![]() ![]() Based on a real life event that took place in Waterloo Station in April of 1967 where an LMS Stannier 8F rescued two stricken Diesels. This story is a representation of a steam engine’s strength and determination. Despite losing his regulator Henry manages to rescue both diesels redeeming himself and earning the title ‘Enterprising Engine’.” “After two new diesels fail on their trial runs, both have to be rescue by Henry. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like TGR, because while these two are meant to be big proud engines, they’re brothers and despite they’re rivalry, they’re should be an underlying care which all siblings have. They’re toots of joy is a relation to how reunited siblings would embrace and really cherish the moments they spend with each other now that their the lasts. ![]() Reading the line, “Gordon’s toot of joy was drowned by Flying Scotsman’s as he drew happily alongside” really resonates the joy one would feel when being reunited with a long lost sibling, showing the famous motto, “You are not alone”. Their reunion is so heartwarming and beautiful it would bring tears of joy to anyone. This revelation is another stroke of genius of Wilbert Awdry, he always wanted the engines to be based on real life counterparts and showing that Gordon is related to of all engines, the most famous engine in the world would’ve explained why he was so pompous in the past. The LNER A1 and A3 engines (Gordon’s basis) were hit hard by the Beeching Axe, despite only 78 being built and like the Fat Controller stated, “All were gone except one.” That one is none other than the most famous steam engine of them all, the Flying Scotsman who the Fat Controller brings to cheer Gordon up. So finding out that most of them are gone would destroy any engine internally, especially if they’re all very close. He constantly boasts about his brothers and heritage which indicates that unlike most of the engines, Gordon probably held quite a close bond with his siblings. Like I mentioned before, Gordon is a very proud engine, not only of his size, strength and speed but also of his heritage. This engine who we would previously laugh at when he received a comeuppance for his constant boasting, our hearts now break for when he learns this awful truth. It shows that even the biggest and most strongest of character feel so small and weak in a dire situation. In this story, we see a side to Gordon’s that we would never associate with him, Vulnerability. His constant pompous nature and boastfulness often got him into trouble and he wasn’t afraid to put down engines smaller or older than him. ![]() Throughout his many, many appearances in the Railway Series, Gordon had always been portrayed as a very powerful, strong, invincible and sometimes unemotional character. Awdry really wanted one of the steam engines to feel this pain and who better to choose than Gordon the Big Engine. Even those engines that are preserved end up losing many of they’re siblings to the cutter’s torch, most of us can imagine the pain we would feel of losing a sibling, so imagine knowing that you’re the sole survivor of your siblings. I mean think about how a steam engine would feel to know their time is up, and instead of being preserved, they are destined to a slow and painful death of being scrapped. They can be feelings of joy, of proudness, of anger, of kindness and of depression. Awdry often described steam engines of being the closest machine to a living organism, and so like living organism’s these iron beasts have feelings. This story is representation of a steam engine’s soul. Duck then tricks Henry by giving him ‘six lovely tenders’ of his own.” Gordon feels better but Henry feels jealous of Scotsman’s two tenders. To cheer him up, the Fat Controller brings Flying Scotsman, his sole surviving brother, to the Railway. “After learning about the fate of his Doncaster brothers and Diesels taking over, Gordon falls into depression. ![]()
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