There are many fictional locations in Thomas and Friends, the television series based on The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and his son Christopher. They are all located on the Island of Sodor.
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The Island of Sodor in the "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" television series differs significantly from that in The Railway Series books. The comprehensive history and geography of the island and its railways, developed by the Rev. Awdry and his brother George to ensure consistent portrayal in the stories, has largely been ignored.
The television version of Sodor appears considerably larger, with far more industry. A mainland is occasionally referred to, but never seen on televised maps. Furthermore, the portrayal of the island has varied between series, as new sets were created and new writers inserted their own ideas. The TV series frequently derives names of locations from the books, but their functions and appearances are often very different.
Arlesdale was the end of Toby's old tramway. His shed and a turntable were just beyond the station, and many visitors came to the station the day his line closed down.[1]
After spending some time on The Fat Controller's railways, Toby began staying in his own shed.[2] Toby and Percy made reference to his home at "Arlesdale End." [3]
Toby's residence at Arlesdale End became permanent later on, as he spent less time at Tidmouth Sheds.[4] The station now has a new track that extends beyond Toby's shed. The shed is very old and full of holes. Thomas once noticed rain falling through the roof and requested The Fat Controller build a new one. Toby was disappointed, as he enjoyed the company of the birds that would nest in his shed, so Thomas gathered some workmen and spare materials to build a large birdhouse just outside the shed.[5]
Callan Station first appeared in Season 4. The station has a platform on either side of three tracks – two of those tracks pass under a bridge, while the third leads to a single shed. Behind one of the platforms is a shunting yard, which at one point featured an open shed.
Its name comes from a river on the Reverend Awdry's maps of Sodor.
Crovan's "Gate" is the terminus of the Skarloey Railway[6] and a station on the main line of the North Western Railway.[7]
The station only appeared in Season 4, after which the narrow gauge models were built to a larger scale than most of the standard gauge models. Although The Works from the books were mentioned, they were never specifically seen at Crovan's Gate, and over time different locations have been used for the maintenance of engines.[8][9]
Dryaw is located next to a small airfield. Harold, Tiger Moth, and the red balloon are frequently seen here. Certain episodes feature the station on Thomas' branch line,[10] while in others, main line trains pass through.[11][12]
A small footbridge that runs over the rails and runs from the platform on one side to the platform on the other side. Dryaw also has a small picket fence running at the edge of the platform, separating the platform from the airfield. The name is an anagram of "Awdry".
Elsbridge Station was the original junction station for Thomas's Branch Line. It is located in the countryside, and has two platforms and a footbridge. Briefly, there were also sheds where coaches, trucks, and sometimes engines resided.[13][14][15]
The station never appeared beyond Season 4. Other stations have occasionally served as junctions for Thomas' branch line.
The town of Ffarquhar is the terminus of Thomas's branch line.[16] For a time, there were shunting yards adjacent to the station.[17]
It appeared in the title sequence of the original seven seasons.
Great Waterton was once the largest railway town on Sodor. As time went on and industry spread to new towns, Waterton was abandoned. When Thomas later discovered the town through an old, overgrown branch line, the industries of Sodor worked to restore it as a major attraction.[18] Edward delivered a large water wheel to be put on display by the station.[19]
The rails at Waterton station branch off in several directions, and some tracks are elevated above the Main Line. Some tracks lead to a disused mine in the mountains.
Kellesthorpe is a large new station on the Main Line, introduced in Season 8. Thomas helped to carry the workmen to and from the construction site when it first opened. There was a sharp, difficult bend just before the station, so Annie and Clarabel would help Thomas to pass it easily. When the coaches had to go to the shop for maintenance, Thomas was nervous and came off the track at the bend. Later, some runaway trucks came down the Main Line towards the construction site. Thomas remembered the coaches' advice and made it to the station to warn the signalman about the trucks.[20]
Kirk Ronan is a large terminus that was recently opened for the time it appeared. When Gordon first visited, he was disappointed at the blank wall in front of the buffers as he arrived. When the station officially opened, Gordon crashed through the wall, hanging several feet above the ground. When the station reopened, part of the opening made by the crash remained, with a plaque reading "Gordon's View." [21]
Kirk Ronan functioned in the role usually reserved for Knapford, which did not appear in Season 5. Although main line engines travelled to the station in the TV series, in the books it only featured historically, as the terminus of the Sodor & Mainland Railway, the first standard gauge line on the island.
