Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a theatrical film based on the well-known Thomas the Tank Engine and its American spinoff.
The film was produced by Isle of Man Film Commission, Destination Films and Gullane Entertainment and distributed by Destination Films. It released to theaters in July 2000.
Plot
Mr. Conductor begins the film introducing Thomas the Tank Engine, his engine friends and the Island of Sodor.
At Killaban, Gordon complains to Thomas that he is 8 seconds late with his passenger local. Thomas retorts that Gordon is being bossy, because he wants to be really reliable and right on time and says that he has to find Mr. Conductor, who is looking after the railway while Sir Topham Hatt is taking a holiday. When Gordon claims they can take care of themselves, he then changes his mind when an evil diesel named Diesel 10 speeds by, kicking up dust and dirt and leaving Gordon physically rattling in fear. Thomas reminds him how devious Diesel 10 is and how he is 10 out of 10 for devious deeds and brutal strength, and for his hatred of steam engines.
Mr. Conductor then introduces the town of Shining Time, where we see happy residents, full of life at the station.
Thomas is later thinking trouble is soon to come if Diesel 10 has unfinished business. He talks to James at Tidmouth Sheds, after he accidentally bumps into some buffers. James explains that he was shut up in the sheds by Sir Topham Hatt for being naughty, when Diesel 10 shows up and voices his plan to destroy a lost engine named Lady and thus establish Diesels as the dominant engines on Sodor. While James is confused, Thomas is worried and goes to find Mr. Conductor.
After seeing Billy Twofeathers' map and noticing some strange lines on it, a boy from Shining Time named Patch heads off to Muffle Mountain to see Burnett Stone once the Rainbow Sun arrives.
There is something on Muffle Mountain, a secret that Burnett only shared with his childhood friend and future wife Tasha: he promised he would drive an engine and take her with him. When Patch sees the engine, Burnett reveals the engine's past - her name is Lady since she was sealed inside Muffle Mountain after Diesel 10 crashed and nearly destroyed her long ago. Burnett has fixed her up but informs Patch that she still needs coal to fully run again. Unfortunately, Lady requires special coal to build up steam, which he has not found yet.
At Diesel 10's mountain, Diesel 10 tells his sidekicks Splatter and Dodge of his plan to get rid of the lost engine. The two bumbling diesels report that Mr. Conductor is coming to Sodor, so Diesel 10 decides to destroy him too, only to humiliate himself in front of Splatter and Dodge when his claw whacks him on the nose.
Mr. Conductor prepares to leave Shining Time. Despite difficulty with his gold dust and a little chat with Stacy about Burnett's pass, he soon meets Thomas on Sodor. Thomas reports that Diesel 10 is back, but Mr. Conductor was confident that he can use his gold dust to keep Diesel 10 in order.
Burnett looks at a painting of Lady and starts to have doubts in his belief of magic due to his failure to guard her. Meanwhile, far away, Burnett's granddaughter (Lily) prepares to visit him.
Thomas, James and Gordon begin arguing about who should have taken Mr. Conductor and Gordon boasts that Thomas is too small to do important jobs, which angers Thomas as he shunts some Troublesome Trucks, unaware that Splatter and Dodge are shunting trucks nearby. Over in the yard, Splatter and Dodge are spying at the steam engines. Henry tells the other engines about why Diesel 10 wants to find the lost engine, Percy and James decide to find her before Diesel 10 does. Splatter and Dodge continue to laugh at Thomas as Harold flies by spreading sneezing powder, dumped by Diesel 10, over all Thomas and on them as well.
At Knapford, Mr. Conductor reads the note Sir Topham Hatt left him. After trying on his top hat and returning it after he notices the portrait of the Controller appears angry, then smiling, he receives a phone call from Sir Topham Hatt and receives his instructions.
That night, the engines are asleep at Tidmouth Sheds, but Mr. Conductor is having a hard time trying to sleep and pretends to talk with a ball and a bat. But that does no good and tries to have a cup of cocoa, when Diesel 10 rolls up and demolishes the scaffolding of the sheds with his powerful claw and scares the engines. Mr. Conductor reprimands Diesel 10, but then finally discovers that he has run out of gold dust. As Diesel 10 (delighted) tries to get Mr. Conductor to confess to the lost engine's whereabouts otherwise he will destroy the shed even more, but Mr. Conductor frightens Diesel 10 away with a bag of sugar and threatens to dump the entire bag in his fuel tanks to seize him up permanently. Mr. Conductor voices his concern about his gold dust, but tells the engines to go back to sleep, despite their concerns.
Later that night, Mr. Conductor has a nightmare of Shining Time in ruins and Stacy Jones begging him to come back home. He soon realises that his universe is in danger and that he needs more gold dust.
The next morning, Mutt goes to Lily's hometown with Billy, as he knows that Lily can help Mr. Conductor, but only if she meets someone special at Shining Time first. To reach that end, he intentionally directs her onto the wrong train, placing her on the train bound for Shining Time instead of the train to Muffle Mountain. Meanwhile, Burnett Stone hears the sound of Lady's magic echoing through the mountain.
