Snow

Salty's Secret (*S6*)

*“It's a snowball!"
"It's a snow house!"
"It's an engine!”*
―Workmen speculating over Skarloey's "igloo"

**Snow** is the twenty-sixth and final episode from season five. It aired back to back with A Big Surprise for Percy during an airing of Storytime with Thomas in the US.

## Plot

One winter day on the Island of Sodor, a thick layer of snow has fallen and all engines have gone to work except Percy, who is stuck in a snowdrift. Thomas finds Percy and tells him that there is no time for resting, but is told that Percy's crew have just left to seek help. Thomas scoffs at this but continues his journey to clear the rest of the snowed in railway lines. Later, he has to clear snow from a tunnel but the snow is deep enough for him to get stuck, much to Thomas' annoyance. Rusty is working close by. So to pass the time, he tells Thomas a story.

One snowy day, Skarloey was travelling up to the slate mine when he passed through a ravine. Whenever snow came, work became difficult in the slate mines and snow was used as a "double buffer zone" to stop trucks from falling into the ravine below. One day, Skarloey was travelling to the mines with empty trucks, while at the mine, the winch that hauls the trucks up and down the incline was not working properly. When Skarloey reached the ravine, his driverwas concerned that any noise could cause an avalanche, so he set an emergency cap. When Skarloey ran over it, the bang echoed around the gorge but nothing happened, so his crew decided to make a cup of cocoa and be on their way. However, up in the slate mines a long line of full trucks were to be winched down the slope, but the winch became jammed when some empty trucks derailed. A coupling on the full trucks snapped and they ran down the slope. A workman thought the snowbank and buffers would stop the runaway, but he was wrong. The trucks instead broke through the buffers and plunged into the ravine, and all the noise from the trucks caused an avalanche which buried Skarloey deep inside. When Rusty came to the rescue, they discovered that Skarloey's heat had created an igloo, and inside they found Skarloey's crew nonchalantly sipping cocoa.

Thomas uses this as an example about how trucks can be so troublesome while Rusty states the same for snow. The workmen finally clear the snow from behind Thomas, but Gordon then arrives with his snow machine to clear away drifts. Gordon loudly blows steam and causes an avalanche, covering him in snow. Gordon cries for help, and Thomas jokes that if Skarloey could emerge from an avalanche laughing, Gordon could at least do the same. Gordon just scoffs and falls silent as the snow.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Gordon
* Percy
* Skarloey
* Rusty
* Troublesome Trucks
* Peter Sam (*cameo*)
* Duncan (*cameo*)

## Locations

* Tower Windmill
* Standard and Narrow Gauge Tunnel Runby
* Echo Pass Ravine
* Skarloey Slate Quarry
* The Windmill (*stock footage*)
* Kirk Ronan Junction (*stock footage*)

## Trivia

* Stock footage from the third series episode, Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure is used.
* During most of the flashback, Skarloey's large scale model was used; but during the scene where Rusty says "When the snow came..." his small scale model is used. When interacting with Thomas, Rusty's small scale model is used; but when he appears during the flashback, his large scale model was used.
* When the slate cars plunge into the ravine, the music is heard in the US and the International versions.
* This episode was also aired with the first series episode, Thomas' Christmas Party in the final airing of Storytime with Thomas.
* This is the only fifth season episode where the snow appears.
* This episode marks the last of many things:
	+ Britt Allcroft's last episode as producer and writer before becoming an executive producer in the sixth season.
	+ Angus Wright's final episode as executive producer.
	+ David Maidment's last episode as railway consultant.
	+ The last episode ever produced by David Mitton.
	+ The last episode to credit Gullane Entertainment by its original name, The Britt Allcroft Company before it was changed to its official name.
	+ The last episode in the US to use the original opening credits until the seventh season episode, Emily's New Coaches.
	+ The last time Thomas' whistle seating and valve stems are unpainted brass.
	+ The last episode to use Duncan's small scale model.
	+ The last episode narrated by Manfred Steffen in Germany until Seasons 6-7, Gérard Boucaron in French (Canada), Angelo Maggi in Italy and Grzegorz Fedorowski in Poland, and the last episode narrated by Tatá Guarnieri in Brazil until Seasons 6-7.
	+ The last episode made in the 1990s.
	+ The last episode to feature Thomas' angry face with distinct angry eyebrows. From the sixth series onwards, almost all of his faces would have triangular eyebrows only.
	+ The last episode to air in the 20th century due to **Thomas and the Magic Railroad** being released in 2000, which would be the final Thomas production made in the 20th century.
	+ The last episode to air before the release of Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
	+ The last episode to have a one-word title until the eighth season episode, Fish.
	+ The Narrow-Gauge Slate Trucks' last speaking roles to date.
	+ The last appearance of the Standard and Narrow Gauge Tunnel Runby to date.
	+ The last appearance of Rusty's small scale model in an episode to date. He would briefly appear in his small scale model in the special, Calling all Engines, in Thomas' dream.
	+ The last episode until the ninth season episode, Mighty-Mac, where the standard gauge engines interact with the narrow gauge engines.
	+ The last episode dubbed in German until Thomas and the Tuba, not counting Jack and the Sodor Construction Company.
* When the trucks charge towards the buffers, both of the Skarloey Engine Sheds from the fourth series can be seen (though both repainted grey).
* This episode is titled **Skarloey Snowed Under** on The Roku Channel.
* This is one of the two fifth series episodes to feature Thomas' unused excited face from the third series, the other being Something in the Air.
* In the scene of Thomas talking to Percy, a deleted scene showed Percy looking happy instead of his sad face with Thomas looking concerned instead of one of his cross faces, thinking he may have come to rescue him.

