Old Faithful

Old Faithful is the seventh episode of Season 1 of Sodor Then & Now. The episode premiered on September 5, 2020

Plot
Many years have passed since Toby and Percy's arrival, and The Island of Sodor has already endured the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II. However, the hardships are far from over. Skarloey and Rheneas are overwhelmed by the amount of work they have on their little line, and Mr. Hugh has finally scraped up the funds to purchase two new engines. The engines turn out of be Falcon and Stuart, who are then renamed as Sir Handel and Peter Sam. Meanwhile, Rheneas is taking a train in the rain and manages to pop a cylinder. He makes the incredibly, cold, uncomfortable, and painful journey home but is soon knocked out by the immense pain he puts upon himself. He is returned to the yard and put on a flatbed. He is taken to Crewe works by Henry and his fate is left unknown. Shortly after, George expresses his concerns with Sir Bertram Topham Hatt, who assures him that everything will be alright.

Meanwhile, Peter Sam is eager and excited to start work, unlike Sir Handel who, in a heart to heart with his driver, confesses that nothing will match the Mid-Sodor Railway. However, he gets in trouble when he derails himself at the top station. Skarloey accuses him of derailing himself on purpose, but Mr. Hugh confirms it was an accident. Peter Sam on the other hand is so over-eager that he accidentally leaves the Refreshment Lady behind. Peter Sam apologizes profusely to the lady and to Skarloey for his mishap and promises not to be so impatient again. A few days later, Sir Handel has another accident with some trucks that cause him to be derailed and taken out of service for the day.

Skarloey meanwhile is forced to stay in the shed due to being in poor condition. Even after an encouraging talk with Edward, the little old engine finds himself incredibly bored. His chance soon comes when Sir Handel returns to the sheds after his derailment with the trucks. Skarloey goes out to take the train and is given the all clear by a very reluctant Mr. Hugh. Skarloey reaches the Refreshment Lady's Stand exhausted but still standing. However, once he reaches a hill, a spring gives way and Skarloey is forced to make the journey home in a crooked fashion. Mr. Hugh promises to have Skarloey repaired at some point, but it will likely take a long time.

Later, Mr. Hugh vents his frustrations with Sir Bertram, who assures him that Skarloey and Rheneas will be fine and that Sir Handel and Peter Sam will prove to be hard workers.

In a post credits scene, Patrick Boomer, Peter Boomer, and a recently completed Diesel 10 arrive at a workshop to purchase three new diesels. They end up purchasing three Class 08 shunters named Splatter, Dodge, and Diesel.

Characters

 * Skarloey
 * Mr. George Hugh
 * Sir Handel
 * Peter Sam
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Bertram Topham Hatt
 * Henry
 * Edward
 * James
 * Gordon
 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Patrick Boomer
 * Peter Boomer
 * Diesel 10
 * Splatter
 * Dodge
 * Diesel

Trivia

 * Percy and Toby do not speak in this episode, nor do they appear
 * Rheneas' train scene was written and conceptualized long before the final draft in mid 2018. The music used was also decided in mid 2018.
 * This episode's production is one of the shortest, only taking 4 months to complete, not counting the time separating production to wrap Episode 6.
 * Arry and Bert were initially going to speak in the post credits scene, but neither have come to sentience yet.
 * Sir Handel was going to be the main character originally, but it was rewritten to fit Skarloey as the main character.
 * This episode marks the last speaking role of Peter Sam in Season 1 episode-wise.