#ttte oliver cromwell

[tornadoyoungiron]

TRAINTOBER | Day 28 - Which Way Now?

Thomas gets lost on the mainland and meets Oliver Cromwell who points him the right way.

~~~

“Why does this always happen to me!?” Thomas lamented as he stared at the small quaint Station with a large frown on his face. It was no secret that Thomas’ sense of direction was extremely lacking. Which for an engine, was rather concerning all things considered. 

The little station meant that they sure weren’t on the mainline and therefore not heading towards London for Gordon’s 100th Birthday celebration at King’s Cross. Sir Topham Hatt looked just as befuddled as his favourite engine. 

“I am sure that this was the way Olivia said,” the man muttered looking to Thomas’s crew. Both men just stared at him blankly. 

“We’re going to be late!” Thomas huffed, irritated. “Gordon’s never going to let me live it down! Henry and James made a bet that I would get lost.”

“Well, if we get there on time then no one will know,” his driver suggested but the fireman just gave a snort of mirth at that.

“I shall go and asked the station master for directions,” Thomas’s controller reluctantly lamented. 

The man had hoped that he wouldn’t have had to resort to that, knowing that Thomas getting lost was a recurring joke in the books and show. He would rather not perpetuate that certain idea any further than it had to be.

Thomas sighed and looked down at the tracks as a few railway workers nearby began to gawk and take pictures of him with their phones. 

Well, at least he’d make a few people happy, he thought to himself quietly. That was a positive. Yet, his worry about missing Gordon’s 100th birthday celebration hung over his mind like a cloud of miasma.

“Are you Thomas THE Tank Engine?” A voice excitedly asked and Thomas looked up at the track next to him. 

A large Steam Engine was pulling in to the platform on the other side, no sign of coaches. Thomas was surprised. He hadn’t seen another steam engine on the mainland since leaving Sodor. He welcomed it though.

“I am!” Thomas smiled at the large engine. “Thomas the really useful engine at your service, er-”

“Oliver Cromwell,” the engine introduced himself. “A pleasure to meet such a famous engine in my humble abode.”

Thomas laughed heartily in response.

“So, what brings you to this neck of the woods Thomas? I’m not aware of any Galas or heritage train runs going on,” Cromwell asked and Thomas’ cheeks turned slightly red in embarrassment.

“Ah well, see I’m supposed to be heading to King’s Cross,” Thomas admitted and the other engine’s face creased into a frown.

“King’s Cross? This is by no means the way to King’s Cross, Thomas,” Cromwell pointed out. “This line heads to Scotland, not to London.”

“I took a wrong point,” Thomas confessed, incredibly embarrassed. “Silly, silly me!”

“It happens to the best of us Thomas, no need to fret,” Cromwell assured him. 

“It does, but it keeps happening to me!” Thomas continued to fret despite Standard 7’s words. “I’m quite hopeless when it comes to directions.”

“I see,” Cromwell smiled. “Well, I have finished my runs for the day, I can take you as far as Stevenage. From there I’m sure one of the new engines could point you in the right direction!”

“Oh, would you be able to do that? That would just be fantastic!” Thomas enthused and Cromwell gave a low chuckle. 

“It’s no problem, we engines must help each other out after all!” Cromwell exclaimed and a wide grin appeared over Thomas’ face. 

“I couldn’t have said it better myself!” Thomas beamed.

~~~

Standard Class 7, Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell ‘racing’ LMS Black 5, Eric Treacy, 44932. That Black 5 engineer ain’t having none of Cromwell’s ‘overtaking’ shenanigans. 

[meanscarletdeceiver]

Of all the Standard steam engines we never get to see Sodor engage with, I vote the Britannias are the ones they don't engage with the most!

In the '60s, Eastern region famously chose to retain their Britannias on the East Coast Main Line after some trials with the new Class 40 diesels. Huge W for the Britannias. I feel like the N.W.R., after its long and storied history of loathing every Class 40 inflicted on them, would have no choice but to stan if Britannia or Oliver Cromwell (or some secret third option) came to visit.

But is the enemy of my enemy always my friend? Or maybe their much-lionized Britannia visitor would also turn out to be a bellend, haha.