Arlesdale Railway
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The Arlesdale Railway, more commonly known as the Small Railway, is a fictional railway on the Island of Sodor from the Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry.
It is a miniature railway based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria. It was originally built to bring waste from the lead mines in the hills to Arlesburgh at the end of Duck's branch line, where it would be distributed to the other railways on Sodor. The line also carries tourists. Its controller is Mr Fergus Duncan, a dedicated man known as the Small Controller. This nickname is a joke, as he is a very tall man.
It made its first appearance in the book Small Railway Engines, and was the main focus of the book Jock the New Engine. It has also made cameo appearances in Oliver the Western Engine, Duke the Lost Engine and Wilbert the Forest Engine.
The Arlesdale Railway have not appeared in the TV Series.
Route
The line runs from Arlesburgh West (where it meets Duck's branch line) to Arlesdale village, stopping at Arlesburgh Bridge Street, Ffarquhar Road, Marthwaite and Arlesdale Green along the way.The line follows part of the route of the old Mid Sodor Railway (aka Duke's old line). At Arlesdale Green it leaves this route and takes a new, southerly course to Arlesdale itself.
Engines and Rolling Stock
The railway has five engines who appear in the books, and three who do not.Mike- A strong, red engine who prefers goods trains to passengers. His temper matches his bright red paint, and he can often be hot-headed. Based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's River Mite
Rex- A green engine with a sense of humour who enjoys nothing more than teasing Mike. He is a hard worker, but sometimes has problems with traction. Based on the R&ER's River Esk.
Bert- Smaller and younger than Mike and Rex, Bert is the quietest of the engines. He is painted blue. For a long time he had trouble with steaming, but has been rebuilt with a taller chimney and cab which mean that he no longer suffers from shortness of breath. This modification has not appeared in the book illustrations, but is mentioned in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways. Bert is based on the R&ER's River Irt.
Jock- The newest steam engine on the railway, and also the strongest. Jock was very cocky when he was first built, but soon learnt the value of teamwork and is now a Really Useful Engine. His name comes from the fact that he is painted in a yellow-green colour resembling the locomotives of the Highland Railway in Scotland. He is based on the R&ER's Northern Rock.
Frank- A diesel engine with a tendency to be grumpy. He sometimes loses his temper, which once caused him to crash into the back wall of the shed. Despite this, he is a hard worker and is sometimes called upon to rescue engines who have broken down. He is painted light grey and is based on the R&ER's Perkins.
Mike, Bert and Rex came from a railway in England that closed down. No further details of this railway are known. Frank was bought new from his builders, and Jock was built by the railway with the assistance of the Fat Controller's works.
The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways mentions three other engines that work on the line but have not appeared in the stories:
Blister I & II are small diesel engines bought to help construct the line. They are black with yellow-striped ends. They are mainly used for railway maintenance. Based on the R&ER's Cyril.
Sigrid of Arlesdale- A large (for the railway) diesel engine. She is painted in two-tone blue. Based on the R&ER's Shelagh of Eskdale.
The railway has several passenger carriages painted deep pink. For ballast, it has a number of smooth-running trucks which run on bogies. These can be unloaded via a chute into waiting trucks on the Fat Controller's Railway.
Arlesdale Railway characters have appeared in merchandising lines based on the television series.
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