Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Encyclopedia
Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American film
based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
and the United States
TV series Shining Time Station
. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment
and the Isle of Man Film Commission
. It was written, produced and directed by Britt Allcroft
.
The film received mixed reviews. It was released first in the UK where critics were unfamiliar with the characters from Shining Time Station and accused Thomas of being "Americanised". It received better reviews in the U.S. ("An enchanting ride." AP. "Delight for young moviegoers." Garnett News Service.) and was well liked by the young audiences for whom it was created, albeit a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
. Since the film's release, various specials based on Thomas and Friends have been released, although they are not directly related to this film.
In 2007, it was revealed that the released film had been drastically cut from the original script written and shot by Britt Allcroft against her will.
This film was dedicated to Wilbert Awdry.
, normally in charge of the railways on Sodor, is on holiday and has left Mr. Conductor in charge. Meanwhile, Thomas and Gordon encounter an evil diesel locomotive
, Diesel 10, stating that he has unfinished business on Sodor. He is planning to get rid of steam engines on Sodor once and for all.
Mr. Conductor has problems of his own. The mysterious gold dust that allows him to magically transport from place to place is running out, and without it there will be no way for anyone to travel from Shining Time to Sodor or back again. There is a lost engine that is able to travel between Sodor and Muffle Mountain using the Magic Railroad, but nobody knows where she is.
Burnett Stone, an elderly man, lives on Muffle Mountain, near Shining Time Station, in which Stacy Jones was the manager. Unknown to everyone, he is the guardian of the lost engine, whose name is Lady. The engine crashed after an earlier encounter with Diesel 10, and ever since then Burnett has been trying to repair Lady. Even though he seems to have gotten the little engine restored mechanically, so far he has been unable to make her steam.
Percy and Thomas find out that there is a secret railway and there are magic buffers that lead to it. However, Diesel 10 overhears them. Toby the Tram Engine follows D-10 and hears him telling his diesel locomotive henchmen Splatter and Dodge of his plans to destroy the steam locomotives. Diesel 10 thinks that this horrid act seems possible mainly because Mr. Conductor's whistle contains gold dust inside which he uses to travel is running out, and he is therefore becoming too weak to stop Diesel 10. Wanting to warn his friends of Diesel's plans, Toby rings his bell, distracting them.
Burnett's granddaughter Lily visits him, and meets C. Junior, Mr. Conductor's good-natured but lazy cousin, who takes her to Sodor and introduces her to the talking engines who live there, including Thomas. Later, Thomas is assigned to transport Lily back to Burnett on Muffle Mountain after inadvertently discovered the entrance of the long-abandoned Magic Railroad by an old grotto. He takes his lost truck of special Island-of-Sodor coal and arrives on the other end of the Magic Railway, located at the edge of a high cliff near the top of Muffle Mountain. Lily goes to her grandfather's house, leaving Thomas stranded on the mountain. However, the ground gives way and Thomas uncouples himself from the coal-truck, falling off the cliff to the bottom of the mountain where he re-enters the Magic Railroad through another portal there.
Lily reunites with Burnett at his workshop, where he shows her Lady and explains his problem getting the engine to steam. Using the Sodor coal truck, the engine eventually comes to life. Lily and Burnett take Lady along the Magic Railroad, regenerating itself in the process. Lily comments that Burnett had never forgotten about Magic. The travelers reunite with Thomas and find their way back to Sodor, where Diesel 10 finds them and goes after them. He is foiled by a damaged viaduct
(that was damaged prior to the movie) which collapses beneath him, sending him falling into the ravine below, where he lands in a barge
filled with sludge
and is carried away.
