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ye-olde-sodor · 1 year

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Dream Canon Seasons and Episodes Pt 1 (Very long post)

So remember how I said the Dream Canon au was meant to be my take on a Thomas series? Well, here are the episodes! Seasons 1-5, with 50 episodes! I didn't expect this to be this long so I'm going to have to split this into two parts lol. This au is a mix of the RWS canon and the TV series canon, so keep that in mind. I'm also not too familiar with RWs canon, so if I get something wrong please let me know!

Season 1, 1981 (TL;DR Thomas goes to a Railway show)

Museum Piece: Thomas is invited to represent the NWR at York for the National Railway Muesum's Railway show. Seeing as how the railway is in a financial bind thanks to the long-delayed Beeching acts and other issues, He is sent there right away. In his rush to get there, he crashes into a crossing gate and has to get to the show another way.

Not the Ticket: A lorry is sent to take Thomas to York. While Thomas tries to tell him where to go, the arrogant Lorry insists that he knows the way. After hours of traveling, they stop at the wrong station and the driver runs of to call for directions, completely ignoring Thomas and his crew. After receiving a parking ticket, the driver finally gets Thomas to York.

Country Folk: Thomas's crew, Keith and Charlie, stay at a nearby hotel for the event. While there, they run into the crews of other famous engines, and they all become quick friends. They chat about the Flying Scotsman's tour to America, and how they're worried that he may never return. Keith recalls that Gordon is worried sick, and fears for his brother's safety. Mallard's crew, however, are confident in Scotsman's return.

Trouble on the Line: As Thomas is being repaired, he meets Green Arrow. The two become friends, and when the repairs are finished, they set out to start their first day together. All is well until a bag is thrown onto the tracks. Thomas breaks rapidly, and the sudden steam frightens a child. His furious mother complains to the manager, but Thomas is even more upset when his breaks are damaged. He is sent back for a quick repair.

Mallard and Thomas: While chatting with the Duchess of Hamilton before his Railtour with Green Arrow, Mallard arrives and gets into an argument with the two of them. Thomas disagrees with the engine hierarchy, while Mallard has a reverence for it. See "Know your Place" post here.

Thomas and the Railtour: A heavy rainstorm delays the Railtour. Once it clears, Thomas and Green Arrow double head the train. On the return run, Thomas warns Green Arrow of a section of corroded line up ahead, preventing a serious accident. Buses arrive to take the passengers home, and the two friends return to the sheds. Later, Thomas receives a special plaque from the National Railway Museum, making him an honorary member for his quick thinking.

Things that go Bump: Thomas meets two diesels named Paxton and Sidney, two older brothers to Diesel. Being big fans of the Railway Series, they ask him if he can show them some tips on shunting. He happily agrees, but while doing so accidently shoves the trucks too hard. They derail, and crash into Mallard, damaging his front. Thinking quickly, Paxton and Sidney make up a story about the trucks being from a runaway train. It works, and Thomas makes two more friends.

Ghost Stories: When a power outage takes out the shed lights, Thomas, Paton, Sidney, and Green Arrow all share their favorite ghost stories. Thomas told a tale of an engine who blew himself up in a failed attempt at revenge. Paxton told a tale about a haunted storage shed that housed horrors beyond comprehension. Sidney told a tale of a half steam, half diesel engine that went mad from its sheer power. The winner was obviously Green Arrow, who recalled a story of an old steelworks that traps engines to keep it running forever.

Rocky Rails: Green Arrow is called to help Thomas after an accident. Thomas only has minor damages, but only because he was a quick thinker. If he wasn't, he and his crew would've likely had much more severe, possibly lethal injuries. An officer states that the trucks are to blame for pushing Thomas, but they're not sentient. This raises suspicions for both engines, but they can't prove anything strange. They do, however, share the same feelings with Paxton and Sidney, who also suspect that something is wrong.

The Road Home: Thomas gets ready to leave back to Sodor. He says goodbye to all of his new friends, and heads for Tidmouth. Before he does though, he runs into Mallard again. He informs Thomas that he's been thinking of acquiring the island from Sir Topham Hatt and wants to save it from its financial burden…and from itself. Mallard explains again that Sodor is a lawless land, and that only he can save it from ruin. Thomas gets offended by this, and rushes back home to get away from him. After days of traveling, he finally arrives home, and is greeted by a massive "Welcome Home" party.

Season 2, 1982 (TL;DR Mallard launches his Master Plan)

Shake that Feeling: While Thomas' attendance at the show did help with publicity, the railway still suffers from the Beeching acts. Sir Stephen Topham Hatt the Third begins to question if he's a failure to his ancestors. Edward insists that he isn't and sets off to prove it with a survey. This backfires however, as many of the island's residents are displeased with how Stephen runs the railway and how the buses are much better. Edward decides not to show him this.

Family Ties: Gordon finally gets word about Scott...but is horrified to discover that the Americans sent one of Scott's trailing wheels to Doncaster. He screams in rage and agony over the loss of his last living brother, and the nation mourns the loss with him. All of Britain holds a memorial service and a National Day of Mourning. Mallard, after attending the funeral, leaves to get Scott's will in order. This angers Gordon beyond comprehension, and storms off back to the island.

The Good Old Days: A flashback episode that highlights Gordon's best moments with Scott. From when they were first built to the Great Railway Show of 1970, where Gordon beat Scott and reached 102 MPH. In 1979, Scott announced his tour to America, and set sail that same year. We cut back to Scott's funeral, and the outraged Gordon thundering down the line. As he goes into his shed, he looks around at the memorabilia scattered around it, and his eyes land on a family photo of him, Scott, and two of his older siblings. He breaks down even more as a storm surges on.

Gordon's Goods: Gordon refuses to pull the express and will only pull goods trains and shunting jobs. He can't go near the Mainland, not after the disrespect from Mallard. That, and because it reminds him so much of Scott. Reluctantly, Topham agrees to it, and has Diesel 10 pull the express in the meantime. He takes his first goods train without any major incidents but makes many mistakes. Sir Topham Hatt orders Edward to help refresh his memory.

Confusion and Delay: Word of Gordon's replacement spread rapidly through the island. Edward does his best to console his friend and helps him refresh himself with shunting and pulling goods. He helps Gordon through his loss by relating it to the loss of Boco, who disappeared and was presumed dead. Meanwhile, Mallard meets with Diesel 10 on the Mainland. While Mallard didn't plan for Gordon to be replaced, he uses this to his advantage. He tells 10 that he is responsible for him getting the express. This is just the beginning for him, a mere taste of what he has planned. He can give 10 whatever he wants so long as he goes along with his plans. 10 agrees to this despite his better judgement, and so Mallard takes 10 to his private shed to fill him in.

Confidence and Departures: That night, D/10 and two of Mallard's henchmen, Baz and Bernie Swindel, work to look for incriminating documents from Hatt's office. He was told by Mallard that there were rumors that most of the Sodor engines were illegally obtained and wants to see if it's true. When the men can't find the documents, they fear that they're at the Hatt's house. Just when they're about to leave, one of them catches glimpse of a hidden compartment under Hatt's desk. Opening it reveals multiple hidden documents, proving the myth. They leave the papers and quickly flee and head back to Mallard.

Ring around the Rosie: Rosie is working at Vickerstown to cover Diesel, who's engine recently failed. As she's working, she overhears D/10 talking to Mallard. The two are discussing what they found, and Mallard is ecstatic. Now, when Mallard gets the police to search the office, they can find that evidence and can use it against Hatt. Rosie doesn't understand what they're talking about, but she knows that Topham is in trouble, so she tries to flee to warn him. She's spotted by Mallard, and he yells at the other diesels in the yard to stop her. They do so and trap her in a shed. Mallard orders them to not let her go and continues with his plan.

Pockets full of Posies: The Police receive word from an anonymous tip that Topham Hatt has been handing out forged documents and committing tax fraud, so they get a warrant to investigate the claim. While they don't find the tax fraud, they do find the hidden compartment with the secret documents. They arrest him and bring him before a court. The court finds him and the Hatt Administration guilty of their business practices and the theft of several engines. As part of a plea deal, Hatt escapes jail time, but he's given a large fine and is ordered to either return the stolen engines or pay for compensation.

