User:Steamie With Glasses

Since I was Young
I've being a Thomas the Tank Engine fan ever since I was a young boy. I have many books, some videos and DVDs as well as many toys including those in the ERTL and Take-Along range. Steam and railways are in my blood: once it gets in your blood stream, it stays with you!

Video and DVD Collection
Videos
 * Coal and other Stories
 * Thomas, Percy and the Coal and other Stories
 * Percy and Harold and other Stories
 * Spooks and Surprises
 * Season 8 episodes (x 20 - recorded from UK's Channel Five's Milkshake)
 * Calling All Engines (recorded from UK's Channel Five's Milkshake)
 * Season 9 episodes (x 24 - recorded from UK's Channel Five's Milkshake)
 * Season 10 (the entire series recorded from UK's Channel Five's Milkshake)
 * Season 11 episodes (x 19 - recorded from UK's Channel Five's Milkshake)
 * Season 12 (the entire series recorded from UK's Channel Five's Milkshake)

DVDs
 * The Classic Season 1 Collection
 * The Classic Season 2 Collection
 * The Classic Season 3 Collection
 * The Classic Season 4 Collection
 * The Classic Season 5 Collection
 * The Classic Season 6 Collection
 * The Classic Season 7 Collection
 * Thomas' Trusty Friends (USA DVD)
 * Engines and Escapades
 * The Great Discovery

ERTL Collection
This is my collection of Thomas models from ERTL from the late 1980s to 2000, with some additional models collected in 2009:
 * Metallic Thomas
 * Edward (3D-face)
 * Henry (3D-face)
 * James (flat-face with white frames and very little paint remaining)
 * Percy (flat-face with very little paint remaining)
 * Toby (flat-face)
 * Duck
 * Oliver
 * Diesel (with very little black paint remaining)
 * Bill and Ben
 * BoCo
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Bertie (3D-face)
 * Terence
 * Trevor
 * Harold (minus his big blades)
 * Troublesome Trucks (x 3)
 * Mavis
 * Bulgy
 * Breakdown Crane
 * City of Truro
 * Tar and Milk Wagons (with no coupling hooks)
 * Godred
 * Culdee
 * Lord Harry
 * 199
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Handel
 * Peter Sam
 * Rusty
 * Duncan
 * Duke
 * Stepney
 * The Fat Controller and Porter
 * The Fat Controller's Car
 * Scrap Trevor
 * Scruffey
 * Bulstrode
 * Chinese Dragon
 * Wilbert
 * Sixteen
 * The Canal Boat
 * D Fusit (Gunpowder Truck)
 * Caterpillar Crane
 * Sodor Mail Van
 * Sodor Soft Side Lorry
 * Bluebell (based upon Thomas' model)
 * Bi-Plane (a.k.a Tiger Moth)
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Dodge
 * Derek
 * Neil

