Strategic Steam Reserve

The infamous **British Strategic Steam Reserve** **(SSR)** is a group of 80 withdrawn steam locomotives that are owned by the British Government and been put in reserve in case of a nuclear attack on the UK. Only a tenth of the of the SSR's locomotives are seen.

## Active

### Designer

Charles Benjamin Collett

**Active** is an ex-GWR 2251 class goods engine that is a part of the British Strategic Steam Reserve after being withdrawn by British Railways. He is one of Andy's younger brothers and is known for his huge explosions.

### Bio

Active was built at Swindon Works in 1930 for goods and branchline work across the rural areas of the GWR. During WWII, he was paired with an old ROD tender and became a member of the Steam Reserve Corps as a part of the 8th Platoon, better known as the "Railway Commandos". He was sent to do sabotage missions in Germany and became known amongst his platoon for his "over the top" explosions.

After being withdrawn by BR in 1959, Active was placed into the Strategic Steam Reserve in case of nuclear war with the Soviet Union as tensions between the United States and the USSR began to grow. In 1967, Active and the rest of the engines of the SSR he's paired with were sent to the Moorland Steam Railway as a temperamental base of operations until a final location can be decided by the British Military. Little did he know that his oldest brother was preserved by the railway and the two caught up on old times.

When some diesel took Andy away so they can scrap him, Active joined in the rescue team made of the MSR's fleet and three of his fellow SSR locomotives. Whilst in the rescue, he destroyed a diesel refuelling depot with an excess of explosives (pretty much not new to Warrior) and charged into the smelting shed as Capulet and Vampire held two of the diesels back. While Argus dragged Andy out, Active trapped the diesels as the doors closed and called out that he was going to take them with him before a trail of lit gunpowder was noticed. Active looked at a mysterious white tender engine and said the words, "Look after my older brother for me." before the shed exploded, killing him and the diesels inside.

### Personality

Active is normally energetic engine and has a great heart. He can get carried away by either getting things do or as he is more famously known for, creating large explosions.

### Livery

Active is painted in BR Unlined Black with Early Emblems.

### Basis or real locomotive

Active is based off of the real locomotive. The 2251 class was introduced in 1930 as modernised versions of the classic 2301 "Dean Goods" class with a few major modifications e.g. taper boilers and full cabs. The class was produced by Swindon Works between 1930 to 1948 (last ones were built by BR) for work on branch lines and replace the Dean Goods class on pick-up goods traffic on the mainline. The class was withdrawn between 1958 and 1965, which No. 3205 (built 1946) is the only survivor.

No. 2259 was built in 1930 and was retired from service in April 1959. It was scrapped at Swindon a month later.

### Trivia

Active is named after name ship of the Active-class scout cruisers used by the Royal Navy during WWI. It was commissioned in 1911 and survived the war with it seeing little action. It was broken up for scrap on 21st May 1920.

Active's name suits his personality.

Active could be seen as a locomotive version of Micheal Bay because of his love for "over to top" explosions.

* In truth, Active's love of explosives is based on the every boy's love for messing with explosives and Megumin from the Japanese anime 'Konosuba'.

Active is Andy's younger brother.

It is mentioned that Active was a part of the SRC in WWII and like the rest of his platoon, served exclusivity in Mainland Europe to sabotage enemy rail movements.

Active's model is a second-hand Bachmann model that is coupled with an ROD tender.

Active's partial inspiration is John A. Chapman, an American soldier who died during a one-man last stand against Al-Qaeda fighters in the Battle of Takur Ghar in 2002. His bravery and sacrifice earned him the Air Force Cross in 2003 but was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2018. Chapman's actions were the first Medal of Honor actions ever captured on camera, via footage from circling aircraft and an unmanned drone.

* Chapman's last stand inspired Active's final moments of selfless bravery and sacrifice.

Active is the only character where his construction is shown.

## Vanguard

### Designer

John George Robinson

**Vanguard** is an ex-GCR 8K (LNER O4) that is a part of the British Strategic Steam Reserve after being withdrawn by British Railways. He is one of eighty locomotives that is part of the SSR.

