Series 4/Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

This is a behind the scenes subpage for Series 4. This subpage contains all behind the scenes material relating to said article.

1 Concept Art by Robert Gauld-Galliers
2 Additional Sketches
3 Reference Photos
4 Modelling
5 Episode Production
6 Behind the Scenes Footage
7 Reference Sheets
8 Promotional Material (Edited from the Reference Sheets)
9 Backdrops
10 Tokyo Toy Show
- 10.1 1994
- 10.2 1995
11 Promotion and Marketing
12 Character/Building Models and Faces
13 List of Sets
- 13.1 Gauge 1 sets
- 13.2 Close-up sets
14 See also

Concept Art by Robert Gauld-Galliers

Rolling Stock

S.C. Ruffey's faces

Railway Infrastructure

Narrow gauge water towers

Narrow gauge signal box

Landmarks and Storyboards

Duke's Station

Duke's Shed

The Mountain Line

The Mountain Road (for Bulldog)

Mountainside Runby

Forest Runby

Lakeside Runbye

Mountain Lake Causeway

Lakeside buildings

Slate Quarry

The Old Viaduct

Timber Bridge

Rheneas Bridge

Ben Glas (for Steam Roller)

Bluebell Valley

Callan

Thomas' Ramp (for Thomas and the Special Letter)

'Bulstrode's Accident Site' (for Special Attraction)

Rusty to the Rescue

1994 map of the east of Sodor featuring Crovan's Gate and all narrow gauge locations

Assembly

Flat Stands

Additional Sketches

Lakeside layout plan by David Mitton

Slate Quarry dimensions

Reference Photos

Photos of the real Stepney's cab interior used as reference for Stepney's close-up model

Photo of Talyllyn used as reference for Sir Handel's close-up firebox backhead and Futuba "FP-R103F" receiver (40MHz)

Book used as reference for the Buildings and scenery on the narrow gauge lines.

Modelling

Thomas' model

John Piper holding Gordon's model (Slate truck and fishing boat models in the background)

Duck's chassis

The firebox backhead being constructed for Stepney's close-up model

Stepney's close-up model under construction

Workshop - Large Scale Stepney body under construction 3

Workshop - Large Scale Stepney body under construction 1

Workshop - Large Scale Stepney Firebox Backhead completed

Stepney's completed close up model

Skarloey's close-up model being painted

Gareth Hutchinson constructing Sir Handel's close-up model

The firebox backhead for Sir Handel's close-up model

Fittings and gauges

Sir Handel completed close-up model beside his small scale model

Peter Sam's close-up model under construction

Peter Sam's close-up model and Duncan's close-up model under construction

Rusty's close-up model beside his small scale model

Conrad Ayling constructing Duke's close-up model

Duke's completed close-up model beside his small scale model

Duke's tender's close-up model under construction

Conrad Ayling holding Duke's close-up model faces

Gareth Hutchinson and John Piper holding the S.C. Ruffey models

Harold's model

Nancy's close-up model under construction

First Station building

Gareth Hutchinson constructing the Old Viaduct

Rheneas Viaduct

One of the narrow gauge sheds

Various close-up props

Close-up telephone being painted

Gareth Hutchinson with various buildings (O.J.'s model from Tugs on the left before being repainted as Lakesider III)

Gareth constructing various buildings

The Ruined Castle

The model making crew

John Piper with a Troublesome Truck

Gareth Hutchinson with a Troublesome Truck

Jennie De Naeyer with Annie

David Eves with Toad

Skarloey's small scale model

Rheneas' small scale model

Sir Handel's model

Falcon's model

Rusty's small scale model

Duncan's small scale model

Duke's model

Episode Production

Filming for Series 4 started on 1st June and ended on 30th November 1994.

Granpuff

Bulldog

A Bad Day for Sir Handel

Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady

Trucks

Special Funnel

Rusty to the Rescue

Thomas and Stepney

Bowled Out

Henry and the Elephant

Thomas and the Special Letter

ThomasandtheSpecialLetterbehindthescenes

Fish

Special Attraction

Crovan's Gate set (The narrow gauge tracks are yet to be added)

Gareth Hutchinson

Behind the Scenes Footage

The Making of Thomas the Tank Engine (9th October 1994)

You Can't Win

Duke

Britt Allcroft with Thomas' Close-up model

Entertainment Tonight (January 1995)

Train Stops Play

David Mitton with Harold

Percy

Caroline

Henry's faces

Percy's faces

Thomas

The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (25th February 1995)

Exterior of Shepperton Studios

Set door

Terence, Toad, Trevor, Bulgy (Top left), and George's (Bottom left) models

Bertie's model

3-IN-ONE OIL

BoCo's model having a test run

BoCo/Daisy's chassis

Britt Allcroft in The Thomas the Tank Engine Man Documentary

Thomas and the Special Letter

Donald

TheThomastheTankEngineMan(Bookmarkdocumentary)28

Television Series editing room

Editing Paint Pots and Queens

TheThomastheTankEngineMan(Bookmarkdocumentary)31

TheThomastheTankEngineMan(Bookmarkdocumentary)32

TheThomastheTankEngineMan(Bookmarkdocumentary)33

David Mitton in The Thomas the Tank Engine Man Documentary

Douglas (Note: His eyes were misaligned)

TheThomastheTankEngineMan(Bookmarkdocumentary)50

BBC South (12th May 2015)

Paint Pots and Queens

Reference Sheets

Engines

Standard Gauge

Stepney

Class 40

Narrow Gauge

Skarloey

Rheneas (Note: He has Sir Handel's happy face)

Sir Handel (Note: He has Rheneas' happy face)

Peter Sam

Rusty

Duncan

Duke

Miscellaneous

Technicolor booklet

Faces

Thomas' faces (Note: Thomas' unused snarling face between his sleeping and depressed face, and his frustrated face on the bottom left corner)

(Note: Thomas' unused elderly face on the left bottom between his shocked face and second smiling face and his jovial face on the top right corner)

Edward's faces

Henry's faces (Note: Henry's unused exhausted face between his smiling and original wincing face in the middle top)

Gordon's faces (Note: Gordon's unused yawning face between his laughing and neutral faces)

James' faces (Note: Edward's angry face is incorrectly used between James' shocked and smiling faces)

Percy's faces (Note: Thomas' tired face is incorrectly used between Percy's drowsy and upset faces)

Toby's faces

Duck's faces

Donald and Douglas' faces (Note: Donald and Douglas' grinning face (bottom left) is severely damaged)

Oliver's faces

Bill and Ben's faces

Stepney (left) and George's (right) faces

Diesel's faces

Class 40 (left) and Daisy's (right) faces (Note: Class 40's unused cross face next to his smiling/content face in the middle right)

BoCo's faces (Note: BoCo's unused grinning face that only appeared as a laughing face in his promotional image of the eighth series next to his happy face on the bottom left)

Mavis (left) and Bertie's (right) faces

Duke (left) and Skarloey's (right) faces (Note: Duke's unused horrified face on the top left and his shocked face on the top right)

Rheneas (left) and Duncan's (right) faces (Note: Rheneas' unused laughing face next to his cross face on the top right and his shocked face next to sad face on the first middle left while Duncan's unused angry face next to his cross face in the middle right and his nervous face next to his shocked face on the bottom left)

Sir Handel (left) and Peter Sam's (right) faces

Smudger (left) and Rusty's (right) faces (Note: Rusty's unused horrifed face next to his sad face in the middle left)

S.C. Ruffey (left) and Troublesome Tankers/Narrow Gauge Troublesome Trucks' (right) faces (Note: S.C. Ruffey's unused singing voice next to his sad face in the middle left)

Terence (left), Trevor (middle) and Toad's (right) faces (Note: Trevor's unused sleepy face between his sleeping face and Toad's unused angry face)

Bulstrode (left) and Bulgy's (right) faces (Note: Bulgy's unused worried face next to his sad face on the top left)

Promotional Material (Edited from the Reference Sheets)

Stepney's model

Class 40's model

Skarloey's model

Rheneas' model (Note: He has Sir Handel's happy face)

Peter Sam's model

Duncan's model

Duke's model

Smudger's model

S.C. Ruffey's model

George's model

Caroline's model

The Post Van's model

Bulstrode's model

Production measurements owned by Twitter user Jordan Schepis

Backdrops

Mountain flat stood

Tokyo Toy Show

1994

(From front to back) Duncan, Skarloey, Rheneas (perhaps), Duke, Sir Handel and Peter Sam

1995

James, Percy and Sir Topham Hatt's models were exhibited at Tomy's booth during the 1995 Tokyo Toy Show held at Makuhari Messe on 1-4 June 1995.

TV series models and Plarail promotion video at Tomy's booth

The board says, "These models were made for filming the TV series."