Railway Visits

 * 1998 - Isle of Wight Steam Railway - I went with my family to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and we had a ride behind a Hunslet 0-6-0 saddle tank engine called Royal Engineer, whilst we saw a LSWR Class 02 0-4-4 tank engine called Calbourne in a siding awaiting firebox repairs.
 * 1999 - In May - Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway - Whilst my family and I were on our sailing boat in the West Country, we were in Kingswear, the southern terminus of this railway. One rainy day, we had a ride behind a GWR 2-8-0 tank engine No. 5239 called Goliath to Paignton and back. Then, another day, we went along for a walk beside the railway and a signalman (at a level crossing by the River Dart) kindly let us inside his signalbox. Then in June - Bluebell Railway (Days Out with Thomas event) - There were lots of steam engines working that day. There was Stepney double-heading with the Hollywood Engine (a C Class 0-6-0 No. 592); Captain Baxter was shunting Scruffey and Toad at Horsted Keynes - at one point, he shunted Toad and the trucks so hard that when the guard applied the brakes, Toad's face came off!; Thomas was at Horsted Keynes too, whilst one of Murdoch's brother No. 92240 was based at Sheffield Park. My mum, my little sister and I rode behind Neville's eldest and only preserved brother No. C1 (BR No. 33001) to Kingscote and back to Horsted Keynes whilst a BR Standard 5 4-6-0 No. 73082 Camelot took us back to Sheffield Park.
 * 2000 - Didcot Railway Centre - There were two engines in steam one that day, one of Oliver's brothers No. 4866 and GWR King Class 4-6-0 No. 6024 King Edward the 1st. No. 4866 operated the branch line trains, and then later on, the main demonstration line whilst King Edward the 1st encountered some faults!
 * 2001 - STEAM Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon - Outside the museum, there was a smart blue saddle tank engine called Richard Trevithick in steam. Inside the museum, we saw an office with two wax-work models, one of a driver and another of a railway manager - clearly the engine driver got himself into trouble! Then, we went into the carriage shop, and moving onto the foundry. Inside the locomotive works, there was a GWR 2-8-0 tank engine No. 4248 representing a steam engine under repair. Leaving the workshop, we came to the finished product - a GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 No. 4073 Caerphilly Castle, standing over an inspection pit. This allows visitors to walk underneath it as well. This engine has its number 4073 stamped on every single part including the connecting rod and the coupling roads. Onto the "Running the Railway" section, there was a broad-gauge loco North Star, a footplate-ride simulator, a GWR Dean Goods Class 0-6-0 No. 2516 seperated from its tender, a GWR 9400 Class Pannier Tank No. 9400 with some trucks and a shunter plus King Class No. 6000 King George the 5th standing at the station. After the museum, we went around the out-let shopping centre and saw GWR 4900 Hall Class 4-6-0 No. 4930 Hagley Hall standing on tracks, surrounded by a cafe. Outisde the shops, there was the frames and boiler of a Bulleid Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 No. 35009 Shaw Savill.
 * 2005 - Mid-Hants Railway - It was a very hot day when my mum and I went to this railway. We rode behind Standard 5 No. 73096 from Alton to Ropley where we had our lunch and took a look around the engine shed and workshops. One of Murdoch's brothers No. 92212 was being dismantled for an overhaul especially as he was minus his cab. Then, in the afternoon, we rode behind Merchant Navy Class No. 35005 Canadian Pacific to Arlesford and his younger cousin Bodmin, a Bulleid Light Pacific of the West Contry Class No. 34016. At Arlesford, the hot weather jammed the points, so Bodmin had to wait awhile before he can take his train back to Alton. On back at Alton, my mum told me that she heard some passengers complaining about the train being late, and I took this an as insult. The Mid-Hants Railway is a preserved railway operated by volunteers - anything can go wrong!
 * 2008 - Moors Valley Railway (steam locomotive driving course) - It was a cold, damp day and I went with my big sister to the Moors Valley Railway for my steam loco driving course. My steam loco for the day was a smart miniature tank engine in red livery called Talos (pronounced as Tay-Los). My instructor was a very experienced engine driver called Alf, who worked on the London Midand and Scottish Railway Region during British Railway days. The coal we used was Welsh Coal and this caused alot of trouble for Talos as she was getting out of puff halfway through the journeys. So, from time to time, Alf told me to stop at the Lakeside station to allow Talos to get more steam again. There was a passenger train running that day too, so there were times where we were being caught up by the passenger train and other times we were following it. During my lunch break, Alf got the chief engineer to examine our loco and after lunch, Talos was steaming much better. I enjoyed my steam loco driving course experience, especailly on a miniature railway.
 * 2009 - Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway - One day, whilst on a five-day holiday in Ravenglass, my big sister and I had a ride on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. We rode behind a steam engine on the journey to Dalegarth, and then, a diesel engine on the way back. There were two steam engines in service that day; there was River Irt and River Mite. We rode behind River Irt up the line, and on the way back, a two-cab diesel engine called Douglas Feraria took our train. At the gift shop at Dalegarth station, I bought a small model of Northern Rock, who was not in service during my visit. After the trip, my uncle took me to meet the chief engineer of the steam railway. The chief engineer showed us around the engine workshop where River Esk was getting steam up after some repairs. Inside the engine shed, River Mite and River Irt were cooling down after a good day's work. Looking at River Irt, I noticed that he had an iron plaque (placed below his boiler, close to his smokebox) showing how he looked originally as a 0-8-0 tank engine called Meuriel. Inside the paint shop, there was a smart green tank engine being repainted. I really enjoyed visiting the railway, especially as it was the basis for the Arlesdale Railway. Also, it was nice to see the real-life counterparts of Rex, Bert, Mike and Frank. Frank's twin, Perkins was resting in a siding by the engine workshop during my visit. It seemed that he was waiting for some repairs or an overhaul.

