| This article is about 'the narrow gauge engine'. You may be looking for the station or the Story Library book. |
- “Huh! What's that rubbish?"
"Shh, shh! That's Skarloey, the famous old engine.” - ― Sir Handel and Peter Sam, Four Little Engines
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Skarloey, a narrow gauge saddletank engine, is the oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway. Talyllyn from the Talyllyn Railway is his twin, and Rheneas is his brother.
Bio in the Railway Series
Skarloey was built at Fletcher, Jennings, and Co., Whitehaven in 1864 as a 0-4-0ST with no cab, which 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. His young antics proved bothersome but he soon matured when he received his cab and trailing wheels.
Skarloey was put aside in 1945, fit for steam only in extreme emergency. On one such occasion, he damaged his springs whilst bringing home Sir Handel's train, resulting in receiving a much-needed overhaul.
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 later attended Ivo Hugh's naming ceremony.
Bio in the television series
When Skarloey first appeared in the fourth season, he had not worked in some time, but soon proved his worth once more. Since then, he has been a dedicated worker and a very wise engine. However, from the seventh to twelfth seasons, Skarloey has acted like a very young engine and has tried to prove his bravery by getting hauled up the winch on the incline and by having a race with Rheneas and Freddie. He has also acted timid, being scared of an old wooden bridge, the wharf, and storms.
At the Blue Mountain Quarry, Skarloey is still the respected leader of the narrow gauge engines.
He once had to take an evening passenger train, but Duncan took his coaches so that a grumpy passenger would not complain about the train being crowded, but this only resulted in angering Skarloey and his stranded passengers. The next day, Skarloey was delayed by Duncan again when he refused to leave the platform until the same grumpy passenger had boarded his train. Later during the Christmas holidays, Skarloey was upset by Duncan's constant grumbling, so he, Rheneas and Rusty told the Thin Controller, who devised a plan to stop the grumpy engine from moaning all the time.
Persona
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.
Basis
Skarloey is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Talyllyn, a Fletcher, Jennings Class C 0-4-2ST. In the Railway Series, Talyllyn is Skarloey's twin. The Ghost Engine shares the same basis.
Livery
In the Railway Series, Skarloey is painted in the Skarloey Railway's standard red livery and blue-and-yellow lining with his name painted in gold on his saddletank, and a brass dome. In the television series, Skarloey is painted red with white lining. As for Season 9 onward, he was crimson red with white and gold lining.
Appearances
Voice Actors
- Keith Wickham (UK/US; sixteenth season onwards)
- Tomohisa Asō (Japan; fourth-seventh seasons)
- Hideyuki Umezu (Japan; ninth season onwards)
- Jens Wendland (Germany)
- Jacek Król (Poland)
- Sigbjørn Solheim (Norway; sixteenth and seventeenth season, excluding King of the Railway)
- Simen Sand (Norway; Blue Mountain Mystery onwards, excluding the sixteenth and seventeenth season)
- Bruno Marçal (Brazil)
- Esteban Desco (Latin America; Blue Mountain Mystery onwards)
- Jorge Teixeira (Spain)
Trivia
- His name means "Lake in the Woods" in Sudric.
- Skarloey's name on the Japanese Thomas website is backwards.
- Skarloey's large scale model was used as The Ghost Engine in Duncan Gets Spooked.
- Skarloey has gone through many modifications through the TV Series. These include:
- Season 5:
- Cab handrails disappeared (large scale model only).
- His buffers changed from grey to silver.
- Season 6:
- The brass ring around his funnel and his buffers were painted black.
- Season 9:
- A tail lamp was added.
- His red livery became a dark crimson colour.
- He has a larger nose.
- Season 16:
- Accurate bufferbeam to his basis.
- His boiler was painted black instead of red.
- Handrails across the top of his smokebox and saddle tank like his basis.
- His cab handrails returned, but now gold instead of red.
- His cutout windows gained brass frames and contained glass.
- Sanding gear.
- Black siderod guards.
- Extra lining on his cab.
- Footsteps underneath his cab.
- A rear numberplate similar to that of his basis and one illustration in Mountain Engines.
- Season 5:
- The Reverend W. Awdry's model of Skarloey is currently on display at the Narrow Gauge Museum in Tywyn.
- In the Polish narration, Skarloey's name is Sławek, which is also Stephen's name in the same narration.
- Skarloey was built at Fletcher, Jennings, and Co. at Whitehaven, the same place as Rheneas, Captain Baxter, Talyllyn and Dolgoch.
- Skarloey's ERTL model was originally going to depict him in his Railway Series livery.
Quotes
- As the men at the Works could not mend him at once, Edward ask them to put him on a siding close to Skarloey. Skarloey was pleased to see Edward.
- "The Owner has just bought two more engines," he said. "He told me I was a very old engine, and deserved a good rest. He gave me this shed so that I could see everything and not be lonely. But I'am lonely all the same," he continued sadly. "I miss Rheneas very much. Yesterday one of the new engines pushed him onto a truck, and now he's gone to be mended. I wish I could be mended too, and pull coaches again."
- Skarloey talking to Edward, "Skarloey Remembers", "Four Little Engines"
- "You were right, Sir," said Skarloey to the Owner, that evening. "Old engines can't pull trains like the young ones can!"
- The Owner smiled. "They can if they're mended, Old Faithful," he said. "And that's what will happen to you, you deserve it!"
- Skarloey and the Owner, "Old Faithful", "Four Little Engines"
- "I'm ashamed of you, Duncan," said Skarloey. "You should think of your passengers!"
- "Passengers are just nuisances, they're always complaining!"
- Skarloey was shocked. "That's no way to talk," he said. "Passengers are our coal and water. No passengers means no trains. No trains means no railway. And then we'd be on the scrapheap, my engine, and don't you forget it! Thank goodness Rheneas is coming home soon. Perhaps he'll teach you some sense before its too late!"
- Skarloey lecturing Duncan about passengers, "The Gallant Old Engine", "Gallant Old Engine"
- "Such a handsome engine," they twitted. "Six wheels and a cab, so distinguished my dears! Its a pleasure to see him."
- Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice, "Stick-in-the-Mud", "Very Old Engines"
Merchandise
- ERTL (metallic and regular; discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (reintroduced; Mud Covered (discontinued) and Normal)
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Take-n-Play
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
- Mini Die Cast Collection (discontinued)
- Departing Now (discontinued)
- Trading Cards (discontinued)
- Bachmann
- Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
- TrackMaster (normal, Push Me, Pull You, and Skarloey Storms Through; discontinued)
- My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
- Brio (discontinued)
- Trading Cards (discontinued)
- Nakayoshi (discontinued)
- Capsule Plarail (regular and metallic)
- Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
- Departing Now
- Minis (classic, winter and sweets)
Gallery
Merchandise Gallery
