Allen

Allen (full name W.P. Allen) is a relatively new LNER Peppercorn Pacific who is classified as an A1 and lives at Copley Hill.

Biography:
60114 was built at Doncaster Works in South Yorkshire on August 6th, 1948.

When he first entered service, he was unnamed. He was first allocated to Copley Hill, Leeds, where he began to learn about the world around him. Pacific, as he originally thought he was named, met 4466 Herring Gull for the first time at King's Cross on his first train to London. They did not get on very well as a result of Sir Ralph's pompousness. After taking Sir Ralph's train back to Leeds following a derailment, the men decided to give 60114 a name, and a few months later, he returned to Copley Hill with nameplates that read "W.P. Allen".

Allen was put to work on the fast passenger trains, but he also pulled goods trains as well. Sometime between 1950 and 1952, Allen and Sir Ralph had a time trial race to see who could pull the Midday Express the fastest. Although Sir Ralph won, Allen was told that he had managed to go faster than any member of his class had gone before, and Sir Ralph decides to give the prize, running the Fair Maid express, to Allen, saying it was a great effort.

After Stephen had his accident, Allen was deeply hurt as he thought his friend was scrapped, but was delighted when it turned out to not be true. He was also rather confused about Scott saying that Sir Ralph couldn't be the engine he said he was. When Gronk, the diesel shunter, arrived at the yard, Allen was one of the first engines to make friends with him. Also, when Deltic revealed the truth about Nigel's movement to the Out of Use line, Allen stood up to him, and was threatened by the diesel. Allen also thought that Gronk shouldn't be punished for his actions, and was surprised when Stephen told Gronk to leave Copley Hill.

On Halloween in 1959, whilst Allen was boasting about not being afraid of ghosts, he was frightened when Sir Ralph blew his whistle. The next day, he was teased about it, and whilst he was going to sleep that night, the only engine left in the yard, the ghost of Gadwall, the A4 Pacific, appeared next to the sheds, hinting that Allen's final day is approaching.

Allen was finally withdrawn on December 26th, 1964, and sent to Hughes Bolckow scrapyard. On Boxing Day that year, he recalled some final memories, including the time when he pulled a final passenger train and met his friends one more time. Allen was cut up on February 28th, 1965 at the age of 15.

Relatives:
Tornado (younger brother by 50 years)

Arthur (cousin, scrapped)

Persona:
Allen is a cocky, boastful, but friendly engine, who always helps out when he is needed.

Basis:
Allen is based on a Peppercorn A1 Pacific and to be more specific, he is based on the real No. 60114 W.P. Allen, which was cut up in 1964. This locomotive was actually the pioneer for the class. None were preserved but in 2008, a new addition to the class was completed named Tornado who is the first main line steam locomotive built in Britain since 1960, Evening Star was the last steam locomotive to be built by British Railways (BR). The Peppercorn A1s were express passenger engines. And none were spared from the cutters torch. But in 2008, the drawing boards of a Peppercorn A1 were discovered. And thus the A1 steam trust built No. 60163 Tornado. The 50th member of this long lost class, which for years have been known as the missing link.

Livery:
When he first entered service in 1948, Allen was painted in British Railways apple green. In 1950, he was repainted into BR Express Passenger blue, which he wore until 1959, when he was repainted in BR Brunswick green.

Episodes:

 * A Great Problem Goes West!
 * Veto a V2!
 * Hawk, Aye!
 * Nigel, Herbert and the Cows
 * Hand of the Fair Maid!
 * Goodbye, Stephen the Green Engine!
 * Christmas, 1952
 * Scott and the Herring Gull
 * Birds of a Feather
 * The Legacy of Gadwall
 * Hawk Eyed!
 * Hawk the Hunter
 * Suburban Tank (mentioned)
 * Silent Night
 * Day of the Deltic
 * The Parting of Ways (does not speak)
 * Great Scott!
 * Fowler's Ghost
 * The Ghosts of Engines Past
 * The Last Run

Books:

 * Tale of the Unnamed Engine

Trivia:

 * Allen was the first character introduced in the series.
 * According to Simon Martin, Allen was originally named Arthur, a name later passed on to another character.
 * From Episodes 1 to 11, Allen 's model had the number 60161, and the name North British.
 * Allen is the second youngest steam engine in the series.
 * Allen came in second place as the most favourite character in the British Railway Stories with 36 votes or 19.3%. The first being Stephen with a vote of 54 votes or 29%.
 * Allen was also the host of the Sodor Island Forums 2012 Christmas Speech, in which his new apple green model and new 3-D face were used.
 * His new face is based on that of Gordon the Big Express Engine from the Thomas and Friends series, which inspired the creation of the BRWS.