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collinthenychudson · 2 years

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Day 16: Union Pacific 844

Information from Wikipedia:

Union Pacific 844, also known as the "Living Legend", is a class "FEF-3" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad for its heritage fleet. Built in December 1944 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, No. 844 is one of four surviving FEF Series locomotives and the only one in operation.

The locomotive operated in revenue service until 1959. It was stored while awaiting scrapping, along with the rest of the UP steam locomotive fleet. In 1960, railroad leaders recognized the benefits of having a steam program and retained No. 844 for special activities, the kernel of what has become the Union Pacific's heritage fleet. Today, it is one of UP's oldest serving locomotives and the only steam locomotive owned by a North American Class I railroad that has never been retired.

In 1944, Union Pacific and the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) collaborated on the FEF-3, a class of 10 locomotives designed to pull passenger trains at 90 mph. The FEF-3 could reach and regularly run at 120 mph; one locomotive reportedly pulled a 1,000-ton passenger train at 100 mph. All FEF classes were considered by the Union Pacific to be capable of producing between 4,000 and 5,000 drawbar horsepower.

The FEF-3 class represented the apex of dual-service steam locomotive development; funds and research were being concentrated into the development of diesel-electric locomotives. Originally designed to burn coal, they were converted to run on fuel oil in 1946. Like the earlier FEF-1 and FEF-2 classes, the FEF-3 locomotives were ultimately reassigned to freight service.

UP 844 was the last steam locomotive delivered to the Union Pacific Railroad, constructed as a member of the FEF-3 class of 4-8-4 "Northern" type locomotives. Upon its entry into service, the locomotive spent most of its career pulling a variety of passenger trains, such as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger. From 1957 to 1959, UP 844 was reassigned to fast freight service in Nebraska when diesel-electric locomotives took over passenger service.

After commercial steam operations ended in 1959, the 844 and the rest of the FEF-3 class was placed into storage. Saved from scrapping in 1960, No. 844 was chosen for rebuilding and is now used on company and public excursion trains, along with hauling revenue freight trains during ferry moves.

Since 1960, No. 844 has run hundreds of thousands of miles as Union Pacific's publicity locomotive. The locomotive often pulled the annual Denver Post-sponsored Cheyenne Frontier Days train that ran round-trip from Cheyenne to Denver every July before it was discontinued in early 2019.

It appeared at Expo '74 in Spokane, Washington; the 1978 dedication of the Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden, Utah; the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans; and the 50th anniversary celebration of Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal in 1989, when it performed a side-by-side run with Southern Pacific 4449. On February 14, 1975, it pulled Amtrak's San Francisco Zephyr from Denver, Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming with a pair of EMD SDP40Fs. In 1981, it traveled to the opening of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, along with Union Pacific 3985, which had recently been restored to operational condition.

Over the weekend of October 14, 1990, No. 844 led a procession of special trains from Kansas City Union Station to Abilene, Kansas for World War II veterans to celebrate the 100th birthday of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The "Eisenhower Centennial Special" was composed of cars from the Union Pacific, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway business fleets, with additional passenger cars provided by the Norfolk Southern and Chicago and North Western railroads. Also present in Abilene was General Eisenhower's command train, code-named "Bayonet", including the British A4 steam locomotive No. 60008 and communication and staff cars from WWII's European Theater of Operations.

After the end of the 1991 excursion season, 844 was put in the shop for a major running gear overhaul in addition to other repairs. During that time, 844 was repainted from the passenger greyhound scheme to the freight black. It emerged from the shop in 1996.

On June 21, 1997, on the way to the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS)'s annual convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, 844 and Union Pacific's Executive E units pulled 18 passenger cars on the Union Pacific's soon-to-close Tennessee Pass line, which included tracks on a narrow canyon shelf along the Arkansas River.

On June 24, 1999, while on display during RailFair '99, one of the 844's boiler tubes failed, and the locomotive was subsequently towed dead back to Cheyenne by the recently-overhauled No. 3985. The tube was found to have been made of the wrong material during the overhaul in 1996, a discovery that prompted the replacement of the firebox in a complete overhaul that lasted from September 2001 to 2004. On September 9, 2004, the UP steam crew successfully test-fired the 4-8-4. It returned to operating service on November 10, 2004.

On May 18–19, 2007, No. 844 teamed with Southern Pacific 4449 to pull the "Puget Sound Excursion", a round trip from Tacoma to Everett on BNSF Railway tracks.

On June 25 and 26, 2010, it made an excursion trip to Milliken, Colorado's centennial celebration.

In September 2012, the locomotive was used in "UP 150", a celebration of Union Pacific's 150th anniversary celebration, hosted by the California State Railroad Museum. During that time, it also stopped at Walsenburg, Colorado for a night photo session, parked next to ex-Lake Superior and Ishpeming 2-8-0 “consolidation” 18, which was operated by the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad at the time, before that line was shut down.

In June 2013, the locomotive's gyrating Mars Light, installed in 1946, was removed because its mounting bolts had deteriorated. It was also announced that year that the 844 and 3985 would eventually be joined by a third steam locomotive: Big Boy No. 4014.

After the 2013 season, the locomotive was taken out of service for boiler work required by a change in the water treatment. It spent 2014 in Cheyenne, then received an early 15-year inspection the following year.

On June 16 and 17, 2016, the 844 was test-fired. On July 12, 2016, the Union Pacific Steam Team took the locomotive on a "break-in run" as a sort of all-systems check and dress rehearsal for its return to service. The run was described as a complete success. On July 23, 2016, it pulled the annual Cheyenne Frontiers Day excursion.

On October 13, 2016, the Union Pacific Steam Team started its 18-day "Trek To Tennessee" journey: the restored 844's first major trip.

In April 2017, No. 844 made its first run on the Oregon Short Line Railroad to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the Boise Union Pacific Depot. Because of heavy snows and a wet spring, the trip was cut short and the engine had to run light across the Malad River because of a washed-out bridge.

In December 2018, Union Pacific requested Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) waivers to exempt UP Nos. 844, 3985 and 4014 from federal Positive Train Control (PTC) requirements in February 2019, the FRA officials responded that such waivers were not needed.

On May 4, 2019, No. 844 participated in the inaugural run of the newly-restored Big Boy No. 4014. The train departed the historic Cheyenne Depot following a christening ceremony for No. 4014. The two locomotives arrived at the Ogden Union Station on May 9 for the city's Heritage Festival. The two locomotives were on display at the station until May 12, when the return trip to Cheyenne began. They arrived at Cheyenne on May 19, concluding the first run of No. 4014 in excursion service.

As of January 2020, Nos. 844 and 4014 are the only two operational UP steam locomotives left on the active roster, following the retirement of No. 3985 from excursion service due to its poor mechanical condition. No. 3985 was eventually donated to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America on April 28, 2022. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, UP cancelled all of its 2020 steam excursions and stated that Nos. 844 and 4014 would not operate for the 2020 operating season. UP eventually resumed excursion operations with No. 4014 in August and September 2021. No future excursions have thus far been scheduled for No. 844.

From 1962 to 1989, the locomotive was numbered UP 8444 because the railroad had given the number 844 to an EMD GP30 locomotive. After the GP30 was retired from active service in June 1989, No. 8444 was renumbered back to 844. That GP30 is now owned by Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, Nevada, and operates periodically at the Nevada Southern Railroad Museum on excursion runs. There is now an EMD SD70ACe on the UP roster numbered 8444.

On July 21, 2018, while pulling the Cheyenne Frontier Days Special to Denver, Colorado, No. 844 struck and killed a pedestrian in Henderson, Colorado. It was reported that the pedestrian was trying to take photos of the train while standing too close to the tracks before she was hit. The train was stopped immediately following the accident.

UP 844 was documented in the 1981 film "Eighty Four Forty Four" by the Union Pacific Railroad. Some of those clips would be later used for the opening and closing credits of the PBS show Shining Time Station, which ran from 1989 until 1995 (including the four hour-long Family Specials).

UP 844 also appears in Extreme Trains in the episode "Steam Train", in which it pulled the Frontier Days special from Denver to Cheyenne.

UP 844 also makes an appearance in the 2nd Episode of the 3rd Season on the TLC TV series, Mostly True Stories?: Urban Legends Revealed.

In the 1990 PBS special Ghost Trains of the Old West, UP 8444, as it was numbered at the time of filming, is seen pulling a Union Pacific diesel locomotive and passenger train through Wyoming.

UP 844 (and several other restored steam locomotives) appear in the music video with the Pat Metheny Group's "Last Train Home".

The 2014 short film "Locomotive Song" features UP 844—particularly its running gear—accompanied by the song of the same name by boogie-woogie pianist Honey Piazza.

models and route by: Trainz-Forge, Auran, and Download Station

#UP #Union Pacific #Union Pacific Railroad #UP 844 #Union Pacific 844 #844 #FEF #FEF-3 #UP FEF-3 #Union Pacific FEF-3 #Steam Locomotive #Trains #Trainz Simulator #Christmas #Advent Calendar #CHristmas 2022 🎄🎅🎁

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trainsinanime · 2 years

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Hornby TT:120

I don’t see anybody talking about this here over on Tumblr, so I figure I might as well. As you may or may not know, a number of british model railroad companies have recently started announcing things in TT scale (that is 1:120 scale, 12mm track), first Peco and recently most importantly Hornby, who have announced a full range of about a dozen different locomotives, coaches, freight cars, tracks, buildings and sets.

TT (short for table top) isn’t that well known internationally. While it was developed in the US and briefly existed in the UK in the 1960s, the main place where it thrived and survived was East Germany. Since reunification, the market has grown, but so far it’s been essentially just continental European. To see the british get into this, and with such force, is quite a surprise. For context, I used to model in TT scale back in the 1990s and early 2000s, before I switched over to N because there’s more stuff available there. My father still uses TT, so I still keep an eye on the developments there. So let’s discuss some stuff about these announcements.

Is TT a good scale? I think so, yes. The detailing is better than N scale, and working on trains for any purpose is easier, those are just facts. But at the same time, it’s not as gigantic as H0 gauge (or OO gauge, the british equivalent. Yes, they use the letter O, while continental europe uses the number 0. Don’t think too hard about it).

The decisions they made all seem very reasonable. The most important one is that they’re using 1:120 scale, which matches the 12 mm gauge. That’s actually something new to the british rail market. Both OO and british N gauge actually use trains that are a bit too large for the rail gauge, because back when those were developed, the motors didn’t fit in the smaller british trains otherwise. This is no longer necessary, and it’s good that it’ll disappear here.

This will screw over the existing 3mm modelers. 3mm scale is what the old 1960s british TT was called. It also used 12mm gauge, but a scale of 1 inch to 3 mm, which works out to roughly 1:100. As a result it got the same mismatch of train and track size as OO and british N. There is still a small 3mm community who build basically everything from scratch. The new TT:120, as Peco and Hornby call it, is not going to help them at all, and will probably hurt them as anyone who ever produced anything in 3mm commercially will certainly switch to 1:120.

That sucks for them, but 1:120 scale is still absolutely the right choice, both because it’s just more correct, and because it allows for proper international railway modelling. Hornby’s german branch Arnold already sells a TT gauge ferry car (a dedicated freight car for ferry service between the UK and continental Europe before the Channel Tunnel), and they can just reuse that. While there aren’t a lot of things that work on both sides of the channel, there are some, including modern freight cars, the Eurostar, and the class 66 diesel locomotive which Hornby has already announced.

They are using the modern Tillig TT coupler, which is the right choice. I don’t think there were many other choices anyway. Perhaps a Kadee-style knuckle coupler, which looks better, but doesn’t allow for close-distance coupling of passenger cars because you can’t use it with the special mechanics for that. The modern TT coupler works well, and of course Hornby is already producing them for Arnold anyway.

What does this mean for global TT modellers? Well, a lot of them seem delighted, and I’ve seen a lot of TT modellers in Germany who have preordered a lot of british trains already. In the longer term, having more options is always nice. I know there are always people who want to model the station of Klingenberg-Colmnitz on exactly December 4th, 1986 or something and aren’t interested in anything else, but I also know a lot of people who are happy to have a lot of different colourful trains from all over. Adding to the supply here is great.

