Do you think they ever had “Reading to the Engines” events in partnership with libraries and schools, like how some animal shelters have events where kids can read to dogs and cats to help socialize them? I imagine Edward would be very popular during the event, if they do it with standard gauge engines, but realistically they probably have the events with narrow gauge or minimum gauge engines.
You’d think Duncan wouldn’t do well, but he’s actually great with the kids, getting frustrated WITH the kids, not AT them. He affirms their frustration, and reminds them that it’s okay to be angry, albeit in his own way.
Millie is great with kids that know how to read in one language but are learning how to read in another language.
Feel free to request other characters, or add your own ideas!
Also, shoutout to @mwolf0epsilon for her description of mimic Edward helping at these events in their Railway Mimic Au, in the linked post!
💬 7 🔁 6 ❤️ 49 · Fun Mimic Fact of the Day: Mimics are a lot more intelligent than most people give them credit. Especially the zoologists
Hello Thomas tumblr, I am going to share my opinions again.
So, I wanna talk about my random headcanons on what music I think some of the engines would like.
-Thomas would listen to Gorillaz, he can sound like 2D if he tries hard enough. His favorite song is Feel Good Ink.
-Edward probably listens to older rock music, I don't have any specifics in mind, I just feel like that's his genre
-Henry and Gordon probably are classical music fans, Honestly Gordon can probably play some of Beethoven's songs on piano, Henry can probably play Violin, that seems like something he'd like to do.
-James would like indie, metal, and jazz probably.
-Percy listens to a mix of things, nothing specific
-Toby likes electro swing
-Duck probably listens to some songs by John Powell (He fuckin' loves the httyd soundtrack, how to train your dragon is his favorite movie), He WOULD also listen to Cosmo Shelldrake.
-Donnie probably likes a mix of things too, Douglas likes a lot more electronic, synth, and indie.
-Oliver will listen to anything playing on the radio
-Diesel 10 DEFO listens to songs like Little Kandi Raver. HE BLASTS Caramelldansen randomly at the Dieselworks. (the other diesels want him gone) AND He probably loves music by Basshunter, and he listens to nightcore and he likes daycore songs. He loves late 2010s late themed things. THERE IS PROBABLY ANIMATION MEME SONGS IN HIS PLAYLISTS.
Hiro- this might come as a surprise, but he is a fan of Ado. He listens to most of her songs. Songs like I'm a controversy, うっせぇわ(Usseewa), and RuLe are a few he'd listen to by Ado. I think he'd also like music by Azari. He'd listen to the song "nothing's working out" by Meiyo.
I think that's all ill say for music headcanons for now.
Have my voice headcanons for the Skarloey Railway chaps.
Skarloey's voice would be the same as his CGI voice. It is perfect for him in my opinion.
Rheneas' voice would be the same as his CGI voice, though perhaps a little bit deeper and quieter.
Sir Handel would have an RP Welsh accent. He would sound posh but you would still hear the Welsh in his accent. His voice would be smooth and quite deep (not anywhere as deep as Skarloey's, but still deep), grand and rather loud.
Peter Sam would be quite softly spoken, with a rather high pitched voice that squeaks when he is particularly enthusiastic. I also think that he would have an Irish accent (I headcanon that he is half Irish, half Welsh).
For Rusty, I'm not too sure yet, but the idea of him having a soft Black Country or Brummie accent sounds fun.
Duncan would have a strong Scottish accent, and he would have a deepish, raspy, gruff voice.
Gordon, Henry, James (lives in Tidmouth) - carpools in Gordon's Mercedes-benz. James is a passenger princess. Henry wishes he isn't here. Gordon goes over the speed limit when authorities aren't looking even though it's at most a 20 minute drive or something.
Rosie (lives in Vicarstown) - Motorcycles there. Her ride is a cherry pink customised bike with rose decals.
Donald and Douglas (lives in Arlesburgh) Takes one of the connecting trains from Arlesburgh to Tidmouth. Refuses to take the bus as they don't want to deal with Bulgy.
Diesel (lives in Knapford) - motorcycles there in a Vespa. It's painted black and you KNOW this guy has a vanity plate (D13S3L)
BoCo (lives in Wellsworth) - Takes the train from Wellsworth to Tidmouth. That, or he drives there with his Skoda Octavia Estate.
Bear (lives in Tidmouth) - yknow the loudest motorcycle you can think of? Bear has that, and he usually drives to Tidmouth that way.
Works Diesel/Warren (lives in Vicarstown) - Just walks there like a normal person. Or uses the tramway.
Charlie and Billy (lives in Knapford) - rides a bike for two but it's the most goofy looking bike ever
Emily (lives in Tidmouth) - Bikes there! Occasionally carpools with the Big Engine Drivers.
Murdoch and Neville (lives in Brendam) - Carpool together in Murdoch's Volkswagen Beetle, and after dropping Neville at Wellsworth...
Molly and Hank (lives in Knapford) - They meet up with Murdoch and walk all the way to the sheds!
Rebecca (lives in Tidmouth) - She skips there. No, not jogs, not runs. Skips. She somehow gets there first nearly every time.
Hiro (lives in Vicarstown) - Takes the tramway! Has struck up a friendship with fellow tram takers Warren, Victor, Kevin, and Den and Dart.
Victor and Kevin (lives in Vicarstown) - also takes the tramway! That, or Victor rides his motorbike with a sidecar attached for Kevin to sit in.
Diesel 10 - straight up lives in the dieselworks.
Den and Dart (lives in Vicarstown) - Takes the tram, or uses their Honda Jazz.
Philip (lives in Wellsworth) - Carpools with BoCo, or he takes the train!
Sonny (lives in Vicarstown) - Drives a motorcycle there. Sometimes visits Ruth in Knapford for repairs, and they struck a friendship.
Pip and Emma (lives in Vicarstown) - Drives there with their Mercedes-AMG SL 48, music blasting all the way.
THE BRANCH LINE LEAGUE
Brendam
Edward (lives in Wellsworth) - Walks, or rides a bike! After getting injured during The Exploit, he takes the bus more often)
Bill and Ben (lives in Brendam) - rides a horse. No, I'm serious. At first it was a prank but they trained it so well. The China Clay Pits have a fucking stable coz of this.
Timothy and Marion (lives in Brendam) - They carpool together. In Marion's forklift.
BoCo again (lives in Wellsworth) - Walks with Edward! After the Exploit, he buys a two person bike and rides it with Edward when Edward's leg pain flares up.
Nia (Lives in Knapford) - Takes the bus there, or uses the main line stopping trains.
Derek, Harvey, Salty, Paxton (Lives in Brendam) - Takes the bus together!
Neville again (Lives in Brendam) - Carpools with Murdoch, or takes the bus!
Ffarquhar
Thomas, Percy, Toby, Henrietta (lives in Knapford) - Usually carpools in Toby's dinky little Wolseley Ten. However, individually... Thomas rides a bike, and Percy jogs.
Daisy and Mavis (lives in Elsbridge) - Mavis picks up Daisy with her badass motorcycle and drops her off before going to the Quarry.
Bloomer (lives in Elsbridge) - Walks. Takes in the sights and sounds and ends up late much to Thomas' endless frustration.
Splatter and Dodge (lives in Ffarquhar) - They walk there but always ends up lost in the middle. Mavis wonders why they aren't always late.
Arlesburgh
Duck, Donald, Douglas, Oliver (lives in Arlesburgh) - Carpools there in Oliver's Rolls-Royce Cullinan. They fight over the radio.
Other Branch Lines
Arthur (lives in Kirk Ronan) - is environmentally conscious, and bikes to his workplace!
Ryan (lives in Arlesburgh) - Drives a dinky, yet fancy car. It's purple. He named it Vera.
Stanley, Flora, and Sidney (lives in Great Waterton) - after Sidney gets lost for the nth time Stanley and Flora agreed to walk together- they're neighbours, anyway.
I have a headcanon that the Mid Sodor essentially went through #2s the way Spinal Tap goes through drummers, and that the #2 in "Granpuff" was intended to be a composite character of sorts (at least in-universe). Unfortunately, Sir Handel did not take it that way at all, and held a pretty deep grudge against the Thin Clergyman for many years after Duke's book was published for how Stanley was ostensibly depicted (hence why there's so little about his trip to the Talyllyn Railway in Great Little Engines).
Sir Handel did reconcile with the Thin Clergyman and his family in time, and the Thin Clergyman would publish Stanley's story in the Island of Sodor book to make things right.
Over the years, Sir Handel's feelings have softened towards the book, and now he can simply enjoy those stories and reminisce about happier times on his, Peter Sam, and Granpuff's old railway. In particular, there's one illustration that Sir Handel has become particularly fond of.
All those years ago, his younger self keen to impress, Duke ready to show him the way, and in the back is Stanley sleeping peacefully, if somewhat annoyed. Sir Handel can just imagine it now...
Falcon wakes up bright and early, ready to pull the Boat Express.
"Another day, another express train to pull! And with this new coat of paint, I'm sure to dazzle everyone! Wouldn't you agree, Stanley?"
Stanley, meanwhile, is still sleeping after a long night out on the maintenance train.
"Wake up lazybones!", laughs Falcon, "aren't you supposed to up to pull the maintenance train again?!"
"Not for another hour", mutters Stanley.
"So Stanley, I suppose you're just gonna doze off with Granpuff?", chuckles Falcon.
Stanley simply keeps his closed in the hopes that Falcon will give up. He does not.
"Well, gee Stanley, it sure would be an awful shame if you were late", says Falcon innocently.
Stanley still has his eyes closed, but now his face is twisted up into a frown.
"Now Falcon", scolds Duke, "don't go telling Stanley he's late! You know how he gets when he's agitated."
"See Stanley?", grins Falcon, "even Granpuff is up before you!"
"When is Granpuff not up early?", retorts Stanley drearily.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah", says Falcon, "excuses, excuses, you just don't want to see me look good as I pull off for the express!"
Suddenly, Stanley starts to form a grin of his own. "Nah, I'd just rather see real express engines take off."
"What?!", pouts Falcon indignantly.
"Yeah", smirks Stanley with his eyes still closed, "you know? The Parla-mench, or whatever it is-"
"The Parliamentary", corrects Duke with restrained but evident annoyance. Two years later, and young Stanley is still doing this.
"Yeah, that", Stanley replies with satisfaction. Works every time. "Yeah, the Par-luh-mench-ury, ya know? Real fancy pants train, the one that Freddie sometimes takes."
"Well, yes", Falcon sheepishly admits.
"And Al!", continues Stanley, "yeah, Al is a hell of an express engine, ain't he?"
"Stanley!", admonishes Duke. Rather it's for the foul language or the improper English is anybody's guess.
"Al got somethin', ya know, Fal?", continues Stanley as Falcon silently fumes, "he got style, he got class, and you know, he's got something else."
"And what would that be?", huffs Falcon.
"Those special wheels", grins Stanley.
Falcon, predictably, fumes as he heads off for his train.
"Works every time", grins Stanley smugly as Duke rolls his eyes.
Sure, Stanley wouldn't have been built yet when that story takes place, but it matters not to Sir Handel. For him, all that matters is that he gets to have an illustration from the Thin Clergyman's books where Stanley is at peace, something he rarely ever got to enjoy in life.
However many years it's been since Stanley left their lives, Sir Handel has never forgotten him. When the television series was preparing to adapt the narrow gauge engines' stories for its fourth series, he asked Miss Allcroft and Mr. Mitton if they could have his model painted with red lining. He did this both for his late friend and for the railway that's been his, Granpuff, and Peter Sam's respective home for the past however many years. And later, he would have a portion of the illustration framed in the sheds so that Stanley would always be there just as he should have been able to.
They may not have been built by the same maker, or even in the same country, but Stanley was his little brother, and he always will be.
One of the NWR’s biggest achievements in recent years has been the extension of the Arlesburgh branch all the way up to the fishing town of Harwick. This ambitious project was completed in 1986, and was the final realization of a plan which had taken seventy years to come into fruition. However, this extension was not the first railway to reach Harwick. That honour went to an equally ambitious scheme to link this isolated part of Sodor with the island's heartland - the Cronk & Harwick Railway.
In the 1850s, the tiny fishing village of Harwick was in the middle of an economic slump. The people of the Ooyre Valley had long supported themselves with a lucrative smuggling trade, but this had recently been suppressed by the authorities, and there was almost nothing in the way of legitimate work to fall back on. Something had to be done if poverty and unrest were to be avoided.
At that time, the first railways were being built on Sodor, and someone suggested that Harwick should have one of its own - it would help bring money to the area, and provide honest work for the people. A scheme was drawn up which would see a line running from Harwick, up the Ooyre Valley, and then swinging south to the nearest major settlement, the fort town of Peel Godred. There, it would link with the rest of Sodor via a line which had already been proposed by the fledgling Sodor & Mainland Railway.
The Cronk & Harwick Railway Company, as the scheme became known, was formed in 1855, and construction began right away. Naturally, they started at the Harwick end, constructing a stone pier where goods could be exchanged between ships and wagons. The stone came from a new quarry at Droghan-y-Claghan, about six miles up the valley...
...And therein lay a problem. The new railway had been planned following the route of an existing road between Harwick and Peel Godred, with gradients deemed suitable for both horses and steam locomotives. However, the line had been forced to diverge from the road at one point a mile or so out of Harwick, and the new route took it up a much steeper gradient.
Above and Below: The top and bottom ends of Sheep Pasture Incline, on the Cromford & High Peak Railway in Derbyshire. The incline on the C&HR was worked to very much the same principles.
The solution in this case was a rope-worked incline, up and down which wagons could be raised and lowered. Initially, only a single line was laid, with the hauling power provided by a stationary steam engine at the top. In later years, though, the incline track was doubled, and it became more common to use descending loaded wagons to haul ascending empties.
The C&HR extended eastward in a piecemeal fashion throughout the 1860s, and by 1870 had reached the hamlet of Cregwir. It had also become clear by now, though, that the Sodor & Mainland Railway was on the verge of bankruptcy, and unlikely to get around to building its promised branch line to Peel Godred. By this time, the narrow gauge Mid Sodor Railway was making an effort to reach the town, and the C&HR decided to forge ahead with construction, in the hopes that they could build an interchange station.
The 1870s also saw the opening of a roadside tramway between Harwick and Ballaswein. This used the existing C&HR line for its first mile or so, diverging to the north just before Harwick Bottom, the yard at the base of the incline. At this stage, the tramway was worked by horse-drawn vehicles, as indeed was the rest of the C&HR network.
Above: The Harwick & Ballaswein Tramway used double-decker tramcars somewhat akin to this example on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, over on the neighbouring Isle of Man.
It was not until the 1880s that money became available for steam engines to be introduced to the C&HR. The Harwick Incline had effectively split the line into two sections, and the motive power considerations were different for each. For the lower section, it was decided that two tram engines would suffice - one to work the Ballaswein Tramway, and the other to haul wagons between the Incline and the Pier.
Above: C&HR #1, Flora - the first of the two tram engines, and now the only surviving C&HR engine. Seen here in her heritage livery, circa 1980.
To this end, the C&HR ordered two engines from Thomas Green & Sons of Leeds, to a specification not unlike a pair they'd recently supplied to the Dundee & District Tramway. Both engines arrived on Sodor in 1885, and began work later that same year. C&HR #1 was named Flora, after a Roman goddess of spring. #2 should have been named Chloris - Flora's Greek equivalent - but there was apparently a miscommunication, and she ended up being named Clarice instead!
When it came to the upper section, only one engine was deemed necessary for the moment - with the possibility of more being acquired once the Peel Godred extension was complete. The C&HR turned to the second-hand market for this engine, purchasing a Black Hawthorn 0-4-0ST from parts unknown. This became the railway's #3, and gained the name Zanthus (after one of the horses he was to replace - who was himself named after an immortal horse in Greek mythology).
Above: Zanthus bears a striking resemblence to this 1874 machine, Bauxite No.2, now preserved at York. The coach, too, looks not unlike the two supplied to the C&HR.
The seller also offered the C&HR a pair of ancient four-wheeled coaches, which they accepted with the intention of establishing dedicated passenger services on the upper section. These plans never really came to fruition, though - the closest they got was using the coaches as guard's vans on goods trains, and allowing passengers to hitch a lift if they needed one (for a small fee, obviously).
The stage was now set for the two halves of the C&HR to settle into the pattern of life they would enjoy for the remainder of their existence. Flora and Clarice handled the lower section together, with one engine carrying passengers between Harwick and Ballaswein, and the other hauling wagons between the Pier and Harwick Bottom.
Meanwhile, Zanthus had sole charge of the upper section. His main duties were hauling loaded stone wagons from the two quarries to Harwick Top, and bringing back the empties. The level of traffic in the area was such that he had no problem also carrying general goods, or even the odd passenger. The line as a whole paid its way, but only just...
All the while, the C&HR continued extending towards Peel Godred, progressing bit by bit as money and materials allowed. To their credit, they actually got surprisingly far - by 1914, they were only two or three miles away from their goal. I mention this year specifically because that was of course when the North Western Railway was formed, as an amalgamation of most of the existing standard gauge lines on Sodor - with the exception of the Cronk & Harwick line, which remained independent.
The NWR had intended to build their own line up the coast to Harwick, as a strategic railway during the First World War, but by the time they’d reached Arlesburgh, the immediate threat had passed, so that was where the line stopped. Other projects took priority, and one of these was to finally construct the S&MR's proposed branch line to Peel Godred, which was completed in 1923.
Above and Below: NWR #1, Thomas (with Annie & Clarabel) on a railtour along the C&HR line, some time in the 1980s. The producers of the television series took inspiration from the line when designing their version of Toby's old tramway. These views are a few miles north of Peel Godred.
The NWR still wanted to reach Harwick somehow, and upon hearing about the C&HR's line, entered into talks with the smaller company. Terms were soon agreed: the NWR would complete the last bit of track, in exchange for being allowed running powers over the C&HR network. They were as good as their word - they built the last couple of miles of track into Peel Godred, and expanded their station there to accommodate the new line. At the other end of the line, they built a new line which diverged from the existing line at Droghan-y-Claghan, bypassed the Incline, and travelled into Harwick on a gradient much more suitable for steam engines. The work was completed in 1925, and the results were...
...Disappointing, in the long run. The NWR didn't gain much from the endeavour apart from access to Harwick itself. Even this wasn't quite as successful as hoped - the route was long, arduous and convoluted, its isolated nature made it unpopular with engines who had to use it, and NWR trains often had to stop and make way for those on the C&HR - and their timetables were...relaxed, to put it mildly.
Above: Another view of Thomas on the C&HR, on the same railtour. I forgot to include it on my map, but this is Black Loch - I imagine this is at the opposite end of the loch from Callan Castle.
By the 1930s, things were not so rosy for the C&HR either. The last few years had seen the rise of motor vehicles, and these had gradually taken away what little traffic the line still carried. It started with the motor buses, which killed off the Ballaswein Tramway in 1933 - effectively turning the lower section into a goods-only line.
Then came the really fatal blow, in the form of the motor lorries. This did for the stone traffic, and in 1935, the Cronk & Harwick Railway finally shut its doors for good - with rolling stock, track and infrastructure all being sold to the NWR. There was very little they could do for the line, and it's most likely that, had it not been for the outbreak of war in 1939, they would have abandoned the line much sooner than they actually did.
As it was, the War gave the C&H line a brief reprieve, when it provided a vital rail link to a small naval base established at Harwick. This reprieve only lasted as long as hostilities did, and as soon as it was all over, the NWR finally made the reluctant decision to pull the plug. By 1947, the line had been completely abandoned, but the tracks were left in situ, just in case - a decision that was to pay dividends years later...
The story of the C&HR ends there, and does not pick up again until the late 1960s, when the NWR successfully reopens its branch line to Arlesburgh. This had prompted discussion within NWR circles regarding the possibility of extending the branch up the coast to Harwick, as had been intended in 1916. At the same time, though, there had also been growing pressure from the people of the Ooyre Valley to reinstate the old Cronk & Harwick line. Ultimately, the latter course of action was decided upon, as a short-term means of reaching Harwick by rail until the coastal line could be constructed.
Restoring the line itself was relatively straightforward, at least compared to the problem of finding sources of traffic - and motive power to handle it. The quarry companies had long switched over to lorries, and not too bothered about taking their business back to the railways - and there was almost no other goods traffic to fall back on. This meant that the line would have to cater entirely to passengers, but there were hardly enough of them to fill even a single coach.
Above: The observation saloons mentioned in the next paragraph - shown here in this undated view, being temporarily stored in the private siding of O.L King Coal Merchants, Ffarquhar.
The solution to both problems came rather by chance. During the line's restoration, Sir Topham Hatt had placed a pair of the NWR's observation saloons at the disposal of the gangers, to allow them to easily travel between worksites. Unfortunately, this restoration took place during 1968/69, at which time railtours and enthusiasts' specials were becoming popular on the rest of the network. The saloons were frequently in demand for these specials, and the workmen in charge of the C&H restoration were increasingly having to make do with whatever other coaches could be spared (to say nothing of the problem of having to roster an engine to pull them).
In response to this, Sir Topham Hatt made arrangements with British Rail to have a railbus loaned to the NWR to replace the saloons on the C&H project. BR had recently introduced these railbuses - smaller versions of their existing railcars and multiple units - on many of their lesser-used rural lines, and they'd helped enormously in helping to keep certain lines open. I'm sure you can see where this is going - Sir Topham Hatt realised that a railbus was exactly what was needed for the C&H line.
Above: A BR Park Royal railbus, of the same type as NWR #D5 Sheridan. This example is working on the Ayr & Dalmellington line in Scotland - the sort of isolated, sparsely-populated line these railbuses were designed for.
Sheridan - for that was this particular railbus' name - was duly taken into NWR stock, becoming the railway's number D5. With his help, the C&H restoration was complete by the beginning of 1969, at which point he took on the running of the passenger service between Harwick and Peel Godred. For this, Sheridan proved to be ideally suited - he could carry just the right number of passengers, had additional space to carry parcels and small goods, and he was even fitted with automatic folding steps, which allowed him to stop between stations to let people on and off closer to their homes.
The reopening of the C&H line did not exactly create an economic boom in the Harwick area, but it did help revive the area's fortunes in a small way. It was now easier for the people of the Ooyre Valley to travel to other parts of Sodor, and Sudrians were likewise better able to reach the scattered settlements to the north of their island - this area has largely been overlooked by mainland visitors, and so is a popular holiday destination for Sudrians looking to get away from it all.
Because of its remote location and low-key existence, the C&H line has not seen as many changes as on the rest of the NWR network. That's not to say it hasn't changed at all, of course, so let's finish this article by looking at a couple of the developments which have occurred in recent years.
Above: A picture of the Bowes Railway near Newcastle, an incline railway now operating as a heritage concern - pretty similar to how I imagine the Harwick Top Railway.
The late 1970s, for instance, saw the formation of the Harwick Top Trust, a band of enthusiasts who set up an industrial heritage centre at the yard of that name. As well as restoring the incline for demonstration purposes, they also reopened a stretch of the old goods line, running from Harwick Top itself to a point just outside Droghan-y-Claghan.
Above: Flora on running-in trials following her restoration in 1980. Alongside is the NWR's own #1, Thomas, and both are standing in the station at Great Waterton - itself newly-restored at this time.
The enthusiasts also managed to restore Flora, by now the only surviving engine from the old C&HR. Following the line's initial closure, she'd been put on static display in Harwick Park, along with one of her tram coaches. Both were purchased by the HTT in 1978, and restored to working order over the next two years. When the work was completed in 1980, the NWR generously allowed Flora's running-in trials to be carried out on their metals - this neatly doubled as a promotional tool for the fledgling HTR.
Below: Flora and her tram coach, circa 1980. The Sodor Tramways signs should of course actually read Ballaswein Tramway - although in HTR service, the coach carries a rotating selection of vintage advertisements sourced from old Sodor Roadways buses.
The next major development to affect the C&HR was the long-awaited extension of the Arlesburgh branch up the coast to Harwick. This was completed in 1986, a good seventy-odd years after this rail link to Harwick had first been proposed. For the most part, this did not physically affect the running of the C&H line - save for several agonizing weeks where Sheridan had to work around the major upgrade Harwick station received to accommodate the new line.
Below: The upgraded Harwick station, as it appears in the television series. While heavily simplified, the broad strokes of the layout have been preserved. The rightmost track is the through line to the C&HR.
In fact, the only serious effects on the C&H line were to be felt in its timetable - this being rewritten so that Sheridan provided a guaranteed connection with services at Harwick as well as Peel Godred. Although he was not a fast railbus by any means, he still provided the quickest way of travelling between those two settlements, which meant the line's importance did not diminish with the coming of the Arlesburgh branch extension.
Above: Treeton Colliery, South Yorkshire - purely because I needed a picture of a modern-looking colliery for this final section. Below: Ditto for this picture of Calder Hall nuclear power station. I know it's not a modular reactor, but shush...!
In the late-80s/early-90s, the railways around Harwick rose to even greater importance thanks to two major Sudrian developments. Firstly, a new modular nuclear power plant was constructed on the site of the long-closed quarry at Droghan-y-Claghan. Around the same time, vast untapped deposits of coal were discovered beneath Sodor's northernmost coastline, and the first shafts were sunk close to the site of the former Cregwir Quarry. Obviously, this necessitated the restoration and upgrading of both the old quarry lines.
Needless to say, both these developments have resulted in a major growth in traffic for the C&H line. While passenger numbers have increased, they remain just about enough for Sheridan to cope with on his own. Should the need arise, though, he is occasionally aided by other engines: either Valiant or Violet from the Arlesburgh end; and either Clarence or Callum from the Peel Godred end. From the late-80s onward, it has become just as common for other engines to visit the area on railtours - be they fellow NWR engines or mainland visitors.
Above: Vulcan, a sister engine to NWR #13 Valiant. Not exactly the best picture, but it was the only one I could find of this type of engine pulling trucks!
Speaking of Valiant, she was actually originally brought to Sodor with the working of the Arlesburgh-Harwick line in mind, and her duties now extend along the C&H line to what is now known as Cregwir Colliery. From here, she hauls trainloads of coal down the Little Western to Tidmouth, for further distribution across Sodor and beyond.
The only other major goods traffic on the line is nuclear waste from the power plant at Droghan-y-Claghan, and this was initially transported by NWR #D22 Chopper. He would carry one or two flask wagons all the way to Barrow-in-Furness, where a pair of BR diesels would take them the rest of the way to the processing centre at Sellafield. From 1995 onwards, though, Direct Rail Services took over the transport of nuclear materials by rail, and now only their diesels are allowed to handle this traffic.
Below: This view is not unlike that of nuclear flask operations on Sodor post-1995 - a pair of DRS-owned diesels (Class 20s, in this case) hauling a couple of flask wagons.
Such has the pattern of life on the old C&HR remained to this day, and this seems a good place to bring this breakdown of its history to a close. And what a history it's been. We started with a valley filled with smugglers and ne'er-do-wells, with ambitions to pull themselves out of the gutter and join up with their fellow Sudrians. And against all the odds, we've finished with them having achieved their goal - maybe not quite in the way they'd intended, but then again, it seems to be part of the Sudrian character to take everything that life throws at them, make the best of it, and somehow come out on top in the end.
