#ttte duncan x sir handel

[nwr77]

happy valentine's day, narrow gauge edition!

(yes, they are all in a kinda tangled polyamorous relationship - the colourful hearts are meant to symbolise who's dating who)

[sandgambler]

Ttte ponies part 2, electric boogaloo

[traintrainingmontage]

Suddenly in the mood to talk about my Skarloey Railway relationship headcanons, so here they are! (This ties into my previous post on engine relationships, so please read that if anything seems confusing!)

-Skarloey is the Eldest. Rheneas and Duke are his brothers (Rheneas being his brother, Duke being his sworn brother/brother-in-arms, but to engines, the difference is often negligable). The other six engines, collectively, are his younger brothers, with Ivo Hugh and Fred being the youngest. Thus, he feels a lot of responsibility towards all of them. "Eldest" is often used as a title of respect/great endearment.

-Skarloey takes a lot of care in teaching Sir Handel the ropes. Sir Handel is the eldest of the younger brothers, meaning that he'll take over when Skarloey, Rheneas, and Duke finally run out of puff. Unlike Duke, who tends to coddle Sir Handel and Peter Sam somewhat, Skarloey and Sir Handel have a firm older brother/younger brother bond, and Sir Handel has never lost his respect for Skarloey. In fact, when he has a problem, he's more likely to go to Skarloey than Duke--he still cares about his granpuff very much, but he's not a glossy-painted new build anymore and Duke still treats him like that sometimes because he missed out on how much Sir Handel has matured over the years.

-Interestingly, Skarloey and Rheneas tend to go to Duke with problems or issues that they can't talk about with each other. Some of these things involve moments during the war, some involve hidden regrets... While the two brothers love each other dearly, there's certain things that are impossible to express, such as Rheneas feeling like he owes Skarloey a debt that he can never repay and Skarloey feeling like he has failed Rheneas in certain ways. Duke respects both of his new brothers-in-arms very much and appreciates the level of trust that they put in him. He also has to admit that it's kind of nice to be taken care of; the SR is run remarkably well, and they care for his well-being as more than a tool. He doesn't have to deal with a poorly-managed railway and trying to protect his granchuffs and all of that. He can lay his own burdens aside, and both Skarloey and Rheneas are more than happy to lend him a listening ear in turn.

-Much like Sir Handel, Duncan tends to get along best with Skarloey from an older/younger brother standpoint. He respects Skarloey a lot, and appreciates his "teaching style" over Rheneas, who tends to give lectures.

-Also interestingly, Rusty finds that they get along particularly well with Rheneas. Their personalities tend to be rather complementary, and Rusty can see just how much Rheneas cares for all of them and the railway as a whole beneath his sometimes-stern-yet-often-cheerful exterior. Rheneas shows Rusty all of the most beautiful, hidden-away spots on the line, and Rusty relishes in it.

-Peter Sam is close with all three of the older engines. He's started forming a mentor/mentee relationship with Ivo Hugh, who seems eager to learn.

-Sir Handel and Duncan have a rivals to friends relationship. They often bicker and clash, but over the years, the edges have smoothed out, and they have a friendly rivalry going. They push each other to do and be better, all while trading good-natured jabs.

-Sir Handel and Peter Sam are partners, as are Rusty and Duncan. Peter Sam and Rusty are very good at being the grounding and comforting presences that their partners need, although they aren't above telling them off if they're being ridiculous. The older engines love to see it and get a good laugh out of the younger engines' antics.

[ask-sentient-vehicles]

Who do the narrow gauge engines think is best pony?

:)

(I kinda hate scrolling through MLP on the internet cuz the fandom's horrible -_-)

so many tags wth

[weirdowithaquill]

I think it's time you consider sharing your Duke and Rheneas ship concept (and the pufflings' sabotage efforts!) with the world 🙏

My memory is that they were too cute to languish forever only in DMs

Your memory is correct! And also really good! This conversation was months ago!

But here goes nothing - how I ended up shipping Rheneas and Duke:

It all begins with a certain @jobey-wan-kenobi and shipping Skarloey and Neil. These two are very important for Dukeas (Rhenuke?) - so let's cover them first.

These two are terrible at flirting. Like, legitimately bad. Neil gets a repaint when he's bought by the Crovan's Gate Mining Company (into SKR red!!) and Skarloey attempts to flirt and be suave to capture Neil's heart. Here's how he does:

"I like seeing you in my colour--" So far so good - but the engines don't really have good metaphors for clothes so it sort of falls apart: "--it would look better on... uh... oh..." Human pickup lines don't really work for engines, do they? Neil is so confused, and Skarloey is dying of embarrassment (the fireman said that it would totally work!)

Rheneas laughs himself sick.

Skarloey - after grumbling about Rheneas laughing at him - swallows his pride and asks his brother for help. (Side note - this is where our conversation started. We were talking about how the SKR is more interesting for family-values in the RWS.)

Rheneas has never had a crush before, and so his best idea is: "Why not ask him to double head a train with you?" Now, those of you who've instantly spotted the problem with narrow gauge Skarloey and standard gauge Neil double heading a train are doing better than these two hopeless idiots.

But Skarloey is not to be deterred! So he builds 'the truck' to pull trains on the standard gauge railway! Ah... but there's not enough traffic for double heading, so none of the managers will allow it.

It's not like Neil is any better though - this is the same boxy engine who saw Skarloey and went "he's so cute, but I'm too ugly for him..." at which point his crew face-palmed. So his crew convinced Neil to invite Skarloey to hang out at the works while he's being repainted into NWR colours (circa 1915). So Skarloey's there when he's sanded down and repainted.

Skarloey gets a nosebleed and passes out.

And Neil thinks that Skarloey just fell asleep! Even as the mechanics at Crovan's Gate are gathering around him to study him because no engine has ever had a nosebleed before, oh my goodness look at our discovery!

These two are disasters.

Peter Sam is no help either. Peter Sam is about as innocent as a three-year-old (Duke was not going to let no dock workers sully His Puffling, thank you very much) so his best advice is to: "Sing to him!" "What song?" "Uh..." Peter Sam doesn't do proper songs, he makes up ditties! What do you mean, wooing the boxy engine involves actually knowing music?

Skarloey just skips over asking Sir Handel for advice. Which is probably for the best, considering Sir Handel's attempt at flirting was to basically stun Gordon by talking his ear off and insulting his own coaches.

Yeah... none of these engines are very good at this.

But yeah, it probably takes until Rusty and Duncan figure themselves out for Skarloey to get some good advice. Cause of all the engines on the SKR, these two are the first to get into an actual relationship (with each other, but it's not Duncan's first, let's be honest). So, here's this centennarian-and-then-some engine that is Skarloey needing his romance to be chaperoned by these two youngsters... AND IT WORKS!

Finally he has the wingengines he needs: a foul-mouthed factory worker and something called a 'diesel'.

And Rheneas is still laughing in the background.

But it works! Skarloey buys some flowers with his driver's money and asks Neil out - and Neil says yes! (Let's all just headcanon that he was the Crovan's Gate Works engine at this point, okay? Okay.) Rheneas's first words upon hearing this are lost to time, but were either "Oh thank God" or "FINALLY!"

He is very lucky that he is at the works and hears about it there, or else he'd have gotten into a massive argument. But at the same time, he's rather sad, cause he's been using this romantic trainwreck as his entertainment for the last 100 odd years, throwing out slightly bogus suggestions to stir up the drama.

These two are going steady enough in 1965 for Skarloey to tease Neil by calling him "ugly but kind" in front of the Reverend - who accidentally takes it to heart.

We are all very lucky that said Anglican Reverend was out of earshot when Neil shot back a quip about nosebleeds.

But this is Rheneas' life up until 1970 - it's spent doing his job and laughing at his brother's absolutely hilarious and terrible love life. But romance? No, it's not in his cards...

And then Duke arrives.

And Rheneas goes “oh no, he’s hot.”

Rheneas immediately goes to his brother - because they're brothers, and they're supposed to help one another - completely forgetting the past 100 years.

Skarloey bursts into laughter. And then tells Neil, who also laughs. Rheneas is humbled with his own crush on Duke - much to his consternation.

But it’s worse cause Rheneas has to deal with two very overprotective children. See, Sir Handel and Peter Sam don't want to share their Granpuff. Cause they see Rheneas as a friend, not a weird step-grandpa, so stop butting in on our family. These boys have Granpuff-related trauma, and they are not handing over their Granpuff to just any old puffball. Duke for his part thinks Rheneas is cute - but his pufflings just keep calling him "a bad influence" - which is hilariously ironic considering Sir Handel.

Of course, being Peter Sam and Sir Handel, they also do their 'sunshine and thunder thing': "I think it's nice!" "You WOULD." Which naturally evolves into good-cop-bad-cop as Peter Sam is swayed by Sir Handel (and a sniggering Skarloey, but Skarloey's always had the best of intentions, right?)

Rheneas takes his own advice and asks to double head a train (cause at least he's the same gauge!) and Sir Handel slots himself in. Duke thinks it's sweet that Sir Handel is trying to spend more time with him. Rheneas is pulling his metaphorical hair out (oh, he knows - but he's also messing with Rheneas. He also talks to Skarloey).

Can you imagine how ridiculous it would be for everyone? Rheneas is just being interrogated in the background while Duke does a deadpan to some documentary crew like he’s in the Office: “This has been going on for 25 years. I have been dating Rheneas for 20 of those years.”

He has conveniently forgotten to mention this fact to Sir Handel and Peter Sam...

And that should have been that.

Right?

No. Cause then we talked about humanisations - and the story picked back up, only now we have to jump back to the year Duke got together with Rheneas. Now, for some reason or another (I blame the boulder), the entire SKR crew (Neil included) are suddenly turned human. After a few days of figuring out how being human works (cause we take most of three decades before we settle into 'humaning' - these engines are gonna need some help), they begin to act as normally as a bunch of engines-turned-humans can. There was one occasion where Peter Sam bear-walked across the yard because he couldn't figure out how walking worked, and humans have four legs! "Those are hands." "Good enough for walking!"

See, the engines pop into being human with bodies and clothes (this is important) - and for the most part, it's pretty stock standard. Rusty has overalls, Duncan has a few piercings, Sir Handel gets wheelie shoes (for his steamroller wheels!) and Duke has a massive overcoat that makes him look - for lack of a better term - rather chubby.

And he does nothing to dissuade the other engines from this line of thinking. On the surface, it makes sense after all! Duke has his large saddle tank, which translated over.

So it comes as a great surprise to everyone when Duke takes off his overcoat after the engine Duncan (who was pulling them in one of the passenger coaches) derails. Duke is not fat - no, he's been hiding tools in his overcoat... like a crowbar. In fact, Duke randomly takes off his shirt too so he can use said crowbar to lever Duncan back onto the rails all by himself (the shirt was... uh... too constricting?).

Rheneas gets a nosebleed - only none of the engines know how human nosebleeds work and panic. This of course tips Duke off that yes, Rheneas does have a thing for him.

So, Duke basically tortures Rheneas for weeks by volunteering to join the track-workers gang, and wearing a singlet and he has arms, why does he have arm muscles he is a steam engine! (I told someone about this, and they said - and I quote: "It's cause they're always pumping iron!")

Duke also keeps Werther's Originals in his overcoat to distribute to both his Pufflings and the local schoolchildren. Rheneas' heart cannot handle the adorableness.

This of course led to Rheneas confessing to Duke in the rain after the stationmaster's cat got lost. Rheneas had thought Duke would think he was cool if he found said cat first and rushed off... and fell into a ditch and sprained his ankle cause he's a human now, and people don't walk normal, why don't they have wheels - (oh wait, that's what trains are for). Rheneas had saved the cat, and then Duke helped him, asked why Rheneas ran off and didn't stick with the search party - and so Rheneas confessed in the moment. Very cliche romantic, but so am I a bit.

So that's how Duke and Rheneas ended up as a couple. A bit of magic, a whole lot of Duke's family torturing Rheneas and a missing cat.

[uselessalexis165]

tried making some ttte memes (235)

[biggsodorcitystories]

The Skarloey Railway Crew

WARNING: SHIPPING, M/M, MPREG REFERENCES, FEMALE RHENEAS.

Here's my concept for the Skarloey Railway's engines. This only includes the core group/permanent members, which in my version includes Duke.

The following also includes the personal nicknames given to each engine by Duncan.

SR Number 1: Skarloey (aka: The Auld Yin/Big Man)

Skarloey is the oldest member of the railway and the official leader of the crew. Courtesy of his rich baritone voice, he is the most easily recognised long before his arrival. This is a surprise to Skarloey, as he has no idea how loud his voice is. A devoted believer in the medicinal power of brandy, he always has at least one hip flask on his person.

