Thursday, December 12, 2013

King of the Railway ☁☁☁☁

Pros: The story, Diesel being the voice of reason, appearance of Paxton, almost all freight cars were Troublesome Trucks.
Cons: Reused many plots from previous movies, introduced a lot of new characters that seem unnecessary.

It was a beautiful day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas and Percy were busy shunting trucks at Brendam Docks. They were not being careful and Cranky warned them to be careful. They claimed they were, but caused an accident, possibly damaging the freight they were recklessly playing with. A suit of armor popped up, causing Cranky to explain what armor was for, when the silly Steamies thought it a robot.

Long ago, before there was an railways, Sodor was ruled by kings. King Godred was the greatest. Life was good under Godred’s reign. It was a golden age. Godred wore a golden crown until it was stolen. The thieves were caught, but the crown was hidden and never found again. The ruins of Godred’s castle still exist. Ulfstead Castle is at the top of a mountain where iron engines now run instead of armored knights.

At the rolling bridge at Vicarstown, Spencer was waiting to go to Sodor from the mainland of England. The bridge is reminiscent of the ancient drawbridges.

All the steam engines were being washed and they did not know why until The Fat Controller, Sir Topham Hatt, explained that his very special friend was coming back to the Island of Sodor, the Earl of Sodor. He would be arriving in a coach pulled by the special silver engine, Spencer.

Because the Earl likes old things, all the steam engines were at Knapford Station to welcome him with a celebration party. The Earl did not realize the party was for him and waved to them all and quickly left to return back to Millie. No one knew who Millie was.

Percy arrived late and missed out on it all.

The next day Thomas went to the docks to pick up freight for the castle. Cranky reminded him not to be braking anymore crates. Thomas slowly steamed up the steep slope to the Earl’s Estate near the castle.

As Thomas arrived, the Earl called for Millie. Millie is revealed to be a cute French female narrow gauge engine who has been stuck in her shed while the Earl was away. She is so excited that she tries to puff away before she is loaded, causing the crate that Thomas dropped to break open again! The Earl told him it was very precious, but luckily for Thomas, it was also very strong. The Earl wished he had King Godred’s crown to complete his plan. Millie and the Earl puffed off.

One evening, Spencer came back to the island via the rolling bridge at Vicarstown, speeding past Hiro who was making the journey much more slowly. The Earl was borrowing him from the Duke and Duchess of Boxford again, to be the Earl’s private engine. When Spencer rested his rods at Tidmouth Sheds, the other engines made fun of him, but Gordon tried to claim he was faster than the streamlined engine. Spencer reminded them that Earls only like the finest engines.

The next morning Gordon loaded up the Express and thought Spencer had been scared to race, but Spencer passed him and told him the race was on. It was hard for Gordon to catch up. He almost caught up as Spencer declared victory and went to be Really Useful and agreed to a rematch later.

Later, Percy was shunting at the docks when he saw an engine hiding behind freight. Percy scared him by crashing some freight cars, thinking him to be Thomas the Tank Engine. Spencer had brought the Earl to the docks, but Percy said he thought they were going to make him a goods engine so he could be really useful.

That afternoon at the quarry, Thomas saw Spencer and asked if he was hauling slate now. Spencer said no, but the Earl had other plans. Thomas told him he would now be very useful. Spencer thought this was no job for a Splendid Engine like him. Thomas reminded him that Earls only like the finest engines.

The next day the other engines were trying to figure out what the Earl was trying to build. Hiro told them that these parts would be perfect for a new station. The other engines could not figure out why he would do it. Toby arrived to share that Henry broke down and Percy the Small Engine was needed to pull the heavy goods train. Emily stated the obvious, that Percy was too small and too weak to pull such a train.

When he arrived, James the Red Engine was already there ready to take the train. Thomas arrived too and claimed he was too pull the train. When James tried to take off, Thomas and Percy blocked his way. Then Sir Topham Hatt arrived.

Sir Topham was glad too see them ready to go, but realized the confusion and explained that none of them was strong enough to pull a heavy goods train, and it would take all 3 of them too pull the long train of Troublesome Trucks.

Que music video, Working Together Again. Good Song from Blue Mountain Mystery with the lyrics reworked:
Clanking into the coupling
cargo ready to roll
James, Thomas, and Percy
pull that load
Got to, got to work harder
move that freight
Got to, got to go faster
Can't be late
Here we come, up the hill
There we go, what a thrill
Working together, yeah, yeah
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Help one another, yeah, yeah
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling
On the Island of Sodor
Hear the rumble and chuff
Wheels grinding and growling
and funnels puff
Working through to the sunset
every day
Trying hard to be useful
Hey, Hey, Hey!
Here we come, up the hill
There we go, what a thrill
Working together, yeah, yeah
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Help one another, yeah, yeah
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling.
Working together, yeah, yeah
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Friends are forever, yeah, yeah
Pulling and Pushing, heaving and hauling.
Working together
They arrived at the castle after a slow ascent and lots of hard work. There were new rails, building materials, sleepers, and Thomas’ old friend, Jack, the Front-Loader, who told them the castle was going to be rebuilt.

The heavy goods train was split up. James and Percy each took a build material train and Thomas shunted the crates and containers on too a new siding. The Earl told Thomas that one crate was supposed to go to the Steamworks. The engines fought over who would take it and in the end they all went with the Earl.

At the Steamworks the engines were all surprised to see the surprise was a rusty old engine, Stephen the Rocket. Stephen explained no one had seen him in a long time. The engines told him there was a lot wrong with him. The Earl thought he was beautiful, but needed a lot of work.

Thomas asked the Earl his plan. He said it was a surprise and he had a special job for Stephen but not too tell him yet. Thomas promised not to tell. The 3 engines told the other engines about Stephen that night when they were at Tidmouth Sheds. The next morning all the engines made excuses to go to the Steamworks too see Stephen.

