#ttte driver

[edwards-exploit]

Iiiii've been working on the railway, all the live long daaayyyy

[ask-the-young-nor-westers]

Just a Bad Dream

Description: Henry has a bad dream about his being locked in the tunnel once again. Little did he know that he would get some advice from his new driver, Correlle, as well as an unexpected story.

Words: How the fuck should I know? I haven't been keeping track LOL (jk jk).

"We shall leave you here for always and always and always."

Those words spoken by the Fat Director echoed in Henry's smokebox as he slept restlessly. Every year on the anniversary of him being locked in the Ballahoo tunnel, Henry would often have the same wretched dreams of the incident.

Of course, Henry had learned his lesson. He learned it quite well to the point where he hated any reminder of it. He despised the long days he spent, locked away in that brick tunnel; All on his own without anyone to talk to. It nearly drove him mad. After being let out, he knew better to be vain about his paintwork. After all, that was James' shtick now; not his.

But every time he had that wretched dream, he was scared to death. He never wanted to be locked away like that again.

"No.... No, I don't want to be alone. Not again..." He thought as the Fat Director solemnly proclaimed those words. He would have moved from the tunnel in his dream, but he couldn't make himself do so. Year after year, he tried and tried to prove the "Fat Director" wrong; that he was willing to move; he was willing to leave the tunnel. But some force prevented him from doing it. No matter how much he begged and pleaded, he had to witness the same sight of workmen bricking him up in that god-forsaken tunnel. He would have had to do it again, if not for a sudden echo.

"Henry? Henry, you okay?" The voice sounded familiar, yet it didn't belong in his dream. "Henry?! Henry, wake up!!" At that, his eyes shot open and darted around until he saw his driver, Correlle, standing in front of him. She was already dressed for work, yet her hair was somewhat a mess, and she looked like she had just tumbled out of bed.

"C-correlle?" he asked, looking down at her in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sleeping over, remember?" the young American reminded him, gesturing to the empty cot on the platform next to his berth, "We have the Kipper in a few hours."

"Oh…. right…" Henry blinked. He felt his eyes grow watery as he tried to keep his composure.

"Henry… what's wrong?" Correlle looked up at her engine worriedly, "You were shaking like a leaf." There was a brief silence that followed, as Henry was debating how to answer.

Correlle Hemsworth had only been working with Henry for about 2 months and she was still learning things about her new friend. That included his likes and dislikes. While she did poke fun at him from time to time, she knew when too far was too far. Even though she didn't know Henry as well as she would have liked, she could tell he was agitated. She knew from his fireman, Ted, that it took a while for Henry to open up to anyone new that entered his life.

"It's only early days," he had said, "and Henry doesn't open up to just anyone right away. He has to trust you first."

Correlle always remembered this, as she wanted to be a good driver that respected her engine's boundaries. While she didn't want to force him to open up, she also didn't want Henry to suffer whatever it was that was bothering him. At least on his own. After all, this was her first real time seeing Henry cry. It was heartbreaking, but she didn't say that aloud.

Henry himself seemed to recognize his new driver's genuine worry and did his best to compose himself. After all, if the other sleeping engines around him would never let him hear the end of it if they saw him like this, then how would his driver look at him?

"I'm alright…" He sighed as he took a deep breath. That didn't stop the tears from falling though.

"Henry… I'm not one to tell you how to feel, but you're definitely not alright." Correlle stated quietly, "I know that since I'm new, you don't trust me as much, but I still want to help you." At this, she placed a hand on one of his buffers. "Whatever is bothering you, I won't tell a soul. Not even if they cut my arms off." Henry was silent for a few minutes, mulling this over. That last part of her statement had been a bit brutal, but then again many Americans were, if they wanted to be.

One of the most important qualities that Sir Richard Hatt considered when it came to electing who drove what engine, is the capability of the driver to be there for their engine

"Encourage them to do good and discourage them to do bad; Be there for them in both good and bad times." He had proclaimed to the "Young Nor' Westers" on their first day of work.

While it may have been their first time learning it, Every engine on the North-Western Railway knew this philosophy was a given fact. Not only that, but it was a creed of sorts for the crews. Of course, it did take time for the engines to come to trust their crews, and Henry was no exception to this.

When he first met Correlle, she seemed nervous, as if she was tip-toeing around the engines she was learning to work with. It took time for her to shed her shyness and show her spunky, spirited nature. When she did, Henry found that he enjoyed it.

Not only that, but so far she had followed "the creed" to a T; She had encouraged and discouraged him on many different occasions, as well as spent many good times with him. Now she was passing the real test; being there for him when he was having a hard time with something. In this case, it was one of his personal demons.