Ashes, Ashes: Topham is oust as controller due to the controversy, and has to pay the fine on his own, placing him on the verge of bankruptcy. He refuses to let the engines he saved be scrap, so he pays the compensations he owns. The island is enraged by this, the engines moreso then the humans. Before BR can pick their own controller, Mallard arrives to make a suggestion. He wishes to purchase the island and wants to modernize it in accordance with BR's standards. BR allows the purchase, as they wish to see Sodor modernized as well. After this, he orders for Rosie to be released, and cruelly tells her that he's already won.

We all Fall Down: The news of Mallard's purchase immediately horrifies the engines, especially Thomas. Arguments over the issue start, but Thomas remains silent. Before anyone can do anything else, Mallard arrives with the Vickarstown Diesels. He announces the new controller and the "Renovation" project that will see many improvements to the island. The malicious diesels smirk and smile at this while the more friendly ones look nervous, causing the steam engines to feel uneasy. Gordon, even more enraged, demands to know what Mallard is planning. He responds by saying he's going to help the island and wants to fix it and leaves it at that. He tells everyone to get some rest for tomorrow, as it will be a very busy few years.

Season 3 1983 (TL;DR Mallard the Master Manipulator)

First Impressions: The new controller, a man named John Skiff, arrives to give the engines their jobs. James is given a passenger job, while Henry is to pull goods trains as usual. Thomas is to go to Tidmouth to serve as a Pilot engine. He argues about his branch line jobs, to which John states that it is now Diesel's branch line. The sheds are stunned at this, and Thomas tries to argue further, but John shuts him up and threatens to take him to Mallard if he continues to argue. When the sheds fall quiet again, he lists off the rest of the jobs. Percy is to go to Diesel's branch line, Edward is to remain in the sheds for "reasons", James is to go to Tidmouth to test run a passenger train, and Gordon is to be taken to the works to be cleaned and repainted. The engines go to do their jobs, with all of them having mixed feelings about it all.

Percy and Diesel: When Percy gets to Farquar, he sees Diesel and Toby discussing the sudden changes. Percy joins in and tells them that Thomas is equally upset about it as they are, and Diesel agrees with him. He never wanted Thomas' line or his jobs; he was happy with what he had. Now he's worried Thomas would hate him for this. Percy and Toby don't want to admit it, but he's right. Thomas has been known for being possessive of his jobs due to the competition he faced on his past railway. His jealousy and need for job stability was practically built into him! They comfort Diesel as best as they can, and the three friends head out to do their jobs.

The Red Rocket: While James is happy to be back on passenger lines, he hates that it came to the expense of everyone else. After his run, he runs into Mallard, and decides to talk to him. He states that he's honored that such a glorious engine like him is in charge, but he feels as though his friends are being overlooked. Mallard responds by saying that their time will come, but for now, James is the star of the show. He's the most important right now, as he is the brand-new tourist attraction, The Red Rocket. By playing into James' low self-esteem, Mallard gets him to go along with his plans and to "enjoy himself" with the special. Even when James agrees to it, he can't help but feel dirty about it.

Henry and the Bear: Henry is struggling to keep up with all of his extra jobs, so Bear offers to help him. Mallard sees this and decides to let Bear help Henry. The two work in near perfect sync and are able to get the trains on time and were ahead of Mallard's schedule. Henry is grateful for the help, and the two form a partnership. Mallard takes Henry aside and tells him that he can't rely on others for his jobs forever. He can accept help for now, but he expects him to improve and to get better at his job. After all, Henry is the strongest here, isn't he? Or is he still that weak and sickly engine? Maybe Bear should take his place instead. Henry, not wanting to be compared to his old self, strives to do better, to be better, then any diesel on this island!

Edward's Dog Days: Edward is nervous that he's finally being scrapped, replaced, or worse...placed in a static display at a museum. He nearly jumps off the tracks at the thought of it. John finds Edward literally shaking in place when he's arrived to tell him that he's getting overhauled. Once he explains this to Edward, he finally settles down and starts to think reasonably. He has been overdue for an overhaul for some time now. Little does he know that Mallard is planning to sell Edward to a museum owner on the Mainland. After all, Edward is over 100 years old, and has no place on this new modern railway unless he's in a display case! (Disclaimer, Mallard is completely unaware that Percy is older than Edward lmao. He lets the others stay since he needs steam engines for his heritage lines and tourist trains later on). Edward is sent away to Crewe to get his overhaul the next day.

Toby's Troubles: Toby is worried about what might happen to Henrietta and the other coaches. Diesel senses that something is off with Toby, so he asks him what's bothering him. When he does, him and Diesel devise a plan to save them. In the event that Mallard does plan to replace them, Toby and Diesel will bring the coaches to Toby's old line to keep them safe. If that place fails, then they'll take them to a hidden shed on the Mainland. While this helps calms Toby, he still fears for his safety and the safety of his friends. He decides to spend as much time as he can with Henrietta and his friends as much as he can, nearly forfeiting his work. Mallard takes notice of this and plans to have Toby and his coach scrapped in secret.

Percy's New Friends: Percy finds himself working with inexperienced Mainland diesels as more and more stem engines are being displaced from their normal jobs. He gets nervous about this and demands to know what exactly Mallard is planning. Mallard states that he wants to protect the older steam engines from harm by placing them on new Heritage lines. Percy asks if he means new Heritage lines on the island, or on a different railway. Mallard states that it all depends on how well they perform. But this shouldn't be a problem for the Percy. The one-of-a-kind Percy. The splendid little Percy who can take charge when called to action. Surely he can prove himself, can't he? Percy, now terrified for his safety, strives to prove himself to Mallard, and starts to help the Mainland diesels and befriend as many as he can.

Gordon's Day Off: Gordon is at the works getting a visual overhaul. He's showered in water, covered in facial lotions and makeup, had his paint completely redone. He hates every minute of it. Just then, Mallard arrives to see Gordon. He's ecstatic to see Gordon in his new "Shooting Star" Livery and can't wait for the smoke deflectors to arrive. Gordon is confused by what he means, and Mallard explains that he ordered Gordon some custom smoke deflectors for him to match his livery, and they should be here soon. Before Gordon can object to it, he's cut off by Mallard, who states that he's going to have Gordon take a new excusive, very expensive, VIP tourist train that has state of the art luxuries and newly renovated coaches. The train will be fit for the queen herself! Surely Gordon wouldn't want to upset her royal highness? Or even Scott's legacy? Again, before Gordon can call out his hypocrisy, he bids Gordon farewell as he has other matters to attend to. Gordon fumes as he leaves, before he is pampered by the workers again.

Thomas and Duck: Thomas is furious at the whole situation. He's also mad at the diesels for taking the majority of the jobs. He sulks about it as he sees Duck in the station. He's here to teach Thomas how to be a "proper" Station Pilot, as it's been years since he was one. Mallard is standing by and is watching the two of them closely. As Duck is teaching Thomas, he explains that he should be honored to be working for an engine like Mallard, as it's the right thing for an engine to do. Enraged that Duck would just blindly follow Mallard causes him to lose his temper with both Duck and Mallard. He berates the two engines, Mallard more so than Duck, and while doing so derails and causes a fire. Duck and his crew quickly take control of the situation and puts out the fire using the water from Thomas's boiler. Mallard is impressed with Duck's quick thinking, and reassigns Duck to be the station Pilot, and orders Thomas to be taken to the sheds. He'll have a word with him later.

Thomas and Mallard: Mallard arrives at Tidmoth sheds, where he finds a beaten up Thomas all alone. He explains that Thomas' protests and attitude have gone on for long enough. Not only has he disrespected his authority, but now he's caused a fire at Tidmouth by throwing a temper tantrum! Thomas stands his ground, saying that Mallard is nothing but a tyrant, but Mallard is unimpressed. He tells him that he will be sent to Mallard's Camp on the Mainland until he decides to be useful again. Thomas, seeing that he's already in trouble, throws caution to the wind and calls Mallard out on everything. The argument with Duchess, the purchase of the island, the modernization plans (that were weakly disguised as a restoration project), and for completely uprooting their lives and what the island stood for. He even lands a few hits on Mallard's buffers! Even more enraged, the two fight until Henry returns to the sheds. Mallard orders Henry to take Thomas to Crewe and to keep him there.

