Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends - Time to say "Goodbye"?

Yep

(Or more accurately, the Rev based a couple of his characters on their locos)

 

In the Talyllyn's case more than a couple of characters. At least six loco's and a set of carriages, with the at least 2 of the loco's being described as twins of the TR locos. Additionally in the illustration of the original books much of the scenery, etc is directly based on the TR and many of the stories are based on Awdry's time as a volunteer guard. I believe he was the guard who forgot the refreshment lady.

I am not sure if there is/was any formal agreement between HIT/Alcroft and the TR rather that after a flurry of lawyer letters it seems what little the TR is tolerated. I think the TR are very careful in their wording and do not make any reference to Thomas but rather state they are the owner of XY and Z locos which were written into the Rev Awdry’s stories as A,B and C. From memory when I was there years ago on a day they had the faces on they were not able to sell any Thomas Merchandise.

Thomas still resonates with young kinds, however much we might find loco’s with faces an irritation. Those kids are the volunteers, supporters and paying passengers of the future.

 

So here's some interesting things:

The Japanese Oigawa Railway runs it's Thomas Event for 3 months of the summer and is more akin to say the Dartmouth Steam Railway in that they have numerous other business interests attached to their core operation. They also now run a Berty The Bus service using a decked out Hino Poncho bus. The character of Hiro from 2009 was to help cement the Japanese market (despite Thomas being bigger there in some respects than in the UK!) and there's now a pretty good replica at the terminus of their steam services. This helped them get over a slump in visitor numbers by appealing to young families in the Tokyo Metro area, which is within an easy train ride to Kanaya. So obviously it has worked out very well for them and as far as I am aware, there's no other real "Thomas events" in Japan involving actual steam engines.

The US Market is perhaps in some respects far worse than the UK's one. Strasburg holds all the cards, you can only rent out one of 6 fibreglass Thomas engines none of which are actually powered (something Trip Advisor seems to note over and over when things go wrong) and I remember reading somewhere that transport and licensing costs for one such event ran to an eye-watering $45,000+ a few years ago to the point the railroad wanted nothing to do with it ever again.

Show-wise there was apparently a "meeting" of some sort around the Season 19/20 mark in which numerous CGI artists and others who worked on the show wanted it to be more educational. So that is why you suddenly have so much more staff about and the engines lose their "psychic powers" of being able to couple, uncouple and work points and signals by themselves.

Demographically, it seems introducing a few female engines has been very good for the brand and they're seeing an uptake in girls being drawn to Thomas as well as the boys. Something that should be good for our long term future (being able to appeal to the other 50% of the population) if they do get over their Thomas Phase.

All in all, I think it's as people say, HiT will be looking for one "big line" or location they can stick a pin into and go "yeah, that'll do" and keep hold of the reigns surprisingly closely. Thomas Land goes a long way like this... but there's also one in Japan as well, they're simply seeing what works for a brand that, despite all this, runs easily into the cool billion dollar mark as a global brand.

Volunteer run railways are not going to be a big factor in that future business plan and the onus comes onto those railways to overcome and adapt to something else. It seems to me there's plenty of ways to do this and many railways are already doing so.

But if we were to keep shoving faces on locomotives as an idea, I would say looking into Sammy The Shunter in a sort of reboot or relaunch might be a good idea. However, give it a "modern" twist and rather than creating something entirely fictional like an island, have it be more about the story of preservation instead.

Heck, stories could and should be about various engines on the preserved lines around the UK and locomotives that are based there in the respective lines "Home Fleets". That way everyone gets a tiny slice of that pie by being able to push something akin to a unified brand and story.

 

It depends on whether the market will accept it. I wrote a series of tales based on modern traction covering both network and preserved lines in the 1990s with copyright characters but none of the heritage lines or BTP went beyond saying "What a good idea" and kicked both idea and further development into the long grass. In my story lines I was developing the relationship between locomotives and children to widen the market at a time when complaints were beginning to be heard about the increased licensing fees for running "Thomas Tank" events but still no-one showed any further interest than "What a good idea" !

Therein lies the problem !

