Skarloey Railway



The Skarloey Railway is a narrow gauge railway which runs from the North Western Railway's station at Crovan's Gate to Skarloey. Beyond Skarloey, the line continues to a slate quarry. The railway is owned by Sir Handel Brown and is currently run by Mr. Roger Sam, son of the previous controller, Mr. Peter Sam. The line was inspired by and based on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales, where the Reverend W. Awdry worked as a guard in the 1950s.

In 1806, a plate way utilising gravity running from Ward Fell to Balladswail and connecting with the Sodor and Mainland Railway was opened. Following the modernisation of the Festiniog Railway in 1863, James Spooner was hired to plot a trackbed for a narrow gauge line. It was also planned to develop passenger traffic for tourists travelling to the springs at Skarloey, where there would be hotels and guest houses. Two steam engines were ordered from Fletcher Jennings and Co., and carriages from Brown Marshall.

The numbers of summer visitors dropped after signs of their copper traffic declining, but when slate was found a new source of traffic arose. After World War II, however, hard times had come and the mines had become ammunition dumps. Fortunately, tourist traffic increased after the discovery of the Book of Sir Harold at Ulfstead Castle, which revealed that Skarloey was his secret sanctuary, with archaeological evidence proving so. The railway was then able to purchase two disused engines from the aluminium works at Peel Godred for a total of fifty pounds.

In 1965, a loop line around Skarloey lake was opened to celebrate the centenary of the railway.

The railway was the setting of the Railway Series books "Four Little Engines", "The Little Old Engine", "Gallant Old Engine", "Very Old Engines", "Great Little Engines" and "New Little Engine". It also appeared in "Mountain Engines" and "Duke the Lost Engine".

The Skarloey Railway was one of the few railways that made it into the television series. It was introduced in the fourth season, and has appeared in all the following seasons, except the eighth season.

Locomotives in service

 * Skarloey (1)
 * Rheneas (2)
 * Sir Handel (3)
 * Peter Sam (4)
 * Rusty (5)
 * Duncan (6)
 * Ivo Hugh (7)
 * Duke (8, originally 1)
 * Fred (9)

Additional locomotives in service in the television series

 * Freddie (7 [Note: in the television series Ivo Hugh has not been introduced])
 * Bertram
 * Mighty Mac