Season 4 1984 ( TL;DR oh no it's the Orwell year. You know what that means-)

Reunion: Thomas and Henry arrive at Crewe, where they bump into a wheelless Edward. The three of them catch up and explain what has happened and what Mallard has been doing. Edward tells Henry that he has to pass the word onto the others about what happened to Thomas. Henry agrees but says that he'll have to play it smart as Mallard will try to stop him. He leaves for Sodor, but not before he says goodbye to the father and son duo. Thomas promises that he'll be back when he can, and Edward assures him that he'll be back as soon as his wheels are reattached.

Tying Up Loose Ends: When Henry returns, he isn't performing as well as he should, mainly due to everything that has happened. Mallard sees this and he uses this as an excuse to get rid of him as he sees him as a threat to his plans. He knows that by sending Henry and Thomas to Crewe, they would've swapped information with Edward. Henry has become a liability to his plans. He orders for Henry to be sent away to "That" Steelworks on the Mainland on the grounds that he needs to hone his skills more. Henry tries to protest, but he's quickly towed away by a loyal Spamcan.

Home Away from Home: As Henry is being towed to The Steelworks, he passes by Mallard's camp and decides to check in on Thomas. Spamcan has to take a break anyways, so they make a stop there. When the two meet, Thomas is ecstatic to see him again, but gets worried when Henry says where he's going. He tells Henry that no one escapes from there. Henry promises to get out of there and to come back for him and Edward. After staying overnight, Spamcan and Herny set out, but not before Henry tells Thomas to stay strong. Thomas affirms this, saying that Mallard can't scare him into listening, and he tells Henry the same.

The Hottest Place in Town: Henry arrives at the Steelworks, and Spamcan drops him off. He welcomes Henry to "his new home" and speeds off. As Henry enters, he sees hundreds of engines, old and new, working in the yard and in the building. He meets the owners, Frankie and Hurricane, and they explain that they save and preserve engines and put them to work. They become part of the family, so to speak. They like to challenge the engines to better themselves (something that Henry loves to do) while keeping them safe. Henry is excited by this, but remembers Thomas' warning, so he stays cautious. They show him around the place and introduce him to some of his new coworkers, such as Lexi, Theo, Merlin, and Beresford the onsite crane. They show him to his shed and say that he'll start work in the morning.

Old Ties: As Henry begins working at the Steelworks, he can't help but feel unnerved by how overly happy and friendly everyone is. So far he likes the challenge but feels that they're a bit harsh with the limited breaks. He quickly runs into even more friendly faces…and some familiar ones. 87546, or Vic as he's now called, has completely changed from when he was last seen. Henry also runs into 98462, a rude engine who was sold years ago. Both engines had become overly friendly, optimistic, and passive in a creepy turn of events. Henry finds the transformations in the engines odd and disturbing and begins to wonder if the same could happing to him.

Familiar Faces: Henry's fears of the Steelworks become valid when he re-discovers Boco, an engine who was presumed dead after a long absence. He too is overly optimistic like the others, and can't imagine leaving the Steelworks despite his worn out condition. Henry confronts Frankie about this, and she conforms that this tends to happen with engines that stay here for so long. Henry informs her that Boco was stolen from the NWR, and that they must return him. She says that they knew that, as they were the ones that stole him. They lock Henry into the Steelworks and announce to everyone that they have a new "Steel Brother" in the family, and everyone cheers. Henry realizes that he needs to form a plan to get him and Boco out of here.

Worn Out Places: Henry tries to convince Boco that they need to escape to Sodor, but he hasn't had much luck. Boco is treated as an equal here. Unlike on Sodor, all of the steam engines here treat him well, not just a handful of them. Henry argues that he has friends over on Sodor that miss him, especially Edward and the Bee twins. It's the mention of Edward that gets Boco to help Henry. They plan to use a flatbed as a battering ram to open the gates and to run to Sodor. When night falls, they see that the gates have more security than usual, and so they have to plan their escape another night.

Runaways: After weeks of being trapped, Henry finally sees his chance at getting out. He grabs a flatbed, has Boco coupled up behind him, and they prepare for the escape. They ram the gates and quickly head off as an alarm goes off. Boco spies three of the Steelworkers tailing them, so Henry takes a risk and turns sharply. The plan works, and one of the diesels derails and traps the other two. Henry and Boco hide out in a siding until morning, and they head to Sodor. Boco insists that they tell someone about the Steelworks, and while Henry agrees, he explains that they have to help the island before they can help anyone else. The episode ends with Frankie and Hurricane contacting UK authorities to report two dangerous engines on the run, and that they must be returned to their steelworks for "everyone's safety". They offer a cash prize to anyone who can catch them and return them.

Home Stretch: When Henry and Boco near Sodor, the police recognize them as the criminals that Frankie and Hurricane described and go to arrest them. Boco tries to explain the situation, but Henry gets the two of them away from the station. As he's running away, two mainland diesels try to trap them, but they fail spectacularly. The pair go back to the station at night, and quickly rush over the bridge to Sodor. Instead of going to the sheds, they hide in Henry's forest until things can calm down.

A Mile in my Shoes: Word of Henry and Boco being wanted engines spreads through the Uk and Sodor. Gordon is completely flabbergasted that Boco is still alive, as well as everyone else. He's also more concerned with Henry and what they could have possibly done to gain a warrant. Gordon, being the smart engine he is, figures out that they must've gone against Mallard and BR somehow. He goes to Henry's forest to be alone with his thoughts, only to bump into Henry and Boco. They explain what happened and Gordon is outraged by what Mallard and the Steelworks had done. He vows to keep them a secret, and vows to get the Island back from Mallard. Before they can object to the plan, Gordon runs off, leaving them behind. Without much choice, they stay in place.

Season 5 1985 (TL;DR Gordon starts a riot)

The Friend of My Enemy: Gordon sets out to get as much info on how Mallard is running the island as possible. He asks the workmen, who refer to the diesels who work for him. He confronts them about Mallard and, to his dismay, finds Diesel 10 defending him. Topham's bias towards the diesels was obvious, so when Mallard promised them proper care and respect, they supported him. He's kept his promise, and so they'll keep their end of the deal. Gordon, feeling betrayed by his friend, asks if he can at least tell him how Mallard runs the island. 10 refuses to do so, in fear of Gordon sabotaging Mallard's plans. Feeling even more betrayed, Gordon argues that Mallard's methods are causing harm to his friends. 10 takes this the wrong way and gets aggressive with him, damaging his buffers. Gordon storms off, leaving both former friends hurt in more ways than one.

James and Gordon: After Gordon's buffers are repaired, he runs into James in his new "Red Rocket" livery similar to the Duchess of Hamilton's. Gordon argues that they shouldn't be bullied by Mallard and should be helping Topham get his railway back. James argues that they've been doing great since Mallard took charge, and even if they could, they don't know how to help Hatt. Stumpt, Gordon and James decide that the only way to beat Mallard is to play his game and learn as much as they can about his plans. Then, when the home is right, form a team that's willing to stand up against him...and Gordon knows exactly who to recruit.

The Enemy of my Friend: In secret, Gordon recruits Bear and Diesel into his plan, While James recruits Toby and Emily. When James tries to recruit Percy, he refuses, saying that going against Mallard is ridiculous, and that they should absolutely not, under any circumstances, sneak around John Skiff's office at 3 am next to the abandoned shed at Tidmouth. James thanks Percy for the info and passes it to Gordon. While he's shocked that he would know such a thing, the team takes the info and plans to use it in the future.