Steam Engines on the Main Line

 * Flying Scotsman and the Orient Express - One cold day in January 2001, my dad and I went to Eastleigh railway station to see Flying Scotsman coming through with the Orient express, enroute to Southampton Docks. Flying Scotsman was in his green LNER livery with his German smoke deflectors (which he had during his B.R. days). During a brief stop, my dad took many pictures of Flying Scotsman, and then, quite quickly, Flying Scotsman set off again. He was due to arrive at Eastleigh at 12:15pm, but he actually arrived at 12:45pm. So, he was Flying Scotsman the Late Engine!
 * Canadian Pacific and the Cathedrals Express - One autumn evening in 2001, my dad and I went to Botley railway station to see Canadian Pacific rushing through with the Cathedrals Express - and he really rushed through! So much in a rush was Canadian Pacific that my photo of him with his brightlamps was blurry!
 * Clan Line and the Orient Express - One day, in January 2008, I went by train from Botley to Eastleigh to see my favourite preserved steam locomotive, a Bulleid Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line coming through with the Orient Express. She was fresh from her overhaul and was wearing her black nameplates. Clan Line rushed through with the Express, enroute to Southampton Docks. However, I waited at the station to see the diesel engine (acting as a back engine) pulling Clan Line and the Orient Express back to Eastleigh, so that Clan Line and her train use the loop around the former railway works to get her face towards London again. Once she was back at the station, I took pictures of Clan Line as she went into some sidings out of the way of the main line.

My Voluntary Work
I don't just watch television programmes about railways and read about them; I'm involved in railways too. I'm a volunteer member of the Bursledon Brickworks Trust and the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust. At the Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum, I'm involved in the operations of our two railways: a 2 foot gauge railway and a 7 and 1/4 inch railway. Both of our railways are being extended with our 2 foot gauge railway being upgraded to passenger carrying standards. The Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust's involvment at the Bursledon Brickworks is to re-create an industrial mineral railway that was built to carry the clay from the pits to the brickmaking machines.

Engines belonging to the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
 * 2 foot gauge 1891-built Hunslet 0-4-0 saddle tank engine Cloister (known as a "Quarry Hunslet")
 * 2 foot gauge 1919-built Bagnall 0-4-0 saddle tank engine Wendy
 * 2 foot gauge 1931-built Simplex petrol locomotive Brambridge Hall (Bramble for short)
 * 2 foot gauge 1939-built Simplex petrol locomotive Agwi Pet 2 (Agwi Pet for short)
 * 2 foot gauge Simplex diesel locomotive Beccy (currently under restoration)
 * 7 and 1/4 inch gauge Bagnall 0-4-0 saddle tank engine (yet to be named)

Take-Along Collection
This is my collection of Thomas models in the Take-Along range from Learning Curve that I started since 2008:

Standard Gauge Locomotives
 * Gordon
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Daisy
 * Diesel 10
 * Lady
 * Harvey
 * Emily (with a 2-2-2 wheel arrangement)
 * Fergus (with an arch-shaped smokebox and gold buffers)
 * Arthur
 * Murdoch (with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement)
 * Spencer (with a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement and a six-wheeled tender)
 * Molly (with black buffers and bigger face)
 * Neville
 * Dennis
 * Rosie
 * Whiff (with a 0-4-4 wheel arrangement)
 * Billy
 * Stanley

Narrow Gauge Locomotives
 * Mighty Mac
 * Freddie (with a 0-6-0 wheel arrangement)

