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Background Information[]
The Special Express Coaches are a set of luxurious coaches used by engines on the Island of Sodor and The Mainland.
The coaches first appeared in the fifth series episode A Better View for Gordon, which first aired in 1998. Their last appearances were in the twenty-fourth series episode Thomas and the Royal Engine, which was released in 2020.
Behind the Scenes[]
Gauge 1 models[]
The Special Express Coaches' models were built using Stanier composite and GWR Collett brake coach kits made by Tenmille, to a 1:32 scale. Neither are produced in these forms anymore.
In the Fifth Series episodes, Gordon and the Gremlin and Make Someone Happy, the coach was seen with open doors. This was reproduced by bonding door parts to the side.
Reference Sheets[]
Close-up model[]
A close-up model of a special coach was built to be used for scenes where they had to interact with the close-up scale figures. For Edward the Great the close-up model of the buffet coach was reused.
CGI models[]
In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. The coaches were recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. Their models were "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software. The models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval.
Arc Productions would reskin the model for Connor and Caitlin's coaches in King of the Railway.
Jam Filled Toronto would later modify the coaches to create Aubrey, Aiden and several background International Coaches in the Big World! Big Adventures! rebrand.
Texture variants[]
In addition to their standard liveries, a few other texture variants exist of the coaches' CGI models. These texture variants include:
