Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #10: Narrow Gauge Capers

It's high time we caught up with the Skarloey engines to learn about five of their adventures!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 7, Episode 8

The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop

Written by James Mason

It's summertime on Sodor, and the Skarloey engines feel exhausted. The refreshment lady needs another place for a tea room since so many people are thirsty, so Peter Sam takes her along the sites of the Skarloey Railway. There are so many lovely sights that the refreshment lady simply can't decide where to place a new tea room. That night, a storm breaks, and in the morning, Peter Sam helps Rusty to clear up the storm damage. They soon come across a worn out coach (why Rusty calls it a shed, I don't know) and Peter Sam suggests using it as a tea room for the refreshment lady. It is soon restored and Peter Sam gets to pull it.

It's another of those simple episodes where someone has a problem and a friend helps them out. I think the role fitted Peter Sam perfectly, and it's another of those episodes I think every Thomas should see at least once. Oh, and the tea shop coach looks lovely.

Season 9, Episode 5

Mighty Mac

Written by Paul Larson

If we exclude Rusty's cameo in Calling All Engines, this marks the proper return of the Skarloey engines in the TV series after their absence from season eight. Was it that good?

A double-ended locomotive named Mighty Mac arrives on the Skarloey Railway. The controller, Mr. Percival... wait a minute; the Barlow era actually brought forth a Thin Controller for the Skarloey Railway?! That's more than what season four had done when they used the Fat one instead! Anyway, Mr. Percival tells Mighty Mac that they're to take some holidaymakers to the mountain campsite. They don't know which track to take, and they end up confused. Yes, it was entertaining to watch to some extent, but consider this:

"Every wise engine knows of course, that the signalmen works the points to make engines run on the right lines."

Remember that.

Eventually, Mighty Mac take their passengers down the line, and when they come across a fork, Mighty wants to go left, but Mac insists on going right. They go left, much to Mac's annoyance, and at another fork, he insists on going right, which they do, much to Mighty's annoyance. They keep fighting as to which way to go at every fork, bumping their passengers, eventually ending up at a dead end. See the problem there? NO signalmen are involved! Then again, neither are the crews, but that's irrelevant. The signalmen should've directed Mighty Mac to where they should go, but... nope.

Mighty and Mac argue as to whose fault it is, and they eventually cause the coach to derail and cause a rockslide. Later, the coach is lifted back on the rails by the holidaymakers, and Mighty Mac agree to work together by pushing the rocks out of the way... which wouldn't work as they could've easily derailed and got damaged. Yeah, the plot's pretty messed up and it's left aside to allow for character development - you cannot have one without the other!

Mighty Mac makes it to the campsite and they head home. Don't get me wrong; Mighty Mac has a unique design for the show, but could they hold a starring role for the CGI series? I'm not sure at the moment. If they can do something interesting, I'll hold my reservations for now. For this episode, it's just bad and loaded with mistakes and plotholes.

Season 10, Episode 2

A Smooth Ride

Written by Simon Nicholson

First off, let's get this outta the way - Sir Handel isn't the one of the oldest engines on Sodor. Okay, he's older than engines like Thomas and Hiro, but he isn't a 19th century locomotive either! Before anyone mentions Sir Haydn being built in 1878, keep in mind that Sir Handel was built in 1904, so therefore, he's younger than engines like Skarloey, Rheneas, Glynn, Edward, Stephen and Duke, although Glynn is arguable. To be fair, they did try to give some explanation for Sir Handel's eleven-year absence, but how could he have been working at the stone quarry all summer if we'd never seen him there in the first place? Also, he isn't one of the smoothest engines.

Anyway, the story begins with Mr. Percival telling Sir Handel to take trucks of apples and go smoothly, or the apples will bruise. Sir Handel goes nicely until he comes up a hill; he starts rattling and comes to a stop. When Peter Sam turns up, Sir Handel explains that he rattles and rocks when he comes up hills, and Peter Sam agrees to help. Sir Handel manages to deliver the apples without a bruise, but doesn't tell Mr. Percival about his problems when he takes some sheep and later gets Duncan's help. Sir Handel actually asking for help? Does seem like positive development for him, so...!

Later, Mr. Percival tells Sir Handel that it's his wife's birthday today, and wants him to take them to the top of Culdee Fell for a picnic. Once again, climbing up the hill, Sir Handel comes to a stop. Mr. Percival considers sending him away, but Sir Handel explains his problems with climbing hills, and so he is taken for repairs so he can climb hills without problem. If there was any time where Sir Handel could make his proper return to the show, this shouldn't have been that episode. It's just dull and generic, and a poor excuse to bring him back into the fold. I hope he comes into his own in the CGI series with a good episode; same thing with Rusty. Speaking of which...!

Season 10, Episode 15

Which Way Now?

Written by James Mason

One day, Rusty has two important tasks - first, he has to help workmen put up new posts along the trails, and later, he's to take the Fat Controller and his family so they can take a walk by the lake. Rusty is impatient for the workmen to finish and rushes them... That's rather odd. I mean, Sir Handel, Peter Sam or Duncan I'd understand. But Rusty? Surely he knows not to rush? However, Rusty is early and soon enough, Thomas arrives with the Fat Controller and his family... in a brakevan? Perhaps he was going light engine to the wharf? :P

Soon, Rusty brings the Hatts to the lake... or so he thinks. Surprisingly, the Hatts are not at the tea room. He sees some campers at the quarry, some fishermen at the coal mine, and some skiers at the ruined castle, but none have seen the Fat Controller. However, Rusty realizes why they were in strange places - his rushing caused the workmen to mix up the signs! He finds the Hatts at Hill Farm and apologizes for the mix-up, but the Fat Controller says that his grandchildren actually had fun with the animals - so it looks like Rusty actually did some good without realizing it! After dropping them off at the wharf, he decides to correct his mistake without rushing.

This one's alright; it does actually have a decent moral about not rushing, and how sometimes, a mistake can be a blessing in disguise.

Season 17, Episode 8

Luke's New Friend

Written by Davey Moore

Wait, are my eyes deceiving me or did Thomas NOT make a pointless appearance? Nope, it's for real. And as a plus, no Steam Team members show up! Guess we don't need them to make a good episode, am I right? We haven't had that since Mountain Marvel in season 12! Oh wait, I haven't reviewed that episode yet...

Anyway, onto Luke's New Friend! It's close to the end of the day at the Blue Mountain Quarry, and Luke and Rheneas have a little race to the crossing, but Rheneas comes across a young deer (a.k.a., a fawn) and stops in front of it, taken aback by its sudden presence. Rheneas says that the quarry is no place for a deer; later that night, Luke rests outside of a tunnel when the deer shows up again. It's scared off by Owen's snoring to Luke's disappointment, but he's glad to have at least seen it up close, and next morning, he gets a surprise when it shows up in his cab.

The deer is nervous around the quarry's noisy environment, and an explosion makes it run off onto Owen's platform! This makes Luke determined to make the quarry a nice place for the deer to live in, so much so that he insists that everyone keep quiet whilst working. However, Peter Sam accidentally sets off a chain reaction of noise that scares the deer once again. Owen, Merrick, and the engines insist that Luke has to bring the deer away from the quarry, and he does so by taking a train of gravel to Ulfstead Castle.

Happily, the deer loves the environment of Ulfstead Castle; it's quiet, and the air is fresh. The deer encounters what seems to be its mother, and leaps out of Luke's cab to meet up with her. Luke is sad to let his friend go, but at least the deer is happy to be with its mother again.

Yeah, it's way better than Percy's New Friends. Luke fits the role better because he's young and inexperienced around animals, and he could relate to the deer in terms of shyness. The animation, although it was Arc's eighth episode, was brilliant; just goes to show that little details like the driver tapping Luke's cab can make a difference; it makes them feel more alive. Sure, the models were good, but they had limits. And yes, there was that brakevan goof - moving on. Also, did you know this was Davey Moore's first Thomas script? He even said it was one of his favorites along with Thomas' Train and Rusty and the Boulder.

Episode Ratings:

The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop: 8.5 out of 10

Mighty Mac: 1.5 out of 10

A Smooth Ride: 3 out of 10

Which Way Now?: 6 out of 10

Luke's New Friend: 7.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard

1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
2. Percy Gets It Right: 8
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
5. Edward's Brass Band: 6
6. What's the Matter with Henry?: 8
7. James and the Queen of Sodor: 7
8. The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop: 8.5
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0
17. Peace and Quiet: 9.5

23. Gordon and Spencer: 10
26. Three Cheers for Thomas: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 9 Scorecard

1. Percy and the Oil Painting: 7
2. Thomas and the Rainbow: 1.5
5. Mighty Mac: 1.5

7. Respect for Gordon: 8

10. Rheneas and the Dinosaur: 1
12. Toby Feels Left Out: 1.5
13. Thomas Tries His Best: 9

16. Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5
17. Emily Knows Best: 7.5

22. Skarloey the Brave: 1
23. Saving Edward: 2

24. Thomas and the Golden Eagle: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 10 Scorecard

2. A Smooth Ride: 3
7. Thomas' Tricky Tree: 2.5
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5

9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9

13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
14. Topped Off Thomas: 0.5
15. Which Way Now?: 6
16. Thomas and the Shooting Star: 6.5
17. Big Strong Henry: 7
18. Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4

20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
27. James the Second Best: 5
28. Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out: 3.5

Thomas and Friends Season 17 Scorecard

4. Gordon Runs Dry: 8
7. Henry's Hero: 5.5
8. Luke's New Friend: 7.5
10. Not Now, Charlie!: 5.5
12. The Thomas Way: 6
13. The Phantom Express: 7.5
14. Percy's Lucky Day: 9
15. Bill or Ben?: 10
16. Too Many Fire Engines: 9
17. No Snow for Thomas: 7.5
20. The Frozen Turntable: 3

23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8

24. The Smelly Kipper: 8