Although he is a firm and no-nonsense leader, Skarloey is extremely kind and will always help someone in genuine need. He does not permit discrimination among engines, valuing everyone by character and work ethic. He has a soft spot for Edward and Lady - in a fatherly and granfatherly way. Many assume that he and Rheneas - like their twin siblings Talyllyn and Dolgoch - are married. Skarloey will quickly correct this, proclaiming that the love he bears for Rheneas is the love of the sister he never had.

SR Number 2: Rheneas (aka: Wee Ma)

Rheneas is the second oldest member of the railway and the second-in-command.

Rheneas acts as a mother figure to Edward (whose relationship with her own mother his always been strained) and as a grandmother figure to everyone else. This has earned her the title of "Grandmother of Sodor" and often is referred to as "Nanny Ren" by many engines.

Having a wiser and more reserved nature, Rheneas is considered a moderating influence to Skarloey and the other engines. However, it is said that even Skarloey, Duke, and Edward are frightened of angering her. She once had to temporarily use a cane following a wheel repair, which had to be forcibly taken from her after she used it to stop an argument between Sir Handel and Duncan. Recently, she has taken up knitting, and many engines and humans own examples of her work as gifts.

SR Number 3: Sir Handel (aka: Peter Sam's pet)

Sir Handel is the self-proclaimed 'Express Engine' of the railway and clearly emulates the other Express engine on Sodor in his appearance. He used to have a reputation for being arrogant and rude after his early years, causing a lot of problems for the railway. Maturing over the years, being reunited with Duke, and starting a family with Peter Sam have put an end to this, but his old bad habits will resurface if he loses his temper. However, he is extremely hard-working and reliable, emulating his role models Duke and Skarloey in their younger days, and is much better liked now. He also has the best singing voice out of all the engines.

Married to the love of his life, Peter Sam, and the father of their (soon to be) three children, Sir Handel is determined to set the same good example as his Grandpuff, Duke, did for him.

SR Number 4: Peter Sam (aka: Happy Wee Harpy)

Peter Sam is the sunniest engine on the Skarloey railway and one of the most popular. It is also a surprise to many that he is also the second strongest, thanks to his Giesel funnel.

Peter Sam is also the cook of the railway, being something of a foodie, and often cooks for the others. He is an engine who doesn't hold back on his appetite, which has caused some weight gain. This has done little to damage his self-esteem or ability to do his work, but Victor is keeping an eye on him, just in case.

Peter Sam's naivete does lead to him taking things a little too literally, which has caused him trouble in the past. He also has a tendency to worry about the others to his detriment and wears his enormous heart on his sleeve. Fortunately, the others are always on hand to make sure he doesn't go overboard.

Peter Sam is married to Sir Handel, with whom he has two children - Nerys and Duke Jr - and is expecting their second daughter, Wren. Peter Sam enjoys having a family and is hoping to grow it further.

SR Number 5: Rusty (aka: Buzzbox)

Rusty was one of the first diesels on the island of Sodor and remains the only one on the Skarloey railway. He serves as the 'Handy-engine' on the railway, maintaining the old rails and helping with breakdowns. Unlike some of his NWR counterparts, Rusty doesn't believe in Diesel superiority and might even be seen as pro-Steam. He is very well liked by the other engines thanks to his work ethic and is very well-respected by the other diesels. Many have said that he is the best influence for the young and impressionable Paxton, working hard to undo the bad habits taught to the younger engine by Diesel and Diesel 10. He is also very good friends with Liora/Lady. After a shaky start, he and Duncan entered into a friendship/rivalmance.

Rusty is also struggling with some weight gain, having become the taste-tester for Peter Sam's cooking experiments. While he doesn't consume many sweet things,he is incapable of saying no to the savoury things Peter Sam offers him.

SR Number 6: Duncan (aka: hardest working engine on the railway)

Duncan is the strongest engine on the Skarloey railway and the most volatile. Built in Kilmarnock, Scotland, Duncan's formative years were spent in a factory. This is largely responsible for his coarse language and lack of social experience. He often struggles with the more genteel and peaceful environment of his new home but claims that he is getting used to it. In truth, he has come to like it here.

Duncan is blunt to the point of rudeness and extremely stubborn. This has brought him into conflict with every engine on the railway at some point and is the reason he only pulls passenger trains occasionally. He's also one of the few engines that Edward has sworn at. He has also had a few run-ins with Donald and Douglas, although nobody within earshot was able to understand their accents enough to work out why. However, Duncan is not without his good points. He has never ignored an engine who needed help (although he will complain about it) and is not afraid of hard work. A true diamond in the rough.