What I find funny is that Hornby keeps talking about TT in the US as if that was a thing. There is certainly a small community of enthusiasts and small-scale producers (most of whom seem to sit in Europe anyway), but TT is largely unknown and irrelevant there. I would hope that some US manufacturer sees what Hornby is doing and starts considering the same, but I don’t even know who has the size and economic weight to pull that off. Anyway, for now, my theory is that Hornby keeps mentioning the US origins of TT scale to hide the fact that TT is, beyond any doubt, the most communist rail gauge in existence. I’m barely even joking, this is a clear fact (even though it means absolutely nothing in practice).

The main question for me in this thing is economic. Will that work out for Hornby? I have no clue. I don’t think a lot of british model railroaders are looking to change scales, and Hornby is explicitly trying to target people new to the hobby. That’s interesting, but are there enough of them? Especially considering that the UK’s overall economic position isn’t doing that great, and a lot of people don’t have a lot of disposable income.

I have to give them props for making all the trains relatively cheap, though, that’s really surprising. In the videos I’ve seen they’ve apologised for the prices of some things, but compared to Europe? They’re selling a Pacific steam locomotive like Mallard or similar for about €160, which is between €100-140 less than Tillig charges for a german Pacific. That’s a good price no matter which way you turn.

(An aside: There’s no Thomas the Tank Engine. Personally, I’m very happy about that. I never knew they existed until I was like 14 years old, and given the way they look, I’ve not developed any interest in that franchise since. But clearly this Sonic the Hedgehog of train fans is very popular, so I fear they’ll add this at some point anyway.)

Overall verdict: Very interesting, I don’t see any major missteps, but this is also a very risky business move. It’ll be fascinating to see how this looks five or ten years from now.

#model railroad #tt:120 #hornby #tt gauge #tt scale

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joezworld · 2 years

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Sodor in the days of Privatisation

Hey so this is actually a fic, but unlike just about everything else I've written, which is inspired by the fact that nobody can stop me, this one is actually a bit of a spite project.

So, like most of you, I'd assume, I've read the Extended Railway Series (ERS) and the ERS Novels (ERSN) on the Sodor Island Forums (SiF). And I super duper don't agree with them on how they portray... well anyone really.

There's a couple of reasons why, but the main thing is that they just... do not understand how the interpersonal relationships between the engines would be - and I'm not saying that how I interpret it is better, but like, each and every one of these engines has been through a literal or emotional hell at least once, sometimes twice, and yet in the ERS, they continue to be jerks to one another with surprising regularity.

That's not how those relationships should work - that's not how we've seen it happen in canon:

It takes all of two pages (54 & 56) in James & The Diesel Engines for James to become friendly/on-board with diesels. They're literally the only two pages in which that even comes up, and from that point onwards, I really can't find many stories featuring the engines having actual malice towards each other like they did in the early books.

Why? Because they like each other now!

They've spent 50+ years right next to each other in the same damn shed - it'd be stranger if they hated each other, and I find it really hard to believe that they'd continue having such bad blood (or oil) considering what they've all collectively gone through, and what they've all lost.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't bring this all up unless someone asked (or if you're @mean-scarlet-deceiver at which point I bombard your DMs) but I figured I should mention this because at this point I'm blatantly stealing characters from the ERS and I figured you should all know why: Because I'm tired of seeing these fucking trains be unhappy for no damn reason.

-------------------

October, 1990

“I’ve done it!” He exclaimed, slamming his briefcase on the thick oak desk and extracting an even thicker sheaf of documents.

The special train had barely stopped rolling when the door to the inspector’s saloon coach was thrown open. Stephen Hatt, the director of the North-Western Region of British Rail (for now) charged out of the plush pre-grouping Pullman and stormed into the station office complex. He was so intent on getting there that all other sights and sounds were ignored until he finally reached the door labelled: “Arthur Agnells | Legal”

Arthur, who had nearly gone through the ceiling when his door was thrown open so suddenly, did not need more than a moment to get up to speed. “No!” He gasped, the adrenalin already running through his veins. “They agreed?!”

“Every. Word!”

Arthur let loose a cry of wordless laughter and practically ran round the massive desk to embrace his employer and friend. It had been a massively risky gamble, but it had paid off.

In the next few days, a memo was faxed, mailed, and in a few cases hand-delivered to every station, shed, office, depot, warehouse, union hall, workshop, and signal box across the region. It had two sections; The upper portion was typed, but the lower was written in extremely elegant handwriting - clearly done just before the memo had been run through the Xerox machine.

OFFICIAL NOTICE ON THE PRIVATISATION OF THE NORTH-WESTERN REGION:

As of 19 October, 1990, an agreement has been made between the management of the North-Western Region and the British Railways Board. This agreement - of which copies are available to read in main-line station offices - stipulates that as of 3 April 1993, The North-Western Region will be privatised into its own independent railway company. This company will consist of the following:

All British Railway Board assets on the Island of Sodor

All British Railway Board assets located west of the easternmost point of Barrow Station - with the exception of tracks Four and Five, which will be rerouted outside of the sorting yard to allow for uninterrupted British Rail access of the Cumbrian Coast Line.

The Sodor Motorail terminal at London Kensington Olympia Station

The Sodor Motorail terminal at Stirling Station

The Sodor Motorail terminal at Aberdeen Station

The Sodor Motorail terminal at Barrow-in-Furness Station

The British Rail Booking Office in Tidmouth, Sodor

The British Rail Booking Office in Douglas, Isle of Man

The British Rail Booking Office in Belfast, Northern Ireland

The new railway company, tentatively known as the North Western Railway Company, will be chaired by the current leadership structure of the North-Western Region.

The British Railway Board wishes the North Western Railway Co. the best of luck in their new endeavour.

We've done it! Anything on this island come 3-4-93 is ours! Free & clear! Start requesting equipment transfers posthaste! - S.T.H.

Equipment and rolling stock began coming in almost immediately. At first, it was small things - a coach here, two wagons there, and so on. The motorail terminal at Kirk Ronan made the first big play, requisitioning an entire rake of newly rebuilt Cartic wagons, which was approved without delay.

Following that, bigger acquisitions began to be made…

---------------------

January 1991 - Barrow-in-Furness

The first locomotive acquired under this scheme showed up in the winter. Bear collected him as part of the morning goods train. “Hello, what are you doing up there?” He asked the small six-wheeled shunter strapped to a low loader wagon.

“Currently?” He said with an accent that seemed to be half-Southampton and half-seagoing scallywag. “Freezin’ me axles off! Name’s Salty, by the way.”

“Bear. Nice to meet you. I assume that you’re our new harbour engine?” The harbour at Tidmouth had been rapidly expanding thanks to growth in both containerized freight as well as bulk commodity shipments, and the current shunter could not keep up on his own.

“Aye!” He said as the shunters connected the wagon and the diesel’s crew began running a brake test. “Though I unno how long I’ll be ‘ere for - I’m a bit o’ an unwitting journeyman - every few years I get sent somewhere else - no respect for us old salts eh?”

Bear laughed. “As much as I want to relate, I’m afraid I can’t. Us ‘old salts’ are the ones running this island - you’ll fit in fine!”

“Izzat really?” Salty asked, a little surprised.

“Oh yes!” Bear chortled as he was throttled up to leave Barrow yard. “In fact, you and I are practically spring chickens compared to some engines I can name!” He directed that last comment to Bloomer, who was steaming into the yard with a short passenger train from Norramby.

“I can work you under the table any day, youngster!” The old single harrumphed as he steamed by. “An’ don’t you forget it!”

Bear laughed - partly at Bloomer’s antics, but mostly at the gobsmacked expression on Salty’s face at the sight of steam traction with a TOPS number - and powered across the bridge onto Sudrian metals.

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April, 1991 - BREL Crewe Works

The foreman stared at the list of items that had come off of the teleprinter. “They want this junk? What for?”

“Search me.” Said his secretary. “But they were very insistent about it.”

“Well, I suppose it does keep it from going to waste...” Most of the old works complex was being torn down to allow for new commercial development, and anything that wasn’t involved with the Class 91 programme or couldn’t be sent elsewhere would likely end up in a skip.

But seriously, the man thought to himself as he went out to inform his underlings. What could they possibly need with this? Old casting molds from the steam era? Sulzer engine blocks? Crown sheets? Wheel truing machines? Wheel drop tables? Steam heating boilers? Everything here is decades old! We found them in the weeds! What could they possibly be maintaining? Steam engines? Vintage diesels?

It took a week for everything to be loaded into a load of wagons that had also been specified on the transfer orders, and things became more curious when a freshly-painted Class 46 came down especially for them.

She was sparkling from buffer to buffer, and smiled and laughed as she was connected to the long train of old rubbish. It took only a few minutes for the train to be assembled, and then the diesel roared away without a hint of clag or a single misfire - implying much better maintenance than just about any other engine the men at Crewe had seen in months!

Also… “Didn’t they scrap those years ago?”

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November, 1991 - Crovan’s Gate Works

The works foreman examined the rake of coaches carefully. “Wendell,” He said slowly. “These are the coaches they told you to take, right?”

The big diesel blinked slowly. “Yes? Why wouldn’t they be?”

“These… aren’t Mark 2 stock.”

This drew a chorus of jeers from the coaches:

“Of course we’re not!”

“How dare you!”

“We’re better than those old wrecks!”

“You weren’t actually going to put those heaps on mainline services?”

“You should consider yourselves lucky that we agreed to come along!”

“Mark 2 stock indeed! We’ve just been built!”

Man and engine exchanged a look. “They said that they were the only proper coaches in the yard…” Wendell said, realizing his mistake all too late.

King’s Cross Station, London

“What do you mean, ‘they’re gone?’” The stationmaster asked. He was a very busy man, and didn’t have time for nonsense like this.

“I mean,” Said the head of the rolling stock depot over the phone. “That they aren’t there. We can’t find them.”

“You lost two rakes of Mark 4 coaches?!”

---------------------------

February, 1992 - Tidmouth Docks

“I must say Stephen,” Jim the Harbourmaster said as he led the Fat Controller around the docks in his car. “I didn’t think that we’d be able to handle all the additional expansion - what with the automobile unloading dock and whatnot, but that extra engine has certainly done us a treat!”

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.” Stephen visibly relaxed into the car seat. “Out of everything, the expansion has been one of my biggest worries - we don’t need any problems here.”

“And thanks to you we haven’t got any.”

“Thank heavens for that. How is the new one settling in? I know Merlin worked alone for so long, but Salty seemed quite knowledgeable. I hope there haven’t been any issues.”

Jim pulled a face. “Salty is getting along great, but… I wouldn’t say he’s fine.”

“Oh?”

“His axleboxes.” Jim said severely. “Anything over twenty and they just start to fail from the heat. Crovan’s has been working on a solution but it’s severely limiting his range; we certainly can’t send him further than the big station, and the ferry boat trains are right out.”

Stephen stared at his subordinate, a picture of bafflement. “But you said that everything was going well..?”

“Oh yes!” Jim was not at all concerned. “That’s all Marina, not Salty!”

“Marina?”

“Oh, the Class 33 you got from Eastleigh.”

“What Class 33?”

They found Marina shunting trucks with Salty out by the aggregates yard. Both engines were engrossed in a raucous sea shanty, and didn’t notice the men.

Stephen actually gasped when he saw the engine, and Jim made a noise as he realized that he should have spoken earlier. “Ah, yes, I - perhaps I should have mentioned that earlier… You see, the works was full at the time, and she wasn’t all that bothered about it…”

At an almost total loss for words, Stephen could only glare at the harbourmaster in a way that screamed In What Universe Is That An Appropriate Response?!

This response was somewhat understandable. At some point in the past, some amount of calamity had befallen Marina - what kind exactly, she’d refused to elaborate on - and caused significant cosmetic damage to her front.

Quite significant and deeply concerning cosmetic damage.

Her “A” end cab was basically destroyed - all of the windows were gone, with not even jagged glass remaining in the frames - and in some places the frames were gone! There were deep gouges in the metal of her bufferbeam and up her front - mercifully her face was untouched - to the point where bare metal was showing all over. The damage was so bad that drivers had to use the “B” end cab whenever possible, leading many trucks to think that she’d driven herself out of the scrap heap, and causing them to give her a nickname: “The Haunted Disaster”!

Despite all of this, however, she seemed happy. Her blue eyes sparkled like they were filled with a million stars, and her voice was clear and bright as she sang along to the chorus of whatever song Salty was singing.

Then like Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!

Rise again, rise again!

Though your heart, it be broken, or life about to end

No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend

Like Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!

The song finished as Stephen strode insistently across the ballast. “Excuse me,” He said, trying his best to be polite. “But who are you?”

“I’m Marina.” She said happily. “I’m the harbour engine.”

“For this harbour?”

“Yes, but not originally though - I was the Harbourmaster of Weymouth until they shut the tramway. Then I was withdrawn for a while, but now I’m here.”

“I… I see.” It was rare for Stephen to be so off kilter. “And may I ask who approved your transfer to this harbour?”

“I did.”

“You did?”

“Yes. Another harbour engine was needed, so I came here.”

Stephen’s mouth flapped open and shut several times. “I see.” He lied. “And was this… before or after you… damaged your front?”

“Well after that, sir.”

“I see,” He was saying that a great deal and it had yet to be true. “And you haven’t been mended?”

“No sir. I’ve been quite busy.”

“I see…” The Harbour was a three-engine job, that much was clear. And he hadn’t been able to find a suitable type three for love or money… “I would ask you if you will work hard, but somehow I feel like I know the answer to that.”

She smiled, and one of the depot allocation plates on her side sparkled in the sun. It was from Saltley MPD - notorious for being one of the hardest working depots on British Rail. “I get the job done, at all costs.”

Several days later

“Stephen, why the fuck is there a bagpiped 33 in my repair bay? And why does she look like you dragged her out of a scrap heap?” Leigh Hunt’s voice crackled over the phone. The head of the Crovan’s Gate diesel shops was a cantankerous old man who held very little respect for anyone who wasn’t a locomotive, and such exchanges were normal.

“Oh, Marina?” It had been several days, and Stephen was now much calmer about his mystery locomotive. “She’s one of ours.”

“I’d’ve never guessed. What am I doin’ to her? The usual?”

“If that’s what’s needed, then yes. She seems to be working perfectly, damage aside.”

“Ah was to ask about that - She’s bein’ awful tight lipped ‘bout that.”

“Then you know as much as I do, Leigh.”

“Huh. Figures. We’ll get ‘er done in a week so long as nothin’ calamitous happens. Oh, by the by, how’d ye swing one of these? London’s got it out for any type three that ain’t a tractor - I’m surprised she isn’t razorblades yet.”

Stephen sighed, not entirely sure how to explain this. “Sometimes, Leigh, you just come into engines…”

------------------------------------

July, 1992 - Crewe Electric TMD

“No, Hatt.” Bruce - the head of Crewe Electric Depot said in greeting.

“Bruce! You didn't even know what I was going to say!” Stephen protested.

“Don’t need to. You’ve been getting everything between hither and yon for your Nowhere Railway and I’ve not got a steam engine hiding under a cover or anything like that - I run an electric depot, in case you didn’t know.

“And that’s exactly why I called - you see, I have an electric branch in need of-”

“Absolutely not.” Bruce’s eyes widened at that. “I’ve barely got enough engines to go ‘round, and I’ve got those new leasing companies crawling up my arse every other day trying to inspect things! I do not need to go transferring assets off to your little hole in the ground!”

“Fair enough.” Hatt said as though Bruce hadn’t just massively insulted his region. Bruce wondered exactly how many phone calls he’d made in order for statements like that to go unnoticed. “Do you know of any other TMDs that might have excess motive power?”

“Not off the top of my head; the 91s and the 90s are sending everything else into out-of-use. You’d have to call around and see who’s got what on their storage lines - and that’s only if you need a locomotive.”

“That I do. You see, I’m in need of a higher-power unit to use for heavy goods services. A 90 would be perfect, but everyone I’ve spoken to has been reluctant to part with theirs.”

“Good luck with that.” Bruce scoffed. “I only have three of the damn things and I’m across the bloody railway line from the works! I’ve to make do with some clapped out 85s for the time being.”

He surveyed the yard as Hatt tried to wheedle a pair of ‘clapped out 85s’ from him. The electrics had been getting grubbier and sadder as the years had been going on - lack of maintenance expenditure from management, coupled with a lack of care (also from management - his crews hated not being able to fix something) had made the engines a damn sorry sight.

Sending them off to the Island of Woebegone Locomotives would be a mercy, really. He thought to himself, before stopping as something registered in the corner of his vision. He suddenly had an idea.

Hatt was still blathering on about how he ‘needed’ a suitable freight engine (don’t we all, Hatty), when Bruce cut him off. “Actually, I might be able to help you with your issue.”

“Do tell…”

“You still run the Island of Misfit Prototypes, right? Or have you finally gotten some standard stock?”

“I wouldn’t exactly characterize it as that-”

“Well you’d better,” Bruce sighed as he looked at a particularly sad-looking engine sitting by itself on the weed-filled out-of-use tracks. “‘Cause I’ve got one and she’s yours iffn’ ye want her.”

Crovan’s Gate Works - a week later

The engine had been towed in on an extremely delayed goods working - so delayed in fact, that the mainland diesel who had brought it to Barrow had run all the way down to Wellsworth under the cover of darkness in order to make every station stop. (The diesel had also been offered a place to stay the night, and had instead fled the Island as fast as he could! Perhaps the region’s new reputation was growing…)

As such, it was only in the dawning light of the morning that anyone from the North-Western Region actually saw what Crewe had sent them.

“Land’s sake!” Rolf Tedfield, the works manager said when he laid eyes on the engine. “She’s huge!”

“I will admit,” Stephen said as the two men walked over the sleepers, headed towards the engine. “I was not expecting such a… sizeable engine.”

“Not expecting - Stephen, you had this engine transferred! What did you think it was?”

The Fat Controller ignored him and approached the engine. While not the biggest engine in the world, there was a certain… mass to the engine, perhaps brought on by its bogies, that made it appear powerful; they were three-axle Co-Co trucks, instead of the smaller two axle Bo-Bo trucks that every other diesel and electric engine - save Delta - sat on. It also might have been the size of the engine - while no taller than the other engines, it was a good ten feet longer than Abbey and Dane - the Island’s other electric locomotives - and overall she looked heavier, faster, and burlier than most of the other engines on the Island. Painted in bright white Intercity livery, the engine’s name was stamped on a brass plate in the center: Avocet.

Already present at the engine - who hadn’t said a word the entire time, choosing instead to stare at them with bright blue eyes - was Mr. Williams, the chief electrical traction engineer for the works. In charge of maintenance for the railway’s small electric fleet, he was an excitable man with hair that stuck up in every direction. His first name was Emerson, but this was only theoretical, as he never used it, instead preferring a nickname that seemed appropriate both because of his chosen profession, and also because he’d electrocuted himself so many times that he could stick a penknife into a live electrical outlet with no adverse effects: Sparky.

“Sah!”He shouted, springing to his feet from where he’d been inspecting a traction motor. “Do you truly expect me to repair this engine? To turn this malfunctioning pumpkin of an aardvark into a carriage fit for the royal ball?”

The engine - Avocet - looked offended at that, but Stephen and Rolf were used to the man’s antics. “Yes, Sparky, I do intend for you to return this engine to traffic. Is that going to be a problem?” Stephen asked.

“Sah!” Sparky said, bounding around the engine like a man possessed by himself. “You have just asked me to accomplish what BR cannot - nay, what the manufacturer of this stock cannot! And turn her into a proper goods engine at the same time!”

“Can you do it or not?” Avocet finally lost patience with him, revealing that she spoke with a melodious London accent. “You’ve been bounding around here talking about thyristors and chopper circuits for twenty minutes! I’d very much like to not go into the out-of-use lines again, so out with it!”

“My Lady!” Sparky hopped around, balancing on one leg atop a rail. “I’ve only been asked to perform the impossible! Please allow me some room for gesticulation!” He didn’t sound put out over this.

“Emerson…” Rolf said quietly. “She’s new. Don’t drag this out.”

“Ah yes! Of course!” Sparky said, spinning himself on the rail so he faced the engine directly. “My lady, you have it on my word as an electrician and a gentleman that you will be operational post haste!”

With that, he spun around a third time before bowing deeply to both men and the engine. “Now, if you will pardon my absence, I must prepare my staff.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and bounded off towards the electric depot at the corner of the yard.

“Is he… always like this?” The engine asked, watching him bound across the rails like a stag prancing across a field. When he reached the building that said “CROVAN’S GATE TMD: ELECTRIC DIVISION”, he kicked the door open and disappeared inside with a flourish. “MEN! GATHER YOURSELVES! WE HAVE A CHALLENGE!” Echoed out from the open door, followed shortly thereafter by cheering from the staff within.

“Unfortunately yes.” Rolf said, burying his head in his hands. “But let it be known that he’s a very skilled electrical engineer… who most certainly would be fired if he wasn’t.”

This did not convince Avocet, and Stephen tried to be encouraging. “If it makes you feel any better, he is more excited than normal - we haven’t let him work on a prototype in a while.”

That did not help, and Rolf again had to calm the wide-eyed engine. “Ignore him - well, don’t, because he’s your controller - but for right now pay him no mind.”

He paused to give an innocent-looking Stephen a glare. “What he means is that we’ve only got a few electrics - most of whom are standard production units.”

This did calm the engine, for all of a moment, before her brows furrowed. “Most? Who’s the prototype? Did E2001 survive?”

“Ward - our Class 370.” Stephen said blithely. “You will meet him in time.”

Avocet stared at him. “No. No. You do not have an APT on this pokey little island!”

--------------------------------

January 1993 - Peel Godred

“Stephen, what is that?” Gareth choked out.

The Fat Controller looked over at the suddenly-red representative from BR’s head office. “What is what?”

“That!” The man sputtered, pointing towards the passenger train that had rolled out of the tunnel and was coming to a stop at the platform.

Stephen blinked. “That’s Ward - he’s our class 370.”

Gareth choked some more. “Class 370?! You daft old man, that’s an APT! We scuppered that program a decade ago! What’s it doing here?!”

“Running our 13:30 passenger service, by the looks of it.”

“Don’t you play coy with me! That trainset was supposed to be withdrawn and scrapped! Not shuffled off to your little island fiefdom! You’ve still got three months before we’re free of you, and we will not let that thing keep running!”

The uppity young corporate drone continued raving like this for some minutes, promising that a large amount of inevitable doom would come down upon the heads of the Region’s managers as soon as he got back to London.

When he reached a lull in his threatening, a much sterner Stephen Hatt drew his attention back to the platform of the station, where a crowd had now gathered, looking at the two men in the station’s carpark. “Aside from the fact that you are now causing a scene, I would like to remind you that Avocet was transferred to us with the full cooperation and knowledge of London.”

“Avocet- what? - WHAT?!” The man shouted as he turned around to look at the platform again, almost jumping out of his tailored suit in the process.

There was no APT at the platform any more. Instead, Avocet was running around a few coaches, giving the younger man the evil eye as she did so. “You would do well to calm down,” She said in her snootiest accent as she rolled past. “Excitement is unbecoming of you.”

Gareth looked like the rug had been ripped out from under him, and frantically looked around the yard for any sign of the train that had been there just moments ago. It did not calm him to find nothing other than Abbey and Dane, who were backing a long string of wagons across the yard switches and into the sidings for the Alumina Plant.

He continued sputtering and shaking for several more minutes before he left, leaving Stephen in the carpark and stalking across the street towards a pub.

Everyone waited until the door to the establishment slammed shut, before collectively exhaling a sigh of relief.

“Am I ever glad we’re going private…” Avocet muttered.

