Linda

* **Class**: LMS Class 5MT
* **Designer**: William Stanier
* **Build date**: 1933
* **Configuration**: 2-6-0
* **Scrapped**: 1966

**Linda** was a mixed traffic engine.

## Bio

Linda was built in 1933 at Crewe Works. Before 1945, she was subjected to abuse from her previous boyfriend and was made to smuggle drugs from Scotland for him. During Dave's working life in Birmingham, he met Linda in April 1945. As he had also had experiences with drugs, they helped each other get off them, and began a successful relationship together.

Unfortunately, after nationalisation, Linda became depressed again and started becoming more and more distant from Dave. She eventually admitted that she had gone back to drugs, and ended the relationship, sending Dave back into a depression. She was later scrapped in 1966 at T.W. Ward's scrapyard in Killmarsh.

Following Dave's overhaul in 1975, he found himself being haunted by visions of a demonic version of Linda. As nobody else saw these visions when they happened, Dave feared he was going mad. Though he believed the issue to be resolved after being checked over by Mr. Smash, "Linda" continued to stalk him until one evening when she suddenly materialised in front of Dave and teleported him away. It soon transpired that during his overhaul, Dave's consciousness had somehow found its way into an alternate dimension where demons lived, and after he awoke from his overhaul, one followed him back and took Linda's form. This demon proceeded to torment Dave in her dimension, feeding on his despair as she asserted that he was to blame for everything that had gone wrong in his life and promised to feast upon each of his friends and loved ones. Pogo and Clyde travelled to the dimension to rescue Dave, and while Pogo managed to contain her to a single body, it was Clyde transforming into each of Dave's friends that gave Dave the motivation to fight off the demon's influence for good. Realising that the demon was not the real Linda and the impact it had had upon him, Dave charged it, causing it to flee with a shriek of terror. The dimension was subsequently sealed off by Pogo, ensuring that "Linda" could not torment Dave again.

## Livery

Before nationalisation, Linda presumably wore the LMS black livery. After nationalisation, she was repainted into British Railways black similar to that of Dave's at the time. In her appearance in Mere Anarchy, she was painted in BR lined black with a late crest.

## Basis

Linda was based on a London, Midland and Scottish Railway Class 5MT 2-6-0, nicknamed the "Stanier Crab" due to it being an extensive modification of the older Hughes/Fowlers design.

## Appearances

### The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

* Series 9 - 9 (*does not speak*), Rock Shock (*cameo*), Time Wasted (*does not speak*), Extend Extra (*does not speak*), Shapeshifter (*cameo*), and Pogo / Mere Anarchy
* Series 10 - The Road to Bellgrave (*not named; mentioned*)
* Series 11 - The Times (*not named; mentioned*) and Quatro (*not named; mentioned*)

Specials:

* Mere Anarchy

All of Linda's appearances in the series have been the demon assuming her form. As such, the real Linda has never physically appeared in *The Dark Railway Series*.

## Trivia

* The plot involving Linda's demonic form tormenting Dave throughout Mere Anarchy and Series 9 was based on Dark DJ's personal struggles with depression in the latter half of 2018.