Knapford is the main town on the Island of Sodor.
Knapford Station has six platforms, and a large glass roof. It contains The Fat Controller's office, and is the station where HM The Queen visited The Fat Controller. Gordon also pulls his Express from here every day.
Engines and coaches are sometimes stored at Knapford Sheds. The main shed has five parallel tracks running into it, and a yard just outside.[4][22][23] Engines sometimes come here for repairs.[8]
Shunting takes place in Knapford Yard, and repair sheds are also located here.[24][25]
Knapford was introduced in Season 1 and has been in nearly every season. It was a terminus station early in the show's run, and a harbor yard could sometimes be seen through it.[26][27] A new model was built for Thomas and the Magic Railroad and later seasons. In the newer model, track extends beyond the station and turns away, and the harbor yard of the old model appears to be absent.
In season one episode "Thomas and Gordon", what becomes Tidmouth sheds is present and named as Knapford sheds as shown on the signal box carrying a "Knapford" nameboard instead.
In the books, Knapford was the name of the junction with Thomas' branch line. The name comes from the parish of Knapwell, where Awdry was vicar.
Maithwaite is home to a small station by a level crossing, with two lines running through. Main line and branch line engines have been seen running through. Percy once helped the station win a "Best-Dressed Station" contest, almost not making it due to a ram and some trouble-making boys.[3]
Maithwaite first appeared in Season 5. Its name is similar to "Marthwaite," a town with a station on the small engines' railway in the books.
Maron is located at one end of Gordon's Hill. In the TV series, two different stations have taken this name. The first, seen early in the show's run, had three lines running straight through and a siding.[28][29][30] The second appeared first in Season 6. This station has two curved platforms, with two tracks running between the platforms.[31]
Peel is a station on the main line. It has four platforms, two being on an island platform between the centre tracks.[32] Near the station there is a town hall and a bakery.
Lower Suddery Station was seen early in the show's run.[33][34]
In the original books, Tidmouth is the main settlement and largest station and engine shed on Sodor.[35]</ref> In the TV series, Knapford is largest, and a number of different locations have used the name Tidmouth.
Tidmouth Sheds are where most of The Fat Controller's engines live.
Tidmouth Station was a station with a glass roof and three lines passing through.[36] There was a group of engine sheds where the engines on Thomas' branch line lived for a time.[37][38][39] There was also a coal depot in the yards nearby.[40][41][42] The engines on Duck's branch line primarily worked here for another period,[43][44] and the station was at one point referred to as "The Works."[45]
Lower Tidmouth station is sometimes seen as the junction for Thomas's branch line.
Tidmouth Hault is a station located on the coast. Toby, Duck, and Donald helped to build the engine sheds there.[46] Sometimes main line engines or engines from Thomas' branch line have been seen passing through.[47][48][49][50][51]
Wellsworth, also known as "Edward's Station,"[52] is a station on the main line connecting to Edward's branch line. There is a yard behind the station that has changed from time to time.[53][54][55][56]
The vicar of Wellsworth is the Rev Charles Laxey. As a result, Wellsworth vicarage is the home of Trevor the Traction Engine.
Brendam is home to the most prominent port on the Island of Sodor. Many characters work here, but the main fixtures are a crane called Cranky[57] and Salty, a diesel shunter,[58] while Bill and Ben sometimes work or spend the night here.[59][60][61]
The Sodor Shipping Company has a number of large warehouses here. Steam trampers and ocean liners frequently pass through.
