The Old Bridge

"Thank you. You were very brave to help me."

- Rheneas

The Old Bridge, ironically retitled The Old Iron Bridge in some American releases, is the fourth episode of the seventh season.

Plot
Skarloey and Rheneas love to puff along the narrow gauge railway. But an old wooden bridge has been damaged by a storm. Skarloey puffs across it and ends up derailing, dangling above the river beneath it. But Rheneas pulls him to safety.

A few days later, the Fat Controller tells the engines that the bridge has been mended. He also tells Skarloey to collect the worker's trucks that have been left there. He agrees, but he doesn't want to go on the bridge again.

Skarloey arrives and sees the trucks on the other side of the bridge. He remembers what happened before and stops halfway across. His driver tries to tell him that the bridge is safe, but Skarloey won't listen. So they leave without the trucks.

They arrive back at the sheds, and Rheneas' driver decides that he'll pick up the trucks instead. Rheneas warns Skarloey that the Fat Controller will be cross if he doesn't cross the bridge soon.

Now Rheneas has to take Skarloey's trucks as well as his own. He puffs across the bridge with his heavy train. Meanwhile the Fat Controller scolds Skarloey, and tells him to stay and shunt trucks until he will do as he is told.

The next morning, Rheneas takes his long train as usual, and puffs through the countryside towards the old bridge. But he puffs so hard that he runs out of water, halfway across the bridge. The yard manager tells Skarloey, who sets off to help him immediately.

Skarloey arrives and sees Rheneas stranded. He is very scared, but he bravely chuffs onto the bridge. It creaks and groans underneath him, but he finally reaches Rheneas and gets coupled up to him, and pulls Rheneas to safety.

Rheneas takes on water and tells Skarloey that he was very brave to help his friend. Now Skarloey is no longer afraid of crossing the bridge, and he loves his journeys more than ever.

Characters

 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Duncan (cameo)

Locations

 * Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds
 * Rheneas Viaduct
 * Sodor Castle
 * Valley View
 * Trestle Bridge

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the eleventh episode of the seventh season.
 * Stock footage from Dunkin Duncan is used.
 * Three slate trucks are seen on the riverbank under the bridge, which is considered by some to be a reference to Duncan Gets Spooked.
 * The plot is somewhat similar to the 1993 magazine story The Viaduct!.
 * When released on DVD in the US, this episode retained its UK title.

Goofs

 * When Skarloey leaves for the Old Bridge, Rheneas' eyes are wonky.
 * Skarloey is wobbling when Rheneas pulls him away from the bridge.
 * When Skarloey shunts coaches at the yard, his eyes look wonky.
 * Rheneas is wearing Skarloey's happy face when he is rescued.
 * When Skarloey takes Rheneas back, the trucks are in a different arrangement.
 * Skarloey and Rheneas continually change whistle sounds.
 * In most North American releases, this episode is called "The Old Iron Bridge", quite ironically, but the bridge is wooden, making the title misleading.
 * In a rare photo, when Skarloey has his accident on the bridge, he is wearing Duncan's eyes-shut face.

UK

 * Pulling Together!
 * The Complete Seventh Series

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Machines Co-Extract

US

 * Percy Saves the Day and Other Adventures

DVD Boxsets

 * Adventure On the Tracks

AUS

 * The Complete Fifth Series

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10

DK

 * Hip Hooray for Thomas and Other Stories

DVD Boxsets

 * Danish DVD Boxset (2008)

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 7 Vol.3
 * Let's Help Each Other, We Are Friends

TWN

 * Confident Brave Little Engine

MYS

 * Emily's New Coaches and Other Adventures

SWE

 * Hooray for Thomas!