| “ | What are you afriad of? | „ |
| ~ Dane's signature phrase. |
| “ | Revenge… or peace. I will have one or the other. And now, Hawin, the choice is yours. Either do the right thing or don’t, and continue to watch these engines suffer. | „ |
| ~ Dane giving Hawin a choice. |
Engine No. 1020, better known as Dane, is the overarching antagonist of The Blue Snowplow's Thomas & Friends horror series The Horrors of Hawin Lake. Based on a minor character from The Railway Series, Dane is a ghost mixed-traffic tender engine who, prior to the events of the story, worked on the Peel Godred Branch Line and was good friends with Hawin, the titular main protagonist of the series who is a little blue tank engine that also worked on the line. However, after a fatal accident that claims his life, Dane now vows to take revenge on those he feels had wronged him in his life, especially Hawin, whom he blames for his accident.
He is voiced by MainlandStudios and jje09.
Personality[]
In life, Dane was a generally kind and contented engine who was eager to work hard for the railway, especially his branch line. Occasionally, however, he would express a slightly negative attitude towards minimal tasks, such as shunting. Despite this, Dane always strived to be a really useful engine, and often confided in Hawin, who was most likely his best and closest friend. After dying in his accident and becoming a spirit, any sign of who Dane used to be had completely vanished, for he had become bitter towards the railway for supposedly neglecting him, and angry at Hawin for seemingly causing his accident.
Technical Details[]
Dane's basis
Basis[]
Dane is based on a Great Eastern Railway Class Y14 0-6-0 mixed-traffic tender engine, otherwise known as the J15. A total of 289 examples of the engine were built between 1883 and 1913. Between 1922 and 1962, the J15s were gradually withdrawn from service, and eventually, all but one were scrapped. The last surviving J15, Number 564/7564/65462, has been preserved and now works on the North Norfolk Heritage Railway.
Livery[]
1020 is painted primarily in black. He has his number painted in yellow on the sides of his cab, and he also has the LNER initials painted on his tender, also in yellow. In his post-accident spirit form, Dane's physical appearance is overgrown with moss and rust from the lake.
History[]
Part IV: The Chilling Cutting[]
Dane first appears in the penultimate episode, in which he summons himself on the Skarloey Railway, specifically the cutting line that Rusty is working on. Nervous, but trying not to panic, Rusty introduces themselves in a polite-but-shivering manner. After observing the little diesel for a moment or two, noting that they appear "different" from "the others," Dane tries to persuade Rusty into confessing their greatest fear, and then proceeds to talk about his misfortune. He tells Rusty that he had died in an accident many years ago, and that he is planning to get "justice" on those he deems responsible for his demise. Dane eventually ends the conversation by again asking Rusty what they are afraid of, and then gives them a scare by tilting his face and having it jump out at them before vanishing into thin air while laughing maniacally. Rusty, mentally disturbed by the incident, repeats the question to themselves as they leave the cutting.
Part V: Railspin Splitcase[]
The fifth and final episode of the series opens with a flashback, where Dane is shown to be puffing out of the sheds at the branch line, getting ready to start another day of work. He initially appears very content, observing his surroundings with a smile on his face. But after striking up a conversation with Hawin, he enters a dull mood at the reminder that he is only shunting for the day. Feeling sorry for Dane, Hawin offers to let him take his train. Dane is hesitant, explaining his fears about the fate of the railway, with Neil gone, the Railway Board cutting the line's funding for newer, more modern developments, and even the fear that he will be put out of service due to his old age. Hawin tries his best to cheer Dane up, and further insists that he take his train by pretending to be ill. Eventually, Dane agrees, while also holding to Hawin's promise of always being there for him.
After the flashback, the story cuts back to the present, where we see Dane's spirit stalking Hawin, who is travelling along the old line, seeking shelter for the night. Later, he appears at the old station by the lake and confronts Hawin, pressuring him to remember the day of his accident. After intense interrogation, and with more flashbacks, it is revealed that Hawin noticed a pair of jammed points that led into a dead-end track into the lake, and neglected to tell anyone, causing a runaway Dane to roll over the switches, crash into the lake and drown. Ever since, Dane has been haunting the railway as revenge. He tells Hawin that he will not stop until Hawin does "the right thing."
At the quarry, Thumper is feeling down about his somewhat poor performance. Dane uses this as leverage to get inside Thumper's head and brainwash him into grinding the rock more aggressively. By the next morning, Dane has possessed Thumper, and makes him pound the cliffside so hard, it causes Boulder to start breaking loose. The workmen quickly jump to shut Thumper off to prevent more damage, but it is too late, for Dane had already entered Boulder's body. Rusty then encounters Dane in his rock-form, and they are hypnotized into a nightmare sequence that begins with them looking into a mirror, seeing a monstrous version of themselves, created by Dane. The reflection charges at Rusty and transports them to the next segment of the mind game, which takes place on a turntable inside a circus tent. Each track leads to a numbered door which, upon being opened and looked into, represents the fears and terrors of each engine, such as James' (Door 5) accident with the trucks, Percy (Door 6) getting caught in the mine collapse, Stepney's fear of being scrapped, and various others. Eventually, the turntable stops at Rusty's door, and they are dragged inside, indicating that Rusty's nightmares are about to come true.
Rusty then snaps back to reality, just in time to see Boulder land right in front of them and start to roll along the line after them. Under Dane's influence, Boulder chases after Rusty, unsuccessfully trying to kill them, and ends up destroying the quarry work in the process. In the aftermath of the destruction, and after Edward arrives to help with cleanup efforts, Hawin also arrives and further elaborates on the revelations from before. It is at this moment when Hawin reveals that the only way to make Dane stop is if he were to sacrifice his life as "retribution" for causing Dane's accident. The group of friends, including Old Bailey, Rusty, and the others, are reluctant at first, but eventually agree when Hawin persists. They take Hawin to the river, place him on a raft, and send him drifting downstream.
As he floats along the river, Hawin encounters Dane once more, this time in the form of a giant. Hawin desperately pleads with Dane to stop torturing the innocent engines that had nothing to do with Dane or his fate, and even apologizes remorsefully for his own responsibility. Dane is initially hesitant, feeling that Hawin is acting desperate and not sorry when he "caused" Dane's death, but rather only sorry that he was found out. Feeling defeated and having lost all hope in finding a more pleasant solution, Hawin tells Dane that he has accepted his position and is willing to give up his life in exchange for Dane's spirit to be appeased. Dane accepts Hawin's sacrifice, and he disappears before Hawin floats over the waterfall, plunging to his death.
The railway is deeply affected by Dane's reign of terror. Sir Topham Hatt ends up permanently closing the quarry, having been deemed beyond repair by Boulder's damage. Boulder is moved to a hill, and Rusty sometimes feels that the rock gazes up at the mountains to where it once stood. Most days, however, Rusty feels nothing at all. From that time on, Dane's ghost is never seen or heard from again.
Appearances[]
- Part IV: The Chilling Cutting
- Part V: Railspin Splitcase
Gallery[]
_Image_2.jpg "1020 (Dane) Image 2.jpg (47 KB)")
.webp "1020 (Dane).webp (26 KB)")
Trivia[]
- In this continuity, Dane is part of the namesake of Killdane, the town and station on Sodor, which is an eerie connection due to the fact that Dane was killed in his accident.
- The secondary antagonist the series, Owl, is supposedly affiliated with Dane; although they are never seen together, the Owl can be seen in Dane's mind game sequence for Rusty in Railspin Splitcase, implying that both antagonists are connected somehow.
- 1020 is based on an unnamed minor character from the RWS story "Toby's Seaside Holiday" from the Christopher Awdry book Toby, Trucks and Trouble.
- In a fan-made entry, titled "Part 3.5: Flawed Perfections," a prequel taking place between episodes three and four, by YouTuber Railfan #1, Dane is encountered by Duncan.
- Due to his motive of preventing progress on projects taking place in the previously undisturbed natural areas where his line once was, Dane could possibly qualify as an eco-terrorist.
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Sodor Fallout Victor Tanzig Trampy Five Nights at Smudger's Five Nights at Thomas's Forest Horrors Tobias and the Sentinels Thomas Blows His Stack The Horrors of Hawin Lake Perseus Films Others | ||