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Rheneas (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

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

Background Information

Rheneas is a fictional narrow gauge well tank locomotive created by the Rev. W. Awdry. He is the No. 2 engine on the Skarloey Railway.

Rheneas first appeared in the fourth series episode Granpuff, which first aired in 1994. His last appearance was in the twenty-first series episode Runaway Engine, which was released in 2017. All the Skarloey Railway steam engines were painted red with blue lining in The Railway Series (with the exception of Duke). However, in order to make it easier for the viewers to identify each engine from one another, Rheneas was painted vermillion orange with black and gold lining in the Thomas & Friends television series.

Rheneas' portrayal in Thomas & Friends originally stayed faithful to the books, being directly adapted from those stories. As the series progressed, however, his character was gradually altered to have a younger personality under the influence of HiT Entertainment. Following the return of the Skarloey Railway engines in the 2012 special Blue Mountain Mystery - after a prolonged absence since the series' switch to full CGI in 2009 - a conscious effort was made to restore Rheneas' classic personality.

Voice

From his return in 2012 until 2014, Rheneas was voiced by Ben Small in both the British English and American English dubs of the series. Since 2016, Rheneas has been voiced by John Hasler, also in both English dubs. Both gave Rheneas a Welsh accent, reflecting his basis' origins. Much like with Thomas, Hasler's performance was much lighter in pitch than Small's, and his delivery was also much softer.

Behind the Scenes

O gauge model (Small scale)

MainRheneasModel1
RheneasModelRear1

Rheneas' small model was custom built from brass by the model maker, Peter Eves to run on O gauge track to the Gauge 1 Scale Standard during the production of the fourth series. It was painted using glossy car body paint and lined with gold and black Letraline pin-striping tape. The number and nameplates were custom printed foil stickers.[1] The model was built to a scale of 7 mm to 1 ft.

Rheneas' wheels were sourced from 10 spoke Wantage Tramway wheels made by Slater's Plastikard. These wheels were used on an O gauge locomotive chassis. All the narrow gauge steam engine side rods were sourced from old OO scale Tri-ang models and modified slightly to fit. These rods did not fit well at all and the engines ran notoriously bad behind the scenes.[1]

The model had a motor to power it mounted inside the chassis as well as an eye mechanism. There was no room to fit a smoke mechanism or the battery and receiver needed for the R/C eyes. Wires connecting to the battery, servo and receiver were usually hidden off-camera or carried in rolling stock behind the engine. The eye mechanism used servos mounted in the cab and the servos were hidden by blacking out the cab doors and windows. Metal rods went from the servos in the cab to a bracket in the smokebox behind the faceplate, one for up and down movement and one for left and right movement. This limited the range of movement of the eyes as well as being cumbersome and jamming often. Although the model did not produce smoke, smoke was released from the set under them and the smoke tended to drift out the funnel to create the illusion as if they do produce smoke for a brief moment.[1]

Nearly all drivers and firemen for the small scale locomotives were cut down the middle and black tacked to the engines' cab because the servos for the eye mechanism would not allow them to stand half in the cabs.[2]

The small scale Rheneas model was predominantly used in the fourth series. It was used in the fifth series for in between shots where they would interact with the gauge 1 scaled characters and sets. The small scale model last appeared via stock-footage in the seventh series episode, Toby's Windmill.

In the fourth series episode, A Bad Day for Sir Handel, Rheneas' small scale model was seen with a lamp. This was powered by a hidden battery pack.

For the production of the fourth series episode, Granpuff, Smudger was recycled from Rheneas' model. His livery was applied using adhesive plastic sheets as opposed to the model being repainted entirely. As a result, the inside of his cab and the front of his cylinders were red. In some promotional images of Smudger, the red from Rheneas' coal bunker and wheel arches can also be seen.

Main article: Smudger/Behind the Scenes#O gauge model (Small scale)

During the production of the sixth series, Rheneas' model was refurbished. As the small scale models of the narrow gauge engines were eventually superseded by the large scale models, Rheneas' repaint went unfinished, and the weathering and matte varnish were not applied.