### Bio

Vanguard was built at Gorton Works in 1912 for heavy goods work on the Great Central Railway. He served up until his retirement in the 1960s but was placed in the SSR in case of nuclear war along with other two other Robinson-designed locomotives, which one was the ROD copy of his design.

In 1967, he and seven other locomotives from the SSR went to Gladsville until a more permanent location can be selected for all of the SRR's locomotives and unlike the others, didn't make that many friends during his time there. When the Moorland Steam Railway's 2251 class was taken by some diesels, Vanguard lived up to his name and organised a rescue mission to rescue Andy from being scrapped.

### Personality

Vanguard is normally a bossy locomotive and doesn't believe in fun when tensions are occurring which could lead to war, but is a great and calm planner when a fellow steam locomotive is in danger.

### Livery

Vanguard is painted in BR Unlined Black with Early Emblems.

### Basis or real locomotive

Vanguard is based off the real locomotive. It was one of 126 Great Central Railway (GCR) 8Ks built by Gorton Works, Kitson & Co. of Leeds, Yorkshire, and the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) of Glasgow between 1911 and 1914 for heavy goods work. They were designed by John Robinson following the success of the 2800 class on the GWR by George Jackson Churchward a decade earlier and due to the need for a more powerful goods locomotive. The 8K was chosen (by Sir Sam Fay, possibly out of bias) as the standard war locomotive of the Railway Operating Division (ROD) during the First World War, resulting in 521 copies built. The class was inherited by the LNER as the "O4" class and withdrawals of the class began in 1959 under BR and ending in 1966. One pure 8K has been preserved.

No. 63664 was built at Gorton Works in 1912 and was withdrawn in 1962. It was scrapped at Wadsley Bridge at same year.

### Trivia

Vanguard is named after the St Vincent-class dreadnought battleship the Royal Navy used in WWI. It was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1910 and sunk by internal explosion at Scapa Flow on 9th July 1917.

Vanguard's model is a Bachmann model that has been factory weathered.

Vanguard mostly shares the personality as Bluenose the Navy Tugbout from the 1989 children's show 'TUGS'.

Vanguard was originally going to be named 'Robinson', after his designer. This changed when the theme was introduced.

Vanguard and Argus are mistaken as "brothers" due to their appearance but prefer being called "cousins". This is a reference to the connection between the GCR 8K and the ROD 2-8-0, since the 8K was the basis of the ROD 2-8-0.

## Vampire

### Designer

John George Robinson

**Vampire** is an ex-GCR 9J (LNER J11) that is a part of the British Strategic Steam Reserve after being withdrawn by British Railways. He is one of eighty locomotives that is part of the SSR.

### Bio

Vampire was built at the Vulcan Foundry in 1904 for medium goods work on the Great Central Railway. He was retired by British Railways in the 1950s but was placed in the Strategic Steam Reserve in case nuclear war broke out with the US and the USSR.

1967, Vampire and the rest of the SRR were sent to the Moorland Steam Railway (MSR) until a permanent location can be settled. He made very little friends during his time there but when the MSR's 2251 class was taken, he was involved in the rescue party. No sooner had Dreadnought moved out of the way after crashing the door down, Vampire charged forwards at two of the diesels and with some help from Capulet, held them back until Active ordered them to retreat and watched as the smelting shed is destroyed in an explosion by Active.

Vampire left with the five (Argus being gifted to the MSR) for their permanent base of operations and hasn't been heard from since.

### Livery

Vampire is painted in BR Unlined Black with Early Emblems.

### Basis or real locomotive

Vampire is based off the real locomotive. It was one of 174 GCR Class 9Js built for goods work from 1901 to 1910 by five builders and was based on the older 9D and 9J (LNER J10) classes inherited from the Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) from 1892. The 9Js became known as "Pom-Poms" by their crews because of their exhaust noise. Under the LNER, they were known as "J11s" and the whole class survived into BR ownership. Withdrawals began in 1954 and the last retired in 1962, which none have been preserved.

BR No. 64377 was built as GCR No. 377 in 1904 by the Vulcan Foundry and was withdrawn from service and scrapped in 1962.

### Trivia

Vampire is named after the V-class destroyer that the Royal Navy used in WWI but was later transferred to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1934 and served in the renowned "Scrap Iron Flotilla" during WWII. It was sunk by Japanese aircraft on 9th April 1942 while escorting the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (which was also sunk).

Vampire's model is a Bachmann model that has been factory weathered and fitted with DCC sound.

Vampire was originally going to be named 'Jacob'. This changed when the naming theme was introduced.

* The original name was reused on an ex-VR J class owned by the NWR.

Vampire is the oldest SSR engine seen but isn't the oldest design. That honour goes to Hogue as his class was introduced in 1900.

Vampire appears to have nightcore music as his main themes.

## Sir John Hawkins

### Designer

Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell

**Sir John Hawkins** is an ex-Southern Railway Lord Nelson that is a part of the British Strategic Steam Reserve after being withdrawn by British Railways. He is one of eighty locomotives that is part of the SSR.

### Bio

Sir John Hawkins was built at Easleigh Works in 1929 as the final member of the infamous Southern Railway (SR) Lord Nelson class locomotives built for express passenger trains.

### Livery

Sir John Hawkins is painted in BR Lined Brunswick Green with Late Crests.

### Trivia

Sir John Hawkins is the only SSR locomotive not named after a warship the Royal Navy used in WWI. Instead, he is named after an English pioneer naval commander and administrator from 1562-1595.

Sir John Hawkins' model is a standard Hornby model that has been renamed, renumbered and slightly weathered.

Sir John Hawkins is the only locomotive in the SSR seen painted in BR Lined Green instead of black.

Originally, Sir John Hawkins was going to be a S15 named Cressy. This was changed because of the need for a Southern Railway design with more than two cylinders.

Sir John Hawkins is one of a few Maunsell designs introduced into the series.

## Warrior

### Designer

Sir William Arthur Stanier FRS

**Warrior** is an ex-LMS Stanier Mogul that is a part of the British Strategic Steam Reserve after being withdrawn by British Railways. He is one of eighty locomotives that is part of the SSR. Like Active, he served in the Steam Reserve Corps as a member of the 8th Platoon.

### Bio

Warrior was built at Crewe Works in 1934 for mixed traffic duties as a stop-gap before the introduction of the infamous Black Fives of 1935. He earned a reputation for being clumsy with goods train was normally tasked with shunting, only to "stop him bumping into things". During WWII, he served in the Steam Reserve Corps in the 8th Platoon "Railway Commandos", where he met Active for the first time.

### Personality

Warrior is normally a clumsy engine but is a great listener and able to make friends with about anyone.

### Livery

Warrior is painted in BR Lined Black with Late Crests on his tender.

### Basis or real locomotive

Warrior is based on the real locomotive. It was one of 40 Stanier class 5 2-6-0s ("Stanier Moguls") built by Crewe Works from October 1933 and March 1934 from a combined design practice of the "Horwich Moguls" aka "Crabs" and the 4300 2-6-0, which Stanier was more familiar with, on the GWR. The design and the GWR 4900 'Halls' became the basis for the famous Stanier Class 5 4-6-0s ("Black Fives") of 1934. Withdrawals began in 1963 and the last was withdrawn in 1967, with No. 42968 has been preserved.

No. 42960 was built in December 1933 as LMS No. 13260 and was the first member of the class with the revised boiler design. It was withdrawn in January 1966 and scrapped three months later.

### Trivia

Warrior is both named after the name ship of the Warrior-class armoured cruisers used by the Royal Navy from WWI (sunk in the Battle of Jutland in 1st June 1916) and the TUGS character of the same name.

