| For other uses, see Rheneas. |
- “He was often short of steam, but he always struggled to the station, and then rested there.”
- ― Skarloey telling the others what Rheneas had to do so the railway would not close
Rheneas is a vermillion narrow gauge well tank engine and the Skarloey Railway's second engine.
Biography
When Rheneas first appeared in the fourth series, he was one of many engines who came and went on the Mid Sodor Railway and were outlasted by Duke. When Skarloey took explorers to the mountains to search for Duke and found him, Rheneas helped Skarloey transport Duke back down to the Skarloey Railway for restoration. In the meantime, the two engines were feeling their age and easily tiring, so the manager sent two engines, Sir Handel and Peter Sam, to help and the older engines promised to give them a big welcome.
Despite being fond of Peter Sam, Rheneas would join in the other engines' mockingly saying, "You and your special funnel!" when Peter Sam was impatiently waiting for his new one. When he got it and demonstrably performed better than everyone, Rheneas and the others stopped teasing him and instead wished they had a funnel like it. Likewise, Sir Handel's broad tyres were a source of mockery as Rheneas would join in on shouting, "Look at his steamroller wheels!" After Sir Handel supposedly caused George the Steamroller to go away, Rheneas became visibly annoyed at the blue engine's newfound source of incessant bragging.
When Duncan was complaining about the passengers, Skarloey decided to tell him the story of how Rheneas saved the railway on his own with a full train and jammed valve gear on a rainy day to teach Duncan the importance of not stopping in the wrong place. Rheneas came home from the works the next day and was greeted to a chorus of whistles by engines large and small. The well tank told Skarloey that this made a little engine to feel that at last he had really come home.
Rheneas and Skarloey are Rusty's best friends and they are best friends with each other as well. The three of them were chased by a boulder when it had rolled off from its cliff. While Rusty had to outmanoeuvre the boulder and Skarloey needed to get himself out of the boulder's rampaging path, Rheneas' line did not have any points, so he was forced to try and outrun it once the boulder came dangerously close to colliding with him head-on. He did so, speeding across the narrow-gauge viaduct and ended up crashing into a siding. The boulder passed by, much to the relief of Rheneas' driver who said the smash was better than the squash that they successfully escaped from.
In the sixth series, the three engines were headed to the quarry to help Duncan. Their fascination of the incline's mechanics quickly became soured with an impatient Duncan telling them what to do. Rusty tried to mollify the vocally displeased red engines, but even Rusty and also Rheneas had enough when the "Bossy Boots" engine told them they were as slow as snails and Rheneas crossly chuffed that no more than four slate trucks could be sent up at a time. Eventually realising that Duncan would not listen, the three best friends left with their slate. They helped clear up after Duncan's crash, after which Duncan owed them an apology.
The three best friends have worked the Skarloey Railway for each of their entire lives, but work at the quarry clashed with Rusty's maintenance work. This caused the line to fall into disrepair and be shut down, forcing Rheneas and Skarloey to work at the quarry with Rusty. A period of blasting gave the engines two weeks to attempt to repair the line and Rheneas determinedly worked harder than ever with a hopeless Skarloey, a clever Rusty and an initially derisive Elizabeth. The railway was restored in the allotted time and the two tank engines were very happy at this turn of events.
In the seventh series, Rheneas saved Skarloey from his state of dangling from a broken bridge. Because Skarloey was too scared to cross the bridge again, Rheneas had to collect both of their trains every morning. Eventually, this caused Rheneas to run out of water right on the bridge. Skarloey forced himself to cross the bridge to save his best friend and Rheneas thanked him for his bravery.
Rheneas' own bravery would become important when he was tasked with making a school trip special and his doubt in his own best made him really feel his small size. Rusty assured Rheneas that he knows the mountains better than any engine, which Rheneas did not deny, but none of the everyday locations that his driver pointed out felt exciting, important or even special. Rusty's workmen accidently sent Rheneas down a closed and bumpy mountain track. Rheneas was frightened at the dangerous turn the trip was taking, but his driver did not stop him racing through the mountains with all his might like a roller coaster. Though tired at the end of it, Rheneas had given the children the time of their lives and thus felt really useful instead of his size.
In the ninth series, when Mr. Percival needed two careful engines to transport a dinosaur skeleton to the Sodor Museum, Rheneas offered to have himself and Skarloey demonstrate how careful they can be. Rheneas did better than Skarloey, whose excitement got the better of him and offered to try again following the mishap. Mr. Percival gave him one last chance, so Rheneas decided to prove that he could take the dinosaur on his own. He did so by delivering a long and heavy line of coal trucks. He gained the job, but he could not make it up Culdee Fell Hill. Skarloey, still upset, found his way blocked and Rheneas apologised for what happened, declaring that he will always want the two of them to work together. This cheered up Skarloey and the two happily transported the skeleton the rest of the way.