Thomas, Lady, Burnett and Lily meet Mr. Conductor and C-Junior. They use the water from a wishing well and shavings from the rails of the Magic Railroad to make more gold dust, and the Island of Sodor and Shining Time Station are saved. C-Junior, encouraged by his success in being able to help out, offers to take a job on Sodor, and Mr. Conductor presents him with his conductor's cap and a spare uniform so that C-Junior can now assume Mr. Conductor's role on Sodor, while Mr. Conductor says that he will now travel back to serve at Shining Time Station. In the end Thomas is happily going home to Tidmouth sheds to tell the engines about his encounter with the lost engine Lady.
There was originally to be a lengthy scene with Young Burnett and Young Tasha dancing with P.T. Boomer sulking in the background. Due to his scene being cut, all that is heard of Burnett and Tasha is their voices.
in Strasburg, Pennsylvania
(U.S.), as well as in Ontario
and on the Isle of Man
. 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. Running shots of the "Indian Valley" train were filmed at the Strasburg Rail Road location. The large passenger station where Lily boards the train is the Harrisburg Transportation Center
. Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 475
was repainted as the Indian Valley motive power.
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 filmed in Toronto, Canada instead of Shepperton Studios
, the "home" of the original TV show; however, several of the show's key staff were flown over to participate.
The Magic Railroad was created using models and CGI
and water color painting.
, seen exchanging words with Burnett and setting the explosion off that sent Thomas off the mountain.
The same trailers also depicted Diesel 10 with an upper class
English accent rather than the American one he had in the release. The reason for this is that there is a different actor playing Diesel 10 in the trailer (an English one instead of an American one). It was revealed that the original voice of Diesel 10 was Australian voice actor Keith Scott. The reason Keith Scott was removed was because the test audiences feared it would frighten the youngest viewers. In an E-mail reply from Neil Crone
by the Sodor Island Forums, he stated that he did a voice for Diesel 10 with a Russian accent and that Britt had heard it and liked it. However, that voice suffered at the hands of the test audience too, as they believed it could cause offence; as such, Crone had to re-record all of his lines. (At Allcroft's behest, Crone and his comedy partner Kevin Frank
did a dialogue polish on the engine scenes to add more comedy; among other things, it was their idea to have Diesel 10 refer to his claw as 'Pinchy.')
Prior to filming, it had been revealed that Thomas' voice would be provided by an Isle of Man
taxi driver named John Bellis (who also worked as a fireman on the Isle of Man Steam Railway). However, during a test screening in Los Angeles, the test audiences disliked Bellis' voice for Thomas due to his Liverpudlian tones, claiming that he made Thomas sound too old. Subsequently, Bellis was dropped from his role and was replaced by Edward Glen
, who gave Thomas a more youthful voice.
It has also been revealed that Michael Angelis
, the narrator for the UK version of the TV Series since 1991, would have been the voice for James and Percy (and possibly other characters too). However, like Bellis, Angelis also suffered at the hands of the American test audiences, who claimed that he made James and Percy sound too old. Eventually, James and Percy were voiced by Canadian actresses Susan Roman
and Linda Ballantyne
.
It has been revealed that George the Steamroller was originally in the film and played a significant role in the story. Also, Cranky the Crane was to make some appearances, although as a generic crane rather than a character. (His model can be spotted briefly in the final film.)
Because of the cuts, many key scenes that gave Britt Allcroft's original story substance and were filmed with Peter Fonda
as Burnett Stone and Russell Means
as Billy Twofeathers plus Cody McMains
as Patch, were not in the released version because of the references to P.T. Boomer. These scenes were either cut or altered.
The credits for the film says that an older Patch (who would have appeared in the original script as Lily's husband years later) is played by Robert Tinkler
. While this is not confirmed, it is believed that a shot of a family riding horses at the end of the film is the older Lily and Patch.
Only one scene from the original cut made it to the DVD: a very short scene called "Sunday Surprise" featuring C. Junior at the beach.
user uploaded the original chase scene with PT Boomer as what had been a dubbing project for the user's film class. While the original audio level was toned down considerably as so the original soundtrack would not conflict with the overture from Dark City that played throughout the duration of the video, the finding sparked renewed interest in the Director's Cut project.
As of early 2007, there has been a petition to release a Director's Cut revision of the film; however, it was explained that the odds of the Director's Cut being released were very long due to it having a temp track
instead of a completed soundtrack.
; for the purpose, a steam locomotive, no. 47298 painted to resemble Thomas
, was brought to the cinema by low loader on 9 July 2000. National press coverage was low, because many journalists were concentrating on the launch of the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
, for which a special train named Hogwarts Express was run on 8–11 July.
The film currently has a score of 19% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus: "Kids these days demand cutting edge special effects or at least a clever plot with cute charectors [sic]. This movie has neither, having lost in its Americanization what the British original did so right" However, it did receive positive reviews from Associated Press and Gannett newspapers. Roger Ebert
gave the film one star out of four, with the consensus, "(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 might kinda like it. Especially younger kids. Real younger kids. Otherwise, no." While he admired the models and art direction, he criticized how the engines' mouths didn't move when they spoke, the overly depressed performance of Peter Fonda
, as well as the overall lack of consistency in the plot.
and released for PC
on August 25, 2000.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
Thomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
TV series Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment
Gullane Entertainment
Gullane Entertainment was the name of the company that replaced that of The Britt Allcroft Company in 2000, when Britt Allcroft herself left the company she had originally co-founded with her then-husband Angus Wright....
and the Isle of Man Film Commission
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. It was written, produced and directed by Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at...
.
The film received mixed reviews. It was released first in the UK where critics were unfamiliar with the characters from Shining Time Station and accused Thomas of being "Americanised". It received better reviews in the U.S. ("An enchanting ride." AP. "Delight for young moviegoers." Garnett News Service.) and was well liked by the young audiences for whom it was created, albeit a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Since the film's release, various specials based on Thomas and Friends have been released, although they are not directly related to this film.
In 2007, it was revealed that the released film had been drastically cut from the original script written and shot by Britt Allcroft against her will.
This film was dedicated to Wilbert Awdry.
Plot
Sir Topham HattThe Fat Controller
The Fat Controller is the head of the railway in The Railway Series of books written by the Rev. W. V. Awdry. In the first two books in the series he is known as The Fat Director...
, normally in charge of the railways on Sodor, is on holiday and has left Mr. Conductor in charge. Meanwhile, Thomas and Gordon encounter an evil diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
, Diesel 10, stating that he has unfinished business on Sodor. He is planning to get rid of steam engines on Sodor once and for all.
Mr. Conductor has problems of his own. The mysterious gold dust that allows him to magically transport from place to place is running out, and without it there will be no way for anyone to travel from Shining Time to Sodor or back again. There is a lost engine that is able to travel between Sodor and Muffle Mountain using the Magic Railroad, but nobody knows where she is.
Burnett Stone, an elderly man, lives on Muffle Mountain, near Shining Time Station, in which Stacy Jones was the manager. Unknown to everyone, he is the guardian of the lost engine, whose name is Lady. The engine crashed after an earlier encounter with Diesel 10, and ever since then Burnett has been trying to repair Lady. Even though he seems to have gotten the little engine restored mechanically, so far he has been unable to make her steam.
Percy and Thomas find out that there is a secret railway and there are magic buffers that lead to it. However, Diesel 10 overhears them. Toby the Tram Engine follows D-10 and hears him telling his diesel locomotive henchmen Splatter and Dodge of his plans to destroy the steam locomotives. Diesel 10 thinks that this horrid act seems possible mainly because Mr. Conductor's whistle contains gold dust inside which he uses to travel is running out, and he is therefore becoming too weak to stop Diesel 10. Wanting to warn his friends of Diesel's plans, Toby rings his bell, distracting them.