Christopher Awdry has criticised the design of this version of the harbour, as it is far too large for the volume of traffic an island like Sodor would require. However, the Sodor of the television series is generally very different from that of the books.
Many building, ship and crane models actually originate from TUGS. This series was set in a large port serving a major (American) city, which goes some way to explaining the size of Brendam Docks.
The harbour sets were rarely consistent before Season 5 introduced Brendam by name, and different seasons featured different-looking sets.[62][63][64][65][66]
Stone quarries have been seen and mentioned throughout the show's run.[33][67][68][69]
In Season 6, Centre Island Quarry was introduced. Mavis, Bill, and Ben (all still bearing the markings of their respective companies) work here the most frequently,[58][70] joined sometimes by Thomas, Diesel, 'Arry, and Bert.[70][71][72] An expanded set appeared in Season 12, with a sign reading Sodor Slate Quarry. This version has new stretches of track, and is accessible by heavier engines like Henry and Hank.[73][74][75]
Although coal was not a major resource on Sodor in the books, coal mines have been used in the TV series. One mine collapsed when runaway trucks crashed into a support beam in the shaft. This mine had a canvas barrier along the tracks outside. Percy managed to survive an avalanche by hiding under the canvas as the track was buried.[76] Another was built on the narrow gauge railway, built on an incline similar to their slate mines.[77]
Slate mining is a staple of the narrow gauge railways. These mines have a winch at the top of a slope called an incline with a cable wrapped around. Both cables are coupled to the end of a line of trucks. Trucks loaded with slate will roll down one side of the incline, and this motion will pull the empty trucks up to the top.[78]
Iron 'Arry and Iron Bert work at the Scrap yards, shunting and hauling trucks filled with scrap to and from the smelters shed and yard. Many engines dread working there.[79][80] The track is lined with rusted old steam engines. Inside the sheds, sparks fly everywhere, and a large crane arm lifts material to be smelted.[81][82]
Stepney once got lost on a foggy night, and his crew left to ask for help. When the fog cleared, Stepney was left without his crew, and the diesels took him to the smelters. Stepney was saved just in time by The Fat Controller, who was inspecting the yards that evening.[69]
This scrap yard first appeared in Season 5, and has continued to appear in the recent seasons. There are also Scrapyards located by Edward's Branch Line.[83] Engines on the Other Railway await scrapping in large yards.[45][84]
In Calling All Engines, Diesel 10 is seen loading iron and steel into trucks.
The scrap engines are mostly recycled stunt locomotives that were used for crash scenes. City Of Truro, Gordon, and Thomas models have shown up in these scenes, as well as some engines from TUGS.
Introduced in Hero of the Rails, the Steamworks is a fueling hub, and home to one of the railway's largest workshops. Victor is the manager, and Kevin also works there.
It is believed to be part of Crovan's Gate Works.
First appearing in Misty Island Rescue, the Search and Rescue Centre is the new base of operations for Harvey the Crane Engine, Harold the Helicopter, Rocky the Rail Crane, and Captain the Lifeboat.
Appeared in Misty Island Rescue, Whiff and Scruff work in the Waste Dump.
Much emphasis is placed on the varying freight traffic carried around the island, since this allows for a greater range of storylines than would be the case for a purely passenger-carrying railway. To provide this traffic, a number of rail-served industries are present. For example, in the Season 9 story Thomas' Milkshake Muddle, the plot revolves around the carriage of milk (or butter) from the dairy to the ice cream factory and the bakery. Also there is recent and successful passenger and freight connections to the airport via the Mainland in subsequent stories and the DVD special: Calling All Engines!