Promotion and Marketing

Newspaper

Character/Building Models and Faces

Stepney's model formerly on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

Class 40's model on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

Skarloey's model (in HiT Entertainment era condition) owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Skarloey's model on display at Edison in 2021

Skarloey's close-up model after production of the twelfth series ended

Skarloey's close-up backhead on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 3 in 2023

Rheneas' model owned by Twitter user TomsProps

Sir Handel's model (in it's sixth series refurbishment condition) owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Sir Handel's model on display at Edison in 2019

The rear piece of Sir Handel's close-up model alongside his current close-up model after production of the twelfth series ended

Peter Sam's model (in HiT Entertainment era condition) and a slate truck prior being sold on Vectis in 2014 (Note: a missing coupling rod due to it being removed during the model's refurbishment in the ninth series)

Peter Sam's model and the slate truck in 2023 owned by Twitter and Instagram user OGThomasFan

Peter Sam's model on display at the premiere of "An Unlikely Fandom" at the Museum of the Moving Image in November 2023

Peter Sam's close-up model after production of the twelfth series ended

Rusty's model (in HiT Entertainment era condition) owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Rusty's model on display at Edison in 2021

Rusty's close-up model on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 3 in 2023

Duncan's model in its unrestored condition owned by Twitter user TomsProps

The model in restored condition in March 2022

Rheneas and Duncan's small scale models formerly owned by a private collector before being sold to Twitter user TomsProps in 2018

Rheneas and Duncan's models owned by Twitter user TomsProps

Duncan and Rheneas' models on display at Basingstoke in 2022

The models on display again at the Spa Valley Railway in 2022...

...at the G1MRA 75th anniversary show in 2022...

...and finally at the Midlands Art Centre Thomas Event in 2022

Duncan's close-up model after production of the twelfth series ended (Note: Sir Handel's original close-up model's floorboards inside his cab)

Duke's model (in it's sixth series refurbishment condition) owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Duke before being restored

Sir Handel and Duke's models in 2018

Sir Handel and Duke's models in 2019

Duke's model on display at Edison in 2019

Duke's model on display in 2022. Photo taken by DukeMidSodor

Skarloey, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Rusty and Duke's models in 2024

Duke's close-up model after production of the twelfth series ended

One of the Standard Tankers from Toad Stands By as owned by Twitter user The Railway Board

Three narrow gauge coaches owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

A blue narrow gauge coach owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

A red narrow gauge coach owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Two of the red coaches owned by Twitter user TomsProps

The red narrow gauge coach's close-up model on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 3 in 2023

A green narrow gauge coach owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

The coach with a face

A slate truck and narrow gauge truck owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

A narrow gauge truck with Sir Handel and a slate truck

Another slate truck owned by Twitter user TomsProps

2 Narrow gauge Trucks (Type 2) and 2 Red Narrow gauge Vans as owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch alongside their Red Brakevan prop replica

George's model on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

George's broken cab roof

George's model during construction new layout in 2023

George's model on display on the new layout in late 2023

Caroline's model on display in 2021

Caroline's model on display at Drayton Manor in 2023

Tom Tipper's Post Van's model on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

The Post Van on display at the second Clearwater Event in 2022

The Post Van on display at Drayton Manor in 2023

Crovan's Gate station owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

A poster of "Holidays in Sodor"

A poster of Märklin #5440

Lakeside road bridge at the Tugs Exhibition Spring Event in 2023

Neptune Refreshments building on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

The building on display in 2023

The Fish and Chips shop on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

The Antiques and Newsagents shop on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

Stephen Hatt's small scale figure as owned by Twitter user ThomasFan01

The Mid Sodor Railway Manager's small scale figure owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

The Mid Sodor Railway Manager's close-up head (attached to a Banksmen's body) on display in 2019, as owned by Twitter user TomsProps

Mr. Hugh's small scale figure on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park

The Refreshment Lady's's original small scale body (with a passenger's head) as owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch on display at the Greenberg Train Show in 2021

The same body and head on display at the Greenberg Train Show in 2022

The Refreshment Lady's small scale head (later repurposed for Lady Hatt in the fifth series) as owned by Twitter user Hectorfan2008

The Elephant Keeper's small scale figure prior to being sold on auction on eBay in 2023

The Queen's small scale model (with the Refreshment Lady's fifth series head) prior to being sold on auction on eBay in 2023

The figure owned by YourProps user RobertOppie3

Tom Tipper's small scale figurine on display at the second Clearwater Event

Tom Tipper's close-up figure on display at the second Clearwater Event

The Night Manager's small scale head (later reused in the sixth series with added sideburns) as owned by Twitter user Lew The Racoon (Provided by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch)

Peter Sam's Fireman's small scale head from Special Funnel as owned by Twitter suer Lew The Racoon (provided by Twitter user FlyingPringle)

