Really? That's news to me although it might explain a recent rash of cheap new Thomas locos appearing on eBay. Any idea who is going to pick up the franchise? The only other mainstream maker I know in the West are Bachmann and in larger scales Lionel, both USA makers of course. While be pretty rubbish if there are no domestic manufacturers of Thomas models in the UK home of Thomas 
Happily collecting things all my life... 