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steam-beasts · 4 months

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The Little Steam tram and Brakevan that Could

It was a stormy winter's night at Arlesburgh West. In the diesel sheds, Toby and Henrietta's pups; Bruno and Tabitha were staying the night with DJ to keep him company. To pass the time, DJ was telling the two about his journey for the ballast truck a couple weeks ago.

"And so, I brought the ballast truck back! The end!" DJ said happily. His little audience of two just sat there quietly, it was hard to tell if either were looking at him with their still unopen eyes. Nevertheless, he knew the two were listening, especially Bruno.

Speaking of Bruno, the little orange brakevan replied with a squeak and a little wiggle. DJ giggled and smiled "Glad you liked it, Bruno"

"Gaahhh...pbbbffhh!!!" Tabitha babbled, DJ rolled his eyes "I didn't mean to wake Rex up, Tabitha"

The steam tram pup blepped her tongue out and yawned. DJ raised an eyebrow and looked up at the clock "Oh, I guess it's bedtime, huh?" He remarked to Bruno, who was also yawning. He couldn't help but let out a yawn himself.

As if right on cue, a guardsman wearing a thick coat cracked open the shed door with a lantern and walked inside. Strangely, he had a pair of fluffy blankets and baby bottles full of milk.

He tipped his hat to DJ "Hullo', DJ"

"Hi, Mr guardsman. Why do you have those?"

The guardsman gently shook one of the baby bottles "These are for these two little boxes here" He said, gesturing to the two pups on either side of him. Tabitha looked up at the guardsman despite her very blurry vision and perked up excitedly once she smelt the warm milk. Bruno stirred in his sleep, but was stopped from crying as the familiar smell of his mother filled the air, hitting his nose.

The man chuckled "Alrighty, you two. One at a time" and so the tiny diesel watched as the guardsman sat down and set Bruno in his lap first.

After the first bottle was emptied, the brakevan was set back on to the miniature guage rails, where one of the cozy blankets was set on top of him. The same pattern happened with Tabitha and soon enough, both of DJ's friends were wrapped in blankets.

"What's with the blankets?" He asked curiously.

"Bruno and Tabitha normally sleep beneath their father or mother for warmth during the nights. But since those two can't do it this particular season, we've had to improvise and give them blankets" the man explained. The wind outside howled loudly and deeply, sending shivers through the mini diesel's frame. The guardsman patted the young engines roof.

"Settle down, little one. The storm will only be here until tomorrow night" He assured him. DJ gave him a small smile and closed his eyes with a sigh as the man left.

____________________________________________

Bruno's eyes fluttered open with a yawn, the bright daylight shining into his eyes. He looked around groggily at his surroundings and squinted at the sunlight shining on his face.

Ignoring the light the best he could, Bruno took a better look around and... was it just him, or did everything shrink? Or maybe he grew? It certainly seemed that he grew overnight, because the brakevan saw who he was pretty certain was DJ and his big sister Tabitha out of the corner of his eye. Tabitha warmly smiled at him as she rolled out of the shed "Morning, Bruno" she greeted kindly. Bruno gasped – when did his sister learn how to talk like their parents?! The brakevan watched, slightly dumbfounded as Tabitha rolled away into the distance. Was she leaving without him? Also, were they grown-ups?

Hesitantly, unsure of what would come out, he called out "W-Wait, where are you going?" To his surprise, he could also talk!

"Don't worry! I'm coming back, Bruno. Like always, don't get your axles in a twist! I'm just gonna to switch to your track" she called back.

"What's the matter, Bruno?" He heard DJ ask. He looked over to the diesel, who looked back, waiting for an answer. Bruno averted his gaze "Uhhh..." He tried to think of a good answer, something that he would hear his mother or father, or even the workers would say. So awkward...

"I'm... fine, DJ. W-What, um... makes you say that?" He replied, simply reciting words he'd heard before "Eh, just curious. You looked like you saw a ghost for a second, heh heh!"

"Oh, ok..." he mumbled, taking his time to get a good look at his friend and playmate. As a pup, the little brakevan would typically be able to make out a blurry box shape in his dark and blobby vision, but this time, DJ looked a lot more detailed. He had a pointy nose, lots of weird little boxes along his sides, lumps and bumps here and there...the red rectangle below his face even looked more clear! Bruno then yelped as he felt a bump on his front, the bump turned out to be Tabitha backing up into him. Out of thin air, a man dressed in a blue uniform appeared with a big stick with a hook in his hand. He began poking at his sister's rear buffers and hooked on to the small chain thingy. Next thing he knew, the man hooked the chain thingy on to the hook thing on his buffers and shouted something to Tabitha.

Everything that happened next was a blur, and Bruno found himself being hauled along the track by Tabitha. All around them were infinite amounts of grassy green fields filled with sheep and cows, along with plenty of mountains. He had no clue what Sodor actually looked like in detail, but he supposed it was something like it. It was all bright and sunny, a complete opposite to all the weirdly cold white fluffy stuff that had been everywhere.

He and Tabitha then found themselves going up a big hill...a very big hill. Tabitha went slower and slower as they went up, strangely not talking to him. Well, to be honest...he was kinda glad she wasn't saying anything, they're both supposed to be little pups and talking felt too abnormal. As they rolled further up the slope, the gentle breeze began to get colder, and significantly stronger. Dark clouds began crowding in the sky, the sky's natural blue colour slowly transitioning into a dark purplish hue

The brakevan looked around anxiously, taking notice of the rabid change of weather "It's dark..." He gulped in a quiet and nervous tone. Tabitha didn't say anything, remaining deathly silent. Only the sounds of her chuffing and the rumble of their wheels against the ground was heard. He may not favour how they were now capable of talking, but he didn't like how silent it was besides the howling wind. It was scary.

Eventually, they finally reached the top of the hill. Rain drops had begun falling from the sky as soon as the sun's light was completely snuffed out by the clouds. The cold rain sent unpleasant shivers through Bruno's frame, making him shudder "T-T-Tabitha, can't you go at least a bit faster...? The rain is c-cold"

Tabitha still remained completely mute. Bruno really hated this now, the silence was creepy and he wanted to hear something or someone speak. They were going really slow now, they weren't even going down the hill yet. Mountains and forests could be viewed as far as the eye could see.

Just then, Bruno's attention was dragged over to something in the corner of his eye – a man. Not just any man, a conductor. Bruno didn't know what a conductor even was, so he had no idea what he was looking at.

