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Thomas and the Magic Railroad

From Scratchpad

A promotional photo of Diesel 10 menacing Thomas

Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 film based on the well-known TV series and its American spinoff. This film was produced by Gullane Entertainment and distributed by Destination Films, and originally released to movie theatres by July 2000.

Contents

[edit] Story

There is trouble on the Island of Sodor. An evil diesel locomotive by the name of Diesel 10 has arrived, with the intention of destroying the steam locomotives that live on the railway. Specifically, he has a plan to locate a magical lost engine and destroy her in order to remove the magic from the Island. Sir Topham Hatt, normally in charge of the railways on Sodor, is on holiday and has left Mr. Conductor (Alec Baldwin) in charge.

Mr. Conductor has problems of his own. The mysterious gold dust that allows him to magically transport from place to place is running out, and without it there will be no way for anyone to travel to Sodor. The lost engine is able to travel between Sodor and Muffle Mountain via the Magic Railroad, but nobody knows where she is.

An old man named Burnett Stone (Peter Fonda) lives on Muffle Mountain, near Shining Time. Unknown to everyone, he is the guardian of the lost engine. The engine crashed after an earlier encounter with Diesel 10, and ever since then he has been trying to bring her back to life, so far without success.

His granddaughter Lily (Mara Wilson) comes to visit him. She meets C. Junior, Mr. Conductor's cousin, who takes her to Sodor and introduces her to the talking engines who live there, including Thomas the Tank Engine. Later, Thomas is assigned to take Lily back, having discovered the start of the long-abandoned Magic Railroad by an old grotto. He finds a truck of special Island of Sodor coal and takes it with him. He arrives on the side of Muffle Mountain for he is, and Lily goes to her grandfather's house.

While there, Burnett shows her Lady, the lost engine, and explains his problem getting it to steam. Lily suggests using Island of Sodor coal from the truck Thomas brought. This proves to be exactly what was needed, and the engine comes to life. For the first time in years, Burnett smiles. Lily and Burnett take her along the Magic Railroad, which regenerates beneath her wheels. They are followed by Thomas, who has somehow found his way back to the line (he slid down the mountain into a pit that apparently led back to the magic railroad). They find their way back to Sodor, where Diesel 10 finds them and gives chase. He is foiled by a damaged viaduct, which collapses beneath him.

Thomas, Lady, Burnett and Lily meet Mr. Conductor and Junior. They use the water from a wishing well and shavings from the rails of the Magic Railroad to make more gold dust, and the Island of Sodor is saved.

[edit] Restored Story

The film begins with Thomas, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy and Toby being introduced. It then cuts to Gordon, who has been waiting 8 seconds for Thomas at Wellsworth. When Thomas arrives, Gordon tells him that he is late. Thomas replies that Gordon is being bossy and then says that he has to find Mr. Conductor, who is looking after the North Western Railway while Sir Topham Hatt is taking a much-needed holiday at Bournemouth. But Gordon isn't so sure about Mr. Conductor being needed, until Diesel 10 speeds by . . .

Thomas is later talking to James at Tidmouth Sheds when Diesel 10 shows up and voices his plan to destroy a lost engine and thus Sodor. James is confused, but Thomas is worried and goes to find Mr. Conductor.

Meanwhile, at Shining Time Station, Patch and Mutt the dog have just finished painting the town's sign. After seeing Billy Twofeathers's map and noticing some strange lines on it, Patch has a talk to Billy about it before heading off to Muffle Mountain to see Burnett Stone.

There's something on Muffle Mountain, a secret that Burnett only shared with his childhood friend and future wife, Tasha. He remembered he had promised Tasha he would drive an engine and take her with him. When Patch shows up and sees the engine, Burnett reveals the engine's past - The engine's name is Lady, and she has been hidden inside Muffle Mountain ever since an evil diesel crashed her. Burnett says that he had been trying to bring her back to life but cannot because he couldn't make her steam.

Back on Sodor, Diesel 10 admires a carving he made of himself on a rockface at Anopha Quarry. When his henchmen Splatter and Dodge arrive, he tells them of his plan. The two diesels report Mr. Conductor is coming to Sodor, so Diesel 10 decides to destroy him too.

Meanwhile, Mr. Conductor prepares to leave Shining Time, while Billy prepares his next train. Stacy and Mutt don't want either to leave, but they must.

