Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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|next = [[Knapford]] {{Note|Main Line}} {{RWS}}<br>[[Lower Tidmouth]] {{Note|Main Line}} {{T&F}}<br>[[Haultraugh]] {{Note|Branch Line}} {{RWS}}<br>[[Town Square]] {{Note|Branch Line}} {{T&F}}
 
|next = [[Knapford]] {{Note|Main Line}} {{RWS}}<br>[[Lower Tidmouth]] {{Note|Main Line}} {{T&F}}<br>[[Haultraugh]] {{Note|Branch Line}} {{RWS}}<br>[[Town Square]] {{Note|Branch Line}} {{T&F}}
 
}}
 
}}
'''Tidmouth''' is a borough situated on the [[River Tid]] Estuary on [[Island of Sodor|Sodor]]'s west coast. With a population of 35,000 as of 1951, it is the largest town on Sodor. It is home to the headquarters of the [[North Western Railway]] and the [[Tidmouth Sheds|main line sheds]].
+
'''Tidmouth''' is a borough situated on the [[River Tid]] Estuary on [[Island of Sodor|Sodor]]'s west coast. With a population of 35,000 as of 1951, it is the largest town on Sodor. It is home to the headquarters of the [[North Western Railway]] and the [[Tidmouth Sheds|mainline sheds]].
   
 
==History==
 
==History==
===''[[The Railway Series]]''===
+
===''The Railway Series''===
Tidmouth's rise and development is mainly due to the enterprise of the drainage company A. W. Dry & Co. The [[Tidmouth Harbour|harbour]], which is deep and well sheltered, has been known for centuries as a safe place in which to ride out storms. Until the 1880s, however, access from land was only possible on foot or by pack-pony. The valley of the Tid, north east behind the town, is peculiar in that it is narrow and enclosed by precipitous cliffs; and being throughout on a higher level, the river falls sharply before reaching the sea. Even now there are only footpaths along the valley.
+
Tidmouth's rise and development is mainly due to the enterprise of the drainage company A. W. Dry & Co. The [[Tidmouth Harbour|harbour]], which is deep and well sheltered, has been known for centuries as a safe place in which to ride out storms. Until the 1880s, however, access from the land was only possible on foot or by pack-pony. The valley of the Tid, northeast behind the town, is peculiar in that it is narrow and enclosed by precipitous cliffs; and being throughout on a higher level, the river falls sharply before reaching the sea. Even now there are only footpaths along the valley.
   
Until well on into the 19th Century it was a rough place, the haunt of smugglers who alternated as fishermen, and who had developed their special kippering process, the secret of which is still jealously preserved today.
+
Until well on into the 19th Century, it was a rough place, the haunt of smugglers who alternated as fishermen and who had developed their special kippering process, the secret of which is still jealously preserved today.
   
A. W. Dry & Co faced considerable opposition when wishing to use the harbour as a base for operations in the Knapford area. Boat building however, was among their various activities, and they had produced a new design of fishing boat which fortunately found favour with the Tidmouth men. This together with judicious "sweeteners" eventually opened the door to an amicable arrangement. Supplies and equipment for the drainage project could then be brought in by sea and conveyed along a coastal road built for the purpose round the headland.
+
A. W. Dry & Co. faced considerable opposition when wishing to use the harbour as a base for operations in the Knapford area. Boat building, however, was among their various activities and they had produced a new design of fishing boat which fortunately found favour with the Tidmouth men. This together with judicious "sweeteners" eventually opened the door to an amicable arrangement. Supplies and equipment for the drainage project could then be brought in by sea and conveyed along a coastal road built for the purpose round the headland.
   
By 1905, the Ulfstead Mining Company had become dissatisfied with Knapford as a port and adopted A. W. Dry's suggestion of extending their tramway along this coastal road to Tidmouth, and Mr. Topham Hatt, a young engineer from Swindon who had lately joined A. W. Dry's staff, built some [[Coffee Pots|light steam locomotives]] for them.
+
By 1905, the Ulfstead Mining Company had become dissatisfied with Knapford as a port and adopted A. W. Dry's suggestion of extending their tramway along this coastal road to Tidmouth and Mr. Topham Hatt, a young engineer from Swindon who had lately joined A. W. Dry's staff, built some [[Coffee Pots|light steam locomotives]] for them.
   
