Belle/Behind the Scenes

Television Series
Belle is a fictional standard gauge steam locomotive created by Sharon Miller.

In 2011, Belle made his debut in the special, Day of the Diesels.

In her introduction Belle was voiced by Teresa Gallagher (UK/US) in the CGI version of the series on both sides of the Atlantic, respectively. Teresa Gallagher voiced her with different accents in both dubs.

Paxton is based on the BR Class 08.

CGI Model
In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. In 2010, Belle was modelled in full CGI by Nitrogen Studios for the 2011 film, Day of the Diesels. The model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.

According to Greg Tiernan, the CGI models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval.