#henry gresley-stanier

[lavenderrosiefan]

Height comparisons for the Steam Team! (Part 1)

Thomas Billinton-5'10'' (177.8 cm)

Edward Stewart-Pettigrew-6' (182.9 cm)

Henry Gresley-Stanier-6'1'' (185.4 cm)

Gordon Gresley 6'4'' (193 cm)

James Hughes-6' (182.9 cm)

Percival "Percy" Avonside-5'11'' (180.3 cm)

Tobias "Toby" Holden-5'11'' (180.3 cm)

Montague "Duck" Collett-5'11'' (180.3 cm)

Donald McIntosh-5'11'' (180.3 cm)

[verypsbfan019]

Henry Gresley-Stanier 2.0 💚🚂

I've wanting to update the character sheet of the first engine that I humanized! So here it is 👉👈

Thanks to Henry my love for Thomas the Tank engine and Friends never died. He was one of my favorite engines when I was a little kid hehe

You can see his original design and the headcanons here !

[lavenderrosiefan]

Personally, I would pick James. He's an interesting character, don't get me wrong, but I would feel like he would be better suited to live elsewhere if he ever got his own branchline. In my headcanon, he would get the Peel Godred Branchline, and would move to the sheds at Peel Godred.

I am feeling a little controversial this fine Monday, so let me propose a scenario.

Edward and Henry get to stay for BWBA. But one other member of the OG Steam Team must leave in their place.

As always, put your reasoning in the tags/comments (or write an essay in your reblog! I'd love to read it!)

[bruhstation]

steam team's seniors during their baby years

A friend group so weird and toxic to people they dislike it could rival It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s. They're not immune to the "I came to Sodor to avoid my problems and wanted a fresh start" trope many Sudrians also follow

Edward Pettigrew

Age: 31 as of 1984

A kind, friendly NWR railwayman who didn’t mind a lot of things and was popular amongst younger folks for his looks and demeanor. He likes showing newbies the ropes of the NWR and Sodor as a whole because he just loves infodumping. Despite being made fun of by some railwaymen for his “weirdness”, Edward worked hard and was known as the jack-of-all-trades by his peers, usually treating younger and newer railwaymen to drinks after work to get them accustomed to Sodor (he did this to Henry, then Gordon, then James). Originally from the village of Pezë in Tirana, Albania, 1940s. Due to his beginnings in a small rural village and the Albanian government’s censorship of outside influences and heavy restriction of traveling outside the country, Edward’s hunger for knowledge about the world grew more and more. His family had connections to the Lëvizja Nacional-Çlirimtare and Edward’s particularly bright and good at talking, so he became a diplomat to travel outside Albania – a step into his plans of learning more about the world. After landing himself in the United Kingdom and studying everything he wanted, he believes it’s still not enough. He found out about an island infamous for its supernatural occurrences and cases of people missing just off the coast of the UK – Sodor. Being the curious man he is, he discarded everything that’s needed for the LNÇ to locate him and landed on Sodor, gorging himself with every mystery the island has to offer. Impulsive? Yes. But for the first time, Edward felt true freedom. However, Edward got too curious and nosy and became a casualty in an accident fueled by supernatural hysteria related to Lady of the Legend and was transported around 40 years into the future, landing in 1983 with his memories all over the place. Despite losing his sense of self and having no idea what he is, his thirst for knowledge still lives on inside his head. His cheerfulness, amicability, and kindness are extensions he formed to make up for the hole inside his heart. Edward does love his friends, but he believes that if he can withhold information from them and make them all live in blissful ignorance, they can be truly happy – this all stems from his fear of exceeding his limits and being discarded (which he later copes by being a typical wise friendly old man in 1999). He often sees visages of Lady in his dreams.

Gordon J. Gresley

Age: 26 as of 1984

Joined after Henry. Looked like he was fresh out of a funeral. A young hotshot who was more polite, quiet, and reserved compared to his 1999 counterpart. Gordon started out as an apprentice fireman for the Wild Nor’Wester’s previous driver. He treated his arrival on Sodor as a desperate last resort to escape his issues and grief and pitifully believed he was “lumped with the social pariahs in the boonies”, but he’s gotten better and believed that this is where he can truly outshine everyone, much to the annoyance and chagrin of his seniors. Gordon acts like he knows what he’s doing in order to build up his image as someone who’s dependable and strong and revels in small basks of limelight. However, he was constantly uncomfortable with how Edward treated accidents as normal due to their survivors being in tip-top shape the next day and how Henry is so distrustful of and odd about everything and everyone and sweats 24/7, but he’s been masking and convincing himself that he’s not like the rest of them. He’s normal. He’s normal! Let’s all hold hands. Don’t be fooled by his sad face. Young Gordon can be arrogant and think he knows everything for being a youngin.

Henry Stanier

Age: 27 as of 1984

Joined after Edward, so he’s quite close to him. Gordon’s “senior” by 6 months. He’s always, ALWAYS scared endlessly about anything “out of the ordinary” and beats himself up over it, much to his own disgust. Henry had a deep rooted hatred and jealousy towards his peers for pitying him after a coworker revealed to other railwaymen that he’s narcoleptic without his permission. He’s been masking his disabilities despite it being detrimental for his well-being, but as long as people treated him “normally”, Henry would endure (dreadfully). He did this especially with Gordon, the newest addition to the Northwestern Railway at the time, because he didn’t want anyone else to treat him differently when they find out about his health issues. As an extention, Henry developed a vitriol towards Gordon too – he’s particularly jealous about how he’s so “ungrateful” of everything’s given to him like his fair looks, clothes, and position as the to-be face of the Wild Nor’Wester. They did become friends though despite the process not being easy. It’s okay. They became besties that were mean to old nosy folks. Initially wanted to pursue arts, but due to circumstances from his past related to his health and paranoia fueled by his past failures and “jinxes”, he came to Sodor as a half-hearted last resort to get a job. He wasn’t hopeful of having anyone respect him for who he is, but things do get better, much to his surprise.

James A. Hughes

Age: 25 as of 1989

Joined the NWR 5 years after Edward did. At that point, Gordon already discarded his GNR Green look and went for the blue attire (minus the big coat). Flaunts his beauty almost at any given time, especially when someone mildly complimented him. He’s more of a nerd (word used loosely because he acts like a know-it-all when he actually has no idea what he’s doing) compared to his canon, 1999 counterpart. James came to Sodor for a fresh start and believed he deserves more than what he’s given. He thinks he’s so tough and hard as nails – in fact it became his source of hubris because he gets into accidents and was scolded by his seniors for being so vain and stubborn. He doesn’t want to get dirty, he doesn’t want to shovel coal, he doesn’t want to get wet from the washdown suds – he only wants the good out of the work and doesn’t want to accept the “bad” sides as well, so James was branded as the “problem kid” of the NWR by older folks. James, who can’t handle harsh criticism and labels well, grow even more distant with them. He primarily hangs out with the RWS trio because they seem to understand his situation and the feeling of being “outcasted” (despite Gordon’s annoyance at his boastfulness). 

[esperfruit]

Bonus facts for the characters in my TTTE Human AU Part 1

Thomas Billington:

Recently got his moped license, travels around Sodor on his moped whenever he can

British + Indian

Autism + ADHD

Asexual + Biromantic 

Edward's No. 1 hypeman

No sweets are save from him

Once got in an accident with a bike and was catapulted through a window onto a family’s breakfast table

Can't play instruments to save his life

Strong dislike for fish and gets seasick

Favorite shows are slapstick cartoons

Is surprised himself at how good he became at making friends with how bad he used to be in the past

Can get tunnel vision when too determined to get things done

Reads books about ancient civilizations, mythology and archeology to feel close to his missing parents

Stays in contact with Ashima

Edward Pettigrew:

His friend circle is so large, he always knows someone who can help out

British

Bisexual + Trans man

Classic music enthusiast 

Serious perfectionist

People pleaser but has a lot of confidence and self-respect

Often forgets basic needs when focused too hard on work (Annie, Clarabel and Thomas often have to remind him to eat)

Used to look after Henry when he was sick but over time was pushed away by Henry, who didn't want Edward's “pity”

Is called “Uncle Edward” by Thomas

Has very high expectations of himself thanks to his reputation as the ol'reliable

Was a troublemaker in his youth to the shock of everyone

Can adapt to any situation

Henry Stanier:

If you want to know anything regarding gardening, he got you covered

Puerto Rican

ADD + autism + anxiety + insomnia 

Pansexual + Bigender

Can be a massive hater when you get on his bad side

Actively participates in forest restorations 

Struggles with expressing of wanting sympathy for his condition but not to be pitied for it

Lived in New Jersey for a while and adapted the accent

Even if he mellowed out, he can still throw out some of the most rude things you've ever heard