Back on Sodor, Mr. Conductor is helping make James' itch go away. When James notices that Mr. Conductor looks so tired and asks if it is because he is red considering Diesel 10's negative opinion of the colour, Mr. Conductor happily reassures him that red is bright and cheerful just like his gold dust. He then sends James off to work while he departs to deal with his own problems.
Mr. Conductor goes to the windmill in search of more gold dust but ends up lost. He tries to blow his whistle, but his gold dust is completely gone. Meanwhile, the engines gather for a meeting. As Bertie passes by and tells them to smile, all have their individual concerns about Diesel 10 destroying Lady. Thomas heads off to look for Mr. Conductor to help him. Bertie offers a race with Thomas, but Thomas declines the offer and decides to help Mr. Conductor solve some mysteries.
Mr. Conductor finds a note left by Rabbit and tries a carrot and a stick of celery to make him think properly and has the idea of his beach-loving cousin Junior, who has used up most of his gold dust too, by snoring the whole time during his nap. He tells Junior to go to Shining Time Station first and pick up his emergency whistle, then go to Sodor, and warns him not to talk to anyone about the buffers. Before he can say anything else, the phone line goes dead.
The Rainbow Sun arrives at Shining Time and Mutt barks at Lily to get off the train. Lily finds the station empty and meets Junior. After a talk, Lily picks up the gold dust Junior leaves behind. At Sodor, Mr. Conductor is sleeping by a bush when he has another nightmare about Shining Time in ruins, the Big Dipper crumbling, and Lady's wheels rolling on the rails. He soon wakes up when he hears Thomas calling his name. Mr. Conductor tries to reply, but poor Thomas cannot hear him as he chuffs away.
Lily meets Stacy, who takes her to Burnett who is giving directions to a biker. That night, Burnett and Lily hear Lady's whistle coming from the mountains. Patch (who is outside with his horse) hears it too.
As Percy arrives at Knapford with the Mail Train, he and Thomas talk about Mr. Conductor and conclude that he travels to Sodor on a magic railroad by a set of magic buffers, as Percy overheard him the night before. Diesel 10 overhears them and goes to the Sodor Ironworks to tell Splatter and Dodge his plan. Toby (who has secretly followed them there) hears their plans when the diesels arrive and interrupts them by ringing his bell. Trying to smash him, Diesel 10's claw causes the shed to crash down on him, Splatter and Dodge, thus blocking their path.
The next day, with the diesels trapped, the steam engines work very hard on the main and branch lines, delivering goods and passengers to every station and yards, as repairs continue.
Thomas finds Henry with a bad cold and offers to fetch six trucks of special Island of Sodor coal to make him better, Unbeknownst to him, the 6th truck rolls away into some magic buffers. Bertie passes and greets Thomas and his five trucks; Thomas is confused.
When Thomas tells Percy about the missing truck, they realise that the buffers where the truck disappeared are the buffers leading to the Magic Railroad. Thomas tells Percy to guard the buffers while he goes to find Mr. Conductor, citing that Percy is a brave engine.
Meanwhile, Mr. Conductor is wandering aimlessly when Diesel 10 appears. Mr. Conductor is captured by Diesel 10's claw and is dangled over the Big Dipper. Diesel 10 reveals that he knows about the buffers and threatens to drop Mr. Conductor if he does not reveal its whereabouts. Mr. Conductor notices the viaduct has begun to lose chunks of pieces, just like in his dream and realises the world is beginning to fall apart without the gold dust. Mr. Conductor escapes by cutting a hydraulic tube to Diesel 10's claw, thus catapulting him to the windmill, much to Diesel 10's rage and fury. There, he sees the words: "Stoke up the magic in the mountain and the Lady will smile, then watch the swirls that spin so well." Splatter and Dodge ask Diesel 10 why he let Mr. Conductor escape, he replies that he just did it on purpose and was testing to see if he could escape. Splatter and Dodge thinks that he is lying and mock him, and Diesel 10 angrily decides to attempt to teach them "how to stop being stupid," but makes an even bigger fool of himself when he taps the coal hopper above him with his claw and pours coal all over himself with his claw. James, Gordon and Henry laugh at Diesel 10.
Lily is introduced to Patch, who offers her a horse ride to Shining Time. There she meets Junior again, who offers to take her to Sodor via the magic buffers. But as they were floating, Junior tells her that the Magic Railroad is vanishing, and about the lost engine. Along the way, they notice the missing coal truck that Thomas bumped earlier, and soon they make it to Sodor. They meet Thomas, who agrees to help and uncouples Annie and Clarabel, together they find Mr. Conductor at the windmill. When Mr. Conductor tells Junior about his clue to the gold dust, Lily is introduced to Mr. Conductor. While their backs are turned, Junior climbs onto the sail, as the strong wind current blows him off and he lands onto Diesel 10. Meanwhile Patch tells Burnett that he has no idea where Lily is since she was not at the station when he went back for her. Despite Lily having apparently vanished, Burnett is confident she will turn up again.
