#traintober2024

[galinneall-dearg]

Day 3- The Film/Trust

You believe me... Don't you?

Happy 10th Anniversary to Tale of the Brave!

[tornadoyoungiron]

Traintober 2024

#traintober #traintober2024 #tttetraintober

Here's my personal Traintober list for 2024! I've given it to a few people who have asked but since a lot of people are asking, I've decided to release it so people can start to plan.

I had a few ideas I wanted to get out of my head, so this list is what resulted. Feel free to use it if you want or make your own.

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you do with the prompts if you decide to participate.

[noble-atomics-railway]

I still can't get over how many people liked the uncoloured version of this!

After much delay, enjoy a coloured Edward on a day out to the sunny seaside.

[joezworld]

So yeah, this is Traintober 2024. Or, rather, it's a Traintober, because I started making this list a few days ago and got beat to the punch by @tornadoyoungiron by about a day. Sorry about that!

Anyways this is the fun, scrappy, alternative Traintober. Feel free to be creative with the ideas contained within. I'm always interested to see what people come up with.

Also, to answer an ask I got a little while ago, no I'm not dead/on hiatus. I just work a lot, and real life often gets in the way. Also I have fallen victim to the endless pit of "fanfictions you never seem to finish." That being said, expect some output from me later in the year!

Art is by Russell Smith, the image is edited by [ALAN SMITHEE]. Thanks a lot for the help with this [ALAN]!

[edwards-exploit]

I believe the morning sun

She still can't quite believe that she's finally feeling steam in her tubes and warmth in her firebox again- the dreamlike light that the morning sun casts definitely doesn't help.

Always gonna shine again, and

But here she is, in resplendent new colours and new nameplates affixed to her sides and a new number painted on her cabsides - the newest addition to the North Western Railway! As she thunders down the rails, finally free from the din and darkness of the Steamworks, she only hopes she isn't late!

I believe a pot of gold, waits at every rainbow's end, oh.

TRAINTOBER DAY ONE: DAWN + THE ARRIVAL

[just-another-miserable-prick]

Traintober Day 24 - Accepting

It is now midday in the moderately busy city of Siófok. Since the morning rush hour, the city has considerably quieted down, the only noise being that of the trains, buses and birds passing by. It's during these mostly silent moments that Hektor's thoughts wander. His brethren... the lines they worked on... The happy faces of passengers and the recipient of whatever goods they happened to pull... The little tank engine almost feels... Homesick.

But he is home. Right next to the station where he once whistled with joy as he came to a stop, dropping off those smiling people. But that was years ago, and now... He's merely a footnote on Wikipedia and a few photos on Google.

As the rusty tank engine wallows in his self-pity, he spots... Someone, pointing at him? Smiling? It's a little kid, with his parents. "Gőzös! Gőzös!" the child beams with a toothy grin on his chubby face as he runs up to Hektor. His parents take a few photos of the boy with the engine before they continue on with their day, all giggles and smiles.

And it's those little kids, so eager and excited, that give Hektor the tiniest bit of hope that maybe one day... One day he can return to his former glory. Even if only on the outside. But for now, if he can bring a smile to just one kid's face every now and then, he's content to stay as is.

[ladychandraofthemoone]

Traintober Day 10: The Great/Flora

10/10

Have a Douggie with thistles, the national flower of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿!!(also dunmeshi thistle got me in a chokehold rn-)

Bonus RWS/Caledonian Douglas:

[hazel-of-sodor]

The good news is I have finished writing Something Holy This Way Comes. That means it is time for Traintober....soooo whos giving me the trauma ammo this year?

[duskstargazer]

[1967]

This was a first for Oliver. He'd hid in big station yards before, that was nothing new.

But tonight, his stake-out was in efforts to catch someone working under the cover of the night sky.

“Hey.” A voice broke Oliver from his thoughts.

“Hello, Ryan.” Oliver said, his tone rigid and monotonous.

“Hey. I wanted to um… thank you.” Ryan began, awkwardly. “For helping me with the burning dynamite. What you did was so brave, I-”

“It wasn't brave.” Oliver sighed. “It was cowardice.”

“What?”

“I should've warned you about that bad coal. I was just… afraid.”

Ryan looked perplexed. “Afraid of what?”

“You.” Oliver winced as the word left his smokebox. “I'd finally gotten here, and now I'm making one mess after another. I was starting to worry Sir Topham Hatt wanted you to replace me.”

“But he ordered both of us, didn't he?”

Oliver winced again.

“Not… even remotely. Let's just say Sir Topham Hatt didn't come to my railway. I came to his.”

Ryan's brow furrowed. “Huh…?”

“I left the Other Railway on completely my own terms. I… I ran away.”

Ryan gasped. “You're the Mystery Train?! I heard so much about you- we all did! Even after news and leads seemed to die down, word of your heroism still managed to reach us in preservation-”

“It would've been heroism if I'd been able to take even one of my relatives with me.” Oliver said, darkly.

“Hey. You did everything you could with what you had. No one can take that away from you.” The purple engine sighed. “I only wish my story had a bit more heroism like yours.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“I was bought into preservation. My owner wanted a tank engine, and I just happened to be in the yard at the time.”

“You're one of the bravest engines I've ever met, Oliver.”

A silence fell upon the sheds.

“Soo… why don't you spend the night in the shed? There really is plenty of room.”

“Thanks, Ryan, but I think I ought to spend tonight in Tidmouth.” Oliver started away, looking down at the tracks. “Just in case.”

“Oh.” Ryan looked away, disappointed, until the rest of what Oliver had said hit them.

“In case of what?”

[ttte-paint-shop]

Traintober Day 4: Great Race

[elester01]

Traintober Day 25

The Last One - The Downfall Of Steam

Scott stared at the letter. “Due to the dysfunction of your engine and the lack of a need for a driver, we will be putting your locomotive in static preservation. This letter has  been written to inform you that you will be defused from your engine in a week. Take your time to say your goodbyes. Defusion date - 23/2/2043.”

His hands were shaking, and the piece of paper slowly drifted to the floor. After all these years, he was finally going to die. Collecting his phone into his hands, he shakily dialled his older twin’s number. After a few moments, it was picked up.

“Scott? What is it? You’re crying,” Gordon quickly noticed.

“Gordon. I’m… I’m…” 

“Scott, you need to tell me what happened.”

“I’m being defused in a week.”

The line went silent. Horribly silent. There was not a single sound. Before, eventually there was. “What? Why would they do that?”

“New protocol for static preservation, I’m pretty sure.”

“Oh…”

“Can I go over to where you are?”

“Sure. Sodor’s a nice place to spend your last days.”

“I love you brother.”

“You too.”

Beep.

[galinneall-dearg]

Day 1- Dawn + The Arrival

Based off this photo of Midlander <3

[baldwin-10-12-d]

Traintober day 1: Dawn

Ever since Smudger was rebuilt he had always either been out in the middle of the night or early morning. But that changed this morning when his driver and fireman had woken him up while firing him up. He was confused as he was never woken up this early, he was told that he was going to be pulling a special passenger service.

Once Smudger was fired up he began to roll out of his shed, he went to grab his coaches when he looked up. It was still pitch black but Smudger didn't care he was used to it by now. He had collected his passengers and was headed up the valley when he looked up.

Smudger was in shock he had never seen dawn before, his eyes lit up in wonder. He saw how beautiful dawn was and he began to smile. Smudger pulls the special through the valley while smiling as he had finally witnessed dawn for the first time.

[noble-atomics-railway]

Finally got around to colouring in this traintober prompt. I love Henry's expression on this one.

[trainalt22]

DAY 9 Burden for glory

[edwards-exploit]

The sheds were quiet, with only two of them. The others have given them privacy, when they heard the news about his siblings.

Thomas sent a sidelong glance at Edward- there's an unimaginable grief that is currently permeating from his smokebox, despite his valiant attempt to hide it. His steam practically danced around him, covering his face like a shield.

But it was brief, and Edward smiled at him sadly- he was trying to comfort Thomas, after all- and Thomas felt terrible for asking Edward about his own siblings... despite Edward dancing around the subject most of the time, still treating Thomas like he was fresh out of the works.

"... But Driver likes to say 'it's all in good hands'," Continued Edward delicately, "So perhaps it was the same for your siblings."

Maybe they really were in good hands- for all the rebuilding Thomas got that extended his working life, his siblings still had a long, Useful career without any changes to their shape. And Thomas knew, vaguely, that Southern engines were going to be replaced by electrics sooner or later. Perhaps they faced death with dignity.

So Thomas gave a sad smile back. "... Thanks, Edward."

TRAINTOBER DAY 25: THE LAST ONE