recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Cat is Off the Menu

**Cat is Off the Menu** is the sixth episode of the Mini Series 1990s. It is based around the disappearance of Northrop's station cat and the mysterious activities surrounding the 'Meat Run' refrigerated train.

## Plot

In the beginning of the episode, Maude and Capulet had made amends had become friends but Roland, the station cat of Northrop, has gone missing.

## Characters

* Capulet
* Maude
* Hughes
* Titan
* Catherine
* Railway manager
* Bulldog
* Jinty (does not speak)
* Stovold (does not speak)

## Trivia

This episode was inspired by a single message that Shane Sowter was sent by someone on social media in mid-2019. He dedicated it to the animal rights activists fighting to end dog and cat butchery. This episode was also to alert governments about some unnoticed illegal actions.

In spite of it being an episode, Shane Sowter classified it as a 'special', due to it being part of a cause.

Because of the way this story was written, this episode has the most powerful message ever.

In late-2019, the original script was somehow deleted (not by Shane), but wasn't saved onto something else. This resulted in the story being rewritten and heavily based on 'The Red Herring' in The Dark Railway Series.

Toffee was meant to be in this episode but was replaced by Bulldog in a last minute change while writing the script.

Before telling Bulldog to break his prime mover, Capulet breaks the 4th wall with the line, "Just like the narrator said".

A reference to the TDRS episode 'Fustercluck' is made.
The Series 1960s

**The Midlander: The Series 1960s**, which can also be referred to as **Season 1**, is the first season of the The Midlander: The Mini Series. It's set during the 1960s after the founding of the Moorland Steam Railway in 1962 and ending in 1969. It runs for 20 episodes.

## Characters

### Regular characters

* Jenny
* Jinty
* Hughes
* Kate
* Capulet
* Westminster
* Murphy
* Andy

### Characters introduced

* Will
* King James I
* Sid
* Stovold
* Audie
* Henry
* Hood
* Johnny Cuba
* Boa
* Major-General McMullen
* Gordon (LMR)
* Errol Lonsdale
* Brussels
* Kriegslok 1
* Kriegslok 2
* Stanford
* No. 45110
* No. 44871

## Music used for credits

Intro: Extract from 'This is Gallifrey, our Home, our Childhood' by Murray Gold

Outro:

## Trivia

The first episode takes off where the 1962 sequence of the film left off.

The theme of death appears to come up every episode.

Many episodes are based around real events such as the closure of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway in March 1966 and the last day of BR mainline steam operations on 11th August 1968.
Audie - To Hell and Back

**Audie - To Hell and Back**is a music video based on the Sabaton song 'To Hell and Back'. It is the only time we see Audie in his United States Army Transportation Corps (USATC) livery and his service in WWII.

## Story

The video begins with Audie backing into the sheds at Gladsville in 1994 and he falls asleep, when the film starts to fade. The screen goes black for only two seconds and it reveals Audie on an American transport ship with is bound of Italy and arrives near Anzio in Italy. He is joined by the rest of the 15th USATC Regiment, or the "USATC Can Dos", which is shown by the insignia placed on his bunker.

## Characters

* Audie
* Swiss Guard (shown in WWI footage)
* DRG 80 class tank locomotives
* Burke
* Olson
* Merrell
* Ware
* Daly

*Note: None of the characters spoke throughout the video*

## Trivia

The battle shown appears to be inspired by the Battle of Anzio, which Audie Murphy literally went to "hell and came back".

* The Battle of Anzio was what the song was based on.

The American transport ship is a custom-made 1:76 scale WWII US Navy Liberty Ship. This one appears to have the name Lawton B. Evans, a Liberty Ship that did serve in the Battle for Anzio. This can be shown since the word 'Evans' is seen in one shot.

The 15th USATC Regiment was inspired by the 15th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, aka the "Can do" Regiment, which was what Audie Murphy was assigned to in the Battle of Anzio.

Swiss Guard's twisted frame is an old kit frame for an LB&SCR E2 0-6-0T.

Many of the engines in the 15th USATC Regiment are named after soldiers of the 15th Infantry Regiment, which Audie Murphy was a part of.
John Cashmore Ltd

**John Cashmore Ltd**, aka "**Cashmores**", is a scrap dealing industry at New Bridge, Tipton. It was specialised in shipbreaking and scrapping locomotives withdrawn by British Railways. Only one episode was produced featuring the scrapyard as a set. This was the yard where Stovold and Australia were rescued from in the mid-1960s.

## History

John Cashmore Ltd was founded in 1857 by a member of the Cashmore family at Horseley Heath, Staffordshire. The company centred most of its operations at Newport, with its headquarters at New Bridge, Tipton. The company mostly bought up decommissioned warships from the Royal Navy and dismantled them on the River Usk. Cashmores became infamous in the 1960s as it bought up locomotives from the London, Midland, Western, Eastern and North Eastern Regions of British Railways (BR) for disposal.

## Locomotives saved from John Cashmore Ltd

* Stovold (1963)
* Australia (1965)

## Trivia

John Cashmore Ltd is the first real life scrapyard brought into the series.

Most of the scrap littering the yard are made from unassembled or partly assembled kits to represent scrapped locomotives or locomotives being dismantled.

In real life, No. 6430 is the only surviving locomotive bought from John Cashmore Ltd. It was resold shortly after being bought by the company

Some of the other characters had their real counterpart scrapped here.

## Gallery (real site)

Fowler 4F 0-6-0 44092 and an unknown BR Standard 2 being scrapped at Cashmores.BR Standard 5 4-6-0 No. 73116 being scrapped at Cashmores, 1967
The Golden Salmon

**The Golden Salmon** was a fish train operated by the Moorland Steam Railway from 1991 until 2009 and was normally diesel-hauled. Its demise was because of fish being delivered by truck (lorry in the UK) instead of train.

## Origins

The origins of The Golden Salmon go back to the first fish train, which its date has been unrecorded. Fish was once on the railway industry's most important cargo, until lorries started their take over and when fish stocks started to dry up, even due to the 'Cod Wars'. The idea of a fish train running on the Moorland Steam Railway first came up in 1975, almost 21 years after the last fish train left Gladsville Harbour for mainline traffic, but the idea was abandoned that year. The idea came up again only two years later but after public support, it was again dropped. The reason why it was dropped was because the train wasn't given a name, or wouldn't be named after the last fish train to leave the harbour, named 'The Golden Hind'. The idea of a fish train came back in 1990 and public support agreed with the idea, since more fish could be brought in from mainline trade.

## Naming the train

The name of the new fish train was put into a public competition and names that sounded right were chosen for a public vote. The candidates were:

* 'Moorland Fish'
* 'The Golden Hind' (named after Gladsville's final fish train)
* 'The Golden Salmon'
* 'The Red Mullet'
* 'The Streaking Cod'
* 'The River Monster'

The results of the public vote was:

* 'Moorland Fish': 1%
* 'The Golden Hind': 27%
* 'The Golden Salmon': 51%
* 'The Red Mullet: 5.3%
* 'The Streaking Cod': 10%
* 'The River Monster': 5.7%

With these results, the new fish train was officially named 'The Golden Salmon' on its inaugural run from Northampsmith and its arrival Gladsville.

## Operations

Operations started in 1991 with Clyde handling the first run of the train.
Dentin Moor

**Dentin Moor**, previously known by early locals as **"Dentinhill's Moor"**, is a hilly moor that is located east of Northampsmith, Cheshire. It's also the location that the Dentin Moor Narrow Gauge Railway (DMNGR), which took its name from the moor itself.

## Geography

Dentin Moor is located east of Northampsmith and known for its high peaks. It features two large lakes located southwest of Dentin and is almost inaccessible by motor vehicles and impossible for road construction. The area was once a large resource for salt (commonly mined in Cheshire) until the salt mine was closed in 1973.

## Transport

In 1917, a small narrow gauge railway was built into the moor by the British War Department
HMG Gladiator

**HMG Gladiator** (known mostly as the **"old railway gun"**) is a railway gun used in WWII. It is the largest railway vehicle the Moorland Steam Railway (The Gladsville Line) owns and every locomotive on the railway hates it.

## History (WWII-1962)

HMG (His Majesty's Gun) Gladiator was built out of a BL 13.5 inch Mk V gun found on navy warships (mostly in WWI) with a WWI railway gun carriage in WWII to be used in the defence of invasion by Nazi Germany. The railway gun was later transferred to Africa when the 119th Platoon left, and it became property of that platoon. This gun didn't have a long service life and was sometime put into storage. The Gladiator was moved to Gladsville Dockyard for further storage to make room for ammo trains, little did the British military know that the line would become a preserved railway. The gun was forgotten about until its discovery in 1962, following the line's preservation.

## History (MSR)

During the MSR's first wartime weekend, HMG Gladiator was brought out and displayed to the public at the site of the dockyard. During this event, a decommissioned Royal Navy (RN) vessel was used as a target for the now 60-year-old railway gun, which was found to still be able to fire. The target ship was the Leander class frigate HMS Phoebe (F42) and was sunk by the gun's 13.5 inch Mk V naval barrel. This was the first time since WWII a British railway gun fired onto a target. HMG Gladiator didn't create a sense of security in the railway's fleet, since it was built to be a weapon, apart from wartime veteran Will who remembered the gun from his days in the 119th Platoon.

HMG Gladiator was brought back to action in 2000's wartime weekend, with the target ship being an old wooden sailing vessel that no one wanted. This was the last thing HMG Gladiator will destroy. The railway gun now stands as a display piece during wartime weekends and Remembrance Day services at Gladsville and Northampsmith stations.

## Basis

HMG Gladiator is based on the real railway gun. The origin came from two 14 inch barrels intended for the Japanese battleship Yamashiro but became two BL 14-inch railway guns, with were named 'Scene Shifter' and 'Boche Buster'. The barrels was later scrapped following WWI and the mountings stored. During WWII, the carriage for Scene Shifter was fitted with a 13.5-inch barrel and two others were built, HMGs Piece Maker and Gladiator. All three guns were scrapped after WWII since railway artillery were now seen as obsolete following the fall of Germany and were needed large amounts of defence from aerial attacks.

## Trivia

   HMG Gladiator is production model produced by Oxford Rail. Shane Sowter got it on his 16th birthday.

