Shiloh Valley Tails
Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2022 5:49 am
So, my second ever post here.
This is still a major, major work in progress, but I'm slowly nailing down the setting and characters. Set in the HPU, with somebody who got basically slung into this universe with some of his gear and vehicle (cliche, I know, but I've been trying to make it interesting as I write).
So, without further ado, here is some basic info on the setting, a major location, and a few characters!
Shiloh Valley:
A relatively quiet midwestern town in the United States, which had slowly been decreasing in population since the 50’s, the current mayor decided to try and cash in on the latest ‘Pet Friendly Community’ craze kicked off by the town of Babylon Gardens in the hopes of bringing more business and people to his dying town.
Once a major railroad town, many of the businesses that were once rail-served are now gone but their ghosts remain, the derelict shells of buildings and sidings, along with a semi-derelict rail yard that now mainly serves as a pass-through and overflow railcar storage area for BNSF. One of the few businesses original to the area that’s managed to cling on, if only by dint of the few remaining rail-served businesses (including the Clarkworth Brewery, Peltier’s Paper and Pulp, and Shiloh Cement) is the Shiloh Valley Railroad (SVR), a once large but now rather small operation consisting of a tiny section of their once fully utilized railyard, four very tired diesel-electric locomotives, and a museum located in the town’s former passenger depot. It is only by dint of luck, the yard storage rent paid by BNSF, and perhaps pity from local businesses that the railroad remains in business.
As part of the town’s new Pet Friendly branding, many local laws have been passed that allow pets a significant degree of freedom and near-equal status to humans, though some of the more cynical locals have noted that it’s also likely out of a desperate desire for any workforce influx into the area, human or animal. Despite the cynical saying that the gambit won’t pay off, it seems to be having some effect, as the town population has been slowly growing over the past few years since the new legislation was passed, and some minor business investment has started.
Town Locations:
Maple Grove Mall:
An originally failed attempt at revitalizing Shiloh Valley, this mall has finally bloomed and become the community hub it was meant to be when built in 1986. Beloved for it’s now ‘retro’ style almost unchanged from the original opening day, up to and including striking angular lines and loads of colorful neon, it has become a popular hangout spot for humans and pets alike.
Characters:
(Main)
Full Name: Johnathan Wienhurtz Winters
Nicknames: Usually goes by Jon instead of his full name, called Jon-Jon by his mother
Human Age: 32 DOB: August 1st, 1998
Pet Age: 20 pet years, or nearly 6 human years
Species: Dog (formerly human)
Breed: English Springer Spaniel (Liver coat, lankier field dog bodystyle, green eyes, and undocked tail)
Occupation: Railroad Engineer for the Hazzard County Railroad, has since become employed by the Shiloh Valley Railroad since ending up in this universe.
Basic Personality: A kind and for the most part friendly gentleman, Jon is courteous to most any person he meets. He is dedicated to his job on the railroad as an engineer and prides himself on having an excellent safety record. Though put slightly out of sorts by his jarring transition to a new world and species, he’s tried to remain positive about the situation, counting what he does still have left and what he can do to improve his lot. Usually speaks in an suburbanized Atlanta-style accent, but if emotional or annoyed tends to slip back into a deep southern drawl. Sometimes snarky.
Homeworld: Hazzard County, GA
(Secondary)
(Humans)
Melinda Thompson:
Parent to one of Jon’s friends, Jack the small black scottie dog, she met the engineer after her dog begged her on a day off to take him down back to the walking path by the railyard where he often greeted this English Springer on walks. A real estate agent who moved from Vermont, for new opportunities in a growing town but mostly for increased freedom for her beloved Jack, she is often quite busy and cherishes her free time with Jack. For times when she is busy, she pays Julia to walk Jack.
Julia Anders:
A young entrepreneur, Julia is 14 years old and has been walking pets for busy owners since she was 12. In addition to making quite a tidy sum doing so, she has grown to know and love almost all the pets in town. She’s well-known and gently mocked with some bemusement by the town’s pets for wearing a large dog mascot suit to promote her business.
