Lost characters

This page is about the characters in 'The Midlander', the mini series and 'Stories from the Wars' that were lost even before they made a speaking role, or they were killed due to world events.

## Swiss Guard

### Built for

Railway Operating Division (under licence)

### Designer

Lawson Butzkpfski ("Boskovsky") Billinton

**Swiss Guard** is a tank locomotive that served in World War One and was killed in action by Austro-Hungarian artillery while supporting the Italian infantry soldiers in 1917.

### Bio

Swiss Guard was built by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM), but under licence from the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway's (L&BSCR) Brighton Works, for the Railway Operating Division (ROD) when the need of locomotive came in 1915 to defend Italy. The licence was due to him being built to the design of the L&BSCR E2 class shunting tank locomotive, which was introduced in 1913. Instead of the newer version with extended water tanks, Swiss Guard was built to the original design with rectangular water tanks, nicknamed as the "E2 Mk I" (extended tank versions were nicknamed "E2 Mk II").

By the time Swiss Guard was built, Italy now had to prepare for a potential attack from the German and Austro-Hungarian armies.

During an attack by German forces, Swiss Guard was shelling the enemy's machine gun nests and artillery with a 12in railway howitzer and was killed by a directly hit by a shell. His gunner and loader were also lost and most of him was scrapped, apart from his frame, which was kept as a memorial.

Swiss Guard became the inspiration for Audie's attitude to never surrender and keep fighting.

### Livery

Swiss Guard is painted in the standard Railway Operating Division (ROD) khaki livery used during WWI (Olivia is mainly painted in that livery) but with a few changes and added features including his signature silver crosses painted on his bunker and his funnel. His number '1527' and the letters 'ROD' are painted white on his water tanks in plain writing without shadowing effect. He also carries a black and silver nameplate on his smokebox that say 'Swiss Guard'.

### Basis or real locomotive

   Swiss Guard is based on the first five members of the LB&SCR E2 class 0-6-0T. These were built for short distance goods traffic and shunting work between 1913 to 1915, which the new version with extended water tanks to increase their range. All were withdrawn by 1962 and all were scrapped. Shane Sowter refers to this version as the "E2 MkI".

### Trivia

Swiss Guard's model is an old Hornby E2 model made in the 1980s. It has been repainted to match the idea designed by Shane Sowter. His twisted frames that are shown after his death in 1917 is a kit model's frame that his been partly assembled and badly bent to represent a direct hit from a shell.

To the Germans, Swiss Guard is called "Schweizergarde"

Swiss Guard has many references to the Sack of Rome in 1527, these include:

* His number '1527' comes from the year of the event.
* Named after Pope Clement's protectors, the Royal Swiss Guard.
* The silver Christian crosses (reference to the religion involved).
* His works number (189 of 1915) refers to the Royal Swiss Guard having 189 soldiers at the time.

## Bowden Hall

### Designer

Charles Benjamin Collett

**Bowden Hall** was a Great Western Railway Hall class that served around World War Two. He was killed by bomb hit in 1941 during an air raid.

### Bio

Bowden Hall was built at Swindon Works in 1929 as one of the first production GWR 4900 'Hall' class 4-6-0s of Charles Collett for mixed traffic duties. Most of his life is unknown up to 1940.

In 1940, Bowden Hall was joking about how he hasn't been burning the briquettes that No. 4287 was complaining about, until his tender was filled with them when he went to the coal tower to fill up his tender. A year later, he was caught up in an air raid when he was halted outside Keyham. He soon took a direct hit from a German bomb, which he survived, but was damaged beyond repair. He became the first Hall withdrawn and was scrapped at Swindon that year.

### Livery

Bowden Hall is painted in GWR Wartime Black with the GWR Shirtbutton on his tender.

### Basis or real locomotive

Bowden Hall is based on the real locomotive. It was one of 258 built at Swindon Works between 1928 and 1943 with one rebuilt as the prototype (No. 2925/4900 'Saint Martin') in 1924. It was based on the Saint class from 1902 but with smaller driving wheels for mixed traffic duties instead of express passenger work. The design was modified as the 1930s progressed such as better superheating. They became the basis of the LMS Stanier 5MT "Black Five", LNER Thompson B1 and BR Standard 5 4-6-0s by having the same power rating and performance. Withdrawals of the class began of one in 1941 when No. 4911 'Bowden Hall' was destroyed by a German bomb with official withdrawals beginning in 1959. The last one was withdrawn in 1965 and eleven preserved, despite one being rebuilt to a Saint in 2019.

No. 4911 'Bowden Hall' was built in 1929 and was withdrawn in June 1941 following in it being written off by the Luftwaffe at Keyham. It was later scrapped as a result.

### Trivia

Bowden Hall was the first member of the GWR 4900 'Hall' class to be withdrawn from service. It was never replaced.

* Due to this, Bowden Hall is the only member of his class that wasn't passed into BR ownership.

Bowden Hall's model is a modified, renamed and renumbered Hornby Railroad model. This included painting of the cab interior and replacing the plastic buffers with sprung metal ones by Bachmann Europe Inc.

Olton Hall is his younger brother.

## "The Diver"

### Designer

Thomas Wheatley

**"The Diver"** was the nickname earned to **North British Railway No. 224**, which because famous when he was involved in the famed Tay Bridge Disaster during a storm in December, 1879. He was the only survivor and lived for nearly a year underwater, earning his nickname among locomotives and railwaymen on the NBR.

### Bio

No. 224 was built in 1971 and was the first inside-cylinder 4-4-0 ever built in the United Kingdom, since many express locomotives during that period were of the 2-2-2 or 4-2-2 Whyte notations. No. 224 was considered a revolutionary locomotive for the age and was more powerful than the standard locomotives produced down "past the border towards Newcastle-upon-Tweed" in England. In 1879, his most famous claim to fame happened when he was crossing the year-old Tay Bridge during a storm on Sunday, December 28th, 1879. Being superstitious, he knew that Sunday was a Sabbath but he was working on that day and his passengers were returning from the Christmas holidays. As he crossed the structure, the bridge collapsed in the violent winds and taking him, and 75 people to their deaths.

Almost a year after the accident, he was found in the Firth of Tay inside on the box-section of the bridge and virtually intact and when the section was pulled out of the river, the workers were surprised to see that he was still alive, only after they failed twice to get him to the shore. One the other NBR locomotives soon thought that he survived so long underwater was because he was a diver, which lead to him being nicknamed "The Diver" by many. The Diver was soon returned to service and was rebuilt in 1885 to a tandem compound locomotive, the only NBR tandem compound ever built. He was renumbered to '1192' after ending up on the duplicate list in 1913 and was withdrawn in 1919. He was lucky enough to meet No. 673 (later to be named 'Maude'), who will later play a role as "The Diver" in a film about the Tay Bridge Disaster.

### Livery

At the time of the Tay Bridge Disaster, "The Diver" is painted in old North British Railway (NBR) ochre.

When "The Diver" first met Maude, he was painted in the standard NBR bronze green.

### Basis or real locomotive

   "The Diver" is based off the real locomotive that took that nickname. This was the first of two members of NBR 224 class 4-4-0s designed by Thomas Wheatley and have the distinction of being the first British-operated inside-cylinder 4-4-0s in the country. No. 224 was involved in the famous Tay Bridge Disaster on December 28th, 1879, when it was hauling a passenger train with 72 passenger when the bridge collapsed and sent the train to the bottom of the Firth of Tay. It took a few months to recover the locomotive since the first and second attempts failed. The locomotive (No. 224) was nicknamed "The Diver" by railwaymen and drivers refused to have the locomotive cross the new Tay Bridge, but it did on the 29th anniversary of the disaster (December 28th, 1908), No. 224 did haul a Sunday mail train over the bridge. It, along with other class member, No. 264, were placed on the duplicate list in 1913 and renumbered respectively No. 1192 and No. 1198. No. 1192 was withdrawn and scrapped in 1919, which it outlasted No. 1198 and the 420 class (a development of the 224 class).

### Trivia

"The Diver" is said to be a "tricky" model to make for Shane Sowter, since no kit was available for the class at the time. Instead, he made a scratch-built model out of brass, card and some 3D-printed parts, which include the plates. To help with the eras, Shane built two models to help with the differences in time.

An urban legend surrounded "The Diver" which is said that every time the 4-4-0 crossed the Tay Bridge, it was driven by divers instead of railwaymen, which refused.

## Windward Islands

### Designer

Sir William Arthur Stanier FRS

**Windward Islands** is a LMS Stanier Jubilee that worked from 1934 to 1952 for the LMS and British Railways (BR). He was written off in the Harrow & Wealdstone rail crash in 1952 and was scrapped after the accident. He was the source of the rest of the Jubilees disconnecting from the Princess Coronation class, even City of Glasgow (who they say "murdered" their brother).

### Bio

Windward Islands was built at Crewe Works in 1934 for express duties on the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) from London to Scotland. His LMS life is mostly unknown but he was appalled in 1947 when the British Government was going to "nationalise" the four major railway companies into one large government-run railway. He protested to the transport manager to scrap the Transport Act since, "The LMS isn't having any problems and I don't want to work with our rivals." His complaint was not heard and on Nationalisation on January 1st, 1948, he wasn't pleased while the others celebrated the end of private ownership.

