User:Cranky4565

An Introduction:
If your a member of Sodor Island Forums then no doubt you may have seen a post or two of mine. SIF came to me back during it's hyperboard days when I would lurk around smaller Thomas forums, amazed that there we're people like me who we're growing up but still had a soft spot for Thomas. It was thanks to Ryan Healy that I was able to join the SIF Hyperboards (Due to errors with the registry). Though this was shortlived, as soon the Hyperboard incident occured and SIF was soon gone. Luckily Ryan and his team we're ready to bring SIF back so we older fans would have that place to chat about Thomas and his illustirous history.

For me Thomas started back when I was given two gifts for my first birthday, an ERTL Thomas and Percy. From then I would ask for the remaining ERTL's for birthdays and christmases and when the Wooden Railway rolled around I was floored by Thomas once again. What really did it for me was the Model Sets and the talking trains. I always had a fascination about miniature sets and how they are constructed, and since my father was a model railroader I took part in many projects revolving around his layout. When my mother bought me the first few US release videos (Canadian just for the record), I was hooked. Ringo Starr and his narration added magic to the models and as a child I was obssessed. However, there comes a time when the child must put toys aside and grow up...

I consider myself a young man with an avid sense of "Peter Pan Syndrome", which was dubbed for those who never wanted too grow up. Though Thomas was my main interest as a child, I began taking an intrest in Japanese Animation, Star Wars and Video Games much more. Soon I had a Star Wars collection growing and then a Transformers collection, and soon a Gundam collection. I had moved on from Thomas, Theodore Tugboat and Tugs (the latter two being just as important as Thomas for me as a child). Collecting dust in my basement was my box of Thomas books and ERTL models, along with a giant sized plastic container filled to the brim with Wooden Railway items. Thomas was starting to fade in the shadows for me as I grew older, but things with me never change...

My mother would usually pick up the newest VHS or DVD releases and I'd continue to watch the series as it moved on. Season 8 I began to drift away from the series once again due to it's lighter tone and the addition of interstals but when Season 9 rolled around I fell in love with the designs of the new characters, ecspecially Neville and Mighty Mac. As High School rolled in I would watch the new episodes when I could and I'd still chat with my SIF friends about the happenings in the Thomas World. Being a big fan of the Reverend's Thomas Books, I was most excited when the announcement came for Book 41 "Thomas and Victoria".

However, nowadays I find myself drifting further and further from Thomas. The Model sets are what brought me to such imaganative thoughts that the CGI just ruins it for me. However, the stories now seem to remain faithful to what Thomas really is and I appreciate that. I picked up Hero of the Rails as my last Thomas purchase, and I did enjoy it quite alot. I'll watch the specials, but I think the series is done for me.

Be as it may, Thomas will never vanish from my life. He's been there since day one for me, he'll be there till the end. My love for Thomas inspired me to write three books for the "Extended Railway Series" on SIF, albeit that they aren't offical and merely a fan's project that I wanted to do. Military Engines, Japanese Engines, and Ghost Engines proved to be a small success and if it made someone interested then I've done my job. Here on the Thomas Wikia I'll see what I can do too assist in keeping this a extensive library too the franchise.

- Peace

Cranky4565

The ERS "Cranky" Trilogy
When I decided to write an ERS book for an upcoming ERS evaluation, I went with "Dockyard Engines" , but I was soon informed that one ERS volume already held that title. My next concept was "Steiner the Dockyard Diesel", but I found myself lacking in a good backstory for the character and how I can throw him into 4 stories revolving around his presence. I soon went too work devolping a good story that I myself would like too see in the Railway Series, and I then thought about Military trains and what the armies of the world used on the rails. An old project I had abandonded long ago had the perfect foothold for where to start. This project was meant to be a model fan series I wanted too do, which included an episode revolving around the Military using Sir Topham's railway for transporting their goods. I had created three characters for this episode, and they we're "Sarge", "Griff", and "Tucker", whose names I had borrowed from the popular halo machinma series "Red Vs. Blue". Looking at what personalities I had made for them, I began crafting them into individual military personalities, and "Tucker" soon became "Jameson". Along with the three central military engines, I added "Hicks and Bricks" the military twins, and "Steiner"; the military dockyard diesel. The character creation didn't end there, as I began making more military themed characters, including:

- "Reginald" (Aircraft Carrier)-

- "Brass" (Destroyer)

- "Captain Mark" (Tank)

- "The Baron" (WWII Biplane)

- "Sheamus and Dean" (Two BR Class 08's) 

Using what I had, I was able to write and manage 4 stories for the book, and it was soon published on SIF under the "Your Own ERS Stories" section. With praise coming from the theme and general atmosphere of the books, such as the military arrogance and the agknowledgement of death within the Railway Series, I began working on two more books to at least shape a trilogy. What I came up with next was far beyond my usual grasp on talking trains...

TO BE FINISHED