The height of the Skarloey Coal Yard's incline has frightened Rheneas, so when he brought empty trucks there, he backed away quickly, much to Skarloey's amusement. Rheneas came back to the incline the next day with Duncan and found Skarloey, still coupled to his trucks, being hauled up the incline. They were surprised and awestruck at this supposedly brave act before Skarloey's weight promptly broke the incline and sent him flying down the track, much to Rheneas' shock and into a snowbank, which Rheneas helped him out of. Rheneas and Duncan brought supplies to repair the winch, excited to see Skarloey take the coal trucks down the incline himself. Rheneas looked happy at Skarloey instead doing the right thing in contrast to Duncan's disappointment. Rheneas also tried to tell Duncan that he would be late when Duncan was going back and forth on some bumpy tracks for fun. Rheneas left without Duncan listening.
Rheneas and Skarloey liked to race each other and they introduced themselves to Freddie as the fastest engines in the hills. They became excited at Freddie's offer to race them and prove he was the fastest. As Rheneas and Skarloey raced, their age did not hinder them, whereas Freddie's did. So right as they were about to catch up, they did not notice Freddie go a different way. Rheneas expressed his admiration at how fast Freddie supposedly went and the three of them raced again. Rheneas decided that they would race down the opposite, steeper side of the mountain, but he ended up derailing and rolling down a hill. Freddie used his knowledge of the old tracks to find Rheneas and helped him back onto the rails. Freddie apologised for cheating and admitted that Rheneas and Skarloey are much faster than him. Rheneas did not mind and instead wanted to hear about Freddie's tales of the old tracks.
Skarloey saved Rheneas from some logs tumbling down a hill, denting himself in the process. A grateful Rheneas noticed Skarloey's sad demeanour and asked what the matter was. Rheneas was surprised at Skarloey's fear of the Wharf, having heard from Rusty about Skarloey braving the old wooden bridge for him and the stream for Duncan and said that Skarloey is the bravest engine he knows. Rheneas also brought up how disastrous the log incident would have been for him had Skarloey not saved him.
Later, he decided to help an overworked Skarloey by secretly taking his coal trucks to the wharf for him. Coupled with his own trucks, Rheneas found the train too heavy to pull up the hill and decided to take his own trucks up first and then take the coal trucks. When he returned to the hill, he found that the coal trucks were not where he had left them. Knowing that Skarloey would have got into trouble, Rheneas forwent the secret and started planning to have the engines search for the trucks, but this was not needed as Peter Sam revealed that he had the trucks, not knowing who they belonged to. Rheneas was happy, knowing he had given Skarloey a well-earned rest.
In the eleventh series, Rheneas was surprised by Thomas' loud whistle, bumping into his flatbeds and spilling the pilings on it as a result. This amused Skarloey, Sir Handel and even Rheneas himself. Rheneas and Skarloey hid and watched as Thomas decided to surprise Rusty next, which the three best friends found very funny. Rheneas playfully chased after Rusty, leaving the scattered bricks behind. He did this again after they all surprised Sir Handel, leaving flour all over the warehouse. Lastly, they surprised Peter Sam, who pushed his logs into the canal. Only then did the engines realise what their playfulness had done, but Rheneas still wanted to play and Thomas insisted that they had to get their work down immediately.
During a thunderstorm, Rheneas and Peter Sam were informed by Skarloey about stranded sheep up in the hills that needed to be brought down to the farms. Unlike Skarloey, the other two were brave. Rheneas and Peter Sam could not wait to get started and Rheneas eagerly went up the hill first. Rheneas and Peter Sam made so many uphill and downhill trips through the storm, bringing many sheep down in the process, that they ran out of coal. This forced Skarloey to brave the storm himself to finish the job and Rheneas and Peter Sam congratulated their friend.
Whilst working at the Blue Mountain Quarry, Rheneas' paintwork was severely scraped after becoming a runaway after having gone too fast over the collapsing Blondin Bridge. This resulted in the brief period when he was painted yellow with blue lining.
One Christmas, after hearing Thomas and Toby talk about Christmas trees, Rheneas decided to go to Misty Island to go tree hunting... but with the help of Toby and a well wagon due to the Island's standard gauge lines. Unfortunately, the gallant old engine constantly pressed Toby into going fast, scaring the tram into closing his eyes and zooming past any trees Rheneas saw. The Logging Locos eventually helped them find a perfect tree in time for Christmas morning.
He currently works on the Skarloey Railway, mostly at the Blue Mountain Quarry along with Skarloey, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Rusty, Duncan and Luke.
Personality
Rheneas has been called a "gallant little engine" before and deserves such a title; he is highly determined, brave and courageous. Rheneas is a tough, committed worker despite his age and takes great responsibility in his work. He is keen to keep his friends smiling and, although he is a level-headed engine, he can be a bit of an adventurer too. Though he may often try to struggle on alone, Rheneas knows when it is time to call on the help of his friends. Nevertheless, Rheneas is always highly dedicated to the task at hand.