“Glory, that was one of the worst ones yet.” Abbey sighed. “Thank you for going along with it sir.”

“Not a problem.” Stephen said. “I will admit, I had thought your… protectiveness of Ward to be somewhat unusual, but I can see that it’s not undue at all.”

“I’m just glad that we managed to find something big enough to hide me behind!” Ward called from behind Abbey and Dane’s train. “Normally it doesn’t work.”

“That’s because you’ve got me now,” Avocet said seriously. “The three of you could get lost in an empty shed with a map.” She looked over at Stephen. “I’m the brains of this line, sir.” She said without a hint of cheek.

Almost unconsciously, Stephen turned to the others. On the main line, such a statement would bring forth a host of jeers and corrections, but Abbey and Dane were all smiles.

“Yep!” Abbey Chirped.

“And most of the brawn.” Said Dane.

“Don’t forget the looks!” Called Ward. “At least a quarter of that!”

Stephen shook his head. Once they were free of BR, he’d have to spend more time on the branches!

-------------------------------------------------

2 April 1993 - Barrow-in-Furness

It was almost midnight, but the yard was alive with music, engines, and lights. It seemed like half the Island had made their way out to the mainland to watch as the first step in BR’s privatisation took place.

A stage had been assembled at the station throat, and many speeches had been made. Coffee was flowing liberally, and members of the press were on hand.

Many of the engines had elected to attend: Those who remembered the time before BR like Gordon, Edward, Henry, and Toby, and those who had never experienced anything but, like Delta, Bear, and Daisy, were all parked end-to-end in the station platforms. In the yard, those who had been saved by the Fat Controller from BR, like BoCo, Marina, Avocet, Douglas, Donald, and Oliver sat with baited breath; they held no fond memories of BR, and were waiting to be rid of it.

At twenty minutes to midnight, a quick headcount was performed of all the engines and staff who were in attendance - namely to make sure they were on the correct side of the station!

At ten minutes to midnight, The Fat Controller ordered a track crew to sever the tracks on the “mainland” side of the station.

It took several minutes to unbolt the rails and lift them out of the way, and at two minutes to midnight, Sodor was officially separated from the mainland rail network.

At one minute to midnight, a countdown began, while the stationmaster and his staff began pulling down BR logos from the station. The largest sign was a light-up model on a pole above the carpark, and when they thought nobody was looking, Leigh Hunt and several others from Crovan’s Gate retreated outside, pulling an air rifle from the back of Leigh’s BMW.

He took aim at Thirty Seconds to Midnight.

The first three shots missed. Twenty Seconds.

The next two chipped holes in the BR arrows. Ten seconds.

The next one opened up the hole to the point where the bulb could be seen. Five seconds.

As the crowd in the station began counting down from five, Leigh took aim once more, and fired.

The station clock struck midnight, drawing jubilant cheers and deafening whistles and horn blasts from the people and engines. Sodor was officially free from BR.

Stephen Hatt had taken a proffered bottle of champagne and shook it to the point where the cap would come off easily. At midnight, he popped the cap, and was quite surprised to hear a much louder BANG, followed by tinkling glass.

Looking around, he saw that the station sign had suddenly exploded. From where he was standing, Leigh and his celebrating conspirators were invisible.

Glancing down at the ‘magnum’ of champagne, Stephen decided not to question it any further, and poured himself a drink. “To the North Western Railway!” He shouted.

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infrastructure-weeks · 2 years

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Lembit: a submarine like a pre-WW 2 time capsule

This post is a little different in various ways: it is about a military ship (stretching the definition of “infrastructure”), it touches on political history and most importantly, it is the first time I could visit the subject of a post myself and take some photos of my own. This was made possible due to an internship at the Estonian Maritime Museum (Eesti Meremuuseum) which allowed me to see one of the highlights of the museum for free, the submarine Lembit, wonderfully preserved and mostly restored to its original pre-WW 2 interior.

Until it was carefully lifted out of water in 2011 and turned into a museum ship in the Lennusadam (Seaplane Harbor) part of the Estonian Maritime Museum, it was the oldest submarine still afloat, having been custom-built in 1935-1936 in England and in 1937 taking part in the coronation naval parade of King George VI before being transferred in the same year to the Republic of Estonia to patrol its long coasts and train sailors. It is the only boat of its pre-WW 2 navy that remains intact, having survived WW 2 (unlike its sister ship Kalev, after which the this class of submarines are called Kalev class submarines) and the years of German and Soviet occupation during and the Soviet occupation after it. After the regaining of independence of Estonia in the early 90s and before becoming an exhibition object, during 1992-1994 it oversaw the departure of former Soviet troops that the occupiers had stationed in the country. (For more historical context, see the Wikipedia article on the history of Estonia)

Visiting the submarine is a bit like traveling back in time, aside from some modern lighting, a few loudspeakers and some protective glass the submarine is still largely how it was during its early years of service in the late 1930s, with most of the Soviet alterations (such as a training pool installed in it at one point) removed during restoration works in the 21st century. The new resting spot in the museum not only makes it possible to view the submarine from unusual angles that would usually require diving, but also protects the vessel against further corrosion.

Built by the Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. company in Britain by British workers and Estonian naval personnel under the (according to contemporary British statements) enthusiastic oversight of Estonian experts, the submarine has a number of special features. It was able to move through thin ice, which was needed due to large parts of the Baltic Sea regularly freezing over during the winter.

Furthermore, it could lay special mines designed in Estonia, possesses an anti-aircraft gun manufactured in Sweden as well as a machine gun, and, unusually, could fire two types of torpedoes, which were measuring 5.86/7 m (19.2/23 ft) in length and weighing 910/1565 kg. Eight could be on board in total, stored in the room at the bow (the front) of the ship, where also a majority of the personnel slept (16 out of 29-30, not counting officers).

The ship itself is 59.5 m (195 ft 3 inch) long and could displace 665 tons of water when surfaced and 853 tons when submerged. Next to the torpedo room is the saloon of the officers with more comfortable beds with curtains, the captain’s cabin (the only one to have a dedicated cabin) as well as a table with chairs and a bathroom restricted to the four officers onboard.

Neighboring the living room of the officer is the control room. It contains the steering wheel, a periscope, a desk with a map of the waters, the radio room, the galley (the kitchen) of the ship as well as numerous other devices and objects. Notable is that the water sink has two water taps, a sign that the ship was built in Britain.

The two photos on the top show the control room seen coming from the bow, whereas the third photo shows the view coming from the opposite side, where the engine room is located. The submarine has two diesel and two electric engines onboard and could stay underwater for about a day at a maximum depth of 90 m (295 ft).

While surfaced, it could endure up to 28 days away from coasts or support ships and its range was 2,800 nautical miles (5185.6 km/3222.2 miles) surfaced and 90 nautical miles (166.7 km/103.6 miles) submerged. These lengths were however significantly reduced if going at maximum speed (8.5 knots / 15.7 km/h submerged and 13.7 knots / 25.4 km/h surfaced).

Topmost picture: The engine room, coming from the stern (the back) of the submarine. Second photo from top shows a similar view, here one of the electric engines is also clearly visible in the lower left corner. Second photo from the bottom: Controls of the electric engines. Bottommost photo: The diesel engines.

The last room had additional beds for sailors, additional devices and machinery as well as the toilet of the sailors and chests with their personal belongings.

Further reading:

Introduction on the homepage of the museum

Arto Oll: Allveelaevad Kalev ja Lembit / Submarines Kalev and Lembit (2019)

Arto Oll: Kalev ja Lembit. Eesti allveelaevade lugu (2017)

Uboat.net: Allied Warships of WW II, Lembit

Image sources:

Black/white photos: Unknown author, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Color photos: Photos released into the public domain by Wikimedia Commons user MKFI (interior photo of the museum, torpedo room overview, saloon, diesel engines and controls of the electric engines) and photos taken by the author.

#waterways #submarines #military #military history #political history #personal visits

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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The Losers: Chris Evans, Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana’s Forgotten Superhero Movie

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Even The Losers get lucky sometimes. Before the DCEU was formed to compete against the ever-expanding, cash cow that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the approach at Warner Bros. was far looser. With the booming business of comic book adaptations in full swing, the studio was throwing money at several eclectic comic book titles like Watchmen and Jonah Hex, trying to stay competitive and seemingly more adult than their rivals. Hence before leaving to create his own superhero project, Hancock, wrier-director Peter Berg started penning an adaptation of DC/Vertigo’s The Losers, bringing in French director Sylvain White to helm the picture.

Produced by Joel Silver, The Losers centered on a team of elite, black-ops Special Forces operatives betrayed by their handler. Director White connected with the material immediately.

“What appealed to me about The Losers was that it wasn’t the typical superhero-with-superpowers thing,” White told MTV. “It was based on real characters—realistic characters—and based in reality, like a lot of the European graphic novels that I had grown up reading.” The director worked with creators Jock and Andy Diggle to refine the script and lend their expertise with design to give the film a distinct visual palette that changes with new locations.

Frequent Silver collaborator Idris Elba was cast as Captain William Roque, with the cast being rounded out by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, coming off his turn as The Comedian in the studio’s adaptation of Watchmen, Zoe Saldana, fresh off of starring in the highest-grossing film of all-time, Avatar, Chris Evans, still mainly known for playing the Human Torch in Fox’s early Fantastic Four films, and rising actor Columbus Short. While current audiences would go on to become intimately familiar with most of this cast, their names didn’t generate enough buzz in 2010 to get folks into the theater. The Losers only made about $30 million on a $25 million budget.

Of course a tepid response at the box office does not mean that a movie is destined for obscurity. Just recently hitting Netflix and ready to capitalize off its now A-list cast, The Losers is currently the most popular film on the streaming service. Besides the even greater interest in comic book properties, the cast of The Losers have gone on to such success that they revitalized interest in one of DC’s almost-forgotten adaptations. Let’s look at where the cast of The Losers have been since the film’s release in 2010 to explain the sudden spike in love.

Idris Elba

While Elba, a star of British television via Luther, had already made an impression with American audiences by 2010 thanks to 28 Weeks Later, Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, and a guest stint on The Office, Elba’s star would rise considerably after his appearance in The Losers. In 2011, Elba would join the MCU as Heimdall in Thor, who’s role in the Thor films would expand as the franchise progressed. Elba would also pop up in prominent roles in blockbusters like Prometheus, Pacific Rim, The Jungle Book, and Star Trek Beyond. Away from blockbusters though he really broke out with a SAG-winning performance in Beasts of No Nations, and starring in fare like Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game.

More recently, Elba stole scenes away from Jason Statham and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the villain in Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw. Finally, things have come a bit full circle for Elba, as he’s set to appear in another DC adaptation over 10 years after The Losers, portraying Bloodsport in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

In 2010, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was probably most well-known for his roles on television in series like Supernatural and Grey’s Anatomy. That all changed after Morgan was cast in an adaptation of the “unfilmable” graphic novel Watchmen as The Comedian. While his time onscreen in the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons adaptation was minimal, bringing such an iconic comic book character to life earned Morgan a deeper cachet with the Comic-Con crowd. Morgan would work steadily in films like The Possession and the Red Dawn remake, but he arguably made a bigger impact on television portraying yet another iconic comic book character on AMC’s The Walking Dead, Negan.

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Morgan received critical acclaim for his portrayal of the villainous Negan upon his debut, earning the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series, MTV Movie and TV Award for Best Villain, and Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television. He’s been going steady as Negan since while doing other occasional comic-con friendly projects like Rampage.

Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana was on top of the world in 2010, and in the time since, she’s only become more successful. After appearing in the buzzy Star Trek reboot in 2009 and a little film called Avatar, the former Center Stage star would go on to headline her own action film Colombiana. However, that would seem like small potatoes compared to what would come in 2014. Saldana was cast as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s riskiest adaptation to date. Would audiences get onboard with an off-beat space opera featuring C-tier Marvel characters? Turns out, yes. Gamora not only became the heart of the Guardians, but the character would feature prominently in the grand Phase 3 finales Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

In the shadow of that, Saldana has starred in more Star Trek sequels, an ill-advised TV remake of Rosemary’s Baby, and as Nina Simone in in Nina, a performance did come under fire for due to the lightness of her skin. Still, Saldana now has leading roles in the two highest grossing films of all-time, and is still expected to star in Guardians and Avatar sequels. Not too shabby.

Chris Evans

Speaking of the MCU, Chris Evans wasn’t floundering in 2010, but he did seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut, typecast as handsome smart alecks prior to The Losers. In fact, his big mainstream break is probably the less than classic spoof comedy, Not Another Teen Movie (2001); afterward he played Johnny Storm in Tim Story’s lukewarm Fantastic Four movies in the mid-2000s; in fact, arguably his most amusing role up to 2010 was when he appeared as a douchebag movie star in Edgar Wright’s genre-bending comedy, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010).

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That said, The Losers found him playing against type as an awkward tech expert. Perhaps his chance to show a different side of himself led to his life-changing role as Steve Rogers in the MCU’s Captain America. Anchoring the Avengers franchise for eight years, Chris Evans rose to the top of the A-list, and used that newfound celebrity to help get passion projects like Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer and Rian Johnson’s Knives Out made. Evans is one of the most popular celebrities on social media right now and looks to continue his profitable relationship with Disney by voicing Buzz Lightyear in the animated origin film, Lightyear.

Columbus Short

Perhaps the only member of the cast not to launch into the stratosphere after The Losers, Columbus Short has had a few issues that have prevented his rise. Short booked a role on the popular ABC series Scandal, but personal issues derailed his involvement in the show. In 2014, as part of a no-jail plea agreement, Short pled guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence and performed 30 hours of community service. Short also avoided jail by pleading no contest to a felony assault charge after throwing “a running punch” at his in-law during a family gathering at a bar.

In an interview with Access Hollywood Live, Short shared that substance abuse due to the stress of family issues and personal loss had led to his departure from Scandal. However, Short has appeared to move past his personal struggles and can next been seen portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Storyand returning as Quadir Richards in True to the Game 3.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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learning-to-think · 4 years

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August 9th 2020 || Sunday

I got up early enough to see the sunrise. My room isn't oriented in a way I can see the sun rising, but I saw the change of light on the clouds <3 I had 3h for myself, during which I rested a bit and studied German and Italian.

🌞 Summer studying challenge 🌞

Q - What was the last movie you watched?

The Last Witch Hunter, with Vin Diesel and Rose Leslie! Watched with my family. Not my favourite film at all, but I did like it.

31st July - What do you like most about the beach?

Hhhhh I guess I like that we usually go there unplanned, generally not during the Summer, so we don't have our bathing suits and all, so we just play in the lil waves with my brothers, getting our trousers/pants wet (both British English yes yes, at some point we take our trousers off to go deeper and the pants get wet xD). It's the little moments where we just play like children. Plus, the water might be cold, but the beach isn't crowded in October or April...

#thinking there #studyblr #langblr #summer studying challenge

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peashooter85 · 5 years

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Tanks of the Rising Sun Part III --- The Workhorse Tanks

In case you missed: Intro, Part I, Part II

By the mid to late 1930's the Imperial Japanese Army began to realize that their fleet of Type 89 medium tanks and small little tankettes were deficient and becoming obsolete. The Type 89 was too slow for mobile mechanized warfare while tankettes were under armored and could bring limited weaponry to bear. Thus resulted the creation of Japan's two primary workhorse tanks, the Type 95 Ha Go light tank and the Type 97 Chi Ha medium tank. Both would become the most numerous tanks found on battlefields in the Pacific.

As early as 1933 the IJA came to the conclusion that tankettes were not sufficient for modern combat and that a proper light tank was needed. In 1936 the IJA adopted the Type 95 Ha Go light tank, which would become Japan's most common light tank throughout the Second Sino Japanese War and World War II.

The Type 95 was 7.4 ton tank with a 120 horsepower 6 cylinder diesel engine which could propel it at a maximum speed of 45 kph. Small and nimble, it served the light tank role well, and because of it's small size was ideal for combat in dense Pacific jungles. It's 37mm gun, while smaller than the Type 89's 57mm gun, provided a higher velocity, giving it more penetrating power and thus making it more capable of combat with other armored vehicles. Secondary armament consisted of two 6.5mm machine guns, one in the hull and another in the turret. Later secondary armament would be upgraded to two 7.7mm machine guns. Like the Type 89 the Type 95 had an assymetrical turret with the machine gun mounted in the rear. One problematic flaw in the Type 95 was it's hand cranked turret, which had a sizeable gap between the hull and the turret. Crafty American GI's learned that the turret could be disabled by jamming a foreign object, such as a bayonet or even a rock, into the turret ring. In future tank designs the Japanese would do away with the asymmetrical turret because of this flaw. Armor was relatively thin, with 12mm of frontal armor, a 30mm gun mantlet, 12mm side armor, and 10mm rear armor. While this may seem like very thin armor, for combat in China it was more than sufficient. Crew consisted of 3; a commander who also served as gunner and loader, a driver, and machine gunner/radioman. The Type 95 would operate well in China, having to face against infantry and small numbers of light tanks or tankettes, however it's defficiencies would be laid bare at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviets.

The first Japanese clash against American tanks occured in December of 1941 during the invasion of The Philipinnes when a platoon of Type 95's ambushed a platoon of M3 Stuarts. Despite the M3 Stuart being an arguably superior tank, the Japanese crews were better trained, combat experienced, and had the element of suprise. As proven by a US Army study conducted post-war, in most tank vs. tank engagements the winning tank is the one who shoots first. As tank expert Nicholas Moran puts it, the one who shoots first is usually waiting in ambush and has the time to take a well aimed shot, while the crew of the tank recieving that shot is having "a significant emotional event". Regardless of this early victory, Allied introduction of of heavier tanks such as the British Matilda and American Sherman brought a swift end to Japanese tank dominance in the Pacific and the Type 95 would be particularly outclassed. During most of World War II Type 95's were easy cannon fodder for invading Allied forces.

In 1938 the IJA adopted a new tank as a replacement for aging and obsolete Type 89, the Type 97 Chi Ha. The Type 97 was a 14.7 ton medium tank powered by a 170 hp 12 cylinder diesel engine, giving it a maximum speed of 38 kph. This was a great improvement compared to the Type 89 which had a top speed of 28 kph. Armor was also improved, with 25mm of armor all around. The Type 97 Chi Ha used the same 57mm low velocity gun as the Type 89, with the intention of the Type 97 being used only for infantry support. Secondary armament consisted of a single hull mounted 7.7mm machine gun. The tank was operated by a 4 man crew; a commander who acted as gunner, a loader, a driver, and machine gunner/radioman.

Like the Type 95 Ha Go the Type 97 Chi Ha first saw combat in China during the Second Sino Japanese War and the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. After Germany blitzed across Europe in 1939-1940 the IJA decided that it needed to change it's armored warfare doctrine. Instead of tanks supporting the infantry, the Germans had proved that tanks were a potent offense weapon in their own right, and thus infantry should be supporting tanks. In addition, Japan’s short conflict with the Soviet Union and entry in World War II proved that Japanese tanks needed to be able to better handle combat engagements with other tanks. Thus in 1942 an improved model was adopted called the Type 97 Chi Ha Kai.

The low velocity 57mm gun was replaced with a longer barreled 47mm gun. While the 47mm gun was of smaller caliber, it had a higher muzzle velocity giving it more penetration against armor. The new uprade gave the Type 97 a fighting chance against American Shermans and British Matildas, but just barely. Regardless the Type 97 was still greatly outclassed by Allied tanks and were almost helpless against them in a head to head combat engagement. At best the Type 97′s 47mm gun might be able to penetrate the side or rear armor of a Sherman, but I doubt any Sherman were ever knocked out by a Chi ha Kai.

The Type 95 and Type 97 would serve as the backbone of Imperial Japanese armored forces, with around 2,300 Type 95's producted, 1,162 Type 97 Chi Ha's were produced, as well as 930 Type 97 Chi Ha Kai's. In the next few posts I'm going to briefly cover some interesting varients of the Type 95 and Type 97. Then I'm going cover how the Japanese attempted to catch up to Allied tank superiority.

To Be Continued...

#history #tanks #tank warfare #armored warfare #military history #world war ii #wwii #second sino Japanese war

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fromtheringapron · 4 years

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WWF In Your House V: Season’s Beatings

Date: December 17, 1995.

Location: Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Attendance: 7,289.

Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler.

Results:

1. Razor Ramon and Marty Jannetty defeated The 1-2-3 Kid and Sycho Sid (with Ted DiBiase).

2. Ahmed Johnson defeated Buddy Landel (with Dean Douglas).

3. Hog Pen Match: Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Henry O. Godwin. Hillbilly Jim was the special guest referee.

4. Owen Hart (with Jim Cornette) defeated Diesel via disqualification.

5. Casket Match: The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated King Mabel (with Sir Mo).

6. WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match: Bret Hart (champion) defeated The British Bulldog (with Jim Cornette and Diana Smith).

My Review

The fifth In Your House is a bizarrely entertaining show. At this point in time, the WWF knew they were in trouble. After all, 1995 was an incredibly rough year for the company from both a creative and financial perspective, and they were looking for anything that could catch fire. Thusly, we get this show, an odd mashup of caskets, hog pens, and evil Santas⏤and it somehow works. It’s a showcase for the WWF to throw stuff at a wall and see what sticks. Fortunately, with the exception of a messy Jeff Jarrett/Ahmed Johnson segment, most of it lands pretty well.

The In Your House concept was still a fairly new one at this time. Its early additions often focused on delivering a bunch of different things you couldn’t get from any other pay-per-view, all for a reasonably cheap price. This show is no exception, but its offerings feel a little more satisfying than usual. The WWF was still firmly ensconced in cartoon gimmickry by late ’95, and this show actually manages to bring the fun to match it. The Hog Pen match is obviously meant to be a bunch of tomfoolery, but the players involved revel in it. Hillbilly Jim as the special guest referee is a nice touch, though modern fans will definitely get more amusement from watching Triple H take part in something like this. The casket match between Mabel and The Undertaker is kept short and sweet. It’s a serviceable way to end the main event run of the former, whose ascent to the top proved to be one of 1995’s biggest missteps.

If those matches fit right in with the era, there’s also plenty of proof here of the WWF looking toward an edgier future. The homoeroticism of the Goldust character is really beginning to present itself and while there’s obviously a lot problematic with the storyline in a 2019 context, his lusting over Razor Ramon was new ground for the WWF, especially at a time when having gay characters on TV at all was a hot-button topic. The show’s most famous match is the main event between Bret Hart and The British Bulldog. You’d be remiss to expect something similar to their match at Summerslam ’92. It features one hell of a blade job by Bret, which may be the first instance of blood on WWF TV since WrestleMania VIII. Between this spot and him going through a table at the Survivor Series the month previously, Bret ultimately spearheaded quite a bit of the WWF’s edgier programming. It’s all the more ironic that he’d voice his displeasure at the raunchiness of the Attitude Era when he was one of the key figures in its creation.

The cherry on top is the debut of the WWF’s newest character, Xanta Klaus. Yes, that’s right: St. Nick turns heel on this show. Needless to say, the character didn’t last long, but it goes right along with a show that’s already so weird and off-kilter. And perhaps an even better thing is that this show’s runtime is just under two hours. It’s a fun, brisk watch and goes down like a smooth shot of peppermint Schnapps. It’s the right show for the holiday season, and everything a B-level pay-per-view should be.

My Random Notes

The In Your House theme is kind of a bop, no? I have a thing for pay-per-view themes that sound like the last thing you’d associate with wrestling and it really fits the bill. It’s got that blues sound you could only get in the ‘90s.

Triple H gets a gnarly cut on his back from the metal gate of the hog pen and once it gets mixed in with the mud, you have something that really makes my stomach turn.

Speaking of HHH, surely there’s gotta be more than one person out there who can say they chatted with him on the WWF Superstar hotline while he was covered in pig shit. If you’re out there, please report your experience here!

