The Importance of Being Atlas is a 9 minute-short Anniversary video made in honoring 2 Years for the series. It's also said to be a "B-side" prequel as a story having previous events tying in as a cannon to 'Rebel Iron'.
Summary[]
Wurzel tries his best to calm an anxious Atlas, who hasn't been feeling well since he crashed with the Post Train.
Plot[]
Atlas and Wurzel talk with each other as restoration work continues at the workshop. Atlas wonders when he would be allowed back out, hoping to get back before the rail gala begins in the coming weeks. He also wonders if Wurzel had found out anything new about his past, which Wurzel assures him that they should be able to uncover more about his past with what he already remembers. Atlas then has an idea. Remembering his vision he had after his crash with the post train and wonders if putting himself under similar circumstances would help him remember more of his past. Wurzel thinks the idea is crazy, saying that it would result in Atlas' boiler exploding, but agrees after Atlas asks to do it very carefully, commenting that if it goes wrong, "I'm making whatever remains into paper clips."
Wurzel and Atlas soon are in the workshop and begin raising steam, with Wurzel instructing the crew to keep his boiler pressure at 175 psi. Atlas soon re-enters the state he was in after the post train crash and the crew attempt to stabilize him at 175 psi, until something begins to go wrong. Inside, Atlas tries to find a memory but is stopped as he loses his concentration. The crew begins to panic as Atlas' boiler pressure begins to climb higher and higher, and Wurzel shouts for everyone to clear away from the engines. He brings Atlas out of the vision and back to reality in a cloud of smoke and steam, with Wurzel agitated by the near disaster. For the rest of the day, Atlas sits alone at the works, just out of earshot of Zebedee and Charles Crawfoots, who discuss trying to save Ember from Masonry Bridge.
The next day, Wurzel brings in Stanley Shoepack of Steam Dream Magazine, who was in contact with a railwayana collector. He first brings out the motive power listings from the Masonry Bridge Railway. As he goes down the list, Atlas is shocked to hear that according to the records, he was supposidly withdrawn in 1958 and then scrapped in 1960. Wurzel soon gets into an argument with Stanley over the accuracy of the records, with Stanley asking Atlas, still in shock, how he was still alive until Wurzel shuts him up. Atlas openly begins to wonder why he was at the Waterdown Railway, comparing himself to the other engines until Wurzel interjects. Wurzel tells Atlas that by giving everything his all, he had won the respect of every single engine on the Waterdown Railway and said that someone saw him as worth saving. When Stanley tries to speak again, Atlas' crew defend him as one of the hardest working engines on the railway. Stanley then apologizes for offending Atlas and then proceeds to bring out a roll of film from P.G. Huxley.
The group go inside and watch the home film. At first, it showed several of the engines, including Victory, the local shunter at Masonry Bridge. The filmographer soon goes inside the Masonry Bridge workshop to visit both Atlas and Ember, the engines that he called the 'Pride of Masonry Bridge'. The film then cuts away to a series of shots of both Atlas and Ember running trains along the line until the film runs out. The film helps Atlas remembers parts of his past but still didn't quite understand their meaning and opening wondering if he will ever remember. Wurzel assures him that we can work on his memory still.Later, Wurzel gets a call over his control link from Zebedee, informing him that they had successfully rescued Ember from Masonry Bridge and they decide to let Atlas know when the Steam Gala arrives.
Characters[]
- Atlas
- Wurzel
- Jim
- Zebedee
- Charles Crawfoots
- Stanley Shoepack
- Bon P.G. Huxley (Flashback)
- Ember (Flashback and Does Not Speak)
- Ramona (Does Not Speak)
- Dawn (Does Not Speak)
- Cojak (Does Not Speak)
- Ince Castle (Does Not Speak)
- Benjamin (Does Not Speak)
- Boomer (Cameo)
- Sherlock Hill (Cameo)
- Ferris (Flasback and Cameo)
- Victory (Does Not Speak and Flasback)
- Bard (Flashback and Cameo)
Cast[]
Trivia[]
- Ferrus makes his first appearance in Huxley's film.
- Stock footage from Public Enemy, Down The Drains, Going Haywire, Nightmares and The Mail Bag Snag is used.
Video[]
Crossed Lines- The Importance of Being Atlas