The Old Bridge

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

- Rheneas

The Old Bridge, retitled The Old Iron Bridge in some 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. One day, Skarloey is enjoying his journey and when he puffs across the bridge he ends up on the broken beam (which he does not see until the last second) and dangles precariously above the river. 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 is afraid to go on the bridge again. Skarloey arrives and sees the trucks on the other side of the bridge. He becomes afraid and remembers what happened before and stops halfway across. His driver tries to tell him that the bridge is safe, but Skarloey refuses to listen. So they leave without the trucks. They arrive back at the sheds and Rheneas' driver decides that he will pick up the trucks instead. Rheneas warns Skarloey that the Fat Controller will be cross if he does not 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 for not doing as told 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 while halfway across the bridge, he soon runs out of water. The yard manager tells Skarloey, who sets off to help him immediately. Skarloey arrives and sees Rheneas stranded. He is very scared, but he is determined and 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 Depot
 * Rheneas Viaduct (stock footage)
 * Sodor Castle
 * Valley View
 * The Old Trestle Bridge

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the eleventh episode of the seventh season.
 * Stock footage and a deleted scene from Dunkin Duncan is used.
 * The plot is somewhat similar to the 1993 magazine story The Viaduct!
 * This is the first Narrow Gauge episode since Gallant Old Engine that doesn't feature Rusty.
 * Small scale narrow-gauge trucks from the fourth and fifth seasons are seen in shots below the bridge.

Goofs

 * In the third shot of this episode, Skarloey's eyes are wonky.
 * When Skarloey leaves for the Old Bridge, Rheneas' eyes are wonky.
 * Skarloey falls down the broken rail on the bridge and hits the broken bridge rail on the other end head first, but in the following scene, Skarloey is a short distance away in between his head and rail before Rheneas helped him out.
 * 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 and 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," but the bridge is wooden.
 * In both scenes where Skarloey looks down the bridge, there are three slate trucks on the riverbank, but on the front-scenes of the bridge, the trucks are not there.
 * In one scene of Skarloey looking at Rheneas while puffing by the bridge, the bridge slightly wobbles.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Brave Skarloey

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Pulling Together!
 * The Complete Series 7

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * Pulling Together!/The Chocolate Crunch Double Pack

WAL

 * Machines Co-Extract

US

 * Percy Saves the Day and Other Adventures
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 7

DVD Boxsets

 * Adventure On the Tracks
 * Totally Thomas Volume 6

AUS

 * The Complete Series 7

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Series Seven and Series Eight Double Pack

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!

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 23 (Thai DVD)
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 17 (Thai DVD)

ITA
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 * The Queen of Sodor (Italian DVD)