Henry knew the genuineness of her words because he could see the sincerity in her eyes, even in the dark. Plus he knew Correlle wasn't the type to gossip. Sure she chattered and rambled like the troublesome trucks did at times, but she never spilled any secrets. Bearing all of this in mind, he took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Every year… there's this bad dream that haunts me." He admitted, looking upset, and a bit embarressed. "I don't know if you heard of this story, but years ago... my pride ended up with me being bricked up inside a tunnel."

"Oh… wait, you mean that little rhyme that Percy sometimes teases you with? The one about an engine being afraid of the rain and--"

"Yes, yes, that rhyme…" Henry quickly cut her short before he continued shakily, "Only in my case, that damn rhyme is a nightmare. And that same nightmare comes back every year. I'm in the Ballahoo Tunnel, just sitting there, with a line of coaches behind me. I've tried moving out of that damn tunnel, I truly have. Heavens knows I've tried. But something won't let me…" Henry looked down at his running board, seeing the two dots of water that just sat there, right beneath where his eyes would have been.

"Oh Henry…" Correlle looked sad as she climbed up and sat down next to his smokebox face. She often sat up next to him on her breaks, just dinking on her phone or just relaxing. Usually she had to take care because his boiler was hotter then fire itself. But now that his boiler was cool, she placed a hand on the outer black. The steel was cold as ice. So much so, she could almost feel what he was feeling; Scared and alone.

"I keep being told that I would be kept in the tunnel for always and always. Being stuck in there for a few weeks was hell enough, but… forever??" Henry looked petrified at the thought. "It's almost as bad as being scrapped… maybe even worse." Correlle listened quietly to everything he was saying. After a few minutes of thinking, she spoke up.

"Who was the one who told you that you would be stuck in that tunnel forever?"

"The Fat Director… He was the first one in charge of the NWR, back in the 1900s. He wasn't exactly a kind-natured man… He didn't even want me…"

"Why didn't he want you?"

"I wasn't the engine he ordered. When I came to this island, the Fat Director was angry. He claimed he wanted an Atlantic, but instead…"

"Instead he got you?"

"Yes." there was a brief pause before he continued, "I… I was a mistake." Henry looked ashamed as he said this, "I was an experimental engine. I was built with a very small firebox, so I couldn't be steamed properly. I half-expected the Fat Director to scrap me because of it." There were a few minutes of silence before Correlle spoke up again.

"Henry…. You're not a mistake." She said in a quiet yet firm tone.

"Well… of course you would say that. You're my driver."

"I'm not saying it as your driver. I'm saying it as your friend. You're not the one to be blamed for how you were built. You didn't even ask to be built; you just were. It's the same way with humans. I didn't ask to be born; I just was born. People can blame us for existing all they want, but it doesn't change the fact that we're still here. All of us here…. engine and humans alike, we're all misfits in one way or another."

"Misfits?"

"It's a word that means you're outwardly different in some way that makes society think you don't fit into it's norms."

"I see… is that a bad thing?"

"No way. Misfits can be wonderful people. Same with engines. They're just built in a way that people don't understand at first. Misfit as you are, you gave a lot and showed the railway that you deserve to be here. And no bad dream is going to change that." Correlle just gave an encouraging smile, "I think the Fat Director knew that too, even if he was the one who punished you to stay in that tunnel."

Henry thought a bit on that. It was true that the Fat Director had locked him in the tunnel, but he also was the one who let Henry out, even if it was a last resort. Plus, he did give Henry the fair chance he needed to do his best on the NWR by buying him Welsh Coal for his poor steaming, as well as sending him to Crewe after his accident with the Flying Kipper. So he couldn't say that the Fat Director didn't care about him. But it did raise the question.

"Then… why do I keep seeing him telling me that I would stay in the tunnel for always and always?" He asked slowly. Correlle was thoughtful for a few minutes before she answered.

"I think that moment was the time you saw the Fat Director at his worst. He was angry and he said words he couldn't take back. I don't know for certain, since I wasn't around when this happened, but it's my best guess on why. I do know that whenever we do see people at their worst, it's imprinted in our minds, whether we want it there or not."

"I see…" Henry sighed, "Times like this I wish I could forget that time ever existed. I wouldn't have that damn nightmare if I remembered."

"I guess it's a curse with engines. You're timeless machines. From the moment you were built, you remember everything. But… that's not to say you can't conquer your nightmare."

"But I've tried moving from the tunnel and I couldn't make myself move. So how else can I conquer my bad dream?" Correlle, once again, went silent at this, the wheels in her head turning until she snapped her fingers.

"Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming?"

"No. What is that?"

