Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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Behind the Scenes

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This is a behind the scenes subpage for Thomas (T&F).
This subpage contains all behind the scenes material relating to said article.

Background Information

Thomas is a fictional standard gauge tank locomotive created by the Reverend W. Awdry with the help from his son Christopher Awdry. He is the No. 1 engine on the North Western Railway.

Thomas first appeared in the first series episode Thomas and Gordon, which first aired in 1984. His last appearance was in the twenty-fourth series episode Thomas' Animal Friends, which was released in 2021.

Thomas's portrayal in Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends was originally faithful to The Railway Series, being sometimes stuck-up, egotistical, and arrogant but otherwise kind-hearted and cheeky. When the television series started branching away from The Railway Series following the fifth series and from then on, he was lightened up to become more cheekier, but more jovial to appeal to younger children. As the title character, he has the most appearances, speaking roles and episodes dedicated to him in each series due to his popularity in the television series.

Voice

When Thomas and the Magic Railroad premiered, the character was voiced by Eddie Glen, who replaced John Bellis as the latter was cut from the early draft when the audience said he made him sound "too old". Both Bellis and Glen portrayed Thomas with an English accent.

Kerry Shale originally auditioned for the character in the UK dub of Hero of the Rails but was ultimately replaced by Ben Small for unknown reasons, with Martin Sherman voicing him in the US. Small originally auditioned for the role of Thomas in the US before losing it to Sherman. Both played Thomas in their respective dubs until 2015 when the producers decided to cast with a new fresh voice for Thomas, while Martin T. Sherman had quit due to low payment disputes. David Menkin was offered the role of Thomas in the US, but he declined in support of Martin Sherman at the actor's request. Joseph May ultimately succeeded Martin Sherman in the US dub, while John Hasler replaced Ben Small in the UK. Both Hasler and May gave Thomas a higher and bolder-pitched voice, likely to differentiate him from Percy.

Much like Bellis and Glen, Small and Hasler consistently portrayed Thomas with an English accent in the UK, while conversely, Sherman and May portrayed him with an American accent in the US. Ben Small also gave Thomas a notably raspy tone and minor hoarse vocals, which is absent in John Hasler's performance. Both John Hasler and Joseph May were let go from Mattel after the twenty-fourth series when the company rebooted the series entirely.

Behind the Scenes

O Gauge model

Prior to filming of the unaired pilot, a series of test shoots were carried out using O Gauge models running on PECO track. For this, an O Gauge model of Thomas was built. Little is known about the model, but it can be assumed that the model did not produce the desired results, and thus the crew switched to the larger Gauge 1 models. After this, the O Gauge model was cut up to be re-used as scrap dressing throughout the first series.

Gauge 1 models

MainThomasModel

Thomas TATMR-S12 brass model (Front)

ThomasModelRear

Thomas S1-11 plastic model (Rear)

Thomas's original model was scratch built to run on gauge 1 track for the unaired pilot. The model was made from varying thicknesses of plastic sheet to construct the bodyshell along with a chassis made by Bassett Lowke [1]. It was all made by the model maker Martin Gill. It was painted using automotive paint and lined with red and yellow automotive pinstripe tape with the numbers being custom cut vinyl stickers.

The scratch built chassis was not tested before being filmed in front of the camera and proved to be unreliable. The space behind the eyes in the body accommodated two small RC servos in a parallelogram arrangement to allow the eyes to be moved by means of a joystick on the remote control. During the pilot, they snagged repeatedly and they were constantly being modified. Often, the eyes were set and locked in a particular direction. It was not unheard of for the static from the power coupling on the track to affect the servos and make the eyes suddenly veer wildly off.

The model was equipped with a smoke generator based on a 12V car cigarette lighter, with conventional studio smoke-machine oil dripped on the hot element before each shot. The heat generated from this proved to be sufficient to warp the ABS plastic of the engines bodies, so they could not be used for any length of time. A swift charging before a shot allowed a rather feeble smoke effect that sometimes emanated from gaps behind the eyes or at the side of the face plate.

