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So far, there have been two owners of the Skarloey Railway in The Railway Series.
Sir Handel Brown I
Sir Handel Brown I (1875-November 1950) was the former owner of the Skarloey Railway. He often had other business to attend to, and was never seen in the books.
He served as Liberal MP for the Sodor East constituency from 1910 to 1931 and again as a National Liberal from 1931 to 1945. He was created a Baronet in the 1937 New Year Honours for "Outstanding Public Service". He was a life-long Methodist.
He inherited his property from his father in 1901 and became the largest landholder in the Hawin Dooiey valley. He bought the failing Crovan's Gate Mining Company in 1909, which also gave him ownership of the Skarloey Railway. He immediately closed the copper mine, but the slate mine remained profitable until 1924. He promised to keep the quarry, and by extension the railway, going until his death, for the sake of his tenants, no matter the financial cost to himself.
There was little money for maintenance and repairs, and could not have been without the devoted help of Robert Sam, his manager, and David Hugh, his foreman. Sir Handel died quietly at his home in Cros-ny-Cuirn in November 1950.
He was married to Dorothy Lloyd in 1920, who survived him by some years, and had a son named Sir Handel Lloyd Brown II in 1924, who took over the ownership of the Skarloey Railway after his death. His sister, Jane, married Sir Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller.
The Skarloey Railway's third engine was renamed Sir Handel in his honour.
Appearances
The Railway Series
Companion Volumes
- 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned)
- 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (mentioned)
- 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)
Official Description
From Official Media:[1]
| “ | Sir Handel Brown I (1875-1950): Principal landowner in the Hawin Dooiey valley. He was Liberal MP for Sodor East from 1910-1929, and again represented the constituency from 1931-1936 as a National Liberal. He was created Baronet in the New Year Honours of 1937 in recognition of "outstanding public service."
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From Official Media:[2]
| “ | Sir Handel Brown (1) (1875-1950): He served as Liberal MP for the Sodor East constituency from 1910 to 1929 and again as a National Liberal from 1931 to 1936 - he was created Baronet in 1937 for "Outstanding Public Service". He brought the failing Crovan's Gate Mining Company in 1909, and though the slate quarries served by the Skarloey Railway (both were included in the sale) failed in 1924 he promised to keep them going until his death. When this occurred in 1950 however, they survived against all odds, thanks to Mr Robert Sam, Sir Handel's Manager. Sir Handel married Dorothy Lloyd in 1920 and their son, Sir Handel Lloyd, born in 1924, is the Owner of the Skarloey Railway referred to in the books. | ” |
Trivia
- Sir Handel Brown I is based on Sir Haydn Jones, owner of the Talyllyn Railway between 1911 and his death in 1950 and namesake of Sir Haydn.[3]
- The Thomas the Tank Engine Man revealed that the life of Sir Handel Brown underwent significant revisions between the character's creation in 1953 and the publication of The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways in 1987.[4]
- He was named Sir Handel Smith.
- He was born in 1878 and passed away in January 1953.
- He inherited the railway from his father in 1906, instead of buying it.
- His political career only lasted between 1906 and 1923, and he unsuccessfully tried to get elected in 1895 and 1900.
- He was said to have 5 daughters, Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Hilda and Beatrice. Their names would be used for the Skarloey Railway Coaches, with the exception of Jemima who took the place of Hilda.
- In the Thomas and Friends Writers' Bible, Sir Handel Brown I is mentioned as being the Skarloey Railway's former owner and who Sir Handel was named after, despite the Owner not appearing in Thomas & Friends.
Sir Handel Brown II
Sir Handel Lloyd Brown II (1924-) is the current chairman, and former owner, of the Skarloey Railway. He inherited the railway from his father, who had died in 1950, though he had in fact been administering the holdings for some years prior. Sir Handel Brown II was born in 1924, and he is the cousin of Sir Charles Topham Hatt II. His home is at The Rowans, near Cros-ny-Cuirn, which was built by his father.
After the Second World War, the railway was in a poor state, and the old mines had become ammunition dumps. Inheriting a estate crippled by death duties, the new owner thought he would have to sell the railway, unable to afford his father's philanthropic view of the dubious bundle of assets he now held. At this point, the railway was taken over by Mr. Peter Sam, who became the Thin Controller. With the help of Mr. Ivo Hugh, his foreman, and a number of volunteers, they managed to keep the railway going.
