Engine Stories: Tom Rolt - Talyllyn Railway

What happens when you need another steam engine, but there aren't any suitable around? Well you simply just make one!
Find out the origins of our No.7, Tom Rolt, in this episode of Engine Stories.
Engine Stories is a series that goes over the history of our well loved and famous little engines, written and narrated by Daniel Long.
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[@thethingfromthelivestreamchat]

It's a big shame Ivo Hugh never got the spotlight time he needed in the railway series. Tom Rolt's story has a lot of fun bits to do a book on. (Though, I do think that recycling an engine to build another would be a morbid in the sense that they're alive. Love to see how Chris would have handled that.)

[@beard3451]

I like to think in a RWS/TVS hybrid, Ivo Hugh is rather young and timid, like HiT era Skarloey. That way, if people want to adapt stories like "Skarloey the Brave" or "Skarloey Storms Through" without messing up Skaroley's true nature, they can use Ivo Hugh instead. Also, in my personal RWS/TVS Hybrid, the two youngest engines on the Skarloey Railway, Ivo Hugh and Luke, have a close friendship like Ten Cents and Sunshine from TUGS, with Ivo Hugh as the slightly older Ten Cents and Luke as the slightly younger Sunshine. Thus, Luke can take the place of Rheneas in HiT era story adaptions that feature the young Rheneas and Skarloey.

[@beard3451]

@Peace and Love Scooters I guess. Although being lethargic seems to be more the personality of Fred the Diesel, or at least what is implied in the dialogue about him

[@red5_skywalker]

Wasn't there a story about the culdee fell railway where an engine was pulled apart so other could be repaired?

[@red5_skywalker]

@Peace and Love Scooters I just checked my books and in the mountains engines book there is a story called "Bad Lookout" about an engine called Godred who is essentially scrapped for parts in order to repair Culdee and other engines. Granted, Culdee made the story up to scare Sir Handel and Duncan but it's part of the Railway Series nonetheless.

[@beard3451]

@Peace and Love Scooters Fred is the Skarloey Railway's 2nd diesel, based on the Talylyn Railways Alf. He doesn't appear onscreen, but Rusty's musings seem to imply Fred is rather lazy. Ivo Hugh is essentially a blank slate, as he has not had his personality shown, so he is free to be depicted in any way, be it a Season 9 Skarloey replacement, lethargic, or anything else.

[@Toast-com]

Tom Rolt is my fav of the Talyllyn fleet. He's so boxy it's adorable.

[@paulhaynes8045]

She will always be Irish Pete to me. No disrespect to Tom, of course, without him Talyllyn probably wouldn't exist. But I was a volunteer back in the day when she first arrived and in those days most people thought we'd never get to see her in steam. Contrary to the upbeat theme of this video she wasn't exactly universally loved and many at the time thought she was a bit of a nuisance and shouldn't have been bought. Opinions ranged from it wasn't worth the effort and cost to restore her, to she wouldn't run well on the Talyllyn anyway, she was too big, too strong - or just 'not right' for the railway, in some unspecified way. But I always had a soft spot for the 'new' engine, and always hoped one day to see her in steam - although I never thought I'd see it happen. So for me it's absolutely wonderful to see the engine alive and well and running (not as predicted by the sceptics) so well on the TR track. But forgive me one tiny regret - that she never kept her 'real' name. To me she will always be Irish Pete.

[@romycarldelacruz1980]

How the engines got in to the railway Bought Lucky snatch A gift And recycled

[@rogerrussell5155]

I worked on the frames for irish Pete as she was known then in late 60s ..hand reaming the holes to attach the cylinders

[@Living_Life_RN]

As much as I’d have preferred it if Tom Rolt was built without the use of one of Ireland’s few preserved 3ft gauge locos, it’s clear how useful it is. At least there are two more ex- Bord Ná Mona Barclay 0-4-0s in preservation. I’d highly recommend giving the Stradbally Woodlands Railway any help you can, as they take care of Bord Ná Mona no.2 and run it on their passenger services.

[@BottomOfTheBarrelProductions]

Was there once funnily I thought it looked like Duncan🤣

[@Living_Life_RN]

@@BottomOfTheBarrelProductions The Bord Ná Mona steam locos were slightly enlarged versions of the Barclay E class of which Douglas (and Duncan) is an example of.

[@BottomOfTheBarrelProductions]

@@Living_Life_RN I guess I was right to think that

[@havoc3742]

Considering that if they hadn't bought her, she'd have been cut up, I think that this is certainly, a much happier ending.

[@ciarangleeson2880]

Does this mean that Duncan and Ivo Hugh are cousins?

[@kb095]

I'm irish so im a big fan of tom rolt. also i would like to see no. 5

[@Living_Life_RN]

Is Tom Rolt’s low-tone whistle the original from Bord Ná Mona number 1? It looks and sounds awefully similar to Bord Ná Mona number 2’s hooter whistle on the Stradbally Woodlands Railway (I’m aware that that loco also has a chime whistle).

[@terrier_productions]

If N°2 had the same if not similar whistle then it could be her original.. tbh I can’t see why TR wouldn’t use Tom Rolt’s original whistle

[@treinenliefde]

Lovely tale and some beautiful footage. I hope to visit the line this summer on my holiday to the UK. Beautiful line and some beautiful engines.

[@EggGuy461]

I think the name "Tom Rolt" suits this engine more than "Irish Pete". It's a nice way of praising the man who helped preserve and pretty much save the Talyllyn Railway in the 1950s. One of these days, I will go to Wales and visit the Talyllyn Railway. One day...

[@Spud607]

It would be great to maybe one day see all 3 engines reunited (albeit one has had some plastic surgery 😅😅)

[@shi-o8434]

Tom Rolt without his side tanks is cursed

[@Brickticks]

Good job. Narrow gauge for the win. Hmm, you should do a set of 8 videos talking about the engines of the FRISCO Silver Dollar Line, five of which are operational, one of which is static display, one is left derelict, and one is a switch diesel. Rockatoa, Brickticks out!

[@t1m3f0x]

Why would you ask the Talyllyn Railway to make videos about some one else's engines?

[@SodorTrain1225]

So, technically, Tom Rolt's full name is "Irish" Tom Peter (Pete) Rolt?

[@Thatonesaddletank]

Probably

[@ciarangleeson2880]

I think it would be Irish Thomas Peter Rolt.

[@catapultking8861]

Great video on Tom Rolt!! I was really excited for this!! You didn’t let us down!! What’s next for engine stories? Number 5 would be interesting, I don’t know much About Midlander. Or even better, I know they’re no longer TR engines but 8 and 10!! I’d love to hear their stories!!

[@beard3451]

In my personal RWS/TVS Hybrid Headcanon, I like to think that Ivo Hugh and Luke, the two youngest steam engines on the Skarloey Railway, have a close friendship, similar to our favorite TUGS switchers, Ten Cents and Sunshine!

[@ciarangleeson2880]

It would also be pretty fitting, seeing how they both originate from Ireland. Maybe they could have even worked with each other, before.

[@saulgodinez3667]

Fantastic video

[@sudriansignalman9387]

Wouldn't calling number 7 a new build technically be a stretch due to the amount of the original parts used?

[@Spud607]

Well if you say an engines identity lies within the frames then yes because I believe the frames are not originial. :)

[@ExplosiveCookie]

Is "Lady of Legend" not a new build? Used the boiler of a Hall Class, yet is very much a Saint Class.

[@OmniscientCameo]

Taliesin III utilizes only one original part (the reversing lever) from Taliesin I, but the Ffestiniog still classifies her as a rebuild - it's all very subjective

[@sudriansignalman9387]

@@ExplosiveCookie that's a fair point, kinda just falls under ones view I suppose

[@SheffieldNo14Productions]

Truly a fascinating tale about the Talyllyn's number 7! This might've inspired me to write some stories about her Skarloey Railway counterpart ;)

[@JosephRailwayStudios2000]

Good job.

[@Bigmac2199_h]

Lets go please more of this

[@Pekkett]

From now on i will call Tom Rolt, Irish Pete

[@hawkerhellfire9152]

I'd dearly love our Róisín (BNM No 2/LM44) to Visit Tom Rolt in her new home. A few Dozen yards of 3ft track in Wharf perhaps?

[@theirishthomas]

Well to quote them, some weekends anything goes!

[@TheStickCollector]

Interesting

[@bryantan863]

I hope it will be Dolgoch, Sir Haydn or Midlander next.

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

Please, do Sir-Haydn, Minlander, and Dolgoch, too

[@tardisrescue]

We'll cover all of those, and a few more besides :)

[@Pekkett]

I would like to see some of the former engines like merseysider and bryn eglwys

[@LolLol-xy4rh]

@@Pekkett yes because idk what happened to merseysider or her story?

[@datawizard8194]

Is there any place all of the original proposed ideas for Tom Rolt can be viewed? Would be neat to see the different ideas

[@thomasfrancis5747]

A very well scripted and researched series but no KZbin subtitles?

[@dysr]

Excellent! Transferable voting systems proving to be superior even for naming engines.

[@paulhaynes8045]

Sounds a bit rigged to me - long live Irish Pete!

[@jimthorne304]

After all the years that John Bate has been associated with the railway it would be nice if there was an engine named after him. In order to amuse those members who wanted to call No. 7 'Irish Pete' the John Bate engine could be called Master Bate....

[@ciarangleeson2880]

Sounds like they REALLY dodged a bullet!

[@ReallyUsefulPinkEngine29]

Ivo Hugh!

[@karenfan010]

ivo hugh: I have no lines

[@TheSudrianTerrier653]

I’m surprised they didn’t slap on trailing wheels to cure the bouncing, similar to what they did with No.1 in 1867

[@rubysrailvideos0261]

Is there anywhere that the public can access the concept diagrams shown at 1:23 ? I'd like to model some of them myself.

[@SaltyVan]

Sir Haydn next?

[@darkangelproductions448]

Can you do a video on midlander

[@jammiedodger7040]

Narrow gauge should definitely be utilised more

[@Thatonesaddletank]

0:52 it's a steam lorry

[@ryleeculla5570]

Why the later RWS sucks with the narrow gauge character duke this his only appearance in the books after duke the lost engine

[@Loathsome4572]

Kit bashing be like

[@ryleeculla5570]

So the tallynllyn killed the No.1 Andrew bark Lin an turned it into another engine with another look

[@tim3172]

Names of engine: Irish Pete and Tom Rolt Narrator: she, she, she, herself, she, her, herself, she's. ...K

[@mattlander9119]

Machines, loco's, ships etc have been known as she since forever.

[@DTGee64]

Machines are typically referred to as "she".

[@ciarangleeson2880]

And I cannot for the life of me figure out why.

[@metal_wheels]

@@ciarangleeson2880 same lol

[@cricciethcastle5077]

@@ciarangleeson2880 Ships, steam locos, have always been called "she". That's how it is. It's called "tradition". No other reason needed. No more irrational than a passion for narrow-gauge steam railways!

[@daniloaventurero2509]

FIRST11!!!!

[@daniloaventurero2509]

@@danielxu5881 yes

[@daniloaventurero2509]

@@danielxu5881 no u

[@daniloaventurero2509]

@@danielxu5881 ? Stop it ok?

[@tatarada2877]

локомотивыбравогайворонукраинавитае

[@bruceanderton1518]

It's rather ridiculous to refer to a locomotive called "Tom Rolt" in the female form, as is done in the narration to this piece.

[@sirwelcome]

Not really