#sodor spirits

[sodor-spirit]

Still not back to continue this AU, but I honestly missed drawing this guy:

[hi-my-name-is-cosmopathy]

Ungratefulness (A Sodor Spirits Short Fic)

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Oliver, the metal spirit, leaped from platform to platform, keeping a close eye on the other's he had yet to reach. He skimmed across the floating islands, yet still, no sight of Thomas.

Oliver had become worn out from his search and chose to settle down on one of the islands.

“Where is that idiotic blue haired boyfriend of mine when you need him?!”, he complained. “Where could he have possibly gone off to?”

He swore he asked every spirit and human who knew Thomas...

.

.

.

“Sorry, Oliver”, Edward apologized. “I think he got up early to Norramby. I did see him there for a while, but he looked hurried.”

.

.

“No, Thomas isn’t here”, Arthur said. “But I saw him heading to the Little Western.”

.

.

“Uh, no”, yawned James. “I have no clue we're he went. Just go check out Knapford, he's probably dawdling around with Annie and Clarabel.”

“But I just came from there!”, Oliver exclaimed.

“Oh. What a pity I suppose”, James responded with apathy (that annoyed Oliver to no end).

“Hey, he's your partner, not mine.”

.

.

.

“That old fusspot”, Oliver grumbled angrily. “When I find Thomas, I swear I'm gonna bash his tender-”

Then, Oliver's speech was interrupted by the sound of shrieking and screaming. He frantically got up as he began to look around again. The screams sounded a lot like Thomas', but also very different.

He came to a stop when he found Thomas on a small platform, being attacked my an eldritch monster.

Well, at least he thought it was Thomas.

Was it Thomas? Last time he checked he didn't wear blue overalls accompanied with turquoise sleeves that had red stripes, and he didn't wear a collared shirt. Well, there was a number 1 sign on his right arm but that didn't prove anything. His hair was completely black too, and his skin was tan and—

“Are those wheels on his boots?!” Oliver thought. Wasn't sure if he was Thomas anymore. Just then, the black-haired man faced Oliver has he was being ambushed.

“What in Godred are you just standing there for?!”, he yelled. “Aren’t you going to help me?! I’m gonna die here!!”

Oliver quickly shook his head as he went out of his trance. With his power, he summoned three giant metal poles and charged towards the black tentacled monster...

.

.

.

“Let me go, let me go!”, the man with overalls screamed as he attempted to squirm out of the metal spirit’s arms. And there, Oliver’s patience was running thin.

“I will not drop him, I will not drop him”, he repeated to himself. “He’s a human, it’ll be wrong to do so”, he reminded himself.

The two had eventually reached land at long last, away from the floating islands. Oliver settled down with his aggravating passenger and he dropped him to the ground.

“Hey—Ow! Who...who are you?!”, the shortie man asked as he stood up.

“I’m Oliver, a spirit who protects people from monsters. And you are clearly from the Mainland”, the Great Western spirit said grumpily, tired out from the trip he had.

“And you, clearly, aren't great at your job”, he replied crossly. “And I am from the Mainland. In fact, I was built there.”

“How could’ve you been? You’re a human.”

“No I’m not”, the man said smugly, as he put his mouth around his fingers and made an awfully familiar whistle...

“Peep peep peep!”

Oliver was shook from the sound he made. It was an engines whistle. It definitely wasn't human.

He decided to ignore this and ask. “Enough of that, where’s Thomas?”, he demanded.

The human man looked confused. “But...I’m Thomas?”

“No you're not”, Oliver interjected. “At least...not the Thomas I know.”

“Even with all the similarities, you can’t possibly be him”, he said in his mind.

“Well, you aren't the Oliver I know!”, ‘Thomas’ answered rudely. “Even if we aren't close, he’d probably never treat me this horribly! First, why did it take you 10 seconds to even help me with my dilemma?! Second, the ride to safe land was bumpy and uncomfortable! Learn how to hold someone properly! Third...”

Oliver didn't bother to listen to Thomas’ rant anymore. He was feeling rather jaded now. He just stared at Thomas while he was complaining. But the longer he looked, and the more he heard him, the more he softened up. A tired yet amused smile drew across the metal spirit's face, with lime blush forming too.

“I suppose even if you're from another universe”, Oliver sighed in his head,

“You’re still the blue idiot I know.’

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

GREETINGS HELLO

Hi @sodor-spirit i decided to make this for pure humor because all my other crossover fic's are depressing. I hope you enjoy this fic and my art! I hope I didn't get anything wrong tho...

[tttea1blog]

Another Spirit of Sodor doodle with Thomas and James.

I promise to post more AU ttte stuff. But I want to get some other arts and writing out of the way before I completely jump into it.

So there may be some small doodles for now, but eventually, there will be full-on arts and animatics again.

[number1spongebobfan]

Henry's Bebehs

Some Lore:

Engines in their animal forms are capable of having fankids. In this case, Henry :3

Henry has two foals with his wife, Caitlin (a streamlined pegasus).

His foals were the first engines to not be built and bc of this, they had severely low self-esteem. The foals' basises are a mix between a Stanier Class 5 and a streamlined engine.

Note that newborns don't have wheels, and are given them eventually by the manufactors.

If you have questions on how this works pls send an ask on my sideblog :) my main inbox is closed due to cyberbullying (how is bluecanofbeans still on this website????)

Base referenced:

[tayyywonders]

Made I few edits on while listening too SOPHIE

(RIP Gurl😭😭)

[kittypinkmaryrusty]

Thomas & Friends | It's Skarloey Railway

Skarloey Railway | It's Best Friends | Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Rusty, and Duncan, in Fanarts.🌈🌈🌈

Is for you by @sodor-spirit.🌈💝

[esperfruit]

Another batch of Gijinkas ^^

Truro "City of Truro" West

Age: 49

Height: 188cm

Head of the famous West family and owner of the steam engine City of Truro, which he purchased due to being a rich railway entusiast and their aligning names. Truro became a nationwide icon for everything Great Western and is basically worshipped by everyone of that background such as Duck. Despite being in a very influential position, he is quite modest and laid-back, being completely unbothered when having conversations with the "common people". The Wests have a years long rivalry with the Gresleys and so everyone expected that Truro would be mortal enemies with the current head of the Gresleys, Scott but unbeknownst to everyone, the two became secret lovers.

Dennis Bulleid

Age: 21

Height: 193 cm

Norman's older fraternal twin brother and the former biggest slacker you will ever meet. Dennis never took anything serious and always only did the bare minimum, avoiding all extra form of work where he could. His lazy attitude shined a bad light on the public for the Bulleids and after an incident he caused, he and Norman were disowned by their parents. Norman, in a rage, cut ties with Dennis and left him all by his own. It served as a wake up call for Dennis and is currently working to find a path for himself and a way to make up with his family, especially Norman, who he dragged down with him.

Marion Huber

Age: 26

Height: 167 cm

A happy-go-lucky construction worker, operating a steam shovel. She is always eager to get to work and do a good job, going into them with a playful approach. She has a lot of good luck regarding findings like dinosaur bones. Marion gets easily distracted or can be quite oblivious to thinks going on around her like not realizing that Oliver Armstrong the engine driver and Oliver from the Pack were two different people or taking Bert, Rex and Mike's methaphors literal.

Sutton "Splatter" Derby and Doug "Dodge" Derby

Age: 50

Height: 183 cm

Diesel 10's personal henchmen, working for him ever since he took on his position as mafia boss. They follow all of his orders but tend to question a lot of deciasions but would not go further do to their fear of D10. They prefer to complain and gossip behind everbody's back like over the fact being called "Splodge" by their boss and are quite cowadly, yet they can still be very cruel and no atrocity goes too far for them. Unlike Arry and Bert, these two have no attachment to Diesel and actually look forward to punishing him for turning on them.