* The model didn't come with its associated ammo van which meant that one had to be scratchbuilt via 3D printing and scrapping older models.

HMG Gladiator is the first true item from WWII in the mini series.

HMG Gladiator was once property of the Steam Reserve Corps (SRC) and used by the 119th Platoon.
Rescue

**Rescue**is the fourth episode of The Series 1960s . It shows exactly how did Hood get preserved by the Moorland Steam Railway in 1965.

## Plot

As the railway still had the need for larger locomotives since the rest of the fleet was struggling with operations, the North Western Railway (NWR) on Sodor was telephoned and sent one of their Black Five 4-6-0s, No. 3 Henry, to assist until the railway gets a large locomotive from British Railways. Three days after Henry's arrival at the railway, he notices a locomotive very similar to him in design but is painted in a darker green livery and has a yellow stripe across his cabsides that was taking on water at one of the MSR's standpipes.

Henry approaches the engine and it explains that its name is Hood and he just taking on water after he nearly ran dry running up from London. Hood then explains about him being withdrawn in a few days due to "bookkeeping" instead of "operational" reasons and believes that he will be sold for scrap and join many of his class that has been retired by BR. Hughes approaches the two and gets them mixed up since both Hood and Henry look identical, and steams off to perform some shunting up at Gladsville Dockyard. Hood soon departed from Northampsmith with a local goods with was now running late and a little too heavy for a engine his size. Furthur up the line, Hood broke down with a failed water injector, a burst left cylinder and an overheated axlebox and instead of getting him repaired, BR instead withdrew him and were selling him for scrap. Hood was shunted into a siding while a 9F took his train.

That night, he felt that there was another locomotive around and he was going to be taken away to the scrapyards, but it turned out to be the Henry, the Black Five met earlier that day at Northampsmith.

## Characters

Write the second section of your page here.

## Trivia

The episode was based on the story 'Escape' from 'Enterprising Engines,' the 23rd book of The Railway Series by The Rev. W. Awdry.

The diesel depot set was reused as an unnamed location on the mainline.

This episode marks the following:

* The first appearances of Hood, Henry and the unnamed 9F.
* The first episode to acknowledge the electrification of the West Coast Mainline (WCML).
* The first episode where the mainline gets more screentime than the MSR.
* The first appearance of a Class 20 "Chopper" since the movie.
* The last episode to not feature an electric locomotive.
* The last episode to feature the unnamed Stanier Mogul until Warrior's appearance in 'Brothers to the End'.
Booster

**Booster** is a former Southern Region Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) that works on the Moorland Steam Railway. His name was given to him by Stanford because of his quick boosts of speed.

## Bio

Booster was built by Eastleigh Works in 1958 to operate on Southern Region branchlines was were not electrified by the former Southern Railway (SR) before the outbreak of World War Two. Sometime the early 1960s, he met Stanford and was impressed with his quick boosts of speed, resulting in him giving the "Thumper" unit the name "Booster".

In the mid-1970s, Booster was brought up from the Southern Region to help the MSR during a heatwave and were assisted on goods duties by his friend (and the engine who named him) Stanford and elderly LNER Q6 Raven, both having passed their tests for their spark arrestors. When Will and Titan alerted to the smell of smoke, Booster alerted Meld to Dentin being on fire. Following the events of the summer, Booster was returned to the Southern Region but was retired from service in 1982. Following this, he was quickly preserved as he was one of the engines credited as a "Hero of the Great Dentin Fire" and was brought to the railway by Meld, who had been brought down from Gladsville to collect him.

## Livery

During his loan to the MSR in the 1970s, Booster was painted in British Rail Blue with full yellow ends.

After being retired and as preserved, Booster is painted in Network SouthEast blue, red, grey and white livery with full yellow ends.

## Basis or real locomotive

Booster is based on the real multiple unit. 34 "trainsets" were built by Eastleigh works between 1957 and 1962 and were a diesel-electric version of the standard diesel multiple unit (DMU) by having an electrical generator or an alternator to provide electrical current to their traction motors, like a diesel-electric locomotive. They, as part of the BR class 201-207 series were nicknamed "Thumpers" due to the noise by their motors and were known under the old Southern Railway (SR) classification system as "2H" for two-car versions or "3H" for three-car versions. Withdrawals began as early as 1979 and the last was retired from service in 2004. Ten have been preserved.

Unit 1122 was built in 1958 and was officially classed as a "Class 204" under the TOPS system. It was reformed into a "3T" unit in 1980. It was withdrawn and scrapped in 1987.

## Trivia

Booster's class' nickname "Thumpers" comes from the consistent thumping noise that comes from their diesel prime movers. The nickname is also a reference to a character from the Disney film 'Bambi', which gained his named from consistently thumping his foot on the ground, similar to the 205's motor.

Booster is the only known character to be named by the locomotive in the series.

Booster's models are two mostly unmodified Bachmann models.

