Alfie/Behind the Scenes

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This is a behind the scenes subpage for Alfie. This subpage contains all behind the scenes material relating to said article.

Background Information

Television Series

Alfie is a fictional excavator created by Phil Fehrle with writers Jonathan Trueman and Abi Grant. with character artist Robert Gauld-Galliers.

In 2002, Alfie made his debut in the sixth series of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends in the episode, Jack Jumps In. He later appeared in the twelfth series, the spin-off series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and the special, The Great Discovery.

When the show transitioned into full CGI in 2009, Alfie was absent for six years. He later returned in the 2015 special, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure and was one of the very few members of the Pack to return.

From his return in 2015 until 2016, Alfie was voiced by Nathan Clarke in both the British English and American English dubs of the series. Since 2019, Alfie has been voiced by Tom Stourton, also in both English dubs. Both Clarke and Stourton gave Alfie a British accent, but consistently give him a teenager's dialect.

Behind the Scenes

Live-action model

Alfie's model was custom built by model maker Chris Lloyd. The model's chassis was built out of brass and the top was built out of plastic to keep the weight down. A small flat fan was built underneath the chassis to cause the dirt to be kicked up. The model was painted in a matte finish and the numbers were custom stickers.

There were three remotes built to control Alfie; one was used to control his movement, one was used to operate his arm, and one was used to move his eyes. During production of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Alfie's remotes would be replaced by newer JR Propo ones, one of these remotes were sourced from JR Propo's XP642 remote controller.

Concept art

Alfie without a face

The eye mechanism had two servos, one for up and down movement and one for left and right movement. The up/down servo was attached to the body. The left/right servo had a rod attached to the arm, which connected to a bracket. The eyeballs were coupled to the bracket and locked in by the face-plate, so whenever the servos were powered, the eyeballs would move however the crew member desired.

Reference Sheets

Jack and the Sodor Construction Company

Faces

Sixteen different facial expressions were sculpted for Alfie, although only thirteen were used on-screen and the other three (troubled sleeping, seething and yawning) were left unused. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made using a silicone mould.

Reference Sheets

Series 12 - 2008 (Page one)

Series 12 - 2008 (Page two)

Usage and Evolution

Alfie's smiling face that appeared in both the sixth series and Jack and the Sodor Construction Company (2002-2003/2006)

Alfie's happy face that appeared in the sixth series, twelfth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and The Great Discovery (2002-2003/2006, 2008)

Alfie's wincing face that only appeared in the sixth series episode, Jack Jumps In... (2002)

...and the Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode, A Tale for Thomas (2003/2006)

Alfie's angry face that only appeared in the sixth series episode, Jack Jumps In and Jack and the Sodor Construction Company (2002-2003/2006)

Alfie's shocked face that appeared in both the sixth series and Jack and the Sodor Construction Company (2002-2003/2006)

Alfie's unused sixth series sad face that only appeared in Jack and the Sodor Construction Company... (2002, 2003/2006)

...as well as the song, Where, oh Where is Thomas? from The Great Discovery (2008)

Alfie's unused sixth series surprised face that appeared in both Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and The Great Discovery (2002, 2003/2006, 2008)

Alfie's unused sixth series smirking face that only appeared in Jack and the Sodor Construction Company (2002, 2003/2006)

Alfie's unused sixth series annoyed face that only appeared in Jack and the Sodor Construction Company (2002, 2003/2006)

Alfie's unused sixth series determined face that only appeared in the Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode, Alfie Has Kittens (2002, 2003/2006)

Alfie's unused sixth series worried/tired face that only appeared in Jack and the Sodor Construction Company (2002, 2003/2006)

Alfie's unused sixth series sleeping/snoring face that only appeared in the Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode, A Happy Day for Percy (2002, 2003/2006)

Alfie's unused sixth series grinning face that only appeared in the song, There's a Job for Everyone from The Great Discovery (2002, 2008)

Present Day

One of Alfie's semi-complete faces is now preserved by the Top Props preservation group. Alfie's happy, smiling, seething and sad faces were previously owned by a private collector, until in 2022, they would be bought by The Prop Gallery who resold the faces. Alfie's happy and seething faces are now owned by Twitter user Machan of Sodor. Some resin casts of Alfie's faces are also owned by Sean Hedges-Quinn.

Alfie's happy, smiling, seething and sad faces in storage bags as previously owned by a private collector

Alfie's sad face in 2022 before it was sold on The Prop Gallery

Alfie's unused sixth series snarling face prior to being sold on Prop Gallery in 2022

Alfie's unused sixth series snarling face as owned by Twitter user Machan of Sodor

The storage bag the face came in as owned by Twitter user Machan of Sodor

Alfie's smiling face as owned by Twitter user Machan of Sodor

The storage bag the face came in as owned by Twitter user Machan of Sodor

One of Alfie's semi-complete faces on display by preservation group Top Props

Some resin casts of Alfie's faces as owned by Sean Hedges-Quinn

CGI Face

The twelfth series marked the beginning of the show's transition into CGI and the characters' faces were animated through CGI with the aid of motion-capture animation. The physical models' moulded faces were replaced by white targets with triangles to fix a computer-animated face in post-production.

Model Changes

Alfie has had modifications throughout the model era. These include:

• Jack & the Sodor Construction Company:
  • The windscreen wipers above his face disappeared in some episodes, such as A Visit from Thomas, On Site With Thomas, A Happy Day for Percy, and Mud Glorious Mud.
• Series 12:
  • He lost the freckles on his face.

Present Day

After production of the model series wrapped in 2008, most of the models and sets would be put into storage, with some being put on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park. All other models would be logged and referenced from 2010 till early 2011 by HiT Entertainment, from this HiT would decide on which models were to enter storage once again, which would be given to crew members and which to be disposed off. Due to only having one model made to this scale, Alfie's model would stay under HiT and later Mattel's ownership.

Alfie's model is currently in Mattel's storage unit in Southampton England. In 2022, Alfie's arm and bucket controller would be sold by The Prop Gallery.

Alfie's arm and bucket controller prior to being sold by the Prop Gallery

Close-up Model

A close-up model of Alfie was required for scenes in the Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode, Alfie Has Kittens, where he had to interact with close-up scale figures. The model was not complete and only the bucket was built.

CGI Model

In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Alfie was recreated from scratch in CGI by Arc Productions in 2014 for production of the 2015 special, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure. His model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.

Alfie has had modifications throughout the CGI series. These include:

• Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure:
  • He increased in size.
  • The colour of his alloys changed from cream to grey, like Jack's.
  • His shovel now has three teeth instead of five.
  • His cab-side window was split in two sections.

Alfie's back

Alfie's left view

Alfie's back view

Alfie's right view

Alfie's front view

Voice Actors

• Nathan Clarke (UK/US; Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure - twentieth series)
• Tom Stourton (UK/US; twenty-third series)
• Toshio Kobayashi (Japan; sixth series only)
• Emiko Takeuchi (Japan; Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure - twenty-third series)
• Gerardo García (Latin America; Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure only)
• José Luis Piedra (Latin America; twentieth series only)
• Manuel Pérez (Latin America; twenty-third series only)
• Kai-Henrik Möller (Germany; Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure only)
• Alexander Merbeth (Germany; twenty-third series onwards)
• Dan Schatzberg (Israel; Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure)
• Fernando Morata (Brazil)
• Anton Savenkov (Russia; twentieth series onwards)