Given how old dark matches are popping up out of the WWE video archives all the time now, I hope one day we can see the absurdity of Barry Horowitz, Hakushi, and The Smoking Gunns defeating Yokozuna, Issac Yankem, and The Bodydonnas in eight-man tag action. The In Your House dark matches were pretty weird on paper, in general.

So, Double J’s return here: what was up with that? He walked out at the height of his push in the summer of ’95 and then showed back up because he felt like it, I guess? And then he left again a month later because he also felt like it? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the full story there.

I mentioned the Jarrett/Ahmed segment being a huge mess, and I stand by that, but the transition into the Ahmed/Landell match is way worse. I actually had to Google the name of the ring announcer (it’s Manny Garcia). He completely ruins the surprise by announcing Landell before he’s even revealed as Dean Douglas’ surprise replacement. With that said, I do appreciate the effort WWF made in time traveling 10 years in the past to steal Buddy Landell from the NWA. The Monday Night Wars were crazy like that.

Ah, yes, an entire VHS dedicated to cheat codes for WrestleMania: The Arcade Game. I’ll be sure to pop that in the ole VCR after I watch Jennifer Anniston and Matthew Perry teach me how to use Windows ’95.

It’s practically public knowledge by now, but Diesel in the last six months of his WWF run is absolutely who he should’ve been for the entirety of his world title run. I really hate to throw the ole “shades of gray” line out there, but Diesel’s character here was ahead of the game in terms of being the type of tweener that would be in abundance on the roster during the Attitude Era.

#wwe network #holidays #christmas #bret hart #the undertaker

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mean-scarlet-deceiver · 3 years

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📂📂📂

Haha, I had not reblogged the "folders" ask meme this go-round... but thank you nevertheless, I'm game. Though, if its okay, I'm going to summarize three of the headcanons from some of my longer and older posts that I think many followers have not yet seen.

1. All machinery can communicate to other machinery in its own way. The degree to which they can speak humans' language depends on their bond with humans in general. The Sodor engines are so acculturated to humans that they have largely lost the art of this silent communication among their own, but most engines would retain it. It adds to the creepy factor of early dieselisation for them. Darling idiots forgot that this sort of meaningful low hum was a Thing.

Also, fun fact about talking to steam engines in particular: They are pretty literal and blunt. If you ask them a question, you better be prepared to hear an honest answer! (This is basically canon, according to Awdry, who spoke of diesels being uncommunicative but steam engines being extroverted and spending most of their time complaining of how they're mistreated.)

2. The mass-production of poorly-socialised 08s flooding the shunting yards of the country led to a lot of steam/diesel tension. There was bad behavior on both sides, but with the result that quite a few 08s learned some very Machiavellian payback. We're talking they would absolutely connive to get particular steam engines that they hated picked for the next round of scrapping (in more genteel language, to get them "sent away").

When Duck and the Diesel Engine published one of the signature 08 moves for all the world to see, it sparked an outbreak of aggressions between steam and diesel engines. The summer of '57 is often referred to as a "civil war." This might be slightly overdramatic, but there were several casualties, engine and human.

British Railways came down hard to stamp down the unrest into a general dull resignation and resentment on both sides—but especially on the steam side.

Our main line diesel characters, like BoCo and Bear, were built only after the "civil war." (Daisy, bless her, was mostly oblivious.)

3. I imagine Tornado to have been visiting Sodor annually since 2015. She is not haughty by nature, but she is hot-blooded and impulsive. After some initial hazing (Tornado was so. furious!), Tornado found that the rougher-and-readier atmosphere on the N.W.R. was a really great outlet for her more fiery side. She is now very well-liked there. After showing him up, she has forgiven but not forgotten James's initial hazing; they are now playful frenemies. She has not forgiven Donald and Douglas... mainly because she did not, in fact, manage to show them up.

To add to this last, one brand-new HC below:

As the "heritage steam" movement, erm (sorry) gathered steam, so did a new custom among the engines, who more and more often were able to maintain long-distance friendships.

Sending someone a toy model of yourself became a sort of calling card/token of great affection. City of Truro was one of the earliest adoptees, sending one to Duck in the 60s and also asking whenever was the Fat Controller going to get on making arrangements for Sodor merchandise?

Duck and Stepney also popularised this trend, showing off each other's models to visitors and proudly saying that the other had sent it themselves. Lots of engines overheard and were inspired to follow suit.

As you might imagine, Thomas soon acquired the most prolific collection of this sort of high-end engine postcard. There is no longer much room on his wall of Ffarquhar sheds for tools due to increasing need for display cases! He maintains a prolific "correspondence" with friends home and abroad in this way.

Gordon sent a model of an A1 painted in N.W.R. livery (this was before the Sodor engines had their own models) and then modded up with a cowcatcher and other American accouterments, sending it to Scotsman when he was touring the U.S. Then he wondered if he had been very silly. Scotsman was rather busy being bankrupt for a while, but much later he sent back a Scotsman model, two tenders and all, also in N.W.R. blue... and missing its dome.

Etc. Apart from the dome thing, lots these exchanges are of themselves customised in the other's livery. There are lots of variations on this trend, though. It's all pretty cute.

This, incidentally, is why there were so many "one-off" characters in the HiT era. Yes, it was just for the toys, but that was often the motive for the engines to get themselves written into the show! The characterisation was usually way off, but these are all real Sodor engines—among the "nameless 80" that had not wanted to participate in the RWS/TTTE before, due to shyness or privacy or other reasons. But by circa 2000 they became increasingly eager to have their own models made so that they could also send these sort of gifts to their friends, and by far the easiest way for that to happen was to go through HiT/Mattel!

#ttte #thomas the tank engine #ttte headcanon #the railway series #this is ttte #ttte diesel #ttte tornado #ttte gordon #ttte flying scotsman #ttte thomas #ttte stepney #ttte duck #ttte city of truro

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divas-k · 6 years

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Dress to Oppress – Walls and Overalls

Today, we unravel the threads of time and tradition, and weave a new norm.

The dilemma of deciding what to wear is universal. But in an age where gender and sex are spectrums rather than definite lines, we must re-examine the stereotypes (‘tom-boy’, ‘slutty’, ‘sanskari’) we have woven with respect to the clothing choices of those around us. Furthermore, questions like “Who wears the pants in your relationship?” only deepen the scars of prejudice, and misguided notions of masculinity and/or power. Such erroneous judgments continue in assigning gender and/or sex to colours. While in the early 20th century, the trade publication Earnshaw’s Infants’ Department, mentioned that “pink, being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.”, by the 1940s, the tide had turned altogether. However, regardless of this timeline, an earnest plea to the reader would be to leave the rainbow alone.

Then, there are those who advocate ideals of equality and freedom of choice, and admonish men wearing dresses (read Jaden Smith at prom), all in the same breath. Say, if a woman wore a tuxedo to her wedding, one would witness all dainty facades of acceptance and support flying off the shelves. Admittedly, open-mindedness is easier in theory than in practice, and hypocrisy a smoother path to traverse than honesty. The question is- are you willing to take the road less travelled?

Further, dear reader, recall the stunning, overexposed shots of testosterone-fueled, muscled men, armed with spears and shields, skin slick with sweat, clad in plumed helmets and fustanellas (a traditional Greek skirt) in Zack Snyder’s dramatic fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae within the Persian Wars. Fixated as you may be on the seeming juxtaposition in the above description, of brave men wearing skirts, I shall clarify, that I speak of the box office success, ‘300’.

Moreover, consider the Scottish, who, in donning the kilt, were concerned with convenience and comfort for their male warriors and employed several practical uses of the garment- apart from shielding one’s body from nature and clothing one’s frame. The kilt could serve as a camping blanket, and was worn over a full-sleeved garment stopping below the waist (léine); loose-fitting, it enabled the wearer to make distant, long marches with agility and to wade through rivers. The upper half could be worn as a cloak over the shoulder, or brought up over the head for protection against the weather. Now, as queer (in more ways than one) as it may seem for some, to witness warriors donning an article of clothing reserved for the ‘weaker’ sex, when you come to think of it, it may be wiser and more comfortable for males to don skirts and females to wear pants, for obvious anatomical reasons.

Having said that, one should be free to clothe themselves as they see fit, regardless of the anatomy of their body. This free will is embodied in Megan Fox’s parenting style, whereby she abstains from enforcing stereotypical dress-codes for her children; in conversation with Jimmy Kimmel, she mentioned how her son, Noah, likes to wear dresses sometimes. Parents all over the world should take notes from the Transformers star, who said, “…there are no rules- you can be whatever you want to be in my house!” Moreover, skirts have made their way into men’s fashion through celebrities; Jared Leto, David Beckham, David Bowie, Jaden Smith, Kanye West and Vin Diesel have all worn skirts proudly.

Why, though, must we view these developments as achievements to be proud of, rather than commonplace occurrences that are treated with normalcy? I suppose we have, indeed, come full circle- where once, Luisa Capetillo and Katherine Hepburn went against the tide and donned trousers, the garment of revolt (the former went to jail for the supposed ‘crime’, though charges were dropped later), the dawn of the twenty first century brings with it the campaign for men to freely wear ‘feminine’ clothes. This is baffling, juxtaposed with the fact that cultures across the world started out with simple, flowy, dress-like garments meant for both the sexes - from the Roman toga, to the Indian lungi, and the Japanese kimono (to name but a few) - which were differentiated and altered into gender-specific clothes. Having said that, the response to the present hue and cry for gender-neutral clothing has not been met satisfactorily; despite the promise of equality, the unisex garment has essentially been of a ‘masculine’ style. Needless to say, we have miles to go in this area.

But clothes aren’t where it all ends; cosmetics form an integral component of fashion trends and the way one wears them (or doesn’t, depending on one’s preferences) reflects a person’s projection of themselves as much as their clothes do. Men have found their footing in the cosmetics industry, debunking the myth that makeup can’t be ‘macho’. This comes amid a larger investigation into traditional gender boundaries in fashion and beauty, alongside the growth of internet-famous beauty fanatics who have built followings via social media. Take, for instance CoverGirl’s latest face, James Charles, 17, a high school senior from Bethlehem, N.Y., with nearly 650,000 followers on Instagram and over 90,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel. Following suit, Maybelline unveiled their first ever male model, Manny Gutierrez, the 25-year-old “beauty boy”, with a whopping 3 million followers on Instagram and 2.1 million YouTube subscribers.

And then there is the eventful history of high-heels. From Medieval Persia to Carrie Bradshaw, the elevated shoe has come a long way. Initially donned by Persian noblemen as riding shoes, the heel enabled a steadier stance so that the rider could shoot his arrow more effectively while standing up in the stirrups. European royals took notice when Persian monarch, Shah Abbas went to tour European courts around the 1500s. And so the Persian style shoes were adopted by the aristocracy who felt it lent their demeanor a masculine edge, until it was eventually taken over by women.

Cut to the present, where more men are adopting the style originally meant for them, dispelling invisible boundaries and gender norms. In 2014, Yanis Marshall auditioned for the talent show Britain’s Got Talent; the part French, part British dancer combined his passion for dance and his undying love for high heels, and along with his two friends Arnaud and Mehdi, won the hearts of everyone who was watching. Sure-footed (in 6-inch heels, no less) and sassy as can be, the trio stunned the crowd and received nothing but adoration and respect from the judges, with their up-beat and bold moves on numbers by the Spice Girls and Beyoncé, among others. When asked why he dances in high heels, Yanis replied with the same answer he has always uttered, i.e.- “Why not?”

And truly, that is a question we must all ask ourselves. Why can’t men wear high heels? Why must make-up be withheld from the masculine? Why should women worry about being looked down upon for wearing a tuxedo instead of a dress? Can the walls we see around us be crossed and broken? More importantly, who built them to begin with? In part, we all are culprits, and these walls stand testament to our crime. Every naysayer has placed a brick and a dollop of mortar. It seemed a small contribution at the time- but then, no individual water drop holds itself responsible for the flood.

