The Fake Thomas

[DeanGoods]

This has been discussed on other forums and i thought id see what people on this forum make of it...
Druzillas(excuse spelling) has a diesel loco running as the character Thomas. most of you are probably thinking, so what. but the thing is it runs 365 days a year. thats something heritage lines dont do. the KESR, Bluebell and Spa Valley have all recorded losses due to this. Spa Valley had a 70% drop of income after their last Thomas event.
Druzillas has advertised their Thomas as a STEAM loco, which can be classed as false advertising, due to it being a loco.

Who else here beleives that this is wrong and something should be done about it??

[45002]

This has been discussed on other forums and i thought id see what people on this forum make of it...
Druzillas(excuse spelling) has a diesel loco running as the character Thomas. most of you are probably thinking, so what. but the thing is it runs 365 days a year. thats something heritage lines dont do. the KESR, Bluebell and Spa Valley have all recorded losses due to this. Spa Valley had a 70% drop of income after their last Thomas event.
Druzillas has advertised their Thomas as a STEAM loco, which can be classed as false advertising, due to it being a loco.

Who else here beleives that this is wrong and something should be done about it??

Who or what is Druzillas ?

Anyway they would need a licence from

"HIT Entertainment"

MARTIN

[DeanGoods]

sorry should of added that. druzillas is a zoo. also they do have a license from HIT but the fact is they are still using false advertising

[Easilyconfused]

Martin,

I think he is referring to Drusillas Park at http://www.drusillas.co.uk/pages/adayat ... etank.aspx I seem to recall visiting there a while ago and I have seen other examples around the UK of a diesel powered "steam engine" - much easier to maintain etc. Companies like Drusillas don't just blunder into things like this without proper planning and the legalities of licensing etc. will no doubt have been gone into - after all why risk wasting money if the licence is not granted. In fact taking a closer look at the website it does appear licensed

Now with regard to other heritage lines losing money - well that is business I'm afraid. Their business plans should take into account other competition in the area. I do know a lot of parents with young children who visit the various Thomas events and they are not especially pleased when they realise the prices on those weekends are usually higher than the normal weekend prices.

The advertising is a bit suspect but that is not a matter really up for debate on these forums - if people feel it is misleading then contact trading standards or the advertising standards agency.

[45002]

I see now

As for the advertising, HIT Entertainment send out there staff to check to books and everthink out about Thomes events ,There have had there staff at Thomas on the SVR nosing around.

MARTIN

[MuzTrem]

Now with regard to other heritage lines losing money - well that is business I'm afraid. Their business plans should take into account other competition in the area.

Maybe so, but do remember that most of these lines are registered charities, wheras Drusillas, AFAIK, is not.
HIT has granted several places like Drusillas licenses to run Thomas-themed rides. Persoanally, I think this is disgusting. HIT's attitude to preserved railways is completely hipocritical. They charge them extortionate license fees to run Thomas events, and then allow competitors nearby to take away their business. They have very strict rules about which engines are allowed to become Thomas replicas, yet they think it's perfectly OK for theme parks to run diesel-powered versions advertised as being "in steam 365 days a year". Many preserved railways have already had to stop running Thomas events altogether becasue they can't afford the license fees or have difficulties in obtaining a registered Thomas (the latter a particualr problem for some narrow gauge lines), and many more will now be squeezed out by these new theme-park rides.
As I have said, these lines are registered charities, but HIT is just milking them for all they are worth. And preserved lines are powerless to fight back - a idea of a year-long boycott of Thomas events has been suggested, but that would hit hard the owners of the licenesed Thomas replicas who depend on the hire fees to keep those engines steaming!
Considering the size of profits that HIT probably makes, they really should take a more understanding view of preserved lines, particualrly because Wilbert Awdry always tried to use his characters to help the movement. As it is, I just think they're stealing candy from the proverbial baby.

[tripman]

I'll put a spanner in the works. As all the other Thomas engines are diesel or steam they must all be fake!
The genuine Thomas is electric.
Eric

[Garthion]

I'll put a spanner in the works. As all the other Thomas engines are diesel or steam they must all be fake!
The genuine Thomas is electric.
Eric

Thomas wasn't the Reverend's first loco though, think about where he lived, and upon which preserved railway he frequently visited. What gauge do you think he originally wrote a story for Christopher about? Narrow! Thomas first appeared in the Reverend's THIRD story for Christopher, but was the first of the stories to be published for the general public! Hence the title, THOMAS and Friends, it should have been called Skarloey and Friends! or even, perhaps, Duke and Friends (much better methinks!)

Anyhow, Drayton Manor Theme park now whatns a Thomas zone, and have been granted a liscence by HIT Entertainment so there is another HIT to the railway fraternity of the Midlands.

[eddief]

Thomas wasn't the Reverend's first loco though, think about where he lived, and upon which preserved railway he frequently visited. What gauge do you think he originally wrote a story for Christopher about? Narrow! Thomas first appeared in the Reverend's THIRD story for Christopher, but was the first of the stories to be published for the general public! Hence the title, THOMAS and Friends, it should have been called Skarloey and Friends! or even, perhaps, Duke and Friends (much better methinks!)

It was actually Edward who was in the first story (Edward's day out) and this is book no:1 in the series, Duke and Skarloey did not appear till later in the books so it should be Edward and friends.

But I have to say I agree with previous posts, ok Hit can give whoever the like a licence to operate Thomases but given the rules and requirements they imposed on steam railways, why should a zoo be allowed to run a diesel as thomas and claim it is steam.

[Garthion]

Thomas wasn't the Reverend's first loco though, think about where he lived, and upon which preserved railway he frequently visited. What gauge do you think he originally wrote a story for Christopher about? Narrow! Thomas first appeared in the Reverend's THIRD story for Christopher, but was the first of the stories to be published for the general public! Hence the title, THOMAS and Friends, it should have been called Skarloey and Friends! or even, perhaps, Duke and Friends (much better methinks!)

It was actually Edward who was in the first story (Edward's day out) and this is book no:1 in the series, Duke and Skarloey did not appear till later in the books so it should be Edward and friends.

But I have to say I agree with previous posts, ok Hit can give whoever the like a licence to operate Thomases but given the rules and requirements they imposed on steam railways, why should a zoo be allowed to run a diesel as thomas and claim it is steam.

OK, Edward was the first published, but the first story that The Reverend wrote down was about the little railway, he was involved with the Tal-y-Llyn at the time.

[trainmad]

That said, it's a bit of a beastly looking thing.

http://aspex.photos.gb.net/p40042833.html

Nope, afraid not Dale! The first stories he wrote were published in 1945 - a good 6 or 7 years before the Talyllyn Railway went into preservation which is when Awdry got involved.

[DeanGoods]

im sorry are we showing affection towards this stealing little blue engine???
lol no offence [Mod edit....no offence as it's edited out! ]

[BR7MT]

It looks like what it is - cheap and nasty.

Regards,

Dan

[DeanGoods]

seconded

[johncard]

That said, it's a bit of a beastly looking thing.

http://aspex.photos.gb.net/p40042833.html

Nope, afraid not Dale! The first stories he wrote were published in 1945 - a good 6 or 7 years before the Talyllyn Railway went into preservation which is when Awdry got involved.

Notice how they've made it disproportionately large and added fake wheels. Anyone would think the engine overhangs the chassis or something.

Edit: Errrr..... look at the pointwork folks......