The making of Thomas the tank

[Michael Delamar]

hi guys

 

here is a really good interview with one of the model makers who worked on the original 1980s show.

 

he describes techniques of how he built, engines, buildings, structures, scenery and figures, and some good recollections with plenty of photos.

 

 

enjoy

 

http://www.sodor-island.net/episodeguide/chrisnoulton.html

 

Mike

[mswjr]

Nice one matey, always wanted to know how large the models were.

mswjr

[10800]

Fascinating Mike, thanks

 

My cousin worked on this at one point as well - I seem to remember that he was involved in the 'synchrosmoke' mechanisms amongst other things. He used to work in TV ad effects (you know it's not really liquid chocolate in slow motion don't you ) but when that went all CGI he moved into action films where they still had mechanical stuff to keep working - including Star Wars (keeping R2D2 from seizing up in Tunisian sand storms), James Bond (working on the Aston), Lost in Space etc. Not a bad career - where did I go wrong?

[S.A.C Martin]

My friend Ryan Hagan runs the Sodor Island Forums - and I'm a moderator there - and Chris Doulton's interview got us particularly excited, because in his interview he produced a set of photographs of a "restored Gordon model" he had worked on.

 

Which, when checked against photographs, doesn't match that which was shown on the show. Originally, prior to the interview being put on the site, the photographs of a certain big, blue engine, were simply labeled as "Gordon", but on closer inspection a very important piece of the show's history was found.

 

It turns out that the Gordon model in question, was the original made for the pilot episode (Down the Mine, which was later re-filmed with the new models), as a pair of two models, Thomas & Gordon. Sadly, further investigation by the SiF team seems to lead to the conclusion the model was used as a "scrap engine" or binned at some point, prior to the HiT takeover all those years.

 

A right shame, but a fascinating bit of the show no one had never seen before. To this day, no one has seen the original pilot Thomas model - purported to have also been used as set dressing, as a scrap engine.

 

EDIT:

 

I'm sure Ryan won't mind me putting this link down - the crewmember page.

 

Sodor Island Forums - TTTE Crew Member page

 

Please also note the late David Mitton's interview:

 

David Mitton Interview

 

 

Some great stuff there, it's amazing how willing to talk on the show's history they all are, and we're all extremely grateful at SiF for them filling in the gaps and similar in the show's history.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Back in my youth about 50 years ago, the first proper model railway exhibition I attended featured the Ffarquar layout with the Reverend himself operating it. The history of the original Thomas models and layouts can be seen here The Modelling of Sodor

[Guest stuartp]

Thanks Mike, Mrs P was only asking the other day what scale I thought the models were.

[jbqfc]

one of the model makers on the original shows was called Tim staffell he was in a band called smile

he went to art collage with Freddie mercury (freddie bulsara at the time)

the members of smile where Tim Brian may and Roger taylor Tim left smile introduced Freddie to Brian and roger and went on to become queen

[Michael Delamar]

I noticed the gordon was different, got a really low front bufferbeam like Thomas.

 

I must admit, I know the first 2 series episodes backwards, I used to wear out videos watching them, and then later thunderbirds.I wont watch the later stuff.

 

I remember seeing a scrapped loco in the show, cant think where, did used to notice rusty driving wheels placed around.

 

I always liked shows that where models rather than cartoon, first one was button moon

 

what I didnt know at the time is that there was a bit of a lineage from Thunderbirds to Thomas, when I watched them at a later age, what fascinated me with them, was not the story lines or anything like that, but how they where made, what materials ,what scale everything was, how they got the sky to look realistic etc

 

as you guys know Im mad on Thunderbirds, what I like is spotting all the bits and bobs, and how the same model buildings turn up re used in other places etc.how they detailed models with kit parts and household items, I love behind the scenes shots too.

 

and these are model making techniques that can be studied and used on your own layout.

 

one thing on Thomas Ive wanted to see was a good close up of how the eye mechanisms worked.

