Leanne

* **Class**: LMS Class 5XP "Jubilee"
* **Designer**: William Stanier
* **Build date**: 1936
* **Died**: 1968
* **Configuration**: 4-6-0

**Leander**, better known as **Leanne**, was a large express engine.

## Bio

Leanne was built in 1936 at Crewe Works and allocated to Crewe Works. Initially allocated to Leeds Holbeck shed, she spent most of her time with her older brother, Keith. They would often play practical jokes on each other, and Leanne would often spread rumours around the shed to cause trouble. This made her unpopular with most of the other engines, bar Keith, and she eventually chose to move to Derby in 1939. Although she spoke to a few engines here, she became lonely, and in 1947, she chose to move to Manchester Trafford Park, where she met Darren, an engine who had just returned from the war.

For a while, they were in a relationship that was well enough, but over time, Darren became grumpy and depressive, due to the stress of the war. Eventually, Leanne chose to end the relationship, but when she told Darren, he became violent, knocking her out and dragging her to an abandoned yard. For several years, Leanne was trapped here, while Darren abused her. She took to using drugs Darren left lying around, and this warped her mind. Finally, in July 1956, Leanne lashed out at Darren, overpowering him and pushing him into a river, drowning him. Now driven insane by the years of abuse, Leanne fled, burning down Leeds Holbeck sheds and beginning a three year terror spree, where she would torture and kill several more engines. By the end of 1959, the British Transport Police were on her tail. When Leanne learned this, she fled south. However, she ran afoul of Dan in a scrapyard in Wales, who was after her for the reward the police were offering.

Leanne persuaded Dan to let her find a replacement engine to scrap, and he accepted. Several weeks later, she came across Dave, who she managed to seduce into going with her on an "adventure", though Dave insisted it was via the Dark Railway to collect supplies. While she was there, she met Dan at Galen Junction, who insisted she bring Dave to him, or she would take his place. She managed to convince Dave to come to Wales, but Raymond, who had overheard Leanne's conversation, and Brian rescued him before it was too late, leaving Leanne to be taken into the scrapyard by Dan.

For several years, Leanne lay in the scrapyard, wanting revenge against Dan, Dave and the Dark Railway engines. In 1964, she was purchased by a preservation society, and as she left the scrapyard, she killed Dan. Once she was restored, she was refused access onto the main line by her new owners, so one day, during a meeting, she killed every member of the society and headed back towards the Dark Railway. Putting her plan together, she proceeded to kidnap every engine on the Dark Railway, intending to burn them all to death in a furnace. Fortunately, 257 Squadron had evaded capture, and with help from a distraction from Dave, managed to rescue the others. Just as Leanne was about to kill Dave in retaliation, she was derailed by Sir Edgar Woolwinder and Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor, who proceeded to remove Dave from the yard where they were held prisoner as Leanne screamed that she would get her revenge.

Some time later, Leanne learned that a fellow Jubilee, Repulse, had been purchased by Mr. Dark and was heading for the Dark Railway. Realising she could get back at Dave, she intercepted the convoy, killed the diesels, and kidnapped Repulse, taking her identity before proceeding onto Colhapper. She started to consider settling down on the railway and reconciling with Dave in secret, but when Dave went into a relationship with Hannah, she felt pushed out and reverted back to her original plan. Unfortunately, 257 Squadron eventually discovered her true identity, and to keep him quiet, she killed him by throwing him off a cliff. 257 still managed to warn Dave and Hannah before he died, so Leanne chose to take revenge on Dave at the Industrial Estate right then and there. Hannah suddenly tackled her, and Leanne chose to reverse back at speed dragging her with her. Dave chased after them, but ended up derailing in Gasworks Tunnel, bringing it down upon him as the tunnel exploded.

Fortunately, thanks to some help from Pogo, the events of the day were reset, and 257 alerted Ed of the situation before Leanne could reach him. Just as Leanne was telling Dave and Hannah of her plan, the two arrived and led them out of the Industrial Estate. Leanne tried to give chase, declaring that not even death could stop her, when she herself derailed in Gasworks Tunnel, bringing it, the Gasworks, and the houses above down on her. She let out one final scream as she was crushed and was later confirmed to be deceased by recovery crews.