Dr. Sandra Swana:
One of the few workers at Shiloh Valley’s small veterinary clinic, Dr. Swana is a kindly but stern older woman in her 60’s who knows most all of the pets in town along with many of the strays and wild animals who sometimes visit.
Timothy ‘Tim’ Johnson:
A freight conductor on the Shiloh Valley Railroad, Tim is a normally jovial and friendly man. Fit but of slightly larger frame, he can run ‘surprisingly fast for a man his size’ according to his coworkers and family.
An avid model railroader since childhood, Tim has a massive layout in his basement, a true-to-life depiction in HO scale of Shiloh Valley and the surrounding area with it’s railroad, set back during the SVR’s golden age of the 40’s and 50’s. A somewhat smaller layout in the other side of the basement is more whimsical in theme, which he made for his children to enjoy.
Happily married to his wife of 15 years, a woman by the name of Josephine ‘Josie’ Johnson (nee Smith), they have two children, both girls. There is 12-year-old Jo (named after her mother), and 14-year-old Jane.
On the railroad, Tim is Jon’s most constant companion in the cab of No. 874, and the two have become good friends. Among other things, Tim often invites Jon and Bella to family celebrations. Jon will sometimes, very rarely, tolerate Jo putting bows in his fur.
(Pets and other Animals)
Bella:
A Carolina Dog who was abandoned by her owner and forced to live as a feral, Bella was found wandering by the railroad tracks by Jon when he was on his way into the Shiloh Valley yard after arriving in the universe. He picked her up and the two have since become good platonic friends and share Jon's small caboose home.
Jack:
Melinda’s beloved black Scottish Terrier, Jack subverts the typical stereotype. Excitable and hyper, like his pet parent he speaks with a still very strong Vermont accent. Enthusiastic about trains of all types, he first met Jon when on a walk by the railyard where he excitedly noticed the new train parked there, including some rare cars and a very unique caboose.
Squeakers:
Julia’s brown pet rat, Squeakers often rides atop his owner’s shoulders or inside her mascot suit’s helmet (he’s got a trap door on top) while on walks to get fresh air. Major fan of comic books.
This is still a major, major work in progress, but I'm slowly nailing down the setting and characters. Set in the HPU, with somebody who got basically slung into this universe with some of his gear and vehicle (cliche, I know, but I've been trying to make it interesting as I write).
So, without further ado, here is some basic info on the setting, a major location, and a few characters!
Shiloh Valley:
A relatively quiet midwestern town in the United States, which had slowly been decreasing in population since the 50’s, the current mayor decided to try and cash in on the latest ‘Pet Friendly Community’ craze kicked off by the town of Babylon Gardens in the hopes of bringing more business and people to his dying town.
Once a major railroad town, many of the businesses that were once rail-served are now gone but their ghosts remain, the derelict shells of buildings and sidings, along with a semi-derelict rail yard that now mainly serves as a pass-through and overflow railcar storage area for BNSF. One of the few businesses original to the area that’s managed to cling on, if only by dint of the few remaining rail-served businesses (including the Clarkworth Brewery, Peltier’s Paper and Pulp, and Shiloh Cement) is the Shiloh Valley Railroad (SVR), a once large but now rather small operation consisting of a tiny section of their once fully utilized railyard, four very tired diesel-electric locomotives, and a museum located in the town’s former passenger depot. It is only by dint of luck, the yard storage rent paid by BNSF, and perhaps pity from local businesses that the railroad remains in business.
As part of the town’s new Pet Friendly branding, many local laws have been passed that allow pets a significant degree of freedom and near-equal status to humans, though some of the more cynical locals have noted that it’s also likely out of a desperate desire for any workforce influx into the area, human or animal. Despite the cynical saying that the gambit won’t pay off, it seems to be having some effect, as the town population has been slowly growing over the past few years since the new legislation was passed, and some minor business investment has started.
Town Locations:
Maple Grove Mall:
An originally failed attempt at revitalizing Shiloh Valley, this mall has finally bloomed and become the community hub it was meant to be when built in 1986. Beloved for it’s now ‘retro’ style almost unchanged from the original opening day, up to and including striking angular lines and loads of colorful neon, it has become a popular hangout spot for humans and pets alike.