Four different models were used as donors to make the engines after it was decided to use a more reliable base for the props. These were all gauge 1 models made by the German company Märklin. They are the BR 38, BR 55, BR 78 and BR 80.

Thomas' new chassis was sourced from the BR 55. Its chassis block was heavily modified to accommodate the already existing body, as instead of making Thomas all over again, the body made for the pilot model was reused. This being the case, even though Thomas shares the same donor chassis as Edward and James, the spacing between his wheels is not the same as theirs since the spacing was not changed on theirs. Theirs were just shortened while keeping the original spacing.

Thomas' buffers and original brake pipes were made by Tenmille. He would later receive the same Märklin brake pipes as the other engines. Additionally, his boiler was made with a removable section where the dome was, this was where the smoke unit hole was located. The cuts for this were made in such a way that the lining of his boiler was at either end of this piece, making the gaps much less easy to see.[3]

The chassis was originally AC powered as this is how the Märklin locomotives were powered. During a refurbishment, his AC motor was replaced by a DC motor to allow for easier running and maintenance due to there being much less wiring.

In a few shots from the first series episodes Thomas and Gordon and Thomas' Train, and the second series episodes Thomas, Percy and the Coal, Old Iron and A Close Shave, his headlamp has an additional handle, which later disappeared for unknown reasons.

During the production of Thomas and the Magic Railroad, another model of Thomas was built. This was due to the original model starting to show its age and having been repaired and repainted so many times that the crew were worried that some of these imperfections on the model would be seen on the big screen. The model needed to be in top condition to be used for intense filming.[2]

The new model was made out of brass and painted in a matte finish. It was equipped with a CNC machined brass chassis powered by a DC motor and the bufferbeam details were built from scratch. During Series 6, another CNC machined aluminium chassis was made for the model. The plastic model was also repainted in a matte finish during Thomas and the Magic Railroad and fitted with a new CNC brass chassis and later replaced by another CNC machined aluminium chassis during the sixth series but was later replaced with another new CNC chassis in Series 7. The plastic and brass models were used alongside each other for several years.[2]

Due to the back-to-back filming of Series 11 and The Great Discovery, three more models of Thomas were built. This was due to the old age of the original plastic model (Which was 24 years old at the time), and the tight filming schedules meant that there was very little room for emergency repairs. By this point, the plastic model, unlike the other original plastic models, was still having regular use alongside the previous brass model, as during that time, there was only one brass model of Thomas built, so as a result of tight filming schedules (as well as certain sets being filmed at the same time which sometimes required two models of the same character being used at the same time) the model would feature regular use until it was retired completely after the episode, Thomas and the Stinky Cheese.[2]

The new models would be made out of brass, they would share elements of both the plastic and original brass models. Because of filming schedules, the new models wouldn't be completed until after the eleventh series had completed filming and The Great Discovery was midway through filming, the remaining shots of the special would be filmed with the new models with all the previous shots so far being filmed with the original brass model.

During the filming of The Great Discovery, a lightweight stunt model of Thomas was made and used for many scenes where Thomas' model would be flying through the air across the ravine or covered in water. This was likely done so that the model could glide lightly in flying scenes and to prevent damage to the model in water scenes with the use of wires and hidden rigs. The model was also used for some photo shoots for the film's front cover most likely so it's mounted on the slope without it sliding backwards.

The eye mechanism had two servos, one for up and down movement and one for left and right movement. The up and 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

Series 3
Series 8 (Brass Model)

Faces

Thirty-nine different facial expressions were sculpted for Thomas, although only thirty-five were used on-screen and four of which, his jovial, snarling, and frustrated faces were left unused, and his elderly face was created as a prank. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made using a silicone mould. Some of Thomas' faces were duplicated in case the crew needed a face to look dirty and clean on the same day of shooting.

