Sharon is a WD 2-8-0 that lived on the Gladville line until 1962. She was replaced by Capulet after being re-allocated to the North Eastern Region of British Railways.
Bio[]
Sharon was allocated to the Gladsville line during her time with British Railways (BR) from 1948 to 1962. During this time, she handled heavy freight along the line. According to Bradshaw, she accidently damaged the back wall of Northampsmith MPD and lead to the wall needing repairs. Sharon held a place in the line's history to be the first heavy goods locomotive to operate on the route since the LMS reclassed the line as a secondary route in 1943, leading to heavy freight leaving the line.
In spite of wanting to stay, Sharon had to be reallocated to the North Eastern Region because of the high coal traffic and the need to replace elderly NER 0-6-0s that handled the trains with the LNER Q classes (0-8-0s). She was replaced on the Gladsville line by Capulet, a heavy freight locomotive of that region who decided to get away from the turf of the LNER and go onto enemy territory. Sadly, Sharon was sold for scrap in 1967 after being withdrawn from Sunderland South Dock sheds.
Personality[]
Sharon is seen as a kind locomotive and doesn't argue with everyone in her old home of Northampsmith. It's unknown if she was the same when she was withdrawn.
Appearances[]
Specials[]
- The Midlander
Mini Series 1960s[]
- Wartime Returns (mentioned)
Basis or real locomotive[]
The real life No. 90112
Sharon is based on the real locomotive. It was one of 935 War Department (WD) Austerity 2-8-0 built by the Vulcan Foundry and the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) during WWII. They were used to transport munitions, artillery and troops across the UK and later in other countries following D-Day in June 1944 and were sold off following the war. 735 were kept in the UK since the need for more modern, powerful and cheap heavy freight locomotives and 733 were used by British Railways, while the remaining two were owned by the Longmoor Military Railway (LMR).
They were withdrawn by 1967 and all British WD 2-8-0 were scrapped. No. 90733 is the only survivor of the type in the UK and was repatriated from Sweden. There was also a 2-10-0 version built by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) of Glasgow, Scotland.
No. 90112 was built in 1943 by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) and was withdrawn and scrapped by Arnott Young of Dinsdale in 1967.
Trivia[]
Sharon's model is an old Bachmann model that has been renumbered to get the correct engine needed.
- Sharon's DCC address is '112', which comes from the last three digits of her number.
Sharon is voiced by Maya Goncalves.
Sharon has a Yorkshire accent. This's a reference to many WD 2-8-0s operating around that area.
- Maya Goncalves had to learn this accent.
Sharon was written out of the series because Shane didn't like the look of the WD 2-8-0 and the future of the railway, leading her to be replaced by a more older design of 2-8-0 such as the Gresley O2/3 Tango.