#though a Boiler Explosion has a huge damage radius... but I digress!

[shinygoku]

do you see locomotives as demons or angels? (or something else?)

They've got traits commonly associated with both, which makes for some fab contrast! With me mostly talking about Steam, let's have a quick rundown:

Demonic traits: Made out of fire and metal, run on coal dug from the ground or felled trees. Inefficient, extremely labour intensive. Finicky and dangerous, overlooking even one factor may result in a grisly death. They howl like mournful ghosts and cough out embers and poisonous smoke. Used for evil like colonisation. Created by the Victorians, who are largely responsible for starting many problems that we're still dealing with today.

And the other side of the coin –

Angelic traits: Tremendously powerful, even when only using a tiny percentage of their potential. On their rails they never get lost. Leaving a thin line through the land they cover countless miles. Each one has its own way of working, similar to one another but distinct for old hands. They carry vast crowds or goods with little effort and bring people together. They sing and let off pure white steam. They gleam in the sunlight and their fires glow in the darkness of night. Used for good, transporting people to safety, acting as mobile hospitals, just allowing people to leave their locality for a nice change of pace. While the technology has progressed and changed, there's an irresistible charm to the many and various shapes, colours, and ways of running. Still much better for the environment than cars for terrestrial movement.

So even without me talking much about Diesels, Electrics and Hybrid type Engines, there's a Tao-esque balance to them. I admit I'm a little biased, but I genuinely believe the Pros outweigh the Cons.

Still though, the question on if they're Angelic or Demonic, and the answer being "Yes" isn't all. I dig the old nickname that Steam Locos already have – Iron Horses. As they were brought into the world to cover Horse Duties, after all, the oldest railways were built for Equine Power long before a metal contraption had been drawn up or plausible. And like horses, and other creatures, they're beautiful and fussy and messy and difficult, but there's something so magnetic and wonderful all the same.

Alternatively, Dragons (Giant, firey, strong, intimidating) or Cats (in Behaviour) work fairly well too :3 And, the sleeker numbers of this day and age being more Serpentine, long and sleek uniform units and all, offers a neat Giant Snake image~