According to Steve Asquith, some of Thomas' angry faces were unsuitable for him as he never has anger issues in most of the episodes, excluding Topped Off Thomas.[4]

Reference Sheets
Usage and Evolution

Thomas has been mistakenly given Percy's tired face in the two first series episodes Thomas Goes Fishing and Thomas and Bertie.

Percy has also been mistakenly given Thomas's tired face in the third series episode Diesel Does it Again and the eighth series episode Percy's Big Mistake.

Present Day

Most of Thomas' screen used and production made faces are now owned by Twitter and Instagram user ThomasTankMerch and Twitter user TomsProps. Thomas' outraged face is owned by YouTube and Facebook user Bearded Skull Memorabilia. Some other Thomas faces such as his sad face and his original thicker confident face were sold on The Prop Gallery and Production Treasures respectively with the confident face being bought from the Prop Store and resold by the owner of Production Treasures, it is now owned by ThomasTankMerch. Other faces such as his tired face were put on display at the first and second Clearwater Event.

CGI Faces

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 moulded faces were replaced by white targets with triangles to fix a computer-animated face in post-production. Thomas's resin faces were only used in background shots.

Model Changes

Thomas' gauge 1 models had gone through several aesthetic changes in the television series:

  • Series 1:
    • He has a realistic Tenmille brake pipe which is tilted down to keep it from touching his face.
    • He shares his footstep design with Percy.
  • Series 2:
    • He gains a smaller-sized Märklin brake pipe on both his front and back ends.
    • The box under his running board is repainted red.
    • His splasher lining is slightly altered.
    • The blue supports under his whistle become gold.
    • His happy face was painted in a slightly darker shade of grey, and his eyebrows became slightly bigger.
  • Series 3:
    • His footsteps become smaller.
    • The lining on his sides is moved slightly inwards.
    • After Trust Thomas, the lining on the back of his bunker is removed.
    • His shocked face gains a bucktooth.
    • His happy face is reverted back to its original shade of grey, and gained new eyebrows.
  • Series 4:
    • His coupling rod bolts become blue.
    • In some episodes, he is mistakenly depicted with Edward's whistle sound.
  • Series 5:
    • The handle on his tail lamp is removed.
  • Thomas and the Magic Railroad:
    • His paint is given a matte finish.
    • He sits higher on his chassis (brass model).
    • His eyebrows became triangular.
    • The gold supports under his whistle revert to their original blue colour, though they were painted gold on the plastic model during the windmill and chase scenes.
    • His front windows are now the same height as his back windows (brass model).
    • His cab doors are missing for most of the film.
    • His tail lamp regains its handle for most of the film.
    • The bucktooth on his shocked face disappears for the rest of the model era.
    • His funnel becomes thinner (brass model).
    • His dome becomes flatter and thinner (brass model).
    • His whistle sound changed which sounded pretty similar to his original one.
    • His side windows are not rounded at the corners. On his plastic model, the lining became square while the window corners themselves were still rounded.
    • His coupling rod bolts became silver again.
    • The frames on the front of his running plate are moved inward.
  • Series 6:
    • He regained his original whistle sound.
    • His coupling rods became thicker and the middle section of them became square (brass model).
    • His coupling rod bolts became blue again.
    • He regained his cab doors.
    • The handle on his tail lamp is removed again.
    • The frames on the front of his running plate revert back to their original position.
    • His counterweights become slightly smaller and the spokes being slightly thicker (plastic model).
  • Series 7:
    • His tail lamp regains its handle in Something Fishy, but only for a few scenes.
  • Series 8:
    • His cab windows are whited out (brass model).
  • Calling All Engines!
    • In some shots, his whistle valves are turned sideways.
  • Series 9:
    • The teeth on his anxious face disappear for the rest of the HiT Entertainment model era.
  • Series 11:
    • His whistle is lowered, thus placing it closer to the boiler. This was first seen in the episode Thomas and the Big Bang.
    • The funnel becomes even thicker (plastic model).
  • The Great Discovery:
    • His cab windows are slightly smaller and lowered, and the yellow rims are thicker (new brass models).
    • His dome is slightly thicker and more rounded at the top, resembling his plastic model's dome (new brass models).
    • His boiler and smokebox become slightly bigger (new brass models).
  • Series 12:
    • On his CGI face, his eyes are enlarged, his eyebrows are thickened, his mouth is smaller, and he has a larger nose.
    • His livery becomes a much darker shade of blue.

