Skarloey Railway
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On the fictional Island of Sodor in The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry, the Skarloey Railway is a narrow gauge railway which runs from the main line at Crovan's Gate to the passenger terminus at Skarloey. Beyond Skarloey the line continues to a slate quarry.
History
In many ways the line is similar to the real-life Talyllyn Railway in Wales. According to "research" by Rev. W Awdry, the line began as a plateway was opened in 1806 to collect slate from the local quarries and was worked by gravity. It carried mineral traffic that was shipped from Balladswail. Following the Ffestiniog Railway's lead in 1863 James Spooner was engaged to survey a line for steam locomotives. It was also planned to develop passenger traffic for tourists to the Springs at Skarloey where there would be hotels and guest houses.It was later realised that the line could carry visitors to the local landmarks of Skarloey (which means 'Lake in the Woods') and Rheneas ('Divided Waterfall'). Like all railways at this time, it was powered by horses, but by 1865 the railway's owners decided they needed steam engines to help out. They ordered two engines from the locomotive builders Fletcher Jennings Ltd in Whitehaven, England. These engines were Skarloey and Rheneas.
Skarloey and Rheneas worked hard for many years, but eventually the demand for slate decreased due to cheaper slate being imported from Italy. The owner, Sir Handel Brown, thought he would have to sell the railway. At this point, the railway was taken over by Mr Peter Sam, who became the Thin Controller. With the help of Mr Ivo Hugh, they managed to keep the railway going.
Eventually, Skarloey failed and Rheneas was left to manage alone, which he did admirably until Peter Sam and Sir Handel were bought to help out. Later they purchased Rusty the diesel and Duncan.
After World War II the railway was in a poor state, and the old mines had become ammunition dumps. However the tourist traffic increased and two replacement engines were bought second hand. The slate was pure and free from metallic impurities which meant it was in demand as other slate demand fell. In 1963 a new lake loop line was opened around Skarloey lake for tourists and to celebrate the centenary.
In 1965 the railway celebrated the 100th birthday of Skarloey and Rheneas with the opening of a new branch line to Lakeside. A second triumph came when Duke the Lost Engine was saved and brought to the railway, where he was repaired and now works the passenger trains.
Present day
Since then the railway has gone from strength to strength. Three of its engines, Peter Sam, Sir Handel and Duncan, have visited the Talyllyn Railway. Recently it purchased a new diesel, Fred, and built a new steam engine called Ivo Hugh. We may assume it is still running as well as ever, taking visitors to some of the most beautiful parts of Sodor.
The Skarloey Railway today continues to produce slate despite competition with the mainland, and takes tourist traffic around its part of the island. The locomotives are as follows:
Locomotives
| No. | Skarloey locomotive | Talyllyn equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skarloey | Tal-y-llyn | Originally an 0-4-0 without a cab, later had trailing wheels added to improve stability. At this time, he had a cab added. |
| 2 | Rheneas | Dolgoch | Built without a cab, later had one added. |
| 3 | Sir Handel | Sir Haydn | Falcon from Mid-Sodor Railway a Falcon type engine named after owner |
| 4 | Peter Sam | Edward Thomas | Stuart from Mid-Sodor Railway built by Kerr Stuart and co named after controller |
| 5 | Rusty | Midlander | built by Ruston & Hornsby (Ruston & Hornsby) |
| 6 | Duncan | Douglas | |
| 7 | Ivo Hugh | Tom Rolt | Doesn't appear in TV Series named after someone who kept the railway going |
| 8 | Duke | Prince | |
| 9 | Fred | Alf | Never seen, only mentioned |
| N/A | Bertram | N/A | Only appeares in Tv Series |
| N/A | Mighty Mac | David Lloyd George | From Ffestiniog Railway |
Carriages
Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice are based on Talyllyn Railway carriages 1-5. The brake van Cora is based on the Corris Railway brake van that now runs on the Talyllyn. Open coaches Ada, Jane and Mabel were rebuilt to a more conventional outline when funds became available. Gertrude and Millicent, former Mid Sodor Railway bogie coaches, are based on Corris Railway stock.
| No. | Skarloey carriage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruth | |
| 2 | Lucy | |
| 3 | Jemima | Jemima appears to be hard of hearing in the book Four Little Engines. |
| 4 | Agnes | First class coach, is something of a snob. |
| 5 | Beatrice | Guard's Van, also has a ticket office from which the guard may sell tickets. |
| 6 | Cora | Guard's Van, these days used for maintenance duties. |
| 7 | Ada | |
| 8 | Jane | |
| 9 | Mabel | Mabel actually doesn't appear along with Ada and Jane. She appears two stories later, in Little Old Twins. |
| 10 | Gertrude | Bogie coach from the Mid Sodor Railway, once part of the express hauled by Falcon. |
| 11 | Millicent | Bogie coach from the Mid Sodor Railway, once part of the express hauled by Falcon. |
Stations
Glennock station, as portrayed in Four Little Engines, is based on Aberllefenni Station on the Corris Railway.The works at Crovans Gate are based on Tywyn Pendre on the Talyllyn Railway.
External links
- [Maps of Sodor] including an original painting by Rev. W. Awdry
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