Backdating Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine

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Wow...that is really looking good T-Man.

Alright, now that everything's working, I wasn't pleased with how the smokebox saddle had turned out, so I decided to make a new one that's actually to scale (not done yet). The good thing is that this will also allow me to open up the area between the splashers and tanks. I also solved my problem with sourcing 6mm eyes by rolling some out of milliput, and I began work on the cab detail. I would have done more, but I found out the hard way that I don't have suitable wire cutters, so I will need to get some. I also began work on the way the face will be held to the smokebox. I made a mock-up of the cab to show what the detail looks like through the