Glynn Wrightson

Age: 68 (at disappearence)

Height: 170 cm

An engineer that lived a long time ago. He helped constructing the so called coffeepot engines and assisted in the foundation of british railway. One day he disappeared without a trace in a very similar way to Hiro and was found on present day Sodor by Marion. The kind elderly man now lives on the island, working for Ulfstead Castle while he is still trying how to navigate through the modern days

Stephen Hawthorns

Age: 72 (67 at disappearence)

Height: 179 cm

Just like Hiro, Glynn, Skarloey, Rheneas and Duke, he lived a long time ago, right at the invention of steam engines to be exact, and went missing after making a name for himself. He reappeared as a pseiuo-spirit like Hiro and the others and was found by the Earl of Sodor, Sir Robert Norramby. Due to Stephen's mysterious circumstances, his true identity as a figure in British history is being kept a secret. Stephen and the Earl became good friends and decided to travel the worls together and when returning to Sodor to restore Ulfstead Castle with him as the tour guide, operating The Rocket. He found King Godred's missing crown after being trapped in an abandoned mine.

He is a jolly old man with a positive attitude and a good sense of humor. And despite not really understanding his situation, me makes the best out of it in Ulfstead with his friends the Earl, Glynn and Millie.

Millie Deceuville

Age: 34

Height: 175 cm

Millie is the personal assistant of the Earl of Sodor, who now works at Ulfstead Castle with two mysterious seniors Stephen and Glynn. She is also responsible for the two newbies Connor and Caitlin, being a guardian for the siblings. Millie never judges anyone over their appearance and quickly lectures those who do, defending the ones being judged. She bonded with Toby, who worked at Ulfstead for a few days, where he and Millie stopped buglars from stealing treasures.

[stories-of-the-nrm]

Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds Part 7

Narrator: It was now February, 2008. As promised Gordon went to visit his brother.

(We see Gordon sitting down by Scott's bedside).

Gordon: Hello Scott. Happy Birthday.

(He grabs Scott's hand).

Gordon: A lot has changed since I last saw you. Do you remember the Peppercorn that the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust started working on? You know, the one being built in Darlington?

(Gordon pauses as if Scott can answer).

Gordon: Well, I just heard the news that the engineers have officially completed the tender. Combined with a successful first static firing, I believe this engine will get introduced to the railway before the end of summer.

(He shakes his head).

Gordon: As for you, the latest update about your boiler is that a quotation was sent to a contract manager. I find it quite pathetic that a company such as Pridham managed to lose complete control of such a project. At this rate, work will likely resume at the end of the year.

(He sighs).

Gordon: My greatest fear is that the Peppercorn will pass its trials and become a functional passenger engine before work on your boiler can even begin again.

(He watches Scott breath then pats his hand).

Gordon: Your crew will be here shortly. Sir Topham Hatt is expecting me soon as well. As soon as they get here, I must take my leave.

(Gordon stays by Scott's side until Gary and George arrive).

Gary: Thank you for being here with him, Gordon.

Gordon: As much as I would say it was my pleasure, there is nothing pleasurable about these circumstances.

(George pats Gordon on the shoulder).

George: Indeed. At least you were able to visit your brother as promised.

Gordon: I had to. Scott is my only brother. I lost so many years because of poor management. This is all I can do to make sure I have no regrets in case...

(Gordon can't finish his thought. While no one wants to think about Scott's engine being scrapped, it's still a possibility that has to be considered. After all, it's always possible that Scott simply can't be fixed anymore).

Gary: We understand Gordon. Don't worry. Your brother could never be scrapped. The NRM wouldn't be able to scrap him anyway. The amount of money spent on him only to scrap him would mean they're admitting that they've lost complete control over everything.

(Gordon nods).

Gordon: Yes I agree. I need to keep my hopes up. The hope that everything involving my brother's rebuild will restart again.

(He looks at Gary and George).

Gordon: How long can he stay like this?

(George sighs).

George: None of us knows. We can only assume that so long as his engine exists he won't immediately die.

(Gordon rubs his eyes).

Gordon: Why do I have a strong feeling that this is a process that will take more than a year to complete?

Gary: Because deep down we all know it could come true. All we can do is support Scott. Even if he can't hear us, I always think that he can sense us in some way.

Gordon: Thank you.

(He looks at the clock).

Gordon: I really must go now. I hope you gentlemen have a good day.

Gary: Um Gordon. How did Scott usually celebrate his birthday?

(Gordon chuckles).

Gordon: With food of course. He always enjoyed eating despite our human forms not requiring it. I can tell you this story some other time, but I still remember our first time trying food quite fondly.