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 Thomas being the main character, all of his models, including his original model, would be kept and would stay under HiT and later Mattel's ownership. Briefly, one of Thomas' brass models would also be exhibited on the Tidmouth Sheds set alongside the rest of the Steam Team at Drayton Manor for a special event during the same year.

Thomas' original brass model is on display at the Hara Model Railway Museum. It has previously been on display at Nitrogen Studios, interestingly, it is still in the same condition as when last seen in The Official BBC Children in Need Medley. One of the three brass models made during the production of The Great Discovery used to be on display at the Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition at Drayton Manor, while the other two are on display at two different Explore the Rails events, with one wearing a duplicate recast of the thicker confident Thomas face and the other wearing a replica happy face. When one of The Great Discovery brass models originally came to Drayton Manor, it was given a replica current smiling face. This would later be replaced with another duplicate cast of his thicker confident face in early 2020.

Additionally two spare unused number decals, one on it's own and another part of a larger transfer, were sold by The Prop Gallery in 2022, these were sourced from two spare unused larger decal sheets from the production of Series 11, which was cut up and sold individually. Duplicate copies of these sheets are also currently by Twitter user TomsProps, a spare unused lining sheet for Thomas' cab, side tanks and wheel arches are also currently owned by TomsProps.

According to Michael White, there were ideas for episodes in the show's twenty-fifth series, including an episode where Thomas would have a fantasy sequence about time travel. In this sequence, the original plastic model would have been used with a filter put on the footage to make it look like its 1984 condition, as well as Ringo Starr returning to narrate the sequence.[7] Sadly, these plans never materialised due to Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go replacing the original series in 2021.

Crew Member Gift Models

Thomas and the Magic Railroad Models

During production of Thomas and the Magic Railroad a few replica models would be created as gifts for the crew and cast who worked on the film. One of these models would be sold in 2013 and an unfinished version of one of these models is currently owned by Twitter user TomsProps

End of Model Series Models

Additionally, after the model series ended, several replica models were created as gifts for those who worked on the show. One was sold on Prop Store in 2021, which is now under ownership of Twitter and Instagram user OGThomasFan. Another on Facebook in the mid 2010s, another is owned by Simon Spencer and another is owned by a private collector.

CoolProps Replica

In 2019, a faithful replica prop was announced by CoolProps in Japan and supposed to be sold to the public. They used the original model located at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan for reference. In August of 2023, the model was finally released to the public after a 4 year production process.

Gauge 3 model

A gauge 3 model of Thomas was built in the ninth series to be used alongside the large scale models of the Skarloey Railway engines, which were used since the fifth series for ease of filming and reliability. This model specifically was made so Thomas did not appear out of scale with the large scale models, as they were nearly the same size of the Gauge 1 models.

The model was made from brass. The wheels and chassis were custom machined (CNC). The model was track powered, so pickup contacts were attached to the metal wheels, which ran into the motor to power it. The electricity ran from the track to the wheels/pickup contacts and went into the motor to power him. The model was also fitted with a smoke unit.

The eye mechanism had two servos, one for up and down movement and one for left and right movement. The up and 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. The controller used to control Thomas' eye mechanism was sourced from JR Propo's X2610 controller

The gauge 3 model was used in the ninth-twelfth series and The Great Discovery.

Faces

Eight different facial expressions were created for the model, but only seven were used on-screen, and one of which, his alarmed face was left unused. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made using a silicone mould. A production-made resin cast of Thomas' shocked face is owned by Sean O'Connor and would be exhibited alongside various items owned by Mattel at The History Of Thomas Event and first Clearwater Event, a production-made resin cast of his sad face is also owned by Twitter user TomsProps.

