opportunities, connections and job listings for a hefty membership fee of $4,000 per year. As the company’s founder said in a statement, “These days, networks matter more than degrees, so why not focus on the networking?”

MALL OF ACADEMIA: With the retail sector increasingly under stress and colleges looking to cut costs, higher education may soon become the new anchor of your local shopping mall. Plans are underway to convert Westfields and similar complexes into classrooms and faculty offices, which college officials say come at cut rates compared with their stone buildings on leafy quads. Turf wars are already brewing between departments over who gets to take over the former Brookstone. No one’s itching for the Abercrombie & Fitch space, due to the lingering cologne smell.

Site of your future Biology 101 class. The 2019 EdSurde Annual Special: Edtech April Fool’s News That Should Stay Fake published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness