*throws art then runs screaming back into the ether*
THE 2025 SODOR516 AU, boys and squirrels. These are just roughs, I’m definitely gonna do proper refs for them when I’ve got more time on my hands, but people have been rightfully asking for some revamps. So here’s that, with a (not the most accurate so don’t come for me) height chart. Everyone loves a good height chart.
Headcanons are more or less the same, but they’ll get an update in due time too. ✨
Before anyone asks, yes some have changed sizes slightly and yes I’m doing the diesels and so forth.
12, if you don't mind me asking, with your interpretation of douggie, how'd the rescue of oliver go?
Ok so Oliver heard the news of steam engines on the railway he worked at being scrapped, so he abruptly decided one night to run away with his engine to sodor. Dragging a close friend of his (Toad) along with him to act as fireman.
He didn't have a close relationship with his family or anything and felt no real connection with his town so he was all for hightailing it outta there.
The story itself would play out the same as it does in the book!
Their driver has to, unfortunately, take a week off to deal with a nasty cold and without any other relief driver being available Sir Thopam Hatt has tasked you, a new worker on the railway, to be a driver for the engine assigned.
How good/bad was the experience?
Character included: Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, Edward, Percy, Toby, Duck, Donald and Douglas, Oliver, Emily
To be cringe is to be free! I realized I have free will and started rewatching Thomas the tank engine because I needed to decompress after Uni. I have yet to watch every single episode of every single season but I watched some from various ones: so please, to you dear hardcore fans, have mercy on me if I didn't write about a specific character and some dynamics (maybe once I finish watching it entirely I'll update it). I had a lot of fun writing this tho.
Thanks for reading!
PART TWO-
Engine n.1: Thomas
- He's the most excited about it!
- He likes his usual driver, sure, but he's always happy to meet someone new on the railway
-He'd be sure to introduce you to every single engine he'll meet during his day
- if you managed to make friends with him, then congratulation: you'll be adored by Annie and Clarabelle! They care about Thomas very much, so is only natural that if he feels happy with you they will be more than relieved
- Percy is another one that'll be friends with you almost immediately. He's Thomas' best friend, so if you're friends with him, he's next
- His favourite thing during his work day his cruising along his branchline with his coaches: now he's even happier because he can show you all of his favourite places!
- He can't forget about Bertie! At least once during your week with him the two of them have a race and he goes extra fast to impress you.
- He still can be pretty cheeky to other engines, "lazy bones" being his favourite insult (especially towards Gordon). However he tries to be on his best behaviour when you're on board. He can't make a bad impression on a relief driver (even if you knew already what silly engine he is).
-When his driver is back he's happy but a bit sad to not talk to you anymore all day. But now you're his friend and he'll make sure to ask around how you're doing or if you're driving another engine that day.
-Friends you gain: the steam team (especially Percy, Edward and Toby), Hiro, the narrow gauge engines, Bertie, Terence, Victor and many more. Aside from a few specific engines if you're Thomas' driver everybody will be your friend.
Engine n.2: Edward
- Really polite towards you, maybe a bit happy for a small change in his routine.
- He'll surely introduce you to Trevor and will always makes sure to whistle when he passes by the garden he works in. He's delighted when you wave at the tractor engine!
- He likes talking to you while taking his breaks on a siding: he will asks questions and will listen to anything you have to say.
- He's old and pretty insecure about it sometimes, getting frustrated when other engines tease him about it. But he's also very proud and he's glad he can prove you that the rumors aren't true: he's still a very useful engine!
- Will tell you all kinds of story from the railway going back years, when he first came into the island, how he become a mentor figure for many (and a well loved one for all)
- You two have to always keep an eye out for the tank engine twins who like to play tricks on everyone on the island! Edward has to explain that there's no real harm but sometimes is annoying. Deep down you know he cares about them a lot.
-When his driver's back he thanks you for taking care of him. He'll always be happy to see you around and makes sure to make small talk if possible.
-Friends you gain: the steam team (Thomas and James in particular), Trevor, Bill and Ben, Philip, BoCo
Engine n.3: Henry
-To be honest he's not entirely happy.
-He's an engine who worries a lot and doesn't like strangers. His driver has been there for him throughout his hardest years and never gave up on him, especially when he was sick and went away to get a new shape
- So he is pretty worried about you, a random relief driver taking his place. You don't take it to heart tho: you take the time you need to reassure him and let him sulk for a bit in the shed before you convince him to start working, promising that as soon as the work is finished you will leave.
- he is very surprised when, after a few days, he complains about something in his system and you actually listen! Truthfully you had read the reports about his health and his new shape so you could stay on top of it.
- After that he warms up to you, chatting with you while waiting for his passengers or getting his trucks unloaded at the docks.
- He is always nervous to pull the Flying Kipper, no matter how many times he does it he's always on edge. You and his fireman help him out, reassuring him and being extremely careful during his journey.
- If he trusts you enough he will gladly take you to his forest when he has some downtime. He likes the calm and peace he can get there, but he also loves showing to others the beauty of nature.
-Don't be fooled by him: under that sweet face he can be a little shit if he wants to
-In the end when the week is over he's happy to have met you and will probably ask for you if his driver is away again. He'll surely whistle at you if he sees you around
-Friend you get: steam team (Gordon for some miracle likes you), Hiro, the docks crew, Bear, Trevor, Terence
Engine n.4: Gordon
-Oh boy he's bad
-you know it is going to be a long week when you step foot into the yard at Tidmouth Sheds and introduce yourself. He doesn't want to believe it, deciding to instead sulk and grumble all morning while pulling carts around the island
- You aren't entirely mad: Gordon is a creature (engine) of habit, he doesn't like change. His fireman told you about his meltdowns and crisis about things suddenly being changed without anything he could do or say about it (the possibility of one of the steam team engines leaving Tidmouth shed leaving him distraught)
- So you try your best, being understanding, not nagging him too much and leaving him space. the two of you don't interact much at first, aside from a few "oh, the indignity" and scoffs coming from him
-Then it is time to pull the Express and it's like a switch has flipped inside him. He smiles more, chiming "Express coming through!" everytime he passed an engine or station, his speed's amazing. When you compliment him for being on time he gets funny, telling you how good he is and how he should be the standard for a perfect engine
-Inevitably you meet his brother at Vicarstown's Station and witness the endless teasing between the two engines. It is pretty funny watching them discuss who's the bigger brother. When you're going back to the island you tell him that he looks bigger than Scott and he whistles in return.
- In the end he's pretty funny and very thoughful engine. He might think he's the best but he also won't back down from defending other engines if the time comes.
-He's happy when his driver comes back but still thanks you for the good work. He wouldn't mind having you in his cab again.
-Friend you get: Steam team, The Flying Scottman, Rebecca
Engine n.5: James
-You're going to get a headache with him and start praying for your life the second his name slips out of Sir Thopam's mouth
-He likes to go fast, even if he shouldn't and on certain speeds he can't control. Some drivers had warned you when you got assigned to James, telling you about him being crash prone and his big personality.
-You understand better when you introduce yourself and he goes: "Well, you have a week to bask in the presence of my beautiful red paint and splendid tender".
-The first days the two of you clash a bit when he wants to go fast down on a hill without even trying to brake a bit and you apply it every.single.time. He's pissed but you try to make him understand how important is for you and his fireman (who at this point is just used to him) that he stays on the rails and doesn't cause an accident or a visit to the steamworks.
-He snorts but apparently it works (maybe the mention of scratching his paintwork was enough), or at least not without some negotiation: he won't go too fast during your week but he will get a long wash with polish at the end. You agree just for the sake of your mental and physical health.
-The rest of the week goes suprisingly smooth. He might be a bit of a diva but deep down he's really nice: he likes to talk about his work, how he likes to pull specials and how his red paint it's his pride and joy. Beware of praising him too much, he can be a greedy shit.
-When the week is up he goes back to his usual antics (you see him speeding while driving another engine and you sigh). He'll always ask when he sees you what you think about his paint, searching for compliments. You always give in because in the end he's very sweet about it.
-Friend you get: Steam team (Edward and Thomas in particular, Gordon prays silently for you for a week), strangely Duck, the Rescue crew (for obvious reasons), Nia
Engine n.6: Percy
-He's delighted, a new friend! He's always happy for a change of people around him and you are no exception. He'll show you around the yard and will tell you at least three different times the schedule he's on.
-His favourite part of the day is the mail's train: most engines are still in the sheds in those early hours so the line is always peaceful and the sunrise it's a huge plus for him. now he gets to enjoy it with you
-He's cheeky, even more than Thomas sometimes. He will prank harmlessly/insult lightly the bigger engines before scurring away giggling. You're not sure Sir Topham approves but Percy reassures you that unless he's caught nothing bad will come his way (again you're not too sure, especially because you don't want to piss off someone like Gordon)
-Speaking of Thomas, now you're best friends with him too! They spend a lot of time together and you love to see the bond between the two of Them
-His whistle and whish are very loud and he's proud of it! Every day he greets you like that: at the end of the week you're used to it but the first time he did it you nearly had an heart attack. he felt bad but you reassured him that no harm was done
-He loves spending his free time running around the island without a care in the world. Since he pull the mail train early in the morning he has the late afternoon all for himself while still being on call if he's needed.
-He's the saddest when it's time for you to go, he wants you to stay! Maybe he can ask for you again soon. You promise him that you're still working on the railway and could always come to hang out if you're around.
- Friends you get: steam team (Thomas, Edward and James in particular), Gator, the dock's crew
Engine n.7: Toby
-He's worried, very much. He's like Henry: doesn't like changes that much and is worried about having a different driver (like the green engine his driver has always been with him even when his line was shut down). But he's also curious about you.
-You can clearly feel his unease and reassure him that you're not here to kick his drivers out of his job but to help out. It takes your and henrietta's coaxing to get him out of his cozy shed to start work.
-Speaking of her, Henrietta is very happy to have you aboard! It's a nice change, especially when she's used to the routine of slow rides with Toby: something exciting for once.
-Working with Toby is relaxing: he's one of the older engines, his traffic it's pretty much the same every day and the maximus speed he can go is pretty low compared to others. But that doesn't bother you much, instead is a great introduction to future work with other engines
-He's a nature lover and takes his time admiring the forest and the mountains, talking about the beauty around him like he's looking at it for the first time.
-One thing you like in particular is the amount of visitors that come to travel on him: he tells you about what happened to his old line and how he was saved. Apparently people heard that he came to Sodor and now visit him frequently.
-When the time is up he will thank you for the good work. He hopes to see you soon on the railway, and if he does his bell will chime happily.
-He's pretty happy about it! Not as much as Thomas but he appreciates the change. But don't be fooled: he's a hardworking engine and doesn't like slowing down or to be messed around
- He'll teach you everything about the Great Western if you know nothing about it while reminiscing about the old days. He smiles fondly as he narrates a old story from his old railway and you listen smiling
- You can't count on your fingers the amount of times you heard him say "There are two ways of doing things: the great western way or the wrong way!" in the week you drive him
-Spoiler, he does wobble a bit (don't tell him, he might starts to sputter something about respect)
-The slip coaches take a liking to you! Everyone who works with Duck is always to be trusted.
-During the breaks he allows himself, sometimes forced by you and his fireman, he likes to be by the seaside and listen to the sounds around him. He's a very hardworking engine but he need to take it easy sometimes.
If you catch him in a good time he'll talk about a few accidents he had during his time on the island, for example when he crashed into a barber shop.
-He runs his brachline like a tight ship but everyone respects him very much.
-He's pretty much a friend and a good coworker to all, but the moment he sees Diesel on the line he ignores him, even starts speeding up on his own. You don't understand until his fireman tells you about what happened years ago. You feel bad for Duck but he reassures you that justice came soon after. A take on this can be found here
-At the end of the week he's a bit sad but he's sure that you'll meet again on the branchline or in the stations.
