Bash and Dash

**Bash** and **Dash** are fun-loving tank engine twins who live on Misty Island

## Biography

The Killdane Logging Company's No.1 'Bash' and No.2 'Dash' are seen at working pushing and pulling wagons of sawed logs to the nearby sawmill. The two engines were built in 1906 by Marshutz and Cantrell in San Francisco, America basing it on the designs of the Bear Harbour railroad's no.1 locomotive, which is now preserved. They, Bash and Dash, were to be taken to the Bear Harbor Railroad but unfortunetly, the infamous 1906 earthquake had struck San Francisco and had taken the harbor railroad with it resulting it to be closed and abandoned. Bash and Dash were left without an owner and the company that built them said that if they can't find another buyer then they will be scrapped instead. Thankfully, a letter was sent by a logging company in the British isles. They are in need of their own locomotives to provide transport of the logs to the lorries on the Island of Sodor. When the line from Maron was making its way through to Norramby, the logging company agreed to connect their line to the NWR in 1915. However in the aftermath, they’d cause trouble to the other engines, and this was well before SCC No.1 'Bill' and No.2 'Ben' came to the Island in 1948.

## Personalities

Bash and Dash are the wacky, mischievous Logging Loco twin engines who know each other so well that they can often finish the others' sentences. Living in an environment without proper rules, authority, or society, Bash, Dash and Ferdinand lived for fun, silly games and playing about in the chaotic, consequence-free Logging Camp and the dense Jobi forests of Misty Island. Often, they were easily distracted, reckless and got very little work done and when they did work, it was in a particularly silly, wacky or questionable manner.

However, after Thomas wound up on Misty Island, later managing to make his way back to Sodor, the twins were welcomed to the railway by the Fat Controller. The Logging Locos' outlook has now changed and they all try to be Really Useful engines.

Instead of aspiring to only goof around, they are now keen to help the Sodor engines and learn about the proper way of doing things, the values of good behaviour and forming new friendships with others. Although sometimes Bash, Dash and Ferdinand may be baffled by concepts that are unfamiliar to them, due to living in isolation on Misty Island for some time, they attempt to assimilate new prospects, take part and strengthen their friendships with the Sodor engines and their reputation of being really fun.

Joining in or even trying to recreate these previously unfamiliar social quirks helps the kooky Logging Locos learn about the world around them, the virtues and graces of others and how to appreciate and understand new things to help them be Really Useful.

Although they will always be fun-loving and may raise the eyebrows of some of the bigger engines as they lark about with their work, the Logging Locos' new-found respect for considering others and learning and applying everyday rules, values and behaviours helps them to learn and draw from the Sodor engines and the sensibilities of society, the world around them and maturing into Really Useful engines to make the Fat Controller proud.

Bash appears to be the more timid, peaceful one of the twins, while Dash is more outgoing and supportive.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Bash and Dash are based on the Bear Harbour Lumber Company's locomotive. This type of engine is known as a "gypsy", which had a special yarding mechanism at the engine's front, allowing it to haul logs when the gear is engaged. However, Bash and Dash's yarding mechanism is behind their cabs instead of their fronts to accommodate their faces. Their driving gears and brakes have been removed entirely and they have screw link couplings. Their cabs appear to be much sturdier, as opposed to the "open" cab that their real life counterpart possesses.

### Liveries

Bash's boiler, wheels and lining are painted slate grey and his cab and dome are painted amber. Dash's boiler, wheels and lining are painted amber and his cab and dome are painted slate grey. They both have a semi-circular symbol with three yellow trees with two brown axes crossing each other on the right sides of their cabs.