FanFic:End of an Era
End of an Era is a 2016 movie. It introduced all of the main characters and settings of Last of the Railroads.
Plot
Johnny, a tank engine, is pursued by scrap diesels along his now shut-down railway. Suddenly, he jerks to a halt, and the diesels catch him. After nearly being sold for scrap, he is sold to the Smoky Valley Railroad, the last privately owned railroad in the world.
Johnny makes friends with some of the other engines, and settles down into his new life. Things change when Johnny causes a bad accident, which costs the railway dearly. When an invitation arrives inviting them to the Capitol for a "grand railway show", the controller, Mark Capp, forbids Johnny from going.
After his friends don't return for several weeks, Johnny realizes something is wrong and sets out to find them. A few days into his journey, Johnny is set upon by more diesels, who are intent on destroying him (the more painful his demise, the better). Luckily, he is rescued by the legendary tank engine Thomas. Johnny tells his story, and Thomas shares his own.
Thomas explains that after his railway closed down, he was lost during the auctioning of the locomotives. He was sent to a small railway, out of touch with his friends (who had been sent to a museum), and overworked and harshly treated. Thomas escapaed, but the museums wouldn't take him and so he was forced to live as a vagabond. Thomas and Johnny become allies, and continue to search for the engiens of the Smoky Valley Railway.
The two discover that Johnny's friends have been tricked and kidnapped, to be sold for scrap. Johnny and Thomas prepare a daring rescue plan, and are ready to set it in action. However, the night before the attempt, Johnny is worried and wants to give up. Thomas gives him new confidence and Johnny and Thomas begin the rescue.
The plan succeeds until they are caught by the mastermind of the plan, D2000. The evil oil-burner and Johnny face off, and Johnny realizes that D2000 is his mirror image, and sees that he could have been like D2000 if he hadn't been rescued by the SMV.
However, the tank engine's thoughts are cut short when, D2000 loses patience and decides to destroy him. The five engines (Johnny, Thomas, Marian, Scout, and Jay) are pursued by the evil diesel, but are trapped by D2000's henchmen. Just then, D2000 loses control, crashing into a shed support, which crushes him. When the friends regroup away from the scrapyard, they discover that Johnny has disappeared.
Meanwhile, Johnny is diverted onto the wrong line and becomes lost amongst the industrial wasteland. Eventually, his damage gets the better of him, and he stops and slips into unconsciousness.
When he come to, Johnny discovers he's been found by two orphaned twins named Dylan and Dulcie, who live in the area. Both have had experience with railroading, and promise Johnny that they'll have him fixed up in no time. Two months later, Johnny's repairs are complete. Using coal scavenged from the ruins, the twins fire up his boiler. There's a moment when it seems Johnny can't do it, but he suddenly springs forward and is running well once more.
Meanwhile, the engines of the Smoky Mountain Railroad silently mourn their friend. Thomas hasn't left yet, and simply sits in his shed, staring out into the distance. Everyone is surprised and delighted when Johnny steams into the yards.
A few days later, Johnny is rewarded with a new branch line. After the ceremony, Thomas is offered a place on the railway, but he refuses, preferring to wander. Dylan and Dulcie opt to go with him, and the three chuff away, claiming that "they'll come back soon". Life returns to normal on the railroad, but Johnny feels that he has truly earned his place.
Characters
- Johnny
- Thomas
- Marian
- Jay
- Scout
- D2000
- Mr. Capp
- Diesels
Cast
US
- Martin Sherman - Johnny
- Jules de Jongh - Scout, Marian
- Glenn Wrage - Jay, D2000
- William Hope - Mr. Capp, Thomas
UK
- Ben Small - Johnny
- Teresa Gallagher - Marian, Scout
- Micheal Angelis - Jay
- Keith Wickham - Mr. Capp, Thomas, D2000
Scripts
Trivia
- This movie was originally intended to be just a single production, but it was so popular that a television series was created using the same elemets.
- First appearance of Johnny, Marian, Scout, Jay, Mr. Capp, Thomas, Dylan and Dulcie, and D2000.
- Final appearance of D2000.
Soundtrack
- Appalachian Hymn (Soon Hee Newbold) - Played when Johnny arrives on the Smoky Valley railroad.
- Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.) - Played while Johnny is shunned by his friends.
- Thomas' Anthem (Mike O'Donnell & Junior Campbell) - Background music during the beginning of Thomas' story.
- Bittersweet Symphony (the Verve) - Played while the engines return to the SMV without Johnny.
- Homeward Bound (Simon and Garfunkel) - Part of musical montage played as Dylan and Dulcie fix up Johnny.
- I Got A Name (Jim Croce) - End Credit Song
