User:DuckFan98

"But it's... It can't be, it's..." "Well?" "It's smaller on the outside!" "Well... that's new."

- Clara Oswald and the Eleventh Doctor, The Snowmen (2012)

  DuckFan98   
 * Name: Tom
 * Gender: Male
 * Age: 16
 * Birthdate: 7th June
 * Favourite Character: Duck
 * Favourite Episode: Old Reliable Edward
 * Religious views: Protestant Christian



About Me
I'm 16, and have been an avid Thomas fan for as long as I can remember. I think my first experience of Thomas was my prized possession at the time: the complete second season on video. I remember watching the second video (A Close Shave to Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree) much more than the first video (Thomas, Percy and the Coal to Dirty Work), mainly because I loved the episodes with Donald and Douglas! I also vaguely remember watching episodes such as Thomas and Bertie and Dirty Objects on television at my childminder's when I was about 3.

I remember starting to collect ERTL Models. I spent – quite literally – hours and hours on my floor, with about 50 ERTL models scattered across my carpet. My collection grew, and then expanded to a small number of Take-Along models.

When I was about 7, my dad made me a model railway, and bought me Hornby Thomas. My Hornby collection then started to grow, but never got very far! They were just too expensive! I bitterly regret not buying Hornby Oliver when I had the chance, not knowing it would be discontinued.

Then, in 2012, something happened that would trigger the growth of my model railway once more: I discovered Bachmann. Somehow, I found Simon Martin's Edward vs. Edward review on YouTube, and was fascinated by the detail, quality and price of the Bachmann models. Living in the UK meant that I had had no contact with the American range. I found a website that supplies the models here from the USA at a reasonable price. I have spent a shameful amount of my pocket money on engines and rolling stock for my model railway recently!!

Also in 2012, I started learning the original Thomas & Friends theme tunes on piano, which have been improving of late. I upload them onto YouTube; my channel is called crovansgate7698.

I am also a railway enthusiast: I have been to the National Railway Museum in York on numerous occasions, and am planning a trip to the Talyllyn Railway in Wales in July 2014. In July 2013, we had four steam locomotives come to my local railway station, including Mayflower and Duchess of Sutherland. In 2014's steam gala, Union of South Africa steamed in alongside some tank engines and another tender engine.

Thomas & Friends has had a huge influence on my life, its morals, its values, its merchandise, everything! Even my work ethic has improved somewhat with one certain quote: "There are two ways of doing things: the Great Western way, or the wrong way!"

Other Interests
Outside of Thomas and Friends, I'm also proud to call myself a Whovian. I love Doctor Who, and my friends on Twitter can testify to this, as I'm often making references to it - that only a few understand - and complaining about writers, usually Steven Moffat!

My interest took off in February 2014, and, rather worryingly, I have already finished (having started at the beginning of the 2005 series)..! As many know, I'm desperately looking forward to the new series!

Though not what you'd call a sportsman (!!), I play a lot of tennis - with less ability than I'd like - and like going on long walks with my dog.

My view on the Thomas fanbase
There are many, many problems with this "community" at present. The number one problem is that 90% of us lack basic tact. I admit that I am occasionally guilty of this. We express our opinions as facts, and we are unable to accept that anyone else's opinion is correct or valid. This leads to ridiculous, caps-locked arguments over stupidly petty subjects.

Then, of course, there are the noobs. I am fortunate in that I entered the fanbase mature enough to avoid this phase. In my experience, they say pointless things which annoy people like myself. For example, I was watching Calm Down Caitlin on YouTube last week, and I saw a comment which read as follows: "are conner and catlin in love". First of all, this person seems to lack the intelligence to spell their names correctly, despite the latter's being in the title. Secondly, where on earth did this person get this idea from? Connor and Caitlin's dialogue in this episode is as follows:

"Wake up, Caitlin!" "Aah! Right! Of course!"

Two lines. That's it.

Then, of course, there's the whole Luke + Millie thing. Seriously? Why, when a female character is introduced, must they be immediately paired up with the first male character they interact with? It's degrading, and insulting to the name of the Reverend Awdry.

The last (immediate) problem is people blaming HiT Entertainment for every negative factor in the series. The latest one is Connor and Caitlin's basis, being American engines. It had nothing to do with HiT! I'm fairly certain that that was decided between the writers and Arc Studios.

This fandom needs positive change; fast. We can only hope that it will come as the series changes for the better as well.

