island of sodor , thomas the tank engine land

[jbilton]

Still, if anyone knows about a windmill please tell me

Animated Post Mill [340402 bytes] - Postmill.zip File ID: 878 Date: 09 Feb 2002 - 756 Downloads

[JonathonAG]

That is the perfect windmill. Thanks John.

Tonight you may see a preview pic of thomas's branch line

[LNERandBR]

A you should put together a portfolio informing the publishers of the market for a Thomas MSTS route.

Mabey at a UKTS roadshow you could ask the guy's if you can conduct some resurch. Get the people viewing the stand to fill in a Questionare then display the results in graphs and present the data with an outline of what you want to do to the publishers and then mabey then they will listern.

[thenudehamster]

The bunch who own the TTTE copyright seem only to be interested in things they a) thought of, and b) can make a shedload of money from.
If you're not a big company with deep pockets, they don't want to talk to you - unless it's in court answering their suit for copyright infringement. Rev. Awdry would be ashamed to be associated with such an enterprise.

[duncharris]

Maybe it could be like Bachmann's blue tank engine. But his friend is red not green so it must be different!

http://www.bachmann.co.uk/prod1.php4?pr ... ine&prod=8

Does anyone know of any real tank engines with a tank shaped like that. I can only think of the Deeley Gridirons but they had a hole rather than a bit over the splasher.

[BluebellStepney]

The models that you have shown there are in fact TTTE models for the american market, and yes Percy is red not green so as not to be blatantly obvious. Copyright is semi flexable for them as they do make them in America anyway. This is the same thing that happened to Hogwarts Express - Bachmann have the license for the American Market, Hornby for the Brits.

Does anyone know of any real tank engines with a tank shaped like that. I can only think of the Deeley Gridirons but they had a hole rather than a bit over the splasher.

Which tank are you talking about? I don't know what engines the "Deeley Gridirons" are! If it is Percy, then the nearest loco I can come up with is 0-6-0 "Ring Haw" on the NNR. Most 0-4-0s tend not to have a protruding smokebox.

By the by, how many attempts have now been made on Sodor - I make it 3 and a bit...

[ianmacmillan]

All the original characters were from models on the rev Audry's model railway.

Thomas was based on a Gem kit for the LBSCR class E2 tank.
Percy was a Hamblings Gnat. A freelance model from the 50s.

[JonathonAG]

Hi Guys,
I have done quite a lot, i have laid down most of thomas' branch line, and i am doing a part of the main line. As i always say, it won't be 100% accurate ( e.g 2 or 3 tracks side by side at parts etc.... ), but you won't be dissapointed. But also, i don't think some of the landmarks will be in the right place, but that might be a good thing as it won't be as easy to get done for copyright .

Also though, is mstsnoodle and the other guys who attempted the route still around, as i am wanting to ask if i could use some models ( if they still have them ) such as Knapford station etc..... ( and hopefully someone has a model of Tidmouth Sheds ).

Also, does anyone have any video clips such as when James ran away and Edward had to chase him or any other clips that reveale a lot of places on the island.........that they could possibly send to me? If so, could you tell me so i can P/M you my e-mail address.

Thanks

[benjylevey]

keep us updated on the news!!

[JonathonAG]

wel there is nothing more new to say just now, except that i am having problems I have definately not done it to scale, as you can clearly see the China Clay quarry from the main line

[buster1961]

Long Long ago....

When davec and tstools were still a possibility I was doing a sodor route with daves tools.

My youngest is heavily into TTTE like many and 2 things came out from the work I did ( and unfortunately discarded).

Sodor is big. The maps when plotted become 100 or so miles across and 50 or more down. There is so little detail that doing any form of terraforming from them is not really possible so its a case of reading the books, watching the videos and trying to interpret what was intended.

Still its imagination so you can get a way with that. But my youngest didnt like it because to drive from one place to another as mentioned in the stories took in real time several hours rather than the 20 minutes it took to tell the story on the telly.

The second thing to arise was realism. MSTS is too realistic for the kids mind. Everything should look like the pictures in the books and the images on the tv. Childish...

Still possible I suppose...

It needs to be rescaled. From one end to the other should be no more than 15 minutes driving. Thats about how long it took for him to say "Are we there Yet?"

As to copyright. Its a concept, its an interpretation, there is no way that any route built could be identified as being a copy of the original, it doesnt exist so how can they say its a copy.

MSTS, sadly doesn't appear to be the money spinner we would like to imagine it as, so its not threat to anyone that millions are going to be made from it. This community doesnt charge for the routes usually. (one or two sad exceptions) so whos going to benefit from it.

As to faces on trains, my youngest decided to draw faces on one of his trains because he hadnt got the exact one he wanted and he named it as well. Is anyone going to chase him for copyright?

Nobody has raised issue about the models already built. I dont think theyll complain about a route either..

[JohnKendrick]

The original concept of Sodor was for a large Island; the one shown on TV is nothing like that in size. As I said before, a smallish route on four or six MSTS tiles could contain all the major features without creating a massive building task that would take years. Base the island shape and trackwork as seen on the Sodor maps and it would keep TTE fans enthralled.

It would be interesting to see the full route concept used for the TV shows; it certainly wouldn't cover the expanse of Rev Awdry's original concept.

I think the secret would be to create attractive locations, could be based on those seen on the TV show (though not direct copies such as creating textures directly from a DVD!!)

Only a relatively small number of locations are seen; several stations, the mill, docks, incline and these are what youngsters would like included - not miles of nothing. Good luck to JonathanAG with his efforts.

John

[spartacus]

Which tank are you talking about? I don't know what engines the "Deeley Gridirons" are! If it is Percy, then the nearest loco I can come up with is 0-6-0 "Ring Haw" on the NNR. Most 0-4-0s tend not to have a protruding smokebox.

The most accurate Percy is on the Middleton Railway, Leeds. I think this loco (or at least design) was the basis for Percy according to the Rev. Awdry.

[Beetlejuice]

Is there a timeline for a chance of realise?

[JonathonAG]

Can't say, there can be no timeline as sometimes personal life can get in the way and stuff, knocking the release date forwards and stuff.

And as i have been told, never give a release date, just a small estimate.......so maybe by the end of summer if i am fortunate