Series 18: Week One

Old Reliable Edward

So the first episode came, and everyone is waiting with baited breath. Will this episode see Edward back in character? The synopsis holds some hope, but doesn't reveal enough to confirm. I was hoping it would be better than last year's series opener, Kevin's Cranky Friend.

(Defend it if you will, but I can't see the appeal - Cranky denies he needs help three times before something goes wrong, which is when he concedes and accepts he was wrong.) 

And boy oh boy, it was most definitely better. Edward still has a little reforming to do before he's perfect once again - he came across as a little whiny at the start - but given the circumstances, I think I can allow that. After all, if everyone has been making fun of you time and time again, I think you'd earn the right  to moan a little. 

On first viewing, when Thomas seemingly hijacks the episode, I was a little infuriated that the lead had been snatched from Edward. However, I can see why the story was written as such, and it definitely worked to its advantage. Gordon gets stuck and Edward comes up, not to help, but to remind Gordon, in that subtlest of ways, of his treatment to the blue banker. I rather enjoyed how this scene played. Some are criticising it for being somewhat anti-climatic, but I don't think you need something 'big' and 'wow'-ish to get the message across. I loved the simplicity of it, which is why it is so strong and stands out.

Stray Observations

• It's great to see human characters being involved more nowadays. Though the stationmaster doesn't need to blow the whistle to allow Edward to go. Note: Station-masters CAN blow whistles from the platforms; this notifies the guard that all the passengers are on-board (and if not, no more will be allowed on,) and all doors are shut and secured.
• I love the camera movement from Gordon's perspective when he follows Thomas up the hill. Arc are really going to town with their selection of angles and movements to keep things interesting.
• Clarabel's face. End of.
  

Rating: 8/10

Not So Slow Coaches

There was nothing old, or slow, about Coach...

The first episode broadcast which had previously been "previewed" on the US DVD Walmart exclusive. We knew what we were in for when this came on.

I don't overwhelmingly dislike this episode.

Don't love it, but I don't hate it.

It's great to see Thomas doing what he should do - working on his branch line, but being his cheeky little self. He loves his coaches, but he enjoys winding them up. However, this is without consequence, as he realises his mischievousness has caused him to start running late. I'm delighted to see that time-keeping is becoming important to the routines again. It seemed that everything and everyone was rather lackadaisical previously.

The shunting yards have been subject of a lot of comment. I tend to agree with those that see it as a dumping ground. There never seems to be much shunting going on here, nor many (or any!) sidings for stock to actually sit in. This feels more like it should be a junction to the main and branch lines from an industrial estate. We need sidings and loose trucks to give it a shunting-yard-presence to it.

Detest him if you will, it's good to see Charlie has found a dedicated job at these yards. Hopefully some of the other characters (Stafford, Stanley etc) will join him - I get the impression it is a big yard, and thus would surely require several engines to carry out the work, especially at busier times. I still don't like his jokes, but they're not as cheesy as they were. I'm prepared to accept that this part of his persona will not change, which is fair enough - there's always the 'class clown' that overdoes the jokes, and Charlie, it would seem, is just that.

This episode did feel like an anti-climax. Caitlin somehow makes off with Annie & Clarabel at the tail of her train (well, if Thomas just dumps them in the middle of the line, that's his fault.) Thomas then goes chasing after her to get them back.

It would seem that Hiro, like Connor and Caitlin, comes from 'the Mainland' now, given how many times we've seen him cross that bridge I'm sure. Here, this actually makes sense - he has seen these coaches disappear with an train they should not be part of, and has brought them back to save any trouble later on.

It feels chaotic. There's no proper structure or story here really. It's a filler episode I think, designed to have a bit of fun at the time but not properly sit in the rest of the series. 

Stray Observations

• I liked how exhausted Thomas was at the quarry. Little side-scenes like this show how the rest of the day can be affected by being silly at the start.
• How DOES Thomas keep even closely-up to Caitlin?

Rating: 5/10

Flatbeds Of Fear

Oh dear. I don't think I even want to review this one. 

We seem to get a bad episode each series; last year was the opener. This year, it's the attempted 'spooky' story. Ok, you may say things when nervous to reassure yourself, but nothing so cheesy as 'I will not fear the flatbeds of fear.'

Imagine - you're afraid of heights. "Try as I might, I will not fear the height; try as I might, I will not fear the height." It doesn't work does it?

I will make a point of saying this. The voice acting in this for Thomas and Henry was poor. They did not sound scared whatsoever. It was embarrassing as to how poor it was. Henry's character still needs a lot of work. Percy is the timid engine; Henry is the big, grumpy engine, who, underneath it all, is kind-hearted and cares about the world around him.

On a positive note - the fog is fantastic. Another reviewer made a point of saying that it didn't feel right that the fog lasted so many days. However, there is nothing to say that the fog did last the whole of these days. It could have rolled in thick in the early hours of the day, faded by afternoon, then drifted in again the following morning or that evening - it does have a habit of coming and going like this, and there have been many consecutive mornings where I have drawn the curtains only to be greeted by a wall of white.

