#ttte porter

Engine 51: Hiro

- You couldn't believe your ears when Sir Topham asked you to be Hiro's driver for the week: THE Master of the Railway, the strongest engine on the island, and you get to be his driver!

-When the two of you meet you feel like throwing up and can't stop shaking from excitement. He simply smiles and welcomes you aboard, thanking you for helping him for the week. He's very happy to have a new driver and to show you around.

-Even tho he's one of the biggest engine on the island he's the calmest and kindest out of all of them. You're amazed at how chill he is, never yelling or getting excessively angry at someone.

-He likes a nice and quiet break so he takes you to his favourite part of the island, usually forests and the countryside, to relax before taking more trains or trucks

-He'll introduce you to Thomas and will tell you how he saved him a long time ago and everything that went down with Spencer. You're pretty disturbed at the actions of the private engine but Hiro reassures you that he had been forgiven already; they don't talk much nowadays but there's no hate whatsoever. 

-The two of you spend a lovely time together: you ask him many things about his time on the island and his homecountry Japan and he will ask about your job and your life as a worker of the railway. He loves talking about Japan and its beauty, you can see a certain light shine in his eyes when he speaks about it.  You ask him once if he would like to go back and he smiles back.

-"My dear driver, Japan is my homecountry, which I love dearly. But Sodor it's where my home and friends are."

-When his driver is back he now considers you as a dear friend and would love to have you again on board.

Bill and Ben

-Another set of brothers! Of course, like Donald and Douglas, both of their drivers are also related and both got hit with the flu one week after the other. 

-The first day you meet the engines they both try to confuse you by pretending to be the other but you don't fall for it easily. 

-Now these two are the definition of menaces that can put cheeky Thomas and Percy to shame: they love playing games in the harbour and at the clay pits, pushing empty trucks between each other or bumping them towards other engines. Their teasing is endless too, they pick the smallest thing about someone and turn it into something to make fun of.

-You have to admit it's not an easy two week assignments: at first it's fun, sure, but after a few days it becomes an headache. You can understand why most of the engines steer away from those two.

- One day you're on a break in the yard when a certain blue tender engine approaches you alongside a green diesel. Seeing how miserable you are they try to cheer you up and reassure you that they may be cheeky and troublesome but there's no real harm. 

-The breaking point is during a extremely busy day at the harbour. it's raining pretty hard and you, alongside the other driver and fireman, are telling Bill and Ben for the hundred time to slow down and stop pushing carts carelessly. But they don't listen to any of that, and in a second a train filled with coal pushed by accident by Bill crashes into Ben, sending you and the fireman flying in the cab and falling on your asses. Nobody's really hurt of course but the twins are reprehended severely by workers and other engines.

-That evening when they're back in their shed they apologize to you and the crew. You tell them that it's for everybody’s safety to not play in busy areas but you're not mad and won't ask to stop your job with them to Sir Thopam Hatt.

-From that point both of them are on their best behaviour, or at least they try. You can clearly see a switch when they're on break and when they need to work. You also can feel them tense up when Edward is nearby.

-When nobody's is sick anymore and you're not needed they're a bit sad but will likely be asking for you again (you're not sure you could do it again tbh).

Spencer

-Sir Thopam had recieved the request from the Duke and Duchess for a relief driver for Spencer during one of the busiest weeks of their schedule and your name popped up.

-You had been warned about him but not by your human coworkers: as soon as word got out (and it travels really fast thanks to very chatty engines) it seemed like everyone you met the week before your assigment warned you about the type of engine you were going to work with (Thomas and Gordon seemed very keen to talk your ears off about the private locomotive).

-But even with all the warnings you got you want to make your best impression to such important people that you put those comments at the back of your mind.

-He's not happy to have you, full stop.  The two of you don't get along over the course of the first days, his spiky personality making it difficult to work with serenity: at the end of day one you end up with a pounding headache and he is more nervous that he was in the morning

-You notice something when working with him: nobody talks to him, even in busy stations or along the tracks when the two of you cross ways with another engine. Worst of all, everytime a locomotive recognises you, they dare to whistle at you or talk to you, he makes a face like somebody scratched his paint and puffs until he can go.

-On the forth day you have to wait until midnight on the mainland because the Duke and Duchess went to the theater. His fireman is getting something to drink and you're there with Spencer, exhausted by the day you just spent. He had been pretty snappy all day so you decide to be bold and ask him what's wrong.  At first he grumbles something but at the end you're surprised at how he opens up to you. He tells you everything that happened, how much trouble he had caused to many engines (especially Hiro) and how deep down he thinks he deserves the treatment he gets. You're shocked to hear that he's jealous of you being friends with the other engines.

-After that evening you week improves significantly: to be clear you're not friends, but your relationship now is without hostility. During one of your breaks his fireman asks you how you managed to not get his engine to grumble. You don't know how to answer that.

-At the end of the week the Duke and Duchess thank you for the very good work you did. Spencer, even if he'll never admit it, feels a bit bad that you're not going to be working with him and that he treated you badly the first few days. You reassure him in private that you understand and hope he'll be nicer next time.  He smiles to himself thinking that there will be a next time.

Number 22: Rebecca

-She's very excited when she meets you and learns that you are going to be her driver for the week! She still has a lot to learn about her job but she's ready to do anything necessary to help.

-She's the most curious out of everybody about you: how's life on Sodor? Do you know every single engine that is on the island? You love her already and you chat about it non stop. She has a very honest heart and will tell you things directly and compliment you.

-Deep down she's pretty nervous about working on the island, being a new engine alongside well seasoned ones, but especially making mistakes and disappoint Sir Thopam Hatt. You make sure to reassure her and help out if needed.

-She discovered she loves taking trucks more than passengers because she enjoys bumping them at a high speed, especially going down hills.  The first time she does it you have a heart attack (she's faster and less cautious than Emily) but you get used to it and like to feel the wind blowing against your hand.

-You soon get roped into a weird friendship with the big tender engines Gordon and his famous brother Scotsman. It's difficult to catch the latter since he has got to do tours and stays on the mainland but the few times the three of them are at Vicarstown's station and are resting there's caos, endless teasing and laughter.  It's during this moments, seeing engines not working and being themselves fully, that you smile and understand how much this job is actually worth.

-When her driver comes back she's happy to have a new friend on the railway. She'll make sure to say hi if she sees you again and request you in case of another occasion.

The Flying Scotsman

-Now you really can't believe your ears. Apparently there was no one on the mainland who could help out and they desperately needed someone to drive him because he's got tours and visits all booked up for the week. So that's when you come in to help.

-He's surprised when you get assigned to him but very happy that he'll be able to boast about himself for the entire week to a stranger. He's pretty famous so obviously you were nervous to drive him but his personality helps you chill out.

-The schedule is very different comparing your time with the engines on the island: there's no trucks to take, no coal mines, no harbour or docks, just picture perfect landscapes on the mainland and part of the island along the coast for the tourists to admire when riding him.

-He needs to be on top at all times, especially in his appereance, so one of the first things you do in the morning after checking his system overall is making sure he's clean and polished; then in the evening he's rewarded with a long wash and polish. During the day you always need to have a rag and a spray bottle to clean small spots on him. He's very proud of his appearance and paint job, more than James.

-You get the opportunity to talk to him during breaks and the engine loves to tell you stories from his many years on the mainland, the tours overseas, the fame. You asks him if he sometimes thought about taking a goods train for a change and he almost laughs in your face. He's proud of his status as a historic locomotive and very much above goods trains.

-One thing he confesses is that he misses his brother Gordon very much. He hasn't seen any of his siblings in years because they were all scrapped, him and Gordon are the only ones left. Worst of all Gordon lives on Sodor and Scot on the mainland and the few times they do meet are rare. 

-"I miss my little brother very much," he tells you one evening when you're watching the stars outside his shed, "but I'm very happy to know he's got friends that care deeply about him. I'll always be here for him not matter what."

-When his usual driver comes back he thanks you for the company and invites on your days off to get a ride on one of his historic coaches.

Number 18: Nia

- A new friend! She's pumped to work with you!

-She's a chatterbox and loves to talk a lot. Not that you mind, on this railway there are many engines who likes to talk, but she really enjoys it. She'll talk about her homecountry, her adventures around the world and alongside Thomas and her friends back home. Obviously she'll ask you all sort of questions about your life, family and friends, hobbies. She likes to know everything and you can feel that at the end of your first day with her you're already friends

-She loves her job, from taking goods trains to coaches, she does it without fuss. But the thing she loves most is working on the Sodor Animal Park: she gets so excited when there's a delivery for the Park, even more if it's some type of animal. The thing she whishes sometimes is to be able to enter the park and watch the animal as close as she did back home

- She's incredibly friendly with everybody, eager to lend a wheel to help out, sometimes forgetting she has her own tasks. You can tell that she's dear to many engines on the railway, especially when on your breaks some of them come to her to ask for advice.

-During the week you can see that it isn't all sunshine for her: she has her moments when you both sees some engines being in a group all together and happy (you happen to pass close to some of the engines from the Steam Team laughing about old times). In those moments she can only think about her home and how much she misses her friends. You try your best to console her, reminding her the biggest lesson she always tells people: distance isn't as strong as a deep friendship.

