Like Bear and Victoria, they’re in my AU too. I’m mainly combining Class!TAF + RWS. They keep their roles in Percy Takes a Plunge.
This story is canon in my AU
The Norramby branchline had a unique position, while it was part of the BR, it was also on Sodor, which potentially bought some time for steam engines. Somewhere in the 1960s Jinty and Pug were brought to the Norramby branchline. They’ve always rested at the Crovan’s Gate sheds. Unlike the other engines who rested there, they didn’t fully move into the Vicarstown one, until the Norramby line became part of the NWR in 1974. Jinty and Pug also wanted a change of scenery so they asked if they could go on the Kirk Ronan branch? That way they could still be near Norramby and show the ropes when Arthur and Adele are sent east. They also decided to pick different liveries after being BR black like they were in the books. They’re engines no. 20 and 21 respectively, joining the fleet shortly before Becky who they become good friends with. Jinty is outgoing while Pug is much more shy.
In 1967, Becky was luckily taken in by a heritage railway and earned the reputation of being smooth as butter. In the early 1970s the heritage railway went through some failures which forced them to cut back on how many engines they were able to keep. Once again Becky had to be taken to a new home or be scrapped. The fat controller purchased her and now she rests at Vicarstown with Bear, Claire, Murdoch, Arthur, Adele, Jinty, Pug and sometimes Henry. By the time she came to Sodor, everyone, that also includes the diesels, had their names on them. Her name is actually Rebecca but she prefers Becky.
I’m limiting how many steam engines are added to the character roster because that’s much material to utilize and that’s not even counting the narrow gauge engines and diesels. The definitive end of steam in the UK was around Oliver’s arrival on Sodor. The characters added afterwards need to have exceptions, I can only do so many until it’ll get too repetitive. In a way, Becky’s a callback to the OG 7 engines with Toby who also looked very different being the latest member in that wave of characters. Becky’s personality is fine already and her locomotive class was still possible to find in the 1970s. She’s a rectangular shape, another nod to Toby and kinda like diesels. That and being the final steam engine to join Sodor can symbolize the inevitable change from steam to diesels. Her class was also working most of its career during the decline of steam, not the last though. I’m also well aware she’s controversial; IMO though the problem isn't characters sharing similar traits, it’s how it is carried out that makes the difference. Their backgrounds such as the locomotive class they are and which railway they were formerly part of should be taken into account too.
In 1962, relatives of Sodor’s nobility decided to move to the island and took their private engine with them. The engine was a GWR Castle Class called Ursula, who was she was purchased by them way back in the 1920s when she was a brand new engine.
After arriving to Sodor, Ursula always rested at Crovan’s Gate then later it was sometimes at the Vicarstown shed when it was restored in 1971. She gets along better with Duck(on the 2nd pic here) and Oliver than Gordon, Henry and James despite being a big engine herself. Partly because she annoys them with The Great Western attitude that Duck has. Serving nobility can sometimes get the better of her and sometimes envies the freedom the engines of the NWR have.
Sir Topham Hatt acknowledged and respected that Ursula is a family relic to the Norramby family. He hires Ursula to work on the main line temporarily at times and the Norrambys saw this as beneficial.
It was the early 1970s. The fat controller was receiving letters by Sudrians and visitors alike if more steam engines were going to be added to the NWR? At this point in time, there’s been more efforts across the UK to preserve steam locomotives. Sir Topham Hatt first searched for an engine in danger of scrap (Murdoch), then he got a request by a museum to take one of their engines (Emily), then getting notice by engineers to take in their freelance hybrid (Arthur). More additions were to take in a preserved engine from an individual (Adele), engines who worked on the Norramby branch(Jinty & Pug) and an engine in need of a new home from a heritage railway (Becky).
Murdoch the Mighty Engine is a BR Standard Class 9F for main line heavy freight like in canon but unlike the TVS where his accents are green and red, it’s BR blue here. When he and Emily first met, he was jealous of her for being sent to a museum and resented her for throwing that life away ‘cause he stayed in the Woodham Brothers’ scrapyard for a long time until the NWR saved him in 1970. In fact, one of the reasons why he desired peace and quiet was because of his grievances that he wasn’t put into a museum.
-His debut stays very similar like it does in canon, especially the sheep scene.
-He becomes good friends with Edward, Henry, Arthur, Emily, Boco, Percy, Thomas, Duck, Becky
-Loves to look at the evening stars
Arthur the Maroon Engine is a freelance that was a combination of a BR Standard Class 3 2-6-2(withdrawn in 1967) and LMS Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-2T (withdrawn in 1967). The reason behind his creation was to be purchased by the NWR to help his builders’ financial situation. Despite being brand new, having the knowledge of financial issues can explain his want to keep a spotless record. He came to Sodor in 1972.
-In Arthur’s debut, it’s Bill and Ben who get him into trouble, not Thomas.
-Utilizing the eastern areas of Sodor, he’s good friends with Murdoch, Jinty, Pug, Becky. He’s also quite familiar with the Wellsworth-Brendam engines because he would sometimes rest at Wellsworth until 1974 when moving to rest at Vicarstown.
-While he and Thomas don’t see each other as often, they get along very well partly thanks to the events during Something Fishy. He also gets along well with Emily.
Emily the Emerald Engine arrived to Sodor in 1973, her information is here.
The Earl in my AU, he has elements of both the RWS and the one we see in the TVS. During the 1950s-70s he does look significantly younger. Why did Stephen get renamed to Samuel? Because despite being a replica he still wanted to have his own identity so the Earl gave him a different name. Plus we have Stephen Hatt.
Lady Enya isn’t canon, she’s made-up; a tall woman of strong Surdian roots, accompanied by her lady in waiting and two bodyguards.
🩵a LB&SCR E4 used for shunting, does short distance passenger often and sometimes freight on Wellsworth-Suddery then later on Thomas's branchline. She station pilots for other passenger trains. Substitutes to pull Annie & Clarabel, or Henrietta when the other engines are unavailable.
🤍a GER L77 that does suburban and mail services primarily on the eastern areas of Sodor. Primarily a freight engine but will do passenger trains once in a while.
💖a.k.a. Lady, named in honor of Burnett & Tasha(residents of Thomas's branchline)'s granddaughter. She's a Sodor-made replica of the NER Class H, then got rented by a film studio and after that she became a floater/wildcard who often pulls goods trains when not pulling her coach, Ophelia a.k.a. Old Slow Coach.
They’re also in a quartet with 🖤Mavis!
Numbering is different because of the historical context for their locomotive classes which means they had to arrive before some of the canon characters BUT their stories stay intact; OCs don’t interfere with that. OG 7 engines stay the same, Stella-8, Sophie-9, Duck-10, Donald-11, Douglas-12, Claire-13, Oliver-14, Lady Lily-15, Murdoch-16, Arthur-17, Emily-18, Adele-19, Rebecca “Becky”-20
In S2 there was the Big 3 and the Ffarquar Boys. IDK why but out of the Classic 7 Engines it felt odd for Edward to not be in one too. So, now he's in one! This is an AU that includes my OCs. Nothing romantic here, Edward and Stella have a bro/sis relationship and it’s completely platonic with Sophie too.
If you know Naruto, specifically Sakura Haruno, then you’ll understand this. Inner Sophie might appear out in the open that only engines can see; this is extremely rare. Inner Sakura in action here.
Size from biggest to smallest: Claire, Stella, Sophie, Lily(a.k.a Lady). Claire looks smaller because I tried to fit her completely in the pic. Info about Claire here and the sisters here. Lady’s here.
In a different reality, these ladies were added to the “steam team” while Edward and Henry never left.
Lady, Emily, Molly, Rosie & Flora
Chronology, in real time: Lady, Molly, Flora, Emily, Rosie, Rebecca
My AU only goes up to mainly season 7/classic TAF but this is how I would’ve included some of the post-S7 characters:
NOTE: Adele and the sisters are OCs, Emily arrived to Sodor in 1965
I’d call this AU: AU!V3 or Lavender!AU
I made these changes because his locomotive class wouldn’t fit the British loading gauge. Hank sounded too American IMO and it’s already a nickname for Henry. Since his “new” class is British he should have a British name to go with it. Flora might be an odd inclusion but we’re also fighting the so-called issue of a need for more girls and with some rewriting she can be included. Stanley, Whiff, Nia(engine form) aren’t in V3 and even if this version has a bigger character roster I’m still limiting it. Rebecca isn’t as horrible as many think, I blame mattel for using her as a replacement for a beloved character. Her locomotive class is interesting AF.
Outline for my AUs:
AU!v1 - Characters of the canon roster stops at season 7 (there’s one exception*) engine numbering is different post-Toby onward utilize the already existing cast, OCs are added BUT the stories that happened in canon seasons 1-5 stay the same. RWS only characters Bear and Victoria are in it, Pip and Emma too but are visitors that do foreshadow what would eventually come in the RWS, steam vs diesel fades with time especially when Derek and Bear come to Sodor, no separate steam/diesel works there's only one big one at Crovan's Gate, PT Boomer exist being Diese/ 10's driver who doesn't live on Sodor same for Diesel, *Rebecca who goes by "Becky" is added, the series has a finale.
AU!v2 - Most from AU!v1 carry over to this one. Engine numbers 1-11 stay the same, Lily(Lady) is number 12.
AU!v3 - This will most likely be the one that would have the widest appeal but the one I'm less into TBH. The character roster will still have its limits but more characters that canonically debuted post-S7 are on Sodor too; some renamed with different locomotive classes that can fit more into the RWS lore and most will actually arrive on Sodor before Oliver. Rebecca's livery is different but is addressed the same way in canon.
💫
If it were to go into the direction where the characters, who were steam engines, just arrived in the year their class was withdrawn or still available to find, it would be:
Stella (1951)
Sophie (1951)
Lady (1952) changed to a NER H
Flora (1952) changed to a GER C15
Molly (1952)
Duck (1955)
Donald (1959)
Douglas (same year as Donald)
Adele (1962)
Emily (1965) changed to the Caledonian no.123
Claire (1966)
Neville (1966)
Arthur (1967)
Rosie (1967) renamed herself Lavender
Rebecca (1967)
Oliver (1968)
Murdoch (1968)
Hank (1968) renamed Hudson, changed to a BR 9F
Whiff (1969) changed to The Uglies
Stanley (1969)
Billy (???) renamed Bobby, changed to a L&NE Y1 Boxcab replica
Mighty Mac and Freddie are narrow gauge engines, hence why they’re not listed above as they wouldn’t have the same numbered style as the standard gauge steam engines. Billy would be a combination of his official version and Phillip the boxcar cab both in personality and appearance; NWR freelance orange colored boxcab named Bobby. This AU would follow closest to the TVS. Winston would probably exist though with the story Wobbly Winston having a few changes and Proteus exists as an urban legend among engines.
In a version of the AU without OCs Lady is the first female steam engine on Sodor; she’d be an OG NER class H instead of a NWR freelance that got rented for a movie. Flora is part of the NWR so she gets no. 9 and in Molly’s Special Special it would be Lady and Flora helping Molly; two little engines helping a bigger engine when the other bigger engines laughed at them, the ending is kinda bittersweet but Molly gained two good friends; a trio is born!
If Nia existed too, she and the other international engines (Hiro, Ashima, etc.) would be on heritage railways in their respective countries, having spin-offs featuring their railways and THEY are the #1 main protagonists of said spin-offs instead of Thomas traveling there like BWBA. Rebecca would still arrive but stay at Vicarstown with Henry, Murdoch, Arthur, Lavender, Neville, Stanley, Hudson. The other engine to leave would be Thomas, he’d be staying at Ffarquar with Toby and Lady. The engines staying at Tidmouth would be: Edward, Gordon, James, Percy, Flora, Molly. The museum Emily was staying in made a deal with Sodor. Emily would be staying with Duck, Oliver and the Scottish twins at Arlesdale.
My other takes on Rosie:
To keep her canon personality make her a W. G. Bagnall saddle tank or…
Has to arrive on Sodor in 1962 at latest. JFC I’m preferring tender-engine Rosie over the canon tank engine one. She’s PERFECT. Though I do love my tankie Lavender.
Her title represents her livery that shines looking like the copper metal and is a plausible reinterpretation of the LMS maroon livery. Sir Topham Hatt purchased Claire to add more help on the main line (Gordon, James, Henry, Stella, Boco, and to an extent Edward and the Scottish twins were the maingoers at the time). She does mixed traffic work fully on the main line. Her arrival to Sodor was 1966. Since Claire's locomotive class is also known as the Hughes Crab, she's also crabby.
Claire was a loner “by default”. The big 3 turned her off and vice versa. She actually interpreted Stella as ignorant and Sophie sugarcoating, same for Thomas and Percy. The relationship with Edward wasn’t as rocky but she was more neutral towards him. Since Claire had traveled to Scotland many times, this excited Donald and Douglas as now they had another engine to talk to about their homeland. She's an engine that rivals James in power and speed and likes to tease him with Stella as they are bigger than him in more ways than one.
“Rubbish! I may not be an express engine but I rival you in strength AND speed!!”
Claire’s RL locomotive class:
Claire is based on the LMS Horwich Mogul a.k.a Hughes Crab; built between 1926-1932, withdrawls in 1961-1967. Her class is mixed traffic that can pull up to 750 ton (250 ton with Stella).
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