Edward the Museum Piece Pt 1: Edward is finally finished and is told that he'll be sent to Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. Edward panics and insists that there's been a mistake, but two diesels come to take him away. For the entire trip, Edward sobs and is heartbroken that he'll never see his family again. His crying finally causes one of the drivers to snap, and as they stop at a station, he wraps a large cloth over his face for the rest of the journey. They arrive to the museum in the morning, and they remove the cloth. As Edward is shunted into the museum, he looks at the various exhibits that house old parts of engines, a model railway of what he could only assume was Stockton & Darlington Railway, and a fake station. Soon he's rolled onto a large shed in the middle of the room with 5 other engines.

Edward the Museum Piece Pt2: The engines welcome Edward to their fleet and introduce themselves. There's Derwent the clever 0-6-0, Dean the impressionable 2-4-0, Bolt the bold 0-8-0, Gasglow the timid BR class 37, and Finally, there's No. 1, who is a replica that convinced everyone (and himself) that he's the original. They welcome Edward to their Fleet and encourage him to "relax and get rid of all his sorrows". Afterall, he doesn't have to do anything here! Just smile and answer questions from the tourists! It's the perfect Paradice! No work, no workplace drama, and they're properly maintained and cleaned! Sure, they've been out of service for so long that they've forgotten their pasts, but they like it here more than their old place anyways! Edward screams internally.

Percy and The Diesels: Percy is quickly rising the ranks in the Diesel hierarchy, mainly due to his kind nature towards them. This catches D/10's interest, and he challenges Percy for leadership of the Vickarstown Fleet. Percy won the Popular vote and the shunting contest, but 10 won the strength and speed contests. In order to break the tie, a fight is to be held. Diesel tries to get Percy to forfeit, but he insists that he's got this. True to his word, Percy uses his size and clever thinking to his advantage and wins by tricking 10 into derailing, ending the fight. 10 declares him the winner and congratulates him, much to everyone's surprise. Later, Percy takes his place as the new leader, and starts his own master plan and agenda.

The Indignity: Gordon and D/10 run into each other again. With the two of them more levelheaded this time, Gordon again tries to convince him that Mallard is only doing more harm then good. Mallard is only using the Diesels as a tool, and once he has what he wants, he'll abandon them. He also tells 10 that he's regressing back into his past self. 10 ignores this and explains that, while he does agree with him to some degree, Mallard treats the diesels with respect and helps them right away. Gordon agrees that Hatt was biased, but he would've fixed it had he been told about it. The two fail to rekindle the friendship, and Gordon sets off to gather his team to start his strike. 10, meanwhile, gathers supplies for Percy's plan.

Viva La Retaliation Pt 1: Gordon confronts Mallard about his actions by beginning a strike. Himself, James, Toby, Bear, Diesel, and Emily declare a strike at Tidmouth, and demand an audience with Mallard. He arrives, and each of the engines list their demands. Mallard promptly ignores this and orders for everyone to return to their work or they'll be sent away. The engines stand their ground, but after John calls in for D/10 and others to send them to the scrap yard, the strike falls apart. Gordon tells his friends to stand down for their own sake.

Viva La Retaliation Pt 2: After the failure of Gordon's strike, Mallard determines that his judgement is too clouded by grief to make the best decisions for himself and others. He orders for the others to return to their work and to wait for their punishments. He then orders for 10 to deliver Gordon to his camp on the Mainland immediately. Gordon tries to resist being taken away, but this only proves Mallard's point to the public. 10 eventually couples up to him and drags him to the Mainland.

Double Stab: While on their way to Mallard's camp, 10 finally realizes that Gordon was right. Not just about Mallard but about himself. He tells Gordon everything he knows about Mallard's plan (Henry's journey, Edward's placement in the museum, and Thomas in Mallard's camp), and explains that Percy is planning a full-scale revolution with the help of the diesels. He explains that Percy promised to give the diesels the same benefits from Mallard but better, and that he'll keep Hatt in line if they help him get back in office. Gordon has a hard time believing it, but he'll take what he can get. They arrive at the camp at midnight and (awkwardly) wish each other good luck.

#ttte dc au #ttte #ttte au #good grief this is long #ttte thomas #ttte edward #ttte henry #ttte gordon #ttte james #ttte percy #ttte toby #ttte duck #ttte diesel #ttte diesel 10 #ttte bear #ttte mallard #ttte emily #John skiff is sailor John btw #idk if Baz and Bernie have last names so I just came up with my own lol

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ye-olde-sodor · 7 months

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Engine Hierarchy (Revamp!)

So It’s been a while since I’ve talked about my Dream Canon au, and looking back at some of my previous posts, I say it’s time for a revamp! The History is still the same as last time, but I've adjusted how the system works. Let’s look at how the Engine Caste System works and look at the tiers from the bottom up! If you have any questions, please don't be shy to ask me!

The Undesirables: At the unofficial bottom of the pyramid, we have The Undesirables, which is an unbrella term used to classify engines that no one wants. Scrap Engines are, well, scrap. They're either too old or worn to work, or are just too expensive to maintain. Deviants, on the other hand, are engines who refuse to work and/or follow the Hierarchy. If a Deviant Engine commits a crime, they become an Outlawed engine. If an engine is a knock off of another (Think of Henry) then they're an Off Brand Engine.

The Shunters: The Shunter Class is pretty self explanatory. Smaller engines or engines who are tasked with arranging trains for Workers and Express. Shunters are the most common engine that Preserved Engines purchased. They're typically seen as "cute" or "tiny" and "Adorable" because they usually come in a variety of sizes and appear younger then how old they actually are (save for larger shunters like the E2s who show their age). They're seen as the weakest engines, so they're at the bottom of the System (but are above Undesirables).

The Workers: This class, like the Undesirables, is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of engines. Mixed Traffic Engines, Narrow Gauge, Miniature Gauge, Goods Engines, etc all fall under this category. Unlike the Shunter Class, the Working Class can rise up to become an Express Engine if they're Standard Gauge.

The Express: Is the most simplistic out of all the Classes. Express Engines are high speed, high strength, and high importance engines. They pull their respective railways Express services and rarely, if ever, do any other work. These engines are seen as the ones who are in charge of the yard (a second in command to the Controllers). All engines below the Express Engines are incline to obey them, but they can only obey certain commands. For example, An Express Engine can't command a Worker to take or deliver another Engine's train. Only the Controller can do that. Express Engines can, however, command other Engines to prepare their trains for them. (Think of how Thomas prepares Gordon's Coaches for him).

The Controllers: Unlike the other engine classes, the Controller Class isn't technically part of the hierarchy because they're human, but they're in charge of all the engines on their railways, so they were given a place in the pyramid. Engines hold their Controllers to a high regard, and typically obey and follow their rules and do their jobs without any argument. Controllers are, while just as powerful as Preserved engines, are still seen as beneath these elite engines. This is because Controllers don't represent the progress towards engine rights the same way the Preserved engines do. In every scenario, engines will obey the Preserved Engines over their own Controller!

The Preserved: Finally, at the very top, we have the preserved Engines. The Preserved consists of the elite engines who have made history, and have the most power overall. Each engine has their own family tree, similar to how we have our families. Engines typically have a Monarch, a representative of their family and their engine class. These Monarchs are part of the engine elite and are preserved, placing them at the top. For example, Flying Scotsman was the Monarch of the Gresley engine family before Mallard took his place.

Main Questions:

What's the History of the Hierarchy? There was a hierarchy established among the machines in the 1880s, but it was never as large or influential as it currently is. It was never recognized by humans until the Nationalization of British Railways in 1914, where it was briefly mentioned but didn't become law. This gave it more legitimacy with the engines, and it was regularly enforced among them. It was officially recognized by the British Government as law with The Railways Act of 1921 years later.

In the year 1926, British Governments and BR decided that only the preserved engines would have the most power as a means to test what would happen if machines had human rights and privileges (money, bank accounts, inheritances, lawyers, basically most of the stuff that humans have.) This, in turn, caused engines to enforce the system religiously. Anyone who disagrees with the Hierarchy is seen as a traitor or someone who wants to undermine the rights of their fellow Engines.

