NWR: The Hidden Stories is an AU of The Railway Series and Thomas & Friends, created by General Mateo and Zaphod Scotsman. The series consists of supernatural elements, but also focusing on realistic situations at times. The series starts in 1914 and focuses on Thomas and a 14-year old boy named Conan who become bonded through supernatural means. As a result, their life forces are connected to each other, meaning whatever one feels the other will too.
Currently being reuploaded here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50789266/chapters/128302825
The fanfic up to Chapter 83 can be read here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14227528/1/North-Western-Railway-The-hidden-stories
The fanfic contains examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: Thomas, Boomer, and Lady.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Here, Emily is working on Sodor in the 1920s, the setting of the first Railway Series books. In canon, she never appeared in the Railway Series and made her first appearance in Season 7 of the Television Series.
- Adaptational Karma: In the original books, Gordon seemingly gets away scot-free with dragging Thomas behind his train. Here, he actually gets reprimanded by the Fat Director when the latter overhears him boasting about it.
- Adaptation Expansion: Many of the stories from the books are expanded on, most notably The Sad Story of Henry.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Henry in the original books was just young and naive when he went into the tunnel. Here, he ends up ruining Conan and Jewelie's wedding and doesn’t care, more concerned with his paint.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: The trucks, for the most part, are actually stated in this series as NOT being troublesome. They are actually quite friendly, and only play their tricks when pushed too far. Of course, there are exceptions.
- 98462 as well: compared to how the fandom has stereotypically portrayed him as the murderous Alfred, 98462 actually develops into a much nicer engine in this series.
- While still the arrogant and pompous engine he is in the books, Falcon in this series shows more of his softer side than usual.
- Aesop Amnesia: Discussed with Falcon and Carys in Chapter 15, when the latter remarks regarding his complaints about the slowness of maintenance trains that she really thought he had learned his lesson. Falcon, in response, points out him learning to be careful with trucks doesn't mean he now likes waiting.
- Animal Lover: Olive is one. In fact, taking cattle trains is her favourite job!
- Artistic License – Law: Invoked and discussed: it would be entirely impossible for a trial to be held without witnesses being allowed to testify. It's obvious to everybody involved that Fernby had bribed the judge to forbid witness testimony to increase his chances of winning, and is nullified when the judge gets replaced.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Stuart is mostly kind and friendly, but when Stanley openly admitted to pushing Jim off the rails, the Tattoo held nothing back in his insults, even going so far as to use a racist term.
- Berserk Button: Gordon retains his dislike of pulling trucks, and he also hates it when others mispronounce the name of his designer Sir Nigel Gresley, accidentally or deliberately. Another way to get on his bad side is to touch or damage his teaks without his say-so.
- Falcon, like Gordon, also still dislikes taking trucks, but an exception was made during World War I: to stay ahead of passenger trains, which during the war were being pushed aside in favour of goods traffic, he instead opted to pull only goods trains. This lasted until the War ended.
- Big Bad:P.T. Boomer.
- Big Brother Instinct: Falcon is very protective of Albert MKIII, and refuses to let anybody harm him.
- Big Damn Heroes: In his first appearance in the fanfic, when Olive breaks down, Henry decides to take her and her train home. Needless to say, despite his difficulty, he manages to do so.
- Cool Old Guy: Both Edward and Duke retain this role.
- Cool Train: Well, duh.
- Deconstruction: Of Never My Fault: many of the characters try to pass blame for their misfortunes onto others, which only lands them in more trouble. It's only when they start to take responsibility that things actually improve.
- Driven to Suicide: Conan and Noah’s father couldn’t cope with the death of his wife, and shot himself when Conan and Noah were still young children, resulting in the orphaned brothers being Raised by Grandparents.
- Friendless Background: Prior to coming to Sodor, Thomas only had two friends during his time on the LBSCR: Lawson, a K Class Mogul, and Ivy, a C2x 0-6-0 tender engine. All the other engines, even his siblings, bullied or outright ignored him.
- Happily Married: Conan and Jewelie after chapter 27.
- Jerkass: Many examples, including Lily and 98462, who both get better.
- Examples who don’t get better include 87546 and Dante.
- Jerkass Ball: Stuart held this big time in Chapter 77, but snapped out of it after his trucks broke away and crashed into Duke while he tried hauling coal trucks behind the Saloon Coaches.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: James, as in the original books.
- Karma Houdini: Normally averted, but because there’s no witnesses to confirm otherwise, Dante gets away with supposedly damaging the points that trapped 98462 in the sheds.
- Boomer also counts: thanks to his powers, he's able to escape before he can be arrested. Only time will tell if he ever returns to Sodor.
- Dante is another one. Although he’s suspected of having something to do with damaging the points that trapped 98462 in Ballaswein Shed, the lack of witnesses to prove it means he is never punished for this supposed action.
- Kid Hero: Conan is 14 when he bonds with Thomas and becomes his assigned driver.
- More Dakka: An attacking German Zeppelin is armed with 8 machine guns.
- Official Couple: Conan and Jewelie.
- Carys is also this with Albert MKII.
- Older Than They Look: As a result of being bonded to Thomas, Conan is physically unable to age past 25.
- Posthumous Character: Henrietta Brown.
- One-Hit Kill: The attacking German zeppelin goes down in one hit from anti-air artillery.
- Original Character: Several, and not just humans.
- Raised by Grandparents: After their parents died, Conan and Noah were taken in by their grandparents.
- The Rival: Olive becomes one towards Gordon when Thomas makes her think the A0 has come to replace her. She later grows out of it, though hints of their rivalry still show up on occasion.
- Screams Like a Little Girl: Greeny the Metropolitan Tank does this in chapter 24 when his driver threatens to use him to heat his stove and the former finds himself unable to speak. MacHarold jokes about him "avoiding puberty" in response. The scream lasts until the next day.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Conan's older brother, Noah.