* He also speaks the same way as his TUGS namesake with the same South London accent.
* Since he is named after the HMS Warrior from WWI, he is not named after the preserved ironclad built in 1861 and now a museum ship at Portsmouth.

Warrior is the only member of the SSR that was a design built and used by the LMS.

Warrior was originally going to be either a Stanier Black Five or a much older Johnson 3F but the Stanier Mogul was chosen due to lack of ex-LMS 2-6-0s appearing the series.

Warrior's model is a standard Bachmann model and paired with a scrap Stanier tender from a kit.

Warrior being paired with a Stanier 4,000 gallon tender instead of a Fowler 3,500 gallon could be a reference to the sole survivor No. 42968 being paired with the tender of one of the SVR's Black Fives in the 1990s.

Warrior's unamused face mask is also used as Andy's "poker face" mask.

## Hogue

### Designer

Harry Wainwright

**Hogue** is an ex-SE&CR C class that is a part of the British Strategic Steam Reserve after being withdrawn by British Railways.

### Bio

Hogue was built by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SE&CR) for goods service in 1906. He was withdrawn by British Railways (BR) in 1951 but was placed in government ownership and placed into the British Strategic Steam Reserve because of the need at the time to get a SSR built up in case of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

Hogue was normally seen as weak due to him being one of three of the weakest locomotives in the SSR due to problems which came down to the age of his design but was never replaced and scrapped.

### Livery

Hogue is painted in BR Unlined Black with Early Emblems on his tender.

### Basis or real locomotive

Hogue is based on the real locomotive. It was one of 109 C class 0-6-0 goods engines built at Ashford, Longhedge and Scotland for the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SE&CR) from 1900 to 1908. They were renowned for being also used on passenger trains due to the SR's lack of pure goods engines. Withdrawals of the class began in 1947 but the last three were retired after being used for departmental service in 1967. One of the departmental C's, No. 31592 (SE&CR No. 592, built in 1902), has been preserved by the Bluebell Railway and has appeared in films like:

* The Railway Children (2000)
* Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
* Wonder Woman (2017)

No. 31275 was built in 1906 and withdrawn in February 1951.

### Trivia

Hogue is named after the Cressy-class armoured cruiser used by the Royal Navy from WWI. It was sunk by the German U-boat U-9 on 22nd September 1914 with HMS Aboukir and HMS Cressy, both from the same class.

Hogue's model is a standard Bachmann model that has been renumbered and slightly weathered.

Hogue is the oldest design in the SSR (introduced in 1900) but not the oldest engine seen. That goes to Vampire (built in 1904).

Hogue is the first locomotive designed by Harry Wainwright introduced into the series and the only one until the introduction of his older brother Harry in The Series 1990s.

Despite being part of the Strategic Steam Reserve, Hogue appears to play very little due to him being under powered.

## Dreadnought

### Built for

Railway Operation Division (as built), London & North Eastern Railway (rebuilt)

### Designer

John George Robinson (as built), Edward Thompson (rebuilt)

**Dreadnought** is an ex-LNER O1 that is a part of the British Strategic Steam Reserve after being withdrawn by British Railways.

### Bio

Dreadnought was originally built as an ROD 2-8-0 in May 1918 and worked for the LNWR after the war and served on the LMS until being sold to the LNER in 1928, which reclassified him as an O4. In 1944, he was rebuilt by Edward Thompson from O4 to an O1 and gave him a more modern and powerful appearance. Between 1945 and 1947, Dreadnought accidentally rammed into a J50 tank engine when his brake failed to apply.

In the mid-1960s, Dreadnought was withdrawn but instead of being scrapped, he was told that he put into reserve by the British Government as part of the Strategic Steam Reserve in case nuclear war between the US (Britain's ally) and the Soviet Union broke out. In 1967, he and the other seven locomotives in the Strategic Steam Reserve were sent to the Moorland Steam Railway until a permanent base was finalised. Most of his time there was spent arguing with the railway's preserved Gresley O2/3 after them being mistaken for the other. When Andy was captured by three diesels, Dreadnought formed part of the force to rescue him from being scrapped.

