Welcome to the official blog for Rails Around the World. This is an idea/project about sentient locomotives built into humanoid shells (Guiders) working on railroads and railways around the world. Asks and submissions are open if you're curious about anything!
A proper introduction post was needed, so here I am.
Hello all, you can call me Jasper! Pronouns are she/they, please refer to me as so!
If you're curious about what this blog is for, Rails Around the World is a project I have been working on for a little over a year now, at the time of this post.
Simply put, Rails Around the World is an animated series focusing on Guiders from the railroads located around the world. I'm hoping to really get it greenlit and animated one day so I can finally get it onto TV or a streaming service.
This project means so much to me, and the support of my friends, family, and my followers means everything to me. Therefore, this blog is here to provide updates, character references, ideas for potential episodes or novels, any updates for the series at all!
If you'd like to see more for the series or is at least a little bit interested, feel free to follow me! If you're curious about anything at all, then you're welcome to drop an ask or message me at any time!
Thank you for reading this, feel free to message me if you have any questions or concerns!
so i've been working on this on and off for a while, but i've finally decided to open up commissions!
these are my prices + some recent examples of my work, i can only accept Venmo right now and i MAY be held up by life or school, but if i don't get it done within one or two months (depending on how busy i am) it will be refunded if you're not satisfied.
up to five slots will be open at a time! payment is up front!
please feel free to dm me if you have any other questions!!
A small group of children excitedly ran up to the locomotive, with an older Guider standing right next to it. His gaze drifted down to them and he smiled at them. He walked over and waved to the group, adjusting his sweater vest. His voice was gentle, slightly raspy, and very humble.
He just chuckled softly, putting his hands into his pockets.
"Well, this is quite unexpected. But there isn't too much I can do as a static display, and it isn't my birthday... They didn't say there was an outing for the members... odd. May I ask why you're all here?"
"This!"
One of the kids held up a book. It was aptly called "Stepney the Bluebell Engine" written by someone called Wilbert Awdry. His eyes widened slightly as he looked it over, then smiled again.
"Well, this can only mean two things, you all want to know what it was like working with Mr. Awdry, or you all want me to read you the stories."
"Can you read to us, Mister Stepney? Pleaseee???"
He couldn't help laughing.
"I'm no stranger to this, aha! I'd gladly read to you all, just tell me what story you'd like me to start with."
"Cool!" "Thanks Stepney!" "Start with the foreword!"
He sat down on his engine and everyone went quiet, as he opened the book. Before he began, he cleared his throat.
"Let's begin then, Stepney Club. This is Stepney the Bluebell Engine."
His eyes sparkled as the locomotive pulled up in front of him, then came the Guider. He had raved to the yardmasters and Guiders around him about the time he was on a train with 1070, or the Wabash Heritage Guider. They got along super well, he loved asking him about the railroad and what he knew. Wabash seemed to enjoy his presence too, a passionate Guider is a good Guider.
But this time, it wasn't Wabash. Rather, a Heritage Guider he wanted to talk to. Or just ask about the railroad that came before Norfolk Southern. The Guider wore a special outfit colored black and gold, with red accents. The number on their outfit was 8100.
The Nickel Plate Road Heritage Guider.
They first noticed him excitedly smiling and waving at them like a human child who just got a 5 dollar bill. It... confused them for a bit, but they had experience with railfans fauning over them and the other Heritage Guiders. So, they nodded and began to talk to him.
"You're 8108, the Guider I'll be working with today. It's nice to meet you."
"Nickel, I just want to say what a HUGE honor it is to get to work with a Heritage Guider. The Nickel Plate Road is SO COOL!!"
"You say that about every railroad that came before us. But it's true... I guess we were a cool railroad, but if anything that title should go to railroads like the Norfolk and Western."
"ALL of Norfolk Southern's predecessor railroads are really awesome! Their history is so intriguing, the paint schemes are really cool, and some of them were labeled as some of the best railroads in the country! Dear Jupiter I wanna meet 765 so badly- can you think of how amazing it would be to talk to him!? Or any of his siblings... Maybe at some point I can go to Bellevue and talk to 757! Can you imagine how cool that'd be!?"
