| The Little Old Engine | |
| Author | Wilbert Awdry |
| Illustrator | John T. Kenney |
| Publication date | 1959-Present |
| Published by | Edmund Ward Egmont Publishing |
| Publication Order | |
| Preceded by Duck and the Diesel Engine |
Followed by The Twin Engines |
The Little Old Engine is the fourteenth book in the Railway Series made by Reverend Wilbert Awdry.
Foreword[]
Dear Friends,
You remember in Four Little Engines that Sir Handel Brown, the Owner, sent Skarloey to be mended. These stories tell what happened when "The Little Old Engine" came home.
Skarloey is not real. You can only see him in the books. But there is a real engine just like Skarloey. He is very, very old, and has been mended. His name is Talyllyn, and he lives at Towyn in Wales.
You would all enjoy going to see him at work.
Stories[]
Trucks![]
While Skarloey is being mended, a brand new diesel named Rusty is brought in but Sir Handel is getting sick of doing menial work. Gordon advises him to take on sick leave and Sir Handel does. The Thin Controller did not have the time to arrange this, so Peter Sam and Rusty take his Slate Trucks to the Slate Quarry. Although being mistaken, the trucks think Peter Sam IS Sir Handel and want to pay him out for the latter's treatment. The loaded ones want to ram him off the rails, but their fellow empties try to get across to them Peter Sam's down there to on avail.
A coupling snaps and the Slate Trucks smash into Peter Sam, causing a jet of water from a broken channel above him to rush down on him. Rusty helps clear up the mess, and Sir Handel apologises only to find himself now having to do double duty for the Thin Controller. He is reminded to give Gordon a piece of his own mind.
Home at Last[]
Peter Sam is still recovering from his accident at the Slate Quarry when he gets a surprise in the form of the quiet return of Skarloey at the railway sheds. The fourth narrow-gauge engine tells him that new coaches and a guard's van have been introduced to the railway, much to Sir Handel's pleasure as two of them are 'true' bogie coaches like those he pulled in the past. The trouble is that Duncan, an engine with a rough temperament, has also been brought in by the Thin Controller since Peter Sam's accident. Skarloey is told to collect some workmen and tools because Duncan is stuck at the far end of the tunnel. His disgruntlement is soon silenced by both his driver and the Thin Controller, who threatens to cut his funnel and cab down to size if he misbehaves again.
Rock 'n' Roll[]
Skarloey meets Rusty one day and praises the little diesel for his work. At the sheds, Rusty tells Skarloey that there is a bad bit of line they haven't got round to yet and he is afraid that Duncan will derail with his rock 'n' roll tendency. Duncan overhears them and bluntly says to them to "speak in plain English". The Scottish engine insults Rusty by saying that he doesn't need a "smelly" diesel to help him. He meets James at Crovans Gate late for his first passenger train and explains that Rusty has left him to find his own coaches. James pities him and tells him what happened when 'Devious' Diesel came to his yard, though he plays it up to sound like HE sent him packing.
Duncan thinks as he sets out how to do James's trick on Rusty, but gets so carried away that he derails on the piece of line that Rusty had tried to warn him about; at the sheds where Mr. Hugh tells Rusty that he needs to help Duncan, Rusty refuses to oblige for Duncan's sake. Skarloey tells him off by reminding him about the passengers who might be stranded there for the night, and Rusty quickly puts his grudge aside. That evening, Duncan tells Rusty it was his bad excuse to call him "smelly" and they bond with each other afterwards.
Little Old Twins[]
Some men are inspecting the Skarloey Railway. Sir Handel and Peter Sam believe this will play out like it did on the casually-mentioned Mid Sodor Railway where they formerly worked. The engines are upset about being potentially sold, but Peter Sam's driver says they aren't being sold for anything and the men are arranging to produce a special television documentary on the railway.
The Thin Controller supervises the arrangements, and even decides Sir Handel trying to feign from taking part is a catalyst for showing the producers how an engine works as a bonus! Peter Sam meanwhile has an equally enticing, but more well-received, prospect of pulling the television-equipment train. The exercise proves successful for the BBC as Skarloey tells about his "Little Old Twin" named Talyllyn, who he reunited with whilst being mended, and works on the Talyllyn Railway at Towyn in Wales.
Characters[]
- Gordon
- Sir Handel
- The Thin Controller
- Peter Sam
- Rusty
- Duncan
- Mr. Hugh
- The Owner
- Skarloey
- James
- Agnes, Ruth, Jemima and Lucy (not seen)
- Gertrude and Millicent (do not speak)
- Ada, Jane and Mabel (do not speak)
- Cora (does not speak)
- Talyllyn (does not speak)
- Beatrice (does not speak)
- Henry (cameo)
- Diesel (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- To date, the story "Little Old Twins", at seven hundred and ninety words long, is the longest story in the series.
- The Reverend acknowledged the help given from the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in the preparation of this book. He also acknowledged the help by John Adams (publicity) Ltd. in the preparation for the illustration of Talyllyn.
Goofs[]
- Duncan is not coupled to the coaches in the sixth illustration of "Home at Last".
- James has his old cab roof with a red top again.
- Throughout "Home at Last", Peter Sam has round buffers.
- Sir Handel has red wheels in the third illustration of "Home at Last".
- Peter Sam's funnel isn't broken in any story, except the first one.