Dreadnought used himself and some newly-introduced 100Ton bogie tankers as a battering ram to knock down the smelting shed. The impact knocked the door down and he moved out of the way for rescue party to move in. After the SSR left, nothing has been heard of Dreadnought since.

### Livery

Dreadnought is painted in BR Unlined Black with Early Emblems.

### Basis or real locomotive

Dreadnought is based off the real locomotive. 58 were constructed by rebuilding 58 older Class O4 2-8-0s (Both GCR 8K and ROD 2-8-0) because of the restrictions on new build locomotives during World War Two, leading to many rebuilds by Edward Thompson on the LNER. The first rebuild began in 1944 and the final one was completed in 1949 by BR, which cancelled to rebuilding program. The modifications to the GCR 8K design included the Diagram 100A boiler and Walschaerts Valve Gear on the outside. Withdrawals began in 1962 and the last one taken out of service in 1965, which none have been preserved. The irony was that the design was outlived by the O4, Q6 and J38, which they were intended to replace.

BR No. 63806 was built in 1918 as ROD No. 1915 and rebuilt to a O1 in 1944. It was withdrawn and scrapped at Derby Works in 1962.

### Trivia

Dreadnought is named after the revolutionary battleship built by the Royal Navy in 1906. It was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1906 and served throughout WWI until it was decommissioned in 1919. It was sold for scrap on 9th May 1921 and broken up in Scotland on 2nd January 1923.

Dreadnought's model his standard Hornby model which has been lightly weathered.

Dreadnought's incident with a J50 "submarine" following his rebuild from O4 to O1 is a reference to the action of 18th March, 1915, when HMS Dreadnought intentionally rammed and sunk the German U-boat U-29. It was the only major engagement that HMS Dreadnought was involved in since it was normally on coastal patrols and missed the Battle of Jutland due to a refit.

* Dreadnought ramming the smelting shed door isn't a direct reference to this event but a reference HMS Campbelltown's final charge in the St. Nazaire Raid where it rammed the Normandie Drydock or when another destroyer, HMS Glowworn, rammed the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper as a last ditch attempt to sink it. Both destroyers were lost in their respective actions with HMS Glowworn capsizing and HMS Campbelltown exploding.

Dreadnought's name means "a fearless person". This name appears to suit him as he is not afraid of taking any form of damage and charging into "danger" by making himself into a battering ram.

Dreadnought slightly resembles Capulet in terms of design but features different running board and tender.

## Iron Duke

**Iron Duke** is a BR Standard 7, better known as a "Britannia", that replaced Argus in the Strategic Steam Reserve following the ROD 2-8-0 hand-over to the Moorland Steam Railway in 1967.

### Bio

Iron Duke was built at Crewe Works in 1951. In 1967, he was placed in the Strategic Steam Reserve after Argus was taken off the roster and given (without notice) to the Moorland Steam Railway following the loss of Active, an ex-GWR Collett Goods the SSR also had. He was mentioned by the MSR's manager as him being Argus's replacement in the SSR.

### Personality

Due to this character being mentioned, this engine's personality is unknown.

### Livery

Iron Duke could possibly be painted in BR Brunswick Green with Late Crests on his tender.

### Basis or real locomotive

Iron Duke is based off the real locomotive

## Trivia

All locomotives in the SSR are named after warships used by the Royal Navy during WWI and are of either LNER or GWR in origin.

* The exceptions of origins being Hogue and Sir John Hawkins, who are of Southern Railway origin, and Warrior, which is LMS in origin.

* As for names, Sir John Hawkins is the exception but still has a name associated with the Royal Navy.

Many of the SSR engines carry the British Railways Early Emblem instead of the Late Crest.

In reality, it's unknown if a strategic steam reserve exists in the United Kingdom but Shane Sowter is a believer in the possibility of the "secret stash of steam locomotives".

Shane Sowter is planning on something to do with the Strategic Steam Reserve, non-canon to The Midlander universe.