There's not much else I can say about this one really. I can't see myself re-watching it time after time unlike some of the other stories, but it is by far much better than some stories we've had in the CGI era. A valiant effort I suppose.

Stray Observations 

• Good to see Stanley being used as the engine in the story. Anyone else would have probably been really recognisable, but he's just plaion enough in colour to be overlooked in these sorts of roles. Hopefully he can be utilised properly in the future.
• We've since found out that brake van on the train in the story, is none other than a narrow-gauge design. It has no buffers, and a chopper coupling if you look closely! A slight modification, and it could be an LSWR Road Van.
• Did anyone else start singing the 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons' theme when they heard the wailing in the UK version? No? Just me then...

Rating: 3/10

Disappearing Diesels

Paxton has grown on me.

From a merchandising tool in 'Day Of The Diesels', he has become a core member of the regulars. A well-meaning, if dim, engine, who doesn't see any difference between the steam and diesel engines on the island. He is friends with all - or at least wants to be.

However, it feels like his dim-wittiness is being focused on too much. This episode feels very much like 'The Lost Puff', albeit without Stephen's prize-winning expression. A lot of racing about done by Paxton believing that something is wrong; something which we all know is very silly to be fair.

It does play beautifully on the caring side to Paxton's persona. He doesn't see fault in Diesel for playing tricks, nor take offence to them being played on him. Diesel is just another engine in his wide collection of friends (or perhaps even family?) He treats him with no prejudice, nor punish him for being so cruel. When Diesel does run out of... *ahem*... 'diesel' fuel, he takes him to get more - because that is who Paxton is.

It's good to see Dart is still around; I do like it when pairs are split up (Bill without Ben, Donald without Douglas etc), but it is always comforting to return to normal. I would like to see more of these two - indeed, all the diesels - in future. There's potential for some good storylines with them, being underused as they presently are.

One important point I have to make about the episodes so far, is the day. It doesn't feel like 'another sunny day' any more. You get scenes, like at the start of this episode, that show the sunrise hours, with others that show the sunset. We've had rain, fog, sun - snow will come in due course.as we all know. Sodor feels like it is in the world again, and not in some perfect parallel universe.

Stray Observations

• The diesel crews included. Good to see they have the same treatment as the steam crews.
• Diesel's voice seems to have improved, or is that just me?
• Little touches like 'Who asked you to stick your hook in?' add comedic moments that don't detract from the story, but add a natural speaking pattern to the story.

Rating: 7/10

Signals Crossed

See separate review.

Rating: 7/10

Summary So Far

Not a weak week for episodes, but not the strongest of starts we had hoped for. There's a lot of room for improvement; hopefully the second week will knock our sock's off, given what we have coming.

Episode Of The Week:

Old Reliable Edward

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Talyllyn & The Skarloey Railway

No. 6 "Douglas" - often identified as "Duncan".

As we all are aware, the Talyllyn Railway in Wales is home to the engines that were written into the Railway Series as:

Skarloey (Talyllyn) 

Rheneas (Dolgoch)

Sir Handel (Sir Haydn)

Edward Thomas (Peter Sam)

Midlander (Rusty)

Douglas (Duncan)

Tom Rolt (Ivo Hugh)

 

No.4 "Edward Thomas" in Pendre Works, 25 June 2014, receiving attention to his rods.

Presently, 5 of the steam engines listed above are in service (Sir Haydn's boiler certificate having expired in 2012 - presently on a UK fundraising tour.) Throughout the years since, the railway has welcomed the occasional 'visit' from one (or sometimes several!) famous engines from afar. Peter Sam, Sir Handle and, the star of the last few years, Duncan have all graced the rails of the seven-and-a-quarter mile line.

Many photographs have cropped up from Joe Public of these visitors, usually taken around the stations, halts, crossings or from bridges. However, there haven't been many 'specialist' photographs taken.

No.2 "Dolgoch" on shed on 25 June, ready to be prepared for the following day's 'Vintage Train'.

Therefore, it is my intention to try and arrange a 'Photo Charter' event featuring the classic Skarloey Railway engines on this beautiful line. This is, of course, dependant on whether or not the railway can legally host such an event - they may well own the locos and the rights to host the characters, but whether that extends to photographic events...

At present, I wish to gauge interest in such an event should it go ahead, before officially asking to host it. There would be a fee to anyone partaking to cover operational costs, and to raise funds for Sir Haydn's overhaul (or that for any engine needing one at the time the charter would take place.) Without this charge, an event would not occur as the railway would not run the stock for free, nor could I cover the full cost of such an event. 

The formations that would appear would all depend on what is available at the time, the costs involved, and the number of participants that would actually sign up to be involved. It would be nice to have three of the engines in steam with rakes of coaches or freight wagons, or, failing that, one engine out on the line. I would also hope to incorporate an on-shed setup, with as many of the engines available in their respective guises.

Dolgoch Falls - an ideal location for recreating a Series 4 shot?

So here are my questions to all of you:

Who would be interested in such an event, and would you be willing to pay to join the charter?

If I can prove there is definite interest, then there is more chance that it could take place some day.

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