-When she's feeling insecure about being as good as other engines you let ehr vent and then offer some advice, or even some distraction, like cruising along Thomas or Duck's branch line.

-She's sad when you have to go but you reassure her that she can ask for you the next time her driver is sick.

Number 37:Rosie

-She's a bit nervous to be honest but tries to keep a positive eyes on the situation. She wants to prove that she can be a very useful engine even if she doesn't have her driver.

-She loves racing more than anything! Even if she's a tank engine she likes to push herself to her limits to feel the adrenaline. She loves the feeling she gets in her boiler as she goes down hills at top speed. If you have any problem with speed she will slow down but she'll probably beg to show off how fast she can go.

-If you two have time and another engine is available she'll ask to have a race. Only if everyone agrees (especially you and the crew) and the line is free you can say yes. 

-Of course she's a hardworker who doesn't like screwing up so she is very serious about the jobs she gets assigned for the day. She's focused and tries to not get distracted or get roped by silly engine who only like to fool around (Bill and Ben are sneezing somewhere)

-She still gets teased about her supposed crush/situation/ship (?!) with Thomas and while you support her the best you can and defend her against those rumors you happened to notice how she blushes a little and you smile. Not because it's not true, but because it's always amazing how engines can be so close to humans yet so far away.

-Most of the time you pass together it's in the yard, either Knapford or Vicarstown, shunting trucks or coaches for the other engines to take, but other times you pull trucks to and from the docks (or even specials on peculiar occasions).

-She likes to have a good chat sometimes, especially to get to know you. Mainly when she's being loaded she likes to talk to you about anything, from how the work is going to even stories (gossips basically) from the railway. She likes a good joke and will make you laugh many times over the course of the week you work together.

-She's happy to have her driver back at the end of the week but she's grateful for your hard work. She'll ask for you again if the occasion comes.

Porter

-A change of scenery (and uniform)! instead of running all over the island depending on the day's tasks you're now working in the docks, salty (ahah) air filling your nose.

-Porter is happy to meet you and the two of you immediately hit off: he's a very friendly engine and likes to work with everyone (except Bill and Ben, you know why if you have driven any of them before).

-Being at the docks means longer shifts, sometimes stretching through the night if there are many ships to unload and deliveries to make. But Porter is a hardworker and no heavy load scares him. 

-When the docks are still and no shunting needs to be made Porter and Salty beg you to stay for some stories from Salty's times on the mainland and on the sea before you go back home. So you stay under the shed and stars, listening to the diesel engine narrating his adventures while sitting close to your steamie. in the background you can hear Cranky snoring or see him focused on the story himself.

-Porter and Salty are very popular engines among the others on the island: they're the ones alongside Cranky that keep the docks running even during busy days. Porter, even if he is an new addition to the docks crew, fits incredibly well!

- He gets teased about his appearance sometimes and while he doesn't care about it he really appreciates when you stick up for him, repremanding every engine who dares to make fun of his (very functional) dome design. 

-He tends to be a perfectionist, which is great during downtime when the docks aren't busy; but you have to remind him during busy times about the goal at stake, which is getting everything shipped as fast and efficiently, perfection doesn't exits in those moments

-When his driver is all better he's a bit sad but hopes that you'll be working on a engine in the docks so he can see you again!

Victor

-It's not often that you get to be in the steamworks: for engines it means hours or even days of not being useful, but for you it's a nice change.

-Victor is pretty happy to welcome you in the works but is worried that you could get bored by staying in one place for the entire week. Sometimes it can be pretty busy but also pretty quiet.

-During your first days he shows you everything that needs to be done daily, how engine parts' shipment needs to be stocked, the tools and diagnostics the workers uses to determine the engine's problems and how they can treat them.

-Of course you gain a new friend while driving the cuban engine: Kevin likes to talk your and Victor's ears off when things are slow. He's a clumsy sweetheart and chatterbox, but he can get pretty worked up at times. You always help him wind down and keep calm in case of busy days at the Works and Victor is incredibly grateful for it.

-During breaks you like you talk to him and listen to the stories of the many engine that come and go, but also about his own: the long journey from his island, the incident, his new assignment. He loves narrating the tales of recostructing a missing engine, meeting again the one who "knocked" him into the sea, naughty and good engines.

-During one of your shifts you actually get out of the Steamworks to visit the narrow gauges on their line and on the Blue Mountain quarry to conduct routine inspections of the small locomotives. You have a really pleasant day, especially when you get to finally meet Luke: the small engine is even smaller than a standard narrow gauge and you have to stop yourself to just go and hug him.

-Being at the Steamworks means that you'll see some of the engines you've driven for work. During some of your breaks you go to say hi and chat a bit, comforting them if they feel down for not being really useful.