However, when Leanne kidnapped Repulse, she tortured the engine to weaken her soul, which allowed Leanne's own soul to evade Pogo's grasp and enter Repulse's body. She proceeded to gradually take control of her body, resulting in her using it to kill the mysterious "Purple Man" and burn down the shed at Galen Junction in an attempt to kill Hannah, killing three other engines in the process. She eventually confronted Hannah, Leno, Theo and Otto and told them everything as she and Repulse fought for control of her body. Before she could do anything, however, Pogo arrived to claim Leanne with assistance from the ghosts of Leanne's latest victims, but she was too strong for them. Otto, furious about Owen's death, fired at her with his Tau Cannon on Pogo's request, damaging her soul and finally allowing them to claim Leanne and drag her down to Hell.

After Repulse was sent away from the Dark Railway and sold, she was sold on the condition that she take over Leanne's name and number, as Repulse was believed to be the one who died in the tunnel collapse whilst Leanne remained unaccounted for on official records. Although reluctant, Repulse accepted the conditions, choosing to get her revenge on Leanne by rectifying the wrongs she made in life.

## Persona

In her youth, Leanne was known to be fun loving, friendly and cheeky. She also loved to be the centre of attention and excelled in gossip mongering. However, after her imprisonment by Darren, and years of drug abuse, Leanne became unhinged, vengeful and manipulative. In the series, she has been shown to have kept her intelligence to a degree, being able to create elaborate plans and schemes, though things don't often go exactly her way.

## Livery

Leanne was painted in British Railways lined green with the late crest. Before she was bought for preservation, she wore LMS crimson lake.

## Basis

Leanne was based on a London, Midland and Scottish Railway Class 5XP 4-6-0, also known as a "Jubilee". The real No. 45690 *Leander* has however been preserved and is currently owned by Chris Beet. The engine is operational and based at Carnforth MPD as part of West Coast Railway's fleet of steam locomotives. The real engine has for most of it's time in preservation worn LMS Crimson Lake but at present the livery worn by the engine is British Railways lined black with the early crest (for a short period while using a borrowed tender it ran with the late crest).

As of October 2023 *Leander* is now off the mainline following the expiry of her mainline certificate on 1st October, she worked her final railtour on 30th September 2023. She is presently at the East Lancashire Railway and is due to be withdrawn in November for overhaul.

## Appearances

### The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

* Series 1 - Something's In the Air, The Beauty Overheard, and The Betrayal
* Series 3 - The Return of Sir Eustace Missenden (*mentioned*), Who Goes There? (*does not speak*), and Revenge of the Forgotten
* Series 5 - Haunted Hannah (*mentioned*), Repulse (*as Repulse*), Make Love (*as Repulse*), Time Waits for No One, and Time Waits for No One, Part 2
* Series 6 - Ouverture, Ed, Ed and Eddie (*mentioned*), Plunk 'n Bang (*mentioned*), The Purple Man (*mentioned*), The Prime Time of your Life, and Apply Overnight (*mentioned*)
* Series 7 - Futura (*mentioned*) and The Man in Overalls (*mentioned*)
* Series 9 - Meanwhile... (*mentioned*), Time Wasted (*mentioned*), and Pogo / Mere Anarchy (*mentioned*)
* Series 10 - Welcome to the Tunnel (*not named; mentioned*) and Tunnel Vision (*not named; mentioned*)
* Series 11 - The Times (*mentioned*)
* Series 12 - High Fidelity (*not named; mentioned*)

### The Tales of New Wessex

* The Foundations of Decay (*cameo*)

Specials:

* The Missing Christmas Presents (*does not speak*)
* Pilots (remake) (*mentioned*)
* Phantoms Can't Hang (*mentioned*)

## Trivia

* Leanne did not like her given name of "Leander". She had been known to get very angry and flip out when she was referred to as "Leander", a trait unique to her in the series.
* Leanne's cameo appearance in the Tales of New Wessex episode "The Foundations of Decay" shows her in the real engines present BR lined black livery with the early crest.
* Leanne was the first female character to appear in the series.
* Leanne was also the first villainous character to appear in the series.
* Leanne's manipulative persona was based on an ex girlfriend of the creator's.
* From series 5 onwards, Leanne gained her own theme music. This theme is the piece "They Might Not", a royalty-free track by Puddle of Infinity.
* Leanne's death causes a slight paradox, for in real life, No. 5690 is actually preserved. In the series, this is resolved by having Repulse take over her identity.