Like most diesels and all multiple units, Booster doesn't have a face.
Brothers to the End

**Brothers to the End** is a film in 'The Midlander' set in 1967, prior to Audie's arrival that year.

## Plot

The story begins with Hughes, Andy and Will, the Moorland Steam Railway's operational 0-6-0s, chatting at Northampsmith while waiting for a goods train from the mainline. Unfortunately, Will's habit of mentioning the war lead to the subject of the Strategic Steam Reserve (SSR) being brought up, which Andy doesn't believe in its existence. At that moment, they're interrupted by an engine who has the exact same shape as Andy but with a different tender, an engine that Andy addresses as "Active", who reveals that he is a member of the SSR since his withdrawal. Seven more locomotives of the SSR arrive where it's revealed that the Moorland Steam Railway was to act a temporary base until a permanent base can be found.

That night, Active and Warrior sleep at Northampsmith in order for Active to catch up with his oldest brother. The two reveal themselves to be former members of the Steam Reserve Corps, a military branch created in WWII that Will served in.

## Trivia

This film marks:

* The first time the Steam Reserve Corps is mentioned.
* The first time events from WWII are shown (via flashback).
* The first appearance of Argus.
* The first time British Railways is known as "British Rail".
* The first time "nightcore" music is used.
Holden Bank Tunnel

**Holden Bank Tunnel** is an old railway tunnel on the Moorland Steam Railway. It was originally built by an unknown light railway that was closed just before WWII.

## History

The history of Holden Bank Tunnel is unknown since the railway it was built for was closed prior to World War Two and the railway's records were kept secret but what is known that the tunnel was opened in 1900. In 1983, the tunnel was rediscovered and was found to be safe to operate trains through. In 1986, the Rozelle extension was opened using most of the route covered by the old light railway and included the refurbishment of the original stations to a BR or LNER finish. The tunnel was laid out like the Dentin extension 13 years before, double track to allow two trains operating both ways.

The tunnel saw heavy maintenance after every six weeks for safety reasons and never saw much enthusiast attention due to its location. In 1999, Holden Bank Tunnel collapsed and cut off Rozelle from the rest of the railway. The work took five months to complete and the extension was operational by November of that year. In 2000, the original light railway route was celebrating 100 years and services based on that from Colonel Stephen's light railway empire were operated on the route. Holden Bank Tunnel also celebrated 100 years and was given a heavy engineering work so it last long and check of any faults after the collapse the year before.

### Believed to be haunted

The Holden Bank Tunnel has been known as the most haunted section of the whole railway, since there are many sightings of phantom figures taking the shapes of railway workers and what appeared to be Victorian-era Southern Railway locomotives, almost like an A1 "Terrier" 0-6-0T and an Adams 415 "Adams Radial" 4-4-2T, hauling elderly four-wheel coaches similar to the ones operated by the South East & Chatham Railway. It is unknown about what happened on the railway but since the records appear to be lost, it's just known as the "Light Railway Ghosts" or "Holden Bank Ghost Lights" by locals and MSR locomotives.

## Basis

   Holden Bank Tunnel is based on Hoosac Tunnel in Massachusetts, USA and Ampthill Tunnel in Bedfordshire. The hauntings were based on the cases of the Hoosac Tunnel and the design of both entrances were based on the angular design of Ampthill Tunnel and like its fictional counterpart, both tunnels were built with a double-track line through its length and are not haunted.

## Trivia

Holden Bank Tunnel is built from scratch from card and 3D-printed parts, which the main part printed was the shape of the entrance.

Both ends of the tunnel are really the same end with the train moved from one track and facing the other way with the interior being done in a real tunnel or a CG model.

Holden Bank is named after the former Australian car brand Holden (full name: General Motors Holden), which Shane Sowter is a supporter of that brand.

Holden Bank Tunnel was inspired by Gasworks Tunnel Incline in the Dark Railway Series. Unlike that tunnel, this one does collapse but doesn't close the extension.
Dentin Moor Narrow Gauge Railway

The **Dentin Moor Narrow Guage Railway (DMNGR)** is a 12-mile 1' 11 1⁄2" narrow gauge railway located in the Dentin Moor, Cheshire. It links with the standard gauge (4' 8 1⁄2") Moorland Steam Railway at Dentin Moor and Dentin (Main) stations. The line is the home of the only surviving original Lynton & Barnstable Railway (L&BR) left, their No. 1 "Mitch".

## History

### War Department Light Railways (1917-1918)

The Dentin Moor Narrow Guage Railway was originally laid by the War Department in 1917 and built to both train new soldiers in sabotaging the German equivalent to the WDLR before being sent to the Western Front and the operations of the light railways in France. The line, which was about four miles long ran between an army base built into the Dentin Moor and a road/rail transfer point. Following the surrender of the Central Powers in Novemeber 1918, the line continued to be used for military purposes until it was taken over locals in 1918.

### Dentin Moor Light Railway (1918-1939)

Following its take over from military by locals, the railway's track formation was changed with an additional three miles laid and the line was branded as the Dentin Moor Light Railway (DMLR). In 1935, the DMLR bought ex-Lynton & Barnstable Railway (L&BR) Manning Wardle 2-6-2T No. 759 'Exe' along with three bogie coaches following the L&BR's closure by the Southern Railway (SR) that year. Four years after the arrival of the ex-LB&R stock, the railway was rebranded as the LMS proposed an extension to the railway's main money maker, the nearby salt mines. This lead to the railway's current name 'Dentin Moor Narrow Gauge Railway' or 'DMNGR' for short.

### Dentin Moor Narrow Gauge Railway under private control (1939-1989)

The DMNGR ran mostly undisturbed following the rebranding the proposed extension by the LMS never went ahead because of the beginning of WWII. In the 1950s, the railway asked if they could have three new locomotives built to the design of the Talyllyn Railway's No. 2 'Dolgoch' as 'Exe', normally called "Mitch", was struggling with the workload and they had sold all of the Baldwin 10-12-Ds for scrap during WWII. These locomotives arrived in 1952 and 1953 and were named 'Birmingham' (No. 5), 'Newcastle (No. 3) and 'Coventry' (No. 2), all after cities in England as their naming theme.

In 1963, the railway was rundown and in need of an upgrade as the rails were rusty and its fleet was in a rundown state. With the salt mines beginning to close and passenger traffic dwindling due to road traffic, the local council in charge of operating the railway saw it as a sign to close the railway. When news of the DMNGR's possible closure by the council spread, the local opposed this moved and hijacked No. 2 'Coventry' to stage a protest to save the railway, which has appeared to have worked as the railway survived closure following the mines' closing. In 1969, the future of the railway was being decided as a tourist attraction as the management of the DMNGR decided to meet with the Moorland Steam Railway's extension to Dentin
Wardle

**Wardle** is a station on the Moorland Steam Railway's Rozelle extension. It was reopened in 1986 but it was simply restored. The station is said to have been a part of a forgotten light railway that mysteriously closed.

## History

It's unknown about the origins of Wardle station because exact date when the station was originally opened has been left unrecorded and the late time the station was last used, along with the railway it was built by, has been forgotten to time.

In 1983, the station was found abandoned with most of the original structures in a state of disrepair with the original track work still laid down, along with the ballast. Locals were asked about the station's history and were told it was built for a light railway, but was abandoned sometime before WWII. Restoration work on the station began a year later with the original track being adopted for a new track route for the new Rozelle extension of the MSR, due to be completed for the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway in 1985. The station, along with the extension was opened by mid-1986 (missing its deadline by a few months) and featured a new cobblestone platform to replace the original. With the station's reopening to the public, a new goods shed was built to provide goods to Wardle by rail as an alternative if the roads get blocked.

In more recent times, Wardle became famed for its historic buildings from the medieval age shops and houses to the ruins of an ancient Roman barracks a few miles from the station, causing an increase in usage of the station and its unique history (and unusual design) also made it a tourist attraction in the area.

## Basis

Wardle station appears to be based on Tenterden Town railway station with a structure based on High Halden Road station, both on the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. Unlike their fictional counterpart, both had only one platform instead of two platforms. The footbridge and signal box appear to be based on the ones seen at Goathland station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).

## Trivia

Plans have been made to move the signal box to the platform like on some branch lines.

The mysteriously unrecorded opening date of Wardle station makes the exact age of the station unknown, which it could be older than Gladsville station (opened in 1898).

Wardle's layout (along with Milling) makes it one of the oddest stations on the railway.

Wardle is named after the locomotive building firm Manning Wardle & Co.

* The next station (Milling) is a reference to the same firm.
Zac

**Zac** is a BR Standard mogul that works on the Moorland Steam Railway. He is the only working resident Standard tender locomotive on the railway and the only one to work in the Western Region.

## Bio

Zac was built in 1952 and was the first BR Standard 2 mogul ever built. Sent to work in the Western Region, he found himself being limited to short-distance trains on secondary routes while much older locomotives of around his size hauled long distance trains on the mainline. In 1956, Zac got his chance when he handled a short express over 179 miles from London (Paddington) to Exeter St Davids made from old slip coaches.

## Personality

Zac was originally arrogant and preferred running at speed with fast passenger trains, which he was not designed for.

## Livery

Zac is mostly painted in BR Unlined Brunswick Green with Late Crests.

In the 1956 scenes from Deja Vu, Zac was painted in BR Lined Black with Early Emblems.

## Basis or real locomotive

Zac is based off the real locomotive. It was one of 65 BR Standard 2 2-6-0s built at Darlington Works from 1952 to 1956. They were based on the LMS Ivatt 2 "Mickey Mouse" tender locomotives from after WWII with a few minor modifications to the original design but retained most of their basis' looks. They were found in the London, Midland, North Eastern Regions of British Railways and were used on branch lines and sometimes light goods trains or shed pilot duties. Withdrawals began in November 1963 with the final withdrawn in August 1967, which three have been preserved with a fourth being converted to the extinct tank version as No. 84030.

No. 78000 was the first one built in December 1952 at Darlington Works. It was withdrawn from service in June 1965 and scrapped by John Cashmore Ltd in January 1966.

## Trivia

Unlike the other BR Standards (like Giant), Zac hates roll n' rock despite being a locomotive from that era. It indicates that he was heavily influenced by older locomotives in the Western Region.

In The Great Western Always Storms Through, it is revealed that his firebox is lower than Andy's.

Zac's models are two Hornby BR Standard 2 2-6-0s released in 2023.

* His DCC address is simply the first two digits of his number, '78'.
* Originally, he was going to be either a modified Bachmann Ivatt 2 2-6-0 or a DJH Standard 2 2-6-0 kit but this was changed with the announcement of Hornby's version in early 2020.

Unlike many BR Standards, Zac likes pulling pre-Nationalisation stock instead of anything of the BR Mk1 coach family.

* Zac's love for pre-Nationalistion stock actually grew in 1956 when he handle a small unnamed holiday express out of London (Paddington) to Exeter St Davids, which was formed of ex-GWR "slip" coaches.

The name "Zac" isn't even his nickname, but his official name.

In Deja Vu, Zac reveals he worked on the Cheddar Valley line, which was nicknamed "The Strawberry Line" due to its high volume of strawberries. In reality, no member of this class worked on this line.

Zac was the locomotive that created Giant's nickname of "weeb engine". This was when he was awaiting another overhaul when the Standard 4 tank mentioned how he recently watched Sailor Moon.
Northampsmith Railway Museum

**Northampsmith Railway Museum** (known in later years as **"The Rail Museum"**) is a railway museum displaying locomotives and rolling stock of the steam and early diesel eras. It built on the grounds of the old Motive Power Depot (demolished in 1984).

## History

### Plans for a museum

Following the upgrading of Gladsville railway station in 1977, the management of the Moorland Steam Railway decided the next push to attract more visitors to the line was to open a railway museum. Plans were originally set for Gladsville's now quiet and underused dockyard, but was dropped. When British Rail and the MSR decided to demolish the now aging and already falling apart MPD at Northampsmith, the MSR saw that the grounds could make room for a new carriage shed or the abandoned railway museum plan.

### Location sorted

After the old MPD was demolished and construction of Gladsville's was complete, work on the fate of the former MPD's site was now being finalised. The final result was the railway museum with the capacity to hold over 500+ artefacts and rolling stock of railways long ago. BR supported the idea and decided to also help with the build, plus construct some new carriage sidings for the heritage railway.

### Opening and special trains

Northampsmith Railway Museum was finally opened in 1992 and to commemorate this new way of telling the history of railways, BR allowed some locomotives to run on the mainline, with the oldest being a Dean Goods in War Department livery. These trains boosted passenger numbers and visitors to the railway.

## Exhibits

In the first years of the museum's opening, four of the railway's primary steam locomotives (Jinty, Capulet, Westminster and Kate) and ten of the railway's other steam locomotives, including Stovold (Early LMS Crimson Lake), Jumbo (CR Lined Blue and running board) and Titan (M&GNJR Ochre), were displayed with 50 pieces of rolling stock and 1000+ pieces of railway memorabilia, including interactive displays for children.

## Basis

Northampsmith Railway Museum is based on the Railway Museum's Locomotion outpost at Shildon and the NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere, New South Wales, Australia.

## Trivia

Northampsmith Railway Museum is the final major change to the Northampsmith set in the series.

Originally, the railway museum was going to be located at Gladsville but because the demolition of Northampsmith MPD in 1983, it was changed to there.
Station cats

At all stations along the Moorland Steam Railway, there is at least one **station cat** in charge of the station. They help to bring visitors to the railway due to railways in the past having station cats. The locomotive's favourite was Felix, who use to sleep under them after they came home to the MPD at Northampsmith.

## Origins

The origins of a railway station having a cat is unknown, but it's possible that the origins being that cats brought good luck to stations and the lines they were built on (according to Hughes)

## Cats

Felix (Northampsmith) - Motive Power Depot officer (1967-1983)

Roland (Northrop) - Station officer (1989-2000). He would become the centre point of 'Cat is Off the Menu'
Carve

knife sounds

## About

Wearing a typical commoner's outfit with a tattered Red cape, Carve works and resides at The Tiger's Eye inn, helping run the place.

## Encounter Chance and Abilities

Carve is generally always working at The Tiger's Eye and can be found there.

## Personality and Connections

When first encountered, Carve might come off as snarky or otherwise standoff-ish.
"Rorke's Drift"

**"Rorke's Drift"** is the nickname to a battle fought between the 119th Platoon and the Wehrmacht in 1943. The battle lasted for only two days before the British claimed victory. During this battle, the British were outnumbered but it was the railway artillery that sealed the fate of the battle.

## Forces

### Allied forces

* British Army under Bernard Montgomery
* The 119th Platoon of the Steam Reserve Corps under Will
* Royal Air Force

### Axis powers

* 16 Panzer divisions
* Luftwaffe

## Trivia

This battle is a reference to the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879. This battle was fought between the British Army and the Zulu warriors during the Anglo-Zulu War. The Battle of Rorke's Drift had the British outnumbered by the Zulus but it resulted in a British victory.

This battle was originally going to be between the USATC against the Wehrmacht.
The Blitz

**The Blitz** is the second episode of 'Stories from the Wars', based on the famous German air raids of London and attacks on Britain's railway network during the early years of WWII and mostly centres around Stovold in late-1940.

## Plot

The story begins when the Moorland Steam Railway is being prepared for the 10th annual Wartime Weekend and Stovold notices the anti-aircraft batteries.
Diesel depot

The **"Diesel depot"** is a location on the London-Midland Region where many classes of diesels owned by British Railways/British Rail are stationed. This location also has a scrapyard back the back where steam locomotives is scrapped.

## History

It is unknown when this depot was opened because its location is unknown. According to Shane Sowter, the diesel depot (as he just calls it) was opened in 1959 to house the new diesel-electrics being built as part of the 'Modernisation Plan (1955)' to replace steam traction. Its scrapyard was opened two years later with two LNER Thompson B1 4-6-0s, one LMS Fowler 3F "Jinty" 0-6-0T, five LMS Fowler 2P 4-4-0s and two LMS Stanier Black Five 4-6-0s scrapped. In 1962, ex-LB&SCR Marsh H2 4-4-2 'Beachy Head' was shunted to the depot's scrapyard after bursting her left cylinder at Bolton, leading to her withdrawal by BR. After her official withdrawal, her tender was cut up. The depot served as a scrapyard for steam locomotives until 1970, when the Moorland Steam Railway acquired the last locomotive in the yard (LNER class Q6/ NER Raven T2 0-8-0, North Eastern Region).

The diesel depot started to allow steam locomotives into the facility in 1976 when the MSR started running mainline excursion trains with Hood and Labiche. Clyde started using the depot in 1997, when his mainline ticket was passed and allowed to operate on the mainline until 2004, and the depot became the place he was stationed at in case of the shed being too full. BR (who owns the depot) allowed it to be used by the MSR's steam locomotives when Gladsville MPD was being built and after Northampsmith MPD was demolished in 1983.

## Basis

The diesel depot doesn't have an official basis but appears to combine the following locations:

* Doncaster Works
* Thornaby Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD)

## Trivia

The site of the diesel depot was based on "Swindon Works" in 'TheScotsmanReturns's film 'The Little Westerner', which was portrayed by Doncaster Works in the 1970s route on Train Simulator.

Incomplete locomotive and tender kits form scrap dressings around the site. This's supposed to represent the end of steam traction for modern diesels and electrics.

Until the Tay Bridge set, this was the largest set constructed ever.

The diesel depot served as the MSR's main MPD after Northampsmith MPD was demolished in 1983 until the opening of Gladsville MPD in 1989.

The diesel depot features the first scrapyard introduced into the series until the introduction of Cashmores in 'Saved from Scrap'.

Raven and Stanford were saved from his location.

The diesel depot is reused as a part of the mainline where Hood broke down in 1965
Maya Goncalves

**Maya Goncalves** is a face mask designer and voice actress in The Midlander. She originally voiced the character Sharon, but has since done characters that don't get long appearances (one or a few episodes).

## Characters voiced by Maya Goncalves

* Sharon ('The Midlander')
* Highland ('Mini Series 1970s' only)
* SR S15 1 ('Westward Ho!' only)
* Crablet
* Riley
Jenny

**Jenny** is a LMS Ivatt 2 tank engine that works on the Moorland Steam Railway. She was one of the railway's original five locomotives of the MSR.

## Bio

Jenny was built by Crewe works in 1946 by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). She was allocated to the Gladsville line in 1951 following years of mischief on the mainlines to make her behave. This didn't seem to work and Jenny continued to be reckless until the arrival of Taffy, a tank locomotive from the Western Region, and a Kerr Stuart Victory industrial tank locomotive.

She helped with the campaign to save the line from closure and became one of the first five locomotives of the Moorland Steam Railway. Following the railway's beginning of operations, Jenny didn't see any change as she still handled suburban traffic on the line but in 1965, she was due for her first overhaul as a preserved locomotive.

## Personality

Originally, Jenny was reckless, overconfident and was very rebellious towards any aspect of railway safety or operations (much like every teenager). After Taffy's short stay, Jenny changed to a more mature and wise engine with aspects to her surroundings.

## Livery

As first seen, Jenny is painted in the standard BR Lined Black with Late Crests.

By 1993, Jenny was repainted into LMS Post-WWII Unlined Black.

## Basis or real locomotive

   Jenny is based off the real locomotive. It was one of 130 Ivatt 2 tank engines built by the LMS and BR from 1946 to 1952 for suburban duties on the LMS/BR London, Midland Region. They were designed by Henry George Ivatt as a replacement for aging pre-Grouping suburban 2-4-2Ts from before WWI that were worn out and the class was soon built with some modifications, including a batch for the Southern Region. They became the basis of the BR Standard 2 class 2-6-2T from 1952. Withdrawals took place from 1962 to 1967 with four being preserved.

No. 41204 was built at Crewe works in 1946 as LMS No. 1204 as part of the first batch. It was withdrawn from service and scrapped in 1967.

## Trivia

Jenny is the youngest LMS locomotive in the series but isn't the youngest ex-LMS design on the Moorland Steam Railway. The youngest is Kate, a Fairburn tank built in 1950.

Jenny's models are two Bachmann models that has been renumbered.

Jenny's name means 'fair one', despite being the total opposite when she was introduced.

During the series, Jenny's had three overhauls resulting in the following operation periods:

* 1962-1965 (prior to first preservation overhaul)
* 1972-1982
* 1986-1996
* 2005-2015 (final operational period)

Despite her status as being main character throughout the movie and early episodes of The Series 1960s, Jenny is suddenly pushed to the side as more locomotives came to the railway.
The Series 2000s

**The Midlander: The Series 2000s**, which can also be referred to as **Season 5**, is the fifth season of the series and is set between 2000 and 2009.

## Characters

### Regulars

* Jenny
* Jinty
* Hughes
* Capulet
* Kate
* Argus
* Christina (leaving)
* Ella Johnson
* Hood
* Australia
* Zac
* Stanford
* Murphy
* Hunter
* Bulldog
* Booster
* Jumbo
* Kenneth
* Stovold
* Giant

### Characters introduced

* Olivia
* Lizzie
* Princess Elizabeth
* Duchess of Sutherland
* Princess Anne
* Whirlwind Islands
* City of Glasgow

## Trivia

This is the last season to feature Christina, as she was sold to another heritage railway due to lack of funds to overhaul her in 2008.
King James I

**King James I** (aka "**James I**") is a GWR King class that is owned by the Moorland Steam Railway. He's one of the railway's heaviest locomotives used on the railway, thanks to his large size and heavy axle loading.

## Bio

King James I was built at Swindon Works for express duties on the Great Western Railway (GWR) but since he was a King class, he was limited in route availability (axle load class: double red discs). His service life was just spent on running on only two routes of the GWR network (thanks to his axle loading) and was withdrawn in 1962. Good fortune followed the 4-6-0 when the Moorland Steam Railway bought him after withdrawal and Swindon Works restored him into GWR Green.

A year after his withdrawal, he was to be taken by former LNER O2/3 "Tango" Capulet to Northampsmith but would also arrive with Will, who Capulet had saved from the scrap line before departing.

## Livery

From his introduction to The Railway Kidnapping, King James I is painted in Great Western Green.

From The Railway Kidnapping onwards, King James I is painted in BR Express Blue with Early Emblems on his tender.

## Trivia

To match the person he's named after, King James I has a Scottish accent.

* Due to his accent, King James I is nicknamed "the Scottish King".

King James I's models are standard Hornby models with his BR Blue one being renamed and renumbered.

King James I is the first GWR locomotive introduced into the mini series but not the first GWR locomotive in the franchise. That honour goes to Taffy from the film. He's also the first GWR locomotive purchased by the MSR.

King James I is the heaviest locomotive owned by the MSR, which he has an axle loading of 22.9 tonnes.

In 1956, King James I was fitted with a double chimney but is absent in his preserved condition, possibly removed during his restoration by Swindon.
Dentin Main station

**Dentin Main station**, opened under the name **Dentin station**, is the original terminus of the extension to Dentin for the Moorland Steam Railway. It was opened in 1973 when the extension (which started in 1971). It's also a connection station with the Dentin Moor Narrow Gauge Railway (DMNGR) and since 1980 has been the headquarters of that company.
The Great Way Round

**The Great Way Round** is a dark comedy film based around The Midlander franchise. It centres around a group of locomotives of the Great Western Railway (GWR) based at an unknown depot and is set in 1913. The original Killarney appears in the film as a main character.

## Characters and cast

### Characters

* Killarney
* The Great Bear
* Ivanhoe
* Lode Star
* County of Flint
* Crocodile
* Primrose
* Justin
* Lord of the Isles
* Unnamed 2800
* Unnamed Aberdare
* Unnamed 4400
* Unnamed military engines
* Unnamed BR Ivatt 2 2-6-0
* Unnamed BR Class 08
* Unnamed 517

## Locations

* GWR Mainline
* Unnamed GWR depot
* British Army depot
* Princess Risborough
* Woodham Bros, Barry (in nightmare)
* Swindon (mentioned)
* Aberdare (mentioned)

## Production

The script for The Great Way Round was written by Shane Sowter out of boredom during the 2019-2020 COVID-19 pandemic and following the release of Heavy Freight epsiode 2 'The Space Race' from the year before. The episode gave Shane the idea to write a comedy-themed movie but using his normal serious writing style including the theme of death but with the beginning and ending designed for comic relief.

Story planning was delayed following repairs being done to Shane's USB but story boarding began in October 2020. Concepts for character designs occurred much earlier with the idea of the GWR before WWI becoming an idea for the story to show how one era was changing on one of the UK's railways in a short period, which the GWR was known for modernising faster than any British railway company during the 1910s. 1913 was selected because this modernising was happening around this time.

The film reused the baseboards for Cashmores scrapyard redone to become another scrapyard in the UK based on Woodham Bros at Barry, South Wales.

## Trivia

The film's title is a reference to one of the GWR's two main nicknames, the **G**reat **W**ay **R**ound.

* The other nickname, "**G**od's **W**onderful **R**ailway", is also mentioned.

The events of the film take place sometime between March and September 1913, with Killarney's scrapyard "nightmare" sequence set somewhere between 1963 and 1966.

The film makes references to 'Heavy Freight' Andy Stovold (Steaming Westward Productions), including the characters and storyline.

This's the only special purely set in the past without a transition to the present.

Killarney is sometimes called in this film 'Ophir' by Primrose. This's a reference to the real locomotive's original name. It appears that Primrose didn't acknowledge the name change.

The appearances of Crocodile and Lord of the Isles shouldn't even happen since the real locomotives were withdrawn in 1905 and 1904 respectively and the film is set in 1913.