Views on Season 17

 * 1) Kevin's Cranky Friend: 8 / 10 — Great episode, Cranky and Kevin go well together
 * 2) Scruff's Makeover: 7 / 10 — Quite dull, but good character development and a good moral
 * 3) Wayward Winston: 8.5 / 10 — Really fun episode with great music and action
 * 4) Gordon Runs Dry: 5 / 10 — Very informative, Paxton's in character, but very bland
 * 5) Calm Down Caitlin: 8.5 / 10 — Very funny episode, Caitlin's a great character
 * 6) Steamie Stafford: 4 / 10 — Boring episode, but it has a good moral
 * 7) Henry's Hero: 6.5 / 10 — Henry seems a bit wimpy, but improves towards the end
 * 8) Luke's New Friend: 8 / 10 — Narrow gauge engines on top form, heartwarming episode
 * 9) The Switch: 9 / 10 - Great character development for Millie, some great lines from Rheneas
 * 10) Not Now, Charlie!: 7 / 10 - Charlie does something useful for once, and Harold does proper work
 * 11) The Lost Puff: 7.5 / 10 - Paxton on top form, great conversations with Stephen and Toby
 * 12) The Thomas Way: 9 / 10 - The role suited Duck very well, Thomas / Duck rivalry works brilliantly
 * 13) The Phantom Express: 7 / 10 - Some great lines from Stephen, great "spooky" episode
 * 14) Percy's Lucky Day: 7 / 10 - Bill and Ben well-suited to their roles, Stephen perfectly in character
 * 15) Bill Or Ben?: 8.5 / 10 - Marvellous to see the twins back to their usual tricks, but they look terrible painted blue; hope they revert that
 * 16) Too Many Fire Engines: 7.5 / 10 — We FINALLY see Flynn acting like a real fire engine!
 * 17) No Snow For Thomas: 7 / 10 — More classic references, nice to see Thomas get punished for misbehaving
 * 18) Santa's Little Engine: 7 / 10 — Some great humour, and it's nice that the Fat Controller has a major role
 * 19) The Missing Christmas Decorations: 7.5 / 10 — Felt way too much like DOTD, but it's good to see Sidney doing something, and it has a great moral
 * 20) The Frozen Turntable 7 / 10 — A bit too much emphasis on the engines' sleeping places, instead of Gordon's punishment
 * 21) Away From the Sea: 7 / 10 — Great classic references, and Salty and Porter are both good characters
 * 22) Gone Fishing: 7.5 / 10 — A wonderful reintroduction for Harvey, I'm glad Bill and Ben didn't stay blue
 * 23) The Smelly Kipper: 7 / 10 — A bit dull, but a focus on night trains has hardly been touched upon recently
 * 24) The Afternoon Tea Express: 5 / 10 — Not a dreadful episode, but it felt somewhat Miller-esque to me
 * 25) No More Mr Nice Engine: 8 / 10 — Very good episode, good to see Diesel actually being devious again
 * 26) Thomas' Shortcut: 9 / 10 — Some fantastic dialogue between Thomas and Bertie, felt very much like a classic episode

Views on Season 18

 * 1) Old Reliable Edward: I don't know what I can say that would do this justice. Funny, charming and aesthetically beautiful! A true modern classic! 9.5 / 10
 * 2) Not So Slow Coaches: 7.5 / 10 – Great episode, some good comedy value in there, especially the bit between Annie and Clarabel when Caitlin first leaves with them.
 * 3) Flatbeds of Fear: 6.5 / 10 – I don't think this is as bad an episode as I first thought, but there's still something about it that just doesn't encourage me to watch it over and over, like some of the others.
 * 4) Disappearing Diesels: 9 / 10 – One of the most charming episodes we've seen since at least Season 7. It somehow encaptures Paxton's naïvety and makes it funny, with an awesome, serious message: you can still be kind to people, even if they're unkind to you.
 * 5) Signals Crossed: 5.5 / 10 - This episode was let down by its choice of lead character. The music was fantastic, the animation was sublime, the voice actors were on top form, the story itself wasn't bad at all... But Toby was a poor choice for this episode. Stanley, Percy or Rosie would have been better-suited.
 * 6) Toad's Adventure: 7.5 / 10 - Similar, in part, to 'Busy Going Backwards', which isn't negative! Good reintroduction for Oliver and Toad, and a nice, well-placed reference to Oliver's escape.
 * 7) Duck in the Water: 8 / 10 This episode is good fun, with some great lines by Duck and the Fat Controller! Animation on top form, as usual, especially the rain effects.
 * 8) Duck and the Slip Coaches: coming soon!
 * 9) Thomas the Quarry Engine: 8.5 / 10 – Fantastic episode. It's about time Mavis got a decent episode to herself, and the ending song is stunning.
 * 10) Thomas and the Emergency Cable: coming soon!
 * 11) Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger: coming soon!
 * 12) Marion and the Pipe: coming soon!
 * 13) Missing Gator: coming soon!
 * 14) No Steam Without Coal: coming soon!
 * 15) Spencer's VIP: coming soon!

