Skarloey (RWS)

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This article is about the engine. You may be looking for the station, the railway, the Culdee Fell Railway station or the Story Library Book.

Skarloey
Background Information
First appearance	Four Little Engines (1955)
Last appearance	New Little Engine (1996)
Creator(s)	Rev. W. Awdry George Awdry
Character Overview
Name	Skarloey
Nicknames	Old Faithful
Gender	Male
Country	Island of Sodor England (built)
Residence	Skarloey Engine Sheds
Relative(s)	Talyllyn (twin) Rheneas (brother) Dolgoch (brother)
Affiliation	Skarloey Railway Rheneas Sir Handel Peter Sam Rusty Duncan Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice Edward
Technical Details
Basis	TR No. 1 Talyllyn
Gauge	2'3" (686 mm, narrow gauge)
Power type	Steam
Vehicle	Locomotive
Type	Saddle tank engine
Fuel type	Coal
Configuration	0-4-2ST 0-4-0ST (formerly)
Wheels	6 4 (formerly)
Top speed	35 mph (56 kph)
Designer(s)	Henry A. Fletcher
Builder(s)	Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
Year built	1864
Year rebuilt	1866/67 1952-1958 1985
Arrived on Sodor	May 1865
Number	SR 1
Railway	Skarloey Railway
Owner(s)	Skarloey Railway Company (1966 onwards) The Owner (1909- 1966) Crovan's Gate Mining Company (1865 - 1909)

Skarloey, a red narrow gauge saddle tank engine, is the oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway. Talyllyn, from the Talyllyn Railway, is his twin and Rheneas is his brother.

Biography

Skarloey was built at Fletcher, Jennings & Co., Whitehaven in 1864 as a 0-4-0ST with no cab, which later caused him to bounce a lot, alongside his twin, Talyllyn. He was the first engine to arrive on the newly developed Skarloey Railway in May 1865, arriving by steam ship at Kirk Ronan Harbour, before being delivered to Crovan's Gate by Neil. His young antics proved bothersome but he soon matured when he received his cab and trailing wheels. He received these when he returned to Whitehaven in 1867, where he was briefly reunited with Talyllyn.

The trailing wheels improved his running greatly and this together with the cab made him a favourite with the men in spite of his shy steaming. In consequence Skarloey was always worked harder than Rheneas and in 1897 he returned to Whitehaven for a second and final time for heavy repairs.

After the Sodor and Mainland Railway sold two of its locomotives to raise funds, the line was left with the problem of a lack of motive power in case of emergency. The line needed to haul slate to the harbour even when Neil was away. The solution devised was to build a haulage wagon, into which a narrow gauge engine could be hoisted and engage with the standard gauge tracks, albeit at very low speed. Rheneas' long wheelbase was deemed unsuitable for the wagon, so Skarloey would be used whenever an emergency arose while Rheneas continued to run the Skarloey Railway.

The frequent journeys wore Skarloey out, however no further overhauls were done to him apart from general maintenance in the SR workshop; the result being that by 1945, his boiler and firebox were in such a poor state that he was sidelined and could only be steamed in dire emergency. On one such occasion in 1952, he damaged his springs whilst bringing home Sir Handel's train, resulting in him receiving a much-needed overhaul.

He was sent to Gibbons Bros. Ltd. in England for this, where he met his twin Talyllyn, who was there for the same purpose, for the first time in some 60 years. He returned almost as new in 1958, but was still somewhat shy in steaming. After many experiments, however, Mr. Ivo Hugh finally cured this fault by fitting a brick arch in his firebox and a "Kylchap" cowl on his blast pipe. This work was done in the SR's workshop with no outside help at all.

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 underwent another heavy overhaul at Crovan's Gate Works in 1985, returning to service in May of that year.

Skarloey later attended Ivo Hugh's naming ceremony and brought along a special train with important guests. However, he had to stop when a sow and her piglets strayed onto the line. His passengers had to come out to catch the pigs and return them to their field and Skarloey was late but arrived in time for the naming ceremony.

Personality

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.

Technical Details

Basis

Skarloey is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Talyllyn, a Fletcher Jennings Class C 0-4-2ST, originally Class A 0-4-0st, built in 1864. In the Railway Series, Talyllyn is Skarloey's twin.

Skarloey's twin and basis; Talyllyn

Talyllyn without a cab

Livery

Skarloey is painted in the Skarloey Railway (SR)'s standard red livery with blue lining and black wheels. His name is written on his tanks in yellow, while his number (1) is placed on his bunker in black-backed brass plates. He has a brass dome, black running board and red bufferbeams.

Appearances

• Railway Series

The Railway Series Four Little Engines - Skarloey Remembers, Sir Handel (does not speak), Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady and Old Faithful The Little Old Engine - Trucks! (mentioned), Home at Last, Rock 'n' Roll and Little Old Twins Gallant Old Engine - Special Funnel (not seen), Steam Roller, Passengers and Polish and Gallant Old Engine Mountain Engines - Mountain Engine and Bad Look-Out Very Old Engines - Crosspatch, Bucking Bronco, Stick-in-the-Mud and Duck and Dukes Duke the Lost Engine - Granpuff (does not speak), Bulldog and Sleeping Beauty (cameo) Great Little Engines - Patience is a Virtue, Peter Sam and the Prickly Problem (does not speak) and Sir Handel Comes Home New Little Engine - Sir Handel's Plan and I Name this Engine... Companion Volumes 1970 - Twelve Happy Engines (does not speak) 1972 - The Railway Series: Surprise Packet 1976 - Famous Engines and Railway Map of the Island of Sodor 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned) 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned) 2007 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection

Trivia

• His name is Sudric for "Lake in the Woods".
  • According to The Thomas the Tank Engine Man, Rev. W. Awdry and George Awdry originally considered naming him Scacaloey. This is because its a direct translation of "Lake in the Woods" from Sudric.
• The Rev. W. Awdry's model of Skarloey is currently on display at the Narrow Gauge Museum in Tywyn.
• Skarloey's ERTL toy was originally intended to be based off of his design in The Railway Series. It was later changed to his television series design in the final release

Skarloey Railway

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* RWS only | ** T&F only