Stephen was up in the air like Sidney in the Dieselworks. Victor explained that Stephen was one of the first Steamies ever made. Stephen told the history of trains from when horses used to pull carriages on the rails. Back in his day, he was the fastest of all steam engines, that is why he was called the Rocket.

Stephen worked at the mines and later the docks because he could pull 4 wagons at one time. He explained that new engines are bigger and stronger so he has not worked in a long time. Percy asked if he had ever seen knights. Stephen told him neither them nor dinosaurs. Everyone laughed at Percy, but Stephen said you only learn by asking.

Thomas, Percy, and James visited Stephen after he was fixed. Percy said he now looked very useful again. Sir Topham Hatt was cross that they were just lollygagging along and sent them to do a special job at the castle. Even though James and Percy told him not too, Thomas decided to tell Stephen that the Earl had a special job for him also.

The 3 engines returned to the castle, which looked different now that it was restored. The 3 engines helped put the roof back on the castle now that tracks led inside. Percy caused wobbling and Thomas caused an accident that made James a mess. Luckily no one was hurt.

Stephen was asking about his new job, and Victor the Steamworks engine told him too be patient. Stephen was not, and left to try and find his job.

Gordon was speeding along with the Express, when Spencer passed him, calling him “Slow Coach”, asking him to race again. Gordon agreed, only asking him not to take off on too a siding again. Spencer, with a smile, claimed he would never do such a thing.

Spencer cried out for Gordon too look out. Up ahead was Stephen, going very slow. Gordon admonished him for being “The Rocket”, but Stephen let Gordon know he was going as fast as he could.

At the Docks, Diesel and Paxton were surprised too see Stephen arrive. Diesel asked Paxton who the old fashioned engine with the wooden boiler was, but Paxton did not know. Paxton asked Diesel is he should ask Stephen who he was, but Diesel said not to bother. Diesel asked the little Steamie to get out of his way because they had work to do. Stephen claimed he had work to do also, calling Diesel, “Mr. Oily”, which caused Paxton too laugh. Stephen introduced himself and told them he was looking for his job. Cranky told him Diesel was right and this was no place for an old engine like him. Diesel told Stephen that Cranky was right and it was best that he get out of the way and let the modern (Diesels) engines get to work. Paxton thought it was nice too meet the engine but inexplicitly apologized too Stephen.

After the accident was cleaned up at the castle, James, Thomas, and Percy finished the roof. The Earl was proud of them and told them the plan after Percy guessed that he was the King of Sodor. The surprise was that the castle was going to become a tourist destination. The Earl told the engines that Stephen would be a tour guide train along with Millie. James took off for his wash-down that he had been begging for ever since Thomas caused the accident. Thomas also got permission too now tell Stephen the Rocket his very special job.

Elsewhere, Hiro was coming back from the mainland over the rolling bridge at a nice slow pace when 2 streamlined engines raced past him in a row. They also raced by James getting his wash-down and the racing Spencer and Gordon.

At the red signal the 2 engines introduced themselves for Connor and Caitlin. They were doing test runs too the castle from the mainland and racing each other. They offered to race Gordon and Spencer, but the 2 engines said they were too busy being really useful and never raced.

Stephen arrived at the Blue Mountain Quarry to look for work. He was amazed by how big and bust it was. He tried to pull 4 trucks, then 3, then 2, all without success, and finally with a lot of effort was able to barely pull 1. Troublesome Trucks were much heavier than the vans of Stephen’s day. But the truck pushed him to fast around the bend, and he almost derailed. Skarloey, Rheneas, and Luke, told him, this was not the job for him. The Rocket asked if there was a mine and Skarloey told him of one, so Stephen raced off to find it.

When Stephen arrived at the bottom of the mountain that held the castle, he found the mine was closed. It was boarded up and he could not go in.

Thomas was told to wait for James by the Earl, but started pushing a heavy train from behind. Percy warned him that this train needed a front engine. Thomas did not listen, so Percy tried to help being a second back engine. They lost control and the Troublesome Trucks came down the mountain heading towards the mine.

Stephen crashed through the wood boarding up the mine to get away from the runaway train, losing his funnel in the process. The crashing Troublesome Trucks caused a rock slide, blocking the entrance to the mine. Thomas and Percy pulled the Troublesome Trucks back up slowly, realizing they had caused confusion and delay.

All the engines were working hard to prepare for the castle opening. Thomas looked for Stephen. He checked the Steamworks. James told him this was all Thomas’ fault. The 3 engines looked for Stephen. Millie and Jack said he was not there at the castle. At Brendam Docks, Cranky told James that Diesel had to tell Stephen too stay out of the way. At the Blue Mountain Quarry told him of his problems. They all kept looking for him. Stephen called out, Calling All Engines too be on the lookout for him. He explored the mine and found no way out. He bashed into some rocks and found an old treasure chest. He was shocked at what was inside.

At the Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas told the other engines that they needed to find Stephen tomorrow. He awoke them early so they could help. Sir Topham Hatt arrived before they could leave. Thomas told them they were looking for Stephen. Then the Earl arrived looking for Stephen. The Fat Controller agreed to allow James, Percy, and Thomas too look for him and that he would also get the Sodor Search and Rescue Center too look for the missing engine also.

Que music video, Searching Everywhere. Good song:
When you can't find something special
And you keep on looking around
Try to stay really cheerful
But you can't help feeling down
That's when you need a friend to help you
Brighten up your day
Someone to look, and find a clue
To help you on your way
Searching everywhere
Up, down, left, right
Look over there
Searching everywhere
Under, over, up in the air
All the engines working together
Looking around to see what they find
Everyday whatever the weather
Help you look down every line
So when you're feeling down and out
Don't you ever give up
That's when you need your friends about
To take you to the top
Searching everywhere
Up, down, left, right
Look over there
Searching everywhere
Under, over, up in the air
Searching everywhere
Up, down, left, right
Look over there
Searching everywhere
Under, over, up in the air
Searching everywhere
Up, down, left, right
Look over there
Searching everywhere
Under, over, up in the air
Searching everywhere
They searched every station and tunnel but could not find Stephen the Rocket. Stephen had kept looking for a way out but ran out of steam. Percy suggested checking at the old mine. After protesting, Thomas finally agreed to do so. He thought it was pointless, but as he was leaving the entrance, he saw Stephen’s funnel.

