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20. Very Old Engines.
Written by: The Reverend Wilbert Awdry.
Illustrated by: Peter and Gunvor Edwards.
Published: 1965.
Written by: The Reverend Wilbert Awdry.
Illustrated by: Peter and Gunvor Edwards.
Published: 1965.
In 1965, Talyllyn and Dolgoch turned 100 and since Skarloey and Rheneas are based on them respectively, how do they celebrate their centenary?
Foreword:
Dear Friends,
One hundred years ago, when Skarloey and Rheneas first arrived on their Railway, they were young and silly. Skarloey was sulky and bouncy. He and Rheneas quarrelled.... But they learned sense, and the Owner has just given them a lovely 100th birthday.
Talyllyn and Dolgoch, at Towyn, are 100 too. How about going to wish them "Many Happy Returns"?
The Author
Crosspatch.
Nancy is polishing Skarloey, but Skarloey calls her a fusspot. Nancy replies by calling him a crosspatch. Skarloey remembers he once was a crosspatch, and tells Nancy the story...
Skarloey was built in 1864 and sent to Sodor on a ship the following year. After being lowered onto a flatbed using the ship's derricks, he was taken to Crovan's Gate by an ugly but kind engine named Neil. The people there weren't used to engines, and it was dark by the time he was on the rails. The next morning, he was told to take some trucks, but he wanted to pull coaches. The manager, Mr. Mack, and some workmen came and tried to make him steam, but he refused to do anything, day after day. Eventually, they got tired and covered him up with a tarpaulin.
Nancy says it served Skarloey right, but a crowd which has come to listen tells him to go on...
This story just goes to show that Skarloey wasn't always the wise engine he's made out to be now. It makes perfect sense since he was a young engine too, back in 1864. Dunno why Neil is considered ugly. Must be because of his design. Oh well, a nice start to Skarloey's backstory.
My rating: 9.5/10.
Bucking Bronco.
At last, Mr. Mack came and Skarloey said sorry. Mr. Mack told him that Mr. Bobbie, an engineer who helped build Skarloey, had come, and Skarloey worked hard to finish the line before the inspector arrived.
When Rheneas first arrived he was a sensible engine, unlike Skarloey, who was bouncy and excited. When Skarloey was told to pull the directors' train, Rheneas told him to be careful, but Skarloey scoffed at him and got the coaches. The coaches had never met him before, and their leader, Agnes, didn't trust him. When Skarloey began to bounce, Mr. Mack, who was riding on Skarloey, closed the regulator too quickly and the coaches bumped into each other. They bumped him back, and Mr. Mack was knocked into a bush. He rode in Beatrice for the remainder of the journey.
The directors were cross, and told Rheneas to pull the inspector's train instead. The inspector was satisfied, but told the directors to give Skarloey an extra set of wheels...
A very interesting way to continue Skarloey and Rheneas' backstory. And we find out why Skarloey has trailing wheels. Kind of like how Sir Handel was reckless when he came to the Skarloey Railway, only his trailing wheels were replaced with steam roller wheels. Maybe the coaches not trusting Skarloey at first must be the reason they didn't trust Sir Handel.
My rating: 9/10.
Stick-in-the-Mud.
Rheneas starts telling the rest of the story. When Skarloey returned with another pair of wheels and a cab, Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice were impressed and Skarloey got conceited. When he told Rheneas he should get a cab, Rheneas disagreed. Skarloey called him a stick-in-the-mud, and the argument went on until the two fell out. Then, one morning, Skarloey was taking the workmen to the quarry in the rain. When Rheneas was warming up, the guard arrived and told them Skarloey was stuck in a landslide beyond the tunnel. Rheneas refused to help at first, but went when reminded of the workmen and crew. Afterwards, Skarloey apologised, and they burst out laughing when they realised Skarloey was the stick-in-the-mud after all.
Who would've known that Skarloey was a conceited little engine when he was young? And funny thing is, Skarloey did become a stick-in-the-mud, literally! Just goes to show what can happen if you get too conceited, just like Skarloey here.
My rating: 9/10.
Duck and Dukes.
Duck tells Peter Sam that there are no Dukes, having all been scrapped. Peter Sam, who remembered the Thin Controller said the Duke of Sodor was coming to Skarloey and Rheneas' hundredth birthday, is horrified, and when he tells the others, they argue over who is right. (Peter Sam may have been thinking of Duke from the Mid Sodor Railway, but we don't know Sir Handel's reaction.) But the next day, the engines are happy when they wake up, for it's Skarloey and Rheneas' birthday. Later, Peter Sam takes the television train and films Rheneas. After Skarloey arrives and takes the Duke around the new loop line around the Lake, the Duke makes a speech, during which Peter Sam interrupts and asks him if he is real. The Duke tells him he is, and Rheneas makes a speech asking everyone to visit his and Skarloey's respective twin brothers, Dolgoch and Talyllyn.
A very well written story and a great way to celebrate the oldest Skarloey Railway engines' centenary. Something Duck said about Dukes is true. Peter Sam believing the Duke was scrapped wasn't the case as we'll see 5 books after this one. Funny how Peter Sam asked if the Duke was real.
My rating: 9/10.
Stray observations:
Mister Bobbie was a real engineer and he did work for Fletcher, Jenning and Co.
Final thoughts:
A nicely done book. A well done telling of Skarloey's backstory, Rheneas' backstory and how Skarloey came to be the engine he is now. I wonder how Rheneas got his cab? They didn't explain it. All these stories would've been superb for TV.
Phew! That's all of Wilbert's books I've covered. Now for the rest of Christopher's books.
Phew! That's all of Wilbert's books I've covered. Now for the rest of Christopher's books.
My rating: 9.1/10.
RWS scorecard:
1. The 3 Railway Engines: 9/10.
2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9.5/10.
3. James the Red Engine: 8/10.
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.9/10.
5. Troublesome Engines: 9.1/10.
6. Henry the Green Engine: 9.2/10.
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9.2/10.
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3/10.
10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.
11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.
12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.
14. The Little Old Engine: 9.6/10.
15. The Twin Engines: 9.3/10.
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.5/10.
18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.
19. Mountain Engines: 9.3/10.
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1/10.
21. Main Line Engines: 9.3/10.
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.8/10.
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.9/10.
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 9.3/10.
25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.8/10.
26. Tramway Engines: 9.8/10.
27. Really Useful Engines: 9.2/10.
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.
40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.
RWS rating so far: 9.3/10.
Always liked this one. For what it's worth, if Neil was No. 2 of the Sodor and Mainland Railway and the names of Nos. 1 and 3 have been forgotton, logic tells me they were Walt and Finn. They were built by Neilson and Company at their works in Finnieston in Glasgow - the first name of Mr Neilson was Walter. The other possibility is Monty which was Mr Neilson's middle name, but then surely Neil would have been No3?
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