(This seemed to have lifted everyone's spirits. Gordon waves goodbye as Gary and George take up their daily vigilance again).

Gary: Well George this is going to be some day.

George: Yeah.

(Gary looks at George).

Gary: You up for a round of ale at the pub later today?

George: Of course I am. After all, this is Scott's birthday.

(The two laugh to themselves. Acting as if Scott isn't in a coma is the only way to make the day more cheerful).

Tagging: @bluy1206, @werbitssft, @klein-sodor-bahn, @theyellowroseofsodor, @juniebugsss,

@tornadoyoungiron, @pxmun, @nelllia, @pxmun2, @thefedoragirl,

@roosinii, @etherealcaprifandoms, @jessica-sv509510, @jayde-jots, @thatcheeseycandle,

@jordeynnotgordon, @be-kind-and-rewind-again, @hardchildpainter, @asktheoriginalorder, @onyx-and-friends,

@that-mr-e, @sustysteel198, @monika-396, @fabianvalencia561, @gordon208,

@savannahlee-d29, @bladexjester, @sketalya, @agent-7-at-your-service, @i-heart-ukrain3,

@engineer-gunzelpunk, @ladychandraofthemoone, @milkagaisme, @rushingexpress, @toast-com,

@rumivi, @monstersteam, @tronmike82, @moonlightcrystal12, @lorainedoesthings,

@edward2289, @siberian-lioness, and @viktuurishipper96.

[traintrainingmontage]

Assorted Character Headcanons: 8-11

Duck:

Duck may have given up his dreams of going out to sea, but he really enjoys the salty spray and sea breeze. Several lines along the GWR went along the coast, and it makes him nostalgic. Arlesburgh is one of his favorite places to be because of it; he finds the hustle and bustle of the harbor to be delightful. When he just wants a moment to think, he'll find a good spot to park himself overlooking the water.

Donald:

Donald is blessed with the ability to both hum and hold a tune. He can be heard singing up and down the line in his distinctive Scottish accent, and everyone who hears him can't help but smile. He knows several Scottish songs (and he has his favorites) but seems to have also picked up some Irish songs, notably of the sea shanty and drinking song variety, likely from visitors who take the local boat service from Kirk Ronan to Dublin and vice versa.

Douglas:

Douglas has always been a rather superstitious sort. He's long believed that it wasn't just luck that allowed him to escape with his brother to Sodor, and given Scotland's own array of tales about ghosts, spirits, and fey, he's rather careful when it comes to showing proper respect. Maybe that's why his safety record is significantly better than anyone else's on the Little Western.

Oliver:

Once Oliver settled into his work on the Arlesburgh branch (and after his mishaps), he found that he wasn't really sure what to do with himself. His reality for the past several weeks had been endless fear and worry as he tried to escape and scavenge what he could, followed by several more weeks of trying to fit in and prove himself and the consequences thereof. Now that things have settled, though, he feels somewhat lost, like he's not sure what to do or feel, and he still has nightmares from his experiences. Duck, Donald, and Douglas all help him out during this time, but it's actually Donald who gives him the idea that works: get to know people. Talk to them. Become friends with people on the island; it's the best thing they can recommend for making a new place become home. So Oliver does, and he really starts bonding with the island's residents. Making new acquaintences helps, but he still doesn't feel all together yet.

One day, in the late 1970s, he meets a young psychologist named Christine. She's visiting from London, and had taken a great interest in sapient engines. After learning the gist of his story, she asks if she could speak to him at length once the workday is over, and Oliver agrees and receives permission to do so. After the interview, she reveals that she's currently studying cognitive behavioral therapy. She explains what that is, how it might help Oliver, and that she would love to see if the same principles could be applied to the mental health of engines. Naturally, Oliver and his crew are wary of anything "mental health" related, but once Christine phrases it as mental exercises to try and help Oliver have a better quality of life and ease his nightmares, they're more receptive. Once again with Sir Topham Hatt's permission, Christine goes on leave from her work in London to stay long-term on Sodor. Her work with Oliver would prove instrumental in advancing mental health on the island, for both engines and humans, and Oliver himself would become a mental health advocate among the engines of the NWR.

(Headcanons for Thomas, Edward, Henry, and Gordon are here!)

