TTTE Sideblog

You ever get that random time when u become momentarily obssesed with something you used to like? ▪︎23▪︎she/her

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

i really do feel the original sin of the original fandom centers on Edward's (mis)characterization

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

i saw someone contrast him to another character (Hank. Hank!) who apparently is "emotional," distinct from Edward whom they called "objective." and this reminded me that some of us did not read the same books or watch the same classic series

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

and i'll watch fanvid after fanvid where Edward's main trait is that he's the intelligent leader and it baffles me because frankly i don't think Edward is all that smart

like, he's sensible, sure. and of course you put him next to Henry sticking himself into tunnels and Thomas beefing with safety signs, etc., and okay, sure, i can see why he starts to get mis-estimated, but... like...

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

look. deep down, all engines are a little shallow.

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

wilbert awdry moments that i think are entirely brushed over to create fanon edward:

puffs "Look at me! Look at me!" when he gets to leave the shed

gets fussy in a very child-coded way whenever external factors (guards, Thomases) are making his train late

rolled into Tidmouth on Hatt's orders merrily oblivious to the fact that the big engines had been brewing trouble for months and that it was due to spill over

took the term "blackwheels" so literally that he thought that at some point his blue wheels had been swapped out

was very upset about having said black wheels :(

actually lets Gordon and Henry's laughing about the cow get to him. like he actually cares about their opinion of him.

begs the very first person he sees who owns land to buy Trevor. presumably Hatt has an estate too but Edward saw the Vicar first. there was no planning there, there was pouncing on an opportunity.

made you all forget that BoCo did, in fact, take the wrong trucks from the harbour in "The Diseasel" — didn't he? 😉 "These are mine!" said BoCo, confidently wrong, after having in fact fucked up his first assignment at Brendam. and like Edward technically never corrected BoCo on that possibly cos he thought BoCo looked like a snack

some classic TV series moments:

spends an afternoon doing Trevor-about-to-get-scrapped levels of fretting because... he's existentially angsting over the fact that he can't help with the vicar's garden party. guys. this is cute i guess but it's not remotely objective. Edward has fuckin' Issues.

Douglas calls Edward out for taking a long break when his branch line is so busy that they had to send over, well, Douglas to help, and Edward reacts so proportionately that he tracks him down and hits his PTSD button. Like he undoubtedly "won" that exchange but jfc Eddie. i don't think his response was very "objective" tbh.

hyperfixates on a brass band. no thoughts, head empty. Thomas has a laugh at him because apparently this is an annual occurrence.

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

To be clear I'm not trying to argue that Edward is stupid, that's obviously wrong too (although I can think of 5 characters right off the top of my head that are smarter than him. Probably 10, if I really put effort into the exercise.)

I just don't think intelligence is his defining character trait. That's kindness. He's a Heart sort of character, not really the Smart Guy.

I also think a lot of the early fandom creators simply value "being smart" way more than "being kind." Most Writers Were Honor Roll Students shit going on, I think.

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

tl;dr: If you need a strategic leader, you have Gordon (post-character development). If you want a skeptical character, that is... almost anyone else; Edward is not really a skeptical sort. If you want someone clever who can dig to the bottom of something, you've got Duck (criminally underused).

Edward's strength is that he has humility and maturity, he understands who he is and can connect with others. That doesn't actually lend itself to him being the go-to guy every time when you need someone to corral the rest of the zany gang into slowing down with the Power of Critical Thinking. Canonically, he'll mostly just let other engines do their stupid dumbass shit, and he'll focus on reaching out to anyone being overlooked or mistreated and support them directly.

[traintrainingmontage]

Good points as always from Jobey, and a big thing I'd also like to add is that Edward very much has "mom friend" vibes: nurturing, friendly, and compassionate are his main qualities, although he also tends to wear his heart on his sleeve and has his moments of frustration, impatience, and jumping the gun. He's also a rather passive character a lot of the time, tending to be reactive rather than proactive, except in cases like Trevor's, which cuts a little close to home. Most people like to characterize him as "the smart one" because he's one of the oldest, and has experience. However, his intelligence is more of the emotional sort, based on working through and overcoming his personal emotional struggles. Being wise to the ways of the world (or the railway, as it were) does not inherently make someone good at planning, good at intuiting meaning/connections, or analysis. As odd as it sounds, when it comes to the NWR crew, I think James and Gordon are actually better at this than Edward is. It can be tempting to make him the "Do-It-All" kind of guy because he IS nice and nurturing, and older fandom members often see ourselves in him and identify with him more than the younger-acting engines, but frankly, what he has going for him are his great empathy and experience, not what we could classically consider "smarts."

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

I prefer to identify Edward as an "older brother" figure (like @jobsoldbootlace does in the comments!) to any parental figure — cos I think if you start with Edward as a middle or youngest child and then transport him to Sodor where he becomes the older brother figure, you've just explained nearly everything about his character, lol — but I agree that, if we must view Edward as a parent figure... then yeah he's got more mom friend than dad traits going on.

And you're so right to bring gender into this a bit, cos definitely part of the problem with OG fanon Edward is that, like, virtually allll the guys who shaped the early fandom are male. Not a lot of alternate perspectives to leaven out the growing fanon. And Edward is the moral center of the RWS (to the degree that a non-Controller is). And so the OG fans were kinda tunnel-visioned into seeing him as a patriarchal figure when yeah, he's actually emotionally intelligent and, in TVS canon, creative and, well, those traits are (stupidly, I think) feminine-coded. So they just Refuse To See Them — and in that void they project some other stuff.

[charseraph]

[theflyingkipper]

James, Henry and Gordon and the spectrum of human emotion (eepy, sad, and being terrible at cooking)

[silly-old-gordon]

[silly-old-gordon]

[theflyingkipper]

self portraits

[sudriantraveler]

Rheneas' Return

I’ve been thinking about Rheneas’ return to the Skarloey Railway after his overhaul, and there is a lot to talk about.

First of all, for those who don’t know or maybe just need a reminder, in the RWS Rheneas left the Skarloey Railway for a major overhaul in 1952, having just barely kept the railway running through its darkest hour as its sole working engine since Skarloey was sidelined in 1945.

He was then away from Sodor for 9 years, before finally returning home in 1961.

And he was probably in for a bit of a shock when he returned, because a lot happened in those 9 years.

First of all, the Skarloey Railway was in the middle of a crisis when Rheneas left. Only one engine is operable barely, the track is falling apart, revenue is low to non-existent, and about 90% of the work needed to keep things functioning day-to-day is being done by just two guys.

When Rheneas returns, it's like a completely new railway. Passengers are plentiful, there are new engines and coaches, the railways workforce has grown significantly, and the track actually feels good to run over instead of delivering a sensation of being repeatedly punched in the frames.

The thing is, Rheneas is still on some level probably going to be operating in crisis mode, because that’s all he’s known since about the beginning of the 1930s.

He insists on taking much more work than the other engines. Partly because he enjoy his work and is extremely happy to be home again, but mainly because he’s been having nightmares for the last few years about returning to nothing, and the fact that the railway still exists let alone that it’s actually thriving, is something which he’s having to constantly remind himself is not just a dream.

Then there’s all of the new stuff.

Before Rheneas left it was just him, Skarloey, the four old coaches and the one guard’s van, the numerous trucks, and a modestly sized workforce who Rheneas knew all of the names of. That was it since the railway began in 1865, the only exception being during WW2 when the war department briefly came in with a few of their own engines.

Now though, there are four new engines, several new coaches, and someone’s coming to light Rheneas’ fire in the morning who isn’t Mr. Hugh (keep in mind that in Rheneas' previous experience this usually meant the regular firelighter had either retired or died).

Also apparently the old slate quarry has been entirely taken over by the military and is now completely off limits, and there’s a big metal fence and a bunch of scary looking signs at the entrance, and frankly the whole situation up there just makes Rheneas feel really uneasy.

Needless to say, it takes something of an adjustment period for Rheneas to get used to everything.

I particularly want to talk about Rheneas early dynamic with the new engines, one in particular. You’ll know who when I get there.

To start with, Rheneas at least saw Sir Handel and Peter Sam before he left, so he at least knows they’re on the railway before he returns.

The thing is, his first impression of them was probably the same as Skarloey’s: Peter Sam is excitable and maybe a bit too overeager for his own good, and Sir Handel is bad tempered and takes his anger out on everything around him.

Rheneas probably breathed a sigh of relief when he saw they hadn’t burned the place down in his absence.

After Rheneas returns from overhaul he adjusts to the two former Mid Sodor engines well enough.

Sir Handel is still bad tempered, but he also still does his work regardless of how much he grumbles about it. Plus Peter Sam keeps insisting that Sir Handel does indeed mean well and is just having a hard time adjusting, and given the occasional details the two of them just casually drop about life on the Mid Sodor, Skarloey and Rheneas are inclined to give both of them plenty of time to adjust.

Peter Sam is still very energetic but Rheneas also sees that he’s clearly a hard worker, and the fact that the coaches adore him also helps to make him look pretty good in Rheneas’ eyes.

Rheneas immediately takes a liking to Rusty for much the same reason Skarloey did. They’re hardworking, kind, and their work repairing and maintaining the line makes them seem to the two old engines like an angel sent down by Lady herself.

I fully believe that after years of nothing but bent rails and rotted sleepers, running over an actually good permanent way for the first time after overhaul must have felt like a religious experience to Skarloey and Rheneas.

And then there’s Duncan.

Duncan, as he will happily admit himself, is a plain blunt engine who will rock and roll, and who speaks as he finds.

Sure, he means well, and he’ll pull just about anything… But Rheneas hears the story of him stopping on the viaduct, and is immediately wary of Duncan.

It doesn’t help that, having had the serious responsibility of being the only working engine on the line for an extended period of time, Rheneas has a bit of complex about doing everything himself and see’s anything that happens on the railway as, at least partially, his responsibility.

So Duncan just fully blowing off his responsibility to his passengers and stopping in the middle of the line, something which Rheneas did only once and very much against his best efforts, just feels like a personal insult to Rheneas.

It doesn’t quite register with him that Skarloey has already given Duncan the whole lecture on why that was stupid and how passengers are important.

And Duncan has improved since then. He acknowledges the importance of looking after his passengers and knows to at least keep his complaints out of earshot of them.

The thing is, Duncan is still a plain blunt engine, and passenger etiquette does not come naturally to him. But he’s trying, and quite frankly some of the passengers' complaints just seem ridiculous to him. So what if he rocks and rolls a bit? That's just how he is, and he still gets them to the station on time… usually.

But when Rheneas hears Duncan one night in the shed complaining about a particularly rough journey where there were significant delays and the passengers were really pushing his limits, Rheneas decides that Duncan still hasn’t learned their ways.

Rheneas may also be having a bit of a crisis of questioning just how much the railway still needs him with all of the new engines who are also there now. And what better way to reassure himself that he's still needed than to position himself as a mentor figure.

Duncan, for his part, does in fact respect Rheneas since Skarloey told him how he had saved the railway, and he wants to get along with the guy…

But that becomes increasingly difficult to do when Duncan keep having moments where he’s shunting the yard, minding his own business and doing a pretty alright job… and then he look towards the sheds and see Rheneas watching him like a hawk, looking for any sign that he’s about to mess up somehow.

And on the occasions that Duncan does mess up, however slight, Rheneas is very quick to give his input on what he did wrong and how the whole situation could have been avoided.

Skarloey may be stern, but he at least acknowledges that Duncan is trying his best, and gives him credit when he does well. He at least gives Duncan the respect of treating him like a capable engine.

So Duncan gets along fine with Skarloey… But Rheneas?

Respect him and his efforts to keep the railway running… Sure.

Actually get along with him… Not so much.

This pretty much sums up the dynamic between the two of them.

Until one day…

Duncan is taking the morning train, and one passenger in particular is just being a complete pain in the ass. It’s not just Duncan who’s fed up with him by the time they leave the station, this guy is getting on everyone’s nerves.

But Duncan puts forward his best effort, and maintains his professionalism.

But the guy keeps being a jerk throughout the entire run up the line. Anything goes slightly wrong, and he’s making his grievances known.

Duncan is glad when he doesn’t see him on the platform when he begins the journey back down the line, the man having decided to hike one of the various trails around Skarloey Lake.

When he gets back to Crovan’s Gate, Duncan immediately rolls off to the sheds and starts venting to whoever will listen about the angry passenger.

And right on cue, Rheneas begins his lecture.

Duncan, by this point, has been having a really bad day, and is quite frankly beyond his normal limits. So he just says “Alright then… You know how to deal with passengers, you take the afternoon train”.

So Rheneas does, and all goes well on the up journey. But then he finds Duncan’s passenger at the top station, who is apparently furious that Duncan’s train didn’t wait for him as he went wandering around the lake.

Rheneas tries to point out, very calmly, that there are schedules posted very clearly at every station building, but the man doesn’t listen.

Ok… This is fine.

Rheneas has dealt with his fair share of difficult passengers before, all of them with grace. He can handle this one.

But the journey back down the line doesn’t go smoothly, and all the while the angry passenger is becoming more and more unbearable.

And then, between Glennock and Cros-ny-Cuirn, Rheneas derails.

It wasn’t a particularly bad derailment, and it wasn’t his fault. Just a bad joint in the rails which Rusty and Mr Hugh hadn’t had the chance to fix on their last maintenance run, and which had been worsened by the last few times a train had run over it.

Naturally, the angry passenger is complaining more than ever now, and Rheneas is feeling rather defeated.

It’s Duncan who comes to rescue the train, and Rheneas is surprised but very grateful for the fact that he doesn’t say anything as Rheneas is leavered back onto the rails.

It’s a pretty speedy rerailing too.

Duncan is coupled on infront and the two engines double-head the train the rest of the way home. They get there with no further issues, and most of the passengers are just happy the derailment was sorted out quickly and efficiently, and that they were still able to catch the connecting train.

All except one.

The angry passenger is now just being insulting. Everyone is tired and unhappy, and now they still have to deal with him ranting about what a bad railway this is.

And then Duncan just snaps.

Rheneas never thought he would be happy to hear someone cursing out a passenger…

But Duncan’s tirade in Rheneas’, his own, and the railways defense, is just about the most cathartic thing he’s ever experienced.

Duncan only fully stops after the Thin Controller gets involved, denies the passenger a refund, and watches him storm off out of the station to catch a bus (he had spent so long arguing he had missed the connecting train).

After that, and with one final uttering of good riddance, the two engines shunt the coaches away and go to the sheds for a well deserved rest.

Rheneas see’s Duncan in a new light after that. He still often disagrees with his more grumpy and blunt approach, but he’s finally giving Duncan some space to make mistakes without needless criticism.

Rheneas still insists on the importance of passengers, and treats all of them with respect and high regard…

But he and Duncan have come to an agreement that some of them are just nuisances.

[shelli-gator]

YEAH? So what of it?

[theflyingkipper]

various humanized doodles from last year

[bruhstation]

kicking off 2023 with mr babygirl himself

[namachuki]

DO NOT ASK ANY QUSTIONS

[theflyingkipper]

DUNCAN

[fraiserabbit]

GIMME UR LADY DESIGNS *grabby hands*

[bruhstation]

train jesus who has a skewed perspective on humanity. love her for it

[theflyingkipper]

The magic was inside you all along.

[enginescomic]

New page coming soon! At current I'm not sticking to a particular schedule. Pages are done when they're done

[sleepersnballast-imoff]

I FOR ONE think that you’d absolutely win your case with duncan as a lawyer. The railwaymen know how to deal with Duncan’s bullshit but i don’t think the men of law do.

hmm...assuming he's capable lmao😂, at least he definitely wouldn't be scared by the opposition

[d-issent]

2016 vs 2022!

Six years on and he’s still an awful armrest.