What happens to the Undesirable Engines? It depends on the type of Undesirable. Scrap ends up in Scrapyards. Deviants and Outlaws can end up in one or two places, Scrapyards to work or be scraped there or are sent to one of the many Correctional Facilities that were established by Mallard Gresley. These facilities are meant to re-educate engines on how to properly work and address superiors. Off-Brand Engines are typically frowned upon, and are seen as lower then the lowest engine (or Sub-Engine), and are treated like trash. It's not uncommon for engines to stage an accident to take the life of an Off-Brand Engine.

Can Engines move up in the System? Technically, they can. Any engine, in theory, can become preserved if the odds are with them. Engines, however, cannot move up the system if they weren’t build for a job (a Shunter can't become an Express Engine). The higher the Class, the harder (if not impossible) it is to get there. All Engines below the Controller Class cannot purchase other engines, as only the Preserve can do so.

Do certain engines rank higher then others? Yes! Diesels and Electric engines are above Steam engines since they’re new and ✨Revolutionary✨ Aside from the Preserved and Controllers, The newer engines belong at the top!

If I missed any other questions, feel free to ask me about them!

#ttte #ttte au #ttte DC au

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ye-olde-sodor · 1 year

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Know your Place… (ttte Dc au fanfic)

Thomas hadn't been this excited since he'd been shipped to Sodor!

He'd had been asked to visit the National Railway Museum in York and to be part of a display for Sodor. While the trip was filled with mishaps and accidents, he finally arrived in one piece! And now he was supposed to double head a train with none other then Green Arrow! The Green Arrow!

The two of them met when Thomas was getting repairs to his buffer, and had become quick friends, so to be able to pull a train with them just made the train even more special to him.

Thomas had just rolled out of the shed where he was staying at when something caught his eye.

A large, crimson engine was sitting in the sun beside him. The engine had thin, gold trimmings around the boiler and cylinder. He could see a pair of smoke deflectors attached to the side of the smokebox. As he approached the engine, he noticed a golden nameplate pinned on the boiler.

His eyes widened as he read the plate, and gently rushed to see the engine's face. Her eyes were the same gold as her nameplate and the gentle trimming around her. As he inched closer, he decided to speak to the regal locomotive.

"Duchess of Hamilton, I presume?"

"Oh! Well hello there!" she spoke softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!"

"Oh, that's quite alright." Thomas chuckled. "I didn't see you here either! It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"The same to you, my friend! I'm guessing you must be Thomas of Sodor then?"

Thomas was taken aback by that. "You know me?"

"Who doesn't know you!" she teased. "Your face is plastered over everything nowadays. Although...you do look a bit, well-"

"Old? Nothing like the books?" Thomas said with a smile, the wrinkles on his face turning upwards as he did so. "I don't take offense to it. I'm actually much happier like this...without the makeup."

"Makeup? Why whatever would you need that?"

"The illustrators for the book made me look like I was built in the 80s, so we have to cover the wrinkles for photos and events for the kids. Y'know..."to keep the magic of the books alive". I even have to change my voice, you won't believe how much of a hassle it is!"

"You can do that?" She quizzed him again.

"Of course I can! Same reason for the makeup. I've been doing it ever since I was 12."

"How curious!" Duchess spoke in wonder. "So what does your real voice sound like?"

Thomas smiled at Duchess again. "It sounds like this! I've been using it since I got here!"

"And the one you use with the children?"

"Something like this!" He spoke in a higher pitch, much like that of a young adult. When the Duchess heard the sudden shift, she was most impressed!

"My, what a lovely talent you have!" She expressed.

Just when Thomas was about to thank her for the complement when another engine had backed into the sheds. A streamlined, Royal Blue engine had arrived, and had placed himself right beside Thomas. Unbeknownst to Thomas, Duchess swore under her breath when he arrived.

"Oh, hello there!" Thomas spoke to him, "Who are you?"

"Who am I?!" Spoke the other engine rudely, "Surely you Sudrians can't be this dense!"

"But we're supposed to be dense, we're made of metal!" Thomas retorted cheekily in his younger voice.

"Quiet you!" The engine replied sternly. "You are speaking to an elite, little shunter, and you will address me and my colleague as such!"

Duchess let out a loud eh hem as the other engine turned his attention to her. "Mallard," she spoke sternly, "He is an elite. And even if he wasn't, you have no right to address your own in such an unsavory manner!

Thomas suddenly realized who he was talking to! He'd been so put off by his attitude that he failed to see his nameplate!

"Him?! One of us?!" Mallard sputtered. "Hamilton, surely your streamlining hasn't clouded your judgment!"

"I can assure you it hasn't." She replied coldly. Apparently Mallard hit more than a nerve with that remark. "This is Thomas of Sodor, from those books I was telling you about. If anything you should be treating him with respect!"

Mallard took a closer look at Thomas and gave a huff. "So it's the world that must've gone mad in my absence. Being a part of some measly book pales in comparison to what us Preserved have done to achieve such a status!"

He let off steam as he narrowed his gaze. "Tell me then, Thomas of Sodor, what have you done to achieve such a status?"

Thomas was, quite obviously, offended by Mallard. First, not only did he personally despise the so-called hierarchy, but he hated the ideas and practices that came with it. Now he most certainly didn't like Mallard in the slightest. Regardless, he believed that he had the upper hand in this argument.

"Well for starters...I work. Judging by your attitude you hardly work at all!"

Mallard was greatly offended by this, while Duchess was tempted to burst into laughter!

"But if you're looking for something more specific," he went on, "I'm the only reason why the express gets any passengers on Sodor. My branch line and my passenger trains connect the majority of passengers to the express. Without me and my branch line, Sodor would be in financial ruin."

"That's a good reason for preservation." Duchess said after regaining her composure. "Same for all of them, all of us even."

"Providing an essential service means nothing to BR unless you do it with extraordinary talent...That is how we achieved preservation status after all." Mallard replied smugly. "Is this express run of yours truly that important to Sodor? To the point where it warrants preservation?"

"It is. Not because the service is irreplaceable, but because everyone gets preserved on Sodor." Thomas argued. "Regardless of who they are or what they do, they can live on the island in peace. It's what makes the island a safe haven for all machines!"

"And it's what makes you the backwards junkyard of Britian!" Mallard fumed. "The fact that you are allowed to even act in defiance of BR's will is an insult to our social order!"

"Your "social order" is a complete joke!" Thomas protested. "An engine gets scrapped because it disagrees with someone?! Engines have to fight each other for the privilege of being able to live?!"

The two engines were in shock! The Duchess more so then Mallard. How did the books miss this fiery temper in the tank engine?!

"In what well developed society is that the "social order"?! It's unfair to those who are doing all the work while engines like you just sit around and do nothing, only for them to be scrapped! How does any of that make sense to you, let alone be acceptable?!"

Mallard, in an attempt to hide his anger, rolled his eyes. "The way I see it, you're only against it because you'd be first in the scrapyards! That, and that it's new."

"It's new?" Duchess intervened, "That's your argument Mallard?"

"Hamilton, since you seem to be a fan of this tank engine here," He challenged, "Then what engine is he?"

"Why don't you ask him?" She replied sternly. "He can clearly speak for himself."

Reluctantly, Mallard motioned with his eyes, signaling Thomas to answer. Reluctantly, he did.

"Modified E2." He spoke bluntly. "Lengthwise I'm shorter than what I'm supposed to be, but that lets me go places where my class wouldn't normally be able to go, like harbors and branch lines."

"Yes yes, but what date were you constructed?" Mallard interrupted.

"June 15th...1915."

To say that the two engines were shocked was the understatement of the century. Both knew Thomas had to have been an elderly engine, but they never would've expected him to be this old! After he got over the shock, Mallard let an evil smirk plaster his face.

"As I've said. It's without a doubt that the older the engine, the more resilient they are to change. We've seen it before and will continue to see it again. They're less likely to conform to our way of life as we now know it."

"Ok, so what's your argument here?" Thomas demanded. "Old Bad New Good?"

"Take this as a lecture, you two." Mallard spoke sternly as he addressed them. "British Rail doesn't take too kindly to those who step out of line..."

He looked at Thomas in the eyes. "You may have the luxury of being preserved, little one, but as a shunter you have the unique risk having that privilege revoked. You're more replaceable than you think."

