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.
 * 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. 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. In the television series, Skarloey is painted 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, 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), Rusty and the Boulder, and Snow
 * 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)

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

Magazine story
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 * 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!
 * 2006 - Splendid Sight (cameo)
 * 2007 - 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'')

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)
 * Simen Sand (Norway; Blue Mountain Mystery onwards)

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.
 * After the fifth season, the brass ring around the top of his funnel disappeared.
 * Since the ninth season, Skarloey has had a tail lamp.
 * From the sixteenth season onwards, Skarloey has a handrail across the top of his smokebox, just as he does in the Railway Series.

Quotes

 * "You were right, Sir, old engines can't pull trains like young ones."
 * "They can if they're mended, Old Faithful, and that's what will happen to you, you deserve it."

- Skarloey and the Owner, "Four Little 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)