In 1952, he managed to purchase two former Mid Sodor Railway locomotives from the Sodor Aluminium Company for the sum of fifty pounds, and rename one of them in honour of his father and him.
In 1966, the Skarloey Railway became a public company, and he was appointed chairman.
In 1969, he was told by the Thin Controller about Duke. He arranged for Duke to be restored, and he returned to service in 1982. He later purchased two worn out Hunslet Diesels from the National Coal Board and, using parts from both engines, constructed Fred. He also arranged for Ivo Hugh to be built.
In 1951, he married Rachael Qualtrough, a descendant of Lancelot Qualtrough, the last Bishop of Sodor. They have two children, Rebecca Dorothy (born 1954) and Handel Qualtrough (born 1957), who has administered the estate since 1994.
Appearances
The Railway Series
Companion Volumes
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Official Description
From Official Media:[1]
| “ | Sir Handel Brown II (1924-): ”The Owner” in the books. It was he who named engine No. 3 Sir Handel in memory of his father, Sir Handel Brown I. For further details see SKARLOEY RAILWAY. | ” |
From Official Media:[2]
| “ | Sir Handel Brown (2) (b1924): Sir Handel Lloyd Brown is the only son of Sir Handel and Dorothy Brown and the present 'Owner' of the Skarloey Railway. His home at The Rowans, near Cros-ny-Cuirn (the ford of the mountain ash) and about five miles north of Crovan's Gate. He succeeded to both title and property in 1950, though he had in fact been administering the holding for some 15 years. In 1951 he married Rachel Qualtrough, a descendant of the family of Lancelot Qualtrough, the last Bishop of Sodor. They have two children, Rebecca Dorothy (born 1954) and Handel Qualtrough, born 1957, who has administered the Estate since 1994 but who will not, we hope, succeed to his father's baronetcy for some years to come. | ” |
Notes
- In Sodor: Reading Between the Lines, it is said that Sir Handel II had been administering his father's property for some 15 years prior to his death - meaning, going by the dates given, he'd been in charge since he was eleven years old. This is almost certainly an error on Christopher Awdry's part.
Family Tree
| Lord Frederick Regaby † | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lancelot Qualtrough | Lady Dorothy Lloyd | Sir Handel Brown I † | Jabez Croarie | Lady Jane Brown | Sir Topham Hatt I † | Albert Regaby † | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lady Rachel Qualtrough | Sir Handel Lloyd Brown II | Lady Amanda Croarie | Sir Charles Topham Hatt II † | Barabra Jane Hatt | Henry Regaby | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebecca Dorothy Brown | Handel Qualtrough Brown | Bridget Amanda Hatt | Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III | Lady Helen Margaret | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richard Topham Hatt | Charles Nicholas Hatt | Emily Helen Hatt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gallery
The Railway Series
Main Series
References
| Locomotives | Steam | Skarloey | Rheneas | Sir Handel | Peter Sam | Duncan | Ivo Hugh | Duke |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Rusty | Fred | | |
| Other | Ivo's Flying Bedstead | Skarloey Funicular Railway Cars | |
| Rolling Stock | Passenger | Agnes, Ruth, Jemima, Lucy and Beatrice | Ada, Jane and Mabel | Cora | Gertrude and Millicent | Saloon Coaches | Quarrymen's Coaches |
| Goods | Slate Trucks | Open End Door Wagons | Plank Trucks | V-Tipper Wagons | Side Tipping Wagons | Mineral Wagons | Vans | |
| People | The Owner (Sir Handel Brown I, Sir Handel Brown II) | The Thin Controller (Mr. Mack, Mr. Robert Sam, Mr. Peter Sam, Mr. Roger Sam) | Mr. Hugh (David Hugh I, Ivo Hugh, David Hugh II) | |
| Infrastructure | Stations | Crovan's Gate | Cros-ny-Cuirn | Glennock | Rheneas | Lakeside | Skarloey |
| Sheds | Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds | |
| Tunnels and Bridges | Rheneas Bridge | Rheneas Tunnel | Rheneas Viaduct | |