Burnett's granddaughter Lily visits him, and meets C. Junior, Mr. Conductor's good-natured but lazy cousin, who takes her to Sodor and introduces her to the talking engines who live there, including Thomas. Later, Thomas is assigned to transport Lily back to Burnett on Muffle Mountain after inadvertently discovered the entrance of the long-abandoned Magic Railroad by an old grotto. He takes his lost truck of special Island-of-Sodor coal and arrives on the other end of the Magic Railway, located at the edge of a high cliff near the top of Muffle Mountain. Lily goes to her grandfather's house, leaving Thomas stranded on the mountain. However, the ground gives way and Thomas uncouples himself from the coal-truck, falling off the cliff to the bottom of the mountain where he re-enters the Magic Railroad through another portal there.
Lily reunites with Burnett at his workshop, where he shows her Lady and explains his problem getting the engine to steam. Using the Sodor coal truck, the engine eventually comes to life. Lily and Burnett take Lady along the Magic Railroad, regenerating itself in the process. Lily comments that Burnett had never forgotten about Magic. The travelers reunite with Thomas and find their way back to Sodor, where Diesel 10 finds them and goes after them. He is foiled by a damaged viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
(that was damaged prior to the movie) which collapses beneath him, sending him falling into the ravine below, where he lands in a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
filled with sludge
Sludge
Sludge refers to the residual, semi-solid material left from industrial wastewater, or sewage treatment processes. It can also refer to the settled suspension obtained from conventional drinking water treatment, and numerous other industrial processes...
and is carried away.
Thomas, Lady, Burnett and Lily meet Mr. Conductor and C-Junior. They use the water from a wishing well and shavings from the rails of the Magic Railroad to make more gold dust, and the Island of Sodor and Shining Time Station are saved. C-Junior, encouraged by his success in being able to help out, offers to take a job on Sodor, and Mr. Conductor presents him with his conductor's cap and a spare uniform so that C-Junior can now assume Mr. Conductor's role on Sodor, while Mr. Conductor says that he will now travel back to serve at Shining Time Station. In the end Thomas is happily going home to Tidmouth sheds to tell the engines about his encounter with the lost engine Lady.
Cast
- Edward GlenEdward GlenEdward Glen, also credited as Eddie Glen , is a Canadian actor who has voiced various TV shows and films.-Credits:* Angela Anaconda - Gordy Rhinehart* Blazing Dragons - Flicker* Dangaioh - Rol Kran...
as Thomas the Tank EngineThomas the Tank EngineThomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
(voice) - Alec BaldwinAlec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
as Mr. Conductor - Peter FondaPeter FondaPeter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
as Burnett Stone - Mara WilsonMara WilsonMara Elizabeth Wilson is an American former child actress best known for her roles as a child star, particularly in Mrs. Doubtfire , Miracle on 34th Street , and Matilda . She was born in Los Angeles, California, to Michael and Suzie Wilson . She has three older brothers, Danny, Jon, and Joel, and...
as Lily - Michael E. RodgersMichael E. RodgersMichael E. Rodgers is a Scottish film, television and theater actor.He began his film career with a role in Gia with Angelina Jolie. Shortly thereafter, he went to work with Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Minnie Driver in feature film Uncorked and renowned director Allison Anders in Sugar Town...
as C. Junior - Cody McMainsCody McMainsCody McMains is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Mitch Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie....
as Patch - Neil CroneNeil CroneNeil Crone is a Canadian voice actor and comedian who does the voices of Gordon the Big Engine, Splatter and Diesel 10 from the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. He does Phillip the Concierge in the My Secret Identity episode "Sour Grapes"...
as Diesel 10 (voice) - Kevin FrankKevin FrankKevin Frank, born January 13, 1957, is a Canadian writer and actor. He is a popular host of TV shows such as The Next Line, Kidstreet and Pet Project.-Voice roles:* Kevin from Pet Project...
and Neil CroneNeil CroneNeil Crone is a Canadian voice actor and comedian who does the voices of Gordon the Big Engine, Splatter and Diesel 10 from the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. He does Phillip the Concierge in the My Secret Identity episode "Sour Grapes"...
