Mountain Engines review

Ok. We've visited the North Western a lot and the SkR three times now. But, there is another railway that is older then the former and younger then the latter that we need to take a look at. Oh and the SkR engines feature a tiny bit as well... As does Donald.

Mountain Engine (As a sidenote, add an 's' and you get the book title.)

After some trouble with the coaches, Sir Handel has an argument with Skarloey and Rheanes about mountain railways, and then a strangle looking engine named Culdee shows up. He then proceeds to tell the engines about his own railway, which is a mountain railway, much to Sir Handel's disbelief.

Ok, this is another one of those 'whisper' stories that start off the evolution of a new railway and it's new set of characters. Culdee appears to be the words of wisdom for his railway of engines, like Skarloey and Rheanes for the Skarloey line and Edward and Toby for the NWR. As a sidenote, in the SkR and CFR's cases, the engine named after the railway just so happens to be the sage of the railway. (Well, in the former's case, Rheanes is as well, but still). All in all, a good simple story to get things going.

Before we go on, I think Sir Handel's behaviour in this story was triggered something along the lines of this. tobyandmavisforever.deviantart… This also tanks the next story by the way.

Score: 8/10

Bad Look Out:

Duncan has trouble with the coaches this time, and Sir Handel isn't fairing any better then the last story. Culdee then tells them about Godred and his demise, which leaves them silent for a long time after he left.

One of the darkest stories I've ever seen for any children's story. I can imagine myself in Sir Handel's or Duncan's position just hearing it in universe. It would scare me too. But, I think Sir Handel might have been more affected by it then Duncan and I'll get to reasons later. Overall, very heavily toned and one of my favourite stories.

Score: 10/10

Danger Points

Culdee hears about the latest things on his line and meets Lord Harry. Like Godred, he is very conceited, but his accident isn't nearly as bad as he derails at the points, causing delay and embarrassment. And he looses his name too.

Thought I was going to say "delay and confusion", didn't you? Anyway, this was much needed after the scary elements of the previous story. It's pretty good seeing Culdee on his home railway too, and we also see him with his own friends, which I may develop further if I think of good stories for them. Lord Harry was a good character too.

Score: 9/10

"Devil's Back"

No. 6 is stuck with taking 'the truck' for a while, but soon gets to prove his worth by going up "Devil's Back" in a gale. He is then renamed Patrick, and he only takes risks when called for from then on.

It's amazing how much characters can develop within four stories, but Lord Harry/No. 6/Patrick does it in two. I also love the moral here: don't take risks unless it's absolutely necessary.

Score: 9.5/10

Other tidbits of info:

The mountain engines only ever appeared in this book because their real life railway had more safety precautions then any other railway ever and limited traffic. That said, Zack had mentioned that the ERS has done more stories with these engines. I would love to read them, but I can't get back into my account on the SIF.

"Bad Look Out" is based on an accident that Godred's sister L.A.D.A.S. (Laura Alice Duff Assheton-Smith), had on the Snowdon Railway. Like the Culdee Fell, the Snowdon never got a replacement No. 1. (Oddly enough.)

In the same story, Culdee mentions that while Catharine keeping a good look out for him takes a lot of his mind, it doesn't take it off his buffers. But, he doesn't have buffers. This isn't the only time this happens either, and I'll get to it when I get to it.

In "Mountain Engines" Alaric is drawn as a goof, as Culdee didn't meet him until he got home from his visit to the SkR. I'm pretty sure that was meant to be Shane Dooiney, the CFR's No. 5. And for some reason, Skarloey... has a numberplate on the back of his cab? Ok?

Final thoughts:

A very unique book to behold in the Railway Series. Never adapted for TV, but it would have been rather difficult to do a film set for. Maybe they could be adapted in CGI. I mean, Mike and Rex are coming back, are they not? But, overall, a wonderful book for a railway that has only ever been seen once.

Total score: 36.5/40

Next up, it's back to the SkR we go. I hear we will be celebrating two engines' birthdays in that one...