"It's where you can control what you do in your dreams. Most of the time, when we dream, we have little to no control over what we do. One example of that is sometimes I dream that I'm stuck on a snowy mountain and I can barely stand on my own two feet. But if you train your mind enough, you can be conscious enough to the point where you remember that you're stuck in a dream and you can do what you want."

"So… you suggest that I lucid dream?"

"Something like that. When you have the nightmare again, just take a deep breath and remember that you're dreaming. That you can do whatever you want and if you want to move from that tunnel, then you can. Remember that you have nothing holding you back, other then the obsticles you give yourself." Correlle patted the side of his boiler, giving him a small smile. Henry felt better at this idea.

"I'll remember this for the future." He said quietly.

"That's the Henry I know." Correlle beamed before she suddenly yawned. Henry couldn't help but smile a little at this.

"If you want to return to your cot, you can."

"Eh… I'm fine here. At least until you go to sleep again." Correlle just tiredly leaned against the side of his boiler. Henry could sense the exhaust in her voice, but it wasn't because of how tired she was or how late it was. It was something else. A brief period of silence hung in the air before Correlle spoke up again. "You know… I was debating on whether I should tell you this, but…"

"But?" the Green engine raised an eyebrow.

"I know how it feels… not being wanted." she smiled sadly as she looked at the hairband she had wrapped around her right wrist. "My case is probably not as bad as yours, but… before I came to Sodor, I grew up with my grandparents on their ranch in Colorado. My Dad was never in my life because… well… at first it was hard for him to be there, given that my mother had passed away when she gave birth to me. But when he started coming to see me more and more, he just… he didn't seem to like me for some reason."

"That's terrible…" Henry said quietly.

"I never knew what that reason was. Every time my Dad came to see me, he just… looked disappointed. I didn't know why at the time, and I always was hard on myself because of it. It didn't stop him from inserting himself in my life, even when it seemed like he didn't like me. I always thought that he had a hard time being near me because I might have reminded him of my mom. But later as I got older, I began to realize the reason was… well…" Correlle took a deep breath, holding tears of her own back, "I wasn't the daughter he wanted." Henry was aghast at this.

"What do you mean by that?" He managed to ask after a few minutes. He sounded breathless, as if he saw that his whole forest had been cut up just for the thrill of it.

"I mean just that. Just like you were the engine that the Fat Director didn't want at the time, I wasn't the daughter my Dad wanted. He tried hard to get me to be like him, but… I was just different. I didn't like the same things he did and to him, that wasn't enough. Unlike you, I wasn't really given a fair chance. After an accident I got into that was…. well, my Dad's fault, he just up and left. Like he just gave up. I thought that would be the end of it. Until…"

"Until?"

"He dragged me back into his life. Right before I turned 18 too. Then I came here to Sodor and joined the Railway here to get away from him." Correlle wiped her eyes of what tears she had, "I wasn't sure I would even make it to this point, or even do a good job. But in the process, I met someone who was just like me. At least in a few ways."

"I can attest to that." Henry smiled a bit, "Admittedly, I was a bit worried, as since you were younger then the drivers I had years prior, I thought things would turn sideways. But you're doing a wonderful job as my driver. You're likely the best I've had in a long while."

"Aww… thanks you." Correlle patted his boiler again, giving him a broad smile, "I was scared at first, given that I've never handled an Iron Horse before, but like my Grandpa Davis said, as long as you're confident in yourself and the engine, things get easy."

"Well, he's not wrong." Henry sighed as he looked at the sky through the glass ceiling of Tidmouth sheds, "Some misfits we are."

"True." Correlle smiled a bit, "But, if given a choice, there's no misfit in the world that trumps you."

"Same for you, but as my driver." Henry suddenly felt a hefty yawn come over him, "We should get some sleep. I don't think we have much longer before the Firelighter comes."

"True." Correlle yawned, "Plus, I feel kinda… *yawn* drowsy myself…"

"I can tell. You care barely keep your eyes open." Henry chuckled tiredly, "Back to your cot. I'll be fine."

"If you say so." Correlle sleepily tumbled off of his front buffer beam and ambled back to her cot. Henry could hear her grunt as she fell face-first into the somewhat flat pillow she used. The second he heard her faint breathing, a sign she fell asleep, he yawned and closed his eyes himself. The nightmare was well out of his mind by now, so he knew what little rest he would get until the time came to pull the Flying Kipper would help him in the long run.

Primary Blog || Art Blog || Speedpaint || Kofi || Artistree

[celestite-caroline]

someone old, someone new

EDIT: yeah the Luxtorpeda design changed since then 💀 I realized she didn't fit RWS lore so she's a single character named Luxtorpeda, and the driver names are non-canon now (they're still the Polish driver and the other driver)

[ohmystarrynight]

Loved doing the Railway Series Collab with everyone who joined! Todays the day I get to post >:)

Everyone got assigned a book to recreate an image of, and I got Thomas and the Swan! Here’s my take featuring Penn (Miss Penny) and Clive (Mr Fireman/ Mr Clive)!

