A/N Another Tales OC's backstory. Given Duke's basis being a tank-tender engine, you can imagine Joshua with a tender or not. With my replacement OCs like Joshua, they're the same size, sort of as the one they replaced. A smaller tender engine will be replaced with either that or a similar sized diesel, as a bigger tender engine will be replaced with either the same or a diesel their size or a tank engine replaced by a tank engine or smaller diesel.
I'm Joshua and this is my story. I wanted to come here because diesels were taking over at The Other Railway, where I come from. I said, "I want to be sold.". I was then bought by the controller of the Skarloey Railway, this place. Now, I work hard on this railway, because the engines here on Sodor told me I've got to be a Really Useful Engine. I was always the leader among my old friends and I'm loyal, logical and realistic and I want to be an important member of my new railway.
Some of the engines on this railway bother me. Like Charity, who's a dreadful cry-engine. Peter Sam and some of the others are just really silly, but I like Bertram, Duncan, Sir Handel, Ivo Hugh and Mighty Mac for steam engines. I also like Rusty and Fred, the diesels. Some of the ones I find silly are too dreamy and idealistc for me and Freddie, I just don't get because he thought I was mean to him, so he cried his eyes out. I've also met some standard-gauge engines or heard about them from Thomas, a friend to the engines here. He's a friendly engine, but he's also quite cheeky, based on the way he smiles. Their railway's tracks come where my railway's tracks are at various places, like the Steamworks. I had to go there on arrival, to be inspected after my journey.
Mostly, I like Sodor. Other than the silly engines, that is. I've got feelings, I admit, but I want to be seen as dependable and practical much more than emotional. I want to help my friends when they need it, so I let them know they can depend on me and then I give them advice, to cheer them up. Because I don't want to be seen as weak or be judged and put down, I hold back my feelings, when I can. I remember the first time I reached the point of not being able to hold my feelings anymore. Driver at the time, my first driver, told me he was safe to cry to and that I could trust him, because he knew how bad I felt then. He assured me I could rely on his empathy and support and dried my tears with a cloth as I cried a litte. I struggle with expressing my emotions, but I feel them deeply, though I prefer to be strong. Someone told me about machine empathy once, so I wonder if our drivers are required to have it. I know my drivers, past and present, that is, did and do care about me. Even if I don't shed that many tears, I still need someone to allow me to feel, as my old driver said once.
A/N Machine empathy's on TvTropes. Joshua heard the phrase, but it wasn't defined by the person, so he thinks it means his driver's compassion for him when he feels bad.