Skarloey

"So ye're bound for the Wee Railway. Ye must put some order into those trucks. The havers they make, ye'd hairdly believe."

- Neil, Very Old Engines

    Skarloey    Skarloey, a narrow gauge saddletank engine, is the oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway. Talyllyn from the Talyllyn Railway is his twin, and Rheneas is his brother.
 * Number: 1
 * Built: 1864
 * Builder: Fletcher, Jennings and Co.
 * Configuration: 0-4-2ST, originally 0-4-0ST
 * Arrived on Sodor: 1865

Bio in the Railway Series
Skarloey was built at Fletcher, Jennings, and Co., Whitehaven in 1864 as a 0-4-0ST with no cab, which caused him to bounce a lot, alongside his twin, Talyllyn. He was the first engine to arrive on the newly developed Skarloey Railway in 1865. His young antics proved bothersome but he soon matured when he received his cab and trailing wheels.

Skarloey was put aside in 1945, fit for steam only in extreme emergency. On one such occasion, he damaged his springs whilst bringing home Sir Handel's train, resulting in a receiving a well-needed overhaul.

Since returning to service, he has been very much a voice of reason on the Skarloey Railway: he was responsible for Sir Handel's comeuppance when the latter became boastful about his new wheels, and changed Duncan's views about passengers by telling him about the time when Rheneas saved the Railway.

At the celebrations for his and Rheneas' 100th birthday, he collected the Duke of Sodor (much to Peter Sam's confusion) and took him around the new loop line.

He later attended Ivo Hugh's naming ceremony.

Bio in the television series
When Skarloey first appeared in the fourth season, he had not worked in some time, but soon proved his worth once more. Since then, he has been a dedicated worker and a very wise engine. However, from the seventh to twelfth seasons, Skarloey has acted like a very young engine and has tried to prove his bravery by getting hauled up the winch on the incline and by having a race with Rheneas and Freddie. He has also acted timid, being scared of an old wooden bridge, the wharf, and storms. In Blue Mountain Mystery, he becomes the respected leader of Blue Mountain Quarry. While he is kind-hearted, he does not stand any nonsense.

Persona
Skarloey is the sage of the Skarloey Railway and is an old, faithful little engine. Although once full of enthusiasm and his own ideas in his youth, Skarloey is now one of the oldest engines on the Island. He is a calm-natured, quaint, and mature engine and may often try to guide or watch over less experienced narrow gauge engines in his firm but fair and friendly manner. He acts kindly to engines and passengers alike and always enjoys a gentle, smooth journey through the woods by the lakeside and stopping at all the gates and stiles he remembers so well.

Basis
Skarloey is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Talyllyn.

Livery
In the Railway Series, Skarloey is painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery and blue-and-yellow lining with his name painted in gold on his saddletank, and a brass dome. In the television series, Skarloey is painted crimson red with white and gold lining.

Appearances
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Railway Series

 * Four Little Engines
 * The Little Old Engine
 * Gallant Old Engine
 * Mountain Engines
 * Very Old Engines
 * Duke the Lost Engine
 * Great Little Engines
 * New Little Engine

Television series

 * Season 4 - Granpuff (cameo), Sleeping Beauty (cameo), Four Little Engines, A Bad Day for Sir Handel (does not speak), Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady, Home at Last, Rock 'n' Roll, Special Funnel (cameo), Steam Roller, Passengers and Polish, Gallant Old Engine, Rusty to the Rescue (cameo), Bowled Out (cameo), and Fish (cameo)
 * Season 5 - Bye George!, Toby's Discovery (cameo), Make Someone Happy (cameo), Duncan Gets Spooked (does not speak), Snow, and Rusty and the Boulder
 * Season 6 - Dunkin Duncan, Rusty Saves the Day, and Faulty Whistles (does not speak in US version)
 * Season 7 - The Old Bridge, Edward's Brass Band (cameo), James and the Queen of Sodor (cameo), The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop, Rheneas and the Roller Coaster (cameo), The Runaway Elephant, Harold and the Flying Horse (cameo), The Grand Opening, and Trusty Rusty
 * Season 9 - Mighty Mac (cameo), Tuneful Toots, Rheneas and the Dinosaur, The Magic Lamp, and Skarloey the Brave
 * Season 10 - Follow that Flour (cameo), Duncan Drops a Clanger, Thomas' Tricky Tree, Fearless Freddie, Which Way Now? (cameo), Wharf and Peace, Duncan's Bluff (cameo), Missing Trucks, and Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out
 * Season 11 - Thomas and the Big Bang (does not speak), Duncan Does it All, Sir Handel in Charge (cameo), Cool Truckings (cameo), Skarloey Storms Through, and Wash Behind Your Buffers
 * Season 12 - Mountain Marvel (cameo), The Party Surprise (cameo), Duncan and the Hot Air Balloon (cameo), The Man in the Hills, and Push Me, Pull You
 * Season 16 - Don't Bother Victor! and The Christmas Tree Express
 * Season 17 - Luke's New Friend, The Switch (cameo), and Gone Fishing (cameo)
 * Season 18 - Disappearing Diesels, Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger, Duncan the Humbug, and Long Lost Friend (cameo)

Specials:
 * The Great Discovery (does not speak)
 * Blue Mountain Mystery
 * King of the Railway

Magazine story

 * 1997 - Duncan
 * 1998 - Too-Wit Too-Woo!
 * 2000 - Creepy Cutting!
 * 2001 - The Eyesight Test (mentioned), A Special Story About Skarloey, and High and Dry
 * 2002 - Big Ideas!
 * 2004 - The Grand Opening
 * 2006 - Rheneas and the Dinosaur and Splendid Sight (cameo)
 * 2007 - Big Day Out, Cliff Ride (does not speak), and Uphill and Down (cameo)
 * 2008 - Wash Behind Your Buffers!
 * 2009 - Thomas and the Big Bang (cameo)
 * 2010 - Big Ideas
 * 2011 - Flight Sight
 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery (cameo)
 * 2013 - Don't Bother Victor! (speaks in speech bubble only) and Christmas Tree Express (mentioned'')

Skarloey also appeared in the magazine stories, Duncan Gets Upset, Hello, Skarloey!, Mountains and Mess!, Musical Duncan, Rock Climbing, Rusty's Plan, Silly Skarloey, Size Wise, Skarloey and Santa, Sky High!, Smoke Signals, The Balloon Race, The Colourful Engine, and The Magic Spell. }}

Voice Actors

 * Keith Wickham (UK/US; sixteenth season onwards)
 * Tomohisa Asō (Japan; fourth-seventh seasons)
 * Hideyuki Umezu (Japan; ninth season onwards)
 * Jens Wendland (Germany)
 * Jacek Król (Poland)
 * Sigbjørn Solheim (Norway; sixteenth and seventeenth season, excluding King of the Railway)
 * Simen Sand (Norway; Blue Mountain Mystery onwards, excluding the sixteenth and seventeenth season)

Trivia

 * His name means "Lake in the Woods" in Sudric.
 * Skarloey's name on the Japanese Thomas website is backwards.
 * Skarloey's large scale model was used as The Ghost Engine in Duncan Gets Spooked.
 * Skarloey has gone through many modifications through the TV Series. These include:
 * Season 5:
 * Cab handrails disappeared (large scale model only)
 * His buffers became silver as opposed to grey.
 * Season 6:
 * The brass ring around his funnel and his buffers were painted black.
 * Season 9:
 * A permanent tail lamp was added.
 * Season 16:
 * Accurate bufferbeam to his basis.
 * His boiler was painted black instead of red.
 * Handrails across the top of his smokebox and saddle tank like as it was in The Railway Series.
 * His cab handrails returned, but now gold instead of red.
 * Sanding gear.
 * Black siderod guards.
 * Extra lining on his cab.
 * Footsteps underneath his cab.
 * The Reverend W. Awdry's model of Skarloey is currently on display at the Narrow Gauge Museum in Tywyn.

Quotes

 * As the men at the Works could not mend him at once, Edward ask them to put him on a siding close to Skarloey. Skarloey was pleased to see Edward.
 * "The Owner has just bought two more engines," he said. "He told me I was a very old engine, and deserved a good rest. He gave me this shed so that I could see everything and not be lonely. But I'am lonely all the same," he continued sadly. "I miss Rheneas very much. Yesterday one of the new engines pushed him onto a truck, and now he's gone to be mended. I wish I could be mended too, and pull coaches again."

- Skarloey talking to Edward, "Skarloey Remembers", "Four Little Engines"


 * "You were right, Sir," said Skarloey to the Owner, that evening. "Old engines can't pull trains like the young ones can!"
 * The Owner smiled. "They can if they're mended, Old Faithful," he said. "And that's what will happen to you, you deserve it!"

- Skarloey and the Owner, "Old Faithful", "Four Little Engines"


 * "I'm ashamed of you, Duncan," said Skarloey. "You should think of your passengers!"
 * "Passengers are just nuisances, there always complaining!"
 * Skarloey was shocked. "That's no way to talk," he said. "Passengers are our coal and water. No passengers means no trains. No trains means no railway. And then we'd be on the scrapheap, my engine, and don't you forget it! Thank goodness Rheneas is coming home soon. Perhaps he'll teach you some sense before its too late!"

- Skarloey lecturing Duncan about passengers, "The Gallant Old Engine", "Gallant Old Engine"


 * "Such a handsome engine," they twitted. "Six wheels and a cab, so distinguished my dears! Its a pleasure to see him."

- Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice, "Stick-in-the-Mud", "Very Old Engines"

Merchandise

 * ERTL (metallic and regular; discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (reintroduced)
 * Bandai (several versions; discontinued)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)
 * Take-Along (discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play
 * Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
 * TrackMaster (normal, Push Me, Pull You, and Skarloey Storms Through)
 * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
 * Brio (discontinued)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)
 * Nakayoshi (discontinued)
 * Wind-up (regular and metallic)
 * Departing Now