Thomas and Friends

[Idlecogz]

Hi all

My kids have started watching this show and I was wondering if the loco's, specifically James and Henry, were based on real world loco's. Some of them look kind of like GWR stuff, but im not an expert on UK steam loco's. I defer to you guys http://bbs.livesteam.net//smile.gif

Thanks in advance

Dave

[GWRdriver]

I know that a few instances/circumstances in the books were inspired by instances/circustances which actually occurred on local railways. There is an instance where Gordon bolts off a turntable and into a pond (or canal) and this was thought to have been inspired by exactly the same occurrence on a nearby popular 15"ga tourist railway.

[Jan-Eric Nystrom]

Idlecogz:

You can get all the info you want, and more, on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine_and_Friends

Most engines have their own subpages, with lots of info - even stuff your kids can read, or, if not yet literate, you can read it to them.

Greetings,
J-E

[hcampbell]

Never mind, I suggested a defunt URL.

Harvey C.

[This message has been edited by hcampbell (edited 03-15-2006).]

[Dave Beaman]

Hi Dave,

I may stand corrected but if my memory serves me right, Henry was based originally on an LNER V2 and James was a LMS Derby 4f, a fowler design. Gordon was an A3, Edward was an LMS 2P and finally Percy was a Pecket. Like I say, I may stand corrected, my memory is not what it was, too much falling down water!!

Dave.

[tel]

Better read this 'un while that brain cell still 'as a coupla kicks left in it Davy Boy

http://www.pegnsean.net/~railwayseries/

[tel]

Oh, and welcome aboard

[fred v]

anyone know what size the engines are? i looked through the url given but can't find anything.
fred v

[EARS_MCFLY]

Please don't tell Jesse, but my wife and I watched the PBS program "Thomas..." every Saturday morning with our Coffee until our local station pulled it in favor of "Bob the Builder" BAH!

[tel]

OK Ears, we won't tell 'im

[Unka Jesse]

Ears, TEL, I didn't hear y'all say that so all is well. Anyway, we got several Thomas DVDs around here for the grandkids to watch. Well the two small boy type grand kids watch them, but the slightly older grand girl finds them beneath her dignity to watch. Personally, I think the stories are well done. http://bbs.livesteam.net//smile.gif

Unka Jesse

[Charles Jensen]

Does anyone know where I can get a Thomas face for my 11/2" scale switch engine? I think Thomas and friends is a great teaching tool, and many children who have ridden my railroad have asked "where is Thomas". I think it would need to be 8 to 10 inches in diameter.

[Bill Shields]

http://www.thomasandfriends.com/official_thomas_the_tank_engine_website.htm

Blow it up with PHOTOSHOP and print it out.

Glue it to a piece of appropriate metal and attach to the front of your loco.

Personally, I think it would be cool if it had a pair of eyes that went back and forth in time with the side rods and had a big red tongue that popped out when the brakes were applied....

But then, that would probably be considered a bit over the top, even for me....

Hey, I have always said...ANYTHING to get people interested in railroading is good.

If Thomas and Friends gets people to the track, who are we do criticize what works?

[Unka Jesse]

Be very careful with anything you publicly exhibit that has anything to do with the friendly blue locomotive. "Thomas and Friends" has a tendency to take anyone to court that does not have their permission and/or pays royalties.

Unka Jesse

[EARS_MCFLY]

Yeah, what Unka Jesse said as Disney has the rights to that logo and will come after you in a heartbeat.

[Jan-Eric Nystrom]

Hey - not every cartoon is by Disney... Thomas is British! http://bbs.livesteam.net//biggrin.gif

But seriously, I don't think putting a Thomas Face on your loco would cause a lawsuit, if you did it at your home track, just for family & friends...

Greetings,
J-E

[Alan Stepney]

I agree with J-E. With family & friends, probably OK, but there have been a couple of cases where commercial organisations and clubs here used the Thomas front, and were sued.

[pockets]

Yes, we have a club member who built one and got his butt in a sling, because we are in a public park. However, he removed the face and a couple of other identifiers and all is well. Kids and parents can still spot (and recognize) this thing from 200 yards.

Greg B.

[GWRdriver]

The main purpose of those small-time lawsuits (or at least threats) we hear about over what might seem to us to be trivial, harmless, non-profit uses is pre-emptory; to demonstrate to those who might use images like Thomas or other characters for profit (and there are lots of those) that there will be dire consequences.

[railfancwb]

Seems I heard that the rights to operate Thomas in the states are owned by the Strasburg RR.... Charles

[Unka Jesse]

Charles, I think one of the Beatles, (George Harrison perhaps?)owns the copyright to Thomas. I have seen a small "Thomas" at a certain club track a couple of times, but I ain't telling where it was I saw it. Don't believe it was powered, just pushed in front of a boxcab loco or something. Thomas is awfully small in 1/8th scale and would be better built as a 2-1/2" scale NG loco.

Unka Jesse

[Jim Nolan]

I think if memory serves me TTTE is now owned by an American media company. I am sure there have been grumblings in the press over here about royalties for using the likeness at steam weekends.

Jim

[tel]

This raises an interesting question. If I buy a toy 'Thomas' & cut the face off & mount it on my loco, would I be legal? After all, I have purchased a licensed product upon which, we must assume, proper royalties have been paid.

[Jan-Eric Nystrom]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">If I buy a toy 'Thomas' & cut the face off & mount it on my loco, would I be legal? [/B]</font>

If you use it in a commercial or public setting, then there might be a problem... For instance: I know that Disney would NOT allow people at LALS appearing in Donald or Mickey costumes, or display any pictures of the characters even if they were "licensed products".