Mr. Conductor is having some difficulty with his gold dust, but soon meets up with Thomas at Elsbridge. Thomas reports about Diesel 10.

At Muffle Mountain, Burnett looks at a painting of Lady and laments of failing to guard her well as well as doubting his belief in magic. Meanwhile, at a big city during a rainy day, Lily, Burnett's granddaughter, tells her mother about her concerns about her visit to her grandfather, as he had been sad since Tasha's death. Her mother comforts her by giving her a hug, and Lily then climbs up to her apartment through the fire escape. She takes out her bluebird and tells him that she's taking him along with her.

Back at Sodor, at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas and James are arguing about who should haven taken Mr. Conductor. When Gordon agrees with James, he insults Thomas. Splatter and Dodge are making fun of Thomas while Henry, Toby, Percy and James are talking about the engine, which is more powerful than diesels, and they must have to find her. Splatter and Dodge are still teasing Thomas, but Harold flies by, spreading dust all over them as well as Thomas.

In Sir Topham Hatt's office at Knapford, Mr. Conductor reads the letter Sir Topham Hatt wrote to him. He tries on the controller's top hat, but when seeing a portrait of the controller looking angry, he quickly puts the hat back. Mr. Conductor then recieves a phone call from Sir Topham Hatt and recieves his instructions.

That night at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines are sleeping with Mr. Conductor. When Diesel 10 creeps up, he demolishes the side of the Tidmouth Sheds with his powerful claw, waking the engines and Mr. Conductor up. Mr. Conductor reprimands Diesel 10 for demolishing Tidmouth Sheds, but then he discovers that he has run out of gold dust. Diesel 10 is delighted at this and tries to question Mr. Conductor about the lost engine's whereabouts, but Mr. C is able to frighten Diesel 10 away with a bag of sugar. Mr. Conductor then tells Thomas about the problem with his gold dust, but tells the engines to go back to sleep.

Mr. Conductor then talks in his sleep, which Percy was able to hear. He then has a nightmare of Stacy standing in a Shining Time in ruins while calling out his name in despair. He realizes that his universe is in danger and had to find more.

The next morning, Mutt went to the big city with Billy. He knew that Lily could help Mr. Conductor, but only if she met someone in Shining Time first. And therefore, put her on the wrong train.

Meanwhile, Mr. Conductor was helping get James' tickle gone. Afterwards, James went to work and Mr. C decided to go to the windmill on Thomas' branch line. Unfortunatly, he got lost on the Culdee Fell Railway. Mr. C is worried, as he has to find the windmill to find the source of his sparkle.

Meanwhile, the engines are gathered at Crovan's Gate, looking a bit glum. Bertie encourages them to smile, but to no avail. James looked at the windmill and Mr. Conductor was not there. Thomas assumed his sparkle was all gone. Henry was feeling all stuffed up from Diesel 10's fumes. Toby feared that if he found the lost engine, it would destroy them all, regardless of size, much to Gordon's dismay. Thomas decided to look for Mr. Conductor and get the sneezing powder out of his funnel. Toby decided to get back to work. Bertie offered a race, but Thomas declined, telling him he had to be a really useful engine.

At Skarloey Road Mr. Conductor tries some vegetables to make him think properly. He then got an idea and calls Junior, his beach-loving cousin, via a "bellflower" on Devil's Back. However, the line was very bad. Mr. Conductor told Junior the situation. To make matters worse, Junior is also almost out of his gold dust. He told Junior to go to Shining Time and get his emergency whistle, then go to the Island of Sodor. Junior tries to ask his cousin for more information, but the line goes dead.

Lily arrives at Shining Time and Mutt barks at her to get off the train. Lily finds the station empty and meets Junior, and after a talk Lily picks up the gold dust Junior leaves behind. At Sodor, Mr Conductor is sleeping at the bottom of a bush when he has another nightmare. He wakes up hearing Thomas calling out his name, and he tries to call out for Thomas but it seems that the little engine can't hear him.

Lily meets Stacy who takes her to Burnett, they hear a train whistle in the night, Patch hears it too.

Meanwhile, Percy is doing his nightshift of taking the mail train from Ffarquhar to Knapford. Diesel 10 is there, at Toryreck Percy talks with Thomas about Mr Conductor. Diesel 10 goes to the scrapyards on the Other Railway and tells Splatter and Dodge his plan when Toby interups them by ringing his bell and the roof crashes down on them.