SR Number 8: Duke (aka: The Judge)

Duke is the third oldest engine on the Skarloey railway and is the beloved mentor of Sir Handel and Peter Sam, who he loves as a grandfather. He is the most set in his ways, being less relaxed than his older colleagues, but is extremely respected by every engine and human on Sodor.

Duke initially struggled with settling into his new life after his long isolation and often came into conflict with Skarloey over how things were run. But with the help of Sir Handel and Peter Sam, along with the birth of their children, he has overcome these problems. It is possible that he has developed an attraction to Rheneas, although he refuses to comment.

Duke has actually proven his mettle by resolving disputes between the engines on the railway and with any arguments they may have with the NWR engines thanks to his reputation. This has led to Duncan calling him "The Judge."

SR Number 22: Luke (aka: The Fugitive)

Luke is, officially, a recent addition to the railway. But he has, in fact, lived on the island for much longer.

Luke's arrival on Sodor began with an accident, where he caused an accident that caused injury to another engine arriving with him. Believing that he had actually killed the other, a guilt-stricken Luke found refuge on the Skarloey railway, helping out in secret at the Blue Mountain Quarry. He lived there in secret for many years until a chance meeting with Thomas, who discovered that Victor was the engine that Luke believed he had killed.

Afterwards, Luke became an official member of the railway and started to venture out onto the main railway. Initially very shy and jumpy, Luke soon became comfortable with his new freedom, and everyone became enchanted with his cheery optimism and musical Irish tones.

Although much older than his appearance suggests, Luke is babied a little bit by the other engines, and he has become an unofficial third 'grandchild' for Duke. He has become more adventurous, befriending Stephen and Millie at Ulfstead castle. After realising that Paxton had been hurt by his exclusion from the others about him, Luke made a point of apologising to him personally, and the two are on very good terms. But it is with Victor that Luke's life has changed the most. After years of hiding away, Luke had to keep visiting the Steam-Works for long overdue maintenance. During this time, he grew closer to Victor after the two shared stories about their home countries, and Luke began to learn Spanish. The two are now in a committed relationship and are very happy.

Luke still has a fear of being photographed, which is evident by the frozen expressions he pulls when he has to be in a photograph - rather like this one!

[amyfevernight]

time for a massive dump again wheee guess what this one was so big i have to split it into two posts.

Harold is a Kūko with the ability of being capable of increasing her power while in the sky.

Trevor is a recently dead hone onna with the ability of being capable of seeing red strings of fate.

Arry and Bert are twin devils with the ability of being capable of travelling through mirrors. 

Sir Handel is a lesser devil with the ability of being capable of transforming into a falcon. Peter Sam is a succubus with the ability of being capable of refreshing exhausted spirits. Duke is an elder devil with the ability of being capable of sending people into eternal sleep. Bert (Small Railway) is a Hinnagami with the ability of being capable of fulfilling any request. Mike is a Gashadokuro with the ability of being capable of causing sudden poor health. Fergus Duncan is a spirit with the ability of being capable of manipulating fear.

[ryan1014n2]

Can you do a peter sam and sir Handel and duncan and rusty asleep?

These were some nice things to do :)

ft. Peter Sam waking Sir Handel up by whistling just to mess with him

[sodor-spirit]

*cough* Tiny reminder that Rusty inherited his shark teeth from Diesel 10 *cough*

((Duncan’s never going to live this down))

[greendreamer]

ღ,💘💛💙 with duncan and sir handel maybe?

ღ - Who is more likely to initiate hand-holding in public?

A big moment for either of them, but it definitely would be Duncan to do it first.

💘 - Who developed a crush on the other first?

Well, no one knows. After all, they are both; stubborn, bad-tempered men who will and have denied their own feels.

💛 - Who believes in soulmates?

Sir Handel, deep down he’s quite the hopeless romantic who believes a lot in stuff like soulmates and fate.

💙 - Who is more protective?

Duncan, always.

