The Old Bridge

"Thank you. You were very brave to help me."

- Rheneas

The Old Bridge, lengthened to The Old Iron Bridge in a few releases as a goof, is the fourth episode of the seventh series.

Plot
Skarloey and Rheneas love to puff along the narrow gauge railway. But an old wooden bridge has been damaged by a storm. One day, Skarloey is enjoying his journey when he is puffing across the bridge. Unfortunately, he ends up on the broken beam, which he does not see until the last second. This leads to him dangling precariously above the river, frightened, but Rheneas pulls him to safety.

A few days later, the Fat Controller tells the engines that the bridge has been mended. He also tells Skarloey to collect the worker's trucks that have been left there. He agrees, but he is afraid to go on the bridge again. Skarloey arrives and sees the trucks on the other side of the bridge. He puffs forward towards them, but becomes afraid and remembers what happened before and stops halfway across. His driver tries to tell him that the bridge is safe, but Skarloey is doubtful since he is too scared, so they leave without the trucks and arrive back at the sheds. Rheneas' driver decides that he will pick up the trucks instead. Rheneas warns Skarloey that the Fat Controller will be cross if he does not cross the bridge soon.

Now Rheneas has to take Skarloey's trucks as well as his own. He puffs across the bridge with his heavy train. Meanwhile, the Fat Controller punishes Skarloey for disobeying him by making him shunt trucks until he will do as told.

The next morning, Rheneas takes his long train as usual and puffs through the countryside towards the old bridge. But while halfway across the bridge, he soon runs out of water. The yard manager tells Skarloey, who sets off to help him immediately. Skarloey arrives and sees Rheneas stranded. He is very scared, but he is determined and bravely chuffs onto the bridge. It creaks and groans underneath him, but he finally reaches Rheneas and gets coupled up to him and pulls Rheneas to safety.

Rheneas takes on water and tells Skarloey that he was very brave to help him. Now, Skarloey is no longer afraid of crossing the bridge and he loves his journeys more than ever.

Characters

 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Duncan

Locations

 * The Depot
 * Sodor Castle
 * Valley View
 * The Old Trestle Bridge
 * River Hoo
 * Rheneas Viaduct
 * Skarloey Bridge

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the eleventh episode of the seventh series.
 * Stock footage and a deleted scene from Dunkin Duncan is used.
 * The first appearance of Skarloey's large scale shocked and horrified face since the fifth series and it's also the first appearance of his large scale wincing/sleeping face made prior to the sixth series.
 * The plot is somewhat similar to the 1993 magazine story, The Viaduct!.
 * Small scale narrow-gauge trucks from the fourth and fifth series are seen in shots below the bridge to create perspective.
 * The water tower from It's Only Snow appears at the depot.

Goofs

 * On Nick Jr. airings in the UK and PBS Kids airings in the US, "Difficulties" this episode is called The Old Iron Bridge, but the bridge is wooden, not iron.
 * Skarloey's eyes are misaligned in the third shot.
 * Skarloey falls down the broken rail on the bridge and hits the broken bridge rail on the other end smokebox first, but in the following scene, Skarloey is a short distance away in between his smokebox and rail before Rheneas helped him out.
 * Skarloey is wobbling when Rheneas pulls him away from the bridge.
 * When Skarloey leaves for the Old Bridge, Rheneas' eyes are misaligned.
 * When Rheneas approaches the bridge for the last time, he is pulling a train that he was seen pulling in the beginning of the episode rather than the train he was previously seen pulling. This is because the shot was likely intended to lead into the first shot of Rheneas crossing the bridge.
 * When Skarloey shunts coaches at the yard, his eyes are wonky.
 * Rheneas is wearing Skarloey's impressed face when he was rescued.

Quotes
____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________
 * Skarloey: (dangles dangerously above the water while on the Old Bridge) HELP!
 * Skarloey's Driver: Come on, Skarloey! The bridge is safe now!
 * (Skarloey refuses to cross the bridge)
 * Rheneas's Driver: We'll pick up the trucks/freight cars.
 * Rheneas: But if you don't cross the bridge soon, The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt will be cross.
 * Rheneas: (runs out of water on The Old Bridge) Bother!

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Brave Skarloey

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * Pulling Together!
 * The Complete Series 7

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * Pulling Together!/The Chocolate Crunch Double Pack

WAL

 * Machines Co-Extract

US

 * Percy Saves the Day and Other Adventures
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 7

CAN

 * Percy Saves the Day and Other Adventures

DVD Boxsets

 * Adventure On the Tracks
 * Totally Thomas Volume 6

AUS

 * The Complete Series 7

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Series Seven and Series Eight Double Pack

ZA

 * It's Great to be an Engine!

DVD Boxsets

 * 4 Disc Collection
 * 5 DVD Boxset

DK

 * Hip Hooray for Thomas and Other Stories

DVD Boxsets

 * Danish DVD Boxset

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 7 Vol.3
 * Let's Help Each Other, We Are Friends
 * Whole Sodor Island Adventure

KOR

 * A Story That Builds Confidence

TWN

 * Confident Brave Little Engine
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 6

MYS

 * Emily's New Coaches and Other Adventures

SWE

 * Hooray for Thomas!

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 17
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 5

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 23

ITA
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 * The Queen of Sodor

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