One day, not long after that damaged track near Cros-ny-Cuirn had been repaired, Sir Handel Brown brought visitors from elsewhere, probably off the island, to look around. They were shown everything. They travelled on the trains, they looked at the trains, they filmed the trains passing by, and took pictures and film of everything. This included the bridges, the tunnels, the ballast, and even the rails, which caused Rusty no end of confusion.
"Why are they looking at the rails so closely?" he asked Sandbar one day, as he observed another group of the men taking some more pictures. "Don't they trust us to repair the line properly?"
"I don't know," Sandbar replied, as he took out his teapot and had a drink from it. "I just hope they aren't assessing us. My face isn't especially photogenic."
"I think Ocellus would disagree," Rusty joked.
"Look," Sandbar replied, "just because some people have started compressing her and my names into one word does not mean we are a couple. We're just friends. Nothing more. OK?"
"I understand," Rusty chuckled. Sandbar knew he understood all too well.
Further down the line, Peter Sam and Sir Handel observed another group of the men looking at a station building. "Yes, we'll take this," they said, all in unison, which was midly creepy.
Then they looked at a crane. "No, we won't take that," they said, and walked on.
All the while they were scribbling things in their notebooks. Sir Handel whistled quietly to alert Peter Sam. "Hey, Peter Sam?"
"Yes?" Peter Sam asked.
"Don't you remember that a group of men did that to our old railway? Why, they did it for weeks, and then it was-"
"Closed." Peter Sam's words were flat, and had no emphasis. It was clear this was bringing up painful memories for him, and this fact became ever clearer as the day went on. He no longer sang as he puffed up the line. He looked as though he was going to cry, and he steamed poorly because of his sadness. The other engines saw how sad he was, and became sad too. This greatly concerned Silverstream, so as she oiled him round, she went to speak to him.
"What's wrong, Peter Sam?" she asked. "Still feeling blue about your accident? You look sadder than a pair of shells owned by my cousin, Skystar!"
Peter Sam sighed, his eyes heavy and his face long. "This is similar to what happened on my old railway, before you became my driver. We don't want to be sold, Silverstream. I've lost enough homes, and I don't want to loose another."
Silverstream looked shocked. Then she began to laugh. "Sold? Who to?"
"Those people talking about taking things," Peter Sam replied, looking glum.
"Don't be silly!" Silverstream laughed, as she closed up her oil can. "Those men are from a film company, working on contract for the British Broadcasting Corporation, or BBC. They want to take our pictures for a documentary on our railway. That's what they meant!"
"Are those... moving pictures?" Peter Sam asked cautiously. "Those things people go into dark buildings to see?"
"The very same!" Silverstream replied, doing her best to explain how film works.
Later that day, Peter Sam rocketed into the yard. "Not going to be sold! Not going to be sold!!" he cheered, as he rolled in.
"What is it?" Sir Handel asked, sleepily. "Who were those people?"
"They're making a film about us!" Peter Sam explained. "They shoot moving pictures, which will then be shown on TV across the world! We'll be famous!"
Sir Handel sighed. "If it works for publicity," he said, "then I suppose it is a good thing. But I daresay I'm not too comfortable with it nontheless. Imagine rolling about, your entire life being probed by somebody else on a screen far away, reading these words as I speak!"
At this point the narrator intervened, intent on stopping Sir Handel from breaking the fourth wall. Ocellus, on the other hand, looked worried. "I hope we don't have to act," she said quietly. "I have awful stage fright."
"I'm certain it'll be alright!" Skarloey exclaimed. "Look! Here comes Mr Percival now!"
"Good evening, everybody!" he called, as he stepped into the courtyard. "I wan't every engine available to do a good job tomorrow. First off, Sir Handel and Gallus."
Just then, Gallus emerged with a can of oil. "Yes sir?" he asked.
"I want you and Sir Handel to stay here."
Sir Handel blinked in surprise. "Why?" he asked.
"I want you to be the focus of a demonstration of proper locomotive maintenance and repair." We shall leave Sir Handel's response to charity. "Skarloey, Ocellus, I want you both to take Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima, and Beatrice and run with them up and down the line."
"Yes sir!" Skarloey exclaimed. "I won't let you down." Ocellus, on the other hand, meekly nodded.
"Duncan, Smoulder, you are both to take a goods train up the line. I want NO rock and roll tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me," Duncan answered.
"Learned that one the hard way," Smoulder sighed.
"Rusty and Sandbar shall have the engineering train. This shall be used to show our visitors how we mend the line."
"What about me and Silverstream?" Peter Sam asked.
"Silverstream and I," Mr Percival corrected. "You two shall work the special television train."
"Thank you sir!" Peter Sam called, rolling around in ecstasy. As a result, it was strongly advisable not to stop him.
"The special train?" Silverstream cried. Then she punched the air with her fist. "THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!"
The next morning arrived, and the filming train was prepared. Cameras were mounted on specially built brackets up and down the line, on the lineside. They were also mounted on some of the wagons, and a van was filled with wires and power leads. A transmission aerial was mounted on another wagon, and the flatbed had a portable generator fitted to power the cameras (the lineside cameras had their own batteries). At long last, the red light on the camera went on.
"We're on the air! We're on the air!" Peter Sam smiled, and pulled away to the shops where Sir Handel was being maintained. Apart from showing a brief interest in the fact that he was on telivision, Sir Handel on the whole did not enjoy the visit, but Gallus at least explained in a clear voice what he was doing.
"We're on the air! We're on the air!" Peter Sam called again, as they rolled along the line.
"Oh boy, Terramar is going to be so jealous!" Silverstream smiled, as they rolled along the track, and into a passing loop where Duncan was waiting.
"Hello!" Duncan called to the camera. The announcer spoke with him and Smoulder for a bit, and then they were on their way to the next station. Once there, they spoke with Rusty and Sandbar, who demonstrated the proper technique of replacing a rail, and then they were off once again. They passed through Rheneas station, past the waterfall, and came to a stop at Skarloey station.
And then, Sir Handel Brown came forward to speak. "We arranged for television," he said, "to let everybody see our little old engine, and his gallant young driver. We are proud of them. Why, the engine is good as new despite his age, and there's nothing like them in the world. Three cheers for Skarloey, and Ocellus!"
Just then, Skarloey rolled into the other platform, whistling as he did so. A great cheer started up, as he came to a stop right in front of the camera. The presenter stepped forward to speak to the engine.
"It is very good to be home," Skarloey smiled. "Thank you all for this surprise, but now I shall surprise you. When I was being mended in Wales, I found my twin."
Silverstream loudly gasped. "There's another Skarloey?" she asked.
Ocellus looked over, and shushed her. "The cameras are running!" she hissed.
"Is there another engine like you?" asked the presenter.
"Oh yes!" Skarloey smiled. "His name is Talyllyn. I took the opportunity to catch up with him, as we haven't seen each other in years. The workmen laughed when they saw us together, and called us the little old twins. He has a railway too, which is where I was mended. It runs from a place called Twywn, all the way into the woods, and to a place called Nant Gwernol. Please do visit him, and wish him good rails and dry running."
Ocellus spoke up, and it seems fitting to end on her words. "There may be other engines of his design, but there will never be a pair of twins like Skarloey and Talyllyn."