That night, Percy finds Splatter and Dodge at the magic buffers. He tries to stay brave like Thomas says he is, but he is too easily frightened by a flock of crows, a talking tumbleweed, and a slamming door. Splatter and Dodge argue about who tells Diesel 10 about the Magic Buffers until an owl frightens them. Finally they suggest telling Diesel 10 about the buffers tomorrow and Percy races back to warn Thomas.
Mr. Conductor and Lily camp out with Thomas. Mr. Conductor tries to keep Lily entertained, but she is worried about being late as her grandfather told her to return by sunset. After a conversation, they realise that Burnett may hold the key to the clue of the gold dust.
As Burnett reveals to Patch that Lady is magic, they realise that the railroad is vanishing and that it needs Lady. But Burnett does not know her secret, and time is running out.
Thomas and Percy decide they must get Lily back to Muffle Mountain before Diesel 10 destroys the magic railroad. Thomas wonders how Lily can get home without gold dust, Mr. Conductor reveals that only the lost engine could do so now. Then he has the idea and asks Thomas if he will take Lily to Muffle Mountain. Thomas is not sure but decides that he will try before he and Lily set off. Guided by a tumbleweed, the two roll right through the magic buffers. While journeying through the magic railroad, they discover the missing truck. Lily realises the connection between the truck and the clue, so Thomas decides to go back for it before setting off again. They soon arrive on Muffle Mountain with the coal truck behind them. As Lily leaves to find Burnett, a gust of wind blows Thomas down the hill, away from the coal truck and back into the magic railroad through another portal at the bottom.
Lily finds Patch, who takes her to Burnett's workshop. Lily figures out only special Island of Sodor coal can make Lady steam, so she sends Patch to collect the coal from the truck.
Diesel 10 (with Junior still on his cab) races into the Smelters where he corners James who is working there. Junior tries to whistle both of them out, only to discover that he (too) is out of gold dust. As Diesel 10 drives the two closer into a melting pit, Junior uses the last of his extra gold dust to teleport himself and James away to safety much to Diesel 10's bewilderment. The two arrive near the buffers, where Mr. Conductor is there waiting. James happily departs, while Mr. Conductor and Junior (both out of gold dust) refuse to give up hope. Lily asks Burnett Stone if Tasha took a ride on Lady and if she loved her as much as Burnett did. Burnett says that she loved Lady because he loved her but could not fix her in time for Tasha to take a ride on her before she passed away.
By now, Burnett Stone has finally succeeded in making Lady steam, by using the special Island of Sodor coal from the truck Thomas and Lily picked up from the Magic Railroad. Together with Lily, Patch and Mutt on board, they set off into the magic railroad. The railroad (receiving energy from Lady) comes back to life, while Lady's face appears. The team encounter Thomas behind them before appearing on Sodor through the buffers, where they reunite with the two conductors. Junior happily states they can go to Shining Time, but Mr. Conductor fears that without gold dust, they will not make it back to Shining Time.
Before the team can find the rest of the clue, Thomas appears from the buffers, but they are found by Diesel 10, Splatter and Dodge. Diesel 10 starts to close in on the two engines, with his claw raised up and orders his cronies to destroy Lady, but Splatter and Dodge (fed up with Diesel 10's ways) betray him. Thomas offers to help Lady, with Burnett driving Lady. Mr. Conductor warns them about the collapsing viaduct. Just as the engines run away from the large diesel, the conductors realise that Lady is part of the clue to the gold dust.
Diesel 10 chases the fleeing magic engine, Thomas and Burnett throughout the Kirk Ronan sites, and even run pass Percy pulling a train, until they approach the Big Dipper. As Lady and Burnett pass, a gap appears on the viaduct. When Thomas manages to make it across the gap in time before it worsens whistling in victory, Diesel 10 brakes hard, but falls off due to his weight. He tries to hang on to a sleeper, but it breaks and he falls into a sludge barge and is towed away.
Thomas, Lady and Burnett return, where they and the rest of the team work out the answer to the riddle. Lily mixes water from the well with golden shavings from the magic railroad and with a little encouragement, tosses them into the air, where they form into gold dust. Delighted, the conductors resupply their whistles, while Thomas and Lady thank each other.
Patch and Mutt go to look around, while Junior gives Lily some gold dust. Junior tells Mr. Conductor that he wants to work now, so Mr. Conductor gives him his hat and sends him to a railroad with "palm trees and sunny spells." After Junior leaves, Sir Topham Hatt calls and says that he is on his way back, so Mr. Conductor sets off to welcome him, letting Sir Topham Hatt know that everything is under control before he hangs up. Lily offers her gold dust to Burnett, who sprinkles it on her bluebird toy and whispers that they will "always remember their Shining Time together."
With Lady and the Magic Railroad back to life, Shining Time is restored to its former glory. Thomas happily puffs home to Tidmouth Sheds into the sunset and the end credits roll.
Characters
Thomas & Friends
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Annie and Clarabel
- Bertie
- Harold
- Troublesome Trucks (do not speak; full roles cut)
- Cranky (cameo; full role cut)
- Henrietta (cameo)
- Butch (cameo)
- Sir Topham Hatt (voice only; portrait cameo)
- Lady Hatt (mentioned; portrait cameo)
- Donald or Douglas (scrapped model cameo)
- City of Truro (scrapped model cameo)
- Flying Scotsman (scrapped model cameo)
- Toad (scrapped model cameo)
- George (dropped)
Characters Introduced
Shining Time Station
Characters Introduced
- Junior
- Lily Stone
- Mrs. Stone
- Burnett Stone
- Patch
- The Tumbleweed
- Tasha Stone (voiceover as a child; portrait cameo)
- P.T. Boomer (cameo; full role cut)
Cast
Live-action
- Alec Baldwin as Mr. Conductor
- Cody McMains as Patch
- Russell Means as Billy Twofeathers
- Peter Fonda as Burnett Stone
- Didi Conn as Stacy Jones
- Mara Wilson as Lily
- Michael E. Rodgers as Junior
- Lori Hallier as Mrs. Stone
- Shelley-Elizabeth Skinner as a customer (uncredited)
- Keith W. Strandberg as a passenger (uncredited)
- Hugo Murray as goldfish boy (uncredited)
- Doug Lennox as P.T. Boomer (uncredited)
Voice
- Eddie Glen as Thomas
- Neil Crone as Gordon, Diesel 10, Splatter and Tumbleweed
- Colm Feore as Toby
- Linda Ballantyne as Percy
- Kevin Frank as Henry, Dodge, Bertie and Harold
- Susan Roman as James
- Shelly-Elizabeth Skiner as Annie and Clarabel
- Britt Allcroft as Lady
- Jared Wall as young Burnett
- Laura Bower as young Tasha Stone
Original
- John Bellis as Thomas
- Michael Angelis as James and Percy
- Keith Scott as Diesel 10
- Patrick Breen as Splatter and Dodge
- Kevin Frank and Neil Crone as the Troublesome Trucks
Locations
Shining Time Station
- Shining Time
- Shining Time Station
- Pelican Falls (mentioned)
- Lucy's Leap (mentioned)
- Muffle Mountain
- Big City
- The Magic Railroad
Thomas & Friends
- The Island of Sodor
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Sodor Ironworks
- Knapford
- Bulgy's Bridge
- The Big Dipper
- Henry's Tunnel
- Diesel 10's Mountain
- Rainbow Ridge
- Sodor Grain Windmill
- The Coaling Plant
- Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
- Killaban
- The Magic Buffers
- Sodor Wishing Well
- Wellsworth (portrait)
- Tidmouth (portrait)
- Tidmouth Yards (portrait)
- Tidmouth Hault Sheds (portrait)
- Brendam Docks (portrait)
Songs
- Really Useful Engine
- Shining Time
- Some Things Never Leave You
- I Know How the Moon Must Feel
- Summer Sunday
- The Locomotion
- Old MacDiesel
- I've Been Working on the Railroad
- The Whistling Song (early draft; dropped)
- Night Train (dropped)
- Girl in Green (dropped)
- The Island Song (dropped)
- Thomas' Anthem (dropped)
Production
Development
In the early 1990s, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends was at the height of its popularity following three successful series. At the same time, its live-action American spin-off Shining Time Station was also successful. As early as 1994, prior to the launch of the 4th series, Britt Allcroft had plans to make a feature film based on both of these shows and would make use of the model trains from Thomas and the live-action aesthetic of Shining Time Station.
In February 1996, Allcroft was approached by Barry London, then vice-chairman of Paramount Pictures, with an idea for a Thomas film. Allcroft signed a contract to write the script for the film with the working title of Thomas and the Magic Railroad. According to a press release, filming was due to take place at w:c:ttte:Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom and the United States, with the theatrical release set to 1997. However, Paramount shelved the plans for the film after London left the company. This led Allcroft to seek other sources of funding. Discussions about the film were held with PolyGram, which did not did not go on any further as the company was in the middle of a corporate restructuring and sale.
In the summer of 1998, during the launch of the 5th series in the UK, Allcroft saw an Isle of Man Commission advert offering tax incentives to companies who wanted to film on the Island. Allcroft visited the Island a few weeks later and decided the location was perfect for the film. In 1999, Barry London became Chairman of the newly-founded Destination Films, owned by Sony Pictures, and renewed his interest in the project, leading to Destination Films becoming the main financial backer and studio for the film.
Filming
Test Footage
Main Article: Thomas and the Magic Railroad (Test Footage) After Britt Allcroft had proposed the idea of a full-length theatrical film, the crew were worried that the gauge 1 models would not be up to cinematic condition and the models imperfections (perfectly fine on television screens) would look problematic on the big screen. Because of this, the film crew had the idea of filming the 5th series and every previous series with larger gauge 3.5 models.
Models of Thomas and Percy were built by David Eves during 1996. The models were made from brass unlike the previously plastic models of the show. The model of Thomas would later be used in some music videos produced during the 5th series. A model of the station Cronk was built, a station previously never seen before in the show.
Three test sequences were created. The 1st sequence was simply called Test Sequence. In this sequence, Thomas crosses a wooden bridge over a stream and looks in his reflection. Thomas reaches a station and stops there. Then Thomas' driver steps down from his cab and leaves.
