Review: Signals Crossed

I was planning to do weekly recap reviews - many people do daily reviews, so I'll do weekly. However, I thought this episode needed reviewing first and alone given the mixed feelings that circulate this in the fanbase at the moment.

But first, An apparently compulsory disclaimer that has to say something along the lines of the content of this post being the opinions of the author and of no other third party, as well as ensuring all that I do not represent the entire fanbase. All images used are done so under the fair use rule and no profit is made from this post (to my knowledge anyway- Google probably will from ads or something... but I digress.)

So, onto the episode at hand. Since HiT entertainment took over the series, many characters have, it has been felt, been butchered as the series' progressed, Toby being one of these characters. He has transformed from a wise, gentle tram engine who had experienced a lot and was looked up to by his friends, to a cowering, timid shadow of his former self, afraid to even turn wheel in a wood.

When I first read the synopsis for today's broadcast, I was sceptical to say the least. Since Brenner and his new team took on the mantle, the writing has improved ten-fold; there are obvious exceptions but the general quality is vastly improved. But to hear that Toby was nervous of passing through the gantry didn't feel right. Toby will have seen signals throughout his life. They are always there on Sodor; have been in the past and forever will be - they are essential.

That said, we also found out that Knapford Station had received a redesign. The gantry was a new addition to this set, so perhaps (I thought) that would play a part to the story. After all, Toby is old, and as you age, you tend to get more cautious, especially to something unfamiliar.

I was, therefore, somewhat disappointed to have the episode throw us in without explanation. A simple small edit to the script would have put Toby in fine character I feel, whilst not losing the structure of the episode:

"Recently, Knapford Station had undergone some important track work, and a new signal gantry towered above the line. This arrangement was new to Toby, and he found himself getting confused by the changes."

The episode could continue as normal there-onwards. The context is a little different, but it doesn't maintain the 'cowering old codger' persona Toby has adopted.

However, we have what we have. And, despite all this, I found the episode was quite enjoyable. Arc's animation is, as always, sublime, and they've evidently done their research on signals (although I'm unsure about the 'distant' signals, which always seem to be set at danger... These are designed to tell engines what the next signal is set at - an advanced warning per say.) I would like to point out something though.

"It's the signal directly above your line..."

Can you spot the problem? The first image, there are two lines (or three if you include the siding off-screen), but numerous signal posts on the gantry - three above Toby's line itself. In the second one, there is not a single post above Toby's line. 

I must confess I like James' arrogance at the end of this episode, and pushing Toby forwards believing the tram has missed his signal. His apology was quite nice - he obviously doesn't like admitting he's wrong, let alone apologising when he does.

 It's not like The Fat Controller, meanwhile, to disregard safety in such a way. A quick glance up at the gantry himself and he would have seen Toby was right, rather than disregarding Toby as some doddery old fool as he seemingly does. (I did, however, smile at the fact it gave his... bodyguard... a chance to whisper a line.) His 'You are a really useful engine' line felt forced though. I wouldn't say it is 'useful' to not go past a signal at danger. Perhaps 'observant' is the word that he should have used?

Now on to the big bit.

Henrietta.

When we first heard she was to receive a face, there was uproar; outrage! How could this character, who has gone throughout the TV Series without a face, be suddenly receiving one. I, like so many, wasn't entirely won over. And I admit, the fact she has suddenly been dropped in without any explanation is a little confusing - surely small children who have seen previous series will be confused by this sudden change?

But after today's episode, I can say it was a good choice to make on the production team's part. Thomas has Annie and Clarabel, whom have begun interacting with one another more these days. Henrietta has played a crucial role in this episode in being Toby's reassurance. I'm sure that, in future, she'll continue to play a vital role with the tram engine.

Overall, it's a good episode. Obviously not great, but far from terrible. It showed off the new Knapford layout in all it's glory, and gave Toby a stronger role compared to those he's had previously. I'm hopeful that, from this episode onwards, Toby's persona will be refined and brought back to what it once was.

Miscellaneous

• Did anyone else get fed up of 'The NUMBER SEVEN BROWN TRAM ENGINE" being emphasised?
• Was that Ferdinand? (Uh oh...)
• The worker with the flags to replace the signal - nice touch. Pretty much what they would do. Shame he has no high-visibility jacket if we're going down the safety route so strictly...

And finally....

Exactly where did Gordon come from at speed with the express?

TRI

The Mystery Of Donald, Douglas & BoCo

Recently, some Series 18 episode titles came to light on the T.V. Rage website.Originally, they were disregarded as fake by many, including  myself I openly admit, not least because of the poor grammar that gave them an amateur-y feel, (who the heck is Marlon anyway, and how can Percy lose his missing Gator - it's already missing!)

However, this morning it was found that 'MARION And The Pipe' is the real deal! Which begs the question, 'Could more of these titles be genuine?' The title that has the most fuss over is that of the alleged episode 16, 'Old Stuck Up.' Why you ask? Well, read this description:

"A visiting Diesel causes trouble when he makes remarks about the engines of the Sodor Railway. Can BoCo change his mind or will the visitor be sent home in shame?"

It could be very possible that the one diesel character that has been requested by the mass for a comeback, namely BoCo, is due to appear in the CGI era after an absence from the show of 16 years!

However, this is where the querying arises.

The title and synopsis match that of the Railway Series story of the same name. We have not had a direct Railway Series story adaptation since the fourth series in 1995. If this holds any truth, then we could be seeing the first Railway Series story on-screen not only in nearly twenty years, but the first in this new era of the show, which could give much hope to future possibilities.

So far, we have had Oliver and Toad return, with Duncan also due for a comeback. The impression is given that we could, like last series, have 5 returnees; that's three so far. Who might be next?
Voice actor Joe Mills has, inadvertently, spilt the beans to 2 more classic returnees, Numbers 9 and 10 - Donald & Douglas - who appear to have speaking roles in next years cinema release. (The names have since been removed and his statement altered, assumed to be at the request of HiT / Mattel.) There is an air of assumption that the two engines will therefore be appearing in the eighteenth series ahead of this - after all, Duck wasn't seen in 'King Of The Railway,' but cameoed in 'Tale Of The Brave' following his return last series.
In contrast however, and in terms of continuity, Oliver returned (albeit in cameo form only) accompanying his GWR brother in TOTB, and then went on to receive a role amongst the episodes that followed.

Backing up the assumption of the Scots return this year, a recent statement issued hinted that a nineteenth series has not yet been signed off.

Could Donald and Douglas, however, be receiving the same treatment as Oliver and Toad, but play a larger part to next year's adventure, and thus be absent from the current series? If more of the suspect episode titles turn out to be true, then the chance that BoCo is to return this year grows ever more larger.

But that's the not the big question.

The BIG question is...

If Donald & Douglas do return in next year's special, and BoCo in the eighteenth series, who could the fifth returnee be?

TRI

Was I Right...

Back in May 2013, I made a few predictions as to what I thought would happen with the Thomas and Friends series - primarily which engines would return. I referred to the models that were on display at Nitrogen as a basis for my theories, and it seems that I was right to do so.

Oliver I am most proud of. With the recent release of the trailer for Tale Of The Brave, we all now know that GWR Number 11 is indeed returning to the series.
And although not on display in Canada, favouring Thomas' homeland, Harvey did also return after temporarily disappearing from his current home at Drayton Manor.

So what next?

Personally, I still strongly suspect that Molly will return yet, if just to add to the female presence in the series. She was a character that never really had a chance to shine, like so many of her era, but had potential based on the episode we saw. I reckon that the current writing team could do a lot with an engine like Molly who lacks the confidence that others have, but has a strong heart.

I also heard that Stepney went missing from Drayton too for a short while. Whilst the jury is still out on this one, if there is a slither of truth hidden in its shadows, I personally would be ecstatic to see the return of this Bluebell engine. Again, some interesting stories could be written about his ventures between Sodor and his home turf, and would make a nice occasional to look forward to. He wouldn't have to be present constantly, just now and again.

As for other characters, only time will tell. We'd all love to see our favourites return, but it's impossible to have everyone AND add to the fleet as well. Personally, I'd like to see some more road characters return, such as Terence and Elizabeth, just to represent the non-rail side of the island that seems to be so vastly forgotten at the moment...

Bachmann's New Buildings

It was recently announced that Bachmann are to begin making resin buildings to accompany their ever-growing Thomas & Friend's range. Announced at the international toy fair in America, the news came to much delight of the fans of the range worldwide, especially given the suspected discontinuation of the Hornby Thomas range - but more of this another time.

I shall be shedding my thoughts on these new images based on the revealed promo shots.

But first, An apparently compulsory disclaimer that has to say something along the lines of the content of this post being the opinions of the author and of no other third party, as well as ensuring all that I do not represent the entire fanbase. All images used are done so under the fair use rule and no profit is made from this post (to my knowledge anyway- Google probably will from ads or something... but I digress.)

Maithwaite

Perhaps the most anticipated building is this iconic station building? Hornby released this too some years ago, but didn't stick around long and now can be quite difficult to obtain - at the time of writing there's a platform pack on eBay for £50 alone! However, it was (and still is) a wonderful likeness to the on-screen version we see.

So how does Bachmann's fare up? Not too well looking at this.

Hornby didn't hold back when they made their buildings. They may have lacked in the designs of some of their engines, but the buildings were top notch because they knew their target market.

Whilst Bachmann (I'm just going to say 'B' from now on and save time...) also know their target market is, in all fairness, much younger than Hornby (H!) were aiming at, I still feel it lets the side down a little. I've included the image of the Hornby one I own to compare with. As I'm sure you can see, B's looks a little... well.... toyish.

Perhaps a little more 'padded out' than the Trackmaster version, but it looks almost as 'flat.' The roof doesn't seem to overhang as roofs do, and the scaling of the platform stones leaves a lot to be desired. The platform itself looks remarkably short and if far from the detailed version H produced.

H's also sat very central on the platform, which B's does not.

All in all, B's looks very... chunky I think is the word I'm looking for. No doubt it will have a much more appealing price, and unlike H's, come in one set, but I do feel that a little more effort could have been made with it personally - it is obviously not, as some are saying, the Hornby tooling reused.

One positive - I do like the poster boards around the station house windows; adds a station-feel to it overall.

Signal Box

Unlike the Maithwaite station, B have done a fine job in replicating the signal box. This was another building that H released, and both are sublime.

I also own the H version, and this time it's the H version I'm not so keen on, it seeming a little too long and narrow. If you notice, the steps on the H one (above) are quite steep, whereas on the B one they are more gradual. The handrail for these steps is also much thinner, and more like a handrail compared to that on the H version. There is also a little more 'weathering' to the brickwork (which is a little deeper too it seems.) I'm won over by the B example and will certainly be purchasing that when it's released.

Brendam Warehouse

The first non-duplicate release is the Brendam Warehouse. A slightly misleading name I feel - warehouses are normally large, spacious buildings where many things can be stored. I would class this more of a good's bay/platform, but we play the cards we're dealt. The name is the only quibble here. If you're modelling Brendam Docks - or any (dock)yard for that matter - this looks to be quite a nice building to include for the point of transfer for goods between road and rail. A decent platform length, and three berths for transferral - the weathering above these is a particularly nice touch. I'm a little concerned at the left hand end - is this a section of platform that is separated and slots together or just for the shot provided?

I have a hunch that this will be in two parts - namely the building and the platform which will 'slot' together like a jigsaw. However, I can see this being another piece that will go down well not only with young collectors, but serious modellers too.

Black Loch Folly

Now this piece I'm a little indifferent to. It doesn't seem right to have a castle turret without the rest of the castle - perhaps a future release, but for now the 'Folly' would just seem a bit odd sat on it's own. I suppose you could add the ruins of a castle around it and that would justify this alone...

As for the model itself, Bachmann have again done a bang-up job on it. It has some lovely touches of weathering to it and looks the run-down part it is set to portray. Perhaps the cross-planks could be a different shade just to separate it from the door it is nailed to, but a minor quibble is that. Perhaps a few of these together would look good if no main castle structure is to be released. Otherwise, I'm sure it would look good surrounded by shrubberies (ni!) atop a hill, left to the elements for its inevitable fate. Throw in the Scottish twins passing by and you've got yourself a nice little scene.

Overall Thoughts

It's a pleasure to see Bachmann stepping onto new ground with Resin buildings, and these are certainly a step up from those frankly awful, bland previous buildings they marketed under the range. Majoritarilly, these buildings seem to have been aimed at both the more mature model railway enthusiasts and the younger collector together, which is sure to sit well with the company's coffers. Picking up on some of Hornby's successes, Bachmann have put their own stamp on their examples and I'm sure that we will see more releases like these in the years to come.

The TTTE Wikia

An apparently compulsory disclaimer that has to say something along the lines of the content of this post being the opinions of the author and of no other third party, as well as ensuring all that I do not represent the entire fanbase. All images used are done so under the fair use rule and no profit is made from this post (to my knowledge anyway- Google probably will from ads or something... but I digress.)

The TTTE wikia has been about for quite some time now, and is a site completely dedicated to providing well-sourced, researched and helpful information about almost everything Thomas!

It is, perhaps, the front line for Thomas fans worldwide to research information, history and stories of the hit series and books. 

The site is well-constructed, easy to navigate and interlinked; one page on one subject can contain a number of links to other pages on the site.

I must confess it is wonderful sight and being so easy to navigate certainly makes it my preference when coming to research the series. More and more information and pictures is added every day; episode guides to new series when they are announced, character appearance lists and trivia just keep me reading for hours.

Being a source of information in this format also helps give it an unbiased feel. The information is moderated to be purely factual and no personal opinion leaked in.

The creators of this site have really gone all out and I must state I feel they are the #1 online Thomas resource- Even Andrew Brenner uses them for research!

My praise goes out to those behind its workings.

TRI

Series 17 (and beyond!)

An apparently compulsory disclaimer that has to say something along the lines of the content of this post being the opinions of the author and of no other third party, as well as ensuring all that I do not represent the entire fanbase. All images used are done so under the fair use rule and no profit is made from this post (to my knowledge anyway- Google probably will from ads or something... but I digress.)

With a new writing team on board, and 5 'preview' episodes released, I think the general consensus is that series 17 is the best series (so far) in many a year. (For some, since series 7, others series 12.)
And with fresh news today that Duck is set for a comeback in more than just a background shot (unlike poor Trevor,) things keep looking to get better and better.

I thought it may be time to shed some light on my thoughts of the series' current incarnation.

Since the switchover to full CGI, the story qualities have declined rapidly. (In some respects, it has done that very slowly since series 8, but the majority occurred from series 13 onwards.) But since this recent Shake-up, whereby Sharon Miller has left and Andrew Brenner has become head writer, the promise and direction has returned.

Ms. Miller received a lot of criticism for her uniform writing style, which contained three strikes and the same faces repeatedly. Some tried to counter this saying she was NOT writing to a uniform style, to which I reply:

"If this is the case, then why DIDN'T she change the writing format?"

It can't have been that hard if Brenner has done it in just ONE break between series 16 and 17? For 4 series, we were subjected to the same stories, most from the same writer, featuring the same characters. I understand coming up with new ideas for 20 (now 26) episodes per series is tricky, but to rehash your own work time and time again is just beyond explanation.

In the 5 episodes of S\17 that we have been given, things already look brighter. And with the synopsis' for further episodes being revealed, we could indeed be on a whole new level for Thomas And Friends.

Not least worth note is the return of Duck. Throughout S13 to S16, not one classic character (that hadn't already been rendered) made a comeback after the faint glimmer of hope that was series 12. Brenner has been reported as saying he wishes to correct this to some degree and what a character he has chosen to begin this with.
Duck has been in high demand for a comeback for many years. Perhaps more so than many other classic faces. Awdry gave him a wonderful personality and basis which struck a chord with many of the fans and to have him back at long last is a delight. Time will tell if it will be worth the wait, but I am optimistic.
Other characters introduced in 'The Miller Years' seemingly for the merchandise benefits (Sidney and Scruff spring to mind as prominent examples) are also in the pipeline to be utilised. It would seem that Brenner has greater intentions for the series than some have yet to realise, making use of characters previously abandoned having had their toys manufactured.

But what about the future? With Duck back, could others be in for a return?

My short answer-

YES.

Some time ago, Nitrogen posted a video showing their displays of Thomas props. One thing stood out to me and that was how many of the models have been rendered in the show...

Most of the models on display have been, or are now, in the series. So could the ones on display that presently are not in the show soon be in the show? I suspect so, thus why these particular models are out there and not in Drayton Manor (like Stepney and Harvey (NB- rumour has it Harvey has now disappeared from the exhibit; could the suspicion of his return in KOTR hold more truth than we think?)).

I genuinely feel that soon, not immediately, we will have more familiar faces in the show in the form of Oliver and Molly. But only time will tell.

The only thing that is certain;

Thomas And Friends has a very promising future.

Until next time, 

Keep an open mind, but not an open door- that's how thieves get in.

TRI

A New Railway

For those who have been following my Twitter and Facebook lately, you may be well aware that I have been building a new model railway layout.

It's been steady progress over the last month or two since I began work and it is now complete (As complete as any model railway can be, which isn't much...)

The layout measures roughly 4ftx5ft in size and sits about 3ft off the ground, and has been designed for exhibitions with children in mind. For those who remember my other layout Stepney Down, when I took that to shows I was often asked if I had or knew of a Thomas layout for booking. Couple this with the attention caught when Thomas appeared on Stepney Down, I saw a gap in the market and have dived in to it. Already I have one confirmed booking and one potential booking, and it has only been completed a week! The show in question is the Shoeburyness Festival Of Hobbies in November of this (pending) and next (confirmed) year.

I won't lie- it's been an awkward build as the first track put down became warped when ballasted, which mean it all needed to be relaid. There have been a few other little issues too, but I won't go into those. Suffice to say, the work has paid off and I'm proud of the final result.

Here are some of the promotional photos taken of the layout, and a link to the promotional videos too.

Until Next Time, don't forget to eat that cheese. (Unless it's mouldy, in which case throw it away and get more.)

TRI

Promotional Video (Short)

Promotional Video (Full)