After the "Really Useful Engine" sequence Thomas goes to the goods siding at Killdane to find Henry sick, later Thomas goes to get Welsh coal from The Norramby Branch Line. The 6th Troublesome Truck bounces away into magic buffers, Bertie sees this and tells Thomas that he has five coal cars.

After being scolded by Henry for losing the coal car, Thomas, Annie and Clarabel are transferred to Duck's branch line where Thomas finds Percy at the siding in Arlesdale where Duck met Rex in "Small Railway Engines" and tells him that he was worried about him losing the coal car. Thomas tells him to guard the buffers while he has to find Mr Conductor.

Meanwhile at the viaduct where Gordon's dome flew away, Mr Conductor is wandering aimlessly, when suddenly Diesel 10 emerges. Mr Conductor tries to flee but is captured by "Pinchy" Diesel 10's claw.

Diesel 10 says he knows about the Magic Railroad and when Lady is found all the diesel engines on Sodor will rebel the steam engines, Mr Conductor cuts a pipe to Diesel 10's claw shooting water everywhere, this catapults Mr Counductor to the windmill at Hackenbeck where he sees the words "Stoke up the magic in the mountain and the Lady will smile then watch the swirls that spin so well".

At the China Clay Works on Edward's branch line Diesel 10 is talking to Splatter and Dodge when he hits a coal hopper causeing Gordon, James and Henry to laugh at him.

Lily is introduced to Patch who offers her a horse ride to Shining Time, where she meets Junior again who takes her to the North Western Railway via the Magic Buffers, after a long walk from Normanby to the Arlesdale Railway they meet Thomas with Annie and Clarabel at Haultraugh, Thomas agrees to help.

Thomas leaves Annie and Clarabel at Harwick to cover for him since he is forbidden to leave The Little Western as a result of his punshment, he sneaks on to the main line then back to his own branch line where he finds Mr Counductor at the windmill in Hackenbeck.

Mr Cunductor tells Junior about his clue to the gold dust, after a call from Sir Topham Hatt Lily is introduced to Mr C and Junior goes on the windmill (much to Thomas' dismay) it goes so fast that he is shot into the air towards The Peel Godred Branch Line and on to Diesel 10's back.

Back at Muffle Mountain, Patch tells Burnett Stone that he couldn’t find Lily at Shining Time Station, but Burnett comforts Patch and said that they will find her.

At nighttime on Sodor, Percy goes to the magic buffers only to see that Splatter and Dodge had discovered them. Percy decided to warn Thomas about it.

Meanwhile Mr. Conductor and Lily camp out near the tracks with Thomas. Through their conversation they realize that Burnett may hold the key to the clue of the gold dust.

Back at Burnett’s workshop on Muffle Mountain, Burnett reveals to Patch that Lady is magic and they realize that the railroad is fading away due to lack of energy.

Meanwhile, Percy had told Thomas everything and that they will have to get Lily back to Muffle Mountain before Diesel 10 destroys the Magic Railroad. Mr. Conductor then asks Thomas to take Lily. Thomas is hesitant at first, but with a little encourage from Mr. Conductor, and a smile from Lily, he agrees.

Thomas takes Lily to where the magic buffers stood and through the help of a talking tumbleweed, they succeed in entering. While journeying through the Magic Railroad, they discover the missing coal truck and Lily works out the connection of the coal truck and the clue, so Thomas backs up to collect the coal truck before continuing their journey. They soon arrive at the top of a cliff on Muffle Mountain and Lily leaves to find her grandfather, but a gust of wind blows Thomas off the cliff, leaving the coal truck at the top while PT Boomer, realizes Thomas is a huge toy, loses his motorcycle and climbs onto Thomas's cab. Thomas rolls all the way down the mountain and back into the Magic Railroad through a mysterious portal at the bottom of the mountain.

Lily finds Patch who takes her to Burnett’s workshop where she is reunited with her grandfather. When Lily discovers Lady, she figures out that Special Island of Sodor Coal is the only fuel to get Lady to steam, so she dispatches Patch to collect the coal from the coal truck left behind at the top of the mountain.

Back at Sodor, Diesel 10, with Junior still on his back, zooms into the Smelter’s yard where he encounters James. Junior lands on James’ cab roof and tries to whistle both of them out, only to discover that he too is out of gold dust. Diesel 10 is delighted and tries to destroy both James and Junior by forcing them into a melting pit, but Junior then uses up the last of his extra gold dust to teleport both him and James away. The two arrive at the magic buffers where Mr. Conductor was there waiting. They realize that they are out of gold dust, but are still not giving up hope.

By now, Burnett Stone has finally got Lady to steam, and along with Lily, Patch and Mutt, they set off into the Magic Railroad. The Magic Railroad, upon receiving energy from Lady, comes back to life. Lady’s face then magically appears and remarks to Burnett that he never lost his faith in magic. The team briefly encounter Thomas on the Magic Railroad before appearing on Sodor where they reunite with the two conductors.

Suddenly, the diesel engines emerge and Diesel 10 starts to give chase, but Splatter and Dodge back out, leaving Diesel 10 to do the chasing himself. PT Boomer emerges from the Magic Buffers, landing onto DIesel 10's back. Thomas offers to hep Lady while Burnett, determined not to let Lady down again, climbs onto her cab to start her. Mr. Conductor warns them to watch out for the collapsing viaduct, and after the engines had set off, realizes that Lady is in fact part of the clue to the gold dust.

Diesel 10 chases Lady, Burnett and Thomas all through Sodor, finally arriving at the viaduct, which is now collapsing. As Lady and Burnett pass, a gap appears on the viaduct. Thomas manages to jump through the gap before it grows wider. When Diesel 10 approaches the bridge, the gap is so big that he can’t jump through. He tries to stop but falls off the viaduct. He grabs onto a sleeper with his claw but the sleeper breaks and Diesel 10 falls onto a passing barge filled with sludge and is taken away.

Thomas, Lady and Burnett return to the magic buffers, where they and the rest of the team work out on the clue. After realizing the answer, they collected water from a well, and Lily mixes it with some golden shavings she collected from the Magic Railroad. She tosses the mixed shavings into the air, where they transform into magic gold dust. The conductors are delighted and immediately re-supply their whistles, while Thomas calls Lady a “Really Helpful Engine”.

Afterwards, Patch and Mutt go to look around, while Junior gives Lily some gold dust. Junior then tells his cousin that he wants to work now, so Mr. Conductor gives Junior his conductor’s hat and sends him to a railroad “with palm trees and sunny spells”. After Junior leaves. Sir Topham Hatt calls through a bellflower and says that he is on his way back now, so Mr. Conductor sets off to the sheds to welcome him. Lily then offers her gold dust to her grandfather, who pours it on her toy bluebird, so that they will “always remember their ‘Shining Time’ together”.

With Lady and the Magic Railroad back to life, Shining Time is restored to its former glory. The movie ends with Thomas puffing home into the sunset.

[edit] Reception

The film proved popular among the young children at whom it was aimed, but it was a critical and box office failure. The scale of the failure was so great that Britt Allcroft, who produced, directed, wrote and appeared in the movie (as the voice of Lady) was asked to step down from her production company.

Among the criticisms were complaints of poor acting, bad direction and an incoherent plot, as well as complaints from fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends that the film was not true to its literary and televised origins and, despite the title, featured relatively little of Thomas. British fans complained that the film Americanised the setting and featured characters from Shining Time Station, which was never broadcast in the United Kingdom. [1]

Many consider the film not to be canon, despite Britt Allcroft's involvement.

The animation technique used for the engine characters was the same as that in the television series, and a number of critics complained that this looked shoddy and low-budget on the big screen.

[edit] Problems and Changes

P.T. Boomer shown in the Movie during the Chase Scene. Laying Down on the Back of Diesel 10's Cab.

A major reason for the perceived incoherence and laziness of the plot was that some very severe edits were made in post-production. A major character, 'PT Boomer' (Pete Boom according to the Internet Movie Database), was entirely but originally cut out of the film before its release, and so the plot elements that had been driven by him went unexplained. So close to release was this change that trailers for the film actually still featured him (such as a clip from the trailer in which he appears falling off the viaduct alongside Diesel 10). Oddly enough he still appears in the Movie during the Chase Scenes shown laying on the Back of Diesel 10.

The same trailers also depicted Diesel 10 with an upper class English accent rather than the American one he had in the release. The reason for this change is either that there was a different actor playing Diesel 10 in the trailer (an English one instead of an American one) or that that was the voice of PT Boomer.