In 1952, Windward Islands was amazed when the old Turbomotive was rebuilt into a Princess Royal/Princess Coronation hybrid with the name 'Princess Anne' on her splashers, welcoming her into the 'named locomotive club', and began what could have been a great friendship with the newly rebuilt locomotive. Unfortunately, on October 8th of that year, both were heading an express from London-Euston to Liverpool and Manchester when they slammed into a wreck of a commuter train that was slammed into by Princess Coronation class 'City of Glasgow' at Harrow & Wealdstone station outside London, with Windward Islands taking the brunt of the impact and killing him instantly. Princess Anne rolled over onto her side and was damaged beyond repair. Both their wrecks were recovered and were later scrapped, with a BR Standard built to replace Windward Islands.

Since then, all members of the Jubilee class disconnected from the whole Princess Coronation, also known as a "Duchess", class and referred to City of Glasgow as a "murderer" since their brother was killed instantly in the impact. Windward Islands' spirit visited Duchess of Sutherland when she was visiting the Moorland Steam Railway in 2007 and told the preserved 4-6-2 that "his brothers won't forgive her class for the loss of their brother."

### Livery

When Windward Islands appeared in front of Duchess of Sutherland as a ghost, he was painted in the same livery he wore when he was killed in the Harrow & Wealdstone rail crash, BR Brunswick Green with Early Emblems.

### Basis or real locomotive

Hood is based on the real locomotive. It was one of 191 built the North British Locomotive Company (NBL), and the LMS' workshops of Crewe and Derby between 1934 and 1936 for express duties. They were based on the chassis of the Fowler Patriot (Bradshaw's class) but they resembled the Stanier class 5 "Black Fives" and were nicknamed "Red Staniers". Withdrawals of the class began in 1952 when No. 45637 'Whirlwind Islands' was written off in the 1952 Harrow & Wealdstone Disaster while proper withdrawals began in 1960 with the final one retired in 1967. Four have been preserved.

No. 45637 'Windward Islands' was built by Crewe works in 1934. It was written off in the 1952 Harrow & Wealdstone Disaster along with the recently rebuilt Princess Anne.

### Trivia

Windward Islands is the first spiritual character who recounts his death to the last detail.

Australia, New South Wales, Victoria are his older siblings while Hood and Leanne are his younger siblings.

Windward Islands is the only Jubilee to never carry the BR Late Crest, introduced in 1956.

Windward Islands' model is a second-hand Bachmann model.

## Princess Anne

### Built for

London, Midland & Scottish Railway (originally)British Railways (converted)

### Designer

Sir William Arthur Stanier FRS

**Princess Anne**, formerly known by her nickname **"Turbomotive"** before her rebuild, was a Princess Royal (alleged 'Princess Coronation') express locomotive famed for her experimental past. She was scrapped following the 1952 Harrow & Wealdstone rail crash and resulted in Princess Elizabeth disconnecting from the Princess Coronation class, even City of Glasgow (who she says "murdered" her sister).

### Bio

Princess Anne was originally built at Crewe Works in 1935 as an experimental steam turbine locomotive based off the Princess Royal class 4-6-2 introduced in 1933. This resulted in her alias of "Turbomotive" as she didn't have a proper name but she didn't perform well as the turbines tended to mistime and loose power when changing direction. As a result, she spent more time in the works instead of hauling trains.

In 1952, Turbomotive was rebuilt to a more conventional steam locomotive using spare cylinders from a Princess Coronation 4-6-2 but labeled herself as a 'Princess Royal' due to her being based from that class and was officially named 'Princess Anne' that same year. However, her new life was cut short when she was double heading with Stanier Jubilee 'Whirlwind Islands' and slammed into the wreckage of City of Glasgow's train, killing the Jubilee instantly and throwing the rebuilt Pacific onto her side, landing on the London Underground electrified lines. Despite surviving, Princess Anne was classified as a write off like Windward Islands, whose remains were taken away to be scrapped, while City of Glasgow was repaired with parts from Princess Anne. She remained until 1954 after her replacement, BR Standard 8 'Duke of Gloucester', was built and was finally scrapped.

Since then, her older sister Princess Elizabeth disconnected from the whole Princess Coronation, also known as a "Duchess", class and referred to City of Glasgow as a "murderer" since some of her sisters parts were reused during City of Glasgow's repairs while Duke of Gloucester was called a "cannibal" as some parts were used from Princess Anne were used in his construction.