Thomas The Tank

Is the new controller any relation to Topham Hatt?

H.

Cancel all that, just looked it up on Wikipedia, should have done that first.

H.

It's not policically correct any more.

Sir Topham Hat was invented for the US audience.

wolf k.

Yes, he was invented for the North American, not just "US", audience.

And the Thin Controller of the narrow-gauge lines is referred to as the Narrow-Gauge Controller or Mr. Percival.

Tim

No, he wasn't. Sir Topham Hatt (note the extra 't') was the name given to him by the Rev. W. Awdrey, and it appears in the original books. There's no single reason why the US version uses his real name rather than his nickname (although doing so misses out on one of the in-story jokes, whereby the junior locos are told to refer to him as "Sir Topham" rather than use his nickname); it's a probably a combination of the fact that it sounds more English, the term "controller" isn't particularly meaningful to those who aren't familiar with rail terminology, and possibly a reluctance to use the word "fat".

Mark

What's for sure is that this is a question the scholars will chew over for decades to come. Until one of 'em comes up with a "definitive" answer and gets a Ph.D. for it. ;-)

Thanks to all for the additional data (yup, I'm a scholar when I have nothing better to do. ;-) )

wolf k.

Don't worry it's them politically correct lot interfering again.

I note the BBC have been criticised for altering the ending to the old 'Humpty Dumpty' nursery rhyme. Instead of being unable to "put Humpty together again", all the King's Horses "made Humpty happy again".

Chris

It was good to see Thomas playing to a full house at the Battlefield line today. Thomas (1937 Hunslet) was in fine form - must have had an overhaul.

Cheers, Simon

I seem to remember that it was a cannon on the royalist side that was at Colchester And fell off a defensive wall

David

I seem to remember that it was a cannon on the royalist side that was at Colchester And fell off a defensive wall

David

And I posted twice accidentally and then looked it up on Wikipedia to find out that the Colchester Story was a legend...

I doo feel such a humpty

David

Apparently they've retired the model railway and Thomas is now 100% CGI.

Mainly the last one. They don't call Mr. Percival the Thin Controller either.

I've just seen an advert on ITV for a new Thomas DVD. He definitely looks 100% CGI.

Thats a pity cos the modelling was amazing.

Cheers, Simon

Yes I agree ........ as I recall the loco's were in about Gauge 1. The piece I read told how many of the set layouts were done in 'winter' so to cut down on time and detail.

Modern CGI is almost too perfect but that's the way the Americans see progress, it's cheaper too. I do wonder what would happen if they showed the same story in it's original form against a CGI version ?

Don't get me wrong I love animation but I fear the moral changes and the quick animation techniques used will harm the story.

Chris