The Railway Series [Thomas the Tank Engine] (and TV spin-offs)

[py_megapixel]

"Thomas & Henry the Massive Snowflake"

I know this isn't the intended interperetation, but if Henry is afraid of a few drops of rain, imagine his response to a giant snowflake!

 

[Ianno87]

I always found it strange that someone of Ringo Starr's star status would want to do the original voice over. Is he a railway fan, or what was his reasons for doing so, (apart from the obvious one of money!)?

I think the story is that Britt Allcroft heard his voice on a radio interview and decided it was perfect.

Ringo only did the first few series, can't have been much more than a day or so of his time for each one (20-odd episodes per series, 5 minutes each)

 

[Peter C]

And Bishop Eric Treacy; Canon Roger Lloyd; Rev. A.V.W. Mace (who wrote delightful articles in the Railway Magazine about his 1950s rail travels); and RailUKForums' own Roger Farnworth...

There's quite a few then!
I'll have a look out for those articles.

-Peter

I think the story is that Britt Allcroft heard his voice on a radio interview and decided it was perfect.

I think I heard another story in which she was working on a production involving him or the Rev. Awdry and thought the stories would be perfect for adaption for TV.
Probably wrong though!

-Peter

 

[pdeaves]

This does overlook that (s)he has a male voice actor though

Going off topic a bit, but Bart Simpson is voiced by a woman, and a female character on The Incredibles (can't remember the name, the short one who makes the costumes) by a man. How does that affect diversity (or anything else)?

 

[Cowley]

"Thomas & Henry the Massive Snowflake"

I just spat my crisps out from laughing.

I used to get very excited when the new books came out as a kid.
Although I loved the stories (especially the later ones), it was the artwork that did it for me.
I can honestly say as someone in my late 40s that I’d still happily read one even now...

 

[John Webb]

There's a good reason I have fond memories of the original books - they were a great encouragement to me to learn to read at an early age as I got fed up waiting for one or other of my parents to be free to read them to me!
I'd agree with Cowley that the artwork was good, which was an encouragement to look at the books as well.
I preferred the TV versions based on models; the CGI version just didn't seem to have the 'weight' or solidity that the models had.

 

[greatvoyager]

There's a good reason I have fond memories of the original books - they were a great encouragement to me to learn to read at an early age as I got fed up waiting for one or other of my parents to be free to read them to me!
I'd agree with Cowley that the artwork was good, which was an encouragement to look at the books as well.
I preferred the TV versions based on models; the CGI version just didn't seem to have the 'weight' or solidity that the models had.

Have to agree, the model series was better because to me, it required a certain amount of imagination.

 

[krus_aragon]

Another (fringe) benefit of the use of models was the operational limitations. Using a plain DC system, they had to keep the models on electrically isolated portions of track, in a manner that reflects real-world practice: they physically couldn't do some of the non-prototypical stuff they can get away with in the CGI world.

(A typical example: two uncoupled engines following each other on the same track, a few metres apart. At a junction, one engine continues ahead, and the points change in front of the following engine so it switches to an adjacent line. The RAIB would have a fit!)

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Fireman Sam from Pontypandy (Penmaenmawr?) is good too, but the fire engines and train are a bit unrealistic

 

[MotCO]

(A typical example: two uncoupled engines following each other on the same track, a few metres apart. At a junction, one engine continues ahead, and the points change in front of the following engine so it switches to an adjacent line. The RAIB would have a fit!)

They managed to do that on The St Trinian's Great Train Robbery!

 

[Ianno87]

Another (fringe) benefit of the use of models was the operational limitations. Using a plain DC system, they had to keep the models on electrically isolated portions of track, in a manner that reflects real-world practice: they physically couldn't do some of the non-prototypical stuff they can get away with in the CGI world.

(A typical example: two uncoupled engines following each other on the same track, a few metres apart. At a junction, one engine continues ahead, and the points change in front of the following engine so it switches to an adjacent line. The RAIB would have a fit!)

