All of my current Engine Driver OC's from my Engine Stories.
I love all of these characters so much, and have as much fun writing them as I do the engines.
Ted Whitworth
The only cannon character here. He's a cheerful man with a deep concern for his engine. He is married to Sam and has a child with her. It is a source of debate between them whether she will grow up to drive Gordon or Henry.
Sam Doncaster
The Doncaster family have worked with Gordon for generations, and Sam is so proud of the fact that she refused to change her last name when she got married. She is the doting sort and treats Gordon much the way that she does her own child, sweet talking him and letting him get away with close to murder. Her compassion can only be matched by her loyalty, the only way to bring out the harsher side of her personality is to threaten the ones that she loves. She is stubborn and will often fight to the death over what she believes in, not seeing the wrong in her methods until it's too late.
Arthur Thompson
Arthur is an bitter and jaded old man with a short fuse with little time for foolishness or fun. He has worked for the railway all of his life and with Gordon for most of that time. Some of the other drivers say that all this time spent with Gordon has rubbed off on him, as he is as bitter and gruff as the engine he drives. The oppertunity to be a driver has been presented to him many times, but he often declines citing that the true hard work in an engine is to keep their fire burning.
All of his anger and bitterness however hides his true compassionate nature. He is a family man and will rush to the aid of anyone he judges to be worthy of his time, often thinking outside of the box to come up with solutions that please everyone. Often, on his days away from the railway he can be found with his son and autistic granddaughter helping her learn the ways of a world that doesn't always embrace different. When people meet her, they often think it explains much about Arthur, even as he insists there was no such thing in his day.
Despite working on a locomotive, Arthur has a strong dislike for modern technology. He thinks that the world was right in the age of steam and will blind himself to the advance of modern technology, often belittling those who rely heavily on it.
He has trained many young staff on the railway, the longest serving fireman he is and despite his attitude is owed much respect from the other people working on the railway. Everyone agrees that when he retires he will be a lost asset for the company.
Robyn Barlow
The youngest member of the ensemble, Robyn is fierce and outspoken and doesn't know the meaning of the word volume control. She is often heard before she is seen and is rarely quiet, a real social butterfly. She has a rather short temper, and was paired with calm Hikaru to help her learn restraint, although most of the time she can be found voicing displeasure before Hikaru has worked up the courage to voice it. She enjoys working with James, but hopes to be a relief driver when she is fully qualified, so that she can spend time with all the engines on the island.
Hikaru Akahoshi
Moved from Japan to Sodor as a very young child, Hikaru is the quietest and least outspoken of the crew members, lacking confidence and social skills he can often be outshouted and overlooked leaving him to often feel very alone and isolated. After starting a relationship with Bert he has drifted from his family as they are disappointed that he is not going to give them grandchildren, and he doesn't have the energy to fight to keep them in his life.
It is rare to see Hikaru smile, if you ask him he would tell you that he feels like his life has existed under a black cloud. Those who know him well know that he struggles with his mental health even if he has never been diagnosed with any mental health issue. Hikaru doesn't see the point of coming forward as he feels a diagnosis may threaten his job and he views James as one of his closest friends. James and Hikaru view their relationship more like a partnership rather than the traditional relationship between a driver and an engine. This approach works well with James and makes him work harder, as he wants Hikaru to be rewarded for his work and he loves being fussed over and praised for a job well done.
Secretly Hikaru is a romantic, and would often listen to audio books as he shut down his engine night after night. He has given his engine quite the taste for trashy romance, much to the bane of everyone around him as James makes a mission of his life to quote trashy romance at people.
His job file marks him as a strong asset to the railway, even if it is underlined that he needs to work on his confidence skills.
Bert Wickham
If Bert was an animal, he would be a golden retriever, tall, lanky, clumsy and full of energy it is hardly a shock to anyone that he managed to lose his job as a driver on the North Western by being reckless and helping cause the destruction of Tidmouth Sheds. This of course caused him great conflict with his family, disappointed in him for being the first Wickam in several generations to not work with James.
Upon investigation, it was decided that perhaps his dismissal was unfair, and he was offered to start again from the bottom, cleaning engines to work his way back up the company with the hope that he learns slightly more in the way of responsibility on the way. Bert, however, is incapable of thinking though any action to its logical concequences, so this future is unlikely. Luckily for Bert, he likes being a washdown attendant, and is praised by most of the engines on the island for being the best at his craft. He however does pay special attention to James, and makes his paintwork shine the brightest.
Many remark that Hikaru is a different person around Bert, often coming out of his shell and interacting with co workers in the way that he won't on his own. If asked, Bert just proclaims that you can only spend so many hours in a cab with each other before you break down even the feircest walls that people build up.
