Yong Bao

**Yong Bao the Chinese Engine** is a supporting character in the Seventyverse and comes from China.

## Backstory

Long before Yong Bao went to the Great Railway Show, he worked in a station yard on his homeland railway, longing to pull passenger trains and was constantly belittled by the other engines. One day, Yong Bao saw a tiger sneak into the yard and searched for it for many days. During the winter, he found it again and followed it along the tracks; leading him to save one of his fellow engines from falling off a cliff with hundreds of passengers on board. With the recognition of his heroic action, Yong Bao was awarded a new coat of Chinese red paint with yellow lining and a tiger emblem on his tender.

Yong Bao was selected to participate in the Great Railway Show as part of the Best Dressed Engine Parade and was on the same ship as Ashima, Rajiv, Shane, Frieda, Etienne, Axel, Vinnie, Gina, Ivan, Carlos, Raul and Gabriela. Unfortunately, they would end up stranded on Sodor when the ship they're on breaks down. During this time, the engines help around the island and when Edward admits how much he misses BoCo, Yong Bao assures him that no matter where one may roam, their heart will always lead them home. Yong Bao would come second in the Best Dressed Engine Parade.

In the Great Railway Show at Canada two years later, he raises concern for Thomas going missing. He would later come third in The Best Dressed Engine Parade.

## Personality

Yong Bao is a kind and faithful tender engine from China, who pulls passenger coaches. He may not be the biggest tender engine or the strongest, but he once cleverly diverted an accident saving hundreds of passengers. Yong Bao was decorated for his bravery and painted bright red, which is a colour that symbolises celebration and happiness. Painted on his tender is a tiger which incites a sense of awe and admiration. Like Yong Bao, the tiger is full of life and embodies the spirit of being driven to achieve and make progress. These qualities make Yong Bao a Really Useful Engine.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Yong Bao is based on a Chinese Railways RM class 4-6-2 Pacific, which were built by CSR Sifang Co Ltd between 1958 and 1966. Used in passenger service, these engines were eventually taken out of service by more powerful steam and diesel locomotives on the Chinese rail system by the early 1990s. Two members of this class have been preserved; RM-1001 is on display at the China Railway Museum in Beijing, and RM-1247 is on display at the Shenyang Railway Museum. Yong Bao's design sheet shows that he was molded after RM-1118 and RM-1247.

### Livery

Yong Bao is painted Chinese red with yellow stripes on his boiler, cylinders and smoke deflectors and a green running board and buffer beam. His wheels are painted an identical red with white rims. His name is painted on the sides of his cab in Simplified Chinese and the design of a tiger is painted on his tender. He also has a dragon face on the front top of his funnel.

Before he was repainted to honor his bravery, Yong Bao was painted plain navy blue with a grey running board and grey lining. His smoke deflectors were also blank. His wheels were also painted red with white rims similar to his present day livery.

In both liveries, he bares the number (1118) on his sides. It's unknown when this engine was built, withdrawn and scrapped.

## Differences between the episodes and this series

* In the show, it's not revealed what place he came in the Great Railway Show. In the rewrite, he came second, loosing to Rajiv.