Thomas bared and gritted his teeth, restraining himself from lashing out at him.

"My advice to you? Treat us with some respect...and know. your. place. Am I clear?"

Thomas's eyes narrowed on the engine, half tempted to spit fire in his face out of spite and malice. At the same time, however, he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it from Edward and Sir Topham Hatt. Reluctantly, he yielded to the other engine, and kept his mouth shut.

"I'll take the silence as an agreement...as for you Hamil-"

"Don't you even think about it, 4468." Duchess hissed. "We've heard enough of your ramblings."

"Ramblings?!" Mallard sputtered. "My lectures-"

"Are for your so-called students." She retorted quickly. "Neither of us are your students, so it would be wise of you to be on your way...now."

With a loud huff, Mallard left the sheds, presumably to head to another shed far away from the others. Thomas let off clouds of steam as Mallard left. Small flames and cinders flew from his mouth in anger and frustration.

"The nerve of that engine." Duchess hissed before turning her attention back to Thomas. "I'm terribly sorry about him dear. Usually he isn't this much of a pest, but it would appear that something must've clogged his pipes."

"And his mind." Thomas added. "What a horrible excuse of an engine, that Mallard!"

"Well said. Now if only I scared him off sooner..."

"But if you did, you wouldn't have been able to put him in his place!" He said cheekily to brighten the mood.

Hamilton thought on what Thomas had said, and then she gave a hearty laugh. "Oh I like you! Why don't you come to my personal shed after your run with Green Arrow? That way we can have a proper chat...without any interruptions this time."

"Personal shed?" Thomas questioned. "What's that?"

"It's a shed that us Preserved can rent for events like this." She explained humbly. "Mine is over on the other side of the yard. It's the one with a large red banner with a gold trim on it to tell others that it's mine, you can't miss it."

Thomas cuffed slowly away, as it was almost time for his run. "Then I'll see you there! I should be there at 5!"

"I'll see you then!" she cheered happily as he left the sheds and headed to the station to wait for Green Arrow. While he looked foreword to meeting the Duchess again, he couldn't help but wonder as to what the deal was with Mallard.

He didn't know why, but he felt as though there was something more to Mallard then just a distasteful attitude. Something dark and sinister was going on...he can feel it.

But for now...he had a train to catch. Two trains if we counted Hamilton. But that's a story for another day.

#ttte #ttte au #ttte dc au #ttte thomas #ttte mallard #ttte duchess of hamilton

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ye-olde-sodor · 7 months

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Hurt (A DC au fic) (Tw warning)

Hey all! Ths fic is a bit darker than what I usually post, so please read with caution! It isn't over the top dark and it has a happy ending so I included the ttte tags. Tw warning for depression and death mention! Angst but with a happy ending!

______________________________________________________________

Gordon sighed as he backed into the old shed at Vicarstown. He bid his crew farewell, and he let his weight sink into the old rails below. The shed was old and dilapidated, completely void of any comfort, but he didn't feel like running all the way back to Tidmouth. It was a miracle that he was even moving at all.

It had been years since Scott had sailed to America. After a change in politics left his tour unfunded and bankrupt, everyone had feared for the worst. Sure enough, to his utter horror, one of Scotts trailing wheels was delivered to Doncaster from America, and the nation fell into mourning.

The United States had repeatedly denied sending the wheel and scrapping Scott, but all of the evidence was pointing to the painfully obvious. Out of everything, it was the blatant denial of any wrongdoing that truly got under his metal plating. He fumed just by the thought of it.

Worst yet, the family had begun to finally tear away from it's surviving members. For whatever reason, Scott had made the young, inexperienced Mallard the family matriarch over him or even Spencer...and gave the majority of the money to him.

Did he feel betrayed? Of course he did, anyone in his wheels would feel hurt and bitter by that. Did he feel jealous? Name me a time where Gordon wasn't jealous. But above all else...he was in agony.

The sounds of his screams upon hearing the news still haunt the inhabitants of Sodor...several months after the wheel was first brough to Doncaster. Outrage and a need for vengeance fueled him in a mighty burst of pure fire. In a matter of moments, he became a raging inferno accompanied by the shrilled shrieks of the phoenix, only for the cold and bitter misery to arrive and smother that once mighty flame just as quickly.

That same fury nearly took hold of him again when Mallard swiftly left the funeral service to attend to Scott's will. How dare he abandon his only family to "deal with the necessities"?! Would it have killed him to pay his respects to the engine he claimed to view as a mentor? His predecessor, a father dare one say?! Like with the last burst of fury, however, it was quickly drenched in a water known as despair. As Gordon thundered down the line back home, he felt nothing but the numbness of depression.

Now here he was, sitting in a cold abandoned shed near Kildane, barely living but so far from death. His eyes felt sunken, and his smokebox door felt heavy. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that his own face would come clean off its hinges, landing onto the ground with a sickening thud and disintegrate into dust.

His entire frame felt weak and brittle, but it still stood firm and strong under his weight. He had lost all of his energy and his sense of importance and high regard. He stopped taking the express since the day the wheel arrived and has been pulling filthy goods trains ever since.

His once proud and royal blue paint had become covered in soot, grime, and various other stains. His eyes were red from countless tears and sleepless nights, hindering his performance even more. Dark circles under his eyes accompanied the redness, further showing his deterioration and lack of self care.

To list every agony that Gordon is suffering through would take years. Gordon had become a fallen star, a star of which that was rapidly falling apart as we speak.

As he sulked in the crumbling shed, the low bellowing of a diesel had become audible. It's proud motor seemed to echo across invisible valleys as it approached. He shifted his eyes to look in the direction of the noise to see who would dare approach such a dilapidated structure. To his surprise, he recognized the large Warship.

"10? What are you doing here?" Gordon spoke weakly.

"I was just gonna ask you the same thing." he replied in an equally stunned voice. "This is usually my shed."

Gordon's weight shifted under the rails again. "Oh. I'm sorry...I can leave if-"

"No no, it's fine." 10 interrupted. "I'm just surprised is all. You can stay here, I'll just park beside you."

He did as he promised, and carefully backed into the shed, sitting on top of the rails to Gordon's left. Gordon heard a door open and quickly closed. Out of the corner of his eye, he could spy the mechanical arm of 10's driver speed away after bidding his engine farewell. Apparently he knew that the two were about to have an intimate conversation.

"How are you holding up?" The large engine asked cautiously.

At first, Gordon was hesitant to answer. Truth be told he wasn't well at all...but at the same time he didn't want to hinder anyone else and have them worry more about him more then their work. Fortunately, 10 already knew the answer, and spoke Gordon's mind on his behalf.

"About as well as you can?" he spoke gently, as not to come off as condescending.

"You and I both now how much it hurts," Gordon began. "To lose a sibling...but to lose someone who was guaranteed survival."

Gordon trailed off, tears already beginning to form in his eyes. For the first time in years, he felt weak. His eyes began to soften as he let himself show such a powerful emotion in front of what is supposed to be his replacement, his rival even. He had already let his emotions erupt before, so it would've been hypocritical to hide them anymore.

"There is no greater pain then that." he finished through tears.

10 remained silent, and respectfully allowed the other engine to sob. His tears streamed down his face and began to pool onto his buffers and the ground below. The rails slightly sunk into the now wet soil, a result of the ground underneath it being disturbed.

10 had never seen such a thing before. An engine sobbing in front of another was unheard of on the Mainland, so to see such raw emotion from someone so uptight...why he couldn't explain the feeling even if he could.

"And the worst part of it?" Gordon went on shakily. "It isn't even over yet."

"What do you mean?"

Gordon thought for a moment and decided that he could no longer bare the weight of his dilemma any longer. As soon as he composed himself as best as he could, he looked at the warship.

"Promise me you won't speak of this. To anyone. What I'm about to tell you must stay between us."

"I promise." he spoke carefully, surprised at how trusting the engine was being to him. Then again, anyone in Gordon's position would've been grasping for any sort of comfort. Even if his better judgement wouldn't allow it.