Holds a grudge against Scott

Was Sodor's undefeated armwrestling champion for a long time until his defeat against Hiro

His orphanage didn't want to pay for his hospital bills anymore and he was given to the Staniers without them knowing about his anemia first

Uses the herbs he grows in his garden for medicine

Aside from chronic anemia, he has a weak immune system in general

Goes hiking for escapism 

Gets stressed whenever Spencer is around

Not many can tell whenever his smile is one of joy or warning

Gordon Gresley:

When he smiles his whole face changes

British

Gay

Autism + NPD + BPD

Gets very tense and nervous when confronted with sudden big change

Struggles at asking for help

It’s very difficult to get him to open up and especially to get him to talk about his feelings

Quick to judge others

Once led a strike with Henry and James, is embarrassed by it today

Gets very uncomfortable when his family is mentioned

Suffers from strong mood swings, it is hard to predict and adapt to him

Almost got ran over by Spencer’s car once (Spencer did it on purpose)

Never hides his schadenfreude

A glutton, gets flustered whenever it’s addressed

Has nightmares from the accident only he and Scott survived

His drawn out groans and “Oh, the indignity” line became famous

James Hughes:

Freaks out whenever some of his self-made outfits get dirty

British + Mexican

Gay

ADHD + NPD + anxiety 

Has a whole photo album with nothing but selfies

Becomes non-verbal when he feels humiliated 

Very observant, notices things others never would

All of his dishes look like they were made at a 5 stars restaurant

Is often seen posing over dramatically 

Good painter

Breaks out into boastful laughter whenever he’s praised

Constantly provokes Gordon to get his attention

Has a melancholic side

Percival “Percy” Avonside:

Is the local newspaper kid on his bike

British + Seychellois + Malaysian

ADHD

AroAce and non-binary

Wants to become a professional soccer player, trains with Donald

Didn't know how to swim for a long time until he got swimming lessons after almost drowning when he fell into the water at the harbor and was saved by Henry

Has some developmental delays because of the homeschooling and struggles with big words

Is often seen bantering with the helicopter pilot Harold Sikorsky

Gets very grumpy when bored

Superhero movie fan

Accident prone, is currently on his fifth bike 

Loves wearing the sweaters Henrietta made for him

Very good with animals

When he makes a promise, he does everything to keep it

Tobias “Toby” Holden:

Very strong attachment to Henrietta, is only seen without her at work

Black British

Straight ally

Neurotypical

Usually peaceful but will make you regret if you ever hurt Henrietta or Percy

Is easy to get to laugh at your jokes (except for Charlie, even Toby finds him unfunny)

Sweet tooth but not as extreme as Thomas

Henrietta can cheer him up instantly whenever he’s cross

Once stopped a burglar from robbing a museum and is now seen as a hero

Often invites Mavis for dinner with his family 

Owns many antiques 

Montague “Duck” Collett:

Amazing dancer, his favorite being waltz with Donald

British

Bisexual

Autism 

A typical old-fashioned gentleman despite his young age

Has high standards and gives harsh but honest criticism 

Does not swear at all, only when he's at his breaking point

Usually shrugs off duck jokes but will throw hands if you do that as one of his enemies (Diesel)

Habit of talking a lot when getting enthusiastic 

He and Douglas are the only ones to know how to handle Donald perfectly

Very musical, can play the piano, violin, acoustic guitar and flute 

Likes going to the coast, gets sentimental when watching the sunset there

Donald McIntosh:

Owns kilts he wears to festivities

Scottish

Gay

ADHD

Can not play the bagpipes

Fluent in Gaelic 

He and Douglas used to live in Hamilton but moved to Glasgow after being adopted by the McIntosh Family

Loves playing Scottish folk music at high volume (to the annoyance of many) 

Was the ace striker of his school’s soccer team 

Likes giving nicknames (Dougie, Ducky, Ollie, Hen-Hen, Gordo, Jamie, Ed, Thommy, Perce, Emi, Becca etc.)

Makes cute little hats for Dilly

Short-tempered and gets aggressive when someone is looking at Douglas the wrong way

Douglas McIntosh:

Owns kilts he wears to festivities

Scottish

Bisexual and non-binary

Autism + anxiety 

Can play the bagpipes

Fluent in Gaelic

Hates superstitions and anything related to the supernatural 

Learned how to cook for himself since he started to refuse to eat food from others except Donald and Oliver

Craves affection, only lets Donald and Oliver know

Proud of his heritage, both twins are but Douglas shows it more

Enjoys wearing feminine and masculine clothing equally 

Oliver Armstrong:

Best partner to go on walks with. Evening walks on the beach with Douglas are his favorite

British + Egyptian 

Pansexual

Autism + paranoia ( the latter caused by being hunted for years)

Loves learning about history and other cultures

Amazing cook, he and Douglas often exchange recipes 

Makes a lot of puns

Ego gets inflated quickly

Gives amazing hugs, Douglas can confirm

He and Toad give the best camping advice

Emily Stirling: 

Insecure in her femininity because of her headstrong personality and age

British + Vietnamese

Lesbian

Neurotypical

Sodor’s greatest mediator

When she has something to say, she will make sure you listen

Gordon and Scott’s father’s half sister, was sent to Scotland to get married off to the Stirlings after it came out she was an illegitimate child 

Her marriage was arranged, she did care for her late husband a lot and knew he was a good man but she did not love him

Only talks about her former marriage with Daisy and her closest friends

Learns baking from Henrietta

Likes teasing young people

She and Daisy often dress flashy for fun 

[joezworld]

Christmas Story

Tidmouth Station - December 27, 1984 - 10:00 AM

City of Truro was roused from his cold and uncomfortable slumber by the movement of his wheels. He opened his eyes to find that he’d been attached to a goods train. He was facing rearwards still, and a sea of hostile looking trucks and vans stared back at him. He stared back, not about to be scared by a group of lesser creatures. 

Presently, there was a whistle, and another green engine rolled past him, a single flatbed truck behind him. “Good morning!” the engine said cheerfully. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up.”

Truro blinked, unused to common courtesy after the savage treatment he’d endured. “Yes, I am now awake,” he said slowly. “Where are we going?” 

“To the mainland - well, that’s where I’m going at least,” the engine prattled on as he was backed down onto the train. “I think you’re going beyond there.”

“My own fifteen guinea special, as it were,” Truro remarked blithely. “It seems that my loan here has fallen through.”

“Ah well,” the engine said - was he a Black Five? He seemed to have some Stanier in his design. Maybe a touch of Gresley too. “Not everything works out. I’m sure that the museum will have you back on display in no time.”

Truro had to avoid gritting his teeth. “Yes, I’m sure they will.”

-

The journey continued mostly uneventfully as the train continued down the line. Quite naturally, it was a slow pickup goods, and so there was plenty of time for this… LMS? engine to talk and talk and talk. 

“-and so then I said- oh my goodness, what is he wearing?” The engine cut off as they rolled past a signal near some no-where station in the middle of the countryside. 

Truro didn’t have to guess at who was coming the other way - the growling motor was obvious from a distance. 

The two trains passed at a relatively slow pace - the horrid diesel growling away at a quiet roar. It said something to the engine pulling Truro along, and then was sliding away down the line, surely to ruin someone else’s day. 

The green engine was silent. 

“What was that about?” Truro hoped that he could perhaps find an ally against this backwards island with its diesel loving steam engines. “Did it-”

“Oh, nothing.” The green engine said. “I’ve just been in the works for a few months. I haven’t seen him since October and, well it seems like I’ve missed some things.”

“Like this monster…” The truck nearest to Truro whispered. Truro shot it an icy glare to make it subside. 

“Oh goodness me,” Truro said with faux-drama. “I can only sympathize! I’ve been on this island a month and I wish that I’d been in the works the whole time!” 

“Really?” the engine laughed. “Why’s that? I can say it’s not the picnic it used to be!” 

“Oh, well, let’s just start with that blasted diesel that just passed us…” Truro launched into a… reasonably accurate tale of the last month, not noticing how quiet the engine in front got as he went on. 

He pointedly ignored the deranged looking smiles on the faces of the trucks behind him.

----

Halfway to Kellsthorpe Road Station - December 27, 1984 - 1:35 PM

“Henry.” The Fat Controller didn’t even have the energy to be upset. “You have been out of the works for five hours.”

Henry was defiant. “Sir, I wish that someone had told me. I would have dealt with him in the yard.” 

“That is not the right response.” Stephen Hatt called from where he was inspecting the p-way gang. They almost had a track open. 

“With respect sir,” Henry said without a hint of shame. “But you’re not the Fat Controller yet.”

Charles Hatt inspected the gravel by his shoes, trying very hard to remember why he put up with these engines. 

“-you dare lay your filthy hands upon me!” came a bellow from the lineside. The men were slipping cables around City of Truro’s battered form. “I am the Great Western, and you will all pay for this treachery!” 