[princeluckybug13]

duncan/sir handel u already been knew >:3c

Duncan once got a bunch of roses for Sir Handel on their first 'official' date (after quite a few stay ins). He was really nervous, so when he saw Handel he panicked and threw the roses at Handel's face. It took a good 30 minutes for Handel to find Duncan, and the date was all but busted, but they shared a few extra kisses that night. ;)

[traintrainingmontage]

Te's Narrow-Gauge Ships in a Nutshell

Skarloey x Neil (Neilloey):

Starcrossed lovers who decided to call themselves married the night before one of them disappears during the war. Skarloey and Neil had always been close, ever since Skarloey had arrived on Sodor. When WWI broke out, the two decided to be married, with their loving crews tying ropes around their buffers in an approximation of handfasting as Robert Sam officiated their ceremony. They promised each other that they would live through the war, but even though they both did, once the war ended, Neil's whereabouts were unknown. Luckily for both of them, Neil had ended up in the back of an abandoned warehouse, and through a series of connections, is unearthed in the modern day. He's taken by the SR, restored, and finally, FINALLY, Skarloey has his other half back, the only engine other than Rheneas he can be vulnerable around, the one who grounds him when he gets bouncy, the one who feeds into all of his schemes and jokes. Neil is grounding; easy-going; calm, kind, and collected; and just what Skarloey needs when he doesn't need to FIX the problem--just vent about it. Skarloey, for his part, is sprightly, energetic, insightful, and clever, and Neil always appreciates the joy that Skarloey brings to each and every day. His laughter colors Neil's entire world, and being back together gives them both a sense of rightness that they were both deeply missing. Expanded Neilloey thoughts here!

Rheneas x Stepney (Rhenney):

Lovers who could never last. They met in the summer of 1962 when Stepney came to Sodor and Rheneas had gotten back from the works. Stepney had just been entered into preservation and was being paraded as a mascot; Rheneas had just returned to his railway after being overhauled. Both of them feel like fish out of water; for Rheneas, the last time the line was this nice was when it was new, almost 100 years ago, and he's never had permanent co-workers before. He's home, but... home is more crowded than he remembers. Stepney gets that; for Stepney, he's not used to being on such a short line. There's a sense of adjustment that they're both struggling to navigate, and with Stepney being on Sodor, the two of them finding another engine that they can deeply relate to in this way is incredibly meaningful. It's not hard to fall in love with the other, really; they mirror each other, a standard-gauge engine out of place among his fellows, a narrow-gauge engine feeling the same. The right place at the right time. But it could never last, could never be anything more than a sweet summer fling; Stepney can't stay, and Rheneas can't leave. But for that one sweet summer, they have found their other halves, and that summer will remain etched in their minds forever, captured only in the letters that their supportive drivers pen on their behalf. This is the relationship most likely to be queerplatonic versus romantic, but I do rather like the extra layer that the romance adds, particularly if Rheneas only realizes it's love while listening to his driver read Stepney's letters and hearing the adoration buried in between the lines.

Sir Handel x Peter Sam:

Wholesome lovers who are one specific flavor of the grumpy one loves the sunshine trope, but also have depth beyond that. These two are quite sweet together--even as they're teasing each other about their various upgrades, Sir Handel can also be vulnerable around Peter Sam and knows that he can trust him with his life. He can trust Peter Sam with his vulnerabilities and fears. If he's being serious, Peter Sam won't laugh or put him down. He'll just listen and support him. And for Peter Sam, he loves Sir Handel because despite Sir Handel's arrogance and ego getting in his way (even if it eases up later), Peter Sam can see the good in him. The pride that pushes him. The ability to admit and reflect on his mistakes. The willingness to learn from other engines, such as Skarloey. The desire to do well even when he claims he hates working (and frankly, I don't think he does; I do think that as the express engine of the Mid-Sodor, he's fearful of messing up at the beginning and lets his preconceptions about what he should be able to do override the reality of having to navigate a new railway, new coaches, and new coworkers, so because he doesn't want to fail, he claims he doesn't want to work). Peter Sam has seen him become a better engine over the course of their tenure at the Skarloey Railway, and he absolutely loves that about him.

Rusty x Duncan:

Another flavor of grumpy/sunshine, but different from Sir Handel and Peter Sam. Rusty is calm and kind and has a heart of gold, as well as a strong work ethic. Duncan, of course, is rude and brash and prickly. However, once Duncan overcomes his initial distrust of Rusty, I feel that they warm up to each other quite quickly. Rusty makes Duncan feel safe in a way that he's not quite used to, but can't get enough of. He's the odd one out on the Skarloey for multiple reasons, including his factory work and the fact that he's not from Sodor, but being around Rusty makes him think that such things don't really matter nearly as much as he'd thought. He can let his guard down around Rusty; with the little diesel, he can rest. As for Rusty, I think Duncan is their closest friend in a lot of ways. Skarloey and Rheneas have been running the railway by themselves for so long, and are mentor figures to all the younger engines on the railway (including these two). Sir Handel and Peter Sam knew each other long before coming to the SR. Thus, Rusty and Duncan are the two "new engines" on the block, and this brings them closer together. Rusty also loves how fiercely Duncan both loves and lives his life, and while he can certainly be grumpy, Rusty is the only one privileged enough to see his softer side.

