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feigeroman · 3 years

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Thomas OCs: Reagan

Number: 21 (ex-GWR #71) Class: GWR Dean River 2-4-0 Built: 1895 Arrived on Sodor: 1919 (purchased by NWR at some point afterwards) Service (Shed): NWR Inspection Engine (Wellsworth) Livery: NWR Local Passenger Green

In the 1890s, William Dean of the GWR drew up plans to rebuild eight 2-2-2s designed by his predecessor, George Armstrong (which were themselves rebuilds of a Gooch design dating back to 1855!). In truth, however, the new design - a 2-4-0 - was in fact almost entirely new. The only components to be reused from the older engines were the boilers, which had only recently been fitted at the time.

Nonetheless, the eight new engines were outshopped from Swindon in 1895, and were all named after rivers - they were among the few GWR mixed-traffic engines to carry names at this time. The Rivers were initially allocated to Oxford, and then later transferred to the Bristol area. Despite being virtually brand-new, the class were not as successful as hoped, and by 1918 they’d all been withdrawn...

...All except one. In 1919, #71, Dee, was taken out of storage and transferred up north to the Island of Sodor, to help tide over a motive power crisis on the fledgling NWR. Nobody knows quite what the thought process was that lead to this action being taken, but considering Sir Topham Hatt had a great affection for the GWR - having been apprenticed at Swindon in his youth - the popular theory is that he must have pulled some strings somewhere.

Dee was most likely only intended to stay temporarily, until more engines could be purchased, but as the years went by, she just hung around, and proved herself to be a perfect asset. Eventually, the NWR made the decision to purchase her outright, and after becoming their #21 renamed Reagh - after one of Sodor’s major rivers. She later gained the nickname of Reagan, given that that was much easier to pronounce.

Despite her age, size and rough riding, Reagan continued to work hard and perform well, but as bigger engines entered service on the NWR, she found herself being gradually sidelined to smaller and smaller jobs. She got something of a reprieve during the Second World War, when she helped Edward handled the resulting surge of traffic on the Brendam branch. Unfortunately, the War took its toll on Reagan’s already poor condition, and it left her so worn-out as to be deemed beyond economic repair - she was withdrawn from service in 1949.

A few years later, however, the NWR’s financial situation had improved somewhat, and when Reagan was discovered in storage at Crovan’s Gate, Sir Topham Hatt decided that she should be given a second chance. Obviously there was no way she’d be able to cope with the increased workloads of the 1950s, but there was one job that still suited her perfectly - as the official Director’s inspection engine.

Reagan was finally placed back into active service in 1960, and was allocated to Wellsworth - the nearest station to Sir Topham Hatt’s residence. Her main job was to collect him from Wellsworth every morning, take him to work at Tidmouth, and then bring him home again in the evening. As his private engine, there were of course other jobs Reagan would frequently be called to perform - from tours of inspection, to visiting scenes of accidents or incidents, or even just for personal pleasure. She sometimes even helped transport VIPs - a job she always looked forward to!

In recent years, the roads on Sodor have improved to the point where Sir Topham Hatt is just as likely to use his car to get around, but there’s still plenty of occasions where he’ll need to go by rail, and to this day Reagan is always ready and waiting to act as his chauffeuse on any such occasion. Like most GWR engines, Reagan is proud of her work, and strives to live up to the standards of her forebears. However, she's also a quiet sort, and admits to be getting on in years, though she still maintains there's life in her yet! Reagan is very close friends with fellow vintage engine Edward, with whom she stays at Wellsworth, and they’re often to be found reminiscing together about the good old days...!

Trivia

Reagan was one of those characters who had her roots in one from the Extended Railway Series - in this case, the character of Parker. I liked the idea of having an inspection engine as an OC, and I thought it’d be fun to develop that into a character who acted as a chauffer for Sir Topham Hatt. That was the characterization I started with, anyway.

I like to think that apart from their jobs, and their backstories up to 1949, Reagan is at least different enough from Parker to pass legal.

Around that same time, I rediscovered one of my old model railway books, which had a photo of a model of the River class (the photo above is a different one, but I think it’s the same model). I figured Sir Topham Hatt would have wanted a private engine from the GWR, and seeing as the Rivers had all been withdrawn by 1918, it wasn’t an unreasonable proposition that he would have been able to have one purchased.

I wanted to stick with the river theme for her name, and as the Reagh is the nearest river to Wellsworth, that’s what I went with. To this day I still have no idea how it’s meant to be pronounced, which gave rise to the nickname Reagan.

#thomas the tank engine #the railway series #sodor #island of sodor #north western railway #ttte headcanon #ttte analysis #ttte oc #original character #reagan the director's engine

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