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

No problem with a loco having a face. Locos were given faces long before Thomas came on the scene. The critical thing is that the face must not resemble a Thomas character or there be any implied connection with T.T.E.

 

Can anyone seriously look at 'The British Railway Stories' and not think they have plagiarised the concept of TTTE pretty much hook, line and sinker?

Have to say I am very surprised that, in this day and age of trigger-happy solicitors, a 'cease and desist' hasn't been issued.

 

They tried, but when the conversation got onto a storyline about "Gerald the Great Northern Engine" having plastic surgery, the lawyers ran away begging for mercy ...

Tom

(Only kidding SACM - I thought the thread was interesting and it is always worth debating counter-view, even if only to test the prevailing orthodoxy).

 

Where would you draw the line though? How many Pannier Tanks are there unintentionally looking like 'Duck' then there's the real life loco's like 3440, 46229, 4468 and 4771 from the National Collection which are in the Books by Mr Awdrey junior. Then there's Gordon at the SVR it's big, it's blue, it has the same number of wheels... I could go on! If you have a read of Railway adventure by LTC Rolt the end of chapter 4 ends with the phrase 'gallent old engine' which is a title in the railway series, again what was that based on?! From what I've seen of Simons books there dosn't seem to be any plagiarism from the books from Rev Awdrey at all.

 

So how many Thomas-a-likes are out there now?
The ones I know of are:
Mid Hants' conversion of an Austerity - I remember they were requested to include the drop-down front bufferbeam. The Mid-Hants converted a second WD 0-6-0 into a tender loco ('Douglas') but this has been sold to the Ribble Steam Railway


Hunslet 'Jessie' - when I was last at Llangollen the saddle tank was in the yard. The owner said he had done it to pay for his retirement!


This one which looks like the saddle tank is still intact, with cosmetic side tanks


This one - what manufacturer? Looks a bit like 'Twizell'


And this one which looks like a Hudswell Clarke

 

I would have thought that 'steam locomotives with faces discussing their adventures' (or whatever it is they do) would have been close enough to a blatant rip-off of the Awdry books to warrant closer examination.
Fair enough, I know chronic unoriginality isn't a crime in itself, but hey ho. Anyway, good luck to him.

It looks more like it's been sniffing the white coal dust to me!

 

The last one looks like NBL 24564/39. "Coventry No 1". Normally based at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, but now I believe stopped for a ten yearly ( and in need of serious front end work)

 

In a similar vein, how many have escaped from the dreaded blue livery?

HE 686 has reverted to ICI red as The Lady Armaghdale

47327 became S&DJR 23

HC 1450 has become a sort of 'stealth Thomas'

 

Looks like Lady Armaghdale - see photo by David Cooke on the SVR Wiki for comparison. http://www.svrwiki.com/686_The_Lady_Armaghdale#mediaviewer/File:HE_686_ELR_as_Thomas.jpg

 

and then there is always the Strasburg Railroad version..............

 

Outside cylinders for Thomas the Forney of course.

PH

 

In view of the DfT's enthusiasm for things Japanese, perhaps this would be what a ROSCO-owned Thomas (or Tomasu) would look like?

 

Possibly RSH 7031 Pen Green from East Anglian Railway Museum?


I don't have a picture, but I believe NR 5710 at Bo'ness and Kinneil does Thomas.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/22601072167

 

The GWS have their own Thomas. Undergoing overhaul as we write. See if I can find a photo!

 

Formerly HE 2409 King George, ex GWSR. Photo before the 'overhaul' began.

 

Pity in a way as this was one of the 1st locos to haul services on the nascent GWSR back in the 80s and I remember it well. Here's a shot of "King George" at a rather basic Winchcombe Stn in October 1987. I believe this loco came to the GWSR from a scrapyard at Witney, Oxon. Apologies for the thread drift!

Regarding "Thomas" I understand that the LBSCR 0-6-0T which formed the basis of the little blue engine may soon appear as a new build, or perhaps not!

 

Ha ha ha ha ha ha.....no chance!! (I've seen the Facebook site!)


Keith

 

Ooh any chance of a link for a good laugh?

 

Hasn't been updated in over a year but here you go.... https://www.facebook.com/groups/428463807292359/

Enjoy!


Keith