Prior to filming, it had been announced that Thomas' voice would be provided by an Isle of Man taxi driver named John Bellis (who also worked as a fireman on the Isle of Man Steam Railway). However, during a test screening in Los Angeles, the test audiences disliked Bellis' voice for Thomas due to his Liverpudlian tones, claiming that he made Thomas sound too old. Subsequently, Bellis was dropped from his role and was replaced by Edward Glen, who gave Thomas a more youthful voice.

It has also been revealed that Michael Angelis, the narrator for the UK version of the TV Series since 1991, would have been the voice for James & Percy. However, like Bellis, Angelis also suffered at the hands of the American test audiences, claiming that he made James & Percy sound too old. Eventually, James was voiced by Susan Roman, while Percy was voiced by Linda Ballantyne.

It has been revealed that Cranky the Crane and George the Steamroller were originally in the film with roles but they never appeared in the finished film.

Horace Schemer who owned the jukebox on the TV series was not written in the script.

[edit] Workprint

In 2009, a YouTube user discovered the original Chase Scene with PT Boomer (Doug Lennox). Although the clip was covered by the Dark City score, it was a thrill to finally see PT Boomer's scene. Diesel 10, Splodge, and Thomas all had different voices. Keith Scott, Patrick Breen, and John Bellis (later Neil Crone, Kevin Frank and Edward Glen, as well as Britt Allcroft for Lady) had each given them different voices. The workprint has been recently found (3rd May 2009) here. It is restored into the whole film.

[edit] Quotes

Thomas comes out of the buffers and back to the Island.

Diesel 10: AHA! It's Puffball! And Look Who With Him! Splodge! Come And Destroy!

Splatter: No, Diesel. Do it yourself.

Dodge: Yeah, Yeah. Do it yourself!

Splatter: Yeah. We Mean That!

Dodge: We Mean That Emphatically.

Diesel 10: Ah, who needs you, Splodge.

PT Boomer comes out of the buffers, while flying. Then lands on Diesel 10's cab roof.

PT Boomer: That makes two of us!

Thomas: Run, Lady. Quickly. And I'm gonna help you.

Burnett Stone: So am I m'Lady. I'm not gonna let you down again.

He drives Lady and she and Thomas set off.

Mr. Conductor: Watch out for the viaduct. It's dangerous.

Diesel 10 and PT Boomer chase them.

PT Boomer: Now I'll Get You, Burnett Stone And That Engine Too!

Burnett Stone: No, you won't! Because the magic that you refused to believe in will get the better of you!

Diesel 10: You can run, but you can't hide! Right, Pinchy?

Laughs Evilly

Diesel 10: Pinchy's hungry.

He Extends Pinchy towards Thomas.

Thomas: Ooh! Get back!

Catches up with Lady.

Burnett Stone: Come on, Lady.

Lady speeds up.

PT Boomer: Coming' second out!

Diesel 10: Coming, puffball!

Laughs Evilly.

They go past the watermill and into the tunnel.

Diesel 10: Look out! There I come! Duck, Pinchy!

PT Boomer: Duck!

Lady and Thomas are away from Diesel 10.

Diesel 10: Aha, now I'll get you! I like my lunch steamed!

Diesel 10 goes under a bridge.

Gets closer to Thomas and tries to grab him. Growls.

They go over another bridge and under Percy, who is pulling a goods train.

Percy: What the--?

Burnett looks at PT Boomer, who takes his gloves off.

PT Boomer: Hey, Burnett! The gloves are off.

Throws the gloves at Burnett and makes a gesture with his arms.

Lady and Thomas arrive at the viaduct, which is collapsing.

Burnett Stone: Well, Lady. This is your Shining Time, too.

Lady: I Hope!

Thomas: Come on, Lady. Little engines can do big things!

Lady goes across the viaduct, which grows wider. Thomas follows her.

A stone falls and Lady crosses safely.

More stones fall, making a gap. Thomas slowly goes to the gap and jumps through.

Two pieces of arch fall, making a big one.

Burnett Stone: Well done, Thomas! Well done!

Blows Lady's whistle.

Thomas blows his whistle in delight.

Diesel 10 and PT Boomer see the gap. PT Boomer takes off his goggles, puts them back on and gasps.

Diesel 10: What's going on?

Goes on the track.

PT Boomer: No.

Screams. Diesel 10 tips and he and PT Boomer fall.

