Gordon (AEG)/Behind the Scenes

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This is a behind the scenes subpage for Gordon (AEG). This subpage contains all behind the scenes material relating to said article.

Background Information

Gordon is a fictional standard gauge tender locomotive created by the Rev. W. Awdry.

Gordon first appeared in the first series episode A Thomas Promise, which first aired in 2021.

In the original Thomas & Friends, Gordon was a part of both the original and reformed Steam Team, however in All Engines Go, he is not a part of the main cast and is a secondary/supporting character. The reboot also portrays Gordon as the one responsible for managing trains and deliveries on the Island of Sodor, as opposed to Sir Topham Hatt as with the original series.

Behind the Scenes

2D animated rigs

Gordon in All Engines Go uses a series of complicated 2D rigs created by Nelvana Studio. These rigs are made up of different assets, which can be stretched, squashed and posed to create the desired movements and poses. Gordon's movements are handled by an animation team, with a posing team to create specific poses as required for certain shots.

Gordon's 2D design has undergone many changes from the design used in the original series:

• His boiler is considerably larger.
• He lost a set of leading wheels, making him a 2-6-2 rather than a 4-6-2.
• He has a four-wheeled version of a Fowler tender instead of the six-wheeled tender he had in the original series.
  • According to Rick Suvalle, the artists of Nelvana Studio could not change Gordon's chassis for the first series. It is possible - though unconfirmed - that Gordon will regain his 4-6-2 configuration and six-wheeled tender in the second series.
• His tender is now connected with buffers and chain-link couplings.
• He is missing a gap in his tender for coal to come through.
• He now has dark blue irises.
• His handrails have been removed.
• His brakepipes have been removed.
• He no longer has the express headcode and went back to the freight headcode instead.
• His safety valves have been removed.
• His buffers are smaller.
• He is now much taller.
• Only the first half of his running board remains grey, while the rest of it is now red.
• His cab is no longer open.

Gordon's 2D assets were later modified to create Edward, Henry and the Purple Tender Engine.

Test animation

In 2019, a test animation was created for the series featuring a different rig of Thomas. The design used in the test animation featured numerous differences from the final design, including:

• His boiler, smokebox, funnel and whistle are considerably larger.
• He has extra rivets on his funnel and around his boiler.
• His cylinders and steam pipes are one continuous shape.
• His face has a different design.
  • He has now crow's feet under his eyes.
  • His nose is more geometric.
  • He has rivets on his eyebrows.
• His wheels have a simplified design.
  • His wheels have a circle of four rivets in the middle.
• His cab side windows are smaller.
• He has no lamp.
• His running board is fully red.
• He has a 4-6-4 wheel arrangement.
• His tender is noticeably smaller.
  • Early storyboards show that he was originally not going to have a tender; this was later changed in the final animation.
• He is missing lining around his boiler, cylinders and splashers.

Voice Actors

• Will Harrison-Wallace (UK)
• Neil Crone (US)
• Hugo Navarrete (Latin America)
• Mauro Gasperini (Brazil)

See also

• Gordon (RWS)/Behind the Scenes
• Gordon (T&F)/Behind the Scenes