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SplashpointParabox — Model Showcase no42

Published: 2018-12-11 02:53:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 1628; Favourites: 20; Downloads: 0
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Description And now for the RWS character that never was, Barry the Rescue Engine!

46440 was built in 1953 and worked in Wales on light freight and branch line duties. He enjoyed the work and the company of his shedmates, but it wasn’t to last. 
With modernization on the rise and branch line after branch line being ripped up or closed down thanks to Dr. Beeching, 46440 found himself among the ranks of the unfortunate. One bright day he was going about his work as really useful engines do, the next, he was suddenly shunted into the rows of engines at Barry Scrapyard in 1965. 

While international law forbade the scraping of any sentient machine, the directors of BR had found a loophole; While scraping a living engine was illegal, there was no requirement or obligation that they had to be maintained or cared for. Thus, BR sent non-faceless engines like 46440 to Scrapyards, sidings and other out-of-the-way locations up and down the country and left them there to rust. 

46440 sat at Barry Scrapyard for twenty years, slowly rusting away, resigned to his fate, until one day in 1985, when Sir Topham Hatt paid a visit to the scrapyard, seeking to buy an engine. By chance, he came across 46440, introduced himself, and offered him a chance for work on his railway. An opportunity to work on the island of Sodor, where steam would never die? 46440 thought he was dreaming, and said so. Sir Topham Hatt laughed and assured him that this was not a dream, and that he was quite serious. 46440, overcome with emotion, accepted wholeheartedly. A few days later, he was loaded onto a lorry’s flatbed, and sent to the North Western Railway. 

Once he arrived at Crovan’s Gate Steamworks, 46440 was placed onto a siding next to a Hunslet Austerity tank engine, who introduced herself as Julie. When 46440 introduced himself, Julie scoffed and told him he needed a name. While restoration work was carried out on them, 46440 told Julie about where he’d spent the last twenty years of his life, and that was when inspiration struck the Austerity engine, who loudly declared that “Barry” would be his name. 46440 was taken aback that she thought he should be named after the scrapyard he had spent the last two decades in, but Julie explained that it was a good name, as it would always remind him of where he had come from and how lucky he was to be on Sodor. 
46440 considered, then accepted her reasoning, and became “Barry” from that day forth. 

After two years of restoration, Julie was ready to begin work, was given the number “35,” and was sent to Emily’s Branch Line. Barry followed a month later, was given the number “36,” and was assigned to Arthur’s Branch Line.

Barry loves his new life on Sir Topham Hatt’s railway, and his position as mixed traffic engine, pulling local suburban passenger trains and various goods trains around the Branch Line. Once his story had gotten around, Barry quickly gained the moniker of “The Rescue Engine.”
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Comments: 2

vincentberkan [2019-08-17 15:58:06 +0000 UTC]

The real #46440 was built at Crewe Works on February 28th, 1949 and saw service until its withdrawl on March 31st, 1967. It was cut up at Cashmore's Scrapyard on September 30th, 1967.

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akphotographystudio [2018-12-12 00:03:09 +0000 UTC]

Gorgeous!

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