"It's Scott's will," Gordon explained weakly. "Ryan is convinced someone tampered with it in Mallard's favor. Everyone on Spencer's side of the family is convinced that there isn't any evidence for such a claim. Now Ryan and his siblings are up in arms against his."

10 was suddenly intrigued by what he was being told. He'd heard of stories about forgeries, especially during his time as a bounty hunter. He suddenly found a source of hope, that his past might finally prove useful.

"Why would he think that?" he asked respectfully.

"Mallard got a majority of Scott's finances and properties. The rest of it went to Spencer and his half of the family, myself and Ryan."

"That does sound weird...What's Mallard doing now?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't spoken to him since the funeral." he said. "Or anyone for that matter...you're the only person I've talked to about this."

Diesel 10 was stunned. Astonished even, more so then he was before. It was already bizarre enough to have someone like Gordon vent to him of all engines, but to have him be the only person to vent about his feelings to? Why, he didn't know what to feel! Honored? Prideful? Destressed? Concerned?

Gordon's eyes had finally dried, with the last tear falling into the puddle below him. He looked at the diesel with red, burned eyes. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm completely lost."

"Y'know you really shouldn't be taking all of this on your own," 10 spoke abruptly. "Why don't you talk to the other steamies? Or even Hatt? Can't you get advice from him?"

Gordon nearly had a stroke at the suggestion. "You can't just...ask your controller for legal advice! It's improper!"

"Y'know what else is improper? Not talking to the people who can help you." He said sternly but gently. "Believe me, you don't ever want to make that mistake. It's how you end up making mistakes that you can't fix."

Gordon suddenly understood what the Warship was referring to. He had known about the Warship's past, as did most of the island, but he was the only one who truly understood his upbringing. To be robbed of your original purpose only to be thrown into a new one, and to have it end up for the better or for the worst of you. It doesn't take a genius to know who ended up where.

Gordon respected him, in a turn of events. Was 10 at one point resentful of Gordon's own privileges? He would've been a fool to deny that. Did he eventually overcome this prejudice and turned into one of the islands most reliable engines? Yes, but it's hard to believe that an airport of all things could've been the catalyst for such a change in demeanor.

Either way, Gordon couldn't help but see himself in the Warships position. Gordon was sent to Sodor after being an excellent engine at Doncaster...and he felt betrayed by the decision. He liked where he was, his family was there, why did they take it away from him? Was he not good enough? Over time, he grew to love his new home and job, but it took many years for him to heal from the sudden changes and hurt feelings.

10, meanwhile, had the misfortune of being sent for scrap with the rest of his siblings, only to be salvaged by some lunatic who gutted his cab and installed a massive hydraulic claw into it. He spent years hunting down the engines that had fled their railways...but would return with a broken husk of an engine trailing behind him.

Almost all runaway engines are stored in sheds until their crews can find a proper sanctuary, but without proper maintenance and a lack of movement after so much time...The warship became less of a bounty hunter and more of a corpse collector.

The more he thought about it, the more Gordon realized just how much they understand each other. The two were so similar yet so very different. It practically scared Gordon.

Looking at the mighty Warship now, it's virtually impossible to tell that he went through so much. He cares for those around him, and he's been a gentle giant for years now. He's went through years of pain and torment and yet here is smiling and working hard as if it had never happened!

As Gordon thought more and more about 10, and how he managed to pull through in the end gave him a newfound sense of hope. While not nearly enough to overpower his grief yet, it gave him a head start.

"I...I'll see if I can get the chance to talk to him." Gordon spoke, having found his strength. "He is a rather busy man after all."

"If he really cares about you steamers like his kids," 10 replied, "Then I bet he'll make time."

Gordon was taken aback by the phrase. "You don't really believe in that little rumor, do you?"

It was a lighthearted joke on the island's part, but 10 believed it to be fact. After all, this was the Hatt family we're talking about. The very same family that would gladly break the law just to keep a steam engine from being scrapped.

10 chuckled lightly, "That was a rumor?"

"Depends on who you ask." he replied cheekily. While his mood was lifted, he knew it would be a long time before he truly felt better. This wasn't, however, meant to discourage the smaller steps…as he could already see a flicker of hope at the end if a ling tunnel.

"Hey, there we go!" 10 smiled. If he had arms, he would've placed one of them around his friend for comfort and encouragement. Alas, he was stuck with only his words. In any other case, he would've used his claw, but that would've damaged the already weakened shed.

Suddenly, the Warship had an idea.

"Say, I think we can squeeze the two of us in my shed back at home base."

Gordon cocked an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Oh? what about-"

"It's only a short drive, maybe 15 minutes tops. If we leave now we can-"

"10, what about our drivers?" Gordon interrupted with a slight laugh.

The Warship blushed as the realization had dawned on him. While it was quite the blunder, if he acts quickly, he can fix it.

"I mean we could always leave a note!"

…or not.

Gordon let out a long needed laugh, and it wasn’t long before the warship joined in as well!

The two allies would’ve laughed the night away if weariness didn’t overcome them. As the two settled their weight ontop of the old rails, Gordon felt a small warmth build in his firebox, and he allowed a smile to form as he drifted effortlessly to sleep.

#ttte au #ttte #ttte dc au #ttte gordon #ttte shipping #ig #ttte diesel 10 #this has been in my drafts for months lmao #it’s finally finished lmao

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ye-olde-sodor · 9 months

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Engine Fleets (DC au)

Something that I failed to mention in detail from my hierarchy post are Engine Fleets!

Similar to how animals form Flocks/Packs/Mobs/etc, engines form their own social groups known as Fleets! So for example, the Tidmouth "Crew" isn't actually a crew, its proper name is the Tidmouth Fleet. The Farquar Engines are the Farquar Fleet, The Mid Sodor is the Mid Sodor Fleet, etc.

Steam Fleets operate similarly to wolf packs. They are a family unit with one or more "Parent" member that looks after the other members in the Fleet. In Tidmouth's case, this would be Edward's role. On occasion, other members of the Fleet will take up the role of parent engine if the originals fall ill or needs a break.

Steam Fleets tend to have their own "Territories" and are prone to being protective of them! For example, Thomas is incredibly protective of his jobs and his branch line in order to keep himself useful. While not all engines are as fiercely protective as Thomas is, they do tend to fight against any changes to their routes and jobs (hence why larger engines avoids shunting). They also want to "expand" their territories by taking on new jobs (like how James wants to be a passenger train in the first seasons of the show).

So if Steam Fleets are similar to wolves...then how do Diesel Fleets work? Diesel Fleets are much more complicated than Steam Fleets and are typically based more off of a democracy. Diesel Fleets vote on just about everything!

When a fleet of Diesels is formed, a leader is to be chosen. This leader functions as the "parent" engine and will keep the fleet in order while also protecting and looking after them. This Fleet would then, in turn, follow this leader and assist him however possible. In order for an engine to become a leader, they have to win an election.

So how exactly does this election work? In order for a leader to be chosen, three judges must be chosen. Three Diesels are chosen by the fleet (not the contestants) to represent the Fleet. Usually these three would be one of the three main classes of engine (Express, Mixed Traffic, and Shunter) if possible. If the fleet is small or lacks one of the classes, then a compromise is established.

The three Contests are meant to further represent the three classes as well. The Strength Contest represents the Mixed Traffic class, and has the contestants haul large trains along a certain length of track. The Speed Contest represents the Express class, and has the contestants race along a certain length of track similar to that of the Strength Contest. The Shunting Contest, however, requires contestants to shunt trucks and form as many trains as they could under a certain time.

Finally, the whole Fleet gets a chance to voice their approval for a candidate by means of the Popular Vote. If a Diesel wins the Contests, but is just rude and nasty overall, then they could be disqualified by the vote and lose. This means that the vice versa is true as well. But what happens when the elected leader fails to properly provide and respect the fleet? When this happens, a member of the Fleet can challenge the leader for leadership, and the cycle repeats.

If a leader were to suddenly perish or be absent due to maintenance or repairs, a vote would be held to elect a temporary leader or would go through an election to replace the fallen leader. When that leader returns, the replacement will resign. If they don't, they either challenge the leader, or are expelled from the Fleet.