They just chuckled as they boarded their Maverick, then looked over at him with a gentle smile.
"You know the Heritage Guiders keep all records of the railroads that came before us? I'm pretty sure the Lehigh Valley Guider still has some records of when-"
"YOU GUYS HAVE ARCHIVES OF THE RAILROAD'S PREDECESSORS!?"
"Mhm! I could always show you some of them after we're done."
"Oh, PLEASE DO!"
"Then if we get this train delivered on time and without any mishaps... I'd be happy to show you what I have of the Nickel Plate."
Drabble requests for the series are officially open.
In an effort to combat writer's block, I've decided to open writing/drabble requests for the series. Feel free to drop a request if you're interested. Remember, every Guider has a story of their own to tell.
In order to provide more information about Guiders in their entirety, I'll be starting a smaller series titled "Guider Talk." This edition of Guider Talk will be focusing on Articulated Guiders.
As Guider technology advances, they've become more flexible. But even today, Articulated Guiders are noted as being extremely flexible, more so than today's Guiders.
Guiders are meant to reflect the locomotive they're connected to in many ways, such as fuel type, the railroad that owns them, etc. This applies to Articulated Guiders.
They're widely considered to be "double-jointed" or in simple terms, hinged. You can usually distinguish an Articulated Guider from a regular Guider by their ability to bend their limbs in all directions, even limbs that normal Guiders cannot bend in a specific direction. (Example: Articulateds can twist their head around 360 degrees, while normal Guiders can only turn their head 90 degrees.) You can also distinguish them by the hinge pins on their abdomens.
Even today, Articulateds are far more flexible than normal Guiders and even humans themselves. Their flexibility became a source of inspiration to make future Guiders more flexible and able to move around.
This concludes today's version of Guider Talk. Questions are always appreciated if you're curious about anything.
can we all admit that 844's "Greyhound" (aka "Two-Tone" or "Passenger") paint scheme looks REALLY cool???
had to give her an alternate outfit for it. also renumbered her as 8444 (because a diesel stole her number for a while) for personal preference, mainly bc i associate the number with the scheme.
questions/comments about ratw are always appreciated!!
and now, the final (former, sadly.) member of up's steam giants!
when 3985 first arrived on the Union Pacific, they were actually pretty chipper and quite the optimistic Guider. but after the events of Dieselization and being out of service for a while which then led to their eventual retirement. over that period of time, they became more quiet and reclusive. not to mention they've drifted from their only sibling (3977) quite a bit. despite all this, they got by with Legend and the other Heritage Guiders' support. although they're... not as cheerful or optimistic nowadays, they're still seen as one of Union Pacific's legendary steam Guiders.
have i ever talked about canonical siblings in ratw before? no? well here ya go
SO
Nickel Plate 765 is a guy who is pretty laid back and just wants to lay around and do nothing because why not? he loves running excursions and trains in general but he also likes his free time. his sister, Nickel Plate 757 is definitely more energetic than him, which also leads her to be a little stubborn and come off as someone who goes "work first, dammit!" half the time. she means well, though. they love each other as siblings, i promise you.
questions about ratw are always appreciated!!
(design inspiration came from one of @theflyingkipper's drawings of them, specifically the whistle battle one. which was also what inspired this whole drawing, hence the fire hose. go check em out their art is chef's kiss)
have a Queen (or a Spirit, depends on how you see her)
SO
Norfolk and Western 611, aka the "Queen of Steam" or "Spirit of Roanoke" has a Guider. (every loco does) despite the fact she's seen as a queen and is basically a Guider celebrity, she's actually very humble and really kind to those she meets. she LOVES meeting and taking to railfans, Guiders and practically anyone. her only gripe is when the excursion season ends, she HATES being cramped up in a shed. at least it gives her some time with 1218 and 2156!
oohh can I hear a bit of the Duchess of Hamilton Guider?
fast gorl
LMS #6229, the "Duchess of Hamilton"
Basic information: 6'3 inches tall, 84 years old, she/her, streamlined.
Personality: When it comes to NRM guests, she is quick to provide as much information as she can and is regarded as being very helpful while on duty. She's also very humble (compared to her old personality) and enjoys being a static display. She's very reliable as well, being quite encouraging to those around her. Especially her siblings and the other Guiders at the NRM. Sadly, she has a bit of a short fuse and can get defensive really easily, as well as being a little bossy when things don't go her way.
Going off of that, she still has a mindset of "You need to be fast! You need to be the best!" This lead to her being a little bossy and having a short fuse. This was a common mindset for British Guiders, which became stronger and more relevant during World War 2.
She's very close to her sister, Duchess of Sutherland, her sister and her brother, City of Birmingham. She's also close with the other Guiders at the National Railway Museum, such as Stephenson's Rocket, Green Arrow, and Flying Scotsman. The only person she inherently dislikes is Mallard. (which is understandable, he's an asshole.)
Despite the fact she was designed by Stanier, she gets along very well with a lot of Gresley, Peppercorn, and Thompson-designed Guiders. If she has free time, she can usually be seen spending time with Bittern, who she considers her best friend. If she isn't spending time with someone, she's normally spending time alone usually watching TV/Youtube or doing some interior design, usually at a Guider's or the museum's request.
If there are any Guiders you're interested in knowing more about, even if they haven't been mentioned or alluded to so far, feel free to ask about them.
Remember, there's a Guider for every locomotive. No matter if they're another Diesel-Electric for a Class 1, or on static display, they have one.
while i'm rebranding myself, take a piece i drew a while back.
it's a humanized ALCo S4! (specifically, #5109 of the Toledo Lake Erie and Western railway) better known as the Bluebird passenger train in Ohio. there's lots of things that have to be done before she can start doing passenger runs again, but i love this engine dearly and can't wait to see her in action once everything's fixed up.
if i was gonna make 4014 in Rails Around the World, it wouldn't make sense if i didn't design his other brothers.
this is the Guider for Union Pacific 4005, currently living with his engine over in Denver. he's probably the most laid-back of his remaining brothers, but he also has a tendency to be really chaotic. this can occasionally piss off 4023 and the other Guider at the museum. he means no harm whatsoever towards anyone (unless he means it) and is a very chill person. he's good at talking to people and telling them about the locomotive he's connected to (he kind of has to, considering he's the tour guide for his own engine) and although he misses his crew, brothers and his gf (UP 843) dearly, he doesn't let that bring him down and is still the same Guider who left the Schenectady works joking around with his brothers.
and now for the second official ratw character design
here comes the big boy!
all jokes aside, since his restoration, 4014 is known to be one of the kindest Guiders on the Union Pacific line. he's generally quite happy to do his work, will offer help no matter what, and despite his incredible strength, he's a very gentle Guider.
of course, he can also be a little oblivious at the same time. he's also prone to snap at people who are being unfair or a nuisance, and sometimes jokes/sarcasm can fly over his head. none of this will bring him down though, he's just happy to be with the Union Pacific again, he's ready for whatever comes his way.
"If I've climbed Sherman Hill without any issues, there's nothing I can't do!"
i've been really anxious about posting this bc my art style is shit but
this is the first official character design for Rails Around The World!
first of the Union Pacific guiders comes the steam Guider saved from scrap, one of four Northerns remaining... 844, the Living Legend herself!
she's known to be quite the competitive Guider, but nowadays is always a good sport if she happens to lose at something. most of the time, anyways. besides that, she's a kind-hearted Guider and always tries her best to look out for others. she's also indifferent towards Diesels and is actually best friends with some of the Heritage Guiders.
She is known to sometimes boast about how she's never been out of service and is way stronger than most of the diesels who work with her. This can make her come across as full of herself, although she's rather selfless and would help another Guider even if she doesn't get to pull an excursion.
there is a lot more about her i can tell you, so if anyone is interested feel free to ask!