 

and Ive never really seen what actual Marklin models they where based on.

 

the rolling stock was rtr or kit and never seen what they where, is there a OO/HO style difference in Gauge 1? as some of the coaches and wagons looked like they where out of scale sometimes.

 

Mike

[Michael Delamar]

knew Id seen a scrap loco is that the original Thomas on the left? cant remember a large scrap loco.

and what where the bodies made from, plastic EMA?

 

 

the lining is letraset letraline tape, which was something from Gerry Anderson models through to other space ship shows, but it always wondered me how they painted the lines so neat, which I know now isnt paint

 

Mike

[S.A.C Martin]

one thing on Thomas Ive wanted to see was a good close up of how the eye mechanisms worked.

 

Pm on its way...

 

and Ive never really seen what actual Marklin models they where based on.

 

No one knows at this point. There's been suggestion that the Gordon model used for the show was a Marklin pacific, with appropriately modified valve gear, but so little would be left of said engine it's difficult to prove.

 

However, a Marklin 0-6-0 does in fact appear in the background of certain episodes, several times. The most notorious shot of the "Marklin" is in The Flying Kipper, where its unusual lamp arrangement (it had both its standard electric lights and a set of TTTE electric lamps fitted onto its running plate) can be seen running along the quay at the start.

 

the rolling stock was rtr or kit and never seen what they where, is there a OO/HO style difference in Gauge 1? as some of the coaches and wagons looked like they where out of scale sometimes.

 

Mike

 

There were most definitely some "narrow gauge" trucks used in certain scenes. Off the shelf models were used, and had their sides cast for resin copies in some cases.

[Michael Delamar]

many thanks

 

there is a pdf somewhere on that site of the 1984 railway constructor article, it gives the name of the rolling stock, cant find it at the moment.

 

the boats in the harbour have ripmax fittings on them.

 

there was a very good making of documentary in the late 80s early 90s showing how the eyes and smoke worked, never seen that again.

 

the titanium tetrachloride they used for the smoke is nasty stuff it rots plastic and rubber, they used that on Thunderbirds, noitcabley the smoking tyres on the elevator cars in the first episode.

 

I did register to the forum a while back but there was quite a few juvenile types who didnt get what I was after.

 

is this film on the site? would be worth putting on for the Rev Awdry recollections..

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/steamtrains/7307.shtml

 

cheers

 

Mike

[Michael Delamar]

very good documentary, featuring the rev W Awdry

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3V_ESeyLZs

 

Mike

[Michael Delamar]

quite grumpy reverend there

 

I believe a lot of the rolling stock was from this range... http://www.tenmille.com/

 

although Ive not seen anything to confirm, such as pictures of theyre range of coaches and wagons at the time

 

Mike

[S.A.C Martin]

quite grumpy reverend there

 

I believe a lot of the rolling stock was from this range... http://www.tenmille.com/

 

although Ive not seen anything to confirm, such as pictures of theyre range of coaches and wagons at the time

 

Mike

 

Hi Mike - yes, they did use a lot of Tenmile kits. Look at the "Dirty Work" episode from Season 2 and you'll see in the line of trucks Diesel tries to pull, a lot of the narrow gauge trucks.

[mswjr]

I see the new series is not even models (computor generated) and its going american thomas uses words like funnel instead of chimney and fender instead of buffers and there is a great big chinese loco, think its going all policicly correct,what would the reverend say if he saw it now.

mswjr

[28XX]

... and unnecessary, there are plenty of good stories in series 1 & 2 to inspire the next generation. Childhood only lasts a decade, and the stories are new to each peer group that hears them, just like 'Goldilocks & The 3 Bears' or 'Little Red Ridinghood'. The latest drivel is worse than the ghost written 'Famous 5' twaddle published post-Blyton by some hack in the '70's. Dont get me started! (sorry, should this be in the 'grumpies' thread?)