Ashima

**Ashima the Indian Tank Engine** is a supporting character in the Seventyverse and comes from India.

## Backstory

Ashima was selected to participate in the Great Railway Show as part of the Shunting Challenge and was on the same ship as Rajiv, Shane, Vinnie, Yong Bao, Etienne, Axel, Frieda, Gina, Ivan, Carlos, Raul and Gabriela. Unfortunately, they would end up stranded on Sodor when the ship they're on breaks down. During this time, the engines helped around the island, where Ashima helped out on the Ffarquhar branch which was down an engine after Daisy's transfer to Harwick and would also help Philip when the diesel boxcab was feeling low. During the Great Railway Show, Ashima would praise Percy for showing good sportsmanship to the other competitors and finished second to Percy. After the Great Railway ended, Ashima returned to India with Rajiv and commented how she was going to miss Sodor.

## Relationships

### Percy

Ashima praised Percy for showing good sportsmanship to the other competitors and Percy congratulated Ashima until he discovered that he was the one who won the Shunting Challenge. Ashima already knew but wanted to keep it a surprise.

### Philip

When Philip was feeling low from learning how the other engines found him annoying, Ashima asked him to come with her to the Blue Mountain Quarry where both engines learn about Flyer. After returning to the yards, Philip thanked Ashima for getting him to come out of the sheds.

## Personality

Ashima is usually found working on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Southern India, where the steep incline makes the track very dangerous and difficult to climb. Beautifully crafted with hand painted decals, Ashima is a fun, feisty and likeable engine who is more than happy to help out wherever and whenever needed.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Ashima is based on a Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) X class. She is particularly based on the oil-burning version of the engine, though she has the coal bunker of the coal-burning version. These engines are designed and built to run on metre gauge rails, whereas Ashima is standard gauge.

Ashima has been partially modified to work on British railways; she has been given buffers and chain couplers, and her cowcatcher has been reduced in size and lowered to accommodate these.

### Livery

Ashima is painted hot pink with white and reflex blue lining. Her buffer beams and wheels are painted reflex blue as well, with white wheel rims. She bears several bright green, white and orange patterns, inspired by Indian textiles and Henna Tattoos. Additionally, the flower petal designs on her front cylinder block was based on her basis X-37385's (unlike Ashima, engine X-37385 lacks an oil tank). Her 'real life' counpterpart is that very engine.

## Differences between the episodes and the series

* In the original special, Ashima was left behind after the ship docked at Brendam Docks by mistake and she got lost on Sodor trying to find her way by land before going with Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Emily and Philip. In the adaptation, all the international engines are stranded after the ship breaks down and they help around the railway before going with Henry, Gordon, James, Percy and Stephen.
* Ashima's old number was 37385, before being renumbered one for her new railway in India.

## Trivia

* Throughout the English dubs of the original series, the second syllable in Ashima's name is stressed whenever it is called out. However, the proper pronunciation is via stressing the first syllable, resulting in Ashima's name being pronounced incorrectly every time she is referred to by name. This would later be rectified in *All Engines Go,* where the characters stress the first syllable in Ashima's name when talking to or about her. The Seventyverse uses the correct pronunciation as well.