Duke x Stanley (Smudger in the TVS):

Another doomed love, with the potential of a redemption arc. I have often imagined that Stanley's attitude toward carelessness and spills concealed worries of inadequacy, but the Mid-Sodor management decided to give a rather draconian punishment for his actions, and he ended up abandoned in a flooded mine. Stanley was remorseful after he lost his wheels and was turned into a pumping engine, and if able to be rescued, I can imagine him trying to repair his relationship with Duke, especially if Duke was initially against him for his apparent carelessness. However, after seeing the Mid-Sodor's punishment for him and seeing how his defiant personality softened into something more genuine and remorseful, Duke decided to try getting along with Stanley and would ask to be parked near the shed so that Stanley would be less alone. After a few years of late-night talks, they became incredibly close, with Duke appreciating Stanley as an equal rather than him being another granchuff like Sir Handel and Peter Sam. It was only after Stanley was put in the mine that Duke realized the extent of his feelings for the other engine, but by then, it was far too late. It was only thanks to fate's meddling that the two were reunited in the 1970s, with Stanley barely able to believe that Duke remembered him, much less petitioned the management of the SR to rescue him. Duke's granchuffs, of course, know full well how much of a stubborn bulldog Duke can be when it comes to not letting go of his loved ones, so really, this is par for the course. But either way, Stanley is mistrustful of the SR and everyone on it at first, butting heads with some of the more fiery personalities, but once it becomes clear that the SR really is as much of a found family as they seem, he finds himself being dragged along by their pace until he feels right at home. What Duke loves about Stanley is that he brings out Duke's less elegant side. With Stanley, he can laugh loudly and let loose in a way that he's not comfortable doing in front of most others. He takes great pride in his knowledge of etiquette and elegance, to the point that it can be hard to bond with others when they want to be more casual, but with Stanley, it feels easy. He's seen the real Stanley, beneath all the bluster, and finds that this is an engine that he can truly be comfortable around. For Stanley, Duke is his confidante, his closest friend, the one who always cared about him even when he was at his worst. He didn't see Stanley's punishment and think that he deserved it; he saw Stanley's punishment and was compassionate instead.

[defencebeetle]

So, a while ago I ran across a fan made movie poster for a "The Adventure Begins" style TTTE special based on the Narrow Gauge engines.

And then, yesterday, my brain randomly decided to summon it back into remembrance and refuse to put it down till I wrote up a concept for how this could work.

Warning, it's long.

(and not well written, I might come back to fix it later)

Concept:

A "The Adventure Begins" style TTTE special centering on the Narrow Gauge engines, particularly Sir Handel and Peter Sam. The movie will use the "Duke the Lost Engine" as bookends for the film, while filling in the middle section with various Railway Series (and 2 famous/infamous TTTE original) stories.

The way I've written this out, it can be viewed as a sort of coming-of-age film for Stuart and Falcon.

Characters:

Stuart/Peter Sam

Falcon/Sir Handel

Duke

Skarloey

Rheneas

Duncan

Rusty

Thin Controller/Mr. Percival

Duke of Sodor

Cameos:

Nancy

Stanley/Smudger

Ms. Jenny

_____________________

Prologue:

Brief introduction as Stuart and Falcon learn they have been bought by the MSR.

Act I:

Introduction of Peter Sam and Sir Handel to Skarloey and Rheneas.

Sir Handel begins his bastardization arc, actively shaping himself into what he fancies is a combination of Skarloey and Gordon, but really only taking on their worst traits. Meanwhile, Peter Sam is just plain busy, while occasionally getting into minor scrapes.

Possible stories here:

Sir Handel

Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady

Trucks!

Special Funnel

Old Faithful

Act II:

(Imply the passage of time)

The SKR is doing better and with all its engines back is looking forward to considerable expansion. They plan to open more branches to their tourism lines. These plans are put on hold however, when nearby mines (once part of the MSR) are found to still be quite rich in [mineral].

