The Old Well Tank

The Old Well Tank is an old-fashioned well tank engine who lives on Nerland. He is privately owned (later inherited by the Nerland Industrial Board) which means that he is not operated by Tri-ang Railways (TR) but is sometimes used by them in cases of locomotive shortages.

Bio
The Old Well Tank was built in the 1870s by Beyer, Peacock & Company of Gorton, Manchester for a private firm on Nerland for use as a shunter, with his design derived from the LSWR 298s designed by Joseph Beattie but labelled officially as a "Nerland Well Tank" by Beyer, Peacock & Co. In 1905, the locomotive was sent to TR Ashton Works to be modified with a more modern boiler and a unique Ashton cab for better protection for the crew. During WWII, the Old Well Tank was used fequently outside his owner's territory by TR to assist the railway's own fleet of shunters, which were being overworked due to the war effort. He was later returned to his owner after the war and resumed his normal duties.

In 1963, the Nerland Industrial Board (NIB) was formed to bring all the privately-owned industrial railways on Nerland under a single company. As a result of this grouping, the Old Well Tank became one of the NIB's first locomotives and resulting a renumbering, which he was not happy with the NIB number he recieved when it was applied to him, much to the enjoyment of the others.

Persona
The Old Well Tank is a rather wise but sometimes can be a rather angry engine depending on the situation (like when he saw his NIB number for the first time).

Livery
Prior to the days of the NIB, the Old Well Tank was painted Crimson Lake with yellow lining, maroon borders, yellow-black-yellow boiler banding and black driving wheels with his number painted in yellow on his bunker. He also displays brass and red builder's plates on his splashers.

As part of the NIB, the Old Well Tank is painted in Malachite Green with white lining, British Racing Green borders, white-black-white boiler banding and black driving wheels with his number and "NIB" painted in yellow on his bunker.

In both liveries, the Old Well Tank displays brass and red builder's plates on his splashers.

Basis
The Old Well Tank is based off a London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) 0298 "Beattie Well Tank" 2-4-0WT. Designed for suburban passenger services around London by Joseph Beettie, 85 were built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. and L&SWR Nine Elms from 1863 to 1875. Due to them being one of the few well tanks built for standard gauge (4ft 8 1/2in) and as a nod to their designer, they were commonly nicknamed "Beattie Well Tanks". They were replaced by newer and more powerful locomotives like the 0415 class 4-4-2T "Adams Radial" and put onto rural services in South West England. 82 of the class was withdrawn between 1886 and 1899 due to them being underpowered and already out living their life expectancy but three were kept until 1962 (99 years after the class was introduced) for china clay duties in Cornwall until replaced by ex-GWR 1366 class 0-6-0PTs. Two have been preserved, with one being a part of the UK National Collection, both of the three china clay survivors.

Filming model
The Old Well Tank's filming model is a modified EFE Beattie Well Tank with the back of the cab and bunker modified to make the engine appear typical for a Victorian-era tank locomotive.

Trivia
The Old Well Tank's NIB number, 69, is renowned international as being a sexual joke instead of being just a regular number. This explains why he was not amused but furious when he saw his NIB number for the first time.

The Old Well Tank's appearance resembles the unnamed blue well tank engine that only appears in a Thomas picture book from 2001.


 * It's expainable as both have no back walls for their cabs and both are based off the same class.

The Old Well Tank is one of a few locomotives in the Nerland Industrial Board not painted orange and one of a few with red bufferbeams.

Like the NIB Pannier, the Old Well Tank is never given a proper name.