The two siblings were slowly approaching the man, wheel turn by wheel turn, they got closer within each agonising minute.

(A/N; Lengthy character description coming up! Be prepared, and warned)

The conductor had a tall and slenderish build, his uniform was a maroon pink colour...or was it maroon ruby? Nevertheless, his uniform looked quite fancy, and was accented with golden trimmings that absolutely popped out of the jacket, almost as if they were glowing. His conductor's hat was the same.

Admittedly, there were a couple coal stains here and there, but it was overall stylish. His trousers were black and he wore a pair of sleek black shoes. Something creepy about the conductor though was his strange looking mask which prevented his face from being seen.

The mask looked identical to that of a steam engine's face, except cartoony. The mask held an eerily cheery grin with rosy pink cheeks and eyes that bulged out slightly. The eyes themselves were an amber yellow colour, both glowing like an engine's lamplight in the darkness.

He held an umbrella above his head, a sensible thing to do in this type of weather. Bruno didn't like him already, his face was creepy and he just stood there. Not to mention that a weird droning sound filled the air as he came closer.

Soon enough, they were now coming up beside him, and the conductor was staring right at him. Bruno stared back down at him intensely. The conductor slowly pulled his hand up to his mask's mouth and made a shushing sound, as if to keep him quiet. Then in the blink of an eye, he disappeared immediately, no quieting footsteps, nothing. The conductor was gone...

Bruno then felt a sudden tug on his buffers and noticed Tabitha moving much faster...and faster...and faster. Too fast! They had already began going down the hill when he began frantically putting on his brakes, but they were failing.

"A-AAH!! S-STOP, PLEASE STOP!! AHHHH!!!" He screamed and begged to his sister, tears leaking out of his eyes. They were going to crash!

A scorching pain erupted from his wheels as they barreled down the oh so huge hill. As they were about to hit the bottom, poor little Bruno woke up...

____________________________________________

High pitched wailing could be heard from the diesel sheds at around 4am at night, the storm hadn't stopped, but that didn't stop the guardsman from going inside and checking. Once he found that it was Bruno behind the sobbing, he quickly managed to console him and put him back to sleep. Tabitha cuddled up to him for the rest of the night to make sure no scary monsters entered his dreams. Poor Bruno was a weeping, sniffling mess for the rest of the night.

_________________________________________________________

The next week rolled around fast, Christmas Eve was two days away. Over at Knapford station, decorations such as bunting and fairy lights were being hung around the station. Sir Topham Hatt was out on the platform, finishing off on telling a couple of workers where to put the wreaths.

"Hmm, right a bit... no, left a bit...ah, yes! Thank you very much, lads. That'll do!" He smiled gratefully. The two workmen nodded and retreated with their step ladders and boxes. Until they were out of sight, the stout man's face fell a little as he took out his pocket watch and looked at the time with slight concern. He glanced around for any diesels that could've been pulling any particular goods train. None so far.

Sir Topham Hatt turned heel and went into his office, sighing and shaking his head as he sat down at his desk "Dear, oh dear...it was supposed to be here last week" he muttered under his breath. He was about to drink some of his tea when he heard his phone ring.

"Oh, bother that telephone..." he groaned before picking it up "Hello?"

"Good morning, Sir. Apologies if I bothered you, but Theodore and Charles have arrived at Platform 5" the stationmaster informed.

"Oh, right. Tell them that I'll be over in a few minutes" Sir Topham Hatt replied before setting the phone down.

Roughly 15 minutes later, Sir Topham Hatt made it to Platform 5, where on the benches sat Theodore and Charles, Toby's driver and fireman. Beside them was a rather big stroller with two babies that the controller recognised well.

"Hello, you two. Sorry about the wait, I was at Platform 1 helping some men with the decorations" He apologized. Theodore waved dismissively "Oh its alright, Sir. No rush"

"We're not in a hurry" Charles added.

"Very well, then. So, what brings you two here with these little bundles of joy?" He asked, squatting down a little to see Bruno and Tabitha who were hiding under the blankets. Charles beamed at the question "Oh! That's actually the reason..." he said as he pulled the stroller closer "...you see, these two little flower petals have a little surprise for you"

Inside the stroller, the two pups were squirming around in blankets. Theodore pushed down the roof more and gave the blanket lumps a little poke as Sir Topham Hatt moved closer to see.

Tabitha and Bruno finally shook the blankets off themselves and looked up at Topham, who gasped – the two pups had finally opened their eyes!

The two little babies babbled and giggled as they looked up at the controller and their surroundings, leaving the stout man dumbfounded.

"W-Wow...oh goodness me, their eyes are open!" He stuttered, still bewildered at the sight. Toby's crew chuckled at his reaction, because it was the same as theirs.

---------

Theodore and Charles, a pair of divorced old men who shared a house and drove an elderly steam tram. Their kids often came around every couple weeks or so, so they weren't depressed or lonely. They both had each other as well, so it wasn't entirely sad. They also had Bruno and Tabitha to look after while their parents were sleeping.

Theodore had just woken up when he went over to the playpen with his mug of coffee.

"Good morning, lil' ones..." he cooed, sticking his hand down to tap the blankets. To his surprise, Tabitha shot right out of the little makeshift pillow den she and her brother somehow made. She pinned his hand down with her wheels and nibbled at Theodore's wrist, which didn't really hurt as her teeth still haven't came through.

The old train driver chuckled "Good morning, Tabby-catty, still attempting to fight my hand, eh?" He then gently pulled his hand away, much to the steam tram's disappointment. She looked up at Theodore and whined for attention, ringing her bell and making little wheeshing noises. The moment he got a good look of her face, Theodore nearly spat out his coffee – Tabitha's eyes had opened at last. She was now staring at him with those little dough eyes.

"Oh my..." he gasped, hands trembling as he set down his mug. Bruno came rolling out of the den, and sure enough, his eyes had fully opened as well, though they were more half-lidded that his sister's. Theodore stood there in amazement, taking in what he saw. The pups looked up at him blankly, making little chirping noises. Another pair of footsteps were then heard behind the old man, accompanied by a yawn and the creak of the door. It was Charles "Morning, Theo... heard you gasping and –"

"Call Sir Topham Hatt"

"Huh? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Theodore then snatched his shirt and pulled Charles over to the playpen, at first Charles complained, but once he saw what Theodore talking about, his mouth was shut tight. He looked down at Bruno and Tabitha, then back at his co-worker in stunned silence.

"I'll call him..." he said in a quiet whisper.

--------

"Ah, so this was why Charles sounded so hyper on the phone" Sir Topham Hatt commented, petting Bruno's roof, making the latter blush with embarrassment. He then paused momentarily, remembering Toby and Henrietta and sighed "It's quite a shame their parents aren't here to see this wonderful change"

Theodore and Charles both frowned and exchanged deflated looks as Sir Topham Hatt took a step back from the stroller, adjiusting his hat "Now, gentlemen, I must get back to my office, you never know when that telephone will go off"

"Of course, Sir. We'll see you at Christmas Eve then?"

"Certainly! Oh, and one more thing?"

Theodore raised an eyebrow "Yes, Sir?"

"Could you maybe collect the star for the Christmas treeat Brendam Docks? It will be arriving on Christmas Eve afternoon, i...erm...couldn't get an earlier date" He said. The driver and firemen exchanged looks shrugged "Sure?"

Suddenly, the loud honk of a horn filled the station, accompanied with Diesel oiling in at Platform 1 with a big rectangular crate on a flatbed "Oh Sir! I've got a special gift for yooou~!" He called out in a sing-song tone. The Fat Controller perked up "Ah, finally! The Christmas tree is here. Got to go, lads! I'll be sure to see you at the party" He said, bidding farewell as he walked off the platform. Indeed, on Christmas Eve, there was to be a big party in Knapford. Tabitha and Bruno both babbled and cooed as they watched the man with the top hat get smaller and smaller until he disappeared. Then the stroller began to slowly move, letting them see the rest of the station.

Bruno was too busy giggling and looking around to notice the same man from his dream at the platform opposite from them.

_________________________________________

It was an early Christmas Eve morning, the whole station was getting prepared for the big party, and all the workers were invited. All the decorations had been set up and the tree was standing right in the middle of the station. The tree stood tall and was already being decorated by the many workmen and stationmaster. Sir Robert Norramby was even there, insisting that he wanted add some extra "razzle dazzle" to the place. By "razzle dazzle", he meant littering the station with fake elves and reindeer, along with a few mini christmas trees. He even added a fake Santa Claus with his sleigh and reindeer on the roof (which Sir Topham Hatt thought was quite unnecessary).

"So, what do you say, Bertram? Does the station have the razzle dazzle that you needed?" The older man asked, hand falling on the stout man's shoulder. Topham jolted a little from surprise and smiled with a little strain "W-Well, it certainly looks festive"

"Indeed, all that's needed now is the star! In fact, I believe it should be at Brendam as we speak. Are any of your engines free to go and collect it" The Earl chirped cheerfully. Sir Topham Hatt sighed "Afraid not, the rails on the mainline are severely icy, and there's been a shortage of sand recently, so I've sent Toby's crew to collect it. In fact, I'd say they should be coming from Brendam Docks as we speak!"

—-------

And so they were.

Theodore drove along the frosty road of Suddery, Charles sat beside him with the star in his hands, humming a merry Christmas song. The darkening sky was a beautiful orange, but the road ahead was dark, so they had their headlights on.

"Well, to Knapford station we go then, aye?" Theodore piped up, glancing at his co-worker

"Yeah..." Charles replied quietly. An awkward silence filled the car, neither had much to say. The only noise was the ringing of a bell.

Theodore broke the silence "Charles, check on the little puppers" Theodore told him. Charles huffed and set aside the star before looking at the back passenger seats. Playing on a nest of heated blankets were Tabitha and Bruno. Bruno was currently nudging at his sister's bell.

Charles looked back at Theodore "Yeah, they're alright" he murmered. All was silent on the drive, until Charles spotted two little pin prick eyes up ahead, they were very small but still noticeable.

"Hey, there's eyes on the road"

"No there's not. I don't see any" Theodore replied.

"Uh, yeah. There are, just look!" Charles argued. Theodore glanced at him "No, there's not –"

Just then, Bruno began jumping up and down, making little barking noises. Tabitha just giggled and babbled, as if she were encouraging him. Theodore sighed annoyingly and looked over at Bruno "Bruno, settle down —"

"COW!!"

Theodore yelped and looked back at the road to see a escaped cow on the road. The car slid and slipped on the road and careened down the slope towards a stretch of tracks. Everyone screamed and the pups squealed as the car hit the rails and went over them. Finally, the car came to stop as it hit a muddy ditch.

The two old men stared at nothing for a dead minute, their eyes blown wide, their hands trembling, Tabitha and Bruno were whimpering, and everyone was catching their breath.

Slowly, Charles dragged a glare towards Theodore "...I told you there were eyes on the road" He hissed.

"Oh, shut up..." The driver spat back, narrowing his eyes. Their attention was quickly drawn to the pups behind them, who were crying and whimpering. Theodore's gaze snapped to them, and his frustrated look softened into a more sympathetic one.

He let go of the wheel and opened the door "C'mon, Charles. We gotta get outta here" Charles shoved his angry mood and followed suit , taking the star with him.

Bruno and Tabitha watched tearfully as the men left the car. They wanted their parents, they were so scared.

Soon enough, the men came back like they hoped and lifted them out of the car.

Theodore and Charles grunted as they scrambled up the slope and past the splintered and broken fence with the pups (and star) in hand.

Theodore panted as he set Bruno on the wide track, Charles doing the same.

"Oh man..." The fireman panted, hands on his knees. They took a moment to gather their breath before setting their focus on the situation;

"Alright...wheeeere did we crash?" Theodore drawled, looking around. Charles hummed, taking in the sight around them "I think...this is where Edward broke down during that passenger run"

"What do you mean?"

"Edward's driver told me a story he heard from Edward; Edward's crank-pins broke somewhere in this area. He had his siderods taken off and still had to pull the train home, but he pushed through the struggles and got back safely...I think he got an overhaul after that or something" he told him in a rather ominous tone, which was a little opposite to the story's actual tone.

Theodore raised his eyebrows with intrigue "Huh, never knew that" He muttered. He then glanced back at the car "How're we gonna get to Knapford now? Car's a wreck and we need to get that star there before 6pm" He said, pointing to the decoration.

Charles shrugged "I suppose we have no choice but to continue on foot"

"In this weather and time?" Theodore exclaimed "It'll be two to three bloody hours or so until we reach Knapford!"

"We might as well try. Here, hold this" Charles replied, handing him the star "I'll be right back" and then he went back down the hill to where their car crashed.

