#Gunzel-verse

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Scenes from 'This is Sodor: The Iron Age'/Calling All Engines humanized: Diesel Gets Defenestrated

The Tidmouth Gazette reports:

CHAOS AT KNAPFORD

Tensions between steam and diesel locomotives are set to escalate from this latest incident from the so called ‘Sodor Airport Conflict’. Main heavy fast goods locomotive, ex-(railway of origin unknown)Stanier Black Five NWR#3 ‘Henry’ was captured on photograph defenestrating ex-BR Class 08 ‘Diesel’ from a station window into a pit of mud after the former engine was humiliated by ex-BR Sodor Ironworks Class 08 shunters ‘Iron ‘Arry’ and ‘Bert’, when they assaulted him and doused him in oil in an earlier incident of violence on our fair Island home…’

"But for a few bruises and a besmirched outfit, he was unharmed'

"This is merely the latest incident of steam-diesel violence which includes; the aforementioned dousing in oil, ex-GNR NWR #7 steam tram "Toby" being hung up by the ankles from a loading ramp by Diesel, ex-LB&SC shunter NWR #1 "Thomas" getting doused in paint by Diesel (the triggering incident of the conflict), 'Arry getting shoved onto gravel by Thomas and ex-L&Y Class 28 NWR #5 "James" being grabbed and thrown under a coal hopper where he was subsequently buried in coal. His outfit was besmirched but he was otherwise unharmed.'

"It is to the shame of the NWR that we on fair Sodor should witness the type of mindless violence plaguing the Mainland in imitation of the conflicts between the youth cults of Mods, Rockers, Teddy Boys and Skinheads, particularly from our naughty engines. It behooves Sir Topham Hatt to quell the violence and restore order before it spreads out of control..."

"The Tidmouth Gazette with the kind permission of the Daily Mirror has printed this invaluable guide to the youth cults from which the engines are patterning their style and dress."

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Traintober Day 2: Bridge

No art... just personal universe lore.

This up here is a photo of a VR K-Class Consolidation engine up on the Cudgewa Line in Victoria's High Country.

The line had steep 1-30 grades and was frequently haunted by the amiable, light-footed and reliable K classes that this became known as "K-Class Country".

Among the locos of the VR, the K-class generally became known as the "Cudgewa Mob", "Cudgewa Boys/Girls" or simply "Cudgies", regardless if any one particular K-class loco went to Cudgewa.

The Cudgewa Line served to transport goods and materials for the creation of Hume Dam and then the Snowy River Hydroelctrification Scheme. It stopped carrying passengers in the 60s and then goods during the 80s.

The Cudgewa Line now is the High Country Rail Trail.

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Traintober '23: Twins (sort of)

Victorian Railways R- class Hudsons R 707 "City Of Melbourne" and R761 on the 60th anniversary of the Rs introduction to the VR.

The VR's own Scottish Twins, built at at the North British Loco works at Queen's Park, Glasgow.

They were paired up quite frequently in the dying days of steam for enthusiast tours as they were the only two Rs in operational condition.

Their most famous joint appearance was when they had that parallel run with Flying Scotsman at Aus Steam '88.

To this day, these two are never that far apart from one another. They are both shedded at Newport. As a matter of fact, though they both belong to different enthusiast groups (R707 by 707 Operations, R761 by Steamrail), R761 pulled one of R707's Grainlander trains when he was unwell from a steam leak.

Their Gunzel-verse gijinka versions are very, very close indeed but its for another post.