Steam engine:
1.  Duck

2.  Edward

3.  Stephen

Diesel:
1.  Paxton

2.  Salty

3.  Mavis

Narrow Gauge Engine:
1.  Skarloey

2.  Rheneas

3.  Luke

Rolling Stock:
1.  Annie and Clarabel

2.  Toad

3.  Marion

Human:
1.   Sir Robert Norramby

2.   Dowager Hatt

3.   Sir Topham Hatt

Road vehicle:
1.   Jack

2.   Bertie

3.   Kevin

Other vehicle:
1.   Cranky

2.   Harold

3.   Winston

Season 1
1.   Thomas and Bertie

2.   The Flying Kipper

3.   Trouble in the Shed

Season 2
1.   A Close Shave

2.   Edward's Exploit

3.   Break Van

Season 3
1.   Escape

2.   Thomas, Percy and the Post Train

3.   Bulgy

Season 4
1.   Gallant Old Engine

2.   Fish

3.   Train Stops Play

Season 5
1.   Horrid Lorry

2.   Bye George!

3.   Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday

Season 6
1.   Edward, the Very Useful Engine

2.   Toby Had a Little Lamb

3.   A Friend in Need

Season 7
1.   Emily's New Coaches

2.   Gordon and Spencer

3.   Snow Engine

Season 8
1.   Edward the Great

2.   Thomas and the Tuba

3.   James Goes Too Far

Season 9
1.   Percy and the Oil Painting

2.   Mighty Mac

3.   Thomas and the New Engine

Season 10
1.   Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out

2.   Thomas and the Birthday Mail

3.   A Smooth Ride

Season 11
1.   Gordon and the Engineer

2.   Hector the Horrid!

3.   Emily's Rubbish

Season 12
1.   Saved You!

2.   Percy and the Bandstand

3.   James Works It Out

Season 13
1.   The Early Bird

2.   The Biggest Present of All

3.   A Blooming Mess

Season 14
1.   James in the Dark

2.   Being Percy

3.   Victor Says Yes

Season 15
1.   Stop that Bus!

2.   Edward the Hero

3.   Stuck on You

Season 16
1.   Percy and the Calliope

2.   Don't Bother Victor!

3.   Express Coming Through

Season 17
1.   The Thomas Way

2.   Bill or Ben?

3.   Thomas' Shortcut

Season 18
1.   Old Reliable Edward

2.   Disappearing Diesels

3.   Duck in the Water

Special
1.   Tale of the Brave

2.   King of the Railway

3.   Blue Mountain Mystery

UK
1.   Edward - voiced by Keith Wickham

2.   Toby - voiced by Ben Small

3.   Jack - voiced by Steven Kynman

USA
1.   Thomas - voiced by Martin Sherman

2.   Sir Topham Hatt - voiced by Kerry Shale

3.   Butch - ''voiced by Glenn Wrage

UK / USA
1.  Bill and Ben - voiced by Jonathan Broadbent

2.  Annie and Clarabel - ''voiced by Teresa Gallagher

3.  Oliver - voiced by Joe Mills

My ERTL collection

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Oliver
 * Bill and Ben
 * Mavis
 * BoCo
 * Skarloey
 * Peter Sam
 * Stepney
 * Lady
 * Emily
 * Arthur
 * Salty
 * Flying Scotsman
 * Bert
 * Bertie
 * Bulgy
 * Caroline
 * Lorry 1
 * Elizabeth
 * Butch
 * Thumper
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Henrietta
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Silly Trucks
 * Express Coaches
 * Old Coaches
 * The Breakdown Train
 * Toad
 * Isabel
 * Fuel tankers
 * The Spiteful Brakevan
 * Cranky
 * Bulstrode

My Take-Along Collection

 * Harvey
 * Spencer
 * Rheneas
 * Freddie
 * Mighty Mac
 * Diesel
 * Diesel 10
 * Fergus
 * Neville
 * Trevor
 * Bulgy
 * Jack
 * Alfie
 * Ned

My Wooden Railway Collection

 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Oliver
 * Flying Scotsman
 * Fergus
 * Toad

My BRIO collection

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Lady
 * Diesel

My Hornby collection

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * S. C. Ruffey
 * The Breakdown Train
 * Old Slow Coach
 * A Raspberry Syrup tanker
 * Three Tidmouth Milk tankers
 * A cattle truck
 * A salt wagon

My Bachmann Collection

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Donald
 * Bill and Ben
 * Emily
 * Mavis
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Henrietta
 * Two mail coaches
 * Bertie
 * Harold