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Background Information[]
Television Series[]
The Red Branchline Coaches are fictional standard gauge coaches.
These coaches made their debut in the second series, seemingly replacing the Old Coaches as well as the Orange Coaches with the start of the third series. As such they have been used constantly since then.
The red branchline coaches are based on LB&SCR 4-wheeled coaches built to a design by Stroudley between the early 1870s and late 80s. Several coaches of this type are preserved on the Bluebell Railway and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
The Orange Coaches share the same basis, however, they have different rooftop designs and styled-brake coaches.
Gauge 1 models[]
The models of the red branchline coaches were sourced from Tenmille Gauge 1 LB&SCR Stroudley coach kits.
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In the fourth series episode Thomas and Stepney, one coach was seen with open doors. This was reproduced by bonding door parts to the side.
Two models of the red coaches are currently on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park.
Two models of the red branchline coaches are currently owned by Twitter user TomsProps.
Two models of the red branchline coaches were on display at the Clearwater Weekend event in 2021.
Reference Sheets[]
Close-up model[]
A close-up model of a red composite coach was built to be used for scenes where it had to interact with the close-up scale figures. It appeared in the sixth, eleventh, and twelfth series.
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In the sixth series episode, Toby Had a Little Lamb, a close-up of Henrietta's interior was required. As a close-up model of Henrietta did not exist at the time, the red branchline coach's close-up model was reused instead.
CGI models[]
In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. The red branchline coaches were recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. Their models were "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.
Photographs of the red branchline coaches' Gauge 1 models were used for referencing. According to Greg Tiernan, every detail of the original television series models for each character is carefully reproduced in the CGI model. The models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval.
Parts of the red branchline coaches were reused for Henrietta's CGI model, namely the side window area as the door hinges are left on despite not going anywhere.
In the twenty-second series, a brake coach model received modifications to create Dexter. These modifications include:
- Removal of two of the rear windows
- Adding a face
- Changing the exterior to make the coach look abandoned
From Big World! Big Adventures! to the twenty-fourth series, a variety of retextured versions of these coaches appeared as Minor International Coaches.
