#neville the new engine

[railwaycreature]

Discord server doodles :D

(5th character belongs to @motharaya !)

[childotkw]

Squib!Harry?

For actual squib Harry, I’d likely keep it short, and probably make Neville the BWL rather than Harry. So with James and Lily tortured to death, there’s no one to care what happens to their squib son.

Harry grows up much like he did in canon - under the boot of his aunt and uncle. He doesn’t know why they hate him so much, doesn’t know what he did to deserve their anger and disgust, or what they mean when they call him a ‘freak’.

Unlike in canon, there is no miraculous growing of his hair after that awful haircut, there is no blue-haired teacher, or teleporting onto a rooftop to escape Dudley and his gang.

Unlike in canon, there is nothing for Harry to cling to. No spark of curiosity, no questioning the way of the world, no magic.

Harry suffers in silence for years, and when his eleventh birthday comes and goes without a hint of a letter, Petunia and Vernon are…confused. All these years they had thought - but the boy had never really done anything strange, had he? They wait a month, but there’s not a whisper from Hogwarts. August comes, and still no news, so they begin to wonder if maybe their nephew wasn’t as magical as they had thought.

Just when they start to think they had been forgotten, there’s a knock at the door.

It’s not Dumbledore. It’s not any witch or wizard. No, it’s much worse.

It’s a social worker, brought in by the referral of one of Harry’s concerned teachers, who had noticed the boy’s deteriorating state for months now.

A lot of things change that day.

Harry is taken away, given to an elderly couple a few counties over, and for the first time in his life Harry feels like he can breathe. He grows up, unaware of an entirely different world that rests just beyond his perception, and goes into engineering because knowing how things work satisfies a deep-seated itch inside his brain.

In this world, Harry never hears the name ‘Voldemort’, and never learns that he is defeated by a young man called Neville Longbottom.

——————————

But there are many ways this plot line could play out - this was just the first one that sprang to my head.

You could also do one where instead of trying to kill Harry, Voldemort merely bound his magic and then skedaddled. Sirius rocks up, finds baby Harry and the bodies of Lily and James, and then runs after Peter.

Dumbledore steps in to keep Sirius from going to Azkaban, since Voldemort isn’t dead this time and the war is ongoing, and lets him raise Harry just in case they can unlock his magic again.

Harry grows up being trained by Sirius, mainly in a physical sense since he can’t use magic, and starts to focus on being one of the chief strategist / tactician behind the Order’s movements, since he can’t fight on the front lines with them.

Everything changes though when, through pure happenstance, the Order manage to get their hands on a horcrux. Harry, after months of research, finds a way to use the magical energy of the horcrux to unlock his magic (because its a sliver of Voldemort’s soul, the curse on Harry’s magic registers it as the caster).

Only Harry’s magic is volatile. It’s been growing, unencumbered and unused, for years, and now that it’s awake? Oh, now that it’s awake it’s angry.

[tedwardremus]

Do you think Harry would be friends with Ron if his parents were alive, or if Ron had more confidence in himself do you think he would've offered a seat to Harry?

The steam from the scarlet engine filled the platform, swirling around in thick clouds as children ran to find friends, hugging each other and chattering excitedly.

"Now, remember, Harry." His dad placed a firm hand on Harry's shoulder. "You’re going to have a fantastic time at Hogwarts."

"Of course," Harry said, craning his neck over the crowd in search of Neville.

"And remember, you can call Mum and me on the mirror anytime—"

"Yeah, yeah, you’ve told me," Harry said, smiling but still scanning the platform.

"And—"

"James," Mum interrupted, "just hug him goodbye. He’s not listening to a thing you’re saying."

Dad sighed but grinned, pulling Harry in close. "Alright, come on. Have the best time, Harry. I love you."

Harry hugged his dad tightly before his mum pulled him in, brushing a kiss on his cheek and ruffling his hair. "Write to us after the feast tonight, alright, love?"

"I will! I’ll write from my new bed in Gryffindor." Harry beamed, thrilled to be joining his parents' and family's house.

"Whatever house you’re sorted into, we’ll be proud," Mum said, smiling. "We love you so much."

"Thanks, Mum! Bye, Dad!" Harry called as he dashed away, pushing his trolley and waving back one last time. 

Harry hurried off across the platform, weaving through clusters of excited families and dodging younger children as he pushed his trolley. His trunk wobbled slightly with each bump on the ground, and Hedwig, his new snowy owl, hooted softly in her cage atop the stack. He couldn’t help grinning. This was it—the start of everything he’d heard about for as long as he could remember.

He scanned the bustling platform, searching for a familiar face. Neville had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, practically family. Their parents had worked together during the war against Voldemort, and Harry and Neville, born only a day apart, had been in each other’s lives ever since. The two of them shared almost everything: the same birthday celebrations, countless sleepovers, and even a healthy collection of scrapes and bruises from their childhood adventures.

“Neville!” Harry shouted, finally spotting him near a pillar, his round face and sandy hair a welcome sight in the crowd. “Come on, let’s get on the train!”

Neville turned, his face breaking into a smile as he raised a hand in greeting. “Yeah, alright—I guess it’s time,” he replied, glancing quickly over his shoulder. His grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, stood nearby, her sharp gaze tracking her grandson’s every movement.

Harry suppressed a smile. Neville always seemed a bit more anxious when his Gran was around, and today was no different. Augusta Longbottom’s vulture hat loomed high above the rest of the crowd, her posture straight and stern as she watched Neville with her usual piercing look of appraisal. Harry knew Neville loved his Gran, but he could also tell he was relieved to be heading off on his own at last.