-Friends you get: Steam team (especially Percy), Oliver and Toad, Scottish Twins, Skiff
-Enemies you gain: Diesel
Engine n.9 and 10: Scottish twins
-They come together as a package deal I'm sorry
-As absurd as it seem both their drivers are also brothers! Which means one week you're in Donald's cab and the next in Douglas' because the two men got each other sick.
-Anyway they're both excited to have you aboard! They laugh when they basically see you for half a month since they frequently work together getting freightcars.
- Congrats, you get free lessons on scottish accent. They both try so hard to get you to speak like them (it actually works and when you'll see them next time all of you will be speaking with a very meticulous accent).
-Like Bill and Ben they're also very cheeky, something making fun of other engines and fooling around. The only times when they're very serious is:
a) Sir Thopam is very close
b)They're travelling on Duck's branchline.
You didn't get it at first but they told you that it's a sixth sense for him, like he could feel foolishness a mile away.
-Being brothers is great but it comes with a series of problems when they don't get along: during your last days with Donald they fight over something trivial and go diffent ways. The next week you're with Douglas and he vents to you while he's getting water from the tower. You don't judge him and just listened. In the end you help them apologize to each other and the rest of the week goes smoothly.
-They may fight but they'll always the way back to one another, and you love evrything about it.
-They're sorry their time with you is up but would enjoy having you back soon! If they see you around they'll whistle loudly.
-Friends you get: steam team (especially Emily), Duck, Oliver and Toad
Engine n.11: Oliver
-Very indifferent about it but still very polite and kind. He likes to get his work done while being less of a workaholic than Duck, you're just a small new part in his job.
-However it is not the case for his magnificent brake van Toad: he likes making friends with as many people and engines as possible, so he'll be yours as soon as possible! But you beg him to not use higher terms like "sir/mister/miss/ecc…" if you're going to be friends. He sometimes slips up, being used to call everybody with those titles, but really he's a sweetheart.
-You can see what beautiful relationship they have between each other: during some resting they tell you about their adventure and how they ended up on Sodor, their escape thanks to Douglas and their new job on Duck's branchline
- Like Duck they're really proud of being Great Western engine and breakvan but they don't talk about it as deeply as him.
-Sometimes Toad is left in the shed when Oliver pulls coaches: those moments are very tender as the engine tells you how greatly he appreciates Toad. They've been together for many years and he wouldn't think of another break van better than him.
-When his driver comes back he won't make a fuss, but still be glad to see you around (Toad as well!)
-Friends you get: Duck, Scottish Twins, Steam team, Skiff
Engine n.12: Emily
-She's happy for the small change! It's always good to be able to meet new workers of the railway.
-She'll ask all sort of question when you have some downtime: have you always been on Sodor? What it feels like to always change engine you work with? Do you also work with electrics and diesels? She's particulary interested in the last one. You laugh and respond to every question she might have.
-Working with her is a pleasure: she's focused immensly on her job and making Sir Topham happy but she's really funny and interesting engine. Her shape is also unique and gets always good stares for passengers.
-Deep down however she's really insecure. She confide in you a few times about how she wished for a different body or to be able to got as fast as other engines like Caitlin and Connor. You reassure her that it's not the most important thing on the railway but to be safe and on time without any accidents is.
-She loves cruising along the tracks with troublesome trucks; she likes the challenge of keeping them in line while bumping them a little bit. You scold her for it but you admit yourself it is pretty fun. Again, as long as she does things safely it's okay.
-Her favourite place are the castles on the island: she loves going down those hills because the view from up there is stunning (and she loves taking you to places you have yet to see on the island)
-When the time is up she's a bit sad and will definitively be asking for you again. She'll be very happy if she sees you around and, if it's possible, stop just to say hello and ask about your day.
-Friends you get: Steam team, Duck, Oliver and Toad, Scottish Twins, Caitlin, Connor, Victor