The following is a list of the rail-served industries that have a direct bearing on the plotlines in episodes of the TV series:
Castle Loch is a lake on the standard gauge railway. The country surrounding it is reminiscent of Scotland, and Donald and Douglas feel at home there. Popular legend states that a monster lives in the lake.[91] An old causeway branches off of the track leading to Lord Callan's Castle, but only light engines and stock can cross it safely.[81][91]
Culdee Fell is a mountain through which a section of the narrow gauge railway travels.[92] In The Railway Series, Culdee Fell is described to be the highest peak on Sodor. There is also a narrow gauge rack railway which climbs to the top of Culdee Fell called the Culdee Fell Railway.
Gordon's Hill is a steep hill located after Wellsworth station and before Maron station. It was named after Gordon got stuck pulling a goods train and Edward had to push from behind. It is a place where a bank engine is often required to help trains up the hill, and Edward frequently filled this roll.[93][94]
Many trains have faced difficulty on the hill since Gordon's original incident.[95][96][97]
Henry the Green Engine once stopped in a tunnel and refused to come out. As it was impossible to move him, The Fat Controller decided to wall him in, and engines would only pass through the parallel tunnel. Henry was eventually removed, and the tunnel was put back in service.[98][99]
These tunnels, or others like them, have appeared many times over the years, sometimes with additional tracks passing through the tunnel where Henry was shut up.[100][101]
Lord Callan's Castle is a stop on the standard gauge railway, near Castle Loch. The stop is a small platform with a stairway leading up a hill to the castle.[91] Lord Callan flies the Scottish flag on days of ceremony.[102]
The main line runs a small distance by Norramby Beach.[103][104]
Rumblin Bridge is a new station on the narrow gauge line. A stone bridge visible from the station passes over a river.[105]
Windmills are a major visual component in the TV series, appearing in every title scene since the series began, and seen in the background of many stories.
Several different sets have been constructed over the years. The original had one straight track running behind it.[1][106] The next was surrounded by bare trees.[107] Another, with multiple tracks running past, appeared in Season 3.[108][109] In Seasons 5 and 6, two tracks curved around a windmill elevated above the line.[110][111] In Season 7, two straight lines passed in front of a windmill.[112][113] A similar set to the one from Season 5 was used from Seasons 8 through 12.
The Other Railway is located on a faraway part of Sodor, where only diesels work. Steam engines on this railway are either in hiding [114] or awaiting scrap.[115]
In the books, "The Other Railway" referred to British Rail, but the TV series suggests a railway on Sodor itself.
Certain engines are said to come from The Mainland. While in the books the mainland of Sodor was Great Britain and home to the modernized, diesel-run Other Railway, the TV series suggests that steam engines like Charlie and Spencer still work there, and the threat of diesels taking over is unmentioned.
The Bluebell Railway is located in a small, isolated part of Sodor known for its bluebell blossoms. Both standard and narrow gauge lines make up the railway, but few engines would work there at a time. Rusty resolved to find a steam engine who could run the line regularly, and traveled to The Other Railway where he found Stepney, derelict in a siding.
Stepney enjoyed being put back to work, but was disappointed that his line was short and had no trucks. As such, he sometimes arranges visits to The Fat Controller's railway.
In the books, Stepney came from the real Bluebell Railway: a heritage railway in England. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine was written to promote this railway and the heritage movement.
The Misty Island Railway is a logging railway on Misty Island. It is run by Ferdinand, Bash, and Dash. It first appeared in the Thomas and Friends special Misty Island Rescue.
There was at least one railway before the existence of the present narrow gauge railway. One was worked by Duke, Falcon, and Stuart. It closed down due to hard times, and Falcon and Stuart were bought by the Skarloey Railway and were renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam, respectively. No one would come for Duke until years later, and his old line was so overgrown that one of the men searching for him fell through the shed's roof without knowing it was there.
Another railway connected with the standard gauge railway at an old mine. The Fat Controller became interested in restoring it after seeing it on a map that his grandchildren discovered. Legend held that an "Old Warrior Engine" would light his fire at night and go hunting. "Old Warrior" turned out to be a little old tank engine called Bertram, who was put into use when a park was set up at the site.[2]
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