SkunkyArt | SplendidEngine02 — The Mid-Sodor Railway Fleet V2

#1 ~ “Duke”: The oldest, wisest, and most experienced engine of the Railway. He also mentors some of the younger engines, particularly Stuart and Falcon. Being the oldest engine on the line, Duke liked everything to be “just so.” He may have a headteacher attitude and maintain his authority at all times. Still, He can quickly apply his knowledge and years of experience to help guide and correct any younger engine. He is proud of his name and keen to uphold the respect it merits. He can often be heard saying, “That would never suit His Grace!” upon hearing or seeing something that he takes disapproval of or pedantically stating how he thinks someone would have adhered to the rules and regulations in his younger days. Despite their teasing ways, Sir Handel and Peter Sam have grown to become very fond and deeply respect Duke and dearly nicknamed him “Granpuff” for his long service to the railway. He was well maintained and kept in service until 1947, when the railway closed. While Stuart and Falcon were sold, no buyers were interested in him, so he was left oiled, greased, and sheeted up in Arlesdale Sheds, where he was all but forgotten.

#2-a ~ “Bertram”: Bertram was Duke’s younger brother, brought in to help the others before he was eventually sold to work in the mines in 1892. Back in the MSR days, many remembered him as extremely poetic, brave, and hardworking, earning the nickname ‘the old warrior.’ It was believed Bertram was lost in the mines during the railway closure, killed when the mine shaft he was in was caved in before being discovered by Toby 20 years later. He was rebuilt into a tank engine during his restoration and now works on the Skarloey railway. Having nearly crushed to death in the mines, this has turned Bertram into a passionate, jolly, enthusiastic, hardworking, poetic, intelligent, and certainly has a way with words! Unfortunately, this has made him a sort of nuisance on the railway, with the words “shut up, Bertram!” being heard whenever he’s around.

#2-b ~ “Smudger”: Smudger was an American engine, built-in Pennsylvania, based on dolgoch’s design. He was bought by the Arlesdale Tramway, but soon it became clear Smudger was riddled with flaws, so he was sent back to have these problems sorted. By the time he returned, the Mid Sodor Railway was founded, and he became their new No.2 after Bertram. As time went on, the problems came back, and he would often ride roughly and derail. He became a complete showoff and refused to listen to Duke, often giving bad advice to some of the other engines, which often put them in danger, as Falcon can attest. Eventually, after a near-fatal accident with a workman, he was turned into a generator in 1905.

#2-c ~ “Stanley”: Contrary to what the books may tell you, he was actually a very friendly engine who got along well with the other engines, most notably Duke. That wasn't to say he still wasn't problematic. It's been believed, by some, that Stanley was a jinx engine, in other words, bad luck. Despite others' protest, there was some truth to it; wherever he went, misfortune followed; it's even why he was sold off in the first place. Fortunately, they were able to make his bad luck go away with the help of a 'lucky lamp.' Sadly, this wouldn't be enough to save him from a certain fate in 1928...

#2-d ~ “Andreas”: Though arrogant sometimes, he has his mature moments and acts as a polite yet stubborn figure to the other engines, especially towards the younglings. Though he might be stubborn and arrogant, if a friend is in need, he will see that they get the assistance they need. He was sold in 1944; it’s believed he was turned into a boat. He was eventually rebuilt into an engine and worked on the Skarloey Railway for a time.

#3-a ~ “Crimson”: Not much is known about him; he arrived around 1885 and got along well with the others. He seemed to be a well-meaning, eager engine who occasionally got annoyed; it also seemed like he didn’t like his name that much as often viewed it with distain. He left in 1889 and went to work in Wales. His fate remains unknown.

#3-b ~ “Andrew/Albert I”: An American saddle tank engine, formally known as Albert, who worked on the line for nearly a decade, he was known for constantly complaining about almost everything and was renowned for having a bad temper. He was rude to his crew and ignored Duke’s scolding of his attitude. This attitude led to his downfall when he ran late with a Quarry train and refused to take on water at Arlesdale station. Unfortunately, he ran out of water further down the line and overheated, and his firebox crown melted. He blamed the troublesome trucks, but everyone knew who was really at fault. Andrew was brought back to the shed, and the Manager decided he wouldn’t be repaired because of his behavior. He was left at the back of the shed for spare parts. He did learn his lesson, but sadly for him, it came too late.

