Making Gauge 1 Thomas Replicas - The Breakdown Train

I think I'm far enough along on this project to give it a thread of it's own now. I recently started making a replica of the Works Unit Coach from the early seasons of Thomas & Friends! I have one side completed now (other than filling and sanding), and am working on the other side.







I'd also like to do the rest of the Breakdown Train, and Thomas, and Stepney, and... But we mustn't get ahead of ourselves (this is kind of addicting to think about).

I've been doing a bit of visual research on the Breakdown Train as a whole, and found something interesting. Sometime around Season 3, the crane was moved back on it's flatbed. You can see the difference in these two pictures. I'll most likely model the train based on it's Season 1 appearance.





Also, that red arrow is pointing to the station building I only just realized was there! What's interesting is that it shares the same design as Dryaw but with a different overlay, something that also happens with Ffarquhar and one of Wellsworth's buildings! It seems that the crew had standard building designs, which I thought was pretty cool!

I was also able to obtain some crucial information about Thomas's proportions, thanks to some help from people who built replicas of him already! Now I know why I was never satisfied with the Bachmann model. It's almost all wrong (which is understandable, due to it being the first model).

I hope you guys enjoy this too! I've been having fun with this!
-TM2001

[Super]

Looking forward to seeing how these projects turn out T-Man.

That’s an amazing project! I wish I still had the photos I took of several 1 gauge models a few years ago when the US traveling Thomas exhibit visited a nearby children’s museum twice. They’re surprisingly large when you’re used to seeing HO and O scale (or OO scale in the UK) as “standard”.

Yeah, I was surprised at how big it was at first, although I think I'm starting to get used to it now. If I ever do a layout, I'll probably end up being surprised again, though! At least these can technically double as Christmas decorations!

I got the beading on the new side halfway finished, but I ran out of material, so I'm gonna have to go get some more tomorrow.

I got the rest of the beading done, and did most of the panelling, too. Now I just need to do the little bits in between the windows and file the windows, then the coach sides will be at the same point!



Oh, I just realized, this picture was taken before I did the panelling, but you can see the beading. Although I guess that in a picture, you wouldn't really be able to tell a difference anyway.