After a few minutes, he came back carrying a small green wagon "This will do" He grinned.

His co-worker frowned "How's that old thing gonna help? It's as old as you!"

Charles rolled his eyes "Very funny. I got it when I was 5! Quit your whining!" He shot back as he set it on the track in front of Bruno. He then went back and grabbed the star from Theodore's hands. He placed the star gently in the wagon and beckoned Tabitha and Bruno to come closer. The pups rolled up to him with curious little chirps and squeaked as he lifted both of then into the wagon.

"Tada! It's like a baby-sized flatbed. We'll just pull this to Knapford and–"

Theodore cut him off "Woah woah woah...what do you mean by we?" He asked. Charles picked up the handle and started pulling "We'll take turns!"

Theodore just watched as Charles walked to Suddery with the star and pups in tow. Tabitha and Bruno babbled and gurgled as they were taken along the track. Reluctantly, Theodore groaned and followed behind. This was gonna be a long trip...

They travelled...

...and travelled.

...and traveled. It was until they reached the Wellsworth bridge that something happened.

"Ah shit!" Charles cursed, picking up the handle which had snapped and came off. They in the very middle of the mainline, and things were a little tense but all the more cold. It was now 5:00pm, the two were miraculously fast walkers, so at least it didn't take several more hours.

"Oh that's just great!" Theodore growled, smacking his face. Bruno sniffed at where the handle used to be and sneezed.

"We should just wait for an engine to come by" Theodore told Charles "Maybe if we shout, they'll hear us. They have ears like a rabbit!"

"There are no engines here or nearby! The mainline is closed for maintenance and gritting you stupid plonker!!"

While the two were arguing, both Tabitha and Bruno had climbed out of the wagon. Bruno was at the back and Tabitha at the front. They felt agitated and nervous from all the frustrated noises the two men were making, and it was almost night time.

"Tablpfffffffh! Ba...!" Bruno chattered, using his pilot wheels to pull himself up to see his sister.

"Braappffh! Gabah...bah!" She blabbered back. Just then, the two heard the sound of footsteps crunching against the ground. A fire-yellow colour drenched the snow in its hue, and a funny sense of calmness overcame both babies.

They looked up, and Bruno squeaked as looking back down on them was the man from his bad dream a few nights ago. He loomed over them, and Toby's crew didn't even acknowledge his existence, it was almost as if they couldn't see him.

He stared down at them, even with that creepy mask, it still felt like he was boring his eyes into their souls. Behind him, there was something big coming closer, it was gold and slightly sparkly; it was a golden cloud of mist. As it came closer, outlines appeared, along with two angelic eyes.

The outline soon took the shape of a ghostly engine, a steam engine, coming up behind the conductor. The ghost soon came to a stop directly behind him, both stared down at the two with golden eyes.

Theodore and Charles seemed to have faded out of existence, now only the siblings, the engine and the conductor remained. The conductor turned to face the engine behind him, the engine's mouth moved like she was talking to him, and he nodded. He turned back to them and stepped forward.

He gazed and crouched down to them, holding some sort of sparkly golden powder. Gently and slowly, he sprinkled some into Tabitha's funnel. Next, he sprinkled some gold powder into Bruno's funnel (tube? I know he's a brakevan but I'll just call it a funnel–). Both ended up sneezing and coughing a bit.

The gold dust felt weird, but nice...it was like having some lovely warm soup enter your stomach.

Soon, a burst of adrenaline coursed through the pair! Their faces lighting up and their wheels itching to move! Without waiting for Theodore and Charles to stop arguing, Tabitha and Bruno rolled forward at an amazingly fast pace.

"Wait, wha..." The driver and fireman noticed the two leave, moving the wagon themselves along the track. In panic, they gave chase.

"Stop! No, stop!!" Charles yelled.

"Oh god, Toby's gonna KILL us if they get hurt!" Theodore fretted, following Charles.

The two little pups panted and hurried along the tracks, whizzing past the nearby Nunnery.

Even with the energy burst, both babies were getting tired. Tabitha sweated profusely, on the verge of crying from the ache, even Bruno was crying a little.

Eventually, the sped past Crock's Scrapyard, where the workers gasped and yelled. Then, they zoomed through the town of Crosby. Bear gasped as he watched the two whizz past, confused and startled.

A tunnel soon came along and consumed them. It was dark and scary for a moment, but the light came back, what a relief! Bruno cried from the funny burn under his wheels, but kept pushing from behind while Tabitha pulled. They had the feeling of doing something important; never ever EVER give up!

After what felt like an hour of irresistible energy bursts, the two pups soon came to a halt, and found themselves pushing the wagon off the rails and up on to the platform where Sir Topham Hatt and his wife stood along with Mr Percival, Mr Fergus Duncan and the Earl.

Tabitha weakly rang her bell and squeaked for their attention. The Earl was the first to notice, and as soon as he did, he came running over "Oh my goodness!" He exclaimed, stopping and scooping up the two babies "Oh you poor poor things! What were you doing pushing such a heavy decoration?!"

Sir Topham Hatt and the other controllers came over as well, baffled and dumbfounded as well at the sight.

"What is the meaning of this?! Where are Theodore and Charles??" Sir Topham Hatt said, looking around angrily, angry at the thought that his own employees may have forced the two babies to work their frames off. It wasn't right!

"Sir!" Came a new voice.

Following the voice, two cold and out of breath men came running on to the platform. But before they could say anything, Sir Topham Hatt cut them off.

"What were you two THINKING?!" He boomed, stepping forward "...making an engine and her brakevan, who are still INCREDIBLY young do your own work?! Why, I am BEYOND disgusted!"

"W-Wait, no, Sir! Please, let us explain!"

"Explain?! Explain why you—" just then, Lady Hatt interrupted him with a hand on his shoulder "Hold on, Bertram. Let them explain...we need the full story if we are to understand the situation" She said soothingly.

The Fat Controller glared at the driver and fireman before sighing "Alright then, you two...tell us what happened"

And so, the duo explained their actions. They explained how it all started with nearly hitting a cow on the road, crashing into a ditch. Then how they used a little old wagon to pull the star across a chunk of the railway, then entering a problem with the handle snapping off. Finally, they ended on how the two pups suddenly began speeding off with the wagon in tow.

The group stared at them with blown wide eyes. They were as silent as mice, not a peep. Finally, Mr Percival spoke up "Ehem! Well, considering how our engines became giant furry train monsters, that story doesn't seem our of the ordinary!" He chuckled. Everyone took a second to murmer their agreements and giggled themselves.