I thought the original models were radio remote-controlled, not Hornby-style DC through the track?

 

[Taunton]

Rev Awdry was of course a significant rail buff, and wrote some mainstream rail books in later times as well. I believe in retirement he was a significant volunteer at the Dean Forest line at Norchard, and earlier had been involved with the Talyllyn. Something of an aloof character apparently, combined with his railway precision, he regularly got into arguments with the artists about the pictures not being quite 'real' enough, and at least one if not two of the artists, including Reg Dalby who did the characteristic style of the early books, quit as a result. What he would have made of the current TV animations, with semaphore signals the wrong way round, goodness knows.

The books were very early use of full colour printing by the publishers, previously this had not been possible, or too expensive, so they stood out in shops. Colour printing restrictions was behind several of the early locomotives all being blue.

A number of the incidents portrayed (such as the paint pot falling on Henry) had their origin in the amusing little end paragraphs the Railway Magazine used as fillers in the 1940s-50s. If you have the magazines you will recognise them.

 

[krus_aragon]

I thought the original models were radio remote-controlled, not Hornby-style DC through the track?

You may well be correct: I'm just working back from how the models moved onscreen, and associating that with how I know DC railways work.

Either way, by using real models they were forced to accept a certain amount of realism in their operation.

Fireman Sam from Pontypandy (Penmaenmawr?) is good too, but the fire engines and train are a bit unrealistic

A mix of "Pontypridd" and "Tonypandy"; I've never known him to be associated with Penmaenmawr before!

 

[Peter C]

What he would have made of the current TV animations, with semaphore signals the wrong way round, goodness knows.

(My bold)
I believe this was actually a story at one point - something about backing or reversing signals, with Percy coming across a signal which went up and not down for proceed? I believe the thinking was "down is go, up is stop, so further up is reverse"!

-Peter

 

[greatvoyager]

(My bold)
I believe this was actually a story at one point - something about backing or reversing signals, with Percy coming across a signal which went up and not down for proceed? I believe the thinking was "down is go, up is stop, so further up is reverse"!

-Peter

I remember that episode.

 

[Calthrop]

Rev Awdry was of course a significant rail buff, and wrote some mainstream rail books in later times as well. I believe in retirement he was a significant volunteer at the Dean Forest line at Norchard, and earlier had been involved with the Talyllyn. Something of an aloof character apparently, combined with his railway precision, he regularly got into arguments with the artists about the pictures not being quite 'real' enough, and at least one if not two of the artists, including Reg Dalby who did the characteristic style of the early books, quit as a result. What he would have made of the current TV animations, with semaphore signals the wrong way round, goodness knows.

I recall a year or two ago, someone (not a railway enthusiast) whom I encountered rather in passing -- who seemed thoroughly down-to-earth and credible -- telling of having been at a railway-focused event, where the Rev. Awdry (then well-stricken in years and retired from "clergying") was present; and mentioned his becoming there, quite ill-tempered over the antics of some perceivedly unruly children. (My "informant" may well have been at this event with her own children -- it would seem that the kids who incurred the Reverend's ire, were someone else's.) This reaction on W.A.'s part, would seem a bit incongruous and unfortunate on more than one count -- however: as they say, "Christians are not perfect, only forgiven"; and folk often tend, in their old age, to lose some of their former inhibitions.

 

[Peter C]

I remember that episode.

I remember it, I think, because the GWR had lower-quadrant semaphore signals which they used on Sodor and I have quite the interest in GWR practice . I believe the Rev. Awdry grew up, or at least one point lived near to, the Great Western Mainline near Box Tunnel, from where he got the inspiration to write his stories after he heard the engines powering up the inclines.

-Peter

 

[greatvoyager]

I remember it, I think, because the GWR had lower-quadrant semaphore signals which they used on Sodor and I have quite the interest in GWR practice . I believe the Rev. Awdry grew up, or at least one point lived near to, the Great Western Mainline near Box Tunnel, from where he got the inspiration to write his stories after he heard the engines powering up the inclines.

