Explaining Engine Currency
Ok so in Engine swap I came up with the idea that engines have their own form of currency.
This can be used in any ttte au if you want.
The currency is different depending on the type of engine, not only that but it’s usually only found on Sodor.
Pieces of wood : lowest form of currency (never used)
Pieces of cheap coal : second lowest never really used either unless there’s a poor batch of it
Pieces of regular coal : generally used amongst the engines (main form of currency, also the second highest form of currency)
Pieces of Welsh coal : most expensive form of engine currency. Treated like you just gave them $100 (never used unless very desperate)
Prank advice or devious plan advice : lowest form of currency. (This is only amongst diesels)
Diesel fuel : most common currency. Usually used in litres.
Devious deed (show someone else who’s boss!) : this is also only among diesels, even then only the aggressive ones. (Highest form of currency)
Electric engine currency :
AAA batteries : lowest form of currency (almost never used)
AA batteries : most common
D batteries : second most expensive (treated like you gave somebody $50)
3R12 batteries: Most expensive almost never used (treated as if you tried to hand them $100)
General Currency that can be used amongst any type of engine:
Favours : most common if they can’t offer the other currencies mentioned above or just plain used first. (Like hey switch jobs with me, you owe me. Or “can you help me with this? I give you a favour and I’ll help you with anything later”)
Vouch : Essentially just “Hey help me do something and I’ll tell Sir topham hatt you’re really useful!” Treated like it’s gold. Never really used much due to “how expensive” it is. Used also if an engine notices that there’s a job they really want.
Explaining the coal, fuel, and batteries as currency:
Engines don’t really have a use for money really. But stuff that helps them run? Yeah they have a use for that!
For the batteries though, only use in humanoid form au where the engines can shift into a human like appearance. The batteries are just juice boxes essentially. (Electric engines suck the electricity from them then throw them out.)
Batteries can only be used with electric engines that are battery powered, so batteries mean nothing to the ones that are connected to the electric wires above the track.
I’d imagine they’d also have their own “banks” so to speak.
Where you can exchange coal for litres of diesel fuel and certain types of batteries.
Where to go for coal : Steam works. Ask Kevin or Victor, both are in the loop about “Engine currency”
Where to go for Diesel fuel : Diesel Works. Ask Dart since he’s in the loop about engine currency.
Where to find batteries : A Station near Electric railway. Typically one of the electric engines that connect to the power line above the tracks has batteries to trade.
Now as for what the currency can buy? Well.
What engines “buy” with currency:
Shed spot they wanted (only with Tidmouth crew)
Getting Duck to shut up about the “Great Western way” card
Get Bill and Ben to “knock it off” stop Bill and Ben’s pranks card
Human food (that they can eat. Essentially they ask their crew to buy food for them.)
Most of the crews and Steam/Diesel Works employees are aware of “Engine currency” and kinda laugh when they realize that engines have their own currency. They try to make heads and tails of it. Most of the time they just roll with it since it kinda makes sense to them. Or it confuses the fuck outta them so they just roll with it.
Sir Topham hatt is aware of it. But can’t fully understand it. I’d imagine he’d be thrown for a loop about it in @mintydeluxes-blog’s Man to machine fanfic.
How engines keep “currency” on them :
Steam engines : Kept in tender or bunker
Welsh coal : kept in small bag in drawer in cab that’s only opened by the engine.
Diesel : bag kept in drawer that they can only open. (Drawer in cab as well)
Steam engines : in a plastic bottle kept in drawer that only they can open in cab
Electric engines : small box kept in drawer that only only they can open found in cab
This idea was inspired by ilovetrains323 video “Welcome Home” on YouTube where Thomas and Percy bet bags of coal.
Humanoid aus or aus where engines can shape shift into human like appearance: amount of currency “used” is much smaller.
Aus where they can’t shape shift into human like form: much more currency is used.
(Bag of coal instead of a piece of coal. A whole barrel or tanker of diesel fuel instead of a liter. Electric engines just don’t get currency here sadly.)
Like I said though, engines don’t really have a use for money. (They don’t get paid lol)