Just like with Steam Fleets, however, Diesel Fleets are a family unit, and have been observed to go to any means necessary to protect and to preserve their Fleet. Steam Fleets protect themselves within the law, but Diesel Fleets tend to break said laws in order to tip the odds in their favor. After all, Diesels do suffer the most from unfounded prejudices, so if everyone else isn't going to play fair then why should they?

It's important to know that engines can freely leave their Fleets and form other Fleets. They can also form Fleets outside of their main one. For example, Edward formed his own Fleet with Boco, Thomas, and the Bee Twins on his branch line. Thomas also formed his own Fleet with Percy, Toby, and Daisy on his branch line as well!

#this has been in my drafts for months lmao #ttte #ttte au #ttte dc au

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ye-olde-sodor · 1 year

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Au Post list

Since I got a lot of Aus, I figured that I made a list of all of the lore important posts that I've made so far! This won't replace the pinned post but will just be a link in that post!

SS Posts:

Thomas

Edward

Henry

Gordon

James

Percy

Toby 7/7

Duck 8/8

Donald 9/9

Douglas 10/10

Oliver 11/11

Diesel 10

Diesel

Outdated COTL Posts:

Meme Posts (old)

Lore Post 1 (old)

Lore Post 2 (old)

Were-Gorbo (old)

Family Reunion (FIC PT1 ) (old)

Midnight Smoke (FIC PT 2) (old)

Night Talks (FIC PT 3) (old)

New COTL Posts:

Engine Lore

Dieselization Lore

Au Lore

Humans (FIC)

DC Posts:

Seasons and Episode list (PT 1) (OLD)

Seasons and Episodes (PT 1) (NEW)

Seasons and Episodes (PT 2) (NEW)

Engine Hierarchy & Lore (Old)

Engine Hierarchy & Lore (Updated)

Engine Fleets

Know Your Place (FIC)

What am I to You? (FIC)

Solario

Thomas

Edward

Henry

Gordon

James

Percy

Toby

Duck

Diesel

Diesel 10

Scott

Mallard

Spencer

Ryan

Miscellaneous Aus:

Percy Villain Au (FIC)

Vampire!Gordon

No RWS?

#ttte au #ttte #master list #ttte ss au #ttte cotl au #ttte dc au

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ye-olde-sodor · 1 year

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Welcome!

This is a TTTE themed side blog for @fan-burns! Here, you'll find many different Aus, headcanons, fanfics, and more!

If you have any questions about any of my Aus, or simply want to ask a character a question, feel free to do so! The Inbox is always open, and I'd love to answer any questions you have!

Master List

#ttte #ttte aus #ttte au #ttte humanized #ttte SS au #ttte CotL au #ttte DC au #master list

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ye-olde-sodor · 1 year

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Dream Canon Au Lore Dump

OK so I'm finally ready to show off some DC au. Viewer discretion advised just in case because this is obviously a dark take, but at the same time I don't go too far with it. It's bleak, but not overly edgy if that makes sense.

To summarize, this au is an alternative take on how engine hierarchy works. We know that there is some sort of hierarchy and class system for the engines, but there's little to no information about it. The only evidence of it existing is from Gordon's "we big engines are important" rants from the model series.

In this au, there was a hierarchy established among the machines in the 1880s, but it was never as large or influential as it currently is. It was never recognized by humans until the Nationalization of British Railways in 1914, where it was briefly mentioned but didn't become law. This gave it more legitimacy with the engines, and it was regularly enforced among them. It was officially recognized by the British Government as law with The Railways Act of 1921 years later.

The recognition of the hierarchy brough engine rights into question. In the year 1926, British Governments and BR decided that only the preserved engines would have the most power as a means to test what would happen if machines had human rights and privileges (money, bank accounts, inheritances, lawyers, basically most of the stuff that humans have.) This, in turn, caused engines to enforce the system religiously.

The system established a strict class system for machines, especially in the locomotives. The Preserved are hailed as royalty, while those below serve them and their controllers. Thankfully, Sodor doesn't follow this Hierarchy as strictly as the Mainland, and it rarely if at all follows it. Due to this, however, almost all of the mainland engines see Sodor as a lawless place devoid of any proper rules because they preserve the old and obsolete.

Now that we understand the history of the system, how does it work? While most of it is self-explanatory, there are parts that need to be elaborated.

The Preserved consists of the elite engines who have made history, and have the most power overall. Each engine has their own family tree, similar to how we have our families. Engines typically have a Monarch, a representative of their family and their engine class. These Monarchs are part of the engine elite and are preserved, placing them at the top. For example, Flying Scotsman was the Monarch of the Gresley engine family before Mallard took his place.

Controllers are, while just as powerful as Preserved engines, still placed under these elite engines. This is because Controllers don't represent the progress towards engine rights the same way the preserved engines do.

Finally, Deviant engines are engines who don't believe in a hierarchy and actively rebel against the status quo. They either refuse to work for their superiors or physically can't even if they want to. If a Deviant engine partakes in a crime, they are then labeled an Outlaw or Criminal depending on the severity of the crime. If a Deviant engine cannot work, then they are labeled as scrap. If an engine is old, it is obsolete, and is therefore considered to be scrap.

Engines are sent to a variety of locations depending on their crimes. Scrap is sent to the scrapyards, while Criminals and Outlaws are sent to specialized yards meant to trap them until further notice. In some cases, criminals are sent to scrapyards to be scraped or to work there.

Deviant engines, on the other hand, are sent to one of the many Correctional Facilities that were established by Mallard Gresley himself. These facilities are meant to re-educate engines on how to properly work and address superiors. A detention center for engines basically. One of the most popular, and most relentless, of these camps is Mallard's Mainland Correctional Facility (MMCF). It's a camp that he personally owns and is the Head Instructor of. He's strict, merciless, and efficient. This in turn makes his facility the popular choice for controllers looking for a way to get their unruly engines in line.

While we're on the subject of Mallard, let's briefly explain him since he has a lot to do with the system. I'll go more in depth in another post.

Mallard and his siblings were raised to believe that the system in place is law, and that all engines of the past are obsolete (just like all Mainland engines). When most of his siblings were scrapped, Mallard was naturally grief stricken by the loss. He was convinced that he would be scrapped next...but then his speed clocked in at 126 mph.

He was preserved, and now holds the ideology that because he pulled off a feat that no one else could, that he was better at his job then his siblings, he was awarded with preservation. He takes this lesson to heart, and vows to "help" any engines who have lost their way and opened the Correctional Facilites. He believes that by enforcing the system that saved him he is doing the engines a service, but he's only doing more harm than good.

What's more terrifying than a villain? A villain who believes he's doing something good. That is who Mallard is in this Au, and I cannot wait to write more about him.

Going back to the system, not only are jobs in a hierarchy, but so are engine types.

The Steam population is slowly dwindling thanks to Dieseilization. Diesels and Electric engines are seen as the future for railways, and that steam is becoming obsolete, so they are seen as above all steam engines. Due to this, most Preserved engines have purchased their own Diesel and Electric engines as personal servants and workers. Very few steam locomotives get the job due to the decline in their population and their scarcity. Most modern locomotives see the job as an honor, as it further establishes their superiority over steam.

As you'd expect, some diesels are against this idea. Diesel and D/10 see the job as hypocritical to the system. Why would the new serve the old if the old are supposed to be destroyed? Why preserve a few of the old if you destroy the rest of them? It just didn't make sense. The two were labeled as Deviant engines when they expressed these views and took refuge on Sodor. The duo was anti-steam ever since.

Regardless of what they think, most engines are honored to get such a high positioned job. While non-preserved engines don't get paid, they get the opportunity to be preserved if they serve their engine well. This, of course, causes the job to be incredibly competitive, especially with the steam engines and their dwindling numbers. Foul play is even more common.

The hierarchy of engines, while currently in its infancy, is incredibly complex and incredibly strict. There's a lot that I want to do with this concept, but I have so much on my plate rn that it's going to take some time to get it all out. Regardless, I hoped you enjoyed the lore dump!

#ttte #ttte au #ttte dc au

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