A cricketer's small scale body owned by Twitter user TomsProps

A cricketer's small scale model as owned by Twitter user FlyingPringle

A cricketer's head as owned by Twitter user Kai@Sodor

A cricketer's head on a third series passenger body as owned by Twitter user MachanofSodor

A cricketer's head on a third series Farmer Trotter figure as owned by Twitter user MachanofSodor

The small scale narrow gauge driver body base figure, specially sanded down to be moulded and used for most of the driver bodies from this season, as owned by Twitter user FlyingPringle (Note: the still present paintwork hinting at the possibility it used to be used as a passenger figure)

Champion's model sometime around 2015 owned by Jonathan Saville

Fish figurines (owned by SmurfyDan)

A piece of narrow gauge track prior to being sold by The Prop Gallery

The piece as owned by Twitter user SodorsHero

Another piece of track as owned and preserved by Twitter user Tommy Keyes

A large piece of narrow gauge track prior to being sold by The Prop Gallery (Note: The brown sleepers and reference to it being "O Gauge" as well as it's run down aged condition)

A medium sized piece of narrow gauge track prior to being sold by The Prop Gallery

Another medium sized piece of narrow gauge track prior to being sold by The Prop Gallery

A piece of track as formerly owned by Twitter user TheThomasFan

The piece of track prior to being resold on eBay in 2024

Skarloey's nameboard owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Sir Handel's nameboard owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Rusty's nameboard owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Duke's nameboard owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Rheneas, Duncan, Stepney, Class 40, George, Caroline, Bulstrode, Staurt, Falcon and the Post Van's nameboards owned by Twitter user TomsProps

Thomas' unused third series content face

Henry's unused second series astonished face

Henry's unused third series drowsy face

Toby's unused third series current angry face

Oliver's unused third series speechless face

Toad's unused third series worried face

Toad's unused third series laughing face

Bertie's unused third series content face

Duke's close-up faces

Thomas' depressed face on display in 2021

Thomas' upset face on display in 2021

Thomas' unused snarling face owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

A prototype face for Thomas with filled in eyes prior to being sold by The Prop Gallery

Gordon's current sleeping face on display in 2021

Toby's original wider current angry face in a primered state owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Oliver's speechless face owned by Twitter user TomsProps being worn on a fan-made replica

Five of Stepney's faces after the model series ended

The faces owned by Twitter user TomsProps

Stepney's smiling face owned by Twitter user TomsProps

Skarloey's smiling face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 2 at the Talyllyn Railway in 2022

Skarloey's worried face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 2 at the Talyllyn Railway in 2022

Skarloey's cross face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 2 at the Talyllyn Railway in 2022

Skarloey's sad face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 2 at the Talyllyn Railway in 2022 (Note: it still has it's blush on the cheeks from Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out)

Skarloey's smirking face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 2 at the Talyllyn Railway in 2022

Skarloey's content face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 2 at the Talyllyn Railway in 2022

Skarloey's shocked on display at the Awdry Extravaganza 2 at the Talyllyn Railway in 2022 (Note: it still has it's blush on the cheeks from Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out)

Rheneas' unused laughing face formerly owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch (now owned by Twitter user TomsProps)

Rheneas' happy face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza at the Talyllyn Railway in 2021

Rheneas' concerned face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza at the Talyllyn Railway in 2021

Two of Rheneas' prototype faces on display at the Awdry Extravaganza at the Talyllyn Railway in 2021

A failed production made face cast for Rheneas prior to being sold on The Prop Gallery (Note: the bubble marks and holes on the cast)

A prototype face for Rheneas with filled in eyes prior to being sold on The Prop Gallery

Eight of Sir Handel's faces after the model series ended

Five of Sir Handel's faces owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch

Sir Handel's shocked face on display in 2019

Sir Handel's shocked face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza at the Talyllyn Railway in 2021

Sir Handel's horrified face worn on a fanmade replica at the Halloween Clearwater Event

A prototype face for Sir Handel prior to being sold by The Prop Gallery

The face owned by Twitter user TheThomasFan

Nine of Peter Sam's faces after the model series ended

Peter Sam's smiling face as owned by Twitter and Instagram user OGThomasFan

A failed production made face cast for Peter Sam prior to being sold on The Prop Gallery (Note: the bubble marks and holes on the cast)

A prototype face for Peter Sam as owned by Twitter user Thomas Wooden Railway Models

Seven of Rusty's faces after the model series ended

Rusty's unused horrified face used on a replica made by Twitter user RailwaySkarloey at the Halloween Clearwater Event in 2021 alongside a production made face cast