Sir Eustace Missenden

"Sir Eustace Missenden, Southern Railway. Besides being named for the great man himself, I am named in honour of those who perished working for the Southern Railway during World War II. A Memorial engine if you will."

— Sir Eustace Missenden, Claim to Fame

Sir Eustace Missenden
Number: 34090 Class: SR Battle of Britain Class Designer: Oliver Bulleid Build date: 1949, rebuilt 1961 Configuration: 4-6-2 Arrived on the DR: 1957, returned 1963 Left the DR: 1960

Sir Eustace Missenden is a large express locomotive who lives on the Dark Railway.

Bio

Service with British Railways

Sir Eustace Missenden (Full name: Sir Eustace Missenden, Southern Railway) was built on February 28th, 1949 at Brighton Works. During his time working on the Southern Region, he was based at Bournemouth, where he was often ignored by his brothers, including 257 Squadron. In spite of this, he became rather pompous because of his name.

In 1957, Eustace was brought to the Dark Railway. This came as a relief to Mr. Dark, as the line was currently short on resident motive power. Eustace kept the line running almost single-handedly until the following year when his work load was relieved by the arrival of Dave and Brian. When Raymond arrived on the DR in 1959, Eustace took a disliking to him, which wasn't helped by the time the pair had to haul a manager's special in 1960. That same year, Eustace was given an offer to be transferred to Waterloo. It took him a while to consider it, but at the end of the year he accepted the offer, and was given a send off from the other engines as he departed the line.

"Sir Eustace Missenden" in his as built, original form. Note the Malachite Green livery mixed with British Railways number/crest.

Unfortunately for Eustace, he was involved in a major wheelslip incident shortly after returning to the mainline. Travelling towards London from Weymouth, Sir Eustace slipped on Parkstone Bank, Dorset, destroying his valve gear in the process. His then-owners, British Railways, decided to rebuilt the engine into a more conventional form, rather than scrap him. In his rebuilt form, Sir Eustace Missenden continued working for British Railways until 1963, when the decision was made to withdraw him from service and dispose of him.

Preservation

Upon hearing that Eustace was due to be withdrawn from service, Mr Dark stepped in and saved the Pacific from destruction, purchasing him outright from BR for use, once again, on the Dark Railway.

Upon his return, Colin and Eddie argued with Eustace about hauling trains and having days off, but the two small engines got their comeuppance when Colin derailed in the yard, and Eddie was unable to start Eustace's train. The engines put aside their differences after that.

Eustace encountered his older brother 257 Squadron again in 1964, who had sneaked onto the line to avoid being scrapped by British Railways. Eustace became jealous of all the attention that 257 recieved, and maliciously informed British Railways officials (who were searching for him) of 257s location. However, after realising the gravity of the situation, he did everything in his power and acted quickly to stop BR taking away his older brother.

In 1965, Eustace was rostered to haul a football special to London, when 257 Squadron, the booked engine, failed at Merecombe. However, Eustace's regulator jammed on the way to the Junction, where he was taken off the train, and allowed Colin and Eddie to forward the special onwards to London due to time constraints.

That same year, Eustace was captured by Leanne along with the other DR Engines in, but was saved by the quick actions of 257 Squadron and Dave, the former evading capture by a stroke of luck and a faulty front coupling.

In 1967, Eustace began complaining again about hauling goods trains, claiming that his nameplates exempt him from doing menial tasks, and that he was first and foremost a passenger engine. Him and the other engines on shed, namely Colin, Eddie and Dave had an argument over it. He was asked to take a mail train, and complained loudly, especially when he found that he would have to run tender first due to a turntable failure. Eustace misbehaved so badly that the mail coaches knocked him off the rails at Walschurch Viaduct , causing damage to both the viaduct and himself. As punishment, Mr Dark had Eustace's nameplates removed whilst he was at the works until he was a better engine.

When he returned, he was rostered onto goods trains only, but after a short while, Eustace began to enjoy himself, and soon proved himself to Mr Dark once again. His nameplates were restored later in the year. In 1969, Eustace's boiler ticket was close to expiring, and it was decided by Mr. Dark and the railway's new engineer, Mr. Smash, to have him sent away for overhaul along with 257 once work on Mr. Smash's yard was completed.

Eustace finally left for his overhaul during the summer of 1969, along with 257 Squadron and Ed. He returned to the line in early 1971, getting on surprisingly well with Barry. In 1972, Eustace learned of plans to send himself, 257 and Caracus Smash onto the mainline to haul charter trains. He claimed to be disinterested in the whole idea, but revealed that he had tricked the others into thinking so when he was chosen to pull the first trial train. When De la Trip arrived and started causing problems due to his Southern supremacy, Eustace confronted him on it and revealed to him that his old friend 257 was, in fact, a British Railways built engine, much to his shock. After De la Trip apologised to 257, Eustace was the next to forgive him after 257. The following year, Eustace was delighted to be reunited with his original nameplates, having thought they had been lost during his rebuild so long ago. Eustace would later come to De la Trip's defence when Clyde started picking on him and acted as mediator when 257 turned aggressive in his defence. He later helped with the inaugural train to Bellgrave after Dave failed on the journey. In 1979, Eustace was sent on loan to the North Western Railway along with 257.

Persona

At first, Eustace is seen as a fairly pompous and self important engine, believing himself to be superior to all others, especially diesel traction. However, over the course of the series, especially since his return to the railway, we have seen his attitudes and opinions change. Despite still being slightly argumentative and attention seeking, he has mellowed greatly since the early 1960's, and is now a friendly and happy engine.

Livery

Eustace is currently painted in British Railways lined green with the late crest. Before he was rebuilt, he wore BR malachite green, with sunshine yellow stripes, full green wheels and an early crest.

Basis

Eustace is based on the SR/BR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2, also known as the "Bulleid Light Pacifics".

Appearances

The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

• Series 1 - Pilots, The Party, The Shunter's Gamble, Will and Won't, Dave's Dating Tips, Something's In the Air, The Beauty Overheard (mentioned), The Betrayal and Sir Eustace's Secret
• Series 2 - Goodbye, Dai (mentioned)
• Series 3 - The Return of Sir Eustace Missenden, Like a Sir, 257 Squadron, Tender Moments of Tender Engines, BR Blues, Football Shortfalls, Who Goes There? and Revenge of the Forgotten
• Series 4 - Cammer, Colin and Cows, Owen's Woes (does not speak), Tender Tantrum, The Big Bad Wolf (mentioned), Turbo (mentioned), Trucks and Instant Crush (cameo)
• Series 5 - Abomination, Signal Lost (cameo), Haunted Hannah (does not speak), Ed and Sid, Claim to Fame, Repulse (cameo), Make Love (cameo) and Time Waits for No One (mentioned)
• Series 6 - Ouverture, Trepid, Fustercluck (does not speak), Ed, Ed and Eddie and Plunk 'n Bang
• Series 7 - Futura (mentioned), Smashing! (mentioned), The Red Herring, Mothership Reconnection and What a Clarence!
• Series 8 - One More Time, De la Trip, Face to Face (mentioned), Time Waster and Outro (cameo)
• Series 9 - Rock'n Roll, Rock Shock, Time Wasted (cameo), Extend Extra, Wipeout (cameo) and Shapeshifter (does not speak)
• Series 10 - 101, Body Angels (mentioned), Tunnel Vision, The Road to Bellgrave, Coaled Weight, Dirty Colossus and Buckin' Hell (does not speak)
• Series 11 - The Times (cameo), Relations, Since Then, Quatro, Feel It (mentioned), Further (mentioned) and Chord Memory (mentioned)
• Series 12 - Shuffle (mentioned)

Specials:

• The Rebuilding of Sir Eustace Missenden
• The Aspergers Flyer
• You Bang Snowploughs
• Pilots (remake)

Trivia

• When depicted with a face by Dark DJ, Sir Eustace is seen wearing a monocle.
• When originally re-introduced back into the series in rebuilt form during Series 3, Eustace carried traditionally shaped 'Battle of Britain' nameplates owing to the fact that his unique plates were not included with the original model. However, as of Series 9, Eustace has regained his special nameplates, thanks to SimNation (Gwion Rhys Davies) modelling them for Dark DJ.
• The original intention for Eustace was to have him written out of the series permanently at the end of series 1, being scrapped off screen later in the 1960s. However, Dark DJ's fondness of the character made him decide to bring the character back in unrebuilt form, but this changed with the release of the rebuilt Light Pacific pack from Digital Traction for Train Simulator 2012.
• From Series 10 onwards, Eustace's original rebuilt model has been replaced by the newer Rebuilt Light Pacific model by Bossman Games.
• Eustace is one of the rebuilt Bulleid light pacific's, Eustace's older sister Lundy is the same shape as Eustace. While he is a rebuilt Battle of Britain, his sister is a rebuilt West Country.
• While the pair are almost identical, both engines have different tender types. Eustace is paired with a 5,500 gallon Bulleid tender (this being the biggest used for the light pacific's) while his older sister Lundy is paired with one of the smaller 5,250 gallon tenders.
• Eustace paired with a 5,500 gallon Bulleid tender is appropriate for the engine as for the majority of the real engines life from new in Feb 1949 until May 1959, 34090 ran with a 5,500 gallon tender (no.3335). From May 1959 the engine was paired with 4,500 gallon tender (no.3269), this was modified to 5,500 gallons in Aug 1960 and remained with the engine until withdrawn in Jul 1967.
• Eustace is one of four known Bulleid pacific's to survive in the Dark Railway series, the other engines being: 34029 Lundy, 34051 Winston Churchill & 34072 257 Squadron.