The next test sequence (titled Little Man) starts with Thomas running through the countryside. Percy passes him. After looking at his reflection in the water, Thomas meets Percy at a station where Mr. Conductor (who was running Thomas) leaves the station and so does Thomas. It is assumed that Mr. Conductor would have been green-screened in the test by whoever played him.
Big Man is the same as Little Man, except with a different larger man walking out of Thomas' cab. This was presumably an experiment with the close-up figurines.
The crew was left with footage that had a runtime less than a standard episode. It was ultimately decided that it would be too costly to rebuild an entire new fleet of engines. The crew returned back to the Gauge 1 models for the 5th series of the show and Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
The 3.5" Thomas and Percy would later be repurposed as designated models for Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and close-up shots of the engines between the 5th to 12th series of Thomas & Friends.
Film
Principal photography began on 2nd August 1999 and wrapped on 15th October 1999. Filming took place at the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, United States, as well as in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and on the Isle of Man. The Castletown railway station on the Isle of Man Railway formed part of Shining Time Station and the goods shed at Port St. Mary railway station became Burnett Stone's workshop. The large passenger station where Lily boards the train is the Harrisburg Transportation Center. Strasburg Rail Road's (ex Norfolk & Western) 4-8-0 475 was repainted as the Rainbow Sun.
During production, Thomas and Percy had replica brass models made. This was because their original plastic models were starting to show their age and had been repaired and repainted so many times that the crew were afraid some of these imperfections would be seen on the big screen and the models needed to be in top condition for intense filming. The new models were made out of brass and painted in matte finishes. They were equipped with CNC machined brass chassis powered by DC motors and the bufferbeam details were built from scratch. The plastic models also were repainted in a matte finish and had their original Marklin chassis replaced with new CNC brass made chassis.
Sodor was realised using models and chroma key. The models were animated using live-action remote control, as on the television series. The model sequences were shot in Toronto instead of Shepperton Studios, the "home" of the original show; however, several of the show's key staff were flown over to participate. When the filming sets from the TV series were sent from Shepperton to Toronto, Many of the set pieces and buildings were damaged beyond repair from shipping and had to be recreated from scratch. During the 1st week of filming, Tidmouth Sheds became warped due to the set reaching 113°F forcing the crew to rebuild it. The Magic Railroad was created using models, CGI and water-coloured matte paintings. Throughout Post-Production, the visual effects were provided by six studios: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, Gajdecki Visual Effects, Howard Granite Films, LairdFX, Mad Dog Digital and Toybox.
Problems and Changes
In a 2007 Sodor Island Fansite interview, Britt Allcroft commented that the finished film was drastically different from the version she had written, with several scenes, plot elements and characters being cut from the final film.[1]
One of the biggest changes to the film was the removal of P.T. Boomer, the film's original main antagonist. He was cut after test audiences found him to be too frightening for children. Despite his excision, Boomer still appears in a few unedited moments of the final film and even appears in one of the trailers, which shows him and Diesel 10 falling off the viaduct. The official Thomas and the Magic Railroad website also had images and information regarding his character prior to being cut. Parts of his character (such as his goal to find Lady) were rewritten for Diesel 10.
Several character voices were also changed during production. Thomas was originally voiced by John Bellis, a fireman and part-time taxi driver who worked on the film as the Isle of Man transportation coordinator and facilities manager. Bellis received the role after he happened to pick up Allcroft and her crew from the airport; Allcroft believed his voice suited Thomas perfectly and so he was flown to Toronto to record his lines. Test audiences in Los Angeles disliked Bellis' voice for Thomas, believing his Liverpudlian accent made Thomas sound "too old." Bellis was replaced by Eddie Glen, who gave Thomas a more youthful voice. James and Percy were originally going to be voiced by Michael Angelis, then-narrator of the television show. Test audiences also considered his voice to be too old for the characters and so he was replaced by Susan Roman and Linda Ballantyne who gave the two a more youthful, but ladyish accent. Patrick Breen originally voiced Splatter and Dodge, but he was also replaced for unknown reasons, to be replaced by Neil Crone and Kevin Frank.
Diesel 10 was originally voiced by Keith Scott, but his voice was later changed; Scott believes that he was replaced due to his voice sounding too scary to younger children. He was replaced by Neil Crone, who gave Diesel 10 a Russian accent. Due to complaints by test audiences, who believed the voice could be considered offensive, Crone gave Diesel 10 a stylised New Jersey accent. He and Kevin Frank both improvised a lot of comedy in the film.
During filming of the confrontation scene at the smelters yard, James' model fell off the set and was significantly damaged. Even after repairs were completed, cracks could still be seen in his cab and other areas, even during the final cut.
Deleted Scenes and Original Script
All of these changes were featured in the original script of the film. They were cut out in either later scripts or the final release:[1]
- Originally, Sir Topham Hatt was to be casted in a live-action appearance but this was eventually dropped because no actor "of the right size" could be found.
- The Island Song and Thomas' Anthem were going to be used in the film during the opening musical sequence. Additionally, Night Train was originally going to be used in the scene of Thomas and Percy pulling their mail trains.
- The special takes place in 1999, hinted by Lily's age being the same as Mara Wilson's.
- Lily was the narrator, telling the story to her children 20 years later. In the future, she became a railroad engineer like Burnett and married Patch. She also had a pet dog named Jeff, who was a descendant of Mutt.
- Lily's mother was pregnant, which is why Lily goes to visit her grandfather.
- Cranky was meant to have a nonspeaking role. In the scene where Splatter and Dodge ask Diesel 10 why he let Mr. Conductor escape, Cranky would have dropped a crate of fruits and vegetables on them. There was a 2nd idea which had him drop oil on Diesel 10. In the final film, Diesel 10 is covered in coal from a hopper. Cranky's model still appears in the film, albeit as set dressing at Knapford.
- Originally, Percy and Toby were going to be introduced hauling scrap from the scrapyard. Percy speaks about how he is glad to be out of the scrapyard as he finds it scary. He also tells Toby about Sir Topham Hatt going on holiday. Toby assures him everything will be alright. Splatter and Dodge are revealed to be listening in and leave to tell the boss, Diesel 10.
- George was going to make an appearance as one of Diesel 10's lackeys. He agreed to help Diesel 10 destroy all the buffers on Sodor to find the ones that led to the Magic Railroad and as a reward he would be allowed to destroy the turntable at Tidmouth Sheds and turn it into a roller rink, though at some point he eventually turned against Diesel 10. As his model was never taken out of storage, his role was dropped in later scripts.
- Diesel 10 was a new engine who came to help while Sir Topham Hatt was away, instead creating problems on the railway.
- Pinchy would have been concealed underneath Diesel 10's roof and not been revealed until Diesel 10's first meeting with Splatter and Dodge.
- Diesel 10's claw originally was not named. When Neil Crone was improvising dialogue in the recording studio, he came up with Pinchy. The team loved it, so it stayed.
- Burnett Stone was given the task of being Lady's caretaker by a previous Mr. Conductor.
- The railway was undergoing major repairs throughout the film, which would explain why Tidmouth Sheds was under repair in the final cut.
- Mr. Conductor would have remained in his original size of ten inches on the Island of Sodor in certain scenes. The items in Sir Topham Hatt's office are described as being as large as him and he would have slept in a small hammock in Tidmouth Sheds instead of a bed.
- The scene where Thomas was meant to be covered in dust by Harold was intended to carry on through the night at Tidmouth Sheds, with Diesel 10 dumping sneezing powder down Thomas' funnel.
- There is an unused brief few scenes where Thomas would temporarily have his whistle broken.
- Another thing to note about the powder scene was that it originally took place at the quarry instead of Tidmouth.
- The windmill was not the location of the clue to the source of the gold dust. Instead, it was a large waterfall that Mr. Conductor had to climb up to retrieve a sheet of paper, it was then revised to a waterfall with a light shining into a barrel, a wagon, and a rainbow reflecting onto a rock-face, Mr. Conductor would have to step onto the wagon to inspect the writing before it would disappear.
- Lady originally did not speak. Her only ways of communicating would be through telepathy with Thomas on Muffle Mountain and her whistle. She was later given a speaking role in order to smooth over cuts to the final film.
- In the original script, the differences between British and American terminology were acknowledged and occasionally poked fun at. The engines would continue to refer to Sir Topham Hatt as "The Fat Controller" and also corrected Mr. Conductor when he mistakenly said "Sodor Railroad" instead of "Railway."
- Junior was originally described as being an English character. His nationality was changed after Michael E. Rodgers was cast for the role.
- Patch was originally intended to be Irish.
- Mr. Conductor escapes Diesel 10's claw by cutting a blue/green wire instead of the hydraulic hose he cuts in the final film. His original predicament would include him having to figure which wire to cut, one opening the claw and the other tightening it which could crush him, as opposed to the pliers falling out of his hands having to reach them under 10 seconds. Instead of being catapulted to the windmill by Diesel 10's claw, Mr. Conductor would have been dropped, caught onto Diesel 10’s wheel, lost grip and bounced off a bush before landing at the windmill.
- Splatter and Dodge were not meant to reform; instead, George would have been the one who turned against them, telling them to destroy the magic buffers themselves. They try to do so, but bump into each other and derail. In another script, George would have helped Junior and James defeat the two diesels by pushing a boulder onto their line, trapping them on a siding.
- In the original script, Thomas does not stop to pick up the missing coal truck despite recognizing it and only realises its significance after he reaches Muffle Mountain. Lily makes the same connection and Patch and his horse are sent to retrieve the truck. The horse's hooves are permanently etched with gold dust, allowing it to go down the Magic Railroad.
- In the original script, Thomas is knocked off of Muffle Mountain by an explosion caused by P.T. Boomer. In the final release, the ground under him simply crumbles away.
- After Diesel 10 and P.T. Boomer fall into the barge, they would have either vanished or would have been turned into boiler sludge via Junior's magic bandanna, who arrived at the Big Dipper by Percy.
- James and Percy were originally present in the ending at the wishing well, but were later cut from the scene.