And while, as a general rule, things are easier to break than build- these walls are standing exceptions. We must all resolve to make a small indent, to chisel away yet another bit of prejudice, and to bury away our notions, in order to break the walls that separate us from each other, and ourselves. For, there are those amongst us who do not identify as either male or female- everything is not, after all, simply black or white. But this human tendency, an obsession almost, to put things into neat, tiny little boxes, has imprisoned some of our own; the breaking of these walls may be the first step for some of us to see ourselves in the clear light of day and do justice to who we truly are.

After all, walls are only so good as long as they protect and support us. But when they begin separating us from reality, and each other, it’s time to start considering cutting a few doors into them. And even if we don’t find the courage to cross those doors immediately, at least we’d have let in a bit of light from the other side.

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joezworld · 4 years

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More Sodor Shenanigans

Not every prank on Sodor involves strategically used F-bombs. Sometimes your appearance is enough...

2015

“No! An’ that’s final! I hate paper mache an’ you know it!” Douglas said finally as Henry rolled into the shed.

“What is it now you two?” He asked - hoping he wouldn’t be involved in yet another daft argument about some intricate Scottish custom.

“The daft basterd over here disnae’ like my idea of a halloween costume!” Grumbled Siobhan. She’d been driving Donald and Douglas since the early 90′s, and the trio were so used to each other that they acted like they were fathers and daughter rather than engines and driver. Including the arguments.

“What costume?” Henry asked, wearily - he really didn’t want to be the replacement for Donald in tonight’s bickering.

“I wan’ to do this wit’ him or Donnie and they both think it’s daft!” Siobhan stuck her ‘smart-phone’ in front of Henry’s face. A looping video was playing, showing an engine dressed up as a “ghost train”. The costume was quite frightening, and looked like it would scare children and adults alike.

Henry told Siobhan this and she threw up her hands in irritation. “It’s a halloween costume ya great green wedge! O' course it’s supposed to be scary! People are supposed to get the piss scared out o’ themselves!”

“Well, I don’t think that sounds very fun.” Henry said finally.

“Lands sake! You’re all a bunch o’ sissies!” Siobhan finally gave up and went home, grumbling the whole way.

Douglas chuckled as she left, and went to speak to Henry. Before he could so, he was rudely interrupted by the arrival of James and Gordon, who had decided that ‘waiting until they got into the shed to start an argument’ was out of date, and were therefore already bickering as they pulled in.

The details of their argument were so mind-numbingly stupid that they don’t bear repeating, but they managed to keep going all through the night.

Douglas and the other engines managed to eventually tune them out, and fell asleep around midnight.

Henry, on the other wheel, was a very light sleeper on a good day, and was acutely aware of exactly when the Dynamic Duo stopped arguing.

It was at 2:30 in the morning.

The Flying Kipper left at 3:15.

As Henry blearily backed down onto his train at the docks, he began to plot an idea for revenge.

Later that morning, Henry cracked open an eyelid as Siobhan wandered in to raise Douglas’ fire.

“Siobhan - about that Halloween costume...”

October 30th

A good prank was not done alone, and Henry made sure to rope in Bear to ensure maximum efficacy.

He chose the diesel hydraulic because unlike Edward and BoCo, who both had massive reserves of Tact and would therefore skimp on the truly messed up scary stories, Bear had no opposition to scaring the unprepared into a frightened, whimpering, traumatized stupor.

It was actually a quite horrifying story that Bear ended up telling - about an (hopefully fictional) engine that was caught in a chemical spill, and was forcibly mutated into a ghostly monster as result - and Henry had to school his expression so as to not appear like a psychopath when he gleefully realized exactly how scared James and Gordon were.

Halloween

On the night in question, everything was ready. Siobhan and her husband had spent most of the last week manufacturing a large amount of decorations that could be mounted to Henry’s boiler and tender, along with a giant, skull shaped mask that fit over Henry’s smoke box. It had red lights in the ‘eyes’ and belched ‘smoke’ from a fog machine under the jawbone. Henry saw himself in a reflection and agreed with the stationmaster’s assessment that he looked like he’d escaped from the bowels of hell.

A whistle had been sourced from America - a loud, deep, “hooter whistle” that the ‘ebay listing’ had said could be heard for miles.

Finally, as the sun fell, Henry was ready.

Siobhan had managed to get Henry on an empty stock train from the Crovan's Gate Works all the way to Arlesburgh, meaning that they’d pass through Tidmouth just as the other engines were returning for the night. (Dulcie and Isobel were thrilled to take part, and assured the pranksters that they knew how to scream and wail like they were being eaten - much to Siobhan’s delight!)

Just as the sun set, the signal dropped, and train 666 left the works, bound for Arlesburgh via all 7 Circles of Hell.

Their first “victim” came much sooner than they’d planned - roaring around the blind curve near Kellsthorpe Road station in a whoosh of steam, a high-pitched scream could be heard from the ‘up’ line. As his vision cleared, Henry could see a line of High-Speed coaches roll by, and realized that he must have given Pip or Emma a huge fright.

“Sorry!” He whistled to the other power car - he thought it was Emma - as he went by.

Of course, Henry hadn’t realized exactly how frightening his new whistle was, and proceeded to scare Emma just as much as he had Pip.

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!” Was the only response he got as the HST sped up and raced out of sight.

Henry felt a little bad - he had no quarrel with the HST - but Siobhan, who could barely see through her laughter-induced tears, thought it was hilarious.

Next up was Wendell, the works diesel.

He had been hauling a rake of hoppers back to the works, and saw something coming towards him on the ‘down’ line.

It whistled hello at him in a deep, demonic pitch, looked at him with beady red eyes, and whooshed smoke at him as it rolled by.

Wendell stopped where he was - and neither he, nor his trucks, nor his crew, said much of anything for the rest of the night. The rescue engine sent out for them tried to get answers out of them, and only got: “I saw the devil, and he greeted me like a friend...”

At Knapford, Daisy was taking part in the station’s annual trick or treat festivities, when The Train roared past.

The children were delighted to see an engine taking part in the costume competition, and immediately decided to award the ‘scariest costume award’ to the mystery engine.

Nobody noticed until much later that Daisy had been so frightened that she’d burst an oil line.

Tidmouth

The station’s annual Halloween celebrations were in full swing, and the humans were enjoying themselves.

The engines? Not so much.

“What a bunch of hoopla over nothing!” Grumbled Gordon. “Why would anyone ever admit to being scared?”

“And why would anyone ever want to hide what they look like?” James said, clearly more horrified at the thought of people being unable to see his shiny red paint and dashing facial structure.

“Because not all of us are emotionally bereft sticks-in-the-mud like you two.” Said Bear thinly. He had dressed up - in full British Rail Diesel Locomotive Green with the Double Arrow logo - and was very annoyed that none of his coworkers had noticed.

“Aye.” Said Donald, who was eying the festivities with suspicion. Siobhan hadn’t made an appearance yet, meaning that she either wasn’t showing up - a statistical improbability - or she’d found someone to rope into her daft ‘ghost train’ idea.

“I will say, Gordon,” Put in Duck. “For someone who speaks so definitively on not being scared, you seemed very frightened last night.”

“Stow it.” The blue engine snapped. “You were scared too!”

“Yes I was, and I admitted it.” Duck said. “Although I believe you just admitted it as well...”

“Why you!” Gordon wheeshed and dissapeared in a cloud of steam.

On the platform, The Fat Controller (the third) stared at the engine yards.

“I do wish that more of the engines would get into the spirit of things.” He said to his wife, who was struggling to contain her mirth at the clash between her husband’s dour face and his absurd clown costume.

“Just leave them Stephen,” She said. “Halloween isn’t for everyone.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re r- what the dickens?!”

He was cut off as a very loud whistle sounded in the distance.

It was long, it was low, it was loud, and it was ghostly.

It stole the attention away from everything else in the area, and drew eyes to the station throat.

In the yard, most of the engines began babbling to each other about something - they were inaudible over the confused murmuring of the crowd. Stephen noted that the only ones who didn’t seem frightened were Bear and the Scottish twins, who seemed eager and disbelieving, respectively.

As they passed through the final signal before the station, Siobhan couldn’t help but keep a smile on her face. “Ready Henry?!” She said as she pulled down her skeleton face mask.

“Let’s do this!”

“Atta boy!” She crowed as she hauled back on the whistle cord, allowing the American whistle to bellow its haunting note across Tidmouth.

Her fireman grabbed the paint-pot full of sawdust and chucked it into Henry’s firebox, while Dulcie and Isobel began screaming like banshees.

Henry, overcome with the absurdity of the situation, began cackling like an engine possessed as he rolled into sight of the platforms.

It was a train. Right?

Right?

Stephen Hatt couldn’t be sure as the demonic, skull-faced, fire spouting monster rolled through Tidmouth. It was cackling madly, and hauling a train of the damned that squealed and shrieked as it went by. The monster, crewed by skeletal beings, rolled through the freight platforms without stopping, its glowing red eyes casting odd shadows on the terrified partygoers.

He was sure that people were screaming, but the beastly whistle emanating from the ‘train’ was so loud that he couldn’t be sure.

When it finally passed, disappearing into the distance like the Flying Dutchman of old, dead silence reigned over the platform.

Then, a child somewhere on platform two spoke up: “That was bloody amazing!”

The platform broke out in cheers, and Stephen collapsed onto a bench.

“Did you plan that?” His wife whispered in his ear.

“No!” He said at last.

The shed

Gordon and James eventually stopped screaming around midnight, falling into a whimpering fugue state before finally passing out.

Duck was paralyzed with fear, and the next morning he had to be hauled out of the shed and pushed onto his train before he started moving again.

BoCo - who had been sleeping in the back of the shed, woke the next morning and told his co-workers about the horrible nightmare he’d had that night. When he was informed that it was no mere nightmare, he left the shed a wide-eyed, quiet, and subdued engine.

A visiting diesel from a mainland freight company who had been parked by the diesel pumps said nothing for the remainder of his time on the island. When his story was confirmed by an equally frightened Pip and Emma in Barrow the next morning, he left the island, never to return. His tale of the ‘Ghost Train of Sodor’ spread far and wide across the British Isles.

Donald and Douglas, who noticed that the ‘demon train’ looked a lot like Henry, said nothing that night. The next day they privately told Henry that it was the greatest prank they’d ever seen, and never turned down one of Siobhan’s Halloween ideas again.

Bear was amazed to see one of his scary stories come to life, and was practically beside himself with pride at a job well done.

Arriving at Arlesburgh about half an hour later, Henry was greeted by horrified screams from Oliver - before he passed out in fright - and astonished looks from the small railway engines, who immediately knew it was Henry and demanded to know how he did it.

Siobhan showed their controller the video she’d based the costume on, swore the small engines to secrecy, and was able to remove most of Henry’s decorations before Oliver woke back up.

Isobel and Dulcie laughed themselves silly at a prank well pulled, and all parties settled down for a well-deserved sleep.

The next day

“I can’t help but feel like I’m forgetting something...” Henry said to Siobhan as she drove him down to Tidmouth the next morning.

“Me too.” She said as they pulled into the passing loop at Haultraugh.

A very pale looking Duck rolled in with the morning’s train. He whistled a weak hello to Henry, and practically jumped off the rails when Henry’s ‘hooter’ whistle replied.

“WHERE Did yOU geT ThAT?!” He demanded shakily.

Henry now knew exactly what they’d forgotten. “I found it on the ground.” He said quickly.

Duck looked more horrified than before. “It was REAL!” He said, scuttling away in terror.

Fin.

Henry’s appearance is based off of the following ideas:

https://youtu.be/8grHpQAB1jA?t=205

https://youtu.be/zBm-ONvNhS4

https://youtu.be/ZB1rTgUesDc?t=64

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jeenaljain · 3 years

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Best SUV Cars In India

SUVs have become a popular car type in the industry today. Almost 1 out of every 3 cars that rolls out of the showroom is an SUV. There are a number of reasons why SUVs have become such a popular vehicle among the masses. Modern SUVs come with a long list of features that rival their sedan counterparts. When you couple this with a strong road presence and a go-anywhere attitude, the SUV is truly a sound option. If you are looking for the best SUV under 15 Lakhs, read on while we help you figure out what suits you best.