 

That's kind of cart before the horse though, a book series has to be popular before a railway will start running events

 

18 sites according to the official website - http://www.dayoutwiththomas.co.uk/locations/, minus GWSR and Cleethorpes Coast next year and probably more!!!

will try to type up a list when back on a PC!

will

 

Spa Valley can be added to the list of railways that won't be doing Thomas events from next year. Info from https://www.facebook.com/SpaValleyRailway/photos/a.302222209920006/1272939349514949/?type=3&theater

 

From the website, and comments on the thread, looks like next year might be:

• Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
• South Devon Railway
• Colne Valley Railway
• East Anglian Railway Museum
• Dean Forest Railway
• Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
• Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway
• Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line
• Spa Valley Railway
• Kent & East Sussex Railway
• East Lancashire Railway
• Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway
• North Norfolk Railway
• Didcot Railway Centre
• Caledonian Railway
• Bo'ness And Kinneil Railway
• Llangollen Railway
• Kirklees Light Railway

Plus possibly Talyllyn and Nene Valley as discussed up thread.

(edited to strike through Cleethorpes - see post 219).

Tom

 

yes for April the first 2019 of the week end nearest to it,

 

This I have to agree with. What I am talking about would be more linking in with the railways in question. Kind of think Pauline Hazelwood's Quarry Hunslet Books writ large. That seems to have had some success and transformed into a neat little family/kids weekend for the Bala Lake Railway and I cannot see why something couldn't be repeated on a larger scale.

 

Maybe if there was a consistent illustration and story thematic they could be in a combined literary universe in the same way Marvel's films are!

I've been toying with a children's book series "set" on the Seaton Tramway

 

Friendly Transport Universe, perhaps?

 

Ooooh that's lovely and twee. I'd go with Railway Friends or Transport Friends, although you're well into the realm of "that sounds suspiciously like Thomas and Friends", so maybe something a little less on the nose like Railway/Transport Heroes or Legends might work better

 

Mr Ribble's Friendly Engines seem to have gotten away with it for a few years. Mostly by having flesh coloured faces. I simply took that and widened it so more of the heritage market can get in on it (Seaton, Crich, Bus museums etc).

 

The "Thomas" events were an extension of a commercial franchise which included a lot of TV programmes (and therefore audience awareness). The popularity of the "Thomas" brand appears now to be weakening, with the inevitable attempts by its owner to broaden or modernise it with new, more-PC characters and therefore to milk the last few pence out of the brand.

TV coverage has moved to new characters (eg. Peppa Pig) and some heritage railways are moving their attention to these more high-profile characters, despite their lack of railway relevance.

The rest of us will just have to dust off our old Thomas books and try to persuade the grandchildren to listen to us reading them.

 

Hey - whats your evidence for this?

I only ask because based on the data I've been able to cobble together in the past 10 minutes:

Thomas and Friends is the 4th most popular toy based channel on YouTube (a vital market)
It won a Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for it's innovative streaming platform Thomas Creator Collective
It's still in the top 10 Toy Licenses for 0 - 6 year olds (out performing Marvel and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and being on par with Cars , Hot Wheels etc.)
It's still in the top 10 TV shows for 0 - 6 year olds (out performing Dora the Explorer, Ninja Turtles and Paw Patrol)
One of the top 10 book licenses by recognition (a top 10 that includes Harry Potter and the Hunger Games)

It might not be how you'd want it anymore, and it might be proving less popular as a liscence for heritage railways in the UK, but to say that the brand is weakening and that "PC characters" are an attempt to milk the franchise is factually incorrect. In the global marketplace Thomas is still a massive hitter

 

The Mid Hants had several Peppa Pig events a few years back, IIRC they did not attract sufficient visitors to be repeated, I also recall that the actual use of a "Peppa Pig" character was quite restricted, something like 5 20-30 minute slots in the costume per day.

 

Beat me to it Tom, but not complaining!!! Didn't know that Eastleigh were giving Thomas the heave-ho, thought they were quite well placed (going by the number of Characters they can re-create) but I guess if the profits don't add up, then that's how it goes... I read about Cleethorpes vi FB - https://www.facebook.com/Cleethorpe...EbOuUJFQH5IeXZgLTEKsGT9AP8VITTYJw6S0myX4yQ13w

Will

 

Cleethorpes - that's another off the list. I'll edit above...

Tom