Crovan's Gate

Crovan's Gate is a town near a narrow gap in the hills that is the only practicable route into the centre of Sodor from the east. This is the terminus of the Skarloey Railway. Most steam equipment from across the Island go to the Works, established in 1915, to be repaired.

The town is named after Godred Crovan, who saved Sodor from a Viking invasion. After a warring band of Vikings landed nearby, they were lured to a small pass which led to the centre of Sodor and attacked. The Vikings retreated to their boats, only to find they had all been burnt by another party who had hidden nearby.

Background
The works are possibly the best equipped for steam restoration in the British Isles - they are capable of any repair, overhaul, or restoration job for any locomotive on the Island. The works also manufacture steam engines and Sir Topham Hatt has been looking into the possibility of manufacturing parts for engines on heritage railways. In the CGI television series the works are named as the Sodor Steamworks.

The town's motto is "Ave amicos cave hostes", which, translated, means "Welcome, friends; beware, enemies".

Engines
The Works Diesel once came from here to help James. It is unclear as to whether or not it actually is based here though.

The terminus, sheds, and yards for the Skarloey Railway are located here.

Appearances
In the Railway Series, Crovan's Gate appears quite frequently, but not as much in the television series. It made several appearances in the fourth season and in stock footage during the sixth and seventh seasons. Since Hero of the Rails however, it has appeared quite regularly because of the frequent use of the Steamworks.

The station itself returned in CGI in the eighteenth season episode, Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger. A footbridge spanning the narrow gauge tracks and a third standard gauge track by the narrow gauge station were added, while the standard gauge canopy was removed.