In the twelfth series, the physical model's moulded faces were replaced by white targets with triangles to fix a computer-animated face in post-production.

Present Day

In 2015 Thomas' gauge 3 model was put on display at the British Museum during the 70th Anniversary of The Railway Series and after the event, was returned to Mattel's storage unit in Southampton, England. Then in August 2021, the model was put on display again at the Clearwater Weekend event at the Midland Railway Centre. At some point, it was temporarily taken from its display case to be shown on a table with the gauge 3 models of Annie and Clarabel. A G-scale Bachmann Thomas was put in its spot to make the area not look so empty. In August 2022, the model would be exhibited again in its original spot in the main exhibit but in October of 2022, was again replaced by the Bachmann Thomas, this continued throughout Spring 2023 at the Tugs The Exhibition 10 Year Anniversary Event at the Midland Railway Centre in 2023, additionally in 2023, his eye mechanism controller would be sold by The Prop Gallery.

Gauge 3.5 model

During 1996, the production team were having discussions about scaling up the models to gauge 3.5 for a possible theatrical Thomas film at the time, this later becoming Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Models of Thomas and Percy were built to this scale for testing, but the production team ended up deciding to stick with the gauge 1 models due to budget reasons. Thomas' model was used for test shots accompanied by a green screened Mr. Conductor. The model was later put to use for close-up shots of his wheels during production of the fifth series, which can be seen in some Music Videos.

During the sixth series, Thomas' 3.5 gauge model would be used alongside the models of the Sodor Construction Company vehicles, which had to be larger than the gauge 1 models in order in fit in all the components required for filming.

The model was made from brass. The wheels and chassis were custom machined (CNC). The model was track powered, so pickup contacts were attached to the metal wheels, which ran into the motor to power it. The electricity ran from the track to the wheels/pickup contacts and went into the motor to power him. The model was also fitted with a smoke unit.

During production of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Thomas' model became RC powered instead of track powered, the remote used to power him was sourced from JR Propo's XP662.

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. During production of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Thomas' original eye mechanism remote would be replaced by a new JR Propo XP652 controller.

The model was used in the sixth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and The Great Discovery. It also appeared in some scenes in the eighth series episodes Gordon Takes Charge, Fish, the Calling All Engines! special and the tenth series episodes Thomas' Frosty Friend and Topped Off Thomas.

Faces

Eleven different facial expressions were created for the model. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made using a silicone mould.

Model Changes

Thomas' gauge 3.5 model has gone through several aesthetic changes in the television series:

  • Series 5:
    • The model's appearance differs from that of the gauge 1 model; this includes:
      • The brake pipe, funnel and buffers increase in size.
      • His lamp becomes much more simplified in shape and increases in size.
      • Thomas gains a hole on the left side of his running board.
      • The counterweight on Thomas's middle wheel changes position, much like his basis.
      • The coupling rods become much chunkier.
      • His footsteps are painted red and have two additional rivets above them.
      • His cab windows lack the yellow rims.
  • Series 6:
    • His footsteps are repainted blue and the additional rivets disappear.
    • His cab windows gain the yellow rims.
  • Jack and the Sodor Construction Company:
    • The lamp is remade to be closer to that on the gauge 1 model.

Present Day

As of 2023, Thomas' gauge 3.5 model is currently on display in Japan at Thomas Town. In the past, it has also been exhibited at the Hara Model Railway Museum and Thomas the Tank Engine Exhibition. His driving remote controller was also on display at the Halloween Clearwater Event in 2021. His new eye mechanism controller would also be sold by The Prop Gallery in 2022. As of 2023, the controller is owned by Twitter user SkarloeyRailwayAdventure.

Close-up model

A close-up model of Thomas was built to be used for scenes where he had to interact with the close-up scale figures. Unlike most close-up models, the one for Thomas was built as a complete engine due to him being the main character.

The cab was made in pieces so it was able to be dismantled and reassembled for use of interior shots if required. The model also emitted steam when required, especially during closeup whistle shots.

