Sir Handel

"We're much to smart for this old shack!"

Sir Handel, A Bad Day for Sir Handel, Fourth season

    Sir Handel  Sir Handel, named after the Skarloey Railway's first owner, Sir Handel Brown I - but previously Falcon, after the works where he was made - is a narrow gauge engine.
 * Number: 3

Bio in the Railway Series
Falcon was built in 1903 at Falcon Works, Loughborough for the Mid Sodor Railway. When the line closed in 1947, he and Stuart were sold to the aluminium works at Peel Godred for an expansion project. They were sheeted at the project's close for almost a year, then both were purchased for a total of fifty pounds by the Skarloey Railway and renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.

Sir Handel did not cope well with the worn track on the railway and would often derail - sometimes deliberately. He was given a pair of special wheels with broad tyres to cure this problem, dubbed "steamroller wheels" by the other engines.

In 1984, Sir Handel visited the Talyllyn Railway to help while Talyllyn was being mended. Sir Handel had plenty of adventures there, like pulling a wedding train and having to don an eyepatch after colliding with a tree at Nant Gwernol.

When Peter Sam was brought back from the Talyllyn Railway early during a visit in 1993 Sir Handel became jealous and as a protest deliberately knocked out his firebars. He was sent to the shed and began to fear that he would never come out after weeks went by and no one came to see him. When the Thin Controller came in one day Sir Handel confessed and asked for a second chance. Sir Handel got his firebars later that day - no one bothered to tell him that they had only just arrived.

Bio in the television series
Sir Handel was introduced in the fourth season episode "Granpuff". He and Stuart lived with Duke until their line was closed and they were bought by the Skarloey Railway and were renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively.

Upon arriving, Sir Handel had many adventures. He was derailed by his own coaches when he stopped too quickly in front of some sheep. Sir Handel was also very pompous and refused to do his job well, so he was sent to the sheds for a while to repent. After coming back out, he got into a fight with George the steamroller, which ended in a race with George smashing Sir Handel's trucks.

Sir Handel didn't reappear until the tenth season, his absence explained by saying he worked in the stone quarry all summer. When he returned, he had a much different attitude. He did his jobs without complaining, and had trouble getting up hills. He is also wiser in most situations, but in some cases he is still pompous.

Persona
Sir Handel was at first pompous and arrogant, and often got in trouble with the coaches for calling them "cattle trucks". Sir Handel learnt his lesson, and although he is still pompous and a bit of a schemer he knows how to do things right.

Appearances
Sir Handel's Railway Series appearances are listed below:


 * "Four Little Engines"
 * "The Little Old Engine"
 * "Gallant Old Engine"
 * "Mountain Engines"
 * "Very Old Engines" (non-speaking role)
 * "Duke the Lost Engine"
 * "Great Little Engines"
 * "New Little Engine"

In the television series, Sir Handel appeared in the fourth, tenth and eleventh seasons.

Basis
Sir Handel is based on the Talyllyn Railway's "Sir Haydn".

Livery
In the Railway Series, Sir Handel is painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery and blue/purple lining with his name in gold on his saddletank. In the television series, he is painted dark blue livery and red lining with his name in gold on his saddletank.