What Type of Engine was Bertram Originally Going to Be?

[@kekofsodor4899]

Looking at the concept art the engine looks similar to Rheneas and Smudger's basis by Fletcher Jennings. It's hard to make out since the drawing is so vague, another possibility is that it could be a placeholder until Bertram's final design was nailed down. It got me thinking though, what if they had gone with a Fletcher Jennings basis and instead of Bertram they made him Smudger? They did reuse Smudger's face. That would have given Smudger more backstory, more significance and more potential for him to be used again. In my head canon for this, Smudger was bought when the Mid-Sodor closed down and got converted back into an engine again to work at the lead mines. He worked at the lead mines until they closed down too and was abandoned there. By that point the mining company figured he was too old to be of use or to be worth selling. Instead of being scrapped, Smudger's crew committed to stay with him visiting him at the mines. Toby discovered him while at the mines and now back in service he takes tourists around. A line connects the lead mines to the Skarloey Railway which is why we see Skarloey and Rheneas at the end of Toby's Discovery. From there, there is the potential for Smudger to have interactions with the other narrow gauge engines such as Duke, who is one of the characters Smudger would probably have the most potential for a character dynamic with post restoration. I also think it would be interesting to see what sort of character dynamic Duncan and an older Smudger could have. Would Smudger have matured since the Mid-Sodor or would he be like an older Duncan just as bad but with more wisdom? They are of a similar shape and they both like to rock 'n roll off the tracks.

[@JosephRailwayStudios2000]

I like the concept it would’ve given Smudger A lot more character development.

[@choochoooo317]

in my headcannon bertram's basis is is 2-4-0 well tank engine named "Sea lion" bertram originaly worked on the MSR and was purchased to help with the increasing workload during the 1910s, after the MSR closed bertram went to hide in an old shed at the slate mines to avoid being sold/scrapped untill toby somehow found him there and recued him.

[@FerdinandProductions2021]

This is what Bertram looks like in my version of Thomas & Friends: Instead of just being a recolor of Duke, Bertram has a design similar to Duke, albeit with a couple of differences; 1. He has a coal bunker instead of a tender. 2. He has buffers. 3. He is a 0-4-2 instead of a 0-4-0.

[@quarrylocomotiveproduction5439]

in my headcanon Bertram was originally an experimental small England class tank engine which was bought by the skarloey railway to work mostly at the slate quarry one day he was asked to take a train of slate from the transfer yards and take it down two crovan's gate and then an engine from the sodor and mainland railway would take it on as Bertram was pushing the slate trucks the slate truck at the front of the train suddenly derailed and it lurched off the bridge causing the trucks behind it to derail Bertram breaked as hard as ever he could but the weight of the loaded trucks was too much Bertram and the train fell into the ravine below somehow he survived the fall but the trucks that he was pushing had been smashed Bertram however his cab and back coal bunker were destroyed eventually he was recovered and taken to crovan's gate works where he was given a complete overhaul and rebuilt into a small England class tender engine like duke and was then shipped to the mid sodor railway and later on when the mid sodor railway closed Bertram was bought to work at the sodor gold mines however when the sodor gold mines closed Bertram was left there he was then later discovered by Toby while he was taking sir topham hatt and his family on a holiday and Bertram told Toby and Sir topham hatt all about how he ended up in the sodor gold mines he was then later purchased and restored by Mr. Percival and put to work on the skarloey railway

[@Ffarquhar]

Interesting video. Really got me looking into it. Good job!

[@warriorcharizard3404]

In my headcanon, Bertram is a one off redesigned England class locomotive built as a tank engine.

[@ThomasSirHandel]

I'd like Bertram as Little Giant but with a full cab (the real life engine, not the scrapped S6 character). Maybe the tender could have been added for traveling a long distance between the mines to Crovan's Gate.

[@1000guy1]

If the model crew did afford to make a model for Bertram then duke would of still be in season 5 I bet duke would of been a spot light character in that season like duck was in season 3 and the could make his last appearance as a character in season 6 in oldies but Goldies

[@TheSudrianTerrier653]

There is a well tank similar to the quarry Hunslets, it’s called Jack, not sure what its class is.

[@crs2385]

Plot twist.......... Bertram is Duke, and Smudger's love child

[@Peckettw42012]

Maybe he is going to be a freelance tank engine built by the mine company

[@BKRproductions6468]

Ok hear me out. What if they intended to make Bertram THE MINE ENGINE.

[@jacobjcb8883]

If Bertram was really meant to be based off of Glyder Why couldn't have they just repainted Duncan since He and Glyder are both Andrew Barclay narrow gauge well tanks Also What if Bertram was based off of the Hunslet work's Linda from the Penrhyn Quarry Railway