Reference Sheets

Series 4

Faces

Ten different facial expressions were sculpted for Rheneas, although only eight were used on-screen whilst two of which his laughing and shocked faces were left unused. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made of a silicone mould.

Reference Sheets
Usage and Evolution

In various promotional materials, the nameboards sequence and a fourth series reference sheet, he and Sir Handel have incorrectly worn each other's happy face. This error also transitioned onto his Wooden Railway toy. In the fourth series episode, Gallant Old Engine, Rheneas is seen wearing Smudger's sad face.

Present Day

After production of the model series ended in 2008, most of Rheneas' faces (bar his laughing face) were put into storage, with them being listed as "TF01659".

Rheneas' laughing face was acquired by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch, who later supplied it to Twitter user TomsProps after he acquired the small scale Rheneas model (which before the face was supplied was faceless).[1] A prototype face for Rheneas is currently owned by Twitter user SeansModels. It would be exhibited at the History of Thomas Event. His screen used happy and concerned faces would also be exhibited at the Awdry Extravaganza in 2021 alongside a few prototype faces. A failed production made face cast was put up for sale on The Prop Gallery on 6 September 2022 and a prototype face on 10 November 2022. The latter has "SK" written on the back, which could mean that the face was originally meant for Skarloey. Another prototype face is currently owned by Twitter user TomsProps. The rest of Rheneas' faces are currently still in storage alongside his happy and concerned faces (when they are not being used at events).

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 would be disposed off. Due to the larger models being more frequently used at the time, Rheneas' small scale model would be disposed off by the company in favour of the large scale model, which would stay under HiT and later Mattel's ownership alongside his clean shell.

After being thrown out, Rheneas' small scale model, alongside various other props thrown out at the same time, were salvaged by a private collector.

In 2018, Rheneas' small scale model, alongside Duncan's small scale model and a few other props, would be bought by Twitter user TomsProps, who would carry out a restoration on the model for the next four years. In May 2021, the model would be publicly unveiled in its restored condition, with his laughing face and coal load being supplied by ThomasTankMerch. In March 2022, the model was put on display at the Basingstoke Model Railway Show alongside Duncan's small scale model. The models would also be displayed again on the 24th and 25th September at the Spa Valley Railway Model Railway Weekend Event and at the G1MRA 75th Anniversary show on the 1st and 2nd October and finally at The Midlands Art Centre Thomas Event on the 12th November.

A set of spare unused number decals from production of the sixth series, intended for use on the refurbishment of Rheneas' small scale model are also currently owned by Twitter user TomsProps.

O gauge model (Large scale)

MainRheneasModel2
RheneasModelRear2

For ease of filming and reliability, the fifth series introduced larger scale versions of the narrow gauge engines and from the sixth to twelfth series, Rheneas' large model was used exclusively. These models were built to a larger scale than the gauge 1 engines and ran on O gauge track. They were close to 16mm scale but slightly larger.[2]

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 the eighth series, Rheneas and the other large scale narrow gauge models were all fitted with a new chassis. The original wheels, pistons and side rods would be reused and a new chassis block and motor would be built.

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 the sixth series, Rheneas' model would accidentally be repainted the same colour as Skarloey. This would quickly be covered up and repainted over but remnants of the original coat can be seen in a few promotional pictures throughout the sixth and seventh series.

Two shells of Rheneas were made to this scale: a weathered version and a clean version. The clean version was built for the eleventh series episode Wash Behind Your Buffers by model maker Philip Reeves. The model was only built as a shell; the chassis was recycled from the original model and once filming was complete would be returned to the original.

All scenes featuring the chassis on Rheneas' weathered model were shot first (alongside shots from The Great Discovery), then the cylinders would be repainted into the same colour as the clean model and shots with the clean model would be filmed last. Due to this, Rheneas' chassis would still feature the repainted pistons in the twelfth series, which would be slightly weathered to not look out of place. Interestingly, the model's left piston was more weathered than the right side. This is how the model remains to this day.

In the ninth series episode, Tuneful Toots and the twelfth series episode, The Man in the Hills, Rheneas' large scale model was seen with a lamp. This was powered by a hidden battery pack.

Reference Sheets

Series 8

Faces

Thirteen different facial expressions were sculpted for Rheneas, although only twelve were used on-screen and one of which a tired face was left unused.[3] The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made of a silicone mould.[1]

Reference Sheets
Usage and Evolution

Throughout the HiT Entertainment era, Skarloey and Rheneas were often incorrectly seen wearing each other's faces.

Present Day

Rheneas' large scale laughing and worried faces would be put on display at the Awdry Extravaganza event in 2021.

CGI Face

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 physical models' moulded faces were replaced by white targets with triangles to fix a computer-animated face in post-production. Rheneas' resin faces were only used in background shots.[4]

Rheneas was mistakenly given Skarloey's CGI face in the twelfth series episode, The Party Surprise.

Model Changes

Rheneas' model has had many modifications and changes from its small scale counterpart throughout the television series. These include:

  • Series 6:
    • His paint was given a matte finish.
    • He received black buffers as opposed to silver ones.
    • His whistle sound changed to Peter Sam's original one just like he did in the beginning of the fourth series episode, A Bad Day for Sir Handel.
    • His model was significantly less weathered.
    • He gained slightly thicker eyebrows.
  • Series 9:
    • He gained a permanent tail-lamp.
    • His pupils became slightly larger.
  • Series 12:
    • His livery became darker.

Present Day

Rheneas' large scale model was on display at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan until it was put on display in The World of Thomas the Tank Engine Exhibition at the Kyoto Railway Museum on 15 March 2025. It had previously been on display at Nitrogen Studios. The clean model is currently in Mattel's storage unit in Southampton, England.

A set of spare unused number decals from the production of the sixth series for Rheneas' large scale model are also currently owned by Twitter user TomsProps. A spare unused nameplate for Rheneas, also from the production of the sixth series, was also formerly owned by Twitter user IssacM6991. A set of nameplates would also be sold by The Prop Gallery in 2024.


Close-up model

RustyandtheBoulder79

Close-up models were required for scenes where engines had to interact with the close-up scale human figures. However, Rheneas was the only narrow gauge engine from the original seven to not have his own close-up model.

In the fifth series episode, Rusty and the Boulder, a close-up shot of Rheneas' driver was required. As a close-up model for Rheneas did not exist, Rusty's close-up model was used briefly instead. This was achieved by a close-up shot of Rusty's circular cab porthole, which resembles one of Rheneas'.

CGI model

MainRheneasCGI
RheneasCGIRear

In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Rheneas was recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios in 2010 for production of the 2012 special Blue Mountain Mystery. His model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.[4]

Photographs of Rheneas' large scale 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.[4]

In addition, Nitrogen Studios went to the Talyllyn Railway and took measurements of Rheneas' basis, Dolgoch, so that his CGI model would resemble Dolgoch as closely as possible.

Model Changes

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

  • Blue Mountain Mystery:
    • His buffer beam became accurate to his basis.
    • Lining was added to his splashers.
    • His eyes decreased in size.
    • A whistle was added to his dome, and the sound itself changed to a different one.
    • His windows received glass and brass frames.
    • He received a Talyllyn Railway styled tail-lamp.
    • A handrail was added to his boiler.
    • Rivets were added in numerous places.
  • Series 17:
    • He received a permanent headlamp and lamp irons.

Texture variants

In addition to his standard livery, two other texture variants exist of Rheneas' main CGI model. These however only appear once in Blue Mountain Mystery. These texture variants include:

Pantone Colours

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

  • ■ PMS 485 (red)
  • ■ PMS 873 C (gold)
  • ■ PMS 877 C (silver)

Fonts

The following fonts were used on Rheneas' CGI model:

  • Arial Bold (nameplate; modified "A" and "S")
  • URW Transport Medium (number)

Reference Sheets

Voice Actors

References

https://twitter.com/ThomasTankMerch/status/947387596468117505

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Season 4 narrow gauge explained on ThomasTankMerch's blogspot
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Robert Gauld-Galliers' interview with Sodor Island Fansite
  3. ↑ TomsProps on Twitter
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Greg Tiernan's interview with Sodor Island Fansite
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