The two boys lugged their trunks onto the train, sidestepping older students and chattering as they made their way through the narrow aisle. Most of the compartments were already filled, students laughing and waving through the windows or hanging out of the compartments to say final goodbyes. At last, they reached the very end of the train and found a nearly empty compartment with only one boy sitting inside.

The boy looked about their age, with a lanky build and bright red hair, freckles standing out on his pale face. A small, twitchy rat sat on his shoulder, sniffing the air nervously as the boys entered.

“Hi,” Harry said, sliding the door open. “Do you mind if we sit here?”

The red-haired boy looked up, his eyes widening as he took them in. “Yeah—I mean, no, yeah, you can sit here,” he stammered, smiling in relief.

“Great!” Harry said, hoisting his trunk into the compartment with Neville following close behind. “I’m Harry, and this is Neville.”

“I’m Ron.” The boy gave a small, shy smile as he pushed his rat gently back onto his lap, where it curled up sleepily.

“You a first year too?” Harry asked, settling into the seat.

Ron nodded. “Yeah. All my brothers have gone to Hogwarts."

"What house are they in?" Harry asked

"Gryffindor’s the best house, if you’re wondering.”

"My whole family has been in Gryffindor."

“Same with my family!” Harry said excitedly. “And Neville’s too! Well, his parents were in Gryffindor, anyway.”

Ron’s eyes lit up. “Really? Maybe we’ll all get in the same house!”

Neville smiled hesitantly, looking between the two of them as if considering the possibility. “Gryffindor sounds alright, I think.”

The three boys quickly fell into an eager conversation, sharing bits of family lore and snippets they’d overheard from older siblings or family members about Hogwarts. Ron’s older brothers had apparently told him all sorts of wild stories about the Sorting Ceremony, and he was more than happy to share.

“My brother Fred says they make you fight a troll if they’re not sure where to put you,” Ron said, his voice hushed as though it were a dark secret.

Neville paled instantly. “Fight a troll?”

Harry shook his head, laughing. “That can’t be right. My godfather said something about tea leaves.”

“Gran says Divination is rubbish,” Neville muttered, looking slightly more at ease.

But before they could get much further, the compartment door slid open again. This time, a blond boy with a sharp face and cold gray eyes stood in the doorway, his gaze sweeping over each of them with a look of mild disdain.

“And what do we have here?” he sneered, his eyes settling on Ron’s worn robes and secondhand trunk. “Red hair and hand-me-down robes? You must be a Weasley.”

Ron’s face turned red, and he looked down at his lap, clearly stung. Harry felt his stomach tighten with irritation.

“Can we help you?” he asked, his voice sharp.

The boy shrugged, giving a thin smile. “I was just told there was some famous kid on the train, but it’s clear that’s not true. Just thought I’d give you a bit of advice—if you want to be with the right sort of people at Hogwarts, you’d best stay away from Weasleys.”

Harry’s temper flared. He knew his dad would probably tell him to stay calm, but he couldn’t resist. “I don’t know who raised you,” he said evenly, “but where I come from, the right sort of people are the ones who don’t go around embarrassing and bullying others just because they can.”

He drew his wand, the brand-new holly wand his dad had given him that morning, and pointed it firmly at the boy. Recalling one of the only spells his dad had actually let him try, he flicked his wand, and the boy’s smug expression quickly twisted into shock as angry red boils began to sprout across his face. With a howl of indignation, he clapped his hands to his cheeks and stumbled backward out of the compartment, disappearing down the hall.

Neville let out a peal of laughter, clutching his sides, and even Ron managed a small grin, looking at Harry with awe.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Ron muttered, though he looked secretly pleased.

“Nonsense. He was rude and deserved it.” Harry grinned, already reaching into his trunk. “You hungry, mate? My mum packed enough for ten people.”

Ron’s face brightened, and soon the three boys were sharing sandwiches, laughing, and dreaming of their years ahead at Hogwarts. As the train carried them closer, they talked of the magic they hoped to learn, the hexes they'd master, and the friends they’d surely make.

[weirdowithaquill]

How do the Brightoners of Sodor react when told about the completion of the Bluebell’s H2 Alantic Replica?

Beachy Head!

Now, by Brightoners, I assume you mean Thomas and Salty (maybe Rosie, if we stretch it, but no Neville, cause he just doesn't have enough to work with). I mean, they are the only engines who really come from that region (BWBA does not exist, so no one mention Rebecca...).

Now, we'll begin of course with Thomas - the only RWS Southern Railway engine who lives on Sodor, and thus the only engine who really fits into the question. And his reaction is surprisingly muted. Thomas didn't spend a lot, if any, time on the LBSCR. He was built and shipped to Sodor within the span of a year, if not within a couple weeks. This was during the middle of WWI, after all, and Sodor needed engines that the Admiralty had to provide - fast. Thomas is spirited away north at speed, and so he never really identifies with the LBSCR. He's as happy as any steam engine to hear an extinct class has returned, but it's muted by the fact that it feels... distant. Thomas is a NWR engine, and he just never really spent enough time on the LBSCR to develop any connections to the engines from the railway he was built on (see how he reacts to Stepney appearing).

Next - in build chronology - is Rosie. I'm including her simply because she's the only one of these engines who spent a decent amount of time around Brighton and Southampton. During the war, the H2's were either in storage or on other duties, and this brought them into contact with Rosie and the USATC S100s. Rosie admittedly probably doesn't have the fondest memories of the H2's, who were Pullman express engines who never had been demoted to dirty goods trains before the 1940s - and then after the war they all returned to boat trains! I sense a lot of snootiness from this class, and that wouldn't gel great with Rosie the 'war-built shunter who possibly saw front line service'. But Rosie did like them for what they were, and she was sad when the last one was scrapped. She's cautiously excited to meet Beachy Head, the caution being her worries about the new engine possibly having the same snootiness and entitlement their predecessors had.

Finally, we have Salty... who was built a good 4 years after the last of the H2's were scrapped - and ironically is the most excited to hear about the new engine being completed! Salty is a Class 07, which entered service from 1962 in Southampton alongside the remaining E2s, S100s and all the other engines of the Southern, and likely grew up on stories of the H2's and their abilities and glamour. It's not quite hero worship, but more a healthy admiration for these engines that everyone speaks highly of (which may be because they've been gone long enough for the less kind memories that Rosie has to fade).

In what may be an extremely ironic twist of fate, Salty is the most excited about Beachy Head, while Thomas is the least excited, with Rosie falling between them. And this comes about simply because of the experiences each had in relation to the original H2's - Thomas had next to nothing, Rosie has a very realist view of them and their faults and Salty has romanticized stories that encourage him to be excited.

(Neville would fall somewhere close to Rosie, while Rebecca... hmm... could be interesting. Another time, when I get around to actually addressing Rebecca in the series.)

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Thursday, 11-14-24, 7pm Pacific

'Evenin' all, Mr. Baggins back with a set of music to soothe your achin' nerves and help ease us all into a good night. Let's start out with a little Mozart, here is the incomparable soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, singing Susanna's aria from The Marriage of Figaro, "Dove sono", from a live 1959 recording.

For the next 50 minutes or so, let's hear from harpsichordist Sylvia Marlowe, with her reading of Bach's "Goldberg Variations", written to help put Mr. Goldberg to sleep at night! From her classic 1963 recording.

Next we'll revisit the legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman, this time joined by The Budapest Quartet, for their reading of Mozart's divine Clarinet Quintet in A, K581.

The engineers at RCA were the true geniuses of mid 1950s High Fidelity recording. The recordings made on RCA during the mid-late '50s are counted among the most sonically correct, even to this day. One of their superstar ensembles was Condutor Fritz Reiner and The Chicago Symphony. Reiner whipped the CSO into a WORLD-CLASS orchestra that was easily able to hold their own on the world stage. Here is Maestro Reiner and the band, playing some of the waltzes by the Strausses, senior and junior.

Here is one of the later Symphonies by Franz Joseph Haydn, this is Symphony No. 96, nicknamed "The Miracle" because of an incident that occured at its premier. The audience was so enthusiastic after the piece ended that they all rushed to the front of the stage. At that precise moment, a huge chandelier that was hanging over the center of the audience crashed to the ground. Had anyone still been in their seats, they would have been killed. The "Miracle" Symphony is played here for us by Neville Marriner and the ASMF.

I generally subscribe to the idea that a lot of 20th Century classical music is simply unlistenable...I'm not a big fan of "12 tone" or any of the other experimental "modern" strains of music. The main reason being there is no lyricism...no real poetry, no heart. Here is what is essentially the only listenable (to me) piece by Arnold Schoenberg, his "Transfigured Night". I find this as haunting as its disc-mate, the Strauss Metamorphosen. Performed by Neville Marriner and the ASMF.

Next we have Eugene Ormandy conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra, in the lush orchestration of a piano piece by Debussy, his "Reverie", a truly iconic interpretation.

Now let's hear the incredible Theremin virtuoso, Clara Rockmore, with her sister Nadia Reisenberg on the piano, in Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise", absolutely mind boggling performance, especially if you understand what is involved in playing the Theremin!

I will leave you tonight with a special treat: Clara in an actual video performance, one more gem left to us by this amazing woman. In 1976, synthesizer genius Bob Moog filmed this at Clara's apartment in New York City. The clip was digitally restored in 1998. Here is Clara Rockmore with her sister Nadia, to bring us their other-worldly reading of Saint-Saens "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals.

This is Mr. Baggins, signing off for the night. I'll be with you again at 8am Pacific for Morning Coffee Music.

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

Baggins out.

[thefluffyrailway-official]

Hey, I know you are busy with pup season. Gosh knows those pups need so much attention.

Do the mams and dads to be get freaked out about the pups and need to be calmed down? I'm sure some of the dads would be worrying about their partners/pups. (Totally not thinking about Oliver freaking out to Toad. The poor break van just wants to sleep. #JusticeForToad)

(ALRIGHT YOU KILLED ME WITH THIS ONE LMFAO 🤣)

Actually many of them freak out as this is totally new for them.

Speaking about the dads worrying abt their partners:

• We all agree Toby went even crazier than in "Signals Crossed" since he found out he was going to be a father? Because he did. First he saud he wasn't ready for something like this and even less knowing how anxious he is.

After some months he finally calmed down (Excepting the fact he had to take the lemon while his wifey was on her maternity leave but anyway) and actually enjoyed the experience.

Till the lil'fluffy box decided to be born so panic attack YIPPEEE!!! (Henrietta was also very VERY stressed that day. Lyra said she never saw her like that in her 56 years working with her-)

After all that chaos, Harriet never was a crazy pup, she was more a shy sleepyhead who usually sobs when someone she doesn't know approaches. So not much action in this part. Just the old married couple being a chill parents with a chill pup -w-👍

• BUT! You mentioned the little western duo eh? Well they're totally not free from the "Pup Panic", as i call it lol.

They're quite opposites actually. Oliver ALWAYS freaks out when he's not with his loaf wife, and specially now that there's only around 4 months to meet the first mini loaf. He just tell Toad every single bad thing that could happen to Annie and the pup.

#JusticeForToad

But when he's with her he's quite calm, just cuddling, purring and talking to his pup lol.

