So I said in the intro that I'd tried to make it historically plausible, and true to the series; The Sons of Anarchy. Making it true to the series was surprisingly easy. The man behind the series, Kurt Sutter developed and directed it, wrote many of the episodes, and even played one of the characters (Big Otto) He provided a consistent timeline, backstory and many, many interesting characters. I've never written fanfic before, but if I was going to again, I think Sons of Anarchy would be my choice for it!

Anyway, for the benefit of those who are not familiar with SoA, here are some relevant points:

At the end of Season 2 Jax's baby son, Abel, is kidnapped and taken to Ireland by 'True IRA' member Cameron, who is the cousin of Father Kellan Ashby. In Season 3 Jax, along with Clay, Chibbs, Happy, Juice and Opie travel to Ireland to track him down. We discover a number of links between Jax's Motorcycle Club (SAMCRO), the Unionist Cause in Northern Ireland and the Belfast chapter of the Sons of Anarchy (SAMBEL).

The series is the story of Jax Teller, who's father, John Teller, was killed when Jax was very young. His mother, Gemma, remarried Clay Morrow, Teller's best friend, who became president of SAMCRO on Teller's death. Early in the series Jax discovers a manuscript written by his father before he died. In the manuscript John Teller describes how his original vision and ideals for the motorcycle club have been lost over the years, and that the outlawing that they engaged in in order survive has taken over the club. Much of the series is given over to Jax's struggle with his own conscience; his will to follow what he read in his father's manuscript against the day to day reality of dealing with life as part of a violent outlaw organisation. In particular, his step father, Clay, is ruthless and manipulative, and determined to use violence to solve his problems. And his mother, Gemma, who believes in the Club, and will stop at nothing to keep Jax and her grandchildren from leaving. In Season 4 we learn that John Teller did not die in an accident, but was killed by Gemma and Clay, who did not agree with John's vision of a peaceful Club.

The Great Train Robbery had links with Northern Ireland in that the inside information and much of the planning of the Robbery was carried out by a man known only as 'The Ulsterman'. Recently, one of the original gang members revealed the identity of The Ulsterman, (although his family claim there was nothing about his rather ordinary life that would back this up). 

Of the 20 or so individuals involved in the Robbery, two who were at the scene were never formally identified. Those who spent years investigating the crime believed they knew who they were, but I feel there's a little bit of wiggle room here as well.

Many years ago I read a book about the Great Train Robbery. It was interesting reading about the planning and the execution of the Robbery, but something in particular stood out for me: The gang were determined they would not use violence. This may have been out of honour, but no doubt it was also an insurance against receiving long prison sentences if caught (since armed robbery was considered a far more serious crime). Therefore the account of John Mills, the train driver, seemed to me wholly inconsistent and illogical. He claimed that he was beaten around the head with an iron bar because he refused to move the train, and subsequently suffered headaches that meant he could no longer work. He was given early retirement and treated as a hero. 

It seemed to me that, besides the gang's decision to avoid violence, if you wanted to force someone to drive a train against their will, the last thing you would do is beat them over the head with an iron bar! Bear in mind that the plan was highly time-critical - so how hard do you hit someone over the head? Too hard and they will be physically unable to function. So it seemed to me that if Mills had wanted to be a hero, the easiest thing to do would be to start the train moving, but refuse to stop it (okay, that might require some quick thinking). But most of all, if the gang wanted to make him cooperate, using violence, they would surely have avoided hitting his head, (or his arms and hands of course). Or better still, threaten to hurt his Fireman; a young lad whom one would expect Mills would feel some responsibility for and do as the gang say rather than see the boy beaten with an iron bar.

So, this is an aspect of the historical account that I chose to change, having instead Mills sustain his injury by accident, and Jax persuade him to cooperate by being smart, without violence, which is something he does frequently in the series.

The time travel aspect of the story also involved a happy coincidence; I chose a physics lab at Stanford for the scene where Jax travels back in time. It occurred to me that I'd better just check that the building did, in fact, exist in 1963. It turns out the building was opened that year! Which allowed me to invent the basement with the vacuum chamber, which was never commissioned and hence forgotten about, existing undisturbed since the day it was installed. And at least part of the problem with time travel could be addressed that way...

The story is about Jax allowing his curiosity to lead him travelling back in time. But having done so he takes the opportunity to meet his father. Their adventures in the setting of the Robbery lead to them influencing each other. 

Jax realises his father was not weak, and a coward, as Gemma and Clay had led him to believe. Instead he realises that before SAMCRO, and before his experiences in Vietnam, his father was basically a good man. He was conflicted; searching his own conscience to justify the bad things that he had done, against his deep-held beliefs in brotherhood, responsibility and respect for others.

At the same time his father, as a young man, is influenced by Jax. Jax diffuses the fight in the pub without anyone being seriously hurt. He prevents the gang from hurting the Train Driver, and persuades him to cooperate. He discusses the ideas he read in John's manuscript, leading to the paradox that perhaps his father got some of the ideas for his manuscript from Jax in the first place!

By the end of their meeting, John realises who Jax is, saying 'Do I write a book?' With Jax replying that he did, and it changed his life.

It was tempting to write the whole thing starting with the Train Robbers, with one of them being Jax Teller. I don't know if I made the right decision to do it this way. There's not much of the Robbery itself in the story, and a lot of that is just a backdrop for John and Jax. So I don't know if I've done the prompt justice in that respect. 

However, it was much more interesting for me, especially given the way the two aspects of the prompt already meshed, to make it more of a fanfic; true to the series, and historically accurate as far as possible.

A subsequent note!!

Having gone without sleep to get this in on time, I just read back over the prompt. It says '...in a manner different to that which happened in reality...'

Well then, like the mermaid that chatted to the Irishman on the sea shore, I'm fucked!

Still, it was great fun writing this, and I'm proud of the detail, and the research effort I put in, if not the story itself!!!