(Headcanons for James, Percy, Toby, and Emily are here!)

[sodor-spirit]

how did the spirit caste system on the mainland came to be? And is there a specific order for it?

No Spirit knows how or when the Caste System on Mainland came to be. Not even Lady or Diesel 10 who created the Engine Spirits and neither of them would even create the system in the first place (Yes, D10 may be many crazy and insane things but he would never form such a messed up society on the Mainland for his created Spirits to suffer through, especially both his and Lady’s own creation, Rusty.)

But as soon as a Spirit is born or emerged from their vessel/ engine, the Caste Systen dictates their every life and interaction with others of their kind. Some living like highly pampered and privileged upper class such as the Air Spirits (Gordon, Spencer, Flying Scotsman etc.), to being upper middle class like the Electric Spirits (Thomas, Duck etc.), Middle class Workers such as the Fire and Earth Spirits (Henry, Duncan, James, Donald and Douglas etc.) and even lower class servants like the Water Spirits (Edward, Skarloey, Sonny etc.) or even lower and being treated like weapons or monsters for the Metal Spirits (Oliver, Arry n’ Bert etc.)

Thankfully this caste system only seems to extend to the UK mainland and nowhere overseas. And not every British railway closely follow the Caste System like the Caledonian Railway or the Great Western. But these two can be taken with a grain of salt considering how Donald and Douglas was treated on their original railway and the honestly hellish life Oliver was put through on his former GWR branch line. There are also some rather bad rumours regarding a method the Paddington GWR spirits use on each other to ensure the “Great Western Way”.

[hi-my-name-is-cosmopathy]

Hi I know it’s too late to ask but I was wondering because i still really love that post u wrote for me: What would ur thomas’ reaction be like if my oliver casually mentions he’s “technically” dating him (my thomas)?

Hi there! Don't worry it's not too late. In fact, I appreciate how you still think about the fic I made about your Oliver and my Thomas :>

Now, if Oliver were to ever mention that he was dating him in the Sodor Spirit universe, Thomas wouldn't believe it...

At first.

There's way too much proof for him to deny that he dates Oliver in the SS Universe. He's pretty much shocked and would question his taste in this universe (considering their first interaction in the fic Ungratefulness)

[tttea1blog]

Oop, forgot to post this here! Another au I have that started as a joke.

Based on ghost stories, myths, and urban legends, with some magic of the railroad hints.

And while also being in the style of a retro video story book game.

[thunderxleafart]

headcanon for Douglas x Oliver. And also, Douglas is so beautiful

Ohhhh yes, Douggie and Oliver, I think I've got at least a few for them! x'D Buckle up, I'm boutta ramble LOLL ~ Headcanons for 10x11 ~ - They were pretty much smitten when they first met; Douglas thought Oliver was incredibly brave, strong and "an enterprising engine", while Oliver, ofc, was extremely grateful to Douglas for his rescue.

(Also cuz I mean look at "Escape", did you see the way they looked at each other? Instantly smitten for sure. xD) - Toad was/is the ultimate wingman (or wingvan?) for them.

-Things were a little rocky at first; Oliver was still unpacking quite a traumatic experience and dealing with a rough-ish start on Sodor. And he struggles with the nagging question of whether or not he liked Douglas because of who he was or just because he rescued him.

-Though it's a little awkward and uncertain, once they overcome the initial bumps and start talking they hit it off very well, easily becoming good friends. After that everything just sort of... falls into place.

-Literally everyone knew they liked each other (there were many a gushing rant from both of them about the other lol). - They don't really use "pet names" for each other. Though Oliver is one of only two engines on the island that's allowed to call Douglas "Douggie".

-Ironically, Oliver is way more protective of Douglas then vice versa, though Douglas does still have his moments.

-They spend whatever time they can get together just... talking. They talk endlessly about anything and everything. They love sharing in each others experiences, both past and present, and enjoy a solid sense of comradery.

-They understand each other better then almost anyone else, especially when it comes to their fears about scrap. They know they can always confide in the other about pretty much anything.

