"The manager was indeed as good as his word," Skarloey smiled. "I returned from the works in Whitehaven a few weeks later, complete with a new set of trailing wheels. However, it seems that the workmen were in an especially kind mood, as I was also fitted with some else... a cab!" He paused. "Apparently, a cab was all the rage, and the newest thing for an engine. Very few had one, and it cheered me up greatly."
"It cheered you up too much," Rheneas snorted from nearby. "And those coaches didn't help. 'Oh, look at him, his name is Skarloey, with six wheels and a cab, what a fine thing he is'!"
"If you're not careful," Skarloey sighed, "Mattel will write you out of the series in favour of a female character who has the exact same personality as you, just a far more hideous livery! Did you see the pictures of the Spam Can they did in yellow recently? Horrifying, isn't it?"
Rheneas went pale. "Yellow is a most horrible colour for an engine," he said. "It collects dirt and dust too easily, and makes them look awful. Why, I heard rumours of Duncan being repainted into yellow-"
"Don't give Smoulder ideas!" called Sandbar from across the shed.
"Anyway," Rheneas sighed, "he got too big for his wheels over it."
"That he did," Skarloey said. "You wouldn't mind telling this one, would you?"
And so, Rheneas began...
Crovan's Gate, 1865.
Skarloey would not stop talking about his new wheels and his new cab. It was driving Rheneas and his driver absolutely round the bend (pun not intended).
"You should get up to date and get a cab like me!" Skarloey said, with a grin, as Rockhoof oiled him round.
"No thank you," Rheneas said. "I'm more up to date then you are, and if anything you look like a snail with that ridiculous cab, as if you have a house on your back. Besides, you're not exactly fast."
"Are you suggesting I and Mr Rockhoof are slow?" Skarloey replied.
"You'll find it's 'me and Mr Rockhoof," Rheneas' driver corrected. He was a chap with yellow skin and red hair, complemented with blue eyes. Dressed in a red jacket with a white shirt, brown trousers and black shoes, this man was a Mr Francis Matthews, or Flash Magnus to most people he knew.
"And," Rheneas added, "who was late three times last week?"
"There's no proof that was my fault," Skarloey protested. "Besides, you're a rude stick in the mud!"
Rockhoof sighed. "However do we stay alive with these two always going at it?" he asked. Both engines were ultimately put back to back in order to stop them from arguing with one another. It lasted for several days, and was quite sad when you think about it, two brothers refusing to talk to one another over something so trivial. But that all changed one day.
Skarloey had the morning train one wet, rainy day. It had been raining for days, and Skarloey was annoyed. "Why am I always picked on for rainy days?" he complained.
"You," Rockhoof commented, "have a cab. Rheneas does not. You, therefore, are better suited for the cold weather and heavy rain, as I can stay dry!"
"I'd have thought you'd be used to the rain," Flash snorted. "Doesn't it rain upwards in Scotland?"
"Isn't Lincolnshire permanently flooded?" Rockhoof retorted. Flash was from there, and the fact most of his county was under water was something of a sore spot for him.
Skarloey simply grumbled to himself as Rockhoof moved him off, and Flash warmed Rheneas up for some shunting. A fresh load of slate had arrived the previous day, and it needed moving to the transfer sidings in order to be taken to places far away. This is the train the-
"Hey! That's the wrong story, Mr. Narrator!"
Pinkie, you weren't even alive at the time this story took place!
"That doesn't matter. I SEE EVERYTHING!"
OK... As I was saying, Rheneas was being warmed up for his duties, and an hour had passed. At last, he had the steam pressure to move off and get on his way, when a gravity wagon rolled to a stop just outside the depot with a railway employee in it.
"We need help!" he said to Flash. "There's been a landslip just beyond Cross-ny-Cuirn, and Skarloey ran straight into it. We need help, as I say, and you're the only crew available."
"Come on, Rheneas!" Flash called. "Let's go!"
"I'm sorry Mr Magnus," Rheneas said sadly. "But I cannot, in good faith, help out that young fool. He's too swanky, and called me a stick in the mud. He can stay stuck in the mud himself, if he wants."
"What's gotten into you?" Flash cried. "Does Mr Rockhoof deserve to stay stuck in the mud? Do the quarry workers deserve to stay stuck in the mud? Back in Lincolnshire, I encountered something similar. Some water had sucked in a fellow worker, whom I wasn't close to, but I put it to one side and hauled him out."
Rheneas looked very sad. "That will never do," he said. "We must get Mr Rockhoof and the quarry workers out of the mud, but we'll see about Skarloey."
The pair collected a truck or two, and proceeded up the line to the landslide. The workers had cleaned the bulk of the mess up with shovels and muscle, and Skarloey had been pushed out of the way. He hissed a bit, but nobody paid any attention. Rheneas took the train on, allowing Rockhoof to clean and oil the engine. At the end of the day, Rheneas towed Skarloey back to the shed.
"Sorry for being a bother," Skarloey said to Rheneas. "That was quite the mess."
"Oh, it's quite alright," Rheneas replied. "At least nobody was hurt." He then stopped as Skarloey started to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"You weren't the stick in the mud!" Skarloey laughed. "I was the entire time! Oh, isn't life ironic?"
"Well, there ends the tale," Rheneas finished. "Seeing as the light is fading, we had probably get some sleep."
"Yeah," Yona said, checking her watch. "Rheneas and Skarloey have splendid old day, they shall have splendid birthday!"
You should see the mockup of it in SWT livery.
Hey, I like Rebecca a lot! How dare you!
Nevermind Rebbecca stealing Rheneas' role, how about her replacing Henry?! That was such an insult.
10138579
Rebecca is actually a really sweet engine if you gave her a proper chance. I like Henry, don't get me wrong, but aren't you being judgemental?
10138590
Firstly, I did get to know her. And she is indeed a Sweetie.
Secondly, I didn't say I hated her, I just wish they didn't replace Henry with her. If anything, they could've just introduced her as a visitor or even an engine to help with extra work loads
10138599
Oh, I see. Well, I just think that they should ditch the Steam Team concept entirely, then everyone can have roughly the same amounts of screentime again.
10138606
I don't like the Steam Team thing either. Makes it more like a super heroe team or something
10138619
It worked for MLP, but that was because it was established Twilight and Co were the mane cast from the very start. But Thomas' core characters weren't established until season 8.
10138643
Exactly
10138380
Image, please?
10138391
I was never insulting your preferences, I'm just saying I don't like the livery. Spam Cans look a lot better when in green.
10138643
10138649
The whole Steam Team thing was ridiculous, as the cast of the Railway Series are meant as an ensemble; they complement one another.
10138863
Oh... well, I think Rebecca looks cute in yellow.
10138873
gcrailway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/34081-large.jpg
I suppose my main issue with her is her introduction. She's basically a female Henry. If you want to add two new characters, why not expand the size of the Steam Team, rather than kick out the show's two oldest characters?
And Crovan's Gate really need to fix her brake valves...
10138874
I think she's completely different from Henry in terms of personality. She's more bubbly, naive and shy.
10138898
But makes silly mistakes likewise, not helped by the sometimes poor writing.
10138900
I like her mistakes, it makes her seem more human... or 'engine' I guess.
10138907
I was referring to the 'faulty brakes' gag. Besides, assuming BWBA takes place in the 1970s (as most of the signalling is still semaphore and locomotives seem not to have AWS fitted), Rebecca should not be making such mistakes. The Bulleid Light Pacifics were built for mixed traffic duty between 1945 and 1950, so therefore she'd have been at work for at least twenty years. Thus, she should know how to handle passenger trains and freight.
10138966
The TV series years are unknown, so I wouldn't really argue something like that. Plus, where's the fun in not seeing little slip-ups once in a while?
10138971
There's quite a debate in that. One school of thought argues the books take place between 1923 and 1972, whereas another argues for 1945 to 1972, and then 1983 to 2010.
10138976
I do believe that the final book published takes place in 2011. (Centenary takes place on June 15th of that year to be precise).
10138986
2011, quite correct.
10138988
That book is a little out of order. Let me explain:
Thomas and the Swan has to take place first in order for Pip and Emma to be on Sodor in the first place (and they are seen and/or mentioned to be Sodor residents for the rest of the book). I think late Spring/early Summer seems to be the most logical time for this due to the Fat Controller needing to change the engine over at Barrow being 'too slow'.
Centenary, as I mentioned before, takes place June 15th of 2011, so it wouldn't be too long after Pip and Emma get to Sodor.
Since we established this takes place in Summer, I imagine Gordon's Fire Service takes place next. Fires are especially notorious in the Summer time.
But Buffer Bashing? It's mentioned to be frosty, so I think it could be during the late Fall/early Winter. And since Pip and Emma are already on the island, we can't say this is before they arrived. So, this makes this the last RWS story in the timeline.
10138996
Pip and Emma were built in the 1970s, so they could easily be on the island by then.
10138867
Precisely.
10139033
It's almost as if HiT had no idea what they were doing.
10139024
I know, but still, the book takes place in 2011, the whole thing does. The wiki even says that Pip and Emma are permanent residents of Sodor by that year. They were just visitors in Gordon the High Speed Engine and Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines.
10139037
This is getting very confusing.
10139038
https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Pip_and_Emma Right there in the "arrived on Sodor" and "visited Sodor".
10139034
It's exactly what they were doing if you ask me.
I mean they had several moments in that arc that wouldn't happen.
A. Henry getting sick from normal coal and using Welsh coal. As it stated in the Flying Kipper, Henry wouldn't need it anymore, yet HiT continued using Welsh coal!
B. Henry having no experience with the Express and Thimas having no experience with the mail train. Yet before that spot, both were seen pulling those trains with no mistake!
C. Edward being afraid to ask for help. Edward is supposed to be the wisest engine of the group. And since he is, he would be willing to ask Percy for guidance on the mail train and admit to Sir Topham Hatt about feeling sick!
I could name more, but I feel I've made my point
10139039
Thanks.
10139040
Yes. Good thing Andrew Brenner came along.
10139046
In WildNorWester's series, Sodor The Modern Years, I actually voiced Pip and Emma.
10139048
Absolutely.
10139050
Sweet!
10139051
And I am trying to pay tribute to Awdry's marvellous creation, an author who should be up there with Tolkien and Dickens.
10139066
Yes, he really should
10139359
That's settled.
10138862
Here you go.
10139430
Good lord.
10139465
Thanks.
-sees the Author's Note-
Well, it is a bit ironic given that, when I was young prior to discovering Thomas and Friends, Yellow used to be my favorite color. ^^;
10139801
In my opinion, the livery doesn't work. Green is the only colour for a Spam Can.
You wound me...
10151323
Lincolnshire was mostly underwater until the mid-19th Century...
You mean something else?
Stop trying to break the fourth wall Skarloey.
And I do agree about Rebecca to, it really pisses me off she replaced Henry. While I do love pacifics I had a soft spot for Henry as a child and still somewhat do today as well.
I don't agree that she looks hideous. Looks like a ray of sunshine to me. Yes, she can dirty more easily, but she's the exception, not the rule.
11575998
It's a nonsensical livery which would never fly on a real railway. The actual spam cans were painted dark green in the early 1960s.