Unlike his grey bestie. Who's usually very chill when he's not with Clara, knowing there's not much to worry. (Still freaks out sometimes when he sees her working and stuff) But when he's with her.... Oh boy... He freaks out at every single weird thing she does. Pup kicks for exemple. THAT MAKES HIM GO CRAZY 😭👍

And now you can imagine how it will be when the pups are born, after seeing that Tree Claire post-

But enough about crazy pregnancy anechdotes. Now let's go with crazy pupsies >:)

• 1st is Dallas. She already did her first crazy pup thing! Dang girl you haven't even open ur eyes yet!

She escaped from the shed (not even walking, she doesn't know how to walk) and ended on BRENDAM DOCKS JUST BY CRAWLING!!!!

As you can suppose, Donald had 9 heart attacks when he woke up and didn't saw his baby with him.

He ran with Duck crying that the pup was gone. The whole island tried to find her.

And then, there's Sandy playing with Dallas on her nest-

Donald is now barely sleeping during the day because of that 😃👍

• Now, speaking of Sandy, do you know how stressed is Carly now? Working 24/7 and being the single mother of a very hyperactive pup? I mean, Cranky, Big Mickey, Salty and Porter also like to help. But ish... They'reall very busy guys. Most of the time, Sandy is on her own due to this. (And that's also something Carly hates.)

• Also Molly and Neville usually have to be calmed down when they're informed about another of Ash's asthma attacks. Many times Molly literally leaves her jobs and runs to the Steamworks to check everything's good with her daughter.

Sometimes the other 3 pups are a bit jealous because Molly can't be with them on her freetimes as much as she is with Ash. Neville and her already told them that it's because of Ash's health. But the pups are still too young to understand....

Conclusion: Crazy pups=Stress & Engine pregnancy=Anxious (Not pregnant) parent.

😃👍

[tomorrowusa]

Elon Musk understands Eastern Europe about as much as he understands how to run a social media company.

Elon's clueless actions may have prolonged the war in Ukraine.

Elon Musk ordered his Starlink satellite communications network to be turned off near the Crimean coast last year to hobble a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian warships, according to a new biography. CNN quoted an excerpt from the biography Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, which described how armed submarine drones were approaching their targets when they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly”. The biography, due out on Tuesday, alleges Musk ordered Starlink engineers to turn off service in the area of the attack because of his concern that Vladimir Putin would respond with nuclear weapons to a Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Crimea. He is reported to have said that Ukraine was “going too far” in threatening to inflict a “strategic defeat” on the Kremlin. Musk’s threats to withdraw Starlink communications at various stages of the conflict have been previously reported, but this is the first time it has been alleged he cut off Ukrainian forces in the middle of a specific operation.

The 2020s are not even half over but Musk is already a top contender for Putz of the Decade.

At the time of the submarine drone attack, according to the extract reported by CNN, Mykhailo Fedorov, one of Ukraine’s deputy prime ministers, pleaded with Musk to restore Starlink communications. “I just want you – the person who is changing the world through technology – to know this,” Fedorov reportedly told Musk. According to Isaacson’s account, Musk refused, saying Ukraine was “now going too far and inviting strategic defeat”. Musk has in the past echoed Russian talking points on Twitter, suggesting that some parts of eastern Ukraine be handed to Russia to reflect “the will of the people”.

Musk is more worried about future business deals with Russia than he is about Putin committing genocide in Ukraine.

The only way to end the war is for Russia to be defeated. The shit-for-brains tankies, Putin marionettes, and foreign policy illiterates push "negotiations" the way Neville Chamberlain pushed negotiations with Hitler over Czechoslovakia in 1938. Hitler kept his part of the Munich agreement for less than six months; and then Hitler invaded Poland less than a year after Munich.

"Peace in our time" should not be dependent on the whims of Putin who has already openly violated international agreements, signed by Russia, regarding Ukraine's security. Bothsiderism is a safe space for idiots.

Playing footsie with imperialistic dictators by caving to them only makes them more voracious.

Dilettante meddlers like Musk, who grew up as a privileged and insulated white boy in apartheid South Africa, should keep their lame asses out of Eastern European affairs. People in the West are usually underinformed about Eastern European history and culture and Elon Musk is worse than most.

[jessythebunny]

🚂Toby the tram engine☕

🤎Toby is the most kind and gentle and wise engine on the whole island

🤎He is one of the oldest engines on the island, in fact, he is older than Edward

🤎He never swears and wouldn't dare to do so, because he wants to be kind and helpful to everyone, not to become violent and cruel. Although he's often insulted and sometimes saddened by the other engines, on the other hand, he doesn't care because he has Henrietta by his side.

🤎He is afraid of heights, and faces problems adapting to the situation, especially high bridges. If he wants to cross, he suddenly becomes frightened and remains stuck in half of the bridge, thinking that he will fall from it.

🤎He loves coffee and drinks it every morning before starting his work

🤎Toby is an old-fashioned engine, meaning he likes old things and does not like new and modern things. For example, when homosexuality appeared among some engines, he felt some sadness and time is no longer what it was in the past.

🤎He really loves his faithful coach Henrietta, He is always attached to her at all times, but when she is not with him and only 5 minutes pass, he begins to miss her.

🤎He considers Edward as his best friend, and they cooperate together to help others or seek advice and whatever they can do.

🤎He likes to use his little bell in his engine form. He hates the whistles that other engines use because he thinks they are annoying and cause noise, so he is happy with his bell.

🤎Toby has slightly poor eyesight. He wears glasses and sometimes he doesn't

🤎He is afraid that he will end up in the scrapyard and become a victim there and die, until one day everyone thought that he would become scrap and everyone was sad and shocked. Wow, what a miracle

🤎He takes everything slowly and does not like speed. Although he is not the fastest, biggest, and strongest engine, he is proud of himself for being an old tram engine.