With Stephen’s last breath, he blew his whistle, just as Thomas had given up. Thomas called Jack to help open up the mine. Once inside he told Stephen about his new job that would start tomorrow!

News of the find spread across the Island of Sodor quickly. Once he was pulled out of the mine, he was surprised too see everyone looking for him, as he felt quite useless. As Thomas pulled Stephen out of the mine, the bridge too the entrance broke, but Thomas saved the falling Stephen after Jack braced the collapsing bridge and track. (A bridge has to be broken or collapse in every Thomas and Friends movie it seems!)

The next day the castle was opened for the public. Guests came from all over the island and mainland England to. The Earl arrived in the suit of armor in one of Stephen’s open coaches to announce the official opening, introducing the castle, Stephen, and Millie. He admitted there was still more work to do to restore the castle in full. The Earl showed everyone what Stephen had found in the mine, King Godred’s crown.

Thomas apologized for causing the events that led to Stephen getting stuck in the mine. Stephen told him it was ok, because he found the crown and thanked Thomas for rescuing him. The Earl suggested as an opening event too have the 2 armored knights Connor and Caitlin race. They 2 engines invited Spencer and Gordon too race to. The Earl said only if Sir Topham agreed. Hatt did agree but only this once.

Que music video, It’s Gonna be a Great Day. Good song:
Rock and roll, click-clack
Steaming down the track
The fun just never ends
Every day's a good good day
For Thomas and his friends
Steady, steady, steady
Everybody's getting ready
The Steam Team leads the way
It's a very special day
It's getting better and better
Now everybody say "hey"
It's gonna be a great day
Rockin' and a rollin'
Ridin' the rails
In the noon day light
Shuntin' and a-haulin' freight
They don't wanna be late
They wanna do what's right
Wheesh, wheesh, whoo-hoo
They know what they have to do
They are a useful crew
Now it's a very special day
It's getting better and better
Now everybody say "hey"
It's gonna be a great day
Wheesh, wheesh, whoo-hoo
They know what they have to do
They are a useful crew
Now it's a very special day
It's getting better and better
Now everybody say "hey"
It's gonna be a great day
It's getting better and better
Now everybody say "hey"
It's gonna be a great day
Now everybody say "hey"
It's gonna be a great day
It's gonna be a great day
It's getting better and better
Now everybody say "hey"
It's gonna be a great day
End.

Click the following links to buy this story on BOOK and DVD.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Thomas and Friends Addiction in Babies?

Well, I have not had a chance to buy and review "Thomas & Friends: King of the Railway the Movie" yet, but that should be coming soon. Since my initial post on how our family was introduced to "Thomas and Friends" through my son's addiction at this blog's first post we have had a multiplication of that addiction. My 7-month old son, Cyril, also seems to be addicted. If "Thomas and Friends" comes on the TV, he will crawl to where he can see it and scream with delight.  His favorite toy is his big brother's Thomas Wooden Railway - Battery-Operated Thomas The Tank Engine. If he sees anything with Thomas on it he screams with delight and crawls to it. If he is cranky and crying in the car, we put on the "Thomas and Friends" Roll CallTheme song on and he will relax and coo. My wife was so amazed by this new-found love of everything Thomas, that she actually told me to blog about it (and she hates for me to be on the Internet!). I told her she better be ready for about 7 more years of everything Thomas. She sighed, but in retrospect now realizes that love of Thomas is much better than my elder son's brief fascination with the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, which she despised!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Texas State Railroad Visit

Last week, we were watching a special on trains on PBS and they showed the Texas State Railroad. My son said he wanted to ride on that train that he saw and so my wife told him that we would that Friday. Unbeknownst to us, it was going to be almost a 2 1/2 hour drive and cost $84.00 just for tickets (meals are available to pre-order for an additional $10.00 per person), but a promise is a promise. 
We went to the closest depot, Palestine Station in Palestine, Texas, one of the Union Pacific Railroad's Train Town, USA cities, as it was closest. In reading the online reviews, most people suggest taking this route, from Palestine, Texas to Rusk, Texas. My son really wanted to ride "the black train", not "the red, green, and black train", and thankfully the black steam engine, #316 was running the Palestine to Rusk route, while the black, red, and green steamie, #300 was departing from Rusk Depot and travelling to Palestine and back.

When we got there, we saw that the gift shop was closed down at this station, but they did allow the kids to get in the steam engine and take a tour, including a look at the firebox. My son was very excited to see this. We had purchased tickets for the open air coach, so the wind could blow freely around us, keeping us cool. There is also an option of a closed coach or more expensive air conditioned coaches with servers. The open-air coach was in the front for the first leg of the ride and in the back for the final leg. My son thought the whistle was too loud and kept his ears plugged most of the way to Rusk, but on the way back this was not an issue and he enjoyed it much more, playing with the other kids at the very back of the train.

At the halfway point, the train headed from Rusk Depot to Palestine Depot goes on a siding and allows the eastbound train to pass, which was really neat. Along the way there were a number of railroad sights, such and roundtables, and y-tracks, along with a lot of crossings, but mostly it was nice to see the forest, rivers, and swamps. We also saw a black bear. Others told us that you can often see deer on the ride as well.


In Rusk there are some nice sites and a huge lake, so it was a nice 1 1/2 hour stop after riding the rails for 1 1/2 hours. The gift shop only had a few Thomas and Friends items remaining, as they used to be a Day Out With Thomas Destination, but no longer are with their new owners, Iowa Pacific/American Heritage Railways. Thankfully there are still 3 Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway tables for the kids to play with.

All in all, my son had a fun time, but wants to ride a Diesel next time since the Steamies are too loud. I wrote the railway about that and they informed me that this year on July 7th, the train from Rusk Station to Palestine Station will be pulled by a diesel. So maybe he will get his wish!

As an aside, if you are looking for old Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway engines and destinations, check out your local Buy Buy Baby, I have found old engines like Lady that cannot be found anywhere else! You will not find any of the current toys or movies, however.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

UP History of Steamies vs. Diesels

Although diesel locomotives first came to American railroads in the 1920s, their use was confined to switch engines, and later to passenger train locomotives. It wasn't until 1940 that the Electro Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) demonstrated that diesels could practically replace steam locomotives in heavy-duty service. A pioneer freight diesel, model "FT," toured the nation's railroads and changed history. Much like its sister passenger locomotives of the day, it was styled with an automobile-like nose and windshield, a design that prevailed until the late 1950s.

Although commonly called "diesels," the locomotives actually are electrically driven. The diesel engine drives an alternator, which produces electricity to run electric motors mounted on the locomotive's axles. The internal combustion engine was a dramatic improvement in efficiency over the steam locomotive, making substantial savings possible in maintenance and the elimination of widespread facilities. Extra units could be coupled together and run by one engineer from the lead unit, creating very powerful combinations.

Many railroads, including Union Pacific, were unable to take quick advantage of the new technology due to material shortages caused by World War II. Union Pacific's fleet of modern steam locomotives and plentiful on-line coal reserves in Wyoming were another factor in UP's late entry into the dieselization race. After the war however, railroads began sweeping the rails clear of the classic steamers. Union Pacific began its sweep in the late 1940s on the line running through the southwestern deserts, where water was difficult to obtain for steam engines.

By the end of the 1950s the steam era was over and increasingly powerful diesels ruled the rails.

No other railroad in this country has retained its historical equipment and honored its past like the Union Pacific. The preservation of its fleet speaks to the high value Union Pacific places on its heritage and its role in America's history.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Thomas and Friends among the 2,000 Missing Titles on Netflix as of today! :-(

Per International Business Times the following titles are among the 2,000 Netflix titles no longer available by that streaming service on May 1, 2013.

  • Thomas & Friends: 10 Years of Thomas
  • Thomas & Friends: A Big Day for Thomas
  • Thomas & Friends: Best of Gordon
  • Thomas & Friends: Best of James
  • Thomas & Friends: Best of Percy
  • Thomas & Friends: Best of Thomas
  • Thomas & Friends: Carnival Capers
  • Thomas & Friends: Cranky Bugs
  • Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails
  • Thomas & Friends: Hooray for Thomas
  • Thomas & Friends: James Goes Buzz Buzz
  • Thomas & Friends: James Learns a Lesson
  • Thomas & Friends: Make Someone Happy
  • Thomas & Friends: Milkshake Muddle
  • Thomas & Friends: Mud Glorious Mud
  • Thomas & Friends: On Site with Thomas
  • Thomas & Friends: Percy & the Dragon
  • Thomas & Friends: Percy Saves the Day
  • Thomas & Friends: Percy's Chocolate Crunch
  • Thomas & Friends: Percy's Ghostly Trick
  • Thomas & Friends: Races, Rescues
  • Thomas & Friends: Railway Friends
  • Thomas & Friends: Salty's Secret
  • Thomas & Friends: Sing-Along & Stories
  • Thomas & Friends: Spills & Chills
  • Thomas & Friends: Steamies vs. Diesels
  • Thomas & Friends: Tales from the Tracks
  • Thomas & Friends: The Great Discovery
  • Thomas & Friends: The Special Letter
  • Thomas & His Friends Get Along
  • Thomas & His Friends Help Out
  • Thomas & the Runaway Kite
  • Thomas & the Toy Workshop
  • Thomas and the Jet Engine
  • Thomas and the Really Brave Engines
  • Thomas Comes to Breakfast
  • Thomas & Friends: Thomas Gets Bumped
  • Thomas & Friends: Thomas Gets Tricked
  • Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Snowy Surprise
  • Thomas' Sodor Celebration
  • Thomas & Friends: Trust Thomas
  • Thomas & Friends: Up, Up and Away

Friday, April 26, 2013

Fisher Price Upgrades the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway: Post Four - Dramatic Photos!

While my previous photos have shown the improvements by Fisher Price in the Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway refresh, this is the biggest and best improvement so far, in my opinion.

This post is continued from Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

Mavis finally gets the detailing, such as vents, hand rails, and a wrap around of the striped areas that she has always lacked when produced by Learning Curve/Tomy. Please note this version is spotted or dusty as it is called "Mavis at the Quarry".

There was no attempt at making Mavis' face look like it does in the TV series at all. Fisher Price has fixed this glaring problem beautifully! I look forward to seeing 'Arry and Bert's larger better faces when they come up around June 1st!


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Railway Mischief Mini-Review

So I finally bought Railway Mischief from a local Wal-Mart, and have watched it with my son a number of times. Here are my initial impressions:

Videography: I never have been super-impressed with the quality of the Thomas episodes on video as they appear via DVD on my 56" HD TV, however the choice to zoom in on all the characters for the storytelling is really a bad choice. It looks bad and I think is laziness to not have to show so much background, making less work for the animators.

Animation: While Cranky seems to invoke the look of a live model, and Kevin is rendered very well, most of the faces are not. Thomas looks about the same, but Gordon is one of the worst. His philtrum (the vertical indent from his nose to his mouth) keeps moving from the center of his nose to the left and right, making his face look very wrong. However, Victor may be the worst. His face almost looks a 2-D drawing, instead of 3-D. Scruff's nameplate is unreadable, and Stafford's nameplate is hard to read, which is unacceptable. The human faces all look different, especially the blonde switchman, the shool children, the Express passengers, and Sir Topham Hatt. His eyes seem much darker and it may be due to the realistic shading of his top hat, but it just looks wrong. It seems that shading is exaggerated with this animation, especially around the eyes and at the hairline.

Stories: The stories seem to be good, and now the writer gets credit with the title, which is different. I like that cabooses/brake vans are being used more, but a bright white caboose/brake van  at the back of the mail cars is a bad choice, standing out like a sore thumb in my opinion. However, I loved the choice to use Paxton in multiple stories.

Narrator: I liked all of the previous narrators, except for Pierce Brosnan, who I love as an actor, but thought was a bad choice for narrator. The new narrator, is also very good, and I understand the cost savings choice of only having one English narrator rather than having one for the Queen's (British/Australlian/Canadian) English and another for American English. Thomas and Friends has been doing that with all the new characters recently anyway, and I think that is a good idea. I don't like change for the sake of change, and it is sad that 2 very capable narrators lost their job, but the change makes sense here, in my opinion.

Overall: So far, from this one video, I think it was a mistake to leave Nitrogen Studios and go to Arc Productions. Hopefully, they will improve over time.

Monday, April 22, 2013

How I Would Number the Diesel Engines of Sodor Island

Some of these are based on their BR Class, some are based on their current numbers, and some are based on putting the same types of engines (or engines doing the same types of work) together in numerical order.
  • D1 - Daisy (Formerly D52627, Currently D1) BR Class 101
  • D2 - BoCo (Formerly D5702, Currently D2) BR Class 28
  • D3 - Bear (Formerly D7101, Currently D3) BR Class 35
  • D4 - Mavis (Currently FCQ1) BR Class 04
  • D5 - Rusty (Currently Narrow Gauge 5)
  • D6 - Derek (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 17
  • D7 - Salty (Currently D2991) BR Class 07
  • D8 - Den (Currently Unnumbered)
  • D9 - Dart (Currently Unnumbered)
  • D10 - Diesel Ten (Currently D10) BR Class 42
  • D11 - Dennis (Currently D11001)
  • D12 - Norman (Currently Unnumbered)
  • D13 - Diesel (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 08
  • D14 - 'Arry (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 08
  • D15 - Bert (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 08
  • D16 - Splatter (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 08
  • D17 - Dodge (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 08
  • D18 - Sidney (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 08
  • D19 - Paxton (Currently Unnumbered) BR Class 08
  • D20 - Bowler/The Diesel (Formerly D4711. Currently D261) BR Class 40
  • D21 - Spamcan/Old Reliable (Currently D199) BR Class 46

Saturday, April 20, 2013

3 Open Questions about Thomas and Friends

As I watch Thomas and Friends, I am struck with questions which there seem to be no answers to. Actually, I have LOTS of questions, but these are the 3 most bothersome ones to me.
  • Why do all engines, but not all trucks, cars, planes, and boats have faces? Shouldn't cars, trucks, planes, and boats all be characters too? For instance, The Fat Controller, Sir Topham Hatt, has a blue car that is not sentient, but his red rail car/track inspection vehicle, Winston, is. Butch the Tow Truck/Heavy Recovery Unit and Bertie the Bus are sentient, but the vehicles in Blue Mountain Mystery were not. Jeremy the Jet Plane is sentient, but the first planes to land on the Island of Sodor in Calling All Engines are not. All the narrow gauge coaches are sentient  but the Express coaches appear not to be in the animated series.
  • Not all sentient vehicles have face. This is very disturbing. Toby the Steam Tram has a coach named Henrietta (that my son thinks looks like a caboose) but she has no face! If one argues that the Express Coaches are sentient from the books, well they have no faces either!
  • Why are some engines numbered, bit others are not? Most of the steam engines are numbered, but Rosie and Stanley are not. Very few of the Diesels are numbered. The numbers are pointless if all engines do not have them? And shouldn't numbers change when engines relocate to Sodor (i.e. Victor, Salty, Belle et al)?

Friday, April 5, 2013

Fisher Price Upgrades the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway: Post Three - More Photos!

I took some more photos recently, to show the differences in the Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway since the recent Fisher-Price refresh. This post is continued from Part One and Part Two.

Emily gets a red buffer in her refresh on the left.
Cranky gets more green and loses the black with a bigger magnet on the left.
The refresh on the left changes from the grey Hatt Street Crossing to a red Wellsworth Crossing. The lights are now red and green instead of just red, and gets the international "no" symbol instead of reading as "STOP". The road also looks more like a road with speckles.
To be continued in Part Four.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Save the date for National Train Day!


Trains are an instrumental part of our national story. On May 11th, attend a National Train Day event near you; celebrate the ways trains connect us all; and share with us and others why trains matter to you and your town.

Every year, communities around the country join together to celebrate the ways trains matter to their towns. Join the movement! Host an event in your community, and help us make National Train Day 2013 a huge nationwide success.

Get on board and show us why trains matter.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Don't buy off-brand Wooden Railways!

Earlier, I told of the beginning of my introduction to Thomas and Friends. Now, let me speak of my introduction to the Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway system. Due to costs, we bought an off-brand Train Table that came with tracks and trains and then bought my son a Battery-Operated Percy, with the idea to eventually buy other Steamies and Diesels and Destinations.

What a mistake!

Percy kept falling off the tracks to my son’s dismay. In reading many reviews I saw many parent warn the same thing. Non-Thomas track is inferior and the trains will fall off. In time we got more track, this time Thomas track, and found how much superior this track was. The track fits together tight, the trains don’t fall off, and it holds up to abuse better. (Not to mention that it looks better, looking more like real railway track!)

So, if you are a beginner with Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway, I urge you to start small, and get the right track and trains from the beginning and not deal with the frustration your child will experience when the train just doesn't work right!

I recommend starting with Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - Coal Hopper Figure 8 Set the and adding the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - Figure 8 Expansion Pack and/or Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - Deluxe Figure 8 Expansion Track Pack to it.

You will thank yourself and avoid lots of frustration!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Fisher Price Upgrades the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway: Post Two - The Photos!

So, I went back today with my son to take photos of the differences in the new Fisher-Price Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway toys at Toys 'R' Us. I hope you appreciate the improvements from these low-quality camera phone pictures in bad lighting for photos. This blog post is a continuation from yesterday's part one that you can read HERE.
Look at this! It appears to come with the previous version of Diesel, but I so want to get this for my son. I wish I had the extra funds!
Left: Previous version, Right: Improved version

Left: Improved version, Right: Previous version

Left: Previous version, Right: Improved version
Left: Improved version, Right: Previous version
Top: Previous version, Bottom: Improved version

Top: Improved version, Bottom: Previous Version
Left: Previous version, Right: Improved version
Top: Improved version, Bottom: Previous version
To see even more photographs comparing the Learning Curve pre-refresh to the Fisher-Price refreshed engines, click HERE and HERE.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Fisher Price Upgrades the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway: Post One

Yesterday, I took my 2 ½ year old son to Toys 'R' Us to get a Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Toby for being so good in 2 days of seeing the doctor after suffering from a concussion. When we got there, right away, I noticed that they had a new promo table for the kids to play with and new Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Trains.

Then, looking at the trains, I noticed that the battery operated trains such as Hiro and James were bigger with bigger, different, better faces! Their bodies were much more detailed too. Looking at the packaging, I saw it was different with a picture of the wooden track on the left of the packaging rather than just wood. These were the new Thomas toys!

We say better faces on all the trains, and the new Toby actually has a funnel! Seriously, this is a great time to replace any trains you need to replace, because these are much better than the older ones! A few items appear not to have changed, but are instead just better quality versions of the previous Learning Curve models. It has made me redo my entire wish list for my son.

That being said, I was a bad blogger and did not take pictures of the differences, other than this picture showing a great sale. I will do that next time. Click HERE for next time, then HERE for the 3rd post, and HERE for the 4th post on these changes! :-)

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

King of the Railway ???

King of the Railway is the next Thomas film, but it is not ready for review. So what does this mean for this blog? I will be reviewing books, TV episodes, and toys. I will be trying to keep a weekly schedule, but I cannot promise anything at this point. 2013 is a very busy year for me and this is just one of my blogs! I hope you will keep checking back and enjoy my pro-Diesel reviews of everything Thomas and Friends!

UPDATE: My review is finally posted! You can read it all here: http://steamiesvsdiesels.blogspot.com/2013/12/king-of-railway.html

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Blue Mountain Mystery ☁☁☁

Pros: The songs, the story, further development of Paxton & Victor, Diesels being involved heavily.
Cons: Narrow gauge engines are boring characters.

It was a busy day on the Island of Sodor. At the Blue Mountain Quarry the narrow gauge engines were working hard. Paxton the Diesel was taking slate loaded from Rusty the Narrow Gauge Diesel and Owen the Incline Engine to Brendam Docks. Paxton stopped; a keystone from Blondin Bridge fell on the tracks ahead of him. (6 broken bridges in 7 movies!)

The alarm sounded as Rheneas the narrow gauge steam engine could not stop in time and so he sped over the bridge as it started to collapse, scratching himself up as he went through a tunnel. The narrow gauge engines laughed in excitement that Rheneas had safely made it past the danger.

Down below Paxton asked if someone could help him, as the bridge had collapsed on to him, derailing him and damaging him.

On Thomas’ Branch Line, Thomas was having fun with Annie and Clarabel. Annie and Clarabel warned Thomas to stop ahead. Thomas said he always did, but Annie and Clarabel said that Thomas only stops because they tell him to. As they stopped, Sir Topham Hatt came around the bend in a track inspection car named Winston. Hatt was clearly a very bad driver.

Hatt told Thomas that Paxton had been damaged and that Thomas would take his place after delivering his passengers and that afterwards Toby would take over on Thomas’ Branch Line.
Emily took Paxton to the Dieselworks. She felt very bad for him, but Paxton underplayed the damage. Thomas came by and said hello. Paxton told Thomas to be careful, but Thomas was already far away, being in a hurry. Thomas arrived at the Blue Mountain Quarry saw what had happened to the bridge. Rheneas told Thomas he needed a new coat of paint.

Cue the Working Together Music Video. Great stuff!

Way up into the mountain
Hear the rumble and chuff
Wheels grinding and growling
and funnels puff
Got to, got to work harder
shift that slate
Got to, got to go faster
Can't be late 
Here we come, up the hill
There we go, what a thrill
1, 2, 3, 4... Working together
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling. 
Clanking into the coupling
cargo ready to roll
Wheels whizzing and whirring
pull that load
Working through to the sunset
every day
Trying hard to be useful
Hey, Hey, Hey! 
Here we come, up the hill
There we go, what a thrill
1, 2, 3, 4... Working together
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling.
Working together 
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling.
Working together 
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and Pushing, heaving and hauling.
Working together

Thomas hear a rattle from inside the tunnel. A small green engine came out one tunnel and in to another. Thomas said hello, but the engine said nothing. Thomas asked Sir Handel the narrow gauge steam engine. Sir Handel said it was probably a runaway truck. Thomas asked Skarloey the narrow gauge steam engine. Skarloey said he was busy and did not know. Thomas saw the little green engine again. Thomas said hello again to no reply. Thomas asked Rusty. Rusty said he thought it was a mountain goat. Thomas asked Merrick the Sleepy Crane who said he did not know and that it was his nap time. Thomas asked Owen, he said the mountain was full of little engines.

Thomas saw the engine again! He hurried away, but Thomas chased him. The engine accidentally got blocked by the other narrow gauge engines, who called him Luke. Thomas confronted Skarloey, Peter Sam, and the others. Skarloey told Thomas that Luke hides in the Blue Mountain Quarry because he did something bad and if he was found he would be sent away from the Island of Sodor forever. Thomas asked what Luke did, but Skarloey would not tell him and swore him to secrecy.

That night Thomas asked his friends, the Steam Team, at Tidmouth Sheds, what could get an engine send away. Percy talked about when he crashed and got sticky jam all over himself and Sir Topham Hatt. It made Hatt very cross. Henry said that was an accident and what he did was far worse. Henry told about the time he did not want his new paint to get wet when it was raining and stayed in a tunnel and refused to come out. Sir Topham Hatt was very cross walled him up in the tunnel for 1 month as punishment. Thomas talked about when he chuffed past a danger sign and fell into a mine. Emily agreed that it was bad. James mentioned that Diesel had lost the Jobi wood in the sea (See Misty Island Rescue) and Emily noted not even that got him sent away.

The next day Rheneas was talking about he needed a new coat of paint. Thomas pulled up and told the narrow gauge engines that none of his friends thought there was anything that would get an engine sent away forever. Skarloey was shocked and asked if Thomas had told others about Luke. Thomas confirmed he had not and that he was just trying to help Luke and wanted to be his friend.

Skarloey backed up as Rocky swung a boulder in his direction. Thomas tooted and whistled, catching both of their attention and stopped a very bad accident from happening. Rocky apologized and Skarloey thanked Thomas and called him a good friend. All the engines smiled, including Luke, who chuffed up to Thomas. Luke asked Thomas to be his friend. Thomas agreed.

Cue a new Working Together music video. Great stuff!

Way up into the mountain
Hear the rumble and chuff
Wheels grinding and growling
and funnels puff
Got to, got to work harder
shift that slate
Got to, got to go faster
Can't be late 
Here we come, up the hill
There we go, what a thrill
1, 2, 3, 4... Working together
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling. 
Clanking into the coupling
cargo ready to roll
Wheels whizzing and whirring
pull that load
Working through to the sunset
every day
Trying hard to be useful
Hey, Hey, Hey! 
Here we come, up the hill
There we go, what a thrill
1, 2, 3, 4... Working together
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling. 
Working together
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and pushing, heaving and hauling. 
Working together
Rocking and rolling, lifting and loading
Blue Mountain Quarry
Pulling and Pushing, heaving and hauling.
Working together

Winston honked and Luke chuffed away. Sir Topham Hatt and Mr. Percival, the narrow gauge controller (or Thin Controller) arrived to tell Thomas that Paxton was fixed and would take over. Thomas was to go back to his branch line.

Thomas told Luke goodbye and asked why he hides. Luke told him as Paxton pulled up and overheard.

Luke told Thomas that he was loaded on to a ship to Sodor and was very excited. There on the ship was a yellow engine who spoke a language he could not understand. There was a storm but they arrived at Brendam Docks. The dock men wanted to take off the yellow engine first, but Luke begged to be taken off first. So the dock men took Luke and Luke knocked the yellow engine in to the sea.

Luke was sent to the Steamworks to be fixed and heard the storm for a long time. He heard that the yellow engine was in the sea for a long time and was rusted badly. They yellow engine was never heard from again, so he must have been sent to the Smelter’s yard at the Ironworks. Luke admitted that if had just waited his turn, he would have never caused the death of the yellow engine!

Thomas assured Luke that this was a long time ago. Luke was sure that if other engines found out, they would tell Mr. Percival, who would tell Sir Topham Hatt, the standard gauge controller (or Fat Controller), who would have him sent away from causing this trouble and death.

Skarloey came up to Paxton and urged him to get working. Luke realized that Paxton had heard everything and ran away. Thomas asked what Paxton was doing there. Paxton told Thomas he was there to do his job, taking slate from the Blue Mountain Quarry to Brendam Docks.

Thomas returned to his branch line the next day. Thomas was busy thinking about Luke and missed a red signal to stop. Annie and Clarabel made him stop and return to the signal. Toby chuffed up and Thomas asked him to take Annie and Clarabel, even though Toby was very busy. Toby, Annie, and Clarabel asked Thomas questions, but he just chuffed off in silence.

Thomas had an idea. Maybe he could find the yellow engine after all. Thomas looked at Knapford Station, the Shunting Yards, all the coastal tracks, and even at the rubbish dump, but he found no yellow engine. He asked Edward who suggested the Dieselworks. Edward asked him why, but Thomas chuffed off without answering. At the Dieselworks Thomas looked and found no yellow engine. However he saw Paxton telling Diesel about how Luke had pushed a yellow engine in to the sea and how the yellow engine was never seen from again!

Diesel told Paxton he was right to tell him. They did not want an engine on their island that was impatient and self-centered, pushing other engines in to the sea. He could knock one of them in to the sea next. Diesel said they would tell the Fat Controller who would tell the Thin Controller and get Luke taken away from their Island of Sodor forever. Thomas gasped loudly and chuffed away. Diesel saw him and told Paxton that they must go wherever Thomas was going, as Thomas was a tricky tank engine. Diesel and Paxton chuffed off.

Thomas decided to go ask Cranky the Crane at Brendam Docks. Cranky said the yellow engine had a broken light and that he could not understand him. Diesel pulled up. Thomas asked what he was doing there. Diesel asked Cranky where Sir Topham Hatt was. Cranky was tired of questions. Thomas had an idea and sped off. James asked Thomas where he was going, he told him he was going to the Steamworks. James asked why, but Thomas sped off without answering him either!
At the Steamworks, Thomas ignored Kevin’s hello and rushed up to Victor and asked about the yellow engine. Victor told him that it was him. Victor told Thomas it was a long time ago and that Victor had never spoken of this.

Victor was yellow with green wheels when he came from Cuba. It was a long journey. They stopped along the way and another engine was loaded. Luke was loaded shortly before the storm broke the chains holding him down. Victor told Luke he had a problem, but Luke ignored him, since he did not speak Spanish.

Victor protested Luke’s cries to be taken off first, but it was in vain. Luke was loaded and swung around, hitting Victor’s light and knocking him in to the sea. The storm was bad for many days so he became covered in moss and when he could be taken out, he was taken to the Steamworks, where he started to learn English. His first word was red, which he spoke when the workmen asked what color of paint he wanted to be repainted with. A bright new color for his bright new life on Sodor!

Thomas thanked Victor and took off, ignoring Victor’s questions and Kevin’s goodbye. Thomas took off to the Blue Mountain Quarry. He saw Diesel up ahead speaking to the Fat Controller, Sir Topham Hatt. He told Hatt how Paxton had told him all about it and how Luke was hiding in the hills. Diesel was scared that he was a danger to all of the engines. Hatt told Diesel that he doesn't know what he is talking about and to shunt Mavis to the Dieselworks for repair. Mavis thanked Diesel and told him he is very kind and useful. Hatt told Paxton to stop following Diesel about and go to work at the Blue Mountain Quarry.

Thomas realized he too should be working his branch line, but he chuffed off to the Blue Mountain Quarry. James said hello as Thomas approached, but Thomas told him he had no time. James said that for a tank engine, he could be quite fast.

At the quarry, Rheneas was telling Skarloey that he had been bumped again and needed to be repainted. Skarloey told him to be more careful. Thomas pulled up and asked for Luke. Luke pulled up. Thomas told him that he spoke to Victor about him. All the narrow gauge engines were cross and chuffed away, except for Luke, who stayed put, and Rusty, who continued to work.

All of a sudden Diesel pulled up with Paxton. He asked if this was Luke, who pushes engines in to the sea? Thomas told them not to listen to Diesel. The narrow gauge engines told him to go away and to go to work on his branch line. Thomas felt bad.

Diesel told Thomas that the Controllers were going to straighten this all out. Thomas asked Rocky to put Thomas on Owen’s platform so he could go up the incline to where the narrow gauge steam engines were hiding. Thomas said Thomas was too heavy, but tried and pulled him to the top.
Diesel yelled to Luke that they knew what he did, that what he did was bad, and that he would need to leave Sodor forever! Thomas again told Luke not to listen to Diesel.

Diesel told Paxton to go get Sir Topham Hatt. Thomas told him to ignore Diesel and to go get Victor instead. Paxton was confused. Diesel told him to just go.

When Thomas got to the top he found that his wheels were too wide for the narrow gauge tracks. He ended up following the track to a ledge where he hung off. Luke raced up to Thomas. Diesel was scared and yelled to Thomas. Diesel thought Luke would push Thomas off just like he had pushed the yellow engine in to the sea!

Luke told Thomas not to worry, that he would pull Thomas back to Owen. Amazingly, Luke, the tiny engine was successful and did exactly as he promised. The narrow gauge engines whistled, honked, & cheered. But once Thomas was on Owen, he went down the incline, pulling Luke with him. Luckily, everyone was okay.

Suddenly all the engines heard the honking of Winston with a cross Fat Controller and Thin Controller. Sir Topham Hatt was cross with Thomas was not working his branch line as he was told to do. Mr. Percival told Rocky to bring Thomas and Luke down from the loading platform.

Diesel told the controllers about Luke and how he had knocked a yellow engine in to the sea. He also told them that Thomas had been hiding him at the Blue Mountain Quarry! All of a sudden Paxton pulled up with Victor. Hatt asked what Victor was doing here. Victor said he came to meet an engine he had not seen in a long time, Luke. Victor told Luke what had happened. Victor forgave him and told him it was not his fault. Victor invited Luke to come visit him at the Steamworks. Rheneas mentioned he would like to be repainted. Mr. Percival welcomed Luke to his railway and introduced himself.

Sir Topham Hatt told Diesel that it seem he did not have the full story before he caused confusion and delay. He told Diesel that what really happened is what really matters. Diesel agreed and blushed. Hatt said that today was a happy day for Mr. Percival and the narrow gauge engines. Hatt also said that he was proud of Thomas, so he would forgive him this time for not working his branch line. Thomas thanked him. Hatt told Percival that they should both be very proud of all of their engines, old and new. They agreed that their engines were all Very useful Engines! The engines whistled and honked in agreement.

Cue the Blue Mountain Mystery music video. Good stuff!

Everyday down in the quarry
work, work, work so hard
Haul that load, careful don't hurry
everyone plays a part
But deep inside the old tunnels
someone hides away
Too scared to come out and see us
and too scared to say his name. 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
All the narrow gauge engines
decide to tell a friend
about the little green engine
from start, to very end
So Thomas wants to be useful
give Luke a helping hand
to find that old yellow engine
get the answer if he can. 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills!

A few days later Thomas pulled up to the Steamworks and Victor & Luke came out. He told Thomas that he had found the yellow engine that he was looking for. Thomas was confused. Out chuffed the once orange Rheneas,who finally had gotten his new coat of paint, a yellow coat of paint! All the engines laughed.

Cue a new Blue Mountain Mystery music video. Good stuff!

Everyday down in the quarry
work, work, work so hard
Haul that load, careful don't hurry
everyone plays a part
But deep inside the old tunnels
someone hides away
Too scared to come out and see us
and too scared to say his name. 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
All the narrow gauge engines
decide to tell a friend
about the little green engine
from start, to very end
So Thomas wants to be useful
give Luke a helping hand
to find that old yellow engine
get the answer if he can. 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills! 
Come on, sing along!
Blue Mountain Mystery
Blue Mountain Mystery
The secret in the hills!

The End.

Click the following links to buy this story on BOOK and DVD.