Ah yes, there it was. 

Charles looked up at Henry. “Henry, the National Railway Museum and the Great Western Museum had to go through a great deal of trouble for him. There was some kind of an engine trade.”

“So?”

“Henry, we owe Swindon and York an engine now. The same engine.”

“He’s still in one piece.” There was a clunk. “Mostly. Say, if he’s in two pieces, he can-”

“An operating engine.”

There was a pause, as Henry thought something over. “Well I’m certainly not going.”

The Fat Controller felt exhausted. “Henry…” 

“I won’t. He deserved it.”

A deep sigh escaped Charles. “I want you to know that I’m only agreeing to this because it will soon not be my problem.”

“Sir, you’re not retiring from the Hatt Locomotive Trust as well, are you?”

“Bollocks.”

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

The Museum of the Great Western Railway at Swindon - January 3, 1985 - Early in the morning. 

“ATTENTION, BILGEWATER DRINKING WESTERNERS!” a voice rattled the walls of the museum, startling the exhibits awake. 

“What in the world..?” Lode Star stammered as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. 

“I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF A SUPERIOR RAILWAY, AND I HAVE JUDGED THIS FACILITY TO BE INFERIOR! YOU SHOULD BE FURIOUS AT THE SQUALOROUS CONDITIONS THEY HAVE FORCED YOU TO- what? No, I shall not be silent! Do you think I want to be here?! This is a ramshackle hovel! By an industrial park! You should be ashamed that you keep anything of value here, let alone locomotives!” 

A blue tender was backing into the spot that Truro had vacated over a month prior. Complaints and whinges followed in its wake, finally resolving into the form of a 4-6-2 of distinctly eastern design. 

“Who are you?” Lode Star asked, trying very hard to be imposing. 

“I,” the big engine said imperiously, “am Gordon, first of the Gresleys and an honored member of the London and North Eastern Railway. I am here, however temporarily, as a “fill-in” for your most reviled member, City of Truro.” He said Truro’s name like it was a curse word. 

“Whatever happened to Truro?” she asked, suddenly very concerned. 

“You shall find out, in due time,” the blue engine said ominously.

--------

The National Railway Museum, York - April 25, 1985 - Midday

The engines in the Great Hall were abuzz with anticipation, although it couldn’t be said that it was pleasant. The train had been delayed by several hours, and this gave some engines time to request a move outside. 

When the request had been denied, they stopped asking and started ordering. 

-

“I’m going to give him one chance to explain himself.” Caerphilly Castle set her jaw, waiting for the train to come into view.   

“I’m surprised you’re going to give him that much,” Evening Star said grimly. 

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Western Fusilier growled. 

Evening Star eyed the big diesel-hydraulic. “Fuse, you shouldn’t be here. It’s not going to be healthy for you.”

“And I suppose that you possess a recently-discovered wellspring of calm?”

“Quiet, the lot of you!” Railcar 4 snapped. “We’re going to talk to him, and then-”

“We’re going to kill him,” Fusilier sniffed. 

“No!” 

-

Inside the doors to the Great Hall, a trio of Gresleys watched with varying levels of concern. 

“I wish that they weren’t out there,” Green Arrow said quietly. “It’s not going to end well for them.”

“Oh, do give over.” Mallard sniffed. “What are they going to do? Yell him to death? Not a one of them can move under their own power!” 

“You would be surprised at the power of words, cousin,” Gordon said quietly, watching the proceedings. 

“I am well aware of the power of words, mister Representative Most Plenipotentiary.” The streamlined engine scoffed. “What exactly were you thinking with that? Letting some of them into our ranks?”

“Mal, I didn’t see you complaining when they tapped the shovel to your buffers.” Green Arrow raised an eyebrow. 

“Why you-!” 

“Quiet!” snapped Coppernob, from his place near the doors. “Do we want to hear this or not?”

The train slowly rolled into view, and the entire museum fell silent. 

“Well cousin,” except for Mallard, of course. “You’ve certainly done it now.”

First along was Truro, who was being pushed into the yard by a diesel - oh goodness gracious it was Bear. 

It didn’t look like Bear.

Then again it didn’t look like Truro either. 

Bear, still unmistakably a Western Region diesel-hydraulic, was painted from buffer to buffer in LNER Express Apple Green. In an oval in the center of his bodywork, 7101 was spelled out in gold letters, while it was flanked by the letters LN ER. His wheels were rimmed in white, and he had traditional red bufferbeams, with № 35 102 painted on it. He practically sparkled in the sun, and there couldn’t have been a cleaner engine inside the museum. 

And then there was Truro. 

His GWR green was gone. 

In its place was a very drab BR Black. 

[noble-atomics-railway]

1. The New Fireman

It would be nice, for a change, to have someone experienced working on his engine with him rather than someone he had to watch like a hawk. 

He met his new fireman early one morning as he checked over his engine. A quiet “hello” dragged him from his fixation on his task. 

“Henry Stanier.” Henry held out his hand, smiling. 

“Gordon Gresley.” Gordon shook it, turning away from his engine.

Henry laughed softly. “Like my name, no relation?” Slowly, Henry's eyes roamed over the engine, taking in every detail. “It's a lovely Gresley you have, though not like one I've ever seen before.”

“He's one of a kind,” Gordon said proudly. “He's a 1920's model, sold off cheap to this railway due to being a prototype. It's the only rails he's ever known.”

Next >  

The tags on this story make it look strange, but it'll be worth it, I swear. My summery of this fic is 'imagine a BBC period drama, but it takes place on Sodor, and is overlaid with TTTE characters.

This story started out as 'if I was going to do a human AU, I'd set it on the railroad' and quickly escalated into a full blown story about blackmail and how it feels to never be accepted for what you are. Henry feels too much for a man of his era, and it's a story about how hard it is to fit in when you are, to borrow a phrase from Steam Powered Giraffe 'wired wrong'.

Of course, some of these attitudes about what it means to be a man are still ingrained in today's society, and Gordon in this story is the embodyment of them. Proud, and letting no one see him cry.

I could find very little information about how people got treated for being gay in the 1930's-1960's so I went off the attitudes of grandparents towards these demographics, and the way they speak about them. It's why it has so many period typical warnings because I didn't want to tart it up too much, as much as I have tried to keep it as PG as possible.

It's a story of tearing down walls, and accepting, and being loved. It's a story of how far people will go to protect what they love. It's a story I have enjoyed writing, and hope people will enjoy reading.

[hazel-of-sodor]

Imagine being an LMS express engine, back in the thirties, arguing with Gordon at Barrow, you blow your deep LMS whistle to try and assert dominance, but instead of the Gresley blowing his shrill inferior whistle in retaliation, he replies with a HOOTER of all things, defaming the stations. The rumor was true, the Gresley has a whistle that can out do even the deepest of deep-toned whistles. Never shoulda got transferred.

Well looks crack this one open shall we?

Lets get into the social dynamics and politics of the LMS, Barrow, and NWR.

So Gordon is top dog in Barrow, end of the story. While Barrow yard is far larger in this world than ours due to the existance of Sodor, its Industries, Harbors, and People, the largest Express Engines allocated there are usually 4-6-0s. Pacifics do venture down to Barrow, but heres the thing, hes their Elder.

Ask any Engine in Britian who the first (British) pacific was, they will invariably say Gordon (Neither The Great Bear nor Henry were largely successfull as 4-6-2s, and are seen as having found their true forms as 4-6-0s). Invariably class protoypes (successfull ones at least) are held in higher regard, but Gordon pionered the type. No matter He is former GNR/LNER and current NWR, Gordon is the first and is therefore the eldest. One could be forgiven for thinking that Gordon could have lost this respect in his younger years, but decourm in stations is the law for express engines (whisting in stations isn't wrong, but we just don't do it). Flagship express engines are the image of their railway, and are expected to uphold said image while in station. On the rare occasion LMS Pacifics did stay in Barrow longer than it took to refuel and prepare for their next run, they found Gordon a proud but gracious host, as was proper. (it helded that their opinion of him matched his own.)

The 4-6-0s, however were another matter. The Stanier 4-6-0s were content to tease their larger cousins about their hero worship, and keep a cordial relationship with North Western No.4. The Fowler's, however were...divided. The Patriots and Royal Scot's were aware of the threat of standardization. Stanier was not known to be sentimental man, and there were fears among some of the classes that they would be scrapped in favor of Stanier's standard engines (in reality a number of both class would be rebuilt to use Stanier Boilers.)

Some of these engines decided to deal with these fears by competeing feircly with their Stanier contemporaries, and for some this was not a friendly competition. These engines saw Gordon not as an honored elder or a respected collegue, but a part of the enemy. The incident this ask refers to occured in 1935, when a young Patriot class, newly assigned to Barrow decided to try and get a rise out of the Pacific. Gordon treated the younger express engine with all the restrained derision and posh superiority he felt the situation called for. Needless to say the Patriot only got angrier and angrier, leading to him trying to silence the North Western Engine with a long, rude, blast of their whistle, a dire breach of station etiquette.

Gordon intially waited impatiently for the whistle to stop, but when the 20 second mark was passed, he responded in kind. While Gordon only gave a short blast, the Patriot fell silent in shock as a Gordon's Pennslyvannia Railroad whistle thundered out. In the ringing silence afterwards, Gordon explained in manner simular to an exasperated parent correcting a toddler that one did not raise their whistle in stations unless they were departing or arriving, and they most certainly did not hold their whistle.

The LMS, throughly embarressed by their engines behavior, quickly reallocated the patriot to the other side of their territory (although they would return during the war.)

[ye-olde-sodor]

Dream Canon Mallard Headcanons!

Mallard is an LNER Class A4 built in 1938, making him one of the youngest members of the Gresley Family. (Aged 62 in this au)

He holds the world record for the Fastest Steam Locomotive in the world. On July 3rd, 1938, he reached 126 mph at just a few months old!

Mallard can be arrogant and mean, but he’s generally well mannered and generous with humans and engines alike…unless an engine dares to defy the hierarchy, then it’s an entirely different case. He's also quite the Optimist, which plays into how he views serious situations.

No one tell him that Henry "Stanier" was built with stolen Gresley blueprints, he'll have a stroke. A merge of the two families would create a nation wide scandal!

He’s in charge of his own Engine Correctional Facility on the Mainland, and has 17 other facilities just like it across the UK!

This idea of correctional facilities came to him sometime after he learned of the scrapping of most of his siblings (save for Spencer and a few others). He was grief stricken, and clung to the first thing that brought him any feelings that weren’t grief and dread.

He noticed that him and a select few of his siblings were preserved because they either performed better than the rest, broke a record, had some major historic significance, or were purchased by foreign railways. It’s the first example that became Mallard’s obsession.

He wanted to give all engines another chance at life. He wanted to see if he could mold an engine to be better than their other siblings, and have them preserved. When the trial of this idea succeeded with Ryan (who was unaware of the trial and assumed he was preserved due to his ties with the other Gresleys), Mallard found his new purpose in life, his spiritual awakening one might say. He’s been operating his correctional facilities ever since.

While he has the best intentions in mind, he’s oblivious to the harm his methods of teaching may cause. He can also be full of himself when he’s convicted he’s right.

His main goal is to expand his facilities to Sodor, the bane of British Rail and to the Engine Hierarchy. He wishes to purchase it and reshape it in his own image. Mallard won’t modernize it, but he wants to bring order and essentially remove what makes Sodor stand out from other heritage lines…it’s numerous accidents and ties to the Reverend Awdry.

He's extremely close to Ryan, who he views as a son. Spencer is a close second, however. While he cares for Scott and Gordon as well, he can't let Scott's "death" get in the way of progress. He'll mourn in secret, not in public. It's the professional way to do it.

As one can probably tell, Mallard sees opportunity in everything, even in death and depression. He's an optimist by nature, and always tries to see the good in everything. Case in point, now that Mallard has part of Scott's inheritance and Gordon doesn't want to work anymore, Mallard has the perfect opportunity to go through with his Sodor Renovation plan!

When Mallard learned that Gordon was struggling to cope with the loss, he offered to take him to the Mainland to get him closer to professionals who can help him.

Spencer became roped into Mallard's scheme, but Spencer isn't too keen on the idea just like everyone else.

Thomas quickly became Mallard's "moral enemy" due to his Anti-hierarchy views. Once Mallard has control over the island's engines, Thomas will be the first one admitted to Mallard's Correctional facility. He's hoping that Ryan can whip him into shape, as he plans to have Ryan run the Sodor facility in the future.

Quotes:

Mallard: "Gordon, my dear brother-"

Gordon: "We're cousins."

Mallard: "Gordon, my dear cousin-" ____________________________________________

Mallard: "So Spencer, how's the island?"

Spencer: "Depressed, demoralized...on the brink of collapse now that Gordon got replaced by those three diesels!"

Mallard: "Oh is it now?~"

Spencer: "Please don't talk like that again-"

Mallard: "Do tell me more about Sodor's, eh...run of bad luck."

____________________________________________

Mallard: “Well look on the bright side…once you feel ready, we can return to Sodor and I get to introduce you to all the new changes I’ve made! :)”

Gordon, half listening: I suppose you’re right-wait WHAT ALL DID YOU CHANGE???”

Mallard: “Secret :3”

____________________________________________

Mallard: "So we're going to put the new Correction Facility over...Oh I don't know where to place it! Spencer, you know the island well, where would be the most optimal location for it?"

Spencer: "I wouldn't say I know it well...but if you're serious about this facility of yours, I'd place it somewhere along the Express route. There's some land near Vicarstown that's unoccupied. It'll be right next to a large yard and station for engines to train. Plus it'll be in close proximity to the Dieselworks."

Mallard: "There's a Dieselworks?! On Sodor?"

Spencer: "Calling it a Works is a bit of a stretch but yes, there is one. It's in complete disrepair though. It's any wonder those diesels despise Topham and our fellow steam engines"

Mallard: "Hmm. Good to know..."

____________________________________________

Mallard: "Y'know, I've been digging into your class lately in order to-"

Thomas: "The Hell?! What are you doing that for, you creep!"

Mallard: "...To better accommodate my courses and lessons to your class, since I've been told you're quite the water hog."

Thomas: "Oh you miserable-"

Mallard: "I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU, YOU TWIT."

____________________________________________

Edward: "We'll lose everything! Sodor's culture, it's heritage, and it's railways. You'll destroy everything that Sodor stands for if you go through with your plan!"

Mallard: "Ah, so my plan will work! What wonderful news! Now we can get started on making a new Sodor!"

Edward: ಠ_ಠ

Mallard: "One with our beloved hierarchy, no confusion or delay, and more attention to the poor and neglected diesels!"

Diesel 10: "Hell yeah! Finally, a Steamer who gets it!"

Edward: "He's using you to push his own agenda you twit! He'll forget about you once he-"

Mallard: "Step right up then, my fellow machine! Show me around the Diesel Works so I can make arrangements to give it a complete overhaul!"

Diesel 10: "Gladly Mr. eh...Mallard was it?"

Edward, under his breath: "Oh you can fuck right off..."

[biggsodorcitystories]

Happy 79th Anniversary to The Railway Series!

The Railway Engines

To commemorate a successful first day on the North West Railway, the Fat Director decided to take a photograph of his three engines - sadly, the little shunter had not yet returned from his work.

Lady Elspeth "Edward" Moran-Stewart, daughter of the Earl of Cumbria, on loan from the neighbouring Furness Railway to help update and build upon the existing infrastructure as a slow reintroduction to her duties after raising her three children. Has a husband on business in the US.

Gordon Gresley - Eldest of Sir Nigel Gresley's magnificent new Express engines. Being a prototype, Gordon was acquired comparatively cheaply but was clearly an absolute steal. Rather boastful and proud, but given his status this is expected.

Henry Stanier - ...the less said about this engine, the better! That being said, he seems nice enough, if a bit quiet, and seems keen to prove himself. Seems to really enjoy the sunny weather. Might prove satisfactory in the long run.

The engines are still in their old colours - or existing, in her ladyship's case - and uniforms, but this can be resolved in good time.

[lavenderrosiefan]

What do you think are some of Henry's badass moments in the entire Thomas franchise? (be it in RWS, Model, or CGI series)

Hmm...one of my favorite badass Henry moments was in "Henry's Hero." When Hiro breaks down, Henry pushes the train all the way to Brendam Docks. There's also Super Rescue and Edward, Gordon, and Henry

[verypsbfan019]

The Engine Drivers Series: Henry Gresley-Stanier (2024 vs. 2023)

I just wanted to see how much my art improved in a year hehe

[fireflameproductions]

NOTE: THESE DESIGNS ARE OUTDATED I WILL REMAKE THEM SOON

Here’s my official lineup for the HIT era steam team! I’m super pleased with my designs for all of them and I think that they fit their personalities well! I have updated some things since then (this drawing is from July) but everything is still pretty much the same up till now.

They are a unique species that look human but share engine traits (grey skin, higher demand for water, and enhanced strength and speed). They all work as conductors and general workers on the railway.

My AU also takes place in the mid 1960s so technology is very limited and is still very old fashioned.

Headcanons and close ups below!