#3-c ~ “Falcon”: The youngest of the falcon brothers. If you were to describe Falcon, it would be impulsive, arrogant, pompous, rude, stubborn, naughty, feisty, and cheeky. He sometimes thinks that he knows better than others, suggesting a superiority complex. But despite this, he always works to get things done and wants to be a reliable, goodhearted, and really useful engine. He and Stuart were as close as brothers back then as they deeply care for their elderly, Duke. In 1947, they were the last engines to be sold, bought by the aluminum works before eventually arriving on the Skarloey Railway.

#4-a ~ “Mighty Mac”: Two engines in one, Mighty on one end and Mac on the other- making them one of the most unusual engines working on any Railway. When they work together, Mighty Mac is the strongest engine on the Railway. But when they do not, they are known to bicker constantly, but they almost always come to a resolution. They served as the railway's heavy goods engine until being sold off in 1896. They now work on the Skarloey Railway.

#4-b ~ “Proteus”: The oldest of the three falcon brothers, Proteus was brought in as the railway’s newest no.4. Out of all of the engines, very little is known about him, only that he remained a cheerful sort despite the situation. Despite his friendly nature, little was known about him outside of where he came from, as he often kept to himself and focused on his work. And no one ever did get a chance to learn more as one day he got into an accident. One moment he was working, the next he was tumbling down the mountainside and simply... vanished from the railway. While others believed he was merely stolen, there was no evidence to suggest such a thing, and his disappearance remains a complete mystery. Though it's generally believed nowadays, he's a ghostly spirit that roams the Skarloey Railway.

#4-c ~ “Stuart”: A very enthusiastic, excitable, and kind-hearted engine, and though cheeky, he always means well. As the coaches best put it, he is good-mannered, "he's cocky, but he's nice" He can also be a little naïve at times and perhaps a little too literally. Stuart is kind and hard-working to a fault with an optimistic attitude and seldom grumbles about late hours and/or extra work. He and Falcon were as close as brothers back then as they deeply cared for their elderly, Duke. In 1947, they were the last engines to be sold, bought by the aluminum works before eventually arriving on the Skarloey Railway.

#5-a ~ “Albert II”: One of the three falcon brothers on the railway, and the only one equipped with cowcatchers for tramway running, he arrived in 1898 to serve as one of the railway’s goods engines. At first, he seemed like a decent chap, but as time went on, he became increasingly rude and volatile. Bashing the trucks fiercely, being rude and dismissive towards others, and bullying his younger brother Falcon. Eventually, he met his end when the trucks got back at him and pushed him down. What happened next? Well, all I’ll say is the train he was carrying included several gunpowder vans...

#5-c ~ “Albert III”: Unlike the two predecessors before him who shared his name, this Albert was a genuinely lovely and friendly, if overly energetic, engine. He pulled a passenger service named "the Parliamentary." Along with Jim and Tim, he was sold off in 1936 in an effort to keep the company's head above water.

#6-a ~ “John”: To say John can be a bit of a worrisome fellow can be an understatement. He’s usually perpetually worrisome, anxious, tense, and sometimes has extreme bouts of paranoia. He cares very much about the safety and well-being of himself and others. He tries to be the voice of reason to others and tries to dissuade them from making risky decisions. Because he wasn’t maintained, it was eventually decided to retire John from railway services in 1912.

#6-b ~ “Jim”: The middle sibling to Tim and Kim, Jim has worked on the railway since 1916, usually handling "the Horse and Cart" (the railway's goods train) and would occasionally do mineral traffic. In 1921, he was rebuilt into a "Skylark" class locomotive designed by the Kerr Stuart & Company. He's described as a very friendly and hard-working engine. He, along with Tim and Albert III, was sold off in 1936 in an effort to keep the company's head above water. While the fate of the other 2 is unknown, Jim was sent to work at Aluminum works, where Stuart and Falcon would later come.