[13o7billionyearsinthemaking]

Isle of Engines part 13

I DON'T WANT TO DIE

[ceciasa]

Young Nor' Westers - SM Post: Early Morning

[logan-abby-draws]

MEET THOMAS' CREW!

After being inspired by many a people on here, I've decided to go ahead and draw Thomas' crew for my AU "STEEL HEARTS!

So here they are!

NICHOLAS SMITH:

Nick Smith is Thomas’ Driver, and has been his only driver ever since they worked in a Steelworks near Brighton. Nick had… Traveled (in the safest terms) with Thomas and their Firewoman to Sodor together, arriving on the island unannounced, But putting together their case to stay on the railway to work for The Fat Controller. 

Nick is very smart and resourceful. He makes sure that his engine's timetable is kept and fulfilled, and that things are kept under control (To the best of his abilities). Nick can also be very grumpy at times. Whenever anything makes them late, he’s usually the first you’d hear from. Nick is very punctual! But also very opinionated. He is extremely protective over his engine, and although his attitude along with his firewomans can get a bit overwhelming at times, there is nothing that he wouldn’t do for them… Even if it means bending the rules of railway practices to get out of a very tight pickle. 

REBECCA COLLYMORE:

Becky Collymore is Thomas’ Firewoman. Like their driver, Nick, Becky has been with Thomas ever since his days in Brighton. It was her that suggested they find work on Sodor, and was the navigator of the whole trip. 

Unlike Nick, Becky is very tough and jokeful. She always finds time to have fun with her engine and get a good laugh out of something. Sometimes this can lead to Thomas adapting some rather dangerous Ideas. Becky also has a tendency to act before she thinks, which, although Nick would never admit it, has saved their butts more times than once. Becky is OVER PROTECTIVE of her engine. He is her pride and joy. She refuses to man anyone elses engine because of this. Becky refuses to depart from Sodor nor her engine. She is currently engaged with another one of the engine drivers on the Island. And this has even further solidified her choice in staying. 

All in all, the three, Both crew and engine, make a great trio! Nick and Becky, like most on the railway, wear uniforms to match their engine. They’re very proud of their little number one, and are very thankful that both he and them are there to stay on The North Western Railway. 

[ask-the-young-nor-westers]

Excuse me while I add my own little thing to this LOL XD

ok i find it so funny when someone discovers theres a thomas the tank engine community its like that scene in ratatouille when the chandelier falls down after the old lady shoots it

[thomasbeyond]

Happy (belated) Free Comic Boom Day, everyone! 🎉

Here’s the final cover for Thomas: Beyond! #1, “Station Pilot”. As I previously mentioned, I planned to get the issue out by last Saturday, but I wasn’t able to complete it in time. I’m not sure when it’ll be ready, but stay tuned, as I’m still actively working on it!

[ask-the-young-nor-westers]

"...And these are 2 of our most powerful engines, Gordon and Henry."

[milfcutlawquane]

A JGR Class D51 Prototype, known as Hiro, at Brendam Docks on his first day on Sodor, along his crew.

Hiro was one of the first steam engines on the Island of Sodor, arriving on early 1904. He was the prototype of the engines now know as Class D51 of the Japanese Government Railways. Wise and hard-working, Hiro endeared himself to everyone who got to know him, gaining himself the nickname of "Master of the Railway".

His sudden disappearance is still a point of discussion for railway enthusiasts: some say he was scrapped after an accident had left him broken beyond repair, others that he had returned to Japan once his trial time on Sodor came to an end, and a few that he was simply left abandoned in some old shed to give way to newer, stronger engines. Whatever was the case, Hiro is still well-regarded to this day by those lucky enough to have met him.

Extract from The History of Sodor (1946)

[masterj]

Make disasters >:3

So excited to exhibit at this upcoming Greenberg Toy Train Expo in Edison, NJ!

Partially because I need to find out who made this particular 3D print of Henry

Sicko Henry has lived in my head rent free and I will pay any amount of money for him

[ohmystarrynight]

Meet Penn, Thomas’s driver (in my other not human au haha)

[13o7billionyearsinthemaking]

Isle of Engines part 12

*bizzzz*

Get the covers

[ceciasa]

Traintober Art: Day 3 - Twins

Duck remeets his Driver's twin children, Montague and Monique Palmer. The only mistake his driver ever made was giving Duck the chance to influence them on the "Great Western Way."

AKA: Duck officially becomes a Dad Uncle

[celestite-caroline]

all that I'm saying is that D10's driver was most likely in on most of his schemes all along