## Goofs

* In various scenes, part of Skarloey's cab roof is snapped.
* When the trucks race down the incline, the middle truck derails.
* When the trucks crash through the snow bank and buffers, they are coupled, but they fall off separately, one by one. Additionally, a truck is missing when they fall into the ravine.
* When the trucks are on the incline, the front truck has a narrow-gauge truck face, but when it races down the incline, it has a standard-gauge truck face. Both are due to the fact that different scale models were used.
* When Thomas talks to Percy, his eyes are wonky.
* Rusty's face changes size during the scene of Skarloey being rescued due to his large scale model being used.
* A wire can be seen between Rusty and his coach after the workmen have removed the ice from Skarloey.
* In the first shot of Skarloey going through the ravine, he jerks a little.
* In the scene where the empty trucks derail, string can be seen pulling those trucks.

## Quotes

* **Trucks:** Break It! Snap It! (a coupling snaps) On! On! On! Faster! Faster!
* **Workman:**The snowbank and buffers will stop them.

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* **Skarloey and his crew:**AVALANCHE!!!

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* **Rusty**: No one knew that the heat from Skarloey's engine had helped to make an igloo.
* **Workmen**: It's a snowball. It's a snow house. It's an engine!
* **Rusty**: They cleared away the ice, only to find Skarloey's driver and fireman drinking cocoa, as if nothing had happened!

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* **Gordon:**(puffs by with his snow machine)Hey, look out! There's snow about! (nears the tunnel and wheeses steam) Oh no! (snow falls on top of him)

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* **Gordon**: [covered in snow] Help!
* **Thomas**: If Skarloey survived a snowfall, surely, a big, proud engine like you could do the same.
* **Gordon**: [furiously] Pah!

## Merchandise

* Wooden Railway (Gordon's Snow Machine; cancelled)
* Minis (Chillin' Skarloey)

## Home Media Releases

* Spooks and Surprises *(Direct-to-Home Video)*
* Seasonal Scrapes
* Christmas Collection
* My Little Thomas and the Royal Visitor
* The Complete Series 5

DVD Boxsets
* Classic Collection

US
* Thomas' Christmas Wonderland and Other Thomas Adventures
* Thomas' Snowy Surprise and Other Adventures
* Ultimate Christmas
* Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 5

DVD Boxsets
* Celebrate with Thomas
* Holiday Favorites
* Sodor Friends Holiday Collection
* Thomas' Holiday Collection

AUS
* Spooks and Surprises
* The Complete Series 5

DVD Packs
* Complete Series 1-10
* Classic Collection
* Series Five and Series Six **Double Pack**

NZ
* Spooks and Surprises

ITA
* Back All!

JPN
* The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.4
* Sing-Along and Stories 3
* Sodor Tour: Surprise Happening

BRA
* Christmas in the Beautiful Land of Thomas

DK
* Forward and Backward and Other Stories

MYS
* Salty's Secret and Other Thomas Adventures
* Busy Going Backwards and Other Adventures

GER
* Lots of Little Helpers

DVD Boxsets
* Thomas and His Friends Box Set 2

GRC
* Time for Work

PHL
* Happy Ever After (Philippine DVD)

SWE
* Hidden in Snow

WAL
* Fleas and 15 other Stories

THA
* Thomas and Friends - Volume 19 (Thai DVD)

HK
* Thomas and Friends Volume 13 *(VCD)*
* Thomas and Friends Volume 3 *(DVD)*

TWN
* Thomas and Friends Volume 14 (Taiwanese DVD)
* Holiday Express