💙Thomas Billinton💙

Voice headcanon: Eddie Glen

Physical age: 33

Mental age: 20

- Despite being the ‘leader’ of The steam team he lacks in leadership skills. Unless the task is extremely important

- He is kind but can be mischievous and slightly rude when he wants

- He is pan and is currently dating Emily

- Despite his previous mistakes and wrong doings he tries his best to better himself and to not let others bring him down

- If there he candy around it will be gone in less than 30 seconds

- Annie and Clarabel are his closest friends and would kill if something bad happened to them

- Likes to bully the older members as he finds it funny (Gordon especially)

💙Edward Pettigrew💙

Voice headcanon: William Hope

Physical age: 65

Mental age: 47

- The father figure of the group, everyone looks up to him since he’s one of the oldest engines

- The sweetest member on the team (probably the sweetest on the island let’s be real)

- The best guy to go to for support and advice. He’ll try his best to help everyone

- Rarely ever gets upset, when he does you know you’ve messed up

- Due to his age he gets tired more easily. And has trouble working long, hard days

- He is currently questioning his sexuality

- Absolutely loves calm days on the railway, it gives him a chance to slow down and relax.

- Despite being pushed down by the younger members, he doesn’t let that bother him and continues to do his best

- Loves hugs, gives them out for free (go give him one he deserves it)

💚Henry Stanier💚

Voice headcanon: Keith Wickham

Physical age: 39

Mental age: 34

- Is usually kindhearted but can be rude if you grind his gears

- Absolutely loves nature, he keeps a ton of houseplants in his room

- He is bi

- Has trauma from The Flying Kipper accident, he has a lot of scars from the crash

- Is a sucker for cuddles (will get flustered if you hug him)

- Has frequent anxiety due to past accidents. He doesn’t want to go through that much fear again

- He loves napping under trees (he has a favourite one in his forest)

- Hopes one day he could pull the express full time (despite Gordon’s pleas)

💙Gordon Gresley💙

Voice headcanon: Kerry Shale

Physical age: 43

Mental age: 41

- Is one of the tallest and strongest workers on the island. He always thinks that he’s the best (and he is ofc)

- Despite his pompous and harsh exterior he is good hearted and wouldn’t hesitate to help others in need

- He is bi demiromantic and is currently dating Jessica (my self insert Oc)

- Has a massive fear of heights after the events of ‘A better view for Gordon’ and he hates it when people find out

- Avoids showing any form of weakness or vulnerability due to his reputation. He doesn’t want to look soft as he fears it will ruin him

- Enjoys a nice black tea at any time of the day

- Wouldn’t trade his job of pulling the express for anything. He absolutely loves it. And he hates doing any other jobs (especially if it’s dirty work)

- Despite getting teased by Thomas often he’s happy with his alliance with him, whenever he needs help he will come to his aid.

- Wouldn’t say it out loud but he would definitely cry if something happened to the ones that he cares about.

- He fears no one except for Diesel 10. He quivers in fear in his presence

❤️James Hughes❤️

Voice headcanon: Rob Rackstraw

Physical age: 32

Mental age: 28

- MASSIVE show off, will take any opportunity to show the world who he is

- He’s gay and has a crush on Edward

- Definitely has the biggest wardrobe of the group. He loves fashion and will wear makeup when he wants to

- Isn’t afraid to start beef with someone. He is full of drama and comebacks

- Sometimes, especially after an accident he feels insecure about his self image. And feels like he’s not good enough. He absolutely hates this

- Would definitely throw a tantrum if he doesn’t get what he wants

- Always wants to look perfect, he wants to impress everyone

💚Percy Stothert💚

Voice headcanon: Nigel Pilkington

Physical age: 27

Mental age: 19

- The youngest in the the group, he’s just a little child!

- Is way too pure for this world. He brightens up any room that he enters

- LOVES any job involving the mail. He takes pride in it and is always super proud of himself when he gets the job done

- He is ace

- He is very optimistic and always has a positive outlook on life. He’s also very supportive and wouldn’t hesitate to lend a hand!

- He loves animals! And usually tags along with Henry when walking in the woods

- He’s very curious and wants to learn as much as he can

- He gets scared very easily, others take advantage of this and try to scare him. Though he tries his best to be brave!

🤎Toby Holden🤎

Voice headcanon: Ben Small

Physical age: 53

Mental age: 51

- A kind and wise old man. On par with Edward on being a great source of advice

- Loves to take things slow and enjoy the littlest moments in life. You’ll never see him being in a rush

- He is straight and is married to Henrietta

- He has a massive fear of water after multiple incidents. And gets very upset when people tease him about it

- Despite being one of the smallest members of the group he has a massive heart. A great source of support

- Likes to participate in the younger members’ tricks on occasion. It gives him a good laugh

- Due to his calm nature, whenever he is stressed he often overacts as he’s not the best with dealing with anxiety

- He loves to wind down by sitting in his chair with a hot tea and with his wife close at the end of the day

💚Emily Sterling💚

Voice headcanon: Teresa Gallagher

Physical age: 72

Mental age: 35

- Surprisingly the oldest in the group. Although she doesn’t get teased about it as much as Edward

- Loves telling stories about her work experiences in Scotland. Feel free to lend a ear and she’ll tell you one!

- She’s usually very kind but she can be bossy when she’s grumpy

- She acts as the bigger sister to the group, especially the younger members. She will do anything to help them if they were in danger

- Loves a good old fashioned tea party. It’s one of her favourite activities

- She is straight and is dating Thomas

- She enjoys a good book. Takes frequent trips to the library. It’s her favourite way to wind down after a busy day

- Like Edward she gets tired easily and has trouble working long days

- She is the queen of girl outings, and is always ready to plan a get together

Whew that was a lot of typing, if you’ve made it this far, thank you. And have a good day ^^

[bruhstation]

I don't know if you've covered this already but, how old are your gijinkas? (steam team + side characters)

there's a lot of characters in casa tidmouth obviously but I'll just mention the ones I've thought of

thomas a. billington: 23 edward pettigrew: 46 henry stanier: 42 gordon j. gresley: 41 james a. hughes: 35 percival "percy" avonside: 22 tobias "toby" holden: 56

montague "duck" collett: 34 donald and douglas dunalastair: 29 oliver t. swindon: 32 emily stirling: 29 giovanni vin diesel: 35 mavis hawthorne: 28 rosemary "rosie" hill: 24 daisy heath-cammell: 30 diesel 10: 32 lady: 1000+ (physically in her early 30s)

skarloey fletcher: 57 rheneas jennings: 55 corris "sir handel" handel: 37 peter sam kerr-stuart: 34 "rusty": 28 duncan barclay: 31 duke gwynedd: 64 lucas "luke" joseph garside: 26

rebecca nassif: 23 nia e. wanjala: 24 ace herald: 22 sonny haydock: 26

scott f. gresley: 42 spencer s. gresley: 40 mallard m. gresley: 38 ryan stephenson: 25

hiro hideki: 62 kenji shirogane: 22 kana shirogane: 16

[esperfruit]

Since I got back into this series, here is my Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Human AU. Reference sheets and bios for numbers 1-12 ^^

1 - Thomas Billington

Age: 16

Height: 166 cm

An optimist that is always full of energy, ready to jump into action at any opportunity.

His eagerness can often get him into trouble with how impulsive he acts.

Thomas is cheeky and cocky, overestimating himself and underestimating others constantly. Playing tricks and teasing others, especially the adults around him is what he’s mostly known for besides of how hard of a worker he is.

He always sees the good in others and loves helping out but when someone does something he deems as truly unforgivable, he holds deep grudges and acts spiteful towards them. During most of his childhood, he used to be a troublemaker due to his lack of respect towards everyone not named Edward, Annie, Clarabell or Sir Topham Hatt. Nowadays he directs his disrespect and rudeness towards those who mistreat his friends.

Thomas is very curious and when something gets his interest, he wants to learn about it as much as possible, which got him into dangerous situations multiple times when he tried to discover something, a trait he got from his parents, archeologists.

When Thomas was born, his parents moved from the mainland to Sodor to raise him in a peaceful environment. Shortly before Thomas’ sixth birthday, his parents went missing when they were on their way back from an excursion and the only thing they left behind was a Golden Whistle. Thomas then was taken in and raised by Edward, his father’s best friend, and Annie and Clarabell. Having the strong feeling that Golden Whistle is connected to his parent’s disappearance, he is determined to uncover its secrets to find them.

2 - Edward Pettigrew

Age: 55

Height: 172 cm

Thomas’ adoptive father after his parent’s disappearance and treats him like his own son with the assistance of his close friends and flatmates Annie and Clarabell.

An intelligent and experienced veteran, who uses his wisdom to guide others onto a better path. Genuinely good-natured, respectful and calm-minded, it takes a lot to make him angry and when he does get angry, he can terrify anyone.

He has a huge friend circle and can make things work easily thanks to his connections. Others generally view him as very pleasant to have around and to be a great listener when someone has something they need to let out. Generally very beloved and respected, people like Thomas and Duck will immediately jump to his defense if someone mistreats him.