Between the ninth and twelfth series, Rheneas, just like Skarloey, was shown to be rather energetic, childish and reckless such as when he and Skarloey raced at high speeds, causing him to derail go and down the mountain side. From Blue Mountain Mystery onwards, Rheneas returns to being closer to his original personality.
Technical Details
Basis
Rheneas is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Dolgoch, a Fletcher Jennings Class Bb 0-4-0WT. In the Railway Series, Dolgoch is Rheneas' twin. Smudger is another member of this class.
Livery
Rheneas is painted vermilion with black and gold lining and brass fittings. His name and number are written on the sides of his boiler and coal bunkers respectively, on brass plates with black backing. In early magazine illustrations, he was painted carmine. This carried over to nearly all his merchandise. In Blue Mountain Mystery, he was repainted yellow with blue lining to play a joke on Thomas. He has been painted back into his original livery since then.
Appearances
Official Description
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | Rheneas: A tough little engine by nature but, because of his age, often breaks down mechanically, which he hates. His sole purpose in life is to work hard and uphold the fine reputation of the railway system. Always concerned about the well-being of passengers. Well respected by the other engines and especially by drivers and firemen alike.
|
” |
From Official Website:[2]
| “ | Rheneas: Rheneas is a tough little engine but, because of his age, often breaks down. His sole purpose is to work hard and uphold the fine reputation of the railway system. Because of this, he is well respected by engines and drivers alike.
|
” |
From Official Website:[3]
| “ | Rheneas: Rheneas is one of the oldest engines on the island and works on the narrow gauge railway. He is a tough little engine but, because of his age, often breaks down. Even still, Rheneas works hard and upholds the fine reputation of the railway system. Because of this, he is well respected by both engines and drivers alike.
|
” |
From Official Website:[4]
| “ | Rheneas: Rheneas is a tough little engine who works hard even if it means some scratches and scrapes. Rheneas has a fine sense of humor and keeps the engines at the Blue Mountain Quarry smiling.
|
” |
Song
- Will You Won't You (partially performed)
Audio Files
Theme
| First used | Last used | Composer | Theme Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 9 | Series 10 | Robert Hartshorne |
Whistles
| First used | Last used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Series 4 | ||
| A Bad Day for Sir Handel | Read and Play! | |
| Blue Mountain Mystery | Series 18 | |
Trivia
- Rheneas is the first narrow gauge engine to gain a permanent headlamp, starting from the sixteenth series episode, The Christmas Tree Express.
- Rheneas' name has been pronounced differently in The Railway Series and Thomas & Friends. When Johnny Morris and Willie Rushton narrated the Railway Series, they pronounced Rheneas' name as Ren-ee-as [ˈrɛ.ni.əs], stressing the first syllable of his name. This is also the case with Leo Morimoto and John Ogwen as they too pronounce Rheneas' name as Ren-ee-as. However, in the television series, his name is pronounced as Re-nay-us [rɪ.ˈnɛj.əs], stressing on the second syllable instead.
- In the French dub of the fourth and fifth series, Rheneas was called René, and from the sixth series onwards, he was called Phileas.
- Rheneas is the only one of the original seven narrow gauge engines not to be released in Brio.
- His 2004 Wooden Railway toy had Sir Handel's face. This is likely due to some promotional images of Rheneas having Sir Handel's face.
- Rheneas holds the reputation of being Misty Island's only narrow gauge visitor and the last engine to visit it.
- In the Indonesian dub of the eleventh series, Rheneas is female.
- Rheneas' whistle sounds have been reused for and from other characters:
- His original whistle sound was reused and shared with Stepney in the fourth series. In fact, the sound was sourced from LNER 4464 “Bittern”.
- His whistle sound from the sixth to twelfth series, as well as the beginning of A Bad Day for Sir Handel and some games was reused from Peter Sam in the fourth series.
- His whistle sound from Blue Mountain Mystery onwards was reused for Luke, but in a different pitch. It was later reused for Gina and Raul in The Great Race onwards, though in slightly different pitches as well. It was later reused for Carlos in Big World! Big Adventures! onwards, but at a different pitch.
- Ben Small and John Hasler gave Rheneas a Welsh accent, reflecting his basis' origins. Both of his voice actors also voiced Thomas in the UK dub.
- Rheneas' large scale model is currently on display at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan and is wearing his chuckling face.
- Rheneas' small scale model is currently owned by Twitter user TomsProps and is wearing his unused laughing face.
- Unlike in The Railway Series, Skarloey and Rheneas have never been referred to as brothers in the television series adaptation and have been called "friends" in most episodes.
- In both English dubs, Rheneas is the only Skarloey Railway engine to switch voice actors.
- He appears forty years after he appeared in The Railway Series.
References