🤎really close with Thomas, Percy, Henrietta, Hannah, Duck, Mavis, Edward, Oliver and Toad, Rosie, Philip, Lady

🤎good friends with the Scottish twins, Henry, Emily, Molly, Neville, Murdoch, Flora, Hiro, and being very very nice with anyone

🤎He's like Percy, he doesn't have enemies or anyone who hates him and he doesn't need to

[number1spongebobfan]

T & F Hit Era Headcanons Part 2

Arthur!

He is known for being a respectful and obedient young engine. He was disappointed when he broke his spotless record, but Thomas cheered him up!

He wears a crown atop his head and princely clothes in honor of King Arthur.

He was confused when he met Merlin the Invisible Experimental Engine. Merlin thought he was the real King Arthur!

He likes to read classic literature.

He runs the fishing village. Arthur does have a secret; when he goes there he turns into a mer-engine. One time Thomas fell into the water and became a mer-engine himself!

He likes to eat fish and chips.

He has squirrel ears and a squirrel tail in his animal form.

Harvey

Not a headcanon but why does he look like the Forever Alone guy?

He's a crane engine. He can ride on rails but does have a hook applied on his hand.

He keeps his hair in cornrows.

He is very hardworking, but sometimes he overworks himself. Sir Topham Hatt reminds him to take a rest once in a while.

He is goofy and playful.

He's a crane - an actual crane, the bird, with gear wheels on his two legs in his animal form.

Molly!

She is timid, shy, and sweet.

She speaks in a soft, motherly tone of voice.

She, James, Edward and Emily go on double dates together.

Occasionally she can get sassy, which is a surprise to some, though is a good sign because it means she won't let others step over her.

She's a doe with train wheels on her legs in her animal form.

She is happy and takes delight in the smallest things around her.

She and Emily are besties.

Neville

Very shy, even more so than Molly. It's hard for him to get out sometimes.

He dresses in puritanical Amish fashion.

He is socially awkward.

Him and Dennis quarrel sometimes due to having differing personalities.

He is eager to work.

He has black cat ears and a black cat tail in his animal form.

He is curious and wants to learn new things.

Whiff

He's the garbage engine. He collects garbage then throws it away at the dump.

He doesn't care what others think of him. He'd rather be himself.

He is optimistic and cheerful.

He wears glasses because his eyesight isn't the best.

His clothes get tattered and dirty easily.

He speaks in a nasally voice and is kind of dorky, but in an admirable way, not an annoying way.

Spencer hates him.

He has skunk ears and skunk tail in his animal form.

[thechaddyengine]

A new engine...?

*One day, Derek was sent to Wellsworth to take a goods train, he was suppose to meet up with Edward there.*

Derek: Edward? Edward! Where are you? Is my train ready?

*As he rolled into the yards, he saw a strange looking steam engine waiting at the end of the yard*

Derek: huh... Sir didn't say about a new engine, weird... maybe he was keeping it a secret? I should say hi to them.

*He approached the engine, however, he felt a weird feeling go through his radiator, but he decided to ignore it*

Derek: Hello there, I'm Derek what is you- *then he stuttered*

*When he got closer, he saw the face of the engine, well, what was a face, the smokebox door was completely gone from the engine, it was an infected*

*Derek was frozen in fear, having flashbacks of his encounter with another infected knowing this could be it...*

*Then a whistle was heard, It was Edward*

Edward: Ah Derek, It seems you've met my new friend Neville.

*Derek spluttered in disbelief on what Edward just said*

Derek: F-friend?! But it's an infected!! Can't you see?!?!?!

Edward: Yes, I see that, however, do you not see that he is terrified of you too? He might be more scared of you than you are scared of it.

*Derek paused, looked at the infected, and realised on what Edward was saying*

Derek: Your right... it is scared of me more than I am.

*Realising this, he started over*

Derek: Hello, I'm Derek, you must be Neville, am I right?

*Neville started to warm up to Derek with his kind remarks*

Neville: Y-yea, I am

Derek: Well, I never knew an infected to be so nice, sorry for being so scared, I didn't have the best experience with infected engines.

Neville: T-that's ok, I-i know it's hard to realise that some of us are nice.

Edward: Looks like we are all friends now, hmmm :)

[lordvonbunnyv]

Head canons for ttte characters I don’t like

In my human AU, Neville has a bug collection, I mean, look at this guy and tell me that he hasn’t had a bug collection at some point in his life! He even looks like a millipede for goodness sake! If I ever do a monster engine AU, Neville would be a millipede type creature

Also, I can easily imagine a younger him going up to Rebecca with his newly acquired GIANT VIETNAMESE CENTIPEDE and be like “hey cousin! Check out my new pet!” And Rebecca freaking out because Neville is holding a GIANT VIETNAMESE CENTIPEDE with his bare hands and he just goes, “but he’s friendly! He won’t bite! He’s just a baby!!”

Again,

GIANT VIETNAMESE CENTIPEDE

[profane-or-pragmatic]

The Devil You Know (Snippet) Pt 6

.

I have made a fair amount of money by being around the right people when innovations were introduced and adapted. It's not so much a case of foresight as it is having the ability to examine an invention while free of the emotional distortion of hoping a new device will be tremendously successful and provide instant riches.

I purchased public stock in the initial offerings for Traucher Diesel, Amarantha Electric Turbines, Hemingford Ventilation systems, and Kensing Aluminum. I purchased devalued stock in the various airship lines when it appeared that aeroplanes would supercede them and make them obsolete. I knew, from contact with various engineers, that these new aeroplanes would never have the range to make transoceanic voyages.