"Well then, now that we got our star...I believe the party should be going underway right about now?" Sir Topham Hatt asked. Now that was something everyone would settle with.

So, the star was taken to the new Christmas tree and placed on top where everyone would see! The light shows were spectacular, and the music was amazing. It was certainly the dawn of a happy new year!

Happy New Year!!

Credit songs (listen to if you want ^_^)

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tornadoyoungiron · 2 months

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youtube

The Rocket - Stephenson's Rocket Replica at Locomotion

Tom Scott also did a video on it explaining how it works and how it has no brakes.

Imagine Stephen just puffing around with no brakes and only a reverser to stop himself.

✨️Chaos✨️

He'd love it.

youtube

#stephensons rocket #on the rails #ttte stephen #ttte sir robert norramby #ttte glynn #Youtube

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sudriantraveler · 11 months

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The Ulfstead Trials

Hello everyone. I've got another story here. This time it's about the Ulfstead gang.

An old rival brings Stephen back to his days as a competitor at the Rainhill Trials. Shenanigans ensue!

The Ulfstead Trials

One day, Thomas was sent to Brendam Docks to collect a special for Ulfstead Castle. He was very excited. The Earl was always having new ideas and holding grand events up at the castle, and any special going there was always an exciting surprise.

As Thomas pulled into the docks, Salty was shunting some trucks nearby.

“Good morning Salty” said Thomas, “Do you know where my special is?”

“Ahoy there matey!” greeted Salty, “Cranky’s just unloading him now”.

Thomas was puzzled. “Him?”

At that moment, They heard a voice coming from inside the ship, and then Cranky lifted out a very old and very strange looking engine.

His tall funnel was back to front, and his pistons were pointed up into the air.

“Hey! Easy there Clumsy Hook!” the engine shouted, “I’m a historic machine you’re lifting, not some ordinary crates!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say old timer” groaned Cranky, “I’ve got more work to do besides unloading you. The least you can do is quit complaining”.

With the engine still grumbling, Cranky lowered him onto a flatbed.

“Ah, Finally! Us engines aren’t meant to hang in the air like that”.

Cranky wasn’t listening.

The old engine harrumphed, then looked to see Thomas and Salty staring at him.

“Ah good, some fellow engines at last” he said, “Well now, I suppose we should get introductions out of the way…”

There was an awkward pause before Salty spoke up.

“Er, well, I’m Salty”

“And I’m Thomas… And uh… you are?”

The engine stared at him with disbelief.

“Surely, you know who I am”.

“I’m afraid we don’t matey” said Salty.

“Wha… Do engines today know nothing of history?” the old engine spluttered. “Well, I suppose it has been a long time since I’ve been out of the museum”.

Alright then!” he continued, “Maybe you don’t recognize me, but surely my name will sound familiar. You can call me Hackworth, although perhaps I’m better known as Sans Pareil!”

He smiled grandly atop his flatbed, but Thomas and Salty just stared blankly at him.

Hackworth scowled.

“Oh come on, nothing, really? Sans Pareil?… French for Without Equal?… One of the top competitors at the Rainhill Trials?”

Thomas and Salty still said nothing.

“Hmph… Forget it” said Hackworth, trying to compose himself, “I suppose one of you is taking me to Ulfstead Castle?”

“Er, uh… y-yes, that would be me” stuttered Thomas, “uh, sorry”.

Soon, Thomas was coupled to the flatbed, and he steamed away out of the docks.

The journey to Ulfstead Castle was very awkward. Neither engine said a word for a long time.

Thomas broke the silence.

“Umm… Now that I think about it… You mentioned the Rainhill Trials. That does sound familiar. Can you tell me what they were?”

Hackworth smiled at that.

“Certainly” he said, “It was back when us steam engines were the latest thing. Brand new, and experimental technology we were. The Rainhill Trials were a competition to see which of us was the best, and I was one of the top contenders there!”

“Oh!” interrupted Thomas, “Now I remember where I heard of it. Stephen told me about the Rainhill Trials!”

“Stephen?” Asked Hackworth, surprised, “As in The Rocket?”

“Yes” replied Thomas, “He was at the Rainhill Trials too. I think he actually won them! He works for the Earl up at the castle now. Do you know him?”

Hackwork scowled.

“Unfortunately I do,” he muttered darkly.

“Huh?” Thomas was taken aback.

“I’ll say no more on the subject” continued Hackworth, “Except that there is a lot you do not know about history”.

Thomas wanted to ask more, but Hackworth’s glare made him decide it was probably best to keep quiet.

Hackworth’s mood did improve however, once they arrived at the Castle and he was unloaded from the flatbed.

He was soon in steam, and sizzling contentedly, when he was interrupted by another engines’ whistle, and a small blue narrow gauge engine drew up alongside.

“Hello” she whistled, “I’m Millie, and you must be Hackworth”.

“Indeed I am” replied Hackworth, “Pleasure to meet you. Finally someone on this island who knows my name”.

At that moment, a distinguished looking man stepped out from Millie’s cab.

“Well it certainly wouldn't be right to not know the name of an engine who I invited to visit”, said the man as he stepped forward.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Robert Norramby, Earl of Sodor”.

“Oh! Well it’s an honor to meet you, your grace” said Hackworth.

“The honor is all mine” said the Earl, “Welcome to Ulfstead Castle! We’re glad to have you here as our special guest for the summer”.

Hackworth beamed. He was, by now, feeling much better.

The Earl continued, “Yes indeed. You and Stephen will be a fine site running around the estate together”.

If the Earl saw Hackworth’s grimace, he didn’t say anything.

“I’m afraid I’ve got to go and make an important phone call” he continued, “But Millie here will be more than happy to show you around the estate herself”.

And with that, the Earl walked off.

“Come along then Hackworth!” called Mille, “Have you ever seen a dinosaur before”.

“A dinosaur?” asked Hackworth, “Well I may be old, but can’t say I’ve ever seen a dinosaur before”.

Millie just chuckled, as she led Hackworth towards the dino park.

It was evening by the time they finished touring the estate. As Millie led Hackworth into the main engine hall, they were met by Glynn the Coffee Pot Engine.

“Hello Mille” he whistled, “Oh, and you must be Hackworth. It’s nice to meet you”.

“Likewise” replied Hackworth. “This is a lovely estate”.

“I’m glad you like it” replied Glynn, “I hear you and Stephen will be working together showing visitors around throughout the summer”.

This time, no one missed Hackworth’s disgruntled frown.

“Alright” he sighed, “Everyone keeps mentioning Stephen. Where is he?”

“Right here!” came a voice.

Wheeshing grandly, Stephen rolled forward out from a cloud of steam, and smiled at the visitor.

Hackworth just grunted. “So… The so-called Rocket now fancies himself King of a castle too”.

“Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far” laughed Stephen, “But I suppose some might say I am the star attraction here”.

Millie and Glynn just rolled their eyes.

Hackworth grew even more stern.

“Typical” he huffed, “All that fame and attention going to your smokebox… And you didn’t earn any of it”.

Stephen frowned.

“Oh, are you still going on about that Hackworth?” He wheeshed, “Come on… We both know I won fair-and-square”.

“You most certainly did not!” replied Hackworth.

“Yes I did!” Shouted Stephen, “And anyways, that was years ago! Why won’t you just let it go already?”

“Why should I let go of you ruining my one big chance to prove myself?! Especially when I know you cheated!”

“I did not!”

“Did too!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Uhm, hold on” cut in Glynn, “But what are you both talking about?”

Hackworth grunted. “You didn’t tell them? Why am I not surprised?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” protested Stephen, “but I can see you’re going to do so anyway”.

“Right you are” began Hackworth.

“1829, The Rainhill Trials. Five of the finest engines in the world at the time, all gathered together in one place”.

“Well… Four engines, and a horse on a treadmill”.

“We were all there for one reason… A test of style, efficiency, speed and power”.

“And I was one of the best! Sans Pareil! Without Equal!”

“I wowed the judges and the audience, and I could have won it all”.

“But then… BANG!”

“My cylinder cracked, and despite being so close to winning… I was out”.

“The others all failed too, leaving The Rocket as the so-called Champion”.

“It was Sabotage! I know it!”

“My crew checked over everything before we began. There was nothing wrong!”

“You did something!” finished Hackworth, enraged.

“I did nothing!” protested Stephen, “What could I have done anyway?!”

“Why don’t you confess and then you can tell us yourself!”

“I have nothing to confess to! You broke down because of bad luck. That or you were just careless!”

“CARELESS?!” Bellowed Hackwork, “Why you… I was the best engine in the world! I’m anything but careless!”

“Yeah right!” Interrupted Stephen, “I beat you then, and I can still beat you today!”

A tense silence fell between the engines.

“Alright then…” smirked Hackworth, “A rematch then… And this time I’ll prove I’m the better engine”.

“You're on!” declared Stephen, “We can have our own Rainhill Trials, right here at the castle!”

“Did someone say Trials?!” Said a voice.

The engines all looked to see the Earl as he practically leapt out the door, and ran excitedly towards them.

“Am I correct in hearing that a challenge has been put forth?” he said.

“Yes indeed sir,” replied Hackworth, “A competition between me and Stephen. Two Rainhill veterans together for a rematch!”

“Uh, Sir…” interrupted Millie, “I don’t think this is such a-”

“Oh, how wonderful!”, declared the Earl.

“Excuse me,” said Glynn, “But, could I join in too?”

“Glynn!” wheeshed Millie.

“What? It sounds like it could be fun”.

“Of course you can join Glynn,” replied the Earl, “Oh, this is so exciting! I’ll go and make the arrangements!”

“Um, Sir… Sir!...” called Millie, “I really think you should reconsi-”

But the Earl had already gone back inside.

Word soon spread of the competition, and people from all over the island came to the castle to see it.

Thomas, Annie and Clarabel, were taking visitors to the castle.

“What on earth is the Earl doing now for so many people to be going to the castle?” asked Annie.

“I feel so full, I feel so full!” complained Clarabel.

“I don’t know what’s going on” said Thomas, “but I guess we’ll soon find out”.

They arrived at the castle to find Stephen, Hackworth and Glynn, all parading around the estate, with crowds of people cheering them on.

“Yes, your eyes do not deceive you!” called Hackworth, “Sans Pareil makes his triumphant return to the rails. Make way for the finest of early railway engineering!”

“Agreed” replied Stephen, “So why don’t you move aside Hackworth, and make way for The Rocket!”

“Oh, Hello everyone” chuckled Glynn, “Thank you all for visiting!”

Millie just sat in a siding out of the way, and groaned in frustration.

“What’s happening here?” asked Thomas.

“Hackworth and Stephen have re-started some silly old rivalry and have dragged the whole castle into it” replied Millie.

“Oh” said Thomas, “Well… at least it looks like everyone else is having fun”.

“Hah!” laughed Millie, “Just you wait. This is not going to end well”.

By now, the three old engines had all lined up. The Earl stepped forward.

“And now for the big event!” He called, “Stephen, Hackworth and Glynn, will all race around the estate! The first one back here is the winner!”

“On your mark!”

“Get set!”

“GO!”

And the three old engines set off as fast as they could…

… Which wasn’t very fast.

In any case, Stephen and Hackworth took the lead, leaving Glynn behind.

But when they reached a set of points, Stephen went one way… and Hackworth went another!

“Hey!” called Stephen, “Where are you going?!”

“Where are you going?” replied Hackworth, “I’m going to win!”

“Oh no you won’t!”

So when Stephen reached another set of points, he went a different way as well.

This continued for the rest of the race. When Stephen went one way, Hackworth went another…

…And when Hackworth took one line, Stephen wouldn’t follow.

They got so off course that by the time they both reached the finish line, Glynn was there too, and they all crossed the line at the same time.

“Yes! I WON!” called Hackworth.

“No, I won!” protested Stephen.

“Only because you took a shortcut!”

“I only did that because you took a shortcut!”

“Liar!”

“Cheat!”

“OH, MON DIEU!” cried Millie, “Are you two done yet?!”

“No!” insisted Hackworth, “Since we can’t decide who won the race, we need one more challenge to prove who’s the best”.

“I’m game,” said Stephen.

“Oh,” said Glynn, “Well… I suppose one more challenge couldn’t hurt. What do you suggest?”

“A test of strength!” puffed Hackworth, “Whoever can pull the heaviest load, will be the winner!”

“Hah” laughed Stephen, “Easy!”

“Ugh” groaned Millie.

“Well, at least there isn’t anything too heavy here for them to pull” muttered Thomas.

At that moment, Percy pulled in, and whistled for the Earl’s attention.

“Hello Sir!” He called, “Here’s that delivery of stone you asked for”.

“I don’t know what you need all of these heavy stone trucks for,” he commented, “But, you ordered them, and I delivered them!”

Stephen and Hackworth looked at Percy’s stone trucks, and smirked.

Thomas and Millie just glared.

“What?” squeaked Percy.

Soon, Hackworth, Stephen and Glynn, were all lined up for another run around the estate. Each was coupled to an impressive weight of…

… one stone truck each.

The Earl got ready to wave them off.

“Er… Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“Certainly!” insisted Hackworth.

“As sure as I’ve ever been!” puffed Stephen.

“Uh… I’m also here!” said Glynn.

“Well… Alright then”.

“On your mark!”

“Get set!”

“GO!”

And once again, with much puffing of smoke and steam, the three engines started off. Each straining against the weight of their one truck.

Then, just as Hackworth reached the first set of points, there was a jolt and He began heading towards the exit of the estate.

“Hey!” called Stephen, “What are you doing now!”

“Haha! This estate isn’t big enough for our rivalry Stephen!” Laughed Hackworth, “Let’s take this to the Main Line!”

“Get back here!” whistled Stephen, and he chased after Hackworth!

Both engines reached the hill, and quickly began gaining speed.

Stephen rocked and swayed as he chased down the hill after Hackworth.

“This is getting a bit dangerous” he thought, “I’d better slow down a bit”.

Stephen applied his brakes, but the heavy truck pushed him onwards.

“Oh no. HACKWORTH!” he called, “I can’t stop!”

“Aha! So you finally admit I’m the better engine!” replied Hackworth, “Don’t worry Stephen! I’ve got enough brakes for us both!”

So Hackworth applied his brakes… But they didn’t help.

“oh… o-oh NO! HELP! HELP!”

Stephen caught up with Hackworth, and ran into his truck with a bump!

Both engines were now going at a tremendous speed, for real this time!

“WAAAAAAGH!” cried Stephen, as he leaned dangerously to one side.

Hackworth, too, was in danger of coming off the rails.

Both engines reached the bottom of the hill safely, but they were still going much too fast.

The main line junction was just up ahead. Stephen knew it would be busy at this time. If they didn’t stop in time, there could be a terrible crash.

Thinking quickly, Stephen got as close to Hackworth’s truck as he could.

Then, with a well timed bump, his coupling chain swung forward and hooked onto the truck.

“Aha! Got it!”

“Hackworth!” he called, “We need to work together if we’re going to stop in time!”

“What?!” cried Hackworth.

“Just Listen to me! On the count of three, apply your brakes as hard as you can!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“THREE!”

Together, both engines clamped their brakes hard on.

Sparks flew, as their wheels skidded along the line.

The junction was getting closer, and Stephen could see Gordon thundering towards them with the express.

With one final effort Stephen and Hackworth came to a stop.

They were just in time, as Gordon rushed past mere inches in front of Hackworth’s bufferbeam.

“Keep out of my way, Old Timers!” Shouted Gordon, “Express Coming Through!” and he continued off into the distance.

Both Stephen and Hackworth were out of breath.

They were still breathing heavily when they heard a familiar whistle, and Thomas puffed up behind them, carrying the Earl.

“Stephen! Hackworth!” called the Earl, “Are you two alright?”

“Yes sir,” panted Stephen, “we’re fine”.

Hackworth was at a loss for words.

The Earl walked up to him. “What were you thinking Hackworth? Running off down the hill with a heavy load, and having Stephen chase after you?!”

“I… I don’t know Sir. I’m sorry” said Hackworth.

“I should hope so too” said the Earl, “In any case, Thomas here will help you both back up to the castle”.

“Er… Yes Sir!” said Thomas.

So the Earl climbed back aboard, Thomas was coupled up to Stephen and Hackworth, and the cavalcade set off back up the hill.

They reached the castle to find Millie waiting for them.

“Ahem…” she wheeshed, “Well…”

“I know, I know” said Stephen, “We’re sorry Millie”.

“I suppose we took our competition too far” added Hackworth, “We should have listened to you”.

“Yes” said Millie, smugly, “You should have”.

“I guess, no one won the competition,” mused Stephen.

But at that moment, Glynn puffed into view, having almost completed his run around the castle.

“Nearly there” he puffed to himself, “I’ll do it… I’ll do it… I’ll… I’ve done it!... I’ve done it everyone!”

“Well well well” laughed Thomas, “Looks like Glynn won the competition!”

“I suppose he did,” chuckled Hackworth.

“Well done Glynn!” cheered Stephen.

“Yes, well done indeed!” added Hackworth.

Glynn just smiled. Truthfully, he was rather out of puff.

That evening, Millie, Glynn, Stephen and Hackworth, all rolled into the sheds at the castle.

Hackworth spoke up.

“I’m sorry Stephen” he said, “I took things too far. I was wrong, you’re not a liar or a cheater”.

“It’s alright” answered Stephen, “Truthfully, I think I let my own competitiveness get the better of me today. You are a good engine Hackworth, I’m sorry you didn’t get the fame you wanted all those years ago”.

There was a long silence.

Then…

“Still” chuckled Glynn, “It was a fun competition”.

“Oh, yes indeed” grinned Hackworth, “It really brought me back to the Rainhill Trials”.

“If I’m honest, Rainhill was also a bit of a mess” laughed Stephen, “Do you remember the Horse?”

“Hah! How could I forget” replied Hackworth, “I can’t be certain, but I think I remember seeing him leave some dropping in the judges stand”.

“Ha ha ha!” laughed Stephen, “Well, that’s probably what got him disqualified then!”

Glynn couldn’t help but laugh too.

Millie rolled her eyes.

But even she smiled, as the old engines, now old friends, talked long into the night.

The End

#ttte #ttte fanfic #ttte stephen #ttte millie #ttte glynn #ttte sir robert norramby #ttte thomas #I was trying to emulate the Brenner era style a bit when writing this #so try to imagine some of that era of the shows visuals when reading #honestly if this had been an episode of the series I imagine there would've been several background gags with the horse in the flashbacks

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kingdicemrwheezyflowertor · 7 months

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Can I give Sir Robert Norramby a hug, I really like him. :³

PS: I really like your content ✨❤️

Sir Robert Norramby: “Well I don’t see why you shouldn’t have a hug from me! I’m glad you like me little one!”

You gave me an excuse to draw Sir Robert again and I love how he looks after too long! Also I’m glad you like my content; I’m trying to catch up on plenty of things lol

#my art #ttte #hugs #ttte sir Robert norramby

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anonymousboxcar · 5 months

Text

TTTE/RWS OC: Bessie the Bicycle Locomotive

A while ago, I posted about this steam engine:

[Image ID: a steam locomotive with one large driving wheel sits on a monorail and is attached to a track running above. It has a double-deck cab, with one man (the fireman) on the bottom and another (the engineer/driver) on the top. The Wikipedia caption explains the locomotive belongs to the Boynton Bicycle Railroad. End ID.]

And now I’ve made an OC out of her! I’ve decided her name is Bessie. Enclosed below the cut is my story for her. Hope you enjoy! :)

Bessie steamed to life in 1889, in Portland, Maine. Her creator, Eben M. Boynton, believed the monorail was the way of the future, thinking it would be cheaper to build than regular tracks. He built her to fit with that early monorail vision.

She ran for a few weeks on the Boynton Bicycle Railroad in the summer of 1890. Pulling trains with two-story cars in Long Island, she realized from the odd looks she received that her design was… unusual. She developed a shy, soft-spoken personality as a result.

Bessie also worried about whether her “experimental” nature would be deemed a success or a failure. The entire railroad was something of an experiment; each train was a test run. So while often silent, she worked very hard. She kept to time and never complained. She felt like she had to be perfect.

And she was right to worry. After several weeks of easing into a routine, of learning how to be an engine, the railroad pulled her from service. The experiment was over. They had no more need of her.

As far as anyone knew, including Bessie, she wasn’t bad at her work. But they decided they could improve on her design and on their monorail model. She overheard talk of an elevated monorail and an electric locomotive as they pushed her into storage, shutting the doors behind her.

Bessie awoke an indeterminate time later to the sound of doors opening on rusty hinges. “I say!” said a voice.

As it turned out, Sir Robert Norramby was in the midst of his travels around the world. While in America, someone told him about a bicycle locomotive and a summer’s experiment. He became intrigued and managed to sniff out her location.

She braced herself for a confused stare. But Sir Robert had a wide smile as he walked around to her smokebox. “Hello! What’s your name, my dear?”

It took her awhile to remember how to speak. But he waited, beaming as her hoarse voice rattled out, “Bessie, sir.”

“What a lovely name. Tell me, Bessie, however did you wind up in this place?”

They got to talking. Bessie felt herself relaxing around Sir Robert, bewildered but also glad to be spoken to like any decent engine. And she gradually realized this was her chance to escape storage.

In the end, Sir Robert took her to Sodor at her request. He had a monorail with an overhead guiding track built at Ulfstead so she could pull tourists on a small line around the estate. On occasion, she also pulled goods trains as well.

It took some time for Bessie to settle in to her new life. For one thing, she only had a few weeks’ worth of experience from 1890. Everything was new again and she had learn as well as relearn things.

For another thing, she was still on-edge and reserved. Sir Robert seemed nice, but so did Mr. Boynton. And she knew what storage was like now. She never wanted to go back to it.

The result was Bessie holding herself to impossible standards and being too afraid to ask for help. Every slight mishap — missing platforms, not starting after the guards’ whistle, etc. — only made her more anxious and withdrawn. At night, she was the first back to the sheds and the first one asleep so no-one could talk to her.

Stephen, Glynn, and Millie noticed all of this and worried about her. They debated how to break the ice. Stephen wanted to race her, Glynn wanted to have a chat, and Millie wanted to leave her be until she made the first move.

In classic Sodor fashion, it didn’t happen as any of them suggested.

You see, one of the few comforts Bessie had was that she wasn’t too out of place. While she was a novelty, so were most of Sir Robert’s other engines. Tourists took her photograph and whispered about her, but they moved on to someone else a few minutes later.

One day, Ulfstead had special visitors. They were aristocrats from the Mainland, invited by Sir Robert as part of renewing alliances after his time away on his travels. He took them around the estate and introduced them to his engines where they rested in the sheds.

Bessie saw the visitors’ gritted smiles from a mile away. She knew very well what disdain looked like. They described her as “experimental,” “distinctive,” and “so very American,” and she knew it was a backhanded compliment.

It was like 1890 all over again. She felt like she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move an inch under their cool gazes.

And then they turned to Glynn. They called Glynn quaint, a relic of a bygone age. She saw the flicker of naked hurt on his face.

It was the same flicker she trained out of herself all those years ago. It spoke to a greasy, creeping feeling of boiler-sludge she knew he was feeling, because she had been there, too.

Bessie never wanted to be there again. She realized then that she never wanted anyone else to be there, either.

Stephen went red in the face, about to snap something at the visitors. But Bessie spoke up first, quiet and low: “Glynn has years of experience with today’s railroads, sirs. I only have weeks. He’s more modern than I am.”

Glynn’s gaze flicked over to her, startled. “Well,” he said after a pause. His voice softened with his eyes. “You’re a fast learner, Bessie. I don’t think you’re too far behind.”

“Yes, because we’re glad to help each other,” Stephen interjected, scowling at the aristocrats. “We’re one railway, sirs.”

Millie smiled a not-very-nice smile. “Is there anything else you would like to say to all of us, sirs?”

The aristocrats blinked, but Sir Robert — who watched everything with a look of dawning realization — folded his arms. “I think not,” he sighed. “Forgive me, dear engines. I suddenly have a pressing appointment with these… gentlemen.”

Those aristocrats never came back to Ulfstead. As Sir Robert apologized to them again that evening, Bessie kept thinking about they all stood up for her as well as Glynn. For the first time, she felt like she was part of a railroad. She felt like she believed them.

And so, little by little, she began to speak with them more. She asked for help when she didn’t know something. She did small talk with them at station platforms. She smiled at Glynn and Stephen’s silly arguments, giggling at Millie’s dry asides.

She couldn’t help them pull or shunt their trains, but she took on passengers or goods in her double-deck cars when they had too many or when they broke down. She told stories about America when nobody could sleep.

While still reserved in comparison to Ulfstead’s big personalities, Bessie is more at ease today. She pulls her trains without any issues, working to repay everything Ulfstead has done for her. She knows she’s home.

#ttte #rws #the railway series #ttte oc #rws oc #my oc #bessie the bicycle locomotive (oc)#ttte sir robert norramby #ttte glynn #ttte stephen #ttte millie

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