Non-Faceless Vehicles (concept)

**Non-Faceless Vehicle** refers to a type of vehicle that is sentient, self-aware, and above all else, alive. The concept was created by Victor Tanzig to rationalize how certain vehicles are alive, while others aren't, as well as how they seem to be able to drive themselves in the newer seasons of the TV series.

## Origin

The first non-faceless vehicle created was Clive in 1856. He, along with Neil and Matthew, were built for the Sodor and Mainland Railway on the Island of Sodor.

Over the years, more and more non-faceless vehicles have appeared, and not just trains. Cars, trucks, buses, boats, and aircraft have also had faces, and have also appeared in the United States.

## Advantages and Disadvantages

### Pros

When a non-faceless vehicle is first turned on, it is known as the First Firing, and the vehicle undergoes an Awakening, named so because the sensation is like waking up from sleep. Non-faceless vehicles can turn their engines on and off at will, which for non-faceless steam locomotives is a huge boon. When a non-faceless vehicle runs out of fuel, they simply cannot move under their own power anymore; contrary to popular belief, vehicles that run out of fuel experience no pain, and it is not the equivalent of starvation.

Non-faceless vehicles fitted with a form of propulsion can drive themselves, but still have crews for several reasons. For one, they provide vehicles with regular maintenance, and monitor their performance to prevent any overexertion. They are also useful in the event of a breakdown, as they can effect repairs quickly; as a side note, non-faceless vehicles are also able to identify what problem they have, and tell maintenance crews exactly what and where the issue is, thus saving time and money. More importantly, crews are the friends of non-faceless vehicles, providing them with company while working.

### Cons

Non-faceless vehicles also have a number of disadvantages compared to faceless, non-sentient vehicles.

They are often called an impediment to progress, as the law dictates that non-faceless vehicles cannot be scrapped alive, meaning owners are stuck with non-faceless vehicles of obsolete models. While companies must maintain a certain duty of care with non-faceless vehicles, they are also under no obligation to effect repairs that could render them bankrupt and put them out of business. Regrettably, many businesses have gone under because of this.

## Rights and Privileges

Non-faceless vehicles have various rights afforded to them as living beings. Most importantly, they cannot be scrapped while alive, as it is considered cruel and unusual. When a non-faceless vehicle's company can no longer pay for their upkeep, or no longer needs their services, they are presented with three choices:

1. **Relocation** - This means to simply be sold, and is viewed as the best option. Due to the abolition of slavery, non-faceless vehicles cannot be sold without their consent. However, where a vehicle goes once sold is a crapshoot, as their new owners may be better or worse than the last.
2. **Retirement** - This means to be taken out of active service, usually through one of two ways: sale to a heritage railway, running passenger services for tourists, or conversion into a museum piece for display.
3. **Final Firing** - The so-called "Final Firing" is effectively assisted suicide. A non-faceless vehicle's right to death is absolute; when a non-faceless vehicle says they want to go, an owner must comply. The process involves a special chemical colloquially known as "Black Water" being introduced to a vehicle's system, causing them to go into a deep sleep that they never awaken from. After this, their face disappears and their systems can never be restarted. Only then is it legal to sell their remains for scrap, similar to death by catastrophic injury. The reasons for a vehicle choosing to die depends on the situation, usually a result of irreparable damage, being too proud to retire, or if death is truly the only available option.

When a non-faceless vehicle is incapacitated, the sibling of a non-faceless vehicle has the right to take responsibility for his or her affairs, much in the same way that humans can designate relatives to make decisions for them if they're unable to, as shown in Relationships.

## Crime and Punishment

Non-faceless vehicles are not above the law. Crimes such as assault, industrial espionage, stealing, and illegal racing carry the same consequences as they do for humans.

In Great Britain, the symbol of the vehicle criminal justice system is Railgate Prison. This is a somewhat misleading name, as it is not just non-faceless trains who are imprisoned there, but other types of vehicles as well. When a non-faceless locomotive or piece of rolling stock is imprisoned, they are said to be "shunted."

Under ordinary circumstances, the maximum penalty a non-faceless vehicle can receive for a crime is 30 days, though there are exceptions. This may seem very light, but one must consider the societal and economic impact this would have. Edward once used Shane as an example; if he were imprisoned, there would be no engine to run the express to London. The same goes for Kate; if she were arrested, coal shipments would back up, causing the mine's performance to suffer, jobs to be threatened, and unrest to rise in the community.

However, as was addressed in Shunted, not every vehicle that is arrested gets sent to Railgate. Depending on the crime committed, a vehicle may also be shunted in their local community, similar to human house arrest. In addition, the owners and operators of non-faceless vehicles have a degree of leeway to substitute their own discipline in lieu of legal proceedings, should they request it.

## Repairs

As was mentioned before, non-faceless vehicles can specifically point out any defects they may have, which saves time and resources trying to find the issue. When major repairs need to be carried out, a chemical similar to Black Water known as "Green Water" is introduced to a vehicle's system. The difference between the chemicals is that, while Black Water is a euthanizing agent, Green Water is simply an anesthetic, and a vehicle can be restarted (albeit manually) once it wears off. Rolling stock and other unpowered vehicles are awoken simply by being moved by an engine or outside force. It can be dangerous for a non-faceless vehicle to remain under the effects of Green Water for too long; prolonged exposure has been shown to cause hallucinations upon waking, for example.

## Theories

There is no single accepted consensus as to how non-faceless vehicles come to life, as it appears to be a chance occurrence. When a quasi-autopsy is performed on a deceased non-faceless vehicle, nothing of scientific value is turned up. There are, however, several theories.

### Chemical Reaction Theory

A rather self-explanatory theory, it postulates that when the First Firing is carried out, a peculiar chemical reaction occurs that causes the birth of life. This was the generally-accepted theory until non-faceless rolling stock were created, seemingly debunking it.

### Attentive Theory

This theory puts forward the idea that vehicles built with an extra layer of care are the ones that will come alive. Edward once described this theory as being "flowery", since it can be argued that attention and care to detail goes into the development of all vehicles, unless quantity over quality is desired.

### Revenant Theory

This theory suggests that non-faceless vehicles are the mechanical reincarnations of the deceased. Though it may seem ridiculous on its face, it would explain certain quirks that non-faceless vehicles have. For example, non-faceless vehicles are born knowing their name, and are seemingly literate and articulate immediately upon their First Firing.

The Revenant Theory has never been widely accepted, due to sounding outlandish. As time went on, vehicles began appearing with such unusual names as Bear, Skarloey, Rheneas, Atlas, Splatter, Dodge, Ten Cents, Drollan and Toad, although in certain cases these names have turned out to be nicknames that rapidly stuck, as in the case of Diesel, Duck, and BoCo (Bruce, Montague, and Bobby Cooper respectively).