Rolling Stock
 * Troublesome Trucks (x 2)
 * Merlin the Magical Cargo Van (with two boxes of frozen fish, two boxes of steam engine parts, and one barrel of Mr Jolly's Chocolate/Standard Gauge)
 * Fred the Foghorn Truck
 * Dibnah the Detonator Truck
 * Olivia the Oil Tanker (082023/Standard Gauge)
 * Fleur the Firework Truck (73005/Standard Gauge)
 * Oscar the Oil Barrel Tipper Truck (7142/Standard Gauge)
 * Luke the Log Tipper Truck (8374/Standard Gauge)
 * Ivor the Ironwork Tipper Truck (121092/Standard Gauge)
 * Yeo the Yellow Truck (Standard Gauge)
 * Christopher the Coal Hopper (1232/Narrow Gauge)
 * Rebecca the Rock Hopper (062080/Narrow Gauge)
 * Rocky
 * Hector
 * C.B. the Musical Caboose (Standard Gauge)

Non-Rail Characters
 * Cranky
 * Butch (with a buffer beam with buffers)
 * Jeremy
 * Madge (with six wheels, plus a buffer beam with buffers on her trailer)

Sodor Construction Company
 * Jack
 * Alfie
 * Max and Monty (both with buffer beams with buffers at their rear ends)
 * Byron (with a red buffer beam beneath his cab)
 * Ned
 * Patrick (The Pack) (with a red buffer beam behind his rear wheels)

Human Characters
 * Mr. Percival (in a red car)

Destinations
 * Water Tower/Water Column
 * Tidmouth Sheds (with five spaces)

Favourite "Thomas" characters

 * My favourite Awdry steam engine is...Toby.
 * My favourite Awdry narrow-gauge engine is...Peter Sam.
 * My favourite Awdry diesel engine is...BoCo.
 * My favourite Awdry road character is...Trevor.
 * My favourite non-Awdry male steam engine is...Whiff.
 * My favourite non-Awdry narrow-gauge engine is...Mighty Mac.
 * My favourite non-Awdry diesel engine is...Salty.
 * My favourite non-Awdry road character is...Elizabeth.
 * My favourite non-Awdry female steam engine is...Rosie.
 * My favourite human character is...Mr. Percival.

TOMY Trackmaster Collection
This is the collection of my "Thomas & Friends" TOMY Trackmaster models:

Locomotives
 * Salty
 * "Busy Bee" James
 * Hank (with a twelve-wheeled tender: eight black non-moving wheels and four red moving wheels)
 * Flora

Rolling Stock
 * Troublesome Trucks (x2)
 * Brake Vans (x2)
 * Flat-Bed
 * Flora's Tram Car (with twelve wheels: eight non-moving wheels and four moving wheels)

Baby Jane the Very Small Tank Engine
This is the profile of my first "Thomas & Friends" character for the Railway Series.

Bio When Bill and Ben get overloaded with too much work, the Fat Controller decides to have a very unique tank engine called Baby Jane to be restored to working order. Once restored to working order, Baby Jane works with Bill and Ben as the third engine belonging to the Sodor China Clay Company.

Personality Baby Jane is a hard-working tank engine, who often takes on too much work. However, she had some difficulties when she first came to Sodor because, with a very high bufferbeam, she found it hard to see what was ahead of her. Once she was fitted with a pair of glasses, Baby Jane found it much easier to work. Though the trucks tease Baby Jane for pulling only three or four of them at a time, they know better not to play any tricks on her.

Livery Baby Jane carries the same livery as Bill and Ben; yellow-orange with red stripes and carries the No.3.

Basis Baby Jane is based on a very unique Peckett 0-4-0 side tank engine nicknamed "the Flying Bufferbeam", which has survived into preservation.

Trivia
 * Baby Jane was originally built with a very low cab. However, as this made her driver and fireman uncormfortable. So, during her time at the Works to have a pair of glasses fitted, Baby Jane had her low cab removed.
 * Baby Jane is voiced by Lancashire actress, Jane Horrocks.

Martin the Railway Motorbike
This is the profile of my second "Thomas & Friends" character, though this one is for Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

Bio Martin is P. T. Boomer's railway motorbike and Diesel 10's trusty side-kick. Unlike Splatter and Dodge, he agrees with Diesel 10's intention to destroy Lady and believes that steam engines are old and out-of-date.

Presonality Martin is very reckless for a motorbike, and believes that speed is everything. However, Martin is P. T. Boomer's thirteenth motorbike, which considers him unlucky. But, he always ensures that his bad luck won't get the better of him, which occassionally does!

Basis Martin isn't based on any particular machine. He is basically a motorbike with a bufferbeam at each end. As he runs on a mono-rail, he has guide wheels attached to his bufferbeam via some beams of metal. Also, Martin has two flanges on his big disc wheels.

Livery Martin is painted black with red stripes and has the number 13 painted on his bodywork.

Two Isle Star the "Boat" Engine
This is the profile of my third "Thomas & Friends" character who, like Baby Jane, is for the Railway Series.

Bio When the Fat Controller decided to organise some boat trains which connect with the Isle of Man ferries, the workload was going to be too much for the Main Line Engines. So, the Fat Controller decided to have a brand-new mainline steam engine to be built. Many months later, Two Isle Star the "Boat" Engine was ready to take the boat trains.

Personality Two Isle Star loves the sea and talks in nautical slang. He knows that running to time is important for the boat trains, so he is impatient sometimes. Nevertheless, Two Isle Star is very kind-hearted and a good friend to all the engines.

Basis Two Isle Star is based on the Merchant Navy Class Bulleid Pacifics built in Eastleigh by the Southern Railway, with a 5,000 gallon tender.

Livery Two Isle Star is painted red with yellow stripes and blue wheels. Also, he has the number "35031" painted on his tender.

Trivia
 * The crests on Two Isle Star's nameplates are the flags of the Isle of Man and the Island of Sodor.
 * Two Isle Star is named after the ferry service between the Island of Sodor and the Isle of Man.

Sydney the Small Railway Engine
This is the profile of my fourth "Thomas & Friends" character for the Railway Series.

Bio When the Arlesdale Railway had more ballast orders, Mike was busier than ever, so the Small Controller decided to have a new engine to be built. The new engine, called Sydney, is the most powerful engine on the Arlesdale Railway, and helps Mike with the ballast loads whilst Rex, Bert and Jock take the passengers.

Personality Despite his strength and size, Sydney is kind and polite. However, he is quite nervous deep inside his boiler as he suffers teething troubles as his pistons are quite small compared to the other small engines. Luckily though, Sydney doesn't use his piston problem as an excuse to be ill as he's a hard-working and reliable engine.

Basis Sydney is a 2-6-2 tank and tender engine with resembling a Australian T class 4-8-0.

Livery Sydney is painted yellow with blue stripes and blue wheels, and has "Arlesdale" written on both sides of his tender.

The Railway Series No. 42 "Bill, Ben and Baby Jane"
The Flying Bufferbeam

Bill and Ben are overworked at the China Clay Pits, and their manager agrees that they need another engine. But, the route to the quarry goes under a very low bridge, which means that BoCo and Edward can't help them. However one evening, Bill and Ben tell them about their twins, Alfed and Judy and a low-down tank engine called Flying Bufferbeam, who have being preserved. A few days later, the Fat Controller and the China Clay Manager visit the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre where the Flying Bufferbeam lives. Sadly, the Flying Bufferbeam is under overhaul, but the volunteers kindly give the Fat Controller copies of the Flying Bufferbeam's original plans.

Withdrawn

Once the Fat Controller returns to Sodor, he tells Bill and Ben that they are going to have a new engine working with them. The twins are very pleased, so too are Edward and BoCo. But when the Big Engines hear about this, they think that Bill and Ben are going to be withdrawn from service. Quickly, the rumour spreads amongst the Fat Controller's Engines until BoCo tells them the truth. Gordon, Henry and James feel very silly for thinking that Bill and Ben were being taken out of service.

Featured characters
 * Bill and Ben
 * Edward
 * BoCo
 * The Fat Controller
 * Gordon
 * Henry
 * James
 * The Flying Bufferbeam (does not speak)
 * Alfred and Judy (mentioned)