Characters:
(Main)
Full Name: Johnathan Wienhurtz Winters
Nicknames: Usually goes by Jon instead of his full name, called Jon-Jon by his mother
Human Age: 32 DOB: August 1st, 1998
Pet Age: 20 pet years, or nearly 6 human years
Species: Dog (formerly human)
Breed: English Springer Spaniel (Liver coat, lankier field dog bodystyle, green eyes, and undocked tail)
Occupation: Railroad Engineer for the Hazzard County Railroad, has since become employed by the Shiloh Valley Railroad since ending up in this universe.
Basic Personality: A kind and for the most part friendly gentleman, Jon is courteous to most any person he meets. He is dedicated to his job on the railroad as an engineer and prides himself on having an excellent safety record. Though put slightly out of sorts by his jarring transition to a new world and species, he’s tried to remain positive about the situation, counting what he does still have left and what he can do to improve his lot. Usually speaks in an suburbanized Atlanta-style accent, but if emotional or annoyed tends to slip back into a deep southern drawl. Sometimes snarky.
Homeworld: Hazzard County, GA
(Secondary)
(Humans)
Melinda Thompson:
Parent to one of Jon’s friends, Jack the small black scottie dog, she met the engineer after her dog begged her on a day off to take him down back to the walking path by the railyard where he often greeted this English Springer on walks. A real estate agent who moved from Vermont, for new opportunities in a growing town but mostly for increased freedom for her beloved Jack, she is often quite busy and cherishes her free time with Jack. For times when she is busy, she pays Julia to walk Jack.
Julia Anders:
A young entrepreneur, Julia is 14 years old and has been walking pets for busy owners since she was 12. In addition to making quite a tidy sum doing so, she has grown to know and love almost all the pets in town. She’s well-known and gently mocked with some bemusement by the town’s pets for wearing a large dog mascot suit to promote her business.
Dr. Sandra Swana:
One of the few workers at Shiloh Valley’s small veterinary clinic, Dr. Swana is a kindly but stern older woman in her 60’s who knows most all of the pets in town along with many of the strays and wild animals who sometimes visit.
Timothy ‘Tim’ Johnson:
A freight conductor on the Shiloh Valley Railroad, Tim is a normally jovial and friendly man. Fit but of slightly larger frame, he can run ‘surprisingly fast for a man his size’ according to his coworkers and family.
An avid model railroader since childhood, Tim has a massive layout in his basement, a true-to-life depiction in HO scale of Shiloh Valley and the surrounding area with it’s railroad, set back during the SVR’s golden age of the 40’s and 50’s. A somewhat smaller layout in the other side of the basement is more whimsical in theme, which he made for his children to enjoy.
Happily married to his wife of 15 years, a woman by the name of Josephine ‘Josie’ Johnson (nee Smith), they have two children, both girls. There is 12-year-old Jo (named after her mother), and 14-year-old Jane.
On the railroad, Tim is Jon’s most constant companion in the cab of No. 874, and the two have become good friends. Among other things, Tim often invites Jon and Bella to family celebrations. Jon will sometimes, very rarely, tolerate Jo putting bows in his fur.
(Pets and other Animals)
Bella:
A Carolina Dog who was abandoned by her owner and forced to live as a feral, Bella was found wandering by the railroad tracks by Jon when he was on his way into the Shiloh Valley yard after arriving in the universe. He picked her up and the two have since become good platonic friends and share Jon's small caboose home.
Jack:
Melinda’s beloved black Scottish Terrier, Jack subverts the typical stereotype. Excitable and hyper, like his pet parent he speaks with a still very strong Vermont accent. Enthusiastic about trains of all types, he first met Jon when on a walk by the railyard where he excitedly noticed the new train parked there, including some rare cars and a very unique caboose.
Squeakers:
Julia’s brown pet rat, Squeakers often rides atop his owner’s shoulders or inside her mascot suit’s helmet (he’s got a trap door on top) while on walks to get fresh air. Major fan of comic books.