All went well, and trade boomed till an Autumn gale in 1908 destroyed the road and the tramway with it. Trade was disrupted, and numbers of miners were thrown out of work. The situation was desperate. A. W. Dry had a large interest in the mines, and had not yet been paid in full for the drainage work done. With the help of a Treasury Loan they put unemployed miners to work under Mr. Topham Hatt's direction, cutting a railway tunnel through the ridge south of Tidmouth and laying a railway directly from Tidmouth to Knapford. The [[Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway]] was formed in 1910. Amalgamation with the [[Wellsworth and Suddery Railway]] followed in 1912, and brought fresh trade to Tidmouth. But it was only when the double track NWR was completed in 1916, connecting Tidmouth at last with the outside world, that its potential as a harbour was realised, and its development could really begin.
+
All went well and trade boomed until an Autumn gale in 1908 destroyed the road and the tramway with it. Trade was disrupted and the numbers of miners were thrown out of work. The situation was desperate. A. W. Dry had a large interest in the mines and had not yet been paid in full for the drainage work done. With the help of a Treasury Loan they put unemployed miners to work under Mr. Topham Hatt's direction, cutting a railway tunnel through the ridge south of Tidmouth and laying a railway directly from Tidmouth to Knapford. The [[Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway]] was formed in 1910. Amalgamation with the [[Wellsworth and Suddery Railway]] followed in 1912 and brought fresh trade to Tidmouth. But it was only when the double track NWR was completed in 1916, connecting Tidmouth at last with the outside world, that its potential as a harbour was realised and its development could really begin.
   
The town's growth as a port and industrial centre has been phenomenal, and it rapidly became the Island's commercial capital. However it still retains many marks of its uncouth origins, and is not attractive to tourists. Nevertheless those ramblers who are bold and dedicated enough to scramble up the steep path beside the Falls of Tid will be rewarded in the valley beyond, which is a place of awesome splendour. Mention of the Falls is a further reminder of Messrs A. W. Dry's enterprise. In 1906, by harnessing the Falls of Tid, Tidmouth became the first town in Sodor to be lit by electricity. Tidmouth received a Royal Charter to become a Borough in 1918.
+
The town's growth as a port and industrial centre has been phenomenal and it rapidly became the Island's commercial capital. However, it still retains many marks of its uncouth origins and is not attractive to tourists. Nevertheless, those ramblers who are bold and dedicated enough to scramble up the steep path beside the Falls of Tid will be rewarded in the valley beyond, which is a place of awesome splendour. Mention of the Falls is a further reminder of Messrs A. W. Dry's enterprise. In 1906, by harnessing the Falls of Tid, Tidmouth became the first town in Sodor to be lit by electricity. Tidmouth received a Royal Charter to become a Borough in 1918.
   
The North Western Railway moved their main Motive Power Depot and Administrative Headquarters to here from Vicarstown in 1925. The station, known as the "Big Station", has a all-over glass roof spanning four terminal lines and a "through road" leading to [[The Little Western|Duck's Branch Line]]. It contains the [[Sir Topham Hatt|Fat Controller]]'s main office, and is the station where HM Queen [[Elizabeth II]] visited Sodor. The Express departs and returns from here every day.
+
The North Western Railway moved their main Motive Power Depot and Administrative Headquarters to here from Vicarstown in 1925. The station, known as the "Big Station", has an all-over glass roof spanning four terminal lines and a "through road" leading to [[The Little Western|Duck's Branch Line]]. It contains the [[Sir Topham Hatt|Fat Controller]]'s main office and is the station where HM Queen [[Elizabeth II]] visited Sodor. The Express departs and returns from here every day.
   
===''[[Thomas & Friends]]''===
+
===''Thomas & Friends''===
Though Tidmouth is still in the television series, it has been replaced by [[Knapford]] as the biggest station and by [[Brendam]] as Sodor's main port. [[Lower Tidmouth]] and [[Tidmouth Hault]] have also been seen in episodes. The town has appeared regularly since the [[Series 13|thirteenth series]] with the introduction of the [[Town Square|Tidmouth Town Square]], which appears to have replaced Tidmouth Station. The station is depicted as having two platforms and three through roads, covered by a glass roof.
+
Though Tidmouth is still in the television series, it has been replaced by [[Knapford]] as the biggest station and by [[Brendam Docks]] as Sodor's main port. [[Lower Tidmouth]] and [[Tidmouth Hault]] have also been seen in episodes. The town has appeared regularly since the [[Series 13|thirteenth series]] with the introduction of the [[Town Square|Tidmouth Town Square]], which appears to have replaced Tidmouth Station. The station is depicted as having two platforms and three through roads, covered by a glass roof.
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
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* '''[[Gordon the Big Engine]]''' - [[Gordon the Big Engine#Paint Pots and Queens|Paint Pots and Queens]]
 
* '''[[Gordon the Big Engine]]''' - [[Gordon the Big Engine#Paint Pots and Queens|Paint Pots and Queens]]
 
* '''[[Percy the Small Engine]]''' - [[Percy the Small Engine#Duck Takes Charge|Duck Takes Charge]]
 
* '''[[Percy the Small Engine]]''' - [[Percy the Small Engine#Duck Takes Charge|Duck Takes Charge]]
  +
* '''[[The Eight Famous Engines]]''' - [[The Eight Famous Engines#Gordon Goes Foreign|Gordon Goes Foreign]] and [[The Eight Famous Engines#The Fat Controller's Engines|The Fat Controller's Engines]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[The Twin Engines]]''' - [[The Twin Engines#"Hullo Twins!"|"Hullo Twins!"]] and [[The Twin Engines#The Missing Coach|The Missing Coach]]
 
* '''[[The Twin Engines]]''' - [[The Twin Engines#"Hullo Twins!"|"Hullo Twins!"]] and [[The Twin Engines#The Missing Coach|The Missing Coach]]
* '''[[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine]]''' - [[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine#Bowled Out|Bowled Out]]
+
* '''[[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine]]''' - [[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine#Stepney's Special|Stepney's Special]] and [[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine#Bowled Out|Bowled Out]]
 
* '''[[Main Line Engines]]''' - [[Main Line Engines#Buzz, Buzz|Buzz, Buzz]], [[Main Line Engines#Wrong Road|Wrong Road]] and [[Main Line Engines#Edward's Exploit|Edward's Exploit]]
 
* '''[[Main Line Engines]]''' - [[Main Line Engines#Buzz, Buzz|Buzz, Buzz]], [[Main Line Engines#Wrong Road|Wrong Road]] and [[Main Line Engines#Edward's Exploit|Edward's Exploit]]
 
* '''[[Small Railway Engines]]''' - [[Small Railway Engines#Ballast|Ballast]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[Small Railway Engines]]''' - [[Small Railway Engines#Ballast|Ballast]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[Enterprising Engines]]''' - [[Enterprising Engines#Tenders for Henry|Tenders for Henry]]
 
* '''[[Enterprising Engines]]''' - [[Enterprising Engines#Tenders for Henry|Tenders for Henry]]
  +
* '''[[Oliver the Western Engine]]''' - [[Oliver the Western Engine#Resource and Sagacity|Resource and Sagacity]] {{Mentioned}} and [[Oliver the Western Engine#Bulgy|Bulgy]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[Really Useful Engines]]''' - [[Really Useful Engines#Triple Header|Triple Header]]
 
* '''[[Really Useful Engines]]''' - [[Really Useful Engines#Triple Header|Triple Header]]
 
* '''[[James and the Diesel Engines]]''' - [[James and the Diesel Engines#Old Stuck-Up|Old Stuck-Up]], [[James and the Diesel Engines#Crossed Lines|Crossed Lines]] and [[James and the Diesel Engines#Fire-Engine|Fire-Engine]]
 
* '''[[James and the Diesel Engines]]''' - [[James and the Diesel Engines#Old Stuck-Up|Old Stuck-Up]], [[James and the Diesel Engines#Crossed Lines|Crossed Lines]] and [[James and the Diesel Engines#Fire-Engine|Fire-Engine]]
 