Duncan and Rusty are brought on (Duncan for extra roadwork, Rusty for rail restoration and maintenance).

Restoration of the mines begins. An interplay of "Rusty and the Boulder" and "Duncan gets Spooked" plays out.

Rusty is worried about safety in some of the mining areas (he knows what he's talking about, he's done similar work before).

A soft re-opening of the mines is set as a celebration for when the Duke of Sodor will visit in [X] months.

Peter Sam and Sir Handel are delighted to be back to part of the MSR (I assume they never visited this part of the line, they didn't run this far out, and the mines were closed several years before the MSR as a whole).

Some incidents happen, Duncan showboats. Peter Sam and Sir Handel decide to pay him out.

They get a ghost story off Skarloey (it doesn't have to be the exact same one as in "Duncan gets Spooked", but if it can fit all the better), modify it as if they knew the engine and it happened on the MSR.

They play the prank on Duncan, while he's at the mine alone, he swears other stuff happens (bolder face scare, falling rocks, cracking ground) that simultaneously acts as set dressing and foreshadowing.

The prank plays out as usual.

Construction continues, the Duke's arrival draws near.

The boulder incident occurs, shutting down the mine project.

Sir Handel has a character moment and is one of the engines to buoy up Mr. Percival in the aftermath, suggesting that they go back to building the loop line. All the engines gather together, and are determined to make the most of the situation.

ACT III:

What they have salvaged from the mines helps balance out some debts. Other assets from the project are ripped back to use on the completion of the tourism line.

Everyone pitches in. (Everyone pitches into big project trope/mandate fulfilled).

They run a few promotional trains and then have the celebration with the Duke opening the line. Everyone's happy. Everyone should be happy, but Peter Sam is not. Being back on a part of the MSR, failing to restore it, and thinking about loss has brought back his worries for Duke.

Peter Sam makes the awkward interruption of the speech, asking if he's the real Duke and why he hasn't asked about his engine. The Duke is obviously confused.

Queue the Bittersweet Act 4.

ACT IV:

The movie takes a sad turn. Eventually, rail enthusiasts, including the clergyman band together and launch the expedition to find Duke.

In the RWS, the Arlesdale Railway is used to get back to the old MSR. In the version, I propose that Peter Sam and Sir Handel get to take the expedition back through the mine pathway and further into the hills.

Queue an expedition montage. Sir Handel and Peter Sam get back to the old line, cutting to some flashbacks of back when they ran on the rails and the rails were new.

Bonus: if we can slip the Bulldog story (even a reference) into the story before, have a flashback of the incident--just for a second--as Sir Handel goes through the same tunnel.

I originally didn't want any diegetic musical numbers in this. But as I though of this scene, I thought of a little ditty for them to sing during the travel montage, hitting the final note as they pulled into the main yard where the sheds used to be.

They make it back to the yard, and can't seem to locate the shed (everything is overgrown after all). The search party splits up and begins searching.

This scene has similar feeling to those sad fake-out deaths shoehorned into the end of all sorts of movies (which I am sick and tired of but I think those emotions work here).

Triumph over bad guy = Pulling into the old MSR yard.

Oh no, main character has passed out, I think they're dead, moment of silence. = Realizing that the shed is nowhere to be seen.

Eyes crack open. Main Character lets out a wheezy "...farfanaludingus...?" Everyone celebrates the miraculous recovery. = The Fat Clergyman falls into the shed and we hear Duke's voice. "Excuse me... Are you a vandal?".

They bring Duke back to the SKR.

The movie cuts out as they pull back to the return journey.

Maybe some mid or post-credit sequences of Dukes repairs and such, or interactions with the SKR fleet.

[randomplaces-stuff]

another au lol

wick x ttte

then I will show the design of the others (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

rolls

rusty → sam

skarloey → tom

rheneas → tim

duncan → lilian

peter sam → benny

sir handel → caleb

I will also show parts of the game with them in small comics ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

[princeluckybug13]

For curiosity,what are your favorite ships of ttte?

In no particular order:

Stephen x Glynn (except this one this is #1)

Sir Handel x Skarloey x Millie

Rusty x Duncan

Freddie x Bertram

Victor x Peter Sam

Duncan x Madge

Sir Handel x Skarloey

Millie x Skarloey

Duncan x Madge x Sir Handel

Frank x Jock

Mike x Rex

These are ones I can think of at the moment, but I'll ship just about anything (barring obvious things).

Hope that answers your question! :)