De la Trip

* **Class**: SR N15 "King Arthur" Class
* **Designer**: Robert Urie/Richard Maunsell
* **Build date**: 1925
* **Configuration**: 4-6-0
* **Arrived on the DR**: 1971

**Sir Mador de la Porte**, better known as **De la Trip** or just 'Trip", is a large express engine, who arrived on the Dark Railway in 1971.

## Bio

### Service with SR & BR

De la Trip is a Maunsell N15 4-6-0 built in August 1925 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. He gained his nickname, "De la Trip", from his first engine crews, who couldn't pronounce his name properly, therefore coining the phrase "taking a De la Trip" to refer to their engine. The name stuck, and De la Trip has stuck to this name for his entire life.

For his entire life, he worked on the Southern Railway, hauling express passenger trains over the Wessex Mainline, from London to Exeter, though at some point during the 1950's, he was based at Bournemouth Shed to work the South West Mainline, alongside 257 Squadron, Sir Eustace Missenden and a host of other engines. Whilst at Bournemouth, he befriended 257 but disapproved of Eustace greatly. He was well known for his dislike of other locomotives from other regions, often making rude remarks about engines from "off region" running on the Southern Railway (later the Southern Region of BR). He also had a dislike of British Railways built steam engines and diesel locomotives, prompting many of his shed mates to soothe hurt feelings between De la Trip and any visitors. This attitude was brought on by the fact that De la Trip was bullied by the older Southern engines when he first entered service for his origins, and he subsequently lied about where he was built, claiming to be from Eastleigh. Overtime, he fell into the ways of his colleagues, becoming a Southern supremacist.

By the late 1950's, De la Trip was back on the western section, hauling expresses from Salisbury to Exeter, and despite his distaste for the western region, took fierce pride in his work, despite having to venture into Western territory from time to time. By the mid-1960's, and with the rundown of steam on the region, De la Trip was withdrawn from service and placed into storage.

### Preservation

Eventually after a long period in storage De la Trip was sold from British Railways to Caracus Smash in 1966. Mr. Smash slowly restored the locomotive to working order, but the work was interrupted by the move of his business, Caracus Smash Limited, from Saxonhurst to Galen Junction in 1971. Mr. Smash had, by this point, agreed to sell De la Trip to Mr. Dark, to make up for the loss of Repulse, who had been banished from the railway a few years earlier. By early 1972, De la Trip had been restored to working order, and had been repainted into Southern Railway green, a livery De la Trip insisted on due to his hatred of BR.

He returned to service on the Dark Railway in the spring of 1972, the intention being that he would plug the gap left by Dave, who was being prepared for an overhaul. Heading down to Colhapper shed he was re-united with 257 who also lived on the Dark Railway, the pair then double headed a train to Merecombe & De la Trip was looking forward to meeting his new colleague's, despite 257 trying to warn him. Upon arriving at Merecombe Shed, De la Trip immediately made himself unpopular with the other engines when he learned that there were no Southern built engines on the line and he angrily started a major argument in the sheds which included insulting Eustace for being a BR built member of his class aswell as kick off at Brian, Barry & Caracus for being BR standards. He even tried telling them that none of them we're appropriate for the region, but Caracus informed him that two of his brother's worked the "Golden Arrow" trains for a while & Brian had been based on the Southern Region all of his life so both we're appropriate for the region.

But he eventually went too far by making a remark about Hannah for her wide cylinders saying she was too fat for the southern region and should go back to the western region (this resulted in her running off crying). When he learned from Eustace that 257 was a British Railways built engine rather than being built by the Southern Railway he proceeded to disown him as a friend but was blackmailed into silence by Mr. B after learning that he knew of his secret.

Although he kept quiet for several weeks afterwards, he eventually snapped at 257 one evening who had been wanting to make ammends over what had happened. De la Trip declared that he wished he had never met his old friend aswell as wish he had never been built, he also told 257 that he mean't every single word and refused to tolerate charlatans liars and decievers. This prompted Mr. B to finally reveal his secret: contrary to his past claims, De la Trip was actually built by NBL in Glasgow rather than by the Southern Railway. The other engines proceeded to berate him for his hypocrisy while 257 was left devastated by the revelation. The other engines refused to speak to him at all after this incident, leaving him feeling depressed. Eventually, Mr. Dark brought De la Trip and 257 together, and De la Trip apologised for his actions. 257 decided to forgive him under the condition that he didn't make any negative remarks about the other engines for not being Southern built or not being based on the Southern region, Eustace too decided to forgive him allowing De la Trip to have some friends on the railway. Over time, the rest of the engines began to at least tolerate him. Hannah was the last engine to forgive him despite his efforts to make amends, but she finally came around after he rescued her following a failure at Walschurch.

Prior to Dave returning to traffic in 1975, De la Trip was repainted much to his annoyance from his Southern Railways green into unlined Southern Railways black. He even had his smoke deflectors removed too during the repaint. After Dave had returned to service he felt jealous that Dave was grabbing the attention of visitors more than he was. Eustace and 257 sympathised with him, and cheered him up by assuring him that his efforts were still appreciated by those on the railway. Despite these assurances, however, De la Trip still felt like an outsider among the fleet, particularly as his offers to help were shot down by the other engines and he continued to be avoided by the likes of Clyde. When Clyde gained the ability to shapeshift into other forms, he would often take the form of De la Trip to amuse the other engines, upsetting him greatly. By 1976, De la Trip was struggling greatly on the hills, often running out of steam on journeys and causing large delays. Clyde revelled in taunting him about this, sometimes forcing him to leave the sheds at night to avoid arguments. De la Trip was one of the worst affected engines when a bad supply of foreign coal caused problems for the engines. This culminated in an incident where an attempt to build up steam using his dampers whilst on a train led to his firebars melting and his firebox stays collapsing, resulting in his withdrawal from service. He was placed into the Galen Junction Railway Museum, where he was told he would remain for a long time. While he was in the museum, Clyde, who had seen the error of his ways, came to see him and apologised for his behaviour, much to his delight. When Rick was revealed to the engines for the first time in 1980, De la Trip initially believed him to be the original DR1202.

Shortly afterwards Mr. Smash reopened Caracus Smash Ltd and was ready to start overhaul and repair work to the engines based on the Dark Railway. De la Trip was moved into the works alongside Brian, Hannah and Goose for his overhaul and repairs to his firebox. By late 1980, De la Trip is almost ready to return to service following replacement of his firebox and firebars alongside an overhaul of his boiler.

## Persona

De la Trip was highly prejudiced and abusive to those who he deemed as not being "true" Southern Railway engines when he arrived on the Dark Railway. In the wake of his secret's exposure he has mellowed out greatly and is trying to change. Despite this, he remains rather jealous when he feels he is being upstaged by other engines and gets in foul moods as a result.

## Livery

In the last stages of his present overhaul, De la Trip is due to be outshopped in Southern Railway Malachite Green. During his previous running period on the Dark Railway he wore Southern Maunsell lined green with his number and "Southern" painted on his tender. He was later repainted into Southern Railway plain wartime black, prior to withdrawl he was also running without his smoke deflectors. These would later be re-attached while on display in the museum.

When in service for both the Southern Railway and later British Railways he wore: Southern Railway Olive Green, Southern Railway Maunsell Green, Bulleid Malachite Green, and British Railways lined Brunswick Green with both the early and late crests.

## Basis

De la Trip is based on a Southern Railway Maunsell N15 Class 4-6-0, known as the "King Arthur" class.

## Appearances

### The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

* Series 8 - De la Trip, Face to Face, Time Waster and Outro
* Series 9 - Rock Shock, Time Wasted (*cameo*), Extend Extra, Wipeout (*cameo*) and Shapeshifter
* Series 10 - 101, Body Angels, The Road to Bellgrave (*mentioned*), Coaled Weight, Dirty Colossus (*mentioned*) and Quack Attack (*mentioned*)
* Series 11 - The Times (*mentioned*), Relations, Further and The Brickenkopf
* Series 12 - Fresh, Night Beats (*does not speak*), What To Do, Shuffle (*cameo*) and Eternal Feedback (*does not speak*)

## Trivia

* De la Trip is named after the song of the same name by German musician Ian Pooley.
* Dark DJ previously admitted that he was not a fan of De la Trip's original model, which was prone to bugs in certain variants. This led to his change from SR Maunsell lined green to SR plain black without deflectors as the original model was faulty & eventual withdrawal from traffic in Series 10. He's remained out of service as a result of the faults with his original model but will return as a working character in the future using the new N15 model from Caledonia Works which was released in 2023. His Caledonia Works model also saw the return of Trip's smoke deflectors.
* De la Trip's supremacist behaviour of the Southern Railway when he first arrived on the Dark Railway is similar to that of Maxen who was a supremacist of the Great Western Railway.
* From Series 12 onwards, De la Trip's original model has been replaced by the newer N15 model from Caledonia Works.