* '''[[More About Thomas the Tank Engine]]''' - [[More About Thomas the Tank Engine#Better Late Than Never|Better Late Than Never]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[More About Thomas the Tank Engine]]''' - [[More About Thomas the Tank Engine#Better Late Than Never|Better Late Than Never]] {{Mentioned}}
* '''[[Gordon the High-Speed Engine]]''' - [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine#High-Speed Gordon|High-Speed Gordon]]
+
* '''[[Gordon the High-Speed Engine]]''' - [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine#High-Speed Gordon|High-Speed Gordon]] and [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine#Smokescreen|Smokescreen]]
* '''[[Henry and the Express]]''' - [[Henry and the Express#Out of Puff|Out of Puff]] and [[Henry and the Express#Overhaul|Overhaul]]
+
* '''[[Henry and the Express]]''' - [[Henry and the Express#Out of Puff|Out of Puff]], [[Henry and the Express#Overhaul|Overhaul]] and [[Henry and the Express#Henry Sees Red|Henry Sees Red]]
* '''[[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines]]''' - [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines#Golden Jubilee|Golden Jubilee]]
+
* '''[[Wilbert the Forest Engine]]''' - [[Wilbert the Forest Engine#Wired-Up|Wired-Up]]
* '''[[Thomas and his Friends]]''' - [[Thomas and his Friends#Thomas and the Swan|Thomas and the Swan]] and [[Thomas and his Friends#Centenary|Centenary]]
+
* '''[[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines]]''' - [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines#Edward and the Cabbages|Edward and the Cabbages]] {{Mentioned}} and [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines#Golden Jubilee|Golden Jubilee]]
  +
* '''[[Thomas and Victoria]]''' - [[Thomas and Victoria#Eels on Wheels|Eels on Wheels]] {{Note|name on crate}}
  +
* '''[[Thomas and his Friends]]''' - [[Thomas and his Friends#Thomas and the Swan|Thomas and the Swan]], [[Thomas and his Friends#Buffer Bashing|Buffer Bashing]] {{Mentioned}}, [[Thomas and his Friends#Gordon's Fire Service|Gordon's Fire Service]] and [[Thomas and his Friends#Centenary|Centenary]]
   
====Other====
+
====Companion Volumes====
  +
* '''1976''' - [[Famous Engines]]
* '''[[Thomas's Christmas Party (book)|Thomas's Christmas Party]]'''
 
* '''[[Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)|Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree]]'''
+
* '''1984''' - [[Thomas's Christmas Party (book)|Thomas's Christmas Party]]
 
* '''1986''' - [[Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)|Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree]]
  +
* '''1995''' - [[Percy the Small Engine and the Scarf]]
 
}}
 
}}
 
|-|Television Series=
 
|-|Television Series=
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* '''[[Series 20]]''' - [[Blown Away]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[Series 20]]''' - [[Blown Away]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[Series 21]]''' - [[Terence Breaks the Ice]] {{Mentioned}}
 
* '''[[Series 21]]''' - [[Terence Breaks the Ice]] {{Mentioned}}
  +
}}</tabber>
 
  +
====Specials====
  +
* '''2000''' - [[Thomas and the Magic Railroad]] {{Note|portrait}}
  +
* '''2017''' - [[Journey Beyond Sodor]] {{Note|map only}}
  +
* '''2018''' - [[Big World! Big Adventures!]] {{Note|map only}}
  +
}}
  +
|-|Other Media=
  +
===[[Magazines|Magazine Stories]]===
  +
* '''2001''' - [[A Special Story About Thomas]], [[A Special Story about the Fire Engine!]] and [[A Special Story About Harold (2001)|A Special Story About Harold]]
  +
* '''2011''' - [[Bird Talk]]
  +
  +
===[[:Category:Books|Books]]===
  +
* '''2004''' - [[Gordon (Story Library book)|Gordon]]
 
</tabber>
   
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
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[[Category:The Loop Line]]
 
[[Category:The Loop Line]]
 
[[Category:Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway]]
 
[[Category:Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway]]
  +
[[Category:Villages]]
  +
[[Category:Buildings]]
  +
[[Category:Sodor Roadways]]

Revision as of 19:07, 19 May 2020

Main Page

Tidmouth is a borough situated on the River Tid Estuary on Sodor's west coast. With a population of 35,000 as of 1951, it is the largest town on Sodor. It is home to the headquarters of the North Western Railway and the mainline sheds.

History

The Railway Series

Tidmouth's rise and development is mainly due to the enterprise of the drainage company A. W. Dry & Co. The harbour, which is deep and well sheltered, has been known for centuries as a safe place in which to ride out storms. Until the 1880s, however, access from the land was only possible on foot or by pack-pony. The valley of the Tid, northeast behind the town, is peculiar in that it is narrow and enclosed by precipitous cliffs; and being throughout on a higher level, the river falls sharply before reaching the sea. Even now there are only footpaths along the valley.

Until well on into the 19th Century, it was a rough place, the haunt of smugglers who alternated as fishermen and who had developed their special kippering process, the secret of which is still jealously preserved today.

A. W. Dry & Co. faced considerable opposition when wishing to use the harbour as a base for operations in the Knapford area. Boat building, however, was among their various activities and they had produced a new design of fishing boat which fortunately found favour with the Tidmouth men. This together with judicious "sweeteners" eventually opened the door to an amicable arrangement. Supplies and equipment for the drainage project could then be brought in by sea and conveyed along a coastal road built for the purpose round the headland.

By 1905, the Ulfstead Mining Company had become dissatisfied with Knapford as a port and adopted A. W. Dry's suggestion of extending their tramway along this coastal road to Tidmouth and Mr. Topham Hatt, a young engineer from Swindon who had lately joined A. W. Dry's staff, built some light steam locomotives for them.

All went well and trade boomed until an Autumn gale in 1908 destroyed the road and the tramway with it. Trade was disrupted and the numbers of miners were thrown out of work. The situation was desperate. A. W. Dry had a large interest in the mines and had not yet been paid in full for the drainage work done. With the help of a Treasury Loan they put unemployed miners to work under Mr. Topham Hatt's direction, cutting a railway tunnel through the ridge south of Tidmouth and laying a railway directly from Tidmouth to Knapford. The Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway was formed in 1910. Amalgamation with the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway followed in 1912 and brought fresh trade to Tidmouth. But it was only when the double track NWR was completed in 1916, connecting Tidmouth at last with the outside world, that its potential as a harbour was realised and its development could really begin.

The town's growth as a port and industrial centre has been phenomenal and it rapidly became the Island's commercial capital. However, it still retains many marks of its uncouth origins and is not attractive to tourists. Nevertheless, those ramblers who are bold and dedicated enough to scramble up the steep path beside the Falls of Tid will be rewarded in the valley beyond, which is a place of awesome splendour. Mention of the Falls is a further reminder of Messrs A. W. Dry's enterprise. In 1906, by harnessing the Falls of Tid, Tidmouth became the first town in Sodor to be lit by electricity. Tidmouth received a Royal Charter to become a Borough in 1918.

The North Western Railway moved their main Motive Power Depot and Administrative Headquarters to here from Vicarstown in 1925. The station, known as the "Big Station", has an all-over glass roof spanning four terminal lines and a "through road" leading to Duck's Branch Line. It contains the Fat Controller's main office and is the station where HM Queen Elizabeth II visited Sodor. The Express departs and returns from here every day.

Thomas & Friends

Though Tidmouth is still in the television series, it has been replaced by Knapford as the biggest station and by Brendam Docks as Sodor's main port. Lower Tidmouth and Tidmouth Hault have also been seen in episodes. The town has appeared regularly since the thirteenth series with the introduction of the Tidmouth Town Square, which appears to have replaced Tidmouth Station. The station is depicted as having two platforms and three through roads, covered by a glass roof.

Appearances

The Railway Series

Companion Volumes

Trivia

  • During Clive Spong's time as illustrator, the station was usually incorrectly depicted as having six terminal roads, with the "through" road outside the station's glass roof.
  • The town's motto is "Industry and Progress". Tidmouth's Coat of Arms features a smith's hammer and tongs, a lymphad, three herrings and a wheel. These cover all of Tidmouth's titles to importance: shipping, transport, fishing and engineering. The coat of arms was suggested by George Awdry.[1]

Merchandise