as Splatter and Dodge (voice) - Britt AllcroftBritt AllcroftBritt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at...
as Lady (voice)
Supporting cast from Thomas and Friends
- Linda BallantyneLinda BallantyneLinda Ballantyne is a Canadian voice actress.Born in Toronto, Canada, she is best known for voicing the title role of Serena/Sailor Moon in the the second half of the English version of Sailor Moon....
voiced Percy the Small EnginePercy the Small EnginePercy the Small Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam engine from The Railway Series of children's books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry... - Kevin FrankKevin FrankKevin Frank, born January 13, 1957, is a Canadian writer and actor. He is a popular host of TV shows such as The Next Line, Kidstreet and Pet Project.-Voice roles:* Kevin from Pet Project...
voiced Henry the Green EngineHenry the Green EngineHenry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
, Bertie the BusBertie the BusBertie the Bus is a small red bus character from The Railway Series books by the Rev. W Awdry and who also appears in the spin-off children's television series Thomas and Friends.-Book character:...
and Harold the HelicopterHarold the HelicopterHarold the Helicopter is a character in the Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry and the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.... - Neil CroneNeil CroneNeil Crone is a Canadian voice actor and comedian who does the voices of Gordon the Big Engine, Splatter and Diesel 10 from the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. He does Phillip the Concierge in the My Secret Identity episode "Sour Grapes"...
voiced Gordon the Big EngineGordon the Big EngineGordon the Big Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry. Gordon is painted blue and carries the number 4. Gordon views himself as the most important engine because he is the biggest and he pulls the Express... - Susan RomanSusan RomanSusan Roman is a Canadian voice actress best known for voice acting the role of Lita/Sailor Jupiter in the North American DiC dub of the anime, Sailor Moon. She is one of the few voice actors to remain throughout the entire run of the series...
voiced James the Red EngineJames the Red EngineJames the Red Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. James is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he is just as capable of pulling coaches as trucks... - Colm FeoreColm FeoreColm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
voiced Toby the Tram EngineToby the Tram EngineToby the Tram Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tram engine in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and his son, Christopher; he also appears in the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends... - Shelly-Elizabeth Skinner voiced Annie and ClarabelAnnie and ClarabelAnnie and Clarabel are fictional characters from The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and the related Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends television series...
- Offscreen, Sir Topham HattThe Fat ControllerThe Fat Controller is the head of the railway in The Railway Series of books written by the Rev. W. V. Awdry. In the first two books in the series he is known as The Fat Director...
audibly (but unintelligibly, over the telephone and shown on a poster) instructs Mr. Conductor. - Troublesome Trucks (do not speak)
- Henrietta the coach (cameo)
- Butch Breakdown (cameo)
- Cranky the crane (cameo, but was supposed to have a bigger role)
- George the Steamroller (deleted from script)
- Lady Hatt (mentioned and shown in a picture)
Supporting cast from Shining Time Station
- Didi ConnDidi ConnDidi Conn is an American film, stage and television actress.-Personal life:Conn was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a clinical psychologist. "Didi" was her childhood nickname...
as Stacy Jones - Russell MeansRussell MeansRussell Charles Means is an Oglala Sioux activist for the rights of Native American people. He became a prominent member of the American Indian Movement after joining the organisation in 1968, and helped organize notable events that attracted national and international media coverage...
(previously Tom JacksonTom Jackson (actor)Thomas Dale Jackson, OC , is a Canadian born Métis actor and singer perhaps best known for the annual series of Christmas concerts, called the Huron Carole, which he created and starred in for 17 years...