-Peter

I believe he said something about hearing GWR locomotives climb hills, and as they did, the large locos sounded like they were saying “I can’t do it” as they chuffed along, whilst smaller engines sounded like they were saying “I will do it”

 

[Peter C]

I believe he said something about hearing GWR locomotives climb hills, and as they did, the large locos sounded like they were saying “I can’t do it” as they chuffed along, whilst smaller engines sounded like they were saying “I will do it”

That's it Quite a humble and rather innocent starting point for what is now a massive franchise!

-Peter

 

[krus_aragon]

(My bold)
I believe this was actually a story at one point - something about backing or reversing signals, with Percy coming across a signal which went up and not down for proceed? I believe the thinking was "down is go, up is stop, so further up is reverse"!

-Peter

That's a good story based on the difference between (e.g.) GWR and LNWR semaphores, but it seems Sodor has signals mounted back to front as well these days.

 

[Taunton]

There are a number of railway personalities along the way. On his narrow gauge line, quite accurately based on the Talyllyn (including the incidents, a number taken from Rolt's 'Railway Adventure'), the "Thin Controller" is Edward Thomas, longstanding general manager (and everything else) in the years leading up to preservation. The "Fat Clergyman" is Rev Teddy Boston, another clerical railway enthusiast, well known at the time for having his own NG steam loco and track in his vicarage garden. The "Small Controller" was the onetime manager of the Ravenglass & Eskdale. The "Thin Clergyman" is himself. Surprising that Beeching never featured as a nightmare character.

The Fat Controller is a fiction; the first two books preceded nationalisation and he was the Fat Director in those, redone and renamed (along with new artwork) with nationalisation.

 

[Calthrop]

...the "Thin Controller" is Edward Thomas, longstanding general manager (and everything else) in the years leading up to preservation...

I've always found it a pleasing "happenstance" that there are two Edward Thomases who are of significance to people with our turn of mind. One wrote "Adlestrop"; the other ran the Talyllyn pretty much single-handed.

 

[Ianno87]

Surprising that Beeching never featured as a nightmare character.

The orginal stories are from the 1940s and pre-date Beeching by some years.

 

[Rick1984]

when you watch my fave episode ,the Flying Kipper' the detail and atmosphere created are amazing. Not something you can do with CGI

 

[Ianno87]

when you watch my fave episode ,the Flying Kipper' the detail and atmosphere created are amazing. Not something you can do with CGI

That crash is probably about the most violent thing shown in the entire series.

It's also implied that the guard is still present in the brake van of the train in the loop when Henry crashes into the bag.

However, the way that episode shows the early morning and sunrise is simply beautiful, through nothing more than some clever lighting and the backdrop.

 

[Peter C]

That's a good story based on the difference between (e.g.) GWR and LNWR semaphores, but it seems Sodor has signals mounted back to front as well these days.

Maybe Network Rail have installed bi-directional capability on the Island?

-Peter

 

[birchesgreen]

I loved the original stories, i had all of them as a kid. Unfortunately i only have a couple of the books now. I could never get into the TV series. I did have the Johnny Morris narrated audio stories though and loved them (my Dad used to hate them though as his namesake Edward sounded like a wimp!)

 

[Cowley]

That crash is probably about the most violent thing shown in the entire series.

It's also implied that the guard is still present in the brake van of the train in the loop when Henry crashes into the bag.

However, the way that episode shows the early morning and sunrise is simply beautiful, through nothing more than some clever lighting and the backdrop.

I think that although I loved the books as a young un I also really enjoyed watching the TV shows with my kids when they were little just because of the quality of some of the modelling, especially the scene you mention.
I also love Wallace and Grommet for similar reasons (although that takes it to a whole new level really).

 

[Rick1984]

Yes the sun effects are stunning.
And Wallace and Gromit is ingenious. The level of facial expression in a plasticine dog is unreal

 

[Ianno87]

And Wallace and Gromit is ingenious. The level of facial expression in a plasticine dog is unreal

With only eyes and eyebrows to work with!