- The ending would have seen Lily, now married to Patch, finishing the story with her children, who are on a picnic and looking through a scrapbook with pictures from Sodor. They can be seen walking together with their horse in the shot viewing Shining Time Station.
Release
Thomas and the Magic Railroad was released theatrically in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 14th July 2000 and the United States and Canada on 26th July 2000. The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square; for the purpose, a steam locomotive, LMS Fowler 3F no. 47298 (albeit painted to resemble Thomas) was brought to the cinema by low-loader on 9th July 2000. National press coverage was low, as many journalists were concentrating on the launch of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book, for which a special train called "Hogwarts Express" would run on 8th - 11th July. In September 2020, it was announced that the film would be re-released in theaters for one day only on 24th October 2020 for the film's 20th anniversary.
Home media
Thomas and the Magic Railroad was released onto VHS and DVD on 19th October 2000 in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Warner Home Video and in the United States on 31st October 2000 by Columbia TriStar Home Video. In 2007, the Double Feature with The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland was released.[2]
Shout! Factory had planned to release the movie on Blu-Ray and DVD to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary on 9th June 2020,[3][4]but the date had been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 15th July 2020, a day after the original release for the movie in the UK and Ireland, Britt Allcroft announced on her Facebook page the official press release for the 20th Anniversary Blu-ray.[5] The combo pack was released on 29th September 2020. The release featured new interviews with the cast and crew (including Mara Wilson and Alec Baldwin), "The Making of Thomas and the Magic Railroad" featurette previously only available on the German DVD release, and for the 1st time, the entire original deleted storyline featuring P.T. Boomer and narration by Lily (extracted from the film's workprint and missing final effects and ADR voiceover).
Reception
Thomas and the Magic Railroad was negatively received by critics, sporting an approval rating of 21% on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 68 critics, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The site's critical consensus says "kids these days demand cutting edge special effects or at least a clever plot with cute characters. This movie has neither, having lost in its Americanization what the British original did so right." Metacritic gives the film a score of 19 out of 100, based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike."
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film 1 star out of 4, and wrote "(the fact) That Thomas and the Magic Railroad made it into theaters at all is something of a mystery. This is a production with 'straight to video' written all over it. Kids who like the Thomas books might kinda like it. Especially younger kids. Real younger kids. Otherwise, no." While he admired the models and art direction, he criticised how the engines' mouths did not move when they spoke, the overly depressed performance of w:c:ttte:Peter Fonda, as well as the overall lack of consistency in the plot. Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times gave the film a 3/5 rating, saying, "Mr. Baldwin's attack (there's no better way to put it) is unforgettable." However, he had a positive, saying, It's very slow, though it does offer a respite from the overactive animation that kids are mostly subjected to. Kaleem Aftab of The List stated, "For those under-tens, Thomas and the Magic Railroad will be a great way to spend a school holiday afternoon."
William Thomas of Empire gave the film a 1 out of 5 stars, he was critical of the films special effects, stating, "But (believe it or not) the true villains of the piece are (in fact) the 'special' effects. Quite how (in today's era of slo-mo and seamless digital wizardry) such a shoddy result can have been achieved is anyone's guess. With clunky bluescreen, spot-a-mile-off matte work and an absolute lack of synergy between real-life and animated action, it all conspires to provide an appropriately amateur sheen." Plugged In stated, "While the animation maintains its simple appearance, the plot is anything but simple. And that's not good news for the many tots who make up the majority of Thomas' audience. Switching back and forth between Shining Time and Sodor (interweaving two relatively complex story lines) may confuse more than it challenges. Parents may well find that their children are squirming in their seats long before Thomas rides his magic rails into the sunset. That said (and the magic notwithstanding) tikes who do manage to grasp the complex story lines, and can sit still for an hour and a half, will learn good lessons about friendship, courage, hard work and being kind." Neil Minow of Common Sense Media gave the film three out of five stars and writing that it "will please [Thomas fans]" but that the plot "might confuse kids."
The film was also a partial box office flop, grossing $19.7 million compared to its $19 million budget. During its 2nd week of screening in Britain, it only took in £170,000 (roughly $215,000 in the United States).
Awards and Nominations
- Nominations:
- YoungStar Awards - Best Young Actress/Performance in a Motion Picture Comedy, 2000, to Mara Wilson
- Young Artists Awards - Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress, 2001, to Mara Wilson
Trivia
- In the original script, Cranky was to have a larger role and George was to appear as one of Diesel 10's helpers.
- Edward was never in any script for the movie despite being the #2 steam engine; according to Phil Fehrle, there wasn't enough screen time and opportunity to utilise him in a way to add any real value to the film.
- In Sir Topham Hatt's office are photos of James, Thomas, and Henry on the wall from Time for Trouble, Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach, and Tender Engines.
- Interestingly, an hour-glass (very similar in design to the one allowing for time-travel in How the Station Got Its Name) appears in Sir Topham Hatt's office.
- People that worked on the original series also worked on this movie, namely:
- David Mitton (as model unit creative consultant)
- David Eves (as model SFX supervisor)
- Steve Asquith (as model supervisor)
- Terence Permane (as director of photography for the models section)
- John Bellis (the original voice of Thomas) is credited as "transportation coordinator."
