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Description
~Henry is the #3 green who works on the Main Line, usually pulling the Flying Kipper. A versatile and hard-working engine, Henry has proven himself a valued member of the fleet.

But he wasn't always the enterprising engine we know today. There was actually a time when Henry was known as a "Failure" and "unreliable" by others. This is because, when he was first built, he was literally a completely different engine. Instead of a Stanier design, he was actually more of a Gresley design. A cross between a GNR A1 and a C1 Atlantic, to be precise.

While his exact origins are unknown, it's generally believed that long ago in 1919, there was an anonymous builder, a rival who held a grudge against the legendary Sir Nigel Gresley. He had a spy steal several drawings from his opponent, believing them to be for the new A1 "Pacific" design and hope to be the one to produce them first. The spy, however, blundered and instead took drawings of rejected engine designs. Realizing too late, the end result was a locomotive, now known as Henry, plagued with many faults and only a superficial likeness to the Gresley's Pacific's.

Henry was deemed a complete failure, and the thief was more than happy to unload his "White Elephant" onto the first desperate custom who came along - Sir Topham Hatt, director of the North Western Railway. In the early 1920s, his railway was in a bit of a "Locomotive Crisis" and was desperate for engines which led him to make one of his rare bad bargains. He had initially intended to buy a Robinson "Atlantic" but was instead tricked into purchasing Henry. When he arrived in 1922, the Fat Controller had no choice but to make the best of a bad situation.

Henry's design flaws would continue to plague him more and more over the years. Sometimes he could pull trains, but other times he found he had no strength at all, often having trouble building up steam. He suffered dreadfully and found little sympathy from some of the other engines, especially when it caused him to run late. Attempts to rectify this through new parts and new paint did him no good either, and it reached a point where The Fat Controller was considering replacing him as he was getting too expensive. But he still wanted to give Henry a "fair chance" and decided to look into the matter personally to find a solution.

Through the purchase of expensive welsh coal, it finally saw a vast improvement in Henry's performance. He would continue to use it until he had a collision with a goods train at Killdane Field while pulling the Flying Kipper. It was here a more permanent solution was taken to fix Henry's problems once and for all. With his connections to Sir William Stanier, The Fat Controller sent Henry to Crewe for a complete rebuild at Crewe Works.

When Henry returned, he was a completely different engine. No longer a Gresley design, by now a Stanier "Black 5" design. From then on, he no longer needed Welsh Coal, and he improved vastly in performance, faster and more robust, even better than his original shape. Any troubles or problems he experiences nowadays are ones any engine could face.

For an engine that was once deemed a failure, Henry has sure managed to come on top and through the adventures and mishaps in his life (hiding in a tunnel because of some rain, being painted blue, hosed by an elephant, going on strike, visiting London, performing a super rescue, competing in The Great Railway Show, etc.) has managed to become an enterprising engine in the process.

More to come soon down the line.

Thomas & Friends/The Railway Series ~ The Awdry Family, Britt Alcroft, & Mattel
Sprites © Cj-The-Creator , Princess-Muffins , wyattloughrie , The-Station-Pilot , Diamond-Jubilee , Nictrain123 , & Myself.
Wartime Livery inspired by: KaijuATTACK877

Description
~Henry is the #3 green who works on the Main Line, usually pulling the Flying Kipper. A versatile and hard-working engine, Henry has proven himself a valued member of the fleet.

But he wasn't always the enterprising engine we know today. There was actually a time when Henry was known as a "Failure" and "unreliable" by others. This is because, when he was first built, he was literally a completely different engine. Instead of a Stanier design, he was actually more of a Gresley design. A cross between a GNR A1 and a C1 Atlantic, to be precise.

While his exact origins are unknown, it's generally believed that long ago in 1919, there was an anonymous builder, a rival who held a grudge against the legendary Sir Nigel Gresley. He had a spy steal several drawings from his opponent, believing them to be for the new A1 "Pacific" design and hope to be the one to produce them first. The spy, however, blundered and instead took drawings of rejected engine designs. Realizing too late, the end result was a locomotive, now known as Henry, plagued with many faults and only a superficial likeness to the Gresley's Pacific's.

Henry was deemed a complete failure, and the thief was more than happy to unload his "White Elephant" onto the first desperate custom who came along - Sir Topham Hatt, director of the North Western Railway. In the early 1920s, his railway was in a bit of a "Locomotive Crisis" and was desperate for engines which led him to make one of his rare bad bargains. He had initially intended to buy a Robinson "Atlantic" but was instead tricked into purchasing Henry. When he arrived in 1922, the Fat Controller had no choice but to make the best of a bad situation.

Henry's design flaws would continue to plague him more and more over the years. Sometimes he could pull trains, but other times he found he had no strength at all, often having trouble building up steam. He suffered dreadfully and found little sympathy from some of the other engines, especially when it caused him to run late. Attempts to rectify this through new parts and new paint did him no good either, and it reached a point where The Fat Controller was considering replacing him as he was getting too expensive. But he still wanted to give Henry a "fair chance" and decided to look into the matter personally to find a solution.

Through the purchase of expensive welsh coal, it finally saw a vast improvement in Henry's performance. He would continue to use it until he had a collision with a goods train at Killdane Field while pulling the Flying Kipper. It was here a more permanent solution was taken to fix Henry's problems once and for all. With his connections to Sir William Stanier, The Fat Controller sent Henry to Crewe for a complete rebuild at Crewe Works.

When Henry returned, he was a completely different engine. No longer a Gresley design, by now a Stanier "Black 5" design. From then on, he no longer needed Welsh Coal, and he improved vastly in performance, faster and more robust, even better than his original shape. Any troubles or problems he experiences nowadays are ones any engine could face.

For an engine that was once deemed a failure, Henry has sure managed to come on top and through the adventures and mishaps in his life (hiding in a tunnel because of some rain, being painted blue, hosed by an elephant, going on strike, visiting London, performing a super rescue, competing in The Great Railway Show, etc.) has managed to become an enterprising engine in the process.

More to come soon down the line.

Thomas & Friends/The Railway Series ~ The Awdry Family, Britt Alcroft, & Mattel
Sprites © Cj-The-Creator , Princess-Muffins , wyattloughrie , The-Station-Pilot , Diamond-Jubilee , Nictrain123 , & Myself.
Wartime Livery inspired by: KaijuATTACK877