(41) Rheneas
Rheneas is an Ex-Great Western Railway 517 class, designed by George Armstrong for local passenger work on branch lines. 1157 was built at wolverhampton works in 1875,and would find himself being put to work on the short distance local workings, and branch line passenger runs in and around he Swindon area, and having to put up with headstrong tender engines and tank engines. However, in 1877, the fledgling Skarloey Railway struck a deal with the GWR to purchase 1157 and some Clerestory coaches in order to kickstart passenger operations on the line. 1157 would arrive under his own power in fall of that year, and would stand side by side with the Skarloey for the opening ceremony, being christened "Rheneas' after the Rheneas falls the line passed near. For his first 38 years operating on the Skarloey Raiilway, Rheneas would always go above and beyond in his work, pushing past his limits regardless of the weather and his own safety, something that Sir Handel Llyod Brown would commend the tank engine for. In 1915, upon the formation of the NWR, Rheneas would be rebuilt to the Diagram L specifications some of his class were rebuilt to, gaining an enclosed cab, and he would be auto fitted to increase the efficiency of the lines passenger services, with some GWR 1906 auto coaches being brought in. Since his arrival to the network, Rheneas would be based out of Crovans Gate MPD, the main sheds on the Skarloey branch, and he would finally recieve an official NWR number under the numbering scheme in 1952, being given the number 41 during an overhaul in 1957.
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North Western Profiles
Historical FictionThis will primarily be a way to help those of you reading NNWRS get a better idea of some of the characters to appear in the series soon, namely discussing their shed allocations, their personallity, livery, locomotive classes, and their backstories.