#7-a ~ “Jennings/Jenny": More commonly known as Jenny for short, she was one of the first engines on the line, having worked initially on the Arlesdale Tramway, but when the Mid Sodor Railway was founded, she was soon replaced by Duke in 1880 and renumbered No.7. She, like her brothers before, can be a cheerful and highly determined engine. But despite her attitude, unlike her brothers, she was also very prideful. This is why she never really liked Duke when he first came, she was always jealous of the fact that she wasn’t numbered No.1 as technically she was the first engine on the line, and some believed he was more experienced than her despite their age. She was retired in 1906 and eventually scrapped.

#7-b ~ “Tim”: Jim and Kim’s older brother, Tim, is one of the older engines on the line, having been around since the days of the Arlesdale Tramway. He was left in a shed for many years before being brought back into service in 1911, replacing his former colleague, Jenny, as the No.7. He served as the railway’s passenger engine taking passenger trains from Arlesburgh to Cas-ny-Hawin, without fuss and no accidents. Although a friendly and hardworking sort, Tim is what many would describe as a perfectionist and Drama-Queen. To him, pulling passenger trains isn’t just his job; it’s his art! He believes he’s the best because he fully understands the craft surrounding it; anything else, he’s an amateur. As such, he’s had several freak-outs in the past whenever he couldn’t understand all the necessary preparations for specific jobs. To no one’s shock, Tim has proven to be able to do the job well once he’s set in motion. Along with Jim and Albert, he was sold off in 1936 in an effort to keep the company’s head above water.

#8-a ~ “Fearless Freddie”: Freddie can be considered the warhorse engine of the Railway. In his youth, he was known as "Fearless Freddie" and was the daredevil of the hills, known for being fast, fun, and of course, fearless. He knows the route well and how to ride it in any condition. This has earned him the reputation of the fastest engine in the hills, which unsurprisingly made him a bit cocky. This came back to bite him when one day, while coasting down the line, he jumped the rails and was severely damaged. He had to be sold off for repairs, but he does return from time to time to help out. While he gets along well with other engines, he and Duke have never seen eye to eye for obvious reasons. He now works on the Skarloey Railway.

#9&10 ~ “Atlas & Alfred”: Originally two American saddle tank engines, they were rebuilt into Decauville locomotives upon coming to Sodor. When they arrived, they were sent to work in the mines at Cas-ny-Harwin. While both are hard workers who clearly won’t settle for ‘good enough, they each have their own approach to it. Atlas can be considered a kind and loyal friend who’ll stick around for a chat; Alfred is so consumed with work he doesn’t have time for anyone, not even Atlas, resulting in him being lonely. They worked on the railway for many years until the mines closed in 1945. While Alfred has been confirmed to be scrapped, Atlas’s fate remains unknown.

#11-a ~ “Millie”: She arrived in 1911 to help out with the shunting. She’s considered a youthful, fun-loving, friendly engine full of spirit and can be fiery when crossed. But she is also fair-minded and never spiteful. That said, she will take it upon herself to teach an uppity engine a lesson, should she feel the need. She worked for over a decade before being bought by the Norramby Family in 1923. She now serves as their private engine.

#11-b ~ “Gerry”: A small Dolly 0-6-0T, he was initially intended to be the new #5 before eventually settling for its #11. Pessimistic and gloomy is what you can describe him since he’s rarely ever happy, even when he is. Surprisingly, he doesn’t seem to mind, viewing it as the essence of his very being. Though a bit of a complainer sometimes, Jerry can also be surprisingly very insightful and compassionate towards others when he needs to be. A reliable worker, he served the line for many years until being sold in 1939.

“Ariana”: A small mine engine who used to work in the mines with Bertram. She was a kind, shy, but friendly engine who got along well with the other engines, especially Duke, who was a good friend. Indeed it was a wonderful life, but that all changed one fateful day while working in the mines. It began to collapse; while she managed to be a hero that day, getting all the stranded workmen out, she was not so lucky as mines caved in on her crushing her and her crew to death. Her remains were eventually scrapped.