Diesel 10 grabs onto a sleeper.

Diesel 10: Puffball! Teapot!

Sleeper breaks. Diesel 10 growls and screams.

Diesel 10: Tin Cannon!

Diesel 10 lands into a sludge-filled barge.

The towboat tows the barge with Diesel 10 away.

Diesel 10 sighs and is almost fallen from the barge.

Diesel 10: They'll pay.

PT Boomer squirts water. He looks at his hands.

PT Boomer: Sludge! I hate it.

He angrily glares at the camera.

Diesel 10: Oh, well. Nice time of the year for a cruise.

Laughs

[edit] Filming

The movie was filmed at the Strasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania, Ontario and on the Isle of Man. Castletown railway station on the Isle of Man Railway formed part of Shining Time Station and the goods shed at Port St Mary railway station became Burnett Stone's workshop. The Strasburg Railroad was used for shots of the full-sized Indian Valley railroad.

Sodor was realised using models and chromakey. The models were animated using live action remote control, as on the television series.

The Magic Railroad was created using models and CGI.

[edit] Characters

[edit] From the TV Series

A number of characters are seen or mentioned in this film who previously appeared in the television series. These characters are:

The Fat Controller is seen throughout the movie on posters, and his voice can be heard (muffled) over the telephone in several scenes. All the characters in the movie refer to him as Sir Topham Hatt. His wife, Lady Hatt can be seen in a photograph in The Fat Controller's office.

[edit] Other Characters

Main Article: Thomas the Tank Engine film characters.
Mr. Conductor

Played by Alec Baldwin, Mr. Conductor is an 8-inch-tall conductor who steps in to manage Sodor while Sir Topham Hatt is on holiday. The part was previously played by Ringo Starr (Season 1) and George Carlin (Seasons 2-3) of Shining Time Station.

Diesel 10

Diesel 10 (voiced by Neil Crone) is a true villainous diesel. He tried to destroy the Golden Engine (Lady) the last time he visited the Island of Sodor, and he returned in the film, albeit failing again. He has a gigantic, fully working and moving claw he affectionately calls "Pinchy."

Diesel 10
Splatter and Dodge

These two (voiced by Neil Crone and Kevin Frank) are Diesel 10's dim-witted sidekicks during the film. They are not quite as smart as they like to believe, and Diesel 10 calls them "Splodge" because he claims he doesn't have time to say both their names. They defect from Diesel 10 at the end of the film, and to this day their whereabouts are unknown.

Splatter & Dodge
Lady

Lady is a purple-red and gold tank engine (although the official site on one occasion, in a section with letters to Sir Topham Hatt, a response to an email stated that Lady was pink when asked if there were any pink engines on Sodor).

Lady is what holds the Magic Railroad together. Lady is kept hidden in Burnett Stone's workshop in Muffle Mountain after Diesel 10 made her crash. Stone repaired her, but she would not run. Eventually, his granddaughter Lily suggested using Sodor coal, which finally allowed her to make steam and return to the Island of Sodor. Diesel 10 found Lady, and chased her and Thomas. Thomas and Lady outran him, however, leaving him to his fate. It was found that Lady was the source of Mr. Conductor's gold dust. She was voiced by Britt Allcroft.

Lady is also the second Thomas engine character (after Percy) of freelance design rather than inspired by a specific real-life class of engine, or to which a specific inspiration was later assigned (like Henry and James). Unlike Percy though who is a generic amalgam of multiple industrial shunting engines, Lady is wholly fanciful, although from the running-plate up she is reminiscent of elaborate British engines built during the Edwardian era. Her square cylinder casings and permanent electric head/tail-lights however are an oddity, more akin to later American switchers.

Lady
Lily

Lily (played by Mara Wilson) is a young girl with a huge imagination to try to help her grandpa and Mr. Conductor.

Burnett Stone

Burnett Stone (played by Peter Fonda) is a shy man that doesn't speak about the truth that he has Lady and used to visit the Island of Sodor. But with the help of Mr. Conductor and Lily he saves the island of sodor from Diesel 10.

C. Junior

The cousin of Mr. Conductor (played by Michael E. Rodgers), who likes nothing better than surfing and lying on the beach. Mr Conductor requires his help to replenish the supply of gold dust.

Patch

A boy played by Cody McMains who enjoys horse riding and helping Burnett Stone. He is one of the few people who understands that Burnett is not unfriendly, just sad.

Stacy Jones

The kind mistress of Shining Time Station, who helps Lily out when she ends up at Shining Time by mistake. She is played by Didi Conn the same actress who played her in the Shining Time Station Television Series and Specials.

Mutt

An intelligent dog who realises that Lily can help, and so sends her to Shining Time Station. The dog who acts as Mutt was also in another show called Come Outside, on CBeebies.

Billy Twofeathers

A wise Native American engineer who understands the magic of the valley better than anyone. He is played by Russell Means and previously played by Tom Jackson.

P.T. Boomer

A unfriendly motorcyclist played by Doug Lennnox who wants to be in love with Tasha. He gets revenge on Burnett Stone.

[edit] Voices

[edit] Original Voices

[edit] Notes

  • New models of the characters from the original television series were used in the movie, and were subsequently used in the series itself from the sixth season onwards. The major difference between the old and new models is that the newer ones appear less "polished".
  • This movie was the only appearance of Splatter and Dodge who, unlike Diesel 10 and Lady, have not reappeared.
  • Individual voice actors did the characters' voices in this movie (similar to the Japanese Thomas series). Percy and James were voiced by women (Linda Ballantyne and Susan Roman). It has been revealed that the original voice for Percy and James would have been Michael Angelis. In Japan they were still voiced by the same separate Voice Actors.
  • This film features appearances of the Yard, Tidmouth sheds, The Red Coaches, The Breakdown Train, the Smelters Yard, Knapford Station, Sodor Fuel Tankers, The Express Coaches, the Sodor Mail Coaches, Brake Vans, Wellsworth.
  • Unlike most instances in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, the engines are able to drive by themselves in this film rather than being driven by drivers.
  • Henry is the only steam engine to talk with an American accent.
  • There were 300 special effects shot in the film.
  • The movie is currently on the IMDb Bottom 100 list.
  • Some of the people that worked on the original television series were involved in the production such as David Mitton as Model Unit Creative Consultant, Steve Asquith as Model Supervisor, Terry Permane as Model Unit Director of Photography and David Eves as Model FX Supervisor.
  • Producer Phil Fehrle would later work on the television series.
  • As a result of the various changes coming to light, a petition is circulating to get the unedited "director's cut" released to the public.
  • The only clue in the movie as to where filming took place is when we see a boy with a goldfish approaching a pink haired woman. A flag in the background is clearly the Isle of Man flag along with a Germany flag.

[edit] Trivia

  • Edward is strangely absent from this movie. This was because his model wasn't finished in time.
  • Originally, Cranky the Crane and George the Steamroller were supposed to get roles in the film. However, the two never appeared in the final cut of the film.
  • The Columbia Pictures logo was to appear after the Destination Films logo and before the Gullane Pictures logo. Unfortunately, it was cut out.

[edit] Goofs

  • Toby sounds and looks happy when he says "And I fear that it'll destroy us all."
  • When PT Boomer flies towards Diesel 10, Diesel 10 is on the left side track. In the next shot PT Boomer lands on Diesel 10 and Diesel 10 is on the right side track.

[edit] References to the TV series

  • Thomas being late for Gordon is a reference to 'Thomas & Gordon' and 'Gordon & The Gremlin'
  • The Fly around James' Nose is a reference to 'Buzz Buzz'
  • James in the shed for being naughty is a reference to 'Troublesome Trucks' and 'No Joke For James'
  • Thomas and Percy delivering the post is a reference to 'Thomas, Percy & The Post Train'
  • Henry being sick later in the movie is a reference to his previous problems in 'Coal'
  • In many Shining Time Station scenes, a jukebox can be seen which is a clear reference to the jukebox in the Shining Time Station TV series although this one was more rounded at the top whereas the original was more square. And Schemer was nowhere to be seen as well as the Juke Box Puppet Band.
  • In some scenes where Mr. Conductor's signal house can be seen, the mural around it is very similar to the one from the TV series. It still has the "anything tunnel." and the train dubbed "Old Smokey". However, it is revealed in the movie that with gold dust, the anything tunnel is connected to Conductor's railroad, a railroad that leads from the Indian Valley to the Island of Sodor.
  • The sign for Shining Time that Patch is working on looks exactly the same as the one from the TV series, it even includes the same population of 5,006 and says "give or take".

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