We present to you a comprehensive list of the best SUVs under Rs. 20 lakhs and Rs. 10 Lakhs.

Kia Seltos

The Seltos is Kia’s first model in India commissioned with the uphill task of establishing the Korean auto giant in the Indian market. It unsurprisingly did not disappoint. The car had all the right ingredients for the job. Attractively designed, keenly priced and available with a wide range of engine and gearbox options. You can opt for the 1.5-litre petrol, 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. The individual engines are available with manual and automatic gearbox options. All versions of the Seltos are BS6 compliant with the manufacturer keeping a check on the latest norms.

Mahindra Thar

The Mahindra Thar is the true off-roader. The all-terrain monster can negotiate the beaten track like no other. The car is surprisingly capable as an everyday vehicle with creature comforts like AC, climate control, and telescopic steering. The all new Thar is an embodiment of the original Jeep with its boxy looks and well shaped front and rear bumpers. The Thar is available with diesel and petrol engine options and there are three roof options as well.

MG Hector

The Hector is Chinese-owned British carmaker Morris Garages’ initiation to the Indian market. At first glance, it sure has some interesting ingredients to offer. An eye catching design, massive proportions and new-age tech make it a well-rounded package that should definitely be on the radar of prospective mid-size SUV owners. The car’s engine choices include a petrol-manual, a petrol-automatic and a diesel-manual. There is also the option of mild-hybrid technology on the petrol-manual powertrain. A major talking point is the industry first 5 year/unlimited km warranty that the car offers.

Hyundai Creta

The Hyundai Creta has been without doubt one of the most successful vehicles that has come from the Hyundai stables. The car got an all new 2020 facelift with a host of cosmetic and mechanical upgrades. One of the prominent features of the new Creta is a bold front grille with an updated set of tail lamps. The interior remains disguised, but it is likely to have the same layout as the current model. When it comes to the engine options, the new car gets a 115PS 1.5-litre diesel and 140PS 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 6-speed manual, automatic and a 7-speed DCT gearbox options.

Mahindra Scorpio

The Scorpio SUV is undoubtedly Mahindra’s biggest hit. Its tough build makes it well-suited to rough usage and to many, the upright shape gives it the right image too. The Mahindra Scorpio is available in 7-, 8- and 9-seat configurations and there are lots of versions to choose from. Automatic transmission isn’t on offer but you can choose from 2.5-litre and 2.2-litre diesel engines; the latter is available in two states of tune, and four-wheel drive is also an option.

Toyota Innova Crysta

The Innova Crysta is a popular MUV (Multi Utility Vehicle) from the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The car was first launched in May 2008 and has since seen a number of upgrades including the 2016 Crysta. The car gets cosmetic and mechanical upgrades and is bigger, better looking and more luxurious than ever before. It also boasts a BS6 compliant 2.4-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine and a 2.7-litre petrol engine.

Mahindra XUV 500

The XUV 500 is a 7 seater SUV from the Indian automobile manufacturer Mahindra. The car was first introduced in 2011 and has seen multiple upgrades including a facelift in 2017. The XUV 500 new model gets more power, new features and a long-overdue automatic transmission. The XUV500 is available in petrol-auto, diesel-manual and diesel-auto forms while the diesels can also be had with all-wheel drive. Powering the diesel is a 2.2 liter mHawk engine that delivers 140bhp of power and 320Nm of torque; while the petrol motor is a 2.2-litre mHawk engine that delivers 140bhp of power and 320Nm of torque.

Jeep Compass

The Jeep Compass Is an all-round SUV that’s perfectly made for India. Tough, capable and built to last, the Compass feels like a proper Jeep. The standard Compass is available in petrol-manual, petrol-auto, diesel-manual and diesel-auto forms, the latter two of which can be had with all-wheel drive as well. The whole range was given a facelift in early 2021, which remained mechanically unchanged but brought significant improvements to the interior. The new model Compass has taken things to proper luxury car levels in terms of quality, appointments and equipment.

Tata Safari

The lord of the SUVs, the Tata Safari is back in an all new avatar. Tata has brought the Safari name back, a seven-seat cousin of the Harrier. Unlike previous Safaris, which used ladder-frame chassis and traditional, rear-biased 4x4, the new one borrows the Harrier’s (actually Land Rover) D8 platform and is front-wheel-drive only. It's powered by a 170hp FCA-sourced 2.0-litre diesel engine, which can be had with either a six-speed manual or six-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox.

Tata Harrier

The Harrier is a premium SUV from the Indian automobile manufacturer Tata. The car was first introduced in 2019 and has seen one upgrade including a facelift in 2020. The new Harrier gets more power, new features and a long-overdue automatic transmission. One of the defining features of the Harrier is the Land Rover platform that the SUV has been built on. This makes the Harrier a force to reckon with. This platform is powered by the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. The engine also happens to power the Jeep Compass, which is a 170hp power-house of a motor.

Final Thoughts

Rugged looks, big tyres and a go-getter attitude make the modern SUVs in India a sophisticated piece of engineering. If you are looking for an SUV under 20 Lakhs, make sure to go through our list carefully before coming to a decision on which SUV to buy. Understanding key specifications like engine type, seating capacity and price are key factors in getting the right SUV.

Remember to Buy Insurance

Once you have found your dream SUV below Rs. 15 Lakhs, make sure to give your car the much needed protection of a good car insurance. In the event of an accident or natural calamity, your car will be protected for any eventuality.

A great place to get your SUV insured is Finserv MARKETS. Here you will find some of the best insurance plans that offer own-damage protection and third party protection. The comprehensive car insurance policy not only covers damages that occurred to your car during an accident but also covers the repairs and costs incurred to third-party property.

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wheelyfine · 3 years

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Luxury Car Market — Top Trends & Leading Brands in 2021 you need to know — Wheelyfine

The luxury car market in India has taken a hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 2018, the sales of luxury cars have been a little over 1.5% as compared to the markets in the USA or China. There are a number of reasons for such a small sales figure. The key reason for the limited sales is the taxation in the new GST regime. Leading premium luxury car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW have already shown their concern for the rising prices under the GST system. With the introduction of BS6 standards, the automobile companies also faced a hard time selling their older units, which is why the sales went down.

At the advent of the pandemic in late 2019 and early 2020, only 6600 vehicles were sold by BMW and even lower for Audi, that is, 1639 units as compared to 4594 units sold in 2019, while Mercedes-Benz recorded a sale of 7839 units which made it the leading brand of 2021.

Vaccination and resumption of economic activities will stimulate the gradual rise in demand for a luxury car. The leading luxury car brands are hoping for steady growth after taking blows in 2020. Jaguar and Land Rover was the only luxury car brand in India that recorded growth in 2019 and has shown consistency in 2020. They expect to keep their form in the upcoming years.

Notably, the pre-owned luxury cars market has seen a rise as compared to new car sales. The customers root for pre-owned luxury cars because of lower prices and taxes while enjoying the benefit of comfort and luxury in mint condition. Moreover, the introduction of dedicated used luxury car sales dealerships has made it even easier for people to buy these cars.

The Most Searched Luxury Cars in India

Luxury cars in India gained popularity through mass media advertising campaigns and brand marketing through movies and reality shows. The majority of Indian customers don’t shy away from shelling a few extra bucks on comfort and luxury when it comes to buying a car. The above two factors combined are the source of optimism in the minds of luxury carmakers.

Social media advertising has led to car enthusiasts constantly searching and comparing various luxury cars online, especially second-hand high-end cars. The list starts with Lamborghini on the top, according to a recent survey. It was searched almost 6 lac times between January 2020 and June 2020. While BMW and Rolls Royce shared the online traffic at 3 lac hits, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz held the third and fourth positions respectively at 2.8 lac and 2.5 lac hits. Making it to the top 5 was Audi at fifth position with 1.8 lac hits between the time as mentioned earlier.

The above data must not be compared to the actual sales figure because searches occurring online may not entirely be intended to buy a specific car. Most of the time, people are just curious to know about the specifications of leading luxury car manufacturers. Moreover, new models introduced by the luxury car manufacturers receive more hits as compared to older models.

Top Luxury Cars That Are Made in India

Over time, many foreign luxury car makers have opted to set up manufacturing units and assembly plants in India to cater to the local market. India is also a prominent base country from a logistics point of view to cater to the needs of South-East Asian markets. In this section, we will cover some of the top luxury cars that are made in India:

Volvo XC90 :

Located near Bengaluru, Volvo India started operations around 2017. The XC90 was the first premium SUV by the company to have been fully assembled in India. The plant is located in Bagmane Tech Park and, since 2018, has rolled out multiple units of XC60 and S90 also. The SPA modular architecture is the baseline on which Volvo India produces the vehicles. The typical 2.0litre four-cylinder diesel engine has a power output of 235bhp and maximum torque of 480Nm. The roomy cabin is both minimalistic and functional, while the dash is divided into 4 different zones to cater to unmatched entertainment, navigation, phone, and sound experience.

Mercedes-Benz S class:

The Indian Mercedes-Benz plant, established in Pune, boasts of being the only assembly line that produces the S class outside Europe. The key feature of this luxury sedan is the radar assisted driving system and the OM 656 diesel engine which sits under the hood. It has a maximum torque generation of 600Nm and 282bhp, which makes it the most powerful engine designed by Mercedes India. The engine has a displacement of 3000cc.

BMW 5 series:

The Chennai-based plant of BMW India produces both 5 series and 7 series sedans, although the 5 series is more in demand in the Indian market. These sedans are based on the CLAR platform designed by BMW specifically to upscale the toughness and stability of the vehicle. BMW 5 series, like always, has been a driver’s car, and it doesn’t fail on the thrill quotient. An impressive, sportier 3.0-litre diesel engine churns out 261bhp without compromising on fuel efficiency.

Jaguar XE:

Under the aegis of Tata Motors now, the formerly British automaker produces the XE, which is arguably India’s most affordable luxury sedan, in Pune, Maharashtra. Bold styling and aggressiveness are the two major features that attract a lot of younger generation customers. The XE with the Ingenium petrol engine dishes out a maximum power of 247bhp, while the 2 liters turbocharged diesel engine has a maximum output of 177bhp.

Leading Luxury car brands in India which people buy

The sale of any luxury car in India is based on affordability, reliability, comfort, performance, and after-sales service network. India has varied landscapes and all the more variable weather and road conditions. Cars that have stood the test of time in recent years have passed the criteria mentioned above without breaking a sweat. Rigorous designing, research, and development have enabled few luxury car brands to really hold their fort in Indian conditions. No doubt, the sales have gone down drastically in recent times, but rising economic conditions will surely boost manufacturers’ morale in coming years.

The following are the top leading luxury car brands in India which people buy:

Mercedes-Benz:

Undisputedly, this German giant has carved a niche for itself in India through sheer resilience. The variety and reliability of its vehicles make it the beloved of Indians. The E-class, in particular, was one of the most sought-after vehicles by the customers owing to its extraordinary comfort and fuel efficiency. The E-class starts at INR 59 lac and is available in two variants- 2.0-liter petrol and diesel engine and a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine.

Audi:

Audi is another German car manufacturer which produces vehicles based on the philosophy of performance above looks. It is hard to ignore the Audi A4, the most sold car in India after Mercedes and BMW. The A4 is a long ride, which is best enjoyed being driven rather than driving it. The rear luxury is unmatched and has a plethora of features to complement its style and sobriety. The Audi A4 is offered in two variants, viz. a viz. 1.4litre petrol engine and 2-liter diesel TDI engine.

BMW:

BMW manages to make it to each and every list, whether it comes to sales, performance, affordability, or style. The BMW 3 series is the highest-grossing vehicle by sales, making it one of the most popular luxury car brands available in the Indian market. The BMW 3 Series was introduced in 3 variants- Sports Line, Luxury Line, and M-Sport, with Luxury Line being the most loved vehicle in recent years. Features like 4-zone climate control, 6 airbags, and 8-speed automatic transmission make it comfortable, safe, and smooth.

Thank You for reading this article.

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