Two faces were sculpted for Thomas. The close-up of Thomas's happy face was also used on the close-up of Duck in the second series episode, A Close Shave. Also, the close-up of his sad face is used in another episode, Thomas Comes to Breakfast.

The model was also equipped with an eye mechanism. 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.

Whistles
Buffers
Outside
Inside
Series 9-12 TV Opening/Closing
Behind the Scenes

In the second series episode, Old Iron, Thomas' close-up model's bufferbeam (with the lamp removed) was re used as James' bufferbeam as his close-up model at the time was just his cab and tender and did not have a front bufferbeam. It was also reused for Percy in the second series episode, Percy and Harold and the third series episodes, Percy's Promise and Percy, James and the Fruitful Day as his close-up model at the time was an exterior shell and did not have cab controls.

In the second series episode, A Close Shave, Thomas' close-up happy face was reused for Duck as his face.

In the eleventh series episode, Don't be Silly, Billy, Thomas' cab interior was reused for Billy.

Model Changes

Thomas' close-up model has gone through several aesthetic changes in the television series:

  • Series 1:
    • The model has many additions which the gauge 1 model lacks; these include:
      • Seven rivets along each side of his cab roof.
      • Rivets around each end of his smokebox.
      • His tank filler caps gain hinges and handles.
      • He has rivets along his front and rear buffer beams as well as the back of his bunker.
      • His front buffer holds are painted black and based on those of wagons rather than those on Thomas' model.
  • Series 2:
    • His front buffers are changed to more closely resemble those on his gauge 1 model.
    • His front buffer holds are painted red to match his rear ones.
  • Series 3:
    • The seven rivets along each side of his cab roof disappear.
    • He gains two screws on each side of his cab beneath the porthole windows.
  • Series 4:
    • The screws he gained in the third series disappear.
  • Series 5:
    • The bottom halves of his whistles are repainted from blue to gold.
  • Series 11:
    • The rivets around his smokebox disappear.

Life-size model

During the production of Thomas and the Magic Railroad, a large facsimile of Thomas' cab, tanks and boiler were built for the cab shots featuring him. The scenes were filmed with a green screen method, so a duplicate of Thomas' cab and the background for filming both models were green.

Thomas' Poster

As for dressing for the large scale set, several posters of Thomas was made. The posters appeared in the ninth and tenth series at the Knapford station toy shop and a child's bedroom, respectively.

CGI models

CGI Model (2000)

In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, a CGI model of Thomas was made for the scene where Thomas interacts on The Magic Railroad. Thomas' gauge 1 model was originally going to be used for this scene via green screening, however, this method did not produce the desired results, and thus the CGI model was used for the scene instead. Photographs of Thomas' gauge 1 model were used for referencing, as were his faces. Seven of Thomas' resin faces were recreated onto this CGI model.

CGI Model (2004-2008)

In several Learning Segments, a CGI model of Thomas was used. This model was created and animated by Gizmo Animation Limited. This model also appeared in the "Making Tracks to Great Destinations" segment before the intro between the eighth and twelfth series.

Face variants
Texture variants

CGI Test Model (2008)

A CGI Thomas model appeared in the CGI test of the episode Thomas and the Stinky Cheese. It was created by Stardust Pictures in 2008.

CGI Model (2009-2020)

MainThomasCGI
ThomasCGIRear

In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Thomas was recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. His model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software. Photographs of Thomas' gauge 1 brass model were used for reference. 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. These CGI models have rigs specifically designed for there facial features, wheels, and to power the lights on them. The coal bunkers are made seperate from the model, and are only used for close-up shots, similar to the model series.

In 2016, a new streamlined model of Thomases and the chassis to move without being as made for The Great Race by Arc Productions. The model was completely made from scratch, the wheels, side rods and face being the only reused parts. The model was modified by Jam Filled Toronto for 2018 special, Big World! Big Adventures!; most notably, gaining a new livery resembling Thomas' current one and a visor over his eyes. Both versions were only used in fantasy scenes in their respective specials.

Thomas has had modifications throughout the CGI era. These include:

  • Hero of the Rails:
    • Thomas's cab is open.
    • He becomes smaller.
    • His number 1 became slightly smaller and the red lining became thicker.
    • Thomas gains visible internal motion.
    • His whistle sound becomes softer in pitch, and a faint secondary tone was mixed in with the original.
    • His body and smokebox saddle become thinner and his smokebox and boiler are smaller.
    • The slope on the back of his running board is not tapered.
  • The Adventure Begins:
    • The red lining on the back of Thomas's bunker returns.
    • His side rods become silver.
    • He temporarily gained a new livery. These features of his new livery included:
      • His signature blue colour became teal green.
      • His red lining was painted white.
      • He had white lining around his wheels. He had an "LBSC" logo painted along his side takes in the same colour as his number 1.
  • Journey Beyond Sodor:
    • A bunker hatch is added in his cab.
  • Series 23:
    • He gained rivets across his buffer beam front and sides, side tanks top and sides, around his cab side windows, on his coupling hook and buffer bases, on his bunker sides and rear, on the sides of his frames, along the sides of his roof and around his smokebox.
    • He now has handrails on either side of his cab entrances.
    • He now has a step on the front of each of his side tanks.

Although Thomas' CGI model was last used in series in January 2021, it was still used in online promotional videos.

Texture Variants

In addition to his standard livery, several other texture variants exist of Thomas' main CGI model. Many only appeared once, though a few were reused multiple times. These texture variants include:

Pantone Colours

The following pantone colours are used on Thomas' CGI model:

  • PMS 116 (yellow)
  • PMS 299 (blue)
  • PMS 428 (white)
  • PMS 485 (red)
  • PMS 873 C (gold)
  • PMS 877 C (silver)
Reference Sheets

Thomas in Popular Culture

Since his debut in The Railway Series and the launch of the television series, Thomas has become an extraordinarily popular character, appearing in over twenty series and starring in several direct-to-video films. Because of his popularity, Thomas has even appeared or has been mentioned in other popular shows and films, as well as appearing in many public events too.

During the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends production, a large Thomas signboard was installed on the T-stage in Shepperton Studios where they were filmed.

Thomas appeared in the 2009 Children in Need charity single produced by the BBC. In this one, he was voiced by Ringo Starr, the former narrator of the television series. It also marked the last time his original brass model would used on-screen.

In 2014, a balloon of Thomas was launched for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to celebrate the upcoming 70th Anniversary of The Railway Series and he continued to appear in the parade for the next two years. Thomas was also featured in the Toronto Santa Claus parade alongside Percy and Rosie on 15th November 2015.

In the 2015 Marvel film Ant-Man, Thomas made a cameo appearance in the form of a model train that plays a pivotal role in the film's climactic battle sequence. Bachmann HO scale models of him, Annie, Clarabel and Emily's coaches were used for the film, while a large scale model was used for close-up shots, with the face digitally altered to resemble the one on the HO scale model for continuity. According to Ant-Man director Peyton Reed, Thomas's inclusion in the film came with some stipulations from Mattel, including that Thomas could not be used to injure any characters or do anything else that children would perceive as evil. He added, "I didn't know what we were going to do if we didn't get the rights to that. There are certain things I was going to be devastated about if we couldn't have them. Thomas was one, because… you could do any kind of toy train, but the personality of that thing and the eyes moving back and forth give it a whole vibe and took it to another level."[10]

In the Robot Chicken parody sketch Blow Some Steam, Thomas was voiced by Harry Potter actor, Daniel Radcliffe. His Bachmann model was used throughout the sketch.

In 2017, a large chocolate sculpture of Thomas was made to celebrate Easter that year. The sculpture was made by three chocolatiers and was displayed at King's Cross station. An actor dressed as Sir Topham Hatt was also at the display, which featured a TrackMaster layout as a part of the setup.

Voice Actors

See also

References

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