) as Billy Twofeathers
Cut cast
- Doug LennoxDoug LennoxDoug Lennox is an Canadian actor, Writer and Radio Personality who is perhaps best known for his Book "Now You Know ,The Big Book of Answers" and his many appearances in movies such as X-Men and Police Academy. He also is known for his role as P.T. Boomer in Thomas and the Magic Railroad...
as P.T. Boomer: An unfriendly motorcyclist who was the original main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. He was jealous of the relationship that Burnett had with his late wife, Tasha. He does not believe in magic and returns to Shining Time hoping to find and destroy Lady. The character was cut due to being too frightening for the younger audience, and Diesel 10 was rewritten as the main villain of the film. - John Bellis as ThomasThomas the Tank EngineThomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
: The original voice of Thomas. A fireman and part-time taxi driver on the Isle of Man, Bellis received the role when he happened to pick up Britt Allcroft and her crew in his taxicab. According to Allcroft, after hearing him utter a few words, she told her colleagues, "I have just heard the voice of Thomas. The man is exactly how Thomas would sound!". She offered Bellis the part and he accepted it, but was ultimately cut after American test audiences complained of his Liverpudlian accent making Thomas sound too old. In a statement following the decision in April 2000, Bellis said he was "gutted", but wished the film-makers well. "It was supposed to be my big break," he said. "But it hasn't put me off and I am hoping something else will come along." He did receive a credit in the movie as the Isle of Man unit transportation co-ordinator. - Michael AngelisMichael AngelisMichael Angelis is an English actor and voice actor.Michael Angelis was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale drama G.B.H.. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds, in which he appeared between series 5 and 9...
as James, Percy and (rumored) Gordon, was cut due to supposedly sounding too old. - Keith Scott as Diesel 10, was cut due to supposedly sounding too frightening for younger audience.
- Patrick BreenPatrick BreenJoseph Patrick Breen is an American actor. He has acted primarily on TV but has also appeared in numerous films, as well as on Broadway and Off Broadway...
as (rumoured) Splatter and Dodge, was cut for unknown reasons. - Jared Wall as Young Burnett
- Laura Bower as Young Tasha
There was originally to be a lengthy scene with Young Burnett and Young Tasha dancing with P.T. Boomer sulking in the background. Due to his scene being cut, all that is heard of Burnett and Tasha is their voices.
Characters Introduced
- Diesel 10
- Splatter and Dodge
- Lady
Filming
The movie was filmed at the Strasburg Rail RoadStrasburg Rail Road
The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad located near Strasburg, Pennsylvania. It operates excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.Across the street lies the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania...
in Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road...
(U.S.), as well as in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. Castletown railway station
Castletown railway station
Castletown Railway Station is an intermediate station on the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man forming part of sole remaining section of the once extensive network that operated across the island. The station is the busiest of the railway's intermediate stations, being the closest to a number...
on the Isle of Man Railway
Isle of Man Railway
The Isle of Man Railway is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The line is built to gauge and is long...
formed part of Shining Time Station and the goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
at Port St Mary railway station
Port St Mary railway station
Port St. Mary Railway Station is a station in Port St Mary in the south of the Isle of Man and is served by the Isle of Man Railway, having first opened in 1874 when the line to nearby Port Erin was completed...
became Burnett Stone's workshop. Running shots of the "Indian Valley" train were filmed at the Strasburg Rail Road location. The large passenger station where Lily boards the train is the Harrisburg Transportation Center
Harrisburg Transportation Center
The Harrisburg Transportation Center is a large railway station and transportation hub in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is located on the eastern edge of Downtown Harrisburg between the intersections of Aberdeen and Market Streets and 4th and Chestnut Streets...
. Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 475
4-8-0 475
Strasburg Rail Road #475 is a former Norfolk & Western Railway M class 4-8-0 steam locomotive. It was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1906 as part of the N&W's first order of class M numbered 450–499...
was repainted as the Indian Valley motive power.
Sodor was realised using models and chroma key
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
. The models were animated using live action remote control, as on the television series. The model sequences were filmed in Toronto, Canada instead of Shepperton Studios
Shepperton Studios
Shepperton Studios is a film studio in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931 since when many notable films have been made there...