His best friends used to be Gordon and Henry. They were an unstoppable trio, loved and admired by everyone but they grew distant over a decade ago and Edward was practically kicked out of their friend group and replaced by James. For a while they grew very disrespectful towards Edward and mocked him on the basis of him being past his prime or calling him unreliable. Edward, confident in himself, did not take these insults to heart and just waited for sweet karma to humble them and then laugh at the three hotshots. After a dangerous exploit where Edward severely injured himself, Gordon and Henry regained their respect for him and he became a sort of living legend on the island. Their relationship had severely improved since then but it is still quite awkward between them. Edward’s Exploit proved to everyone what he truly is: a brave old sage that never gives up and the most reliable person on Sodor.

3 - Henry Stanier

Age: 44

Height: 194 cm

A true enigma as nobody knows where he comes from, not even himself. One day he was found on the doors of an orphanage on the mainland as an infant and grew up there until he was adopted by the Staniers, a rival family of the famous Gresleys. 

It turned out he suffered from chronic anemia and regularly collapsed and spent a lot of time at hospitals. Despite his illness, he is physically very strong and proud of it. 

When he was 17 and at the hospital again, he met a boy named Gordon, who was visiting a dying relative of his. They quickly became friends and began to hang out on the daily after they found out they go to the same prestigious school.

Right after graduation, their fathers, the heads of the Gresley and Stanier households respectively, forced them to not see each other anymore, which deeply hurt Henry.

After finishing university, Henry moved to Sodor, to distance himself from the Gresley-Stanier conflict but he grew to become a snarky jerk, who complained about everything and everyone. He was tired of being anemic, hated his job and was unable to properly socialize. The only thing that kept his mood up was his gardening hobby. Things didn’t improve much even after he and Gordon reunited and formed a trio with Edward. Gordon had become a pompous hotshot and seemed to be closer to Edward than him, Henry felt isolated.

After he was involved in a terrible accident that almost killed him, he lost his right eye and left arm, which were replaced with a glass eye and an arm prosthetic. This accident served as a wake-up call for him and he mellowed-out of his permanent grumpiness and he and Gordon were just as close as they used to be. Treatment for his anemia had also been invented since then. It wasn’t cured but living with it had become much more manageable.

Not feeling weak anymore, he flourished and even quickly grew an ego that was almost as bad as Gordon’s in terms of entitlement. His ego left him to ignore how much he, Gordon and James grew to mistreat Edward for a while. 

His arrogance has also mellowed-out over time but then his life took another turbulent turn after he was stuck in a very toxic relationship with Gordon’s cousin Spencer.

Henry was physically and emotionally abused by Spencer for almost two years, leaving large mental scars on him. He was only able to escape this relationship with the help of his friends. As a result of this relationship, Henry developed deep anxiety and grew afraid of  expressing himself. Gordon, Edward, James and Emily supported him throughout his healing process and grew to appreciate all of them dearly.

Today, Henry is still healing from all his experiences but he has become gentle, fun-loving and developed a pleasant aura around him. He can still be snarky sometimes but it’s mostly harmless, and he is eager to fully express his love for nature and his friends. A true resilient fighter who loves life despite all the hardships he had to face. 

4 - Gordon Gresley

Age: 42

Height: 206 cm

The youngest son out of many of the main family of the famous Gresleys. He experienced almost nothing but infighting in his family and the only people he was really close to were his brother Scott and his mother. Over time Gordon grew content  with the fact he wouldn’t become the heir due to being the youngest. He was usually bullied by Spencer with Scott protecting him. Gordon was a timid child that didn’t know how to properly handle people. When he was 15, he became close friends with a Stanier kid until they were forced to seperate. After graduation, he and his family had a terrible accident during a trip where his parents and his siblings died with him and Scott being the sole survivors.

Scott became the heir and Gordon lived under his uncle's home with his cousins Spencer and Mallard until he finished university. Gordon became grumpy and hid his emotions even more than before, deciding to always act stoic and be strong. He developed a super-ego and an overly pompous attitude. His environment and the whole Gresley family dynamic in general made him very competitive, insisting to always be the best and every form of humiliation hurt him deeply.

He overworks himself on a daily basis just to be the best and grows to look down on everyone he sees as weak. His relationship with his family had crumbled, he even started to avoid Scott, who was occupied with the family business.

To get away from the Gresley drama, he moved to Sodor and became “the best” there. Forming a famous trio with his old friend Henry and Edward, he made a name for himself as the unofficial leader. All the many fans he has, his origins and his shining performances inflated his ego even more and he turned into an entitled prick, who is convinced he deserves nothing but the best as the best and refuses to do “undignified work”. 

This misbehavior got him into many humiliating situations that slowly humbled over time but he never truly loses his pridefulness. Gordon grew worried sick about Henry when he started dating Spencer, knowing how malicious his cousin truly is. After he and the others were finally able to help Henry leaving Spencer, Gordon became protective of him. 

As time passed, more and more of Gordon’s facessets unveiled themselves: His dry humor seems way more fun now, he became a role model, everyone now knows of his undying loyalty and he developed fatherly feelings for some of the younger ones, especially Percy. And while he still struggles with showing his emotions properly, he loves all of his friends deeply and his hidden separation anxiety made him panic by just imagining what would happen if he would lose only one of them.

5 - James Hughes

Age: 36

Height: 186 cm

His arrogance and vanity put even Gordon to shame. He loves himself above anything and loves making everyone know that. James is determined to always be the center of attention and to receive praise for his entire being, growing frustrated when someone other than him is in the spotlight, this can get so far as feeling panic when he thinks he is being ignored. Often he likes watching others fail just to feel better about himself.

James is very opinionated, never holds back in saying what he thinks and makes himself heard. His obsession with beauty, especially his own, made him despise dirt and he throws a fit every time he gets dirty. James puts all of his energy into his charisma so as many people as possible can love and appreciate him. One strategy of standing out is to dress in flamboyant red outfits and he gave his hair red highlights after he saw Gordon and Henry having natural blue and green ones.

James struggles with handling frustration and is thus labeled as childish and a drama queen. It’s not uncommon seeing him insulting others in the most creative ways imaginable or straight up getting violent. Edward and he have an awkward relationship as James practically stole his friends from him and it was also him who started picking on Edward. He did that to get the attention and approval of Gordon, who he secretly admires. In hindsight, he genuinely regrets what he did and is aware Edward didn’t deserve anything he received. Now he even feels quite intimidated by Edward with how calm and forgiving he is towards James despite everything he did.

It’s hard seeing past his self-absorbed, flamboyant and confrontational surface but if you get to know him closer you can see just how loving, courageous and loyal James can really be. He’s the type of friend, who is always ready to throw hands if a loved one is in trouble.

James got into hobbies like cooking, fashion design (many of his clothes are his own creations), cosmetics and music. First and foremost because he thinks they’re fun but they can also be helpful to others, which helps him be appreciated even more.

To the disbelief of everyone, James used to be a very quiet and shy child, usually horribly bullied and unable to make friends. His parents were also rather neglectful, telling him he should just be confident and “man-up” if he doesn’t want others to mistreat him. That timid self haunted him into his adult years and he hated everything about himself and when he moved to Sodor, he decided to switch from one extreme to the other to finally love himself and to protect himself from further potential bullying.

6 - Percival “Percy” Avonside

Age: 14

Height: 148 cm

Don’t be fooled by his age and size, that little guy is one of the most adventurous and brave people you can meet. Has a bright worldview and is very trusting and forgiving, which some evil people tried to take advantage of. His naivety has nothing to do with lacking intelligence, he’s very smart actually, he just lacks experience and his parents sheltered him from way too much so he still has to learn more than other children his age. Being the youngest and smallest in the group made him intimidated at first and quite the doormat but thanks to his brother and grandpa figures Duck and Toby, he learned to stand his ground. This awakened his sassy side and he enjoys some pranks from time to time, his favorites are when he scared Henry with a loud “WOOOOOOOO” or Thomas when he pretended to be a ghost with the help of Toby.

Percy tends to get very giddy and overly-excited when big events are planned and he’s usually the first to volunteer for help. He generally loves festivities and events that bring joy to others.

At the beginning Percy and Thomas didn’t get along when Thomas still had an attitude problem and Percy was still a pushover, tolerating each other at most. However, over time they found out how much they actually have in common like their love for adventure and optimism, becoming best friends in the end. Percy wants to help Thomas uncover the secrets of the Golden Whistle.

He is surprisingly athletic, a good runner and possesses a lot of stamina, often competing with Thomas on their explorations.

Percy grew up as the only child of simple farmers on Sodor. His parents were overprotective of him and homeschooled him for most of his short life. After his father died from illness and his mother went missing in a similar manner to the Billingtons, he was taken in by Tobias and Henrietta Holden, who became like grandparents to him. Later he also grew close to Grordon, who is now like a father to Percy, mentoring and supporting him with the methods he has.

One time his clumsiness led him into an accident that gained him the nickname “Dirty Percy”. He hates it and lashes out on everyone calling him that.

Everyone perceives him as the sweet and kind little fella with a strong sense of justice but Percy still secretly fears being taken advantage of and thus can become skeptical of others when he thinks he’s being “used”, even friends.

7 - Tobias “Toby” Holden

Age: 64

Height: 177 cm

That one jolly grandpa everyone likes. Devoted husband to Henrietta, close friend to Edward and loving adoptive grandfather of Percival. Generally as wise and diligent as Edward but he has a different approach on teaching youngsters. Edward teaches first and scolds when his advice is being ignored, Toby watches them fail first, laughs at them and then shows how it’s done. He is cheerful to everyone he meets and easy to be friends with as long as someone doesn’t get obnoxious with their ego. He can and will get stern with overly-pompous people, making James one of the very few he does not get along with. Another one was Mavis, who was stubborn and rebellious due to her youth and some bad advice from Diesel. But Toby and Mavis made up and now have a mentor-student relationship.

Toby has a good-sense of humor and is always there for a good laugh, his mere presence spreads a good atmosphere and he loves listening to others’ stories. 

Prefers a slow and easy life, appreciates the small things in life and is probably the most content person on Sodor alongside his wife.

He has a strong disliking for the police and has no issue standing up to them as he is very fearless, there is barely anything that can frighten Toby with one thing being floods due to a life-threatening experience he once had during one. 

Toby and Henrietta have been married for decades and are just as much in love with each other since day one. He would do everything to protect Henrietta and make her happy as her smile brightens his life more than anything. Their loving marriage set an example for many on how a good marriage should be, making them both flustered.

8 - Montague “Duck” Collett

Age: 25

Height: 181 cm

Proud descendant of the “Great Western”, who sticks to the values his family taught him. It’s either “the Great Western way or the wrong way” for Montague and no in-between. A true traditionalist, who wants to bring his teachings to others, to varying effect. 

He has a damaged left knee, making running for him very difficult. His peers back at London said it looks like he waddled and thus endearingly started calling him “Duck”. Montague liked that nickname and preferred it over his actual name so it stuck.

When Duck arrived at Sodor, he immediately made himself unpopular with the three entitled hotshots Gordon, Henry and James as he is a city boy with a thick skin that knows how to fight back, even enjoying confrontations, and won’t let them have anything. He also stands up for the younger ones and is protective of Percy, who he sees as a little brother. Teaching little Percival how to stand up for himself and of course the “Great Western way”. 

Duck usually is level-headed, polite, helpful, loves working as routine makes him feel at ease and is anything but a pushover with how sassy he can become if anyone tries to mess with him. He rarely resorts to violence, only doing so when he is pushed to his limits or when someone else is being threatened to get hurt (he loves being chivalrous).

The Great Western that dictated Duck’s entire life had him become very stubborn and develop a black-and-white view on things. Duck usually refuses to hear others out, insisting the way he does it is always right unless being directly shown in his face that he is wrong. His constant bragging about the GW makes him quite obnoxious to those he isn’t very close to. Thomas and he especially constantly bud heads and disagree on almost everything, the only thing they openly share to have in common is their respect and appreciation for Edward. Another one would be Gordon as not a single conversation of them can go without Gordon telling him to shut up in any way.

A very infamous incident he got himself into was with a devious man his age, Darius Diesel. Diesel openly criticized Duck’s beloved “Great Western way”, even making some valid points but Duck was infuriated with that newbie getting all cocky and daring to insult the GW. So Duck decided to play a prank on Diesel to humiliate him and thus making him unable to make a good first impression. When Duck learnt his prank went probably too far, it was already too late, Diesel decided to hate Duck and to pay him back tenfold. This all ended with Duck being ostracized for a while as he was accused of spreading nasty rumors of others.

In the end it turned out to be Diesel’s fault and everyone made up again, everyone but Duck and Diesel, who have had strong animosity between each other since then. 

The people Duck clearly shares the closest bond with are Oliver, Toad,  Donald and Douglas, especially Donald.

9 & 10 - Donald & Douglas McIntosh

Age: 24 (Donald is the older twin by 12 minutes)

Height: 183 cm

A pair of enthusiastic twins from Scotland. After the Dunalastair twins lost their parents to a burglar killing them when they were 12 years old, they were taken in by their grandparents, who only reluctantly adopted them as they were very superstitious, believing twins to be a bad omen. Their new living environment was very abusive, having to live through very painful 4 years. Every bit of misfortune their grandparents experienced were blamed on the twins for being “cursed”, receiving harsh punishments as result, especially Douglas as the younger twin. This all culminated when their grandparents tried to kill Douglas in an attempt to free themselves of the curse by only having to raise one child. Douglas’ food was poisoned, the physical punishment grew harsher and harsher and one day their grandfather wanted to drown Douglas in the bathtub. This almost succeeded if Donald had not stepped in. He rescued his brother and they went to get help, ending with their grandparents getting arrested. The twins later ended up in the care of a loving foster family, the McIntoshs. 

The McIntosh family severely improved their lives and they were grateful but the abuse they went through before left deep emotional scars on both twins, Donald grew overprotective of his younger twin and Douglas grew more quiet and anxious and was not able to eat anything given to him by anyone else but Donald. They had sworn to forever stick together and to always watch out for another. They love each other dearly, calling themselves “Donnie” and “Dougie” respectively.  

When they were 20, Donald received a job offer to work on Sodor. To make sure he and Douglas would not be separated, they arrived together, their hair and clothes styled to look identical as they are used to impersonating each other for fun and for protection. After causing some confusion, proving themselves as equally useful and with help from the others both ended up hired.

Both love their new work as they are very responsible, diligent, professional, competent and have a strong work ethic, the McIntosh twins are a most reliable duo.

They have become a positive example for others and are often seen, lecturing the other, way more chaotic pair of twins, Bill and Ben.

Both twins are practical, proud, clever, mature and not to be messed with but they also enjoy themself some harmless jokes, preferring to laugh with others, not at others. Donald is very charming, witty and flirtatious whereas Douglas is calm-natured, quick-thinking and serious. Once Donald teased Duck about his “quacking”, ending with Donald getting a pet duck named Dilly, who he is a very proud dad of.

When Douglas went missing for two weeks, Donald went borderline insane, needing to find his brother at any and all cost, having flashbacks from their lives with their grandparents. He was so worried sick, it got him almost hospitalized. Right before many were ready to give up hope, Douglas returned with two men named Oliver and Toad in company, who he had apparently saved from being hunted down. Learning to be forcefully separated makes them both miserable.

One day Donald and Douglas had an incident in which Donald got injured, leaving him with a small scar on his lower lip. It was their first really big argument, where neither wanted to speak with each other for a day. They even insisted working separately but they once again grew miserable, making up again after Douglas got Donald out of a pinch.

11 - Oliver Armstrong

Age: 28 

Height: 190 cm

Oliver is of similar Great Western descent as Montague but he wasn’t raised strictly after GW values and thus is way less stubborn. He is reasonable and approaches things with logic first. He is very calm and just wants things to go smoothly. 

The Armstrong family became a target of a crime syndicate for reasons Oliver is not aware of yet. Assassins were sent after him and all his relatives, he had lost almost all of his family and was on the run for nearly three years. During this time he met a homeless man who called himself Toad. The two quickly became friends and decided to travel together. Planning to leave the mainland, they sneaked on a boat that unbeknownst to them brought them to the island of Sodor. While hiding in the woods for a while, they encountered the young Scot, Douglas McIntosh. Telling him their story, he decided to help them find a safe place to stay. The journey took a long time because they got lost and even encountered an assassin going after Oliver. After a long and deadly game of hide and seek, they were able to get rid of the assassin by making him fall down a cliff. Finally at home, Oliver and Toad received a place to stay in exchange for work by Sir Topham Hatt. 

Soon Oliver became insanely cocky and arrogant after sharing his crazy story and receiving tons of admiration and respect by everyone, even by people as vain as Gordon and James. All that praise really got over his head until he got humbled in a humiliating incident he brought onto himself.

Feeling great gratitude towards Douglas for his help, they formed a very close bond as co-workers and friends. They started dating and he got a side eye from Donald telling “Make Dougie happy or else!”.

Oliver is still wondering what could have caused a criminal organization to want his family erased and wishes for answers but is also content with maybe never receiving any if it means to finally live a happy and safe life, right?

12 - Emily Stirling

Age: 57

Height: 171 cm 

A good-hearted and strong-willed lady raised in Scotland. Very active and energetic despite her age and is more than willing to still work hard regardless of protests from her relatives. She was born into a branch family of the Gresleys but married into the Stirlings, she is one of Gordon’s aunts. Emily left the mainland after her husband's passing to find something new for herself as a way to move on.

She was very surprised to meet a nephew of hers on Sodor when she started her new job there. Unfortunately she arrived during very grim times as that was the time Henry was stuck in an abusive relationship with another one of her nephews. Emily’s empathetic nature and understanding of the more sinister Gresleys made her essential to help out. Later on she still has a very positive relationship with Henry, looking out for him during his healing process or treating him when he suddenly collapsed from his anemia and there were no doctors around.

Generally Emily looks out after others as she is very motherly and that also includes scolding those who act silly and cause trouble. She loves taking charge and can be bossy and competitive, easily getting snappy with those standing in her way, showing she still is a Gresley at heart.

Usually people either love or hate Emily due to her strong and impressionable personality in combination with har age. She mostly spends time with Thomas, Henry, Edward, Daisy, Annie, Clarabell, Henrietta, Donald and Douglas, the latter two she ends up getting very close to with all three having ties to Scotland. Outside work Emily is very fun-loving and you can have a very good time with her.

[redwryvernwrites]

TRAINTOBER | Day 18 - Blueprints

Henry feels self-conscious about himself.

Introducing Repton and Black 5, Eric Treacy.

~~~

“That tender does not suit you brother,” Henry heard the voice of what he assumed was a Black 5. He looked over and found a Black 5, not as polished as 5025 Connor but a grimy one that looked well used and in service. “Henry, right?”

“Yes that’s me,” Henry gazed at the other engine. “You must be Eric.”

“Eric Treacy at your service, any terrain, any weather, I’m your engine,” Eric grinned at Henry. “Heard the same things about you Henry.”

“I’m proud of my work,” Henry gruffly answered. “I’m a goods engine through and through.”

“Grand, simply grand!” Eric effused. He eyed the aforementioned tender with ire, however. “That’s not your tender, is it? I heard Sudrian engines were mismatched, but a LNER Corridor tender on a Black 5 does not suit.”

Henry frowned. He was sure that Eric hadn’t meant his words to be harsh but Henry felt hurt by them. He was originally a Gresley, an engine that was considered a direct competitor to the LMS. He wanted no part of that.

“Flying Scotsman leant me his tender, I wouldn’t have been able to get here from Sodor 

without it,” Henry told him. 

Eric’s eyes widened slightly. 

“Flying Scotsman leant you his tender?” He exclaimed, awestruck and Henry gave him a soft hum. 

“Yes, he did,” Henry puffed himself up at that. The famous Flying Scotsman leading silly little him a tender?

"Well that's unheard of, I suppose it makes sense with you being originally a Gresley build," Eric theorised. 

Again, Eric probably hadn't meant any harm by it but still, it stung Henry for some reason.

"I think Scotsman would have leant it to me even if I wasn't," Henry pointed out, and Eric hummed thoughtfully in response. 

"Maybe. The Scotsman's a funny fellow,” Eric admitted and then smiled at Henry. “Regardless, it’s lovely to meet my most famous of siblings finally! I’ve wanted to meet you for the longest time!”

Henry smiled. He knew he should have been elated to get to spend some time with his brother however his comments had left a bitter taste in his boiler water. He didn’t quite know how to feel about this and so he put on his brightest smile for him.

“Thanks, I’m glad I finally get to connect with my family,” Henry beamed. 

“Likewise, likewise,” Eric affirmed. “Come along, I’ll show you around my railway shall I?”

“Of course!” Henry exclaimed pushing those bad feelings from his mind. “Lead on.”

~~~

“There’s a lot of Standard 4’s here,” Henry remarked and Eric grinned.

“They’re a good bunch, very tight-knit,” The Black 5 puffed proudly. “Proud to have adopted them under our family tree!”

“Even the tank engines?” Henry asked incredulously. 

“Especially the tank engines!” Eric blustered proudly. “Unlike the Gresley’s, we don’t discriminate on an engine's size like they do!” 

Henry frowned and narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if Eric was intentionally being passive-aggressive but it had been vexing him to no end.

“You keep going on about how you lot are better than Gresley’s,” he pointed out and Eric frowned.

“Well, that’s because we are,” Eric retorted smugly and Henry now glared at him.

“So you’re better than me, is what you’re saying,” Henry accused and Eric was taken aback.

“No, no, no! I’m saying no such thing!” he hastily tried to explain. “I mean sure you’re originally Gresley but you got a better and more noble shape by becoming a proud Stanier engine!”

Henry had had enough, however.

“It was Scotsman’s idea to have me try and spend time with my siblings because he knew how badly I wanted to get to know you all,” Henry confessed, still glaring at his brother. “I should have held my ground and not come, especially since you keep passive-aggressively trying to insist that I’m faulty.”

“No! No! Please, I didn’t mean any of it! It’s just habit from decades of rivalry with the Gresley’s!” Eric pleaded but the damage was done and Henry just humphed and looked away from his brother.

“Whatever it is I’m not putting up with it,” Henry snapped and huffed away in a cloud of steam leaving Eric sitting at the station. 

“Connor’s going to be so mad at me,” Eric mumbled to himself ashamed.

~~~

“Hey there big guy!” Came the excitable, high-pitched voice of an engine and Henry almost jumped off the rails in fright.

“Argh! Who are-”

“Oh don’t mind me my name’s Repton! Repton Maunsell at your service big fella! You’re Henry, aren’t you? It’s nice to meet you, Henry! I’ve never been to Sodor you know but I’d like to go one day! I’ve been to America and Canada me! I’m no stranger to travellin’ places!” 

Henry stared at the Southern Railway engine which was practically vibrating on her frames, her eyes wide with excitement and awe at the sight of him. 

“Um,” Henry began but Repton didn’t let him even start his question.

“How have you been enjoying the Moors? Do you like it? Is it very different to Sodor? Or does it look the same? I imagine it looks the same but you never know, it always looks so nice in the books and show. I heard you got a Spamcan recently, does she enjoy your island? I like to think that she would! The Spamcans were pretty reliable! I heard it was Tangmere! How is she? Is she good?” Repton rambled at such a breakneck speed that Henry barely even had time to answer her first question.

“Repton, please! Slow down, old girl!” A voice chuckled and Repton looked sheepish. “Let Henry get a word in to answer a question or two.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m just excited.”

“You’re always excited,” the man, whom Henry could only assume was her crew. “Henry, introduce yourself, Repton won’t bite, she’s just excited to meet a famous engine.”

Henry cleared his throat and gazed down at the engine who grinned up at him with a huge goofy grin. 

“Right well, er, I’m Henry,” Henry introduced himself and Repton’s smile, somehow, grew even wider.

“Hullo Henry!” 

“Are you always this-” Henry began but Repton interrupted.

“Highly strung? Why yes I am! I just have a lot of energy okay!”

“Steams on a matchstick this girl, excuse her,” the man chuckled before he was called away.

“That must be nice, even though I was rebuilt, my firebox still has days where it never builds up any pressure,” Henry sighed and Repton gazed at him sympathetically. “My faulty blueprints always have this vice grip on me.”

“Well, it’s not so fun having too much steam either Mr Henry,” Repton advised. “People get annoyed with me because I’m so steamed up all the time. I don’t mean to be, I just have all the energy and nowhere to put it and they can’t tolerate me. I’m sorry if was, you know, a bit much. It’s hard to reign it in.”

Henry smiled sadly at Repton.

“It’s not your fault,” he tried to assure her and Repton grinned at him.

“It’s not your fault either Mr Henry,” she parroted back. “And Mr Eric doesn’t mean what he said about you earlier! He’s a lovely engine but he’s a bit oblivious sometimes. He’s been hiding in the shed upset because he thinks you hate him!!”

“I don’t hate him!” Henry immediately asserted. “Just, he was saying some unkind things about Gresley’s and being originally a Gresley, it very much hurt.”

“He’s upset that his oldest brother is going to come to the Moors and beat him up for upsetting you!” 

“Would he?” Henry asked worriedly. 

“I dunno, maybe,” Repton would have shrugged if he could.

“I think I should go and speak to Eric,” Henry considered and Repton smiled.

“Yay!” The Southern engine excitedly exclaimed and Henry couldn’t help but smirk.

~~~

Though their initial meeting had been a bit rough, Henry soon warmed up to Eric finding him quite pleasant and a big brother to all the Standard 4’s. The group of them would often go about the Moors together and there was even a contest where all of them plus the 2 Black 5’s versed the 9F in a strength contest.

Repton often tagged along with both of them. At first, Henry found her to be extremely exasperating but when it was time to go, Henry found himself missing the engine as he travelled in silence back to Sodor. 

Henry had a mind to go back to the Moors. 

Maybe even take someone with him.

Another day, he thought to himself.

~~~

SR Repton