Their favourite things about each other are;

Douglas about Oliver: His determination, his unbreakable spirit, how reliable and trustworthy he is. Plus he's got such an adorable face. (and eyes that are very easy to get lost in xD)

Oliver about Douglas: His husky laugh (especially with the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles), the way he laughs at pretty much anything, how level-headed and patient he is, and especially that softer, sentimental side to him.

-Donald still teases Douglas to no end about "makin' goo-goo eyes at wee Ollie", but he's still incredibly supportive. He's mostly just happy his brother found someone who makes him so happy. uwu

-Donald has also told Oliver exactly what he'd do if he hurts his brother, but they were mostly just jokes... mostly. xD

~~~~~~~~~~~

There's probably more but it's safe to say that I think they're absolutely adorable! x'3

They can really understand each others traumas and experiences, and I 100% see them as just one of the sweetest, most affectionate, couples. (At least as far as trains can go xD)

But aw yeah, Douggie is quite a cutie, isn't he? <3

Just had to doodle him after all that LOLL

And one of these days I'll get around to drawing them together... probably. xD

Thank you for the question!! <3

[tayyywonders]

My oc Kami he is Korean which I am not🤭

He is an imaginary train I made with some old legos but his closet base is the GNR J50 0-6-0T

[greatwesternway]

Traintober Day 12: Something Borrowed - Toad

This was originally supposed to be, like, three different essays ("Brakevan Decorum", "Top 3 Smartest Guys on the NWR - #2 Will Surprise You!", and "The Great Western Mafia") but @littlewestern and I decided Day 12: Something Borrowed was a great day to talk about Toad.

Why "Something Borrowed"? Because on the NWR, Toad so often is.

While we most often see Toad working with Oliver, upon his arrival in Sodor, he declared that he'd like to be Douglas' brakevan. Sir Topham Hatt does seem to approve of this and I think that suggests something about how he'd like his railway to run. However, in practice, the NWR seems not to have enough brakevans that Douglas could have one all to himself.

I think that Toad assuming he could just be one engine's brakevan is because that was a more common arrangement on the GWR and perhaps to an extent on British Rail. We do see an example of a mainland engine having a dedicated brakevan in Samson and Bradford. If they have the stock, it's probably a very good idea to pair engines with brakevans for the same reasons one might assign an dedicated crew to an engine. Having established rapport between an engine and his brakevan can only make them work together better. Particularly when it comes to engines who need more guidance and insight into their work like Samson, pairing them with a brakevan who has a compatible personality can really make things run more smoothly.

Unfortunately - no matter how much Hatt may admire the Great Western Way of doing things - the NWR does not have enough stock to allocate Toad to Douglas only. Still, Toad can be Douglas' brakevan in spirit... and given that Douglas has been known to smash less mannerly brakevans to bits, I doubt Toad has much trouble finding himself available when Douglas needs him.

Toad's manners are also, I think, a relic of Great Western sensibility. It's really quite fascinating though because if Toad's decorum is typical of GW brakevans, it would seem to indicate a delicate balance in priorities that other railways seemed unable to hit.

That is to say, Toad always refers to his engines with an honorific (always Mr. Oliver or Mr. James or the rare Miss Marion) and is mostly soft-spoken and deferential to their leadership when back-ending their trains. He treats them in a way akin to a butler, as though his presence is a service he's providing them. That Duck and Oliver are both seen to be somewhat dismissive of him would point to their being an observed hierarchy of command on the GWR that places brakevans beneath engines.

However, Toad has also quite often put his brakes down when his engines are trying to do some foolhardy shit. He resisted both Gator and James' attempts to flout regulation citing safety, which is the precise point of a brakevan. I think this too is part of brakevan decorum on the GWR, although I also think it rarely had to be employed there. GW engines are generally quite safety conscious on their own, but part of good safety procedure is redundancy. Having your brakevans prepared to intercede in the unlikely event your engines want to trade safety for expediency is good preventative measures.

This is a hard line to toe though and the NWR up to that point hadn't done a very good job if the Spiteful Brakevan is any indication. A brakevan who uses the limited autonomy he's granted and the necessity of his presence to leverage in his interpersonal problems can become such a detriment to his engine.

And while Bradford is a perfect brakevan to pair with an engine like Samson who can't be fully trusted to work independently, his strict adherence to regulation at the expense of common sense makes him a nuisance for engines who are more capable.

So it stands to reason that when Douglas rolled in with a GW engine, a GW autocoach, and a GW brakevan, Hatt might have wishfully thought some of that GW decorum was going to rub off and was all too happy to entertain even purely ceremonial gestures towards the Great Western Way of assigning brakevans.

You know what that also tells us though?

If Toad asked to be Douglas' brakevan, it almost certainly means that he was not Oliver's, particularly since it is stated that Isabel is Oliver's coach. That little notion paints a much more interesting picture of the escape from the scrapyard. Rather than it always being the plan to bring him, Toad may instead have been a late addition to the consist. And if that's true, another suspenseful possibility emerges: that Oliver and Isabel might have had enough coal to make it all the way to Sodor had they not brought him along.

But they wouldn't really have had a choice about it: they are all Great Western and must stand together.

Luckily, thanks to Douglas, they do all make it to Sodor and Toad is able to return the favor quite a bit over.

Toad's shown on several occasions to be a clever little sumbitch. He understands resource allocation (giving Gator one of his lights in "Toad's Bright Idea"), he can solve problems by looking at the bigger picture (using the crane on the other side of the island to get the whale back in the water in "Toad and the Whale", he's even got a touch of the silver tongue (lying by omission about James' speeding and directing the conversation to the branch on the line instead in "Toad's Adventure"). He might very well be the smartest guy on the railway and he's not even an engine. It would be a waste if he weren't as assertive as he is.

And so we reach my favorite thing about Toad: Toad is the one who comes up with the plan to rip Scruffey apart. And what's more, I don't think he actually told Duck and Oliver the whole plan. Three can keep a secret if two don't know they're doing so. 'Cause see, Toad never says they're going to rip Scruffey apart; he tells Oliver the plan is to bump him if he makes trouble.

When they're arranging the trucks, Toad also suggests in a way worded to sound like he thinks Oliver had already thought of and decided that he ought to be placed at the end of this train:

"I expect, Mr Oliver, you'll want me on the middle road as a stop-block, like."

"Er- Yes, please."

Oliver marshalled the worst trucks two by two in front of Toad.

"This way, Mr Oliver, takes longer, but they can't give trouble, and if you leave that Scruffey till last, you'll have him right behind you. Then you can bump him if he starts his nonsense."

Toad just settin' some fuckin' dominoes up right here.

And this is the beauty of it too. If Scruffey don't start no shit, won't be no shit. It's all so plausibly deniable, so brought upon himself!

Duck's presence is also important to the plan, even though he seems incidental. He and his also GW coaches are there as a matter of the schedule, but Duck came to the station with the ulterior intent to cheer Oliver on. As to just what he was going to be cheering specifically he may not have known (he looks quite unsettled by it), but this is Duck's branch line so it's important that he personally be seen condoning the execution about to happen on it, where all the other trucks can see it.

So now the trap is laid and of course Scruffey walks into it. He tells the trucks to hold back and they do. And when Oliver puts every bit of his boiler into pulling them anyway, Scruffey tells them to loosen up. Whether the rest of the trucks did or not, it doesn't matter. It's too late. Toad has his brakes on.

And then Sir Topham Hatt - who loves engine (and probably brakevan) bullshit - comes upon this scene. He can probably guess what really happened here because this ain't his first rodeo, but it solves the larger problem of truck behavior on Duck's branchline and you have to admire the craftsmanship of this scenario. Even Oliver doesn't know this was the intended result. When Hatt asks him about it, he's nervous.

"Well, Oliver, so you don't know your own strength. Is that it?"

"N-n-no, Sir," said Oliver.

The Fat Controller inspected the remains.

"As I thought," he remarked. "Rotten wood, rusty frames - unserviceable before it came." He winked at Oliver, and whispered, "Don't tell the trucks that - bad for discipline!"

He strode away, chuckling.

It might have even been so good a plan, so engineered to absolve all invested parties of blame, that Hatt might not have considered that Toad was involved at all. He knows damn well this wasn't Oliver's plan (he's not that clever), but no one really suspects a brakevan either. At the end of the train, a brakevan is so removed from the action, so far down the line and out of sight as to escape notice entirely.

Fkn consigliere shit right there.