Again, at your own track, with family & friends, there should be no problems.

Remember, though: IANAL (I am not a lawyer)!

Greetings,
J-E

[Bill Shields]

Which is all why I suggested the loopie eyes and projectile tongue...

If you don't copy Thomas EXACTLY... well...then it is just another face on a loco that kids will 'assume' is Thomas....

You can't copyright the idea of putting a face on the front of a loco...especially if it isn't a TANK engine....

Trying to prosecute that would be like saying they had a copyright on the idea of wheels on a loco...as long as you don't try to make $$ from it, they probably aren't going to bother you.

[This message has been edited by Bill Shields (edited 04-24-2006).]

[Alan Stepney]

From the official "Thomas" website:


Gultane (Thomas) limited.
A HIT Entertainment Company.


HIT Entertainment PLC, also own many other characters, including Barney & Friends, and Bob the Builder.

[AndyA]

So if I have a big blue engine called 'Gordon' and the prototype the model is based on was called 'Gordon' and was also blue can I put a face on it and get away with it!!

Andy

[moose the caboose]

hi all,

butte-in-a-sling here...britt allcroft ltd is very, very protective of their 'property'. it didn't matter that my engine was not for sale, not for profit of any kind, and wasn't done to harm them in any way, shape, or form. my group actually applied for a license to operate for special events in which all revenue sources went to them. it didn't matter to them, they wanted my engine dismantled and shipped to them at my expense. one of my favorite war-time quotes, "nuts!" said it all.

we had three attorneys willing to eat their lunch...,but she-who-must-be-obeyed was fearful. you know how that song goes.

my attorney told me that i could build "1" and only 1. i couldn't sell it. and i couldn't generate any income for me or anyone else. period. i operate it for the smiles and the memories it creates for the younsters. how and where else will kids learn about railroading? while i actually commend britt allcroft for generating interest, i just wish they would beef up the safety education component of their body of work. i also wish that they would realize that there are those organizations that they could partner with to present that same message...and it wouldn't cost them one red cent.

as greg said, i took off the face (carved floral foam w/ gesso filler), changed a few things, and enjoy obscurity. my engine is still the most popular loco when it is running the rails. my engine is electric, but operates like a steamer (side-rods deliver power to the wheels). it is powered by a 2 1/2 hp series wound motor and weighs in at 250 lbs. i'm quite proud of what i've built. it's been a reliable, hard pulling loco for it's size. it did yard-switcher duty today and was handling strings of 15 to 18 cars without any major problems. good running equipment is a joy no matter what it looks like...

hope this helps those who want to build.

enjoy,

moose-the-caboose (george)



<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by pockets:
Yes, we have a club member who built one and got his butt in a sling, because we are in a public park. However, he removed the face and a couple of other identifiers and all is well. Kids and parents can still spot (and recognize) this thing from 200 yards.

Greg B.</font>

[PTSideshow]

Here is your answer to them partnering up. BTW the tickets cost $16.00 each age two and up. they also state rain or shine so it is a no refund. This is the two pages from the villages booklet I got today in the mail. As I am a volunteer member of the carousel st the park.
On the back of my pass/membercard its states the pass can't be used on the days thomas is there. the litte thing on the side of the page is the copyright notice for that page.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Ttankengine.jpg
Located outside of Flint Michigan off I-75
glen been there done that and broke it.
Just a side light if you wondered how they find out about you doing things with their property you shouldn't. Its simple they advertise in the local legal news that they pay a bounty for info useful to the prosecution of infringement. It got real bad 10 or so years ago in the sign sticker biz with all the flea market ops and the calvin piss on it stickers. And we all know that news traveled faster among laywers then news of a 100 car pile up LOL http://bbs.livesteam.net//wink.gif
[This message has been edited by PTSideshow (edited 05-01-2006).]

[This message has been edited by PTSideshow (edited 05-01-2006).]

[hawkman]

here is what you have to look forward to
(photo I took at recent Grapevine Texas stopover)
http://cp6.secserverpros.com/~dhawkins/tank_engine.jpg

[PTSideshow]

Not me as my kids are old enough to go by them selves. And no crumb munchers/rug rats are around I will not be there. As It surly will be a mad house. The days that they will be there both week ends and down time in the middle.

glen been there and done that and broke it

[Unka Jesse]

Isn't Thomas a fraud steamer? Seems I read on one of the live steam lists that it was actually powered by an infernal combustion engine.

Unka Jesse

[hawkman]

Conventional diesel/electric unit pushing at end of train (I feel like such a Grinch).
http://cp6.secserverpros.com/~dhawkins/tank_engine_2.jpg

[This message has been edited by hawkman (edited 05-05-2006).]

[Unka Jesse]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by hawkman:
Conventional diesel/electric unit pushing at end of train (I feel like such a Grinch).
http://cp6.secserverpros.com/~dhawkins/tank_engine_2.jpg

[This message has been edited by hawkman (edited 05-05-2006).]</font>

Sounds like the "steamers" that used to go around Stone Mountain, GA. They had steam in the boiler aw'right, but there was an ominous rumbling sound coming from a squarish black auxilliary tender directly behind the locomotive tender. Strange black car had diesel switcher trucks under it and a bit of diesel smoke from a pipe at the top. When we first rode the Stone Mountain train back in the 1960s, the steamer was still doing the work and no black auxilliary car was in evidence. http://bbs.livesteam.net//smile.gif

Unka Jesse