- “It's a snowball!"
"It's a snow house!"
"It's an engine!” - ― Workmen speculating over Skarloey's "igloo"
Snow is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the fifth series. It aired back to back with A Surprise for Percy during an airing of Storytime with Thomas in the US; as such, this is the last episode to air in the twentieth century, and the last one made prior to the new millenium. However, Thomas and the Magic Railroad is the final Thomas production to be made in the same century/millennium as the first five series.
Plot
One winter day on the Island of Sodor, a thick layer of snow has fallen and all engines have gone to work except Percy, who is stuck in a snowdrift. Thomas finds Percy and tells him that there is no time for resting, but is told that Percy's crew have just left to seek help. Thomas scoffs at this but continues his journey to clear the rest of the snowed in railway lines. Later, he has to clear snow from a tunnel but the snow is deep enough for him to get stuck, much to Thomas' annoyance. Rusty is working close by. So to pass the time, he tells Thomas a story.
One snowy day, Skarloey was travelling up to the slate mine when he passed through a ravine. Whenever snow came, work became difficult in the slate mines and snow was used as a "double buffer zone" to stop trucks from falling into the ravine below. One day, Skarloey was travelling to the mines with empty trucks, while at the mine, the winch that hauls the trucks up and down the incline was not working properly. When Skarloey reached the ravine, his driver was concerned that any noise could cause an avalanche, so he set an emergency cap. When Skarloey ran over it, the bang echoed around the gorge but nothing happened, so his crew decided to make a cup of cocoa and be on their way. However, up in the slate mines a long line of full trucks were to be winched down the slope, but the winch became jammed when some empty trucks derailed. A coupling on the full trucks snapped and they ran down the slope. A workman thought the snowbank and buffers would stop the runaway, but he was wrong. The trucks instead broke through the buffers and plunged into the ravine, and all the noise from the trucks caused an avalanche which buried Skarloey deep inside. When Rusty came to the rescue, they discovered that Skarloey's heat had created an igloo, and inside they found Skarloey's crew nonchalantly sipping cocoa.
Thomas uses this as an example about how trucks can be so troublesome while Rusty states the same for snow. The workmen finally clear the snow from behind Thomas, but Gordon then arrives with his snow machine to clear away drifts. Gordon loudly blows steam and causes an avalanche, covering him in snow. Gordon cries for help, and Thomas jokes that if Skarloey could emerge from an avalanche laughing, Gordon could at least do the same. Gordon just scoffs and falls silent as the snow.
Characters
Locations
- Tower Windmill
- Standard and Narrow Gauge Tunnel Runby
- Echo Pass Ravine
- Skarloey Slate Quarry
- The Windmill (stock footage)
- Kirk Ronan Junction (stock footage)
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the twenty-fifth episode of the fifth series.
- Stock footage from Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure is used.
- During most of the flashback, Skarloey's large scale model was used; but during the scene where the narrator says "When the snow came..." his small scale model is used. The same goes for Rusty: When interacting with Thomas, Rusty's small scale model is used; but when he appears during the flashback, his large scale model was used.
- When the trucks plunge into the ravine, music is heard in the US and international versions but not the UK version.
- This episode was also aired with Thomas’ Christmas Party in the final airing of Storytime with Thomas.
- This is the only fifth series episode where the snow appears.
- This was the last episode of a few things:
- Britt Allcroft's last episode as producer and writer.
- David Mitton's last episode as producer.
- Angus Wright's final episode as executive producer.
- David Maidment's last episode as railway consultant.
- The last episode produced by The Britt Allcroft Company.
- The last episode in the UK to use the original opening credits until the seventh series episode, Emily's New Coaches.
- The last episode narrated by Manfred Steffen in Germany, Gro Solemdal in Norway, Gérard Boucaron in France and Angelo Maggi in Italy, and the last episode narrated by Tatá Guarnieri in Brazil until Hero of the Rails.
- When the trucks charge towards the buffers, both of the Skarloey Engine Sheds from the fourth series can be seen (though both repainted grey).
- This episode is titled Skarloey Snowed Under on The Roku Channel.
Goofs
- In various scenes, part of Skarloey's cab roof is snapped.
- When the trucks race down the incline, the middle truck derails.
- When the trucks crash through the snow bank and buffers, they are coupled, but they fall off separately, one by one. Additionally, a truck is missing when they fall into the ravine.
- When the trucks are on the incline, the front truck has a narrow-gauge truck face, but when it races down the incline, it has a standard-gauge truck face. Both are due to the fact different scale models were used.
- When Thomas talks to Percy, his eyes are wonky.
- Rusty's face changes size during the scene of Skarloey being rescued due to his large scale model being used.
- A wire can be seen between Rusty and his coach after the workmen have removed the ice from Skarloey.
- In the first shot of Skarloey going through the ravine, he jerks a little.
- In the scene where the empty trucks derail, string can be seen pulling those trucks.
Quotes
- Trucks: Break It! Snap It! (a coupling snaps) Faster! Faster!
- Workman: The snowbank and buffers will stop them.
______________________________________________________________________________________
- Skarloey and his crew: AVALANCHE!!!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
- Rusty: No one knew that the heat from Skarloey's engine had helped to make an igloo.
- Workmen: It's a snowball. It's a snow house. It's an engine!
- Rusty: They cleared away the ice, only to find Skarloey's driver and fireman drinking cocoa, as if nothing had happened!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
- Gordon: Hey, look out! There's snow about! (nears the tunnel and wheeses steam) Oh no!
- (snow falls on top of him)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
- Gordon: [covered in snow] Help!
- Thomas: If Skarloey survived a snowfall, surely, a big, proud engine like you could do the same.
- Gordon: [furiously] Pah!
Merchandise
- Wooden Railway (Gordon's Snow Machine; cancelled)
- Minis (Chillin' Skarloey)
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
UK
DVD BoxsetsUS
DVD BoxsetsAUS
DVD Packs
NZ
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BRADKMYSGERDVD BoxsetsGRCPHLSWEWALTHAHK |
| #01 Cranky Bugs | #10 Toby and the Flood | #19 Happy Ever After |
| #02 Horrid Lorry | #11 Haunted Henry | #20 Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday |
| #03 A Better View for Gordon | #12 Double Teething Troubles | #21 A Surprise for Percy |
| #04 Lady Hatt's Birthday Party | #13 Stepney Gets Lost | #22 Make Someone Happy |
| #05 James and the Trouble with Trees | #14 Toby's Discovery | #23 Busy Going Backwards |
| #06 Gordon and the Gremlin | #15 Something in the Air | #24 Duncan Gets Spooked |
| #07 Bye George! | #16 Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach | #25 Rusty and the Boulder |
| #08 Baa! | #17 Thomas and the Rumours | #26 Snow |
| #09 Put Upon Percy | #18 Oliver's Find | |