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Background Information
Television Series
Old Slow Coach is a fictional standard gauge coach created by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
In 1998, Old Slow Coach made her debut in the fifth series of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends in the episode, Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach. She later appeared in the episode, Happy Ever After. However, she has not appeared since, making her one of the few characters introduced in the fifth series to not appear afterwards. She was also the last sentient coach introduced in the model series.
Old Slow Coach is based on a Falmouth Coupe TRI brake coach.
Behind the Scenes
Gauge 1 Model
Old Slow Coach's model was built out of an E39 GWR Falmouth coupe coach gauge 1 kit made by Barrett Steam Engineering and to a 1:32 scale. She was first painted in a weathering livery as an old scrap coach, then repainted in a Chocolate and Cream stock livery that came with ready-built kits. The front end was modified to accommodate the 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 eye balls were coupled to the bracket and locked in by the face-plate, so whenever the servos were powered, the eye balls would move however the crew member desired.
During the fifth series, only the left side of Old Slow Coach had gold lining. This was later amended at some point between the sixth and eighth series, as she has lining on both sides in her ruler reference photographs from the latter series.
Reference Sheets
Series 8
Faces
Four different facial expressions were sculpted for Old Slow Coach, although only two were used on-screen and two of which her smiling and cross faces were left unused. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made of a silicone mould.
Old Slow Coach is the first and only coach in the model series with the eye mechanism and the grey moulded face like the engines.
Reference Sheets
Usage and Evolution
Present Day
In 2025, as part of Propstore's Thomas & Friends Online Charity Auction 2025, some of Old Slow Coach's faces would be put up for auction.
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 until 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 of. Due to only having one model made in gauge 1 scale, Old Slow Coach's model would stay under HiT and later Mattel's ownership.
In early 2020, Old Slow Coach's model was put on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park. Her roof was facing the wrong way and she was missing her gold lining again. After the exhibit closed, her model was returned for refurbishment and returned for the layout at the park.
Voice Actors
- Fu Suzuki (Japan)