, the "home" of the original TV show; however, several of the show's key staff were flown over to participate.
The Magic Railroad was created using models and CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
and water color painting.
Rewrites
A major character, 'PT Boomer', played by Doug Lennox, was deemed too frightening for the younger audience and therefore was entirely cut out of the film before its release. Because of PT Boomer's absence from the final film, the plot elements that had been driven by him went unexplained. This change was so close to the release, that trailers for the film actually still featured him (such as a clip from the trailer in which he appears falling off the viaduct alongside Diesel 10). Oddly enough, he still appears in the movie during some shots, shown lying on the roof of Diesel 10 as well as a lost motorcyclist being given directions by Burnett (The original scene being dubbed over by Nelson Ferreira from the original confrontation scenes). Boomer also appears in Thomas and the Magic Railroad coloring books by Random HouseRandom House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, seen exchanging words with Burnett and setting the explosion off that sent Thomas off the mountain.
The same trailers also depicted Diesel 10 with an upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
English accent rather than the American one he had in the release. The reason for this is that there is a different actor playing Diesel 10 in the trailer (an English one instead of an American one). It was revealed that the original voice of Diesel 10 was Australian voice actor Keith Scott. The reason Keith Scott was removed was because the test audiences feared it would frighten the youngest viewers. In an E-mail reply from Neil Crone
Neil Crone
Neil Crone is a Canadian voice actor and comedian who does the voices of Gordon the Big Engine, Splatter and Diesel 10 from the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. He does Phillip the Concierge in the My Secret Identity episode "Sour Grapes"...
by the Sodor Island Forums, he stated that he did a voice for Diesel 10 with a Russian accent and that Britt had heard it and liked it. However, that voice suffered at the hands of the test audience too, as they believed it could cause offence; as such, Crone had to re-record all of his lines. (At Allcroft's behest, Crone and his comedy partner Kevin Frank
Kevin Frank
Kevin Frank, born January 13, 1957, is a Canadian writer and actor. He is a popular host of TV shows such as The Next Line, Kidstreet and Pet Project.-Voice roles:* Kevin from Pet Project...
did a dialogue polish on the engine scenes to add more comedy; among other things, it was their idea to have Diesel 10 refer to his claw as 'Pinchy.')
Prior to filming, it had been revealed that Thomas' voice would be provided by an Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
taxi driver named John Bellis (who also worked as a fireman on the Isle of Man Steam Railway). However, during a test screening in Los Angeles, the test audiences disliked Bellis' voice for Thomas due to his Liverpudlian tones, claiming that he made Thomas sound too old. Subsequently, Bellis was dropped from his role and was replaced by Edward Glen
Edward Glen
Edward Glen, also credited as Eddie Glen , is a Canadian actor who has voiced various TV shows and films.-Credits:* Angela Anaconda - Gordy Rhinehart* Blazing Dragons - Flicker* Dangaioh - Rol Kran...
, who gave Thomas a more youthful voice.
It has also been revealed that Michael Angelis
Michael Angelis
Michael Angelis is an English actor and voice actor.Michael Angelis was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale drama G.B.H.. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds, in which he appeared between series 5 and 9...
, the narrator for the UK version of the TV Series since 1991, would have been the voice for James and Percy (and possibly other characters too). However, like Bellis, Angelis also suffered at the hands of the American test audiences, who claimed that he made James and Percy sound too old. Eventually, James and Percy were voiced by Canadian actresses Susan Roman
Susan Roman
Susan Roman is a Canadian voice actress best known for voice acting the role of Lita/Sailor Jupiter in the North American DiC dub of the anime, Sailor Moon. She is one of the few voice actors to remain throughout the entire run of the series...
and Linda Ballantyne
Linda Ballantyne
Linda Ballantyne is a Canadian voice actress.Born in Toronto, Canada, she is best known for voicing the title role of Serena/Sailor Moon in the the second half of the English version of Sailor Moon....
.
It has been revealed that George the Steamroller was originally in the film and played a significant role in the story. Also, Cranky the Crane was to make some appearances, although as a generic crane rather than a character. (His model can be spotted briefly in the final film.)
Because of the cuts, many key scenes that gave Britt Allcroft's original story substance and were filmed with Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
as Burnett Stone and Russell Means
Russell Means
Russell Charles Means is an Oglala Sioux activist for the rights of Native American people. He became a prominent member of the American Indian Movement after joining the organisation in 1968, and helped organize notable events that attracted national and international media coverage...
as Billy Twofeathers plus Cody McMains
Cody McMains
Cody McMains is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Mitch Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie....
as Patch, were not in the released version because of the references to P.T. Boomer. These scenes were either cut or altered.
The credits for the film says that an older Patch (who would have appeared in the original script as Lily's husband years later) is played by Robert Tinkler
Robert Tinkler
Robert Tinkler is a Canadian actor and television actor who is primarily known for his voiceover work. He is the voice of Howie on Almost Naked Animals, Max on The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police, Delete in the series of Cyberchase, Cenotaph & Brooklyn in Beyblade, Rubeus in the...
. While this is not confirmed, it is believed that a shot of a family riding horses at the end of the film is the older Lily and Patch.
Only one scene from the original cut made it to the DVD: a very short scene called "Sunday Surprise" featuring C. Junior at the beach.
Workprint
In February 2009, a YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
user uploaded the original chase scene with PT Boomer as what had been a dubbing project for the user's film class. While the original audio level was toned down considerably as so the original soundtrack would not conflict with the overture from Dark City that played throughout the duration of the video, the finding sparked renewed interest in the Director's Cut project.
As of early 2007, there has been a petition to release a Director's Cut revision of the film; however, it was explained that the odds of the Director's Cut being released were very long due to it having a temp track
Temp track
A temp track is an existing piece of music or audio which is used in film production during the editing phase. It serves as a guideline for the mood or atmosphere the director is looking for in a scene....
instead of a completed soundtrack.
Reception
The film was premièred at the Odeon Leicester SquareOdeon Leicester Square
The Odeon Leicester Square is a cinema which occupies the centre of the eastern side of Leicester Square, London, dominating the square with its huge black polished granite facade and high tower displaying its name. Blue neon outlines the exterior of the building at night. It was built to be the...
; for the purpose, a steam locomotive, no. 47298 painted to resemble Thomas
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
, was brought to the cinema by low loader on 9 July 2000. National press coverage was low, because many journalists were concentrating on the launch of the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling, published on 8 July 2000.The novel won a Hugo Award in 2001, the only Harry Potter novel to do so...
, for which a special train named Hogwarts Express was run on 8–11 July.
The film currently has a score of 19% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus: "Kids these days demand cutting edge special effects or at least a clever plot with cute charectors [sic]. This movie has neither, having lost in its Americanization what the British original did so right" However, it did receive positive reviews from Associated Press and Gannett newspapers. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film one star out of four, with the consensus, "(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 might kinda like it. Especially younger kids. Real younger kids. Otherwise, no." While he admired the models and art direction, he criticized how the engines' mouths didn't move when they spoke, the overly depressed performance of Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
, as well as the overall lack of consistency in the plot.
Awards
The released film received two award nominations by YoungStar Awards and Young Artist Awards.Video game
A video game was released based on the film. Thomas & the Magic Railroad: Print Studio was published by Hasbro InteractiveHasbro Interactive
Hasbro Interactive was an American video game production and publishing subsidiary of Hasbro, the large game and toy company.Hasbro Interactive was formed late in 1995 in order to compete in the computer and video game arena. Several Hasbro properties, such as Monopoly and Scrabble, had already...
and released for PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
on August 25, 2000.