Many inventions have great potential applications that will never be realized without drastic advances in other technologies to make them feasible. The Carmody marine model reciprocating engine offered unprecedented speed but they used tremendous amounts of fuel and were prone to failure. With most shipyards incapable of maintaining them, and spare parts difficult to manufacture and install, the engine was a revolutionary device but one ill-suited to general use and thusly forgotten.

The world is always changing. Just not in the way that many visionaries anticipate.

"Gideon, have you been in hiding? You've been impossible to find for nearly a fortnight!"

Fontaine DeBusỳ cornered me in the Greywood Gentleman's Club, which we were both members of. He was an expat inventor, investor, and master entrepreneur whose clientele never seemed to do as well as he did. He sported the sort of magnificent and meticulous facial hair that had fallen out of fashion here, but which suited him well. Both women and men fell prey to his handsome looks and slyly suggestive manner.

He is charming. And capable of inserting sensual implications without speaking a word. He almost bedded me on one melancholy night when I was drinking absinthe. He's fond enough of me that he didn't do what he could have done because he knew that I'd regret it ever after.

I answered him now though, because etiquette demanded it. "I was in the Royal Woods district. Business, you know."

"The Woods? Please tell me you aren't considering helping Lord Chelmsherford!" Fontaine said as he handed me a snifter of brandy and took his place in the overstuffed chair to my right. "You know that Neville is an easy touch but absolutely despised by his circle, yes? Guilt by association, my dear friend. All of his enemies will become yours as well!"

"I wasn't there for Neville. His woefully oblivious naiveté ensures I have no interest in entertaining his poorly thought out business proposals." I said and toasted my companion and took a sip before continuing on. "There's a woman there. She's a poet and singer. She's really quite magnificent although the world has yet to acknowledge just how amazing she truly is."

"And who, may I ask, is this splendid creature? Hm?"

"She's my hidden treasure and I'll keep her to myself for the moment." I said and with a studied nonchalance surveyed our surroundings. It was a reputable if not well respected club and not currently crowded. "Some things I like to keep for myself."

"Come now, Deon, I'd never poach a potential bed partner of yours." Fontaine lied smoothly. Having done just that on five prior occasions. Then again the man rewrote his personal narrative so frequently that perhaps he believed he was being honest. "Keep your secret then. But don't anger the mighty by touching what you shouldn't. The powerful carry grudges like a mason carries bricks."

"I have a full roster of enemies all of my own already." I said and admired the ease with which my friend achieved sartorial splendour. "If so many didn't believe I bear Mattaturian name rights I'd probably be dead or in prison by now."

"It's not that, my dear chap." Fontaine said and toasted me. "You are so calm in the presence of ire, so cooly collected in the face of threat, that these raffs set aside notions of retribution. Anyone as confident as you appear to be is clearly capable of handling any threat they might pose."

"My confidence comes from a thorough knowledge of consequence." I said and smiled my best pleasant and placid smile. "I never contest with those whom are above social repercussions."

"Your confidence comes from being clever, a brilliant tactician, and a master of reading human intent." Fontaine said and smiled a smile that could stir loins of any sex. "You are one of the very few I choose to trust. You have faith in no system but have a code that I respect. You would never betray me. Not even for a price."

"Of course not." I said and returned his toast. "My heart and soul might be boughten, but my ethics are mine. They are not on the market and never will be."

[shelli-gator]

Watched Thomas and the New Engine and I adore how Edward isn’t immune to gossip and dramatics. James tells him about Neville being buddy buddy with the diesels and Edward’s immediate retelling to Percy is like “Yeah I heard he fucked the Fat Controller’s wife while the diesels watched. And Thomas was there!”

Literally gossiping around the water cooler. Over drinks.

[girlactionfigure]

The War Magician: Jasper Maskelyne

His magic fooled Hitler’s army.

Jasper Maskelyne was a British magician who created monumental illusions that tricked the German army and helped the Allies win World War II.

Jasper was born in London in 1902 to a family of magicians. His grandfather John Nevil Maskelyne was the inventor of the classic levitation trick that is still popular today.

At the beginning of World War II, Jasper joined the Royal Engineers, a corps of the British Army. He suggested to his superiors that his unique skill set could be useful to the war effort. They were skeptical, until Jasper created the illusion of a German warship on the Thames using mirrors and a cardboard model.

Jasper was recruited to work for military intelligence in Cairo. He created ingenious devices to help soldiers escape if they were captured. These life-saving tricks included saw blades inside combs, and maps hidden in playing cards.

In 1941, Jasper was assigned to a new deception department known as “A Force.” He immediately gathered a group of talented artisans including a carpenter, electrician, architect, set designer, artist, and art restorer. They called themselves the Magic Gang.

The Gang’s first job was disguising army vehicles, using painted canvas and plywood to make jeeps look like tanks and tanks look like jeeps. They then moved on to a much bigger project: protecting the harbor in Alexandria, Egypt from attacks by the German air force.

Incredibly, Jasper and the Magic Gang created a fake harbor near the real Alexandria harbor, using dummy ships and houses made of mud and cardboard. They lit up the fake one, and turned off all the lights in the real one. During a German raid, Jasper set off bombs in the fake harbor. The Germans were confused and assumed other pilots were hitting the target, so they dropped their missiles on the fake harbor, thereby protecting the real port of Alexandria.

Jasper’s next project involved the Suez canal. He was instructed to increase anti-aircraft lights around the canal so British soldiers could spot Nazi planes in the dark. Instead, Jasper created a revolving cone of mirrors that turned regular lights into strobe lights. This disoriented German pilots and made them crash into each other.

The Magic Gang’s biggest illusion occurred in July 1942, during the Battle of El Alamein. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had conquered large parts of North Africa, and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery wanted to capture back El Alamein, a town on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.

Jasper’s job was to mislead the Germans into believing that the Allied attack was coming from the south rather than the north. In the north, he and his team disguised 1000 tanks as regular trucks, while in the south they created 2000 fake tanks. Using sound effects and other illusions, Jasper and his gang misled the Germans into heading south, while Montgomery attacked the north. The Allies won the battle – the first decisive victory against the Axis powers in North Africa.

The Magic Gang split up after the Battle of El Alamein, and Jasper spent the rest of the war entertaining troops. Winston Churchill thanked him for his valuable service, but the magician was frustrated that he never received formal recognition for his heroic actions.

After the war, Jasper created a traveling magic show which performed in small towns around the United Kingdom. The troupe began by headlining at top-level venues, but Jasper began drinking heavily and gradually the venues got smaller and seedier.

With his second wife Mary, Jasper moved to Kenya, where he bought a farm and gave magic lessons to residents and tourists. He died in 1973.

Under the British Official Secrets Act, the complete story of the Magic Gang can only be made public in 2046.

For using his incredible talent as a magician to fight Hitler, we honor Jasper Maskelyne as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[weirdowithaquill]

So How Many Engines Does the NWR Actually Have?

Eighty, according to the Reverend Wilbert Awdry - but this includes British Rail and Industrial engines. It also seems excessive for an island the size of Sodor which has, according to TheUnluckyTug, an 87.7 odd mile mainline and another 30 odd miles of branchline, especially when compared with several other railways of similar size. I am going to warn everyone here, this post is long.

The neighbouring Furness Railway built roughly 247 engines during its lifetime, of which a good fifty-five were 'Sharpies' - however that railway had 190 miles of railway and served some of the largest steelworks and dockyards in all of England. In contrast, the Northern Counties Committee Railway in Northern Island had a maximum route mileage of around 282 miles and only 73 engines. This same NCC ran nearly half of all trains in Northern Island at the time, sharing a duopoly with the GNRI. After amalgamating together into the Northern Ireland Railways and shrinking the full network of Northern Irish railway down to 225 miles, they today run 47 locomotives.

The railway network that serves the entirety of Northern Island is bigger than Sodor in length and requires less engines. It also calls at 54 stations, in comparison to Sodor's 27 stations that the NWR serves. So, let's do some maths and logic puzzles to try and figure out how many engines the NWR actually needs to serve the Island of Sodor.

Firstly, let's look at how many the books name: eleven NWR steam locomotives, six diesel engines, one track maintenance vehicle, as well as three industrial engines and an unknown number of electric engines. This means that the Peel Godred line could have any number of engines, however we can make a reasonable estimate at two multiple units for the four stops, and two or three goods engines to look after the aluminium traffic and other goods work. That makes five engines needed for the branchline.

The Ffarquhar branchline similarly does not require that many engines. Its primary industry is the Anopha Quarry, with a number of farms making up the rest of the freight traffic the line would have. In the books, the line is run by Thomas, Percy, Toby, Daisy and Mavis - the private industrial engine who manages the quarry. This means that there is one dedicated railcar, one autotank-fitted tank engine, a tram engine, a dedicated quarry diesel and Percy to run the line. The only addition possibly required would be an engine to run dedicated stone trains from Ffarquhar to the junction or the harbour, a task that seems to already be covered by Toby, Percy and Mavis. That adds another five engines to our list of standard-gauge engines on Sodor.

Another branchline that does not need any extra engines would be the Little Western, which was only refurbished by Sir Charles Hatt to access the ballast from the old MSR mines. With Duck and Oliver running passengers, Duck managing most of the limited freight traffic that isn't ballast and Donald and Douglas covering most ballast trains, there is no need for any extra engines, and adds another four engines to our list.

After that, Edward's branchline is where we may see some additions. The branchline may be quite short, having only three stations on its route, but it also has Brendam Harbour, which is a major port for the island, as well as the China Clay Pits, which are served by Bill and Ben - the other two industrial engines mentioned in the books. They are known to shunt Brendam Harbour on occasion, while Edward and BoCo run the branchline itself, with Donald and Douglas helping. This line would need more engines as freight traffic through Brendam Docks increased, as well as a dedicated shunting engine for the harbour. That adds up to seven engines to our list to run this section of the line - being Bill, Ben, Edward, BoCo and three new helpers.

Potential candidates from the TVS for filling these roles could be: Salty, Neville, Molly or perhaps Whiff - all of whom are either shunting engines or medium-sized engines who would be able to compliment Edward and BoCo well.

After Edward's branchline, we have to talk about the Kirk Ronan and Norramby branches. The Kirk Ronan branchline has three stations, and was once part of the Sodor and Mainland Railway. We know passenger traffic is poor, and the freight traffic was solely dedicated to mineral traffic from the Skarloey Railway heading to the port. It's highly likely that this line is either kept operational for a token service, or has one engine running it. Either way, we can add one engine to the list, of whom I would suggest Arthur.

The Norramby branchline is currently served by the Other Railway, according to Awdry - this would mean multiple units running passenger trains from Barrow and potentially a freight service, though that would have likely been discontinued in the 1960's during the Beeching cuts. Currently, 26 trains operate out of Barrow up the Cumbrian Coast Line per day, while the Furness line sees roughly 24 trains per day, according to the Northern Rail Timetable. Most likely, one of these two lines would have their services extend to Norramby, meaning up to 24 trains per day for the line. However, it is highly unlikely that each train to arrive on this service is a new engine, with it being more likely to be four or five engines. This adds five engines to our list, for a current total of twenty-seven.

To this figure, we can add the Works Diesel, Bloomer, and the austerity engine referenced in 'Wilbert the Forest Engine', making thirty.

This leaves the mainline as needing 50 whole engines to reach Awdry's figure of 80 - and of this potential number, we know Henry, Gordon, James, Bear, Pip and Emma. To understand how many engines are needed, we need to understand what jobs these engines would do - of which, there is passenger trains, the express, freight trains and shunting.

If the mainline has eleven stations, 87.7 miles of track and they wanted to have a train arrive every hour to meet their Northern partners... well, they'd need more engines. It takes one hour for a train between Lancaster and Barrow - a distance of 28.6 miles, so we can safely assume that tripling the distance would triple the time - for a trip time of around three hours. Now, this time would most likely be shortened by the chance for the engines to achieve higher speeds between stations, as the number of stations on both lines is roughly equal - 10 on the Furness line to 11 on the NWR mainline - but even still, it would require the railway running six separate stopping trains per day. Considering that only four of the six engines above could even run commuter trains, I would say that there is need for more engines.

There are currently two express trains that run on the Island of Sodor: The Limited and the WildNorWester, however it is not certain that the Limited is still running, as it only appeared for 'Enterprising Engines'. In any case, Pip and Emma are enough to handle fast trains on Sodor.

Freight is an interesting variable - we know that Sodor produces aluminium near Peel Godred, and that the alumina needs to be transported up there, and the finished product moved to the mainland, as well as general goods trains, farm produce trains, and freight trains bound for the harbours or from the quarry or China Clay pits. Based on these key requirements, it is safe to say Sodor needs a few more engines.

So, for the mainline we have Pip, Emma, Gordon, Henry, James, Bear and at least eight other engines of various sizes. Two of these engines would be built to run passenger trains alongside Henry, James, Gordon and Bear, while the other six would handle goods traffic, in particular bulk traffic or local goods. Fourteen engines, with potential help from Donald, Douglas and BoCo seems more reasonable as a number of engines on the mainline of a primarily agricultural island.

Suggestions for these engines include Murdoch, Derek, Emily and Rebecca - which is a shorter list than it should be due to the lack of large, mainline engines in the Thomas series who could feasibly run in the UK.

Finally, two shunting engines - one for Tidmouth and one for Barrow-in-Furness - can be added to the list, as since Duck gained his branchline, we have not been introduced to the new station pilot at Tidmouth and since the rise of the multiple-unit, Barrow station would require an engine to act as station pilot there too. Options for here include Diesel, Charlie, Dennis, Rosie and Paxton.

All of these numbers added together equals: 46. Twenty-three branchline engines, three industrial engines, two maintenance engines, one austerity engine, one preserved engine, fourteen mainline engines and two station pilots. Considering at the beginning I said that Northern Ireland Railways runs 47 engines currently and has a network of over double the size of Sodor but doesn't run freight, I would say that this is a pretty respectable estimate.

In direct contrast to this estimate, my ERS has 34 engines who cover the entire NWR and the neighbouring Furness Line. My reasoning: Donald and Douglas are magic, and scarily efficient. Having the two of them around means Edward and BoCo need no help on their branchline, and also Sodor would not need a commuter train every hour - it's a rural, agricultural island with three major population centres at Peel Godred, Vicarstown and Tidmouth. And also cause I have enough characters to balance already, Awdry had the right idea keeping the cast relatively small.

[rygoespop]

List of Characters in my Thomas and Friends AU (Finalized)

Main:

Thomas

Edward

Henry

Gordon

James

Percy

Toby

Emily

Molly

Rosie

Stanley

And Rebecca

Secondary/Supporting:

Duck

Donald and Douglas

Oliver

Diesel

Bill and Ben

BoCo

Philip

Derek

Timothy

Marion

Mavis

Sidney

Daisy

Ryan

Brent the Ballast Spreader

Paxton

Bear

Norman

Dennis

Den

Dart

Arry and Bert

Diesel 10

Murdoch

Arthur

Salty

Porter

Harvey

Fergus

Whiff

Scruff

Belle

Flynn

Stafford

Charlie

Billy

Neville

Hank

Neil

Sonny

Wilbert

Flora

Bash and Dash

Ferdinand

Winston

Stephen

Glynn

Dustin

Skarloey

Rheneas

Sir Handel

Peter Sam

Rusty

Duncan

Duke

Bertram

Freddie

Mighty Mac

Luke

Millie

Smudger

Victor

Culdee

Wilfred

Alaric

Harry (Formerly known as Lord Harry/Patrick)

Godred

Mike

Rex

Bert

Flying Scotsman

Spencer

Stepney

Connor

Caitlin

Samson

Merlin

Lexi

Theo

Hurricane

Frankie

D261

Splodge (Splatter and Dodge)

Jinty and Pug

Patriot the Big City Engine

Mallard

Hiro

Gator

Ashima

Rajiv

Yong Bao

Shane

Raul

Gina

Etienne

Vinnie

Sam

Frieda

Hugo

Axel

Ivan

Carlos

Lady

Proteus

Annie and Clarabel

Henrietta

Toad

Old Slow Coach

The Slip Coaches

SCruffey

Fred Pelham

Hector

Rocky

Judy and Jerome

Catherine

Bradford

Bertie

Bulgy

Terence

Trevor

Elizabeth

George

Kevin

Butch

The Horrid Lorries

Madge

Thumper

Jack

Alfie

Max and Monty

Oliver

Ned

Byron

Kelly

Isobella

Buster

Bulstrode

Captain

Skiff

Harold

Jeremy

Cranky

Carly

Big Mickey

Owen

Merrick

And Beresford

So that’s all for this finalized list, as for the ones planned such as Logan, Duchess of Hamilton, Ulli, Frank, Hannah, and The Spiteful Brakevan, they are unfortunately dropped due to the recent news regarding to Christopher Awdry

So that’s all