- In one of the trailers, P.T. Boomer can be seen falling off of Diesel 10 at the viaduct, a rod can be seen connected to Thomas' coupler, and Thomas and Diesel 10 have different voices.
- Phil Fehrle and Shelley-Elizabeth Skinner make cameos in this movie.
- Throughout the movie, posters of Sir Topham Hatt saying "Sir Topham needs you" are seen (although Sir Topham Hatt himself is only heard and mentioned).
- Britt Allcroft later on was given lines to voice Lady to help smooth over the cuts from the movie.
- This is the 3rd time a member of the Conductor Family loses his gold dust, the other times are in Mr. Conductor's 4th of July and One of the Family.
- The locomotive that played the Rainbow Sun is the Strasburg Railroad No. 475.
- Didi Conn is the only actress to reprise her role from Shining Time Station.
- Horace Schemer is absent in this film.
- Diesel 10's nicknames for Junior "Mr. Kahoona" and "Moondoggie" are references to two characters from the Gidget franchise, that had the same nicknames.
- In the film's released workprint a newspaper P.T. Boomer picks up, reveals the film takes place in July 1999.
- On July 14th, 2020, a special 20th anniversary presentation was released on YouTube. It featured many elements that had being cut from the film including George the Steamroller, all the scenes featuring P.T. Boomer and Edward who was shown as the engine taking Sir Topham Hatt and Lady Hatt on their holiday.
Quotes
- Splatter: Uh, so boss…
- Dodge: How come you let Twinkletoes escape?
- Splodge (Splatter and Dodge): Yeah?!
- Diesel 10: Oh, that. Well, I did it on purpose, you know. I was testing him to see if he could escape.
- Splatter: Liar, liar.
- Dodge: Pants on fire.
- Splatter: Does he wear pants?
- Dodge: Well, training pants.
- Splatter: Oh, yeah.
- Diesel 10:
- Alright! Playtime's over, Splodge!
- (Splodge (Splatter and Dodge): (groaning) Uh, oh!)
- Now it's time for the next lesson, huh?! I call it "How to Stop Being Stupid". (uses Pinchy to hit the coal chute, pouring coal all over him)
- (James, Henry and Gordon laugh)
- Now that's going to ruin my facial.
- (Splodge (Splatter and Dodge): (groaning) Oh.)
- Splatter: Hey, hey! Just watch what happens to that blue puffball…
- Dodge: …when Harold the "flopper-chopper" flies past here!
- Splatter: Right!
- Harold: Routine flyby, chaps! Hello!
- Splatter: The boss dumped sneezing powder everywhere!
- Dodge: Let's start laughing now!
- (They laugh as Harold descends, causing Thomas, Splatter and Dodge to be covered in powder)
- Harold: Sorry, fellas! Bit of a dust up! Love to stay and clean up. Got to go! Bye now!
- Splatter: Did you mean to look like that?
- Dodge: No.
- Splatter: Neither did I.
- Splatter: What are you gonna do?
- Dodge: Oh yeah, yeah. That's a good question.
- Diesel 10: It's time to finally put Twinkletoes' lights out.
- Splodge (Splatter and Dodge): Oh, oh.
- Diesel 10: This is a job for the boss!
- (Pinchy opens and shuts)
- Toby: I've got to delay him. I've got to distract him. Hmm, hmm. (rings his bell)
- Diesel 10:
- It's the old teapot! Smash him!
- (Pinchy knocks against the shed beams, knocking them down and trapping him, Splatter, and Dodge. Pinchy then breaks through the collapsed roof)
- Pinchy, get back here! Pinchy, don't make me come up there! I hate it when you do this, Pinchy!
- Toby: Good show!
- Splatter: Uh, boss…
- Dodge: Did you mean to let the roof fall in?
- Splatter: Yeah, all the way in?
- Diesel 10: I always mean what I do, you rattle traps.
- (Thomas meeting Junior and Lily)
- Junior: Thomas! Now, don't look so surprised. I haven't seen you since -
- Thomas: You stuffed party poppers down my funnel!
- Junior: Hey, we had a laugh.
- Thomas: You did.
- Diesel 10: Aha, there's the blue puffball! And look who he's with! Splodge, come and destroy!
- Splatter: No, no, you do it yourself!
- Dodge: We don't like you.
- Splatter: Yeah we mean that.
- Dodge: Emphatically.
- Splatter: Yeah, what does that mean?
- Dodge: I have no idea.
- Splatter: It's a good word.
- Diesel 10: (upon landing in the sludge barge) Oh well, nice time of the year for a cruise.
- Thomas: Lady, you're a really helpful engine.
- Lady: And helping each other brings to life the magic in all of us.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Interview with Britt Allcroft on SiF
- ↑ Double the Family Fun, Family DVD Double Feature and Family Fun Time on Amazon
- ↑ Thomas and the Magic Railroad (20th Anniversary Edition) on Amazon
- ↑ Thomas and the Magic Railroad (20th Anniversary Edition) on Shout! Factory
- ↑ Allcroft's Facebook posted on 15th July 2020