Thomas & Friends Accidents Happen Again
| Thomas the Tank Engine | |
|---|---|
| The Railway Series/Thomas & Friends character | |
 Thomas' model in Series 8 (2004) | |
| First appearance | Thomas the Tank Engine (1946) |
| Created by | Wilbert Awdry Christopher Awdry |
| Designed by | L. B. Billinton (in universe) Reginald Payne |
| Voiced past | Great britain:
US:
Other:
|
| Number | ane (formerly, L.B.South.C. 70) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Steam locomotive |
| Gender | Male |
Thomas the Tank Engine is an anthropomorphised fictional tank locomotive in the British Railway Series books past Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher, published from 1945. He became the nearly pop and famous character in the series, and is the titular protagonist in the accompanying boob tube adaptation serial Thomas & Friends [two] and its reboot Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go.
Thomas is a blue steam engine and has a number 1 painted on his side. All of the vehicles in The Railway Serial were based on prototypical engines; Thomas's footing is the LB&SCR E2 form.[3] Thomas starting time appeared in 1946 in the second book in the series, Thomas the Tank Engine, and was the focus of the four short stories contained within. Thomas's best friends are Percy and Toby, though he is likewise shut friends with Edward and James.
In 1979, British writer/producer Britt Allcroft came across the books,[4] and bundled a deal to bring the stories to life as the Telly series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (afterwards simplified to Thomas & Friends). The plan became an honor-winning hit around the world, with a vast range of spin-off commercial products.
Prototype and background
TV series and Hornby based Thomas on this prototype belonging to the LB&SCR E2 grade
When Awdry created Thomas, the engine existed just every bit a wooden toy made for his son Christopher. This engine looked rather different from the character in the books and television serial, and carried the letters NW on its side tanks, which stood for "No Where" according to Awdry.[5]
Thomas wasn't originally based on a prototype; rather, the initial stories were an accompaniment to the toy fabricated for Christopher.[6] After Awdry'south wife encouraged him to publish the stories,[7] the publisher of the second book in The Railway Series (Thomas the Tank Engine) hired an illustrator named Reginald Payne. Awdry selected a real locomotive for Payne to piece of work from to create authenticity: a Billinton designed 0-half dozen-0 E2 Class of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.[8] This may take been called simply considering Awdry had a photo to hand.[half-dozen]
Thomas equally portrayed by Hornby and the TV series is based on one of vi E2 class locomotives fitted with an extension to the front of the water tanks.[9] Awdry was unsatisfied with one detail of the illustration — the fact that the front end end of his footplate featured a downward slope, which meant that his forepart and back buffers were at unlike levels. This was an illustrator's mistake that was perpetuated in subsequent books. The accident, in Thomas Comes to Breakfast was partly devised equally a means of correcting this. Thomas has e'er been shown with a curved front buffer beam in the telly series.
Payne was not credited for his illustrations at the time, and it is only since the publication of Brian Sibley's The Thomas the Tank Engine Man that he has started to receive major recognition. It had often been erroneously assumed that C. Reginald Dalby created the character, as he was responsible for illustrating books 3–11 and repainting the illustrations of books 1 and 2.
Although Thomas locomotives are seen today on diverse heritage railways, the locomotives are either unpowered decoys or converted from other locomotives, as all of the epitome LB&SCR E2 class locomotives were scrapped between 1961 and 1963.[10]
Thomas in The Railway Serial
Despite becoming the most popular character in The Railway Serial, Thomas was non featured in the first book, The Iii Railway Engines.
Thomas was described in the opening to "Thomas and Gordon", the first story in book number ii, Thomas the Tank Engine, as:
"...a tank engine who lived at a Big Station. He had six modest wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a curt stumpy boiler and a brusque stumpy dome. He was a fussy piffling engine, always pulling coaches about. [...] He was cheeky, as well."
—from the story "Thomas and Gordon" in Thomas the Tank Engine.[11]
Thomas arrived on Sodor soon afterwards he was congenital in 1915, when The Fat Controller bought the locomotive for a nominal sum to be a pilot engine at Vicarstown. Thomas was used initially as a station airplane pilot engine in the first three stories in volume 2, simply longed for more important jobs such as pulling the limited train like Gordon; his inexperience prevented this. In the fourth story, Thomas and the Breakdown Train, Thomas rescues James and is rewarded with his ain co-operative line.[12]
Idiot box serial
Thomas's on-screen appearances in the Telly series were developed by Britt Allcroft. The first serial of 26 stories premiered in Oct 1984 on the ITV Network in the UK, with one-time Beatles drummer/vocalist Ringo Starr as storyteller. The stories were featured as segments as part of Shining Time Station in the United states of america beginning in 1989 with Starr as the evidence's Mr. Conductor character. From 1991 to 1993, George Carlin replaced Starr as both the storyteller and every bit Mr. Conductor for Shining Time Station. Carlin also told the Thomas stories for Shining Fourth dimension Station in 1995.
In 1996, the Thomas stories were segments for Mr. Usher's Thomas Tales, over again featuring George Carlin. Alec Baldwin portrayed Mr. Conductor in the start theatrical picture show, Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), and narrated the series for the The states from 1998 to 2003. Michael Angelis narrated the series from 1991 to 2012 in the UK, while Michael Brandon narrated the series from 2004 to 2012 in the US. From 2013 to 2017, the serial was narrated by Mark Moraghan until the franchise's upgrade in 2018, when the episodes were told from Thomas's betoken of view.
Thomas's personality was originally faithful to the character of the books. As the bear witness branched abroad from the novels however, modifications were made. Thomas became noticeably less big-headed and self-absorbed, developing a more friendly, altruistic and happy become lucky (if still rather over-excitable) side. He also no longer appears to be express to his branch line and seems to piece of work all over Sodor. These changes in his personality and duties are a result of his "star" status. He is the most popular grapheme in the series, and therefore he has the largest number of appearances, appearing in all of the DVD specials and the movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
From Hero of the Rails until Serial xviii, Thomas was voiced by Martin Sherman (United states) and Ben Small-scale (UK).[13] From 2015-2021, Thomas was voiced by John Hasler in the Great britain, and by Joseph May in the U.s.. Both ended their sessions voicing Thomas in one case the final episode of the 24th and final series was produced, and the role was taken past child actors in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Get, a 2d-animated reboot of the original series; Meesha Contreras voices Thomas in the US version,[one] while Aaron Barashi claims the role in the Great britain version.
In The Risk Begins which is a retelling of Thomas's early days on Sodor, he is a bluish-dark-green color when he first arrives on Sodor, his tanks are lettered "LBSC" (for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway) with the number 70 on his bunker. The 70 is a reference to 2015 being the 70th anniversary for The Railway Series, while the LB&SCR E2 class were actually numbered from 100–109. The real life LBSC no. 70 is an A1 course.
In tardily 2020, Mattel revealed that a new theatrical live-activity/animated moving picture is in development with Marc Forster directing and producing, it will be the second theatrical Thomas & Friends moving picture in the franchise, after Thomas and the Magic Railroad. It is unknown who will phonation Thomas for this product.
Voice actors
English
- John Bellis (Thomas and the Magic Railroad (original work-prints only))
- Eddie Glen (Thomas and the Magic Railroad)
- Martin Sherman (Hero of the Rails – Serial 18) (United states of america version)
- Ben Small (Hero of the Rails – Series 18) (UK version)
- Ringo Starr (The Official BBC Children in Need Medley)
- John Hasler (The Adventure Begins – Series 24) (United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland version)
- Joseph May (The Adventure Begins – Serial 24) (US version)
- Meesha Contreras (Thomas & Friends: All Engines Become) (US version)[one]
- Aaron Barashi (Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go) (UK version)
- TBA (Untitled Marc Forster film)
Others
- Keiko Toda (Series 1 – Series 8) (Japanese)
- Kumiko Higa (Calling All Engines! onwards) (Japanese)
- Javier Olguín (Hero of the Track – Diesel'south Ghostly Christmas; Rocky Rescue – The Great Race) (United mexican states)
- Shin Yong-Woo (Series xviii – Series nineteen) (Korean)
Models
Thomas had his genesis in a wooden push-along toy from the early 1940s made by Wilbert Awdry out of a slice of broomstick for his son Christopher. This engine looked rather dissimilar from the graphic symbol in the books and television series and was based on an LNER Grade J50, which was going to be his originally intended ground, with smaller side tanks and splashers.[ citation needed ] He was painted blueish with yellow lining and carried the letters NW on his side tanks.
Christopher Awdry lost this model when he was in the U.s., although it was recreated for the 70th Anniversary. However, Awdry was happy to endorse Payne'due south business relationship that the locomotive was an LBSC E2, although the first Thomas on the Awdry'due south model railway, from Stuart Reidpath, lacked extended tanks. In the 1979 Thomas Annual, Awdry wrote:
"I bought Thomas in 1948 when I was writing "Tank Engine Thomas Again", and wanted to start modelling one time more after a lapse of some twenty years. Thomas was 1 of Stewart Reidpath'southward standard models with a heavy, cast white metal body, and was fitted with his "Essar" chassis and motor. Stewart Reidpath is now expressionless, and his motors, let lone spare parts for them, accept been unobtainable for years; simply Thomas withal keeps going! He is, every bit yous might expect from his age, a temperamental former gentleman, and has to be driven very carefully indeed."
Thomas Mk1 was retired with its coaches in 1979, Thomas Mk2 having been produced the year before using a Tri-ang 'Jinty' 3F 0-6-0T. After Hornby produced the LBSC E2 tank, Awdry gladly adjusted one in 1980 to have the function of Thomas Mk3 on his layout, the Ffarquhar co-operative.
Awdry'southward requested models, to which Lines Bros. subsidiary, Meccano Ltd, responded with Percy and wagons in 1967. Hornby Hobbies launched their 'The World of Thomas the Tank Engine' in the 1985. This was a 00 gauge range of model railway railroad train sets and models which they made for the adjacent xxx years. For Thomas they used their 1979 model of a LB&SCR model of a Class E2 tank engine which they suitably altered with a face and extended tanks to look like Thomas. Many of the characters in the 'Railway Series' books were thus modelled (with faces) past Hornby, including characters added for the idiot box serial. They also supplied suitable coaches, wagons and lineside buildings within the series.
Awards
Thomas was the merely fictional grapheme included in the Independent on Lord's day's 2009 "Happy Listing", recognised aslope 98 real-life adults and a therapy dog for making Uk a better and happier identify.[xiv]
In popular culture
A Thomas the Tank Engine themed JNR Class C11 train in Japan, 2014.
Thomas has been referenced, featured and parodied in popular culture. In 1988, he was parodied on ITV's Spitting Image where he was portrayed as a drunk who went "completely off the rail."[fifteen] In 2009, he appeared in The Official BBC Children in Need Medley where he was voiced by Ringo Starr, who narrated the first two series of Thomas and Friends. In the British comedy show Bobby Davro'due south Telly Weekly, a spoof was created titled "Thomas The Tanked Upward Engine" involving Jeremy, the pink engine. Bobby Davro provided the narration by impersonating Ringo Starr.
In Drawing Network's MAD, Thomas the Tank Engine appears in "Thomas the Unstoppable Tank Engine," a crossover between Thomas the Tank Engine and Unstoppable.[sixteen] A parody of Thomas the Tank Engine was in Robot Craven. The skit was chosen "Blow Some Steam." The narrator (Seth Dark-green) spoke similar Ringo Starr who was the start narrator for Thomas and Friends. Thomas was voiced by Daniel Radcliffe.[17]
The 2015 Marvel superhero film Ant-Man features a Bachmann HO scale model of Thomas. In the film's climactic boxing, Emmet-Man and Yellowjacket fight atop Thomas while in their insect sizes until Yellowjacket derails Thomas off the model train tracks and throws him at Ant-Human being, who knocks him onto a windowsill. An blow during the fight results in Thomas suddenly growing to the size of a existent train and demolishing a large portion of Ant-Human's daughter'due south house earlier falling on acme of a police automobile.
Video game players have frequently modified released games to include Thomas and other characters, typically by replacing a boss graphic symbol with Thomas and using sounds and music from the show. One of the first popular efforts was replacing dragons with engines and trucks in the game The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim in 2013, and Thomas has since been incorporated into other games like Grand Theft Car 5, Sonic the Hedgehog and the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake.[18]
See also
- The Little Engine That Could
Note
- Awdry, Christopher (2005). Sodor: Reading between the Lines. Sodor Enterprises, Spalding. ISBN 0-9549665-1-1.
References
- ^ a b c "Thomas' Promise". Thomas & Friends: All Engines Get. Season 1. Episode 1. 13 September 2021. Cartoon Network.
- ^ "Thomas - Engine Profile & Bio : Thomas & Friends". play.mattel.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021.
- ^ Sibley, Brian (1995). The Thomas the Tank Engine Human being. London: Heinemann. ISBN 0-434-96909-5
- ^ Sibley, Brian (1995). The Thomas the Tank Engine Man . Heinemann. p. 291. ISBN0-434-96909-5.
- ^ Awdry (2005), iv
- ^ a b Awdry (2005), 29
- ^ Awdry (2005), i
- ^ "Characters of the Railway Series: Thomas the Tank Engine". spider web.archive.org.
- ^ Awdry (2005), five
- ^ Awdry (2005), 5–half dozen
- ^ The Rev. W. Awdry (1946). Thomas the Tank Engine . Edmund Ward. p. 4. ISBN0-434-92779-i.
- ^ Awdry (2005), 35
- ^ "Thomas the Tank Engine speaks for the first time". Metro. 24 September 2009. Archived from the original on thirteen January 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
- ^ "The IoS Happy Listing 2009 – the 100". The Independent. 18 April 2009.
- ^ Ringo/Thomas Spoof on Spitting Epitome (1988). 25 Jan 2011. Archived from the original on 31 Oct 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Skit From MadTV: Thomas The Unstoppable Tank Engine. Ryan21hw. ii October 2011. Archived from the original (YouTube) on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ Blow Some Steam – Robot Chicken (YouTube). Developed Swim. 12 November 2012. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (ix May 2019). "Why are people modding Thomas the Tank Engine into video games?". The Face . Retrieved xv May 2019.
External links
- Official website
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine