Shining Time Station

Shining Time Station was the American spin-off of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.

Regulars

 * Didi Conn as Stacy Jones
 * Brian O'Connor as Horace Schemer

First season regulars

 * Ringo Starr as Mr. Conductor
 * Leonard Jackson as Henry "Harry" Cupper
 * Jason Woliner as Matthew "Matt" Jones
 * Nicole Leach as Tanya Cupper

Christmas Special characters

 * Ardon Bess as Tucker Cupper
 * Lloyd Bridges as Mr. Nicholas
 * Judy Marshak as Claire
 * Rachael Miner as Vickie

Second and third seasons regulars

 * George Carlin as Mr. Conductor
 * Erica Luttrell as Kara Cupper
 * Ari Magder as Dan Jones
 * Danielle Marcot as Becky
 * Tom Jackson as Billy Twofeathers

Recurring characters

 * Jerome Dempsey as Mayor Osgood Bob Flopdinger
 * Mart Hulswit as J.B. King, Esq.
 * Bobo Lewis as Midge Smoot
 * Barbara Hamilton as Ginny Johnson
 * Johnathan Shapiro as Schemee
 * Gerald Parkes as Barton Winslow
 * Aurelio Padrón as Felix Perez

The Jukebox Puppet Band

 * Olga Marin as Didi
 * Wayne White as Tex (1989)
 * Alan Semok as Tex (1990–1995)
 * Craig Marin as Rex and JJ Silvers
 * Jonathan Freeman as Tito Swing
 * Alan Semok/Peter Baird/Vanesse Thomas as Grace the Bass (1989-1990)
 * Peter Baird/Kenny Miele/Vaneese Thomas as Grace the Bass (1991-1995)

Broadcast History

 * PBS (1989-1997)
 * YTV (1991-1999)
 * Global Television Network (1989-2005)
 * Fox Family (1998-1999)
 * Nick Jr. (Nickelodeon) (2000)

Note: Fox Family and Nick Jr. only aired the second and third seasons of Shining Time Station. Fox Family also used the opening credits from the family specials.

Behind The Scenes

 * Shining Time Station was created to introduce Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends to American audiences.
 * Kevin Roth sang the theme song played during the opening and closing credits.
 * All of the Shining Time Station episodes only ever had three sets: the main room of the station, the workshop and the interior of the station's jukebox where the Jukebox Band resided. This changed in the specials, in which scenes took place outside, in the signal house and in a large basement-type room that may or may not be part of the station building.
 * Didi, the female drummer of the Jukebox Band, is shown to have a crush on Mr. Conductor. Mr. Conductor learns about this in "One in the Family" and they apparently begin to date.
 * Mr. Conductor has various forms of his magic gold dust, including some for teleportation, forgetfulness, love, sleep and pranks. It also has life-giving qualities and can make inanimate objects come alive. His whistle also has some magic and is used to start a Thomas story by means of blowing.
 * In the specials, Mr. Conductor shows that he can appear and interact with the Jukebox Band Characters.
 * Also in the specials, Mr. Conductor has a nametag on his uniform.
 * Whistles and Sneezes and most episodes of Season 2 are the only episodes that were never narrated by Ringo Starr in the US because the US Ringo Starr narrations of Whistles and Sneezes and most episodes of Season 2 were cancelled due to Ringo Starr left the series after 1989 to focus on his music career and tour with The All Starr Band, though he often praises his work on the show.
 * In the episode "Washout" when Mr. Conductor tells the story Bertie's Chase the beginning (Edward waiting for Thomas) was omitted. This scene was also omitted from the James in a Mess picture book. But in the Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales Episode Splish, Splash, Splosh and in all VHS and DVD releases, the episode is in its entirety.
 * The show aired on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block in the summer of 2000 to promote Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
 * When the show aired on Fox Family, it used the credits from the television specials but episodes were edited significantly so they could fit the time slot, and even though the series originally aired on PBS the Fox Family airings added commercial interuptions as well.
 * The Indian Valley Railroad (where the station is located) is an actual defunct short line in California. It was constructed to serve the Engels Copper Mine, the largest copper mine in California and was a branch connection of The Union Pacific Railroad at Paxton, California. Indian Valley is where the mine was located.
 * Throughout the series, entire episodes (and at one point, an entire season) were knocked out of continuity due to flashbacks from later episodes. For example, the episode, "How the Station got its Name" changed the continuity of the entire first season.
 * On the Thomas VHS tapes from Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories to Better Late Than Never and Other Stories, the Thomas stories featured on the tapes were in order from their Shining Time Station air dates from the first season.
 * When George Carlin assumed the role of Mr. Conductor in the second season, all Thomas stories from the first and second seasons were re-dubbed by him, although not of all of them aired on television.
 * Clips from Shining Time Station could be seen at the Explore the Rails travelling exhibit.

Links

 * The Shining Time Station Wiki
 * More information about the actual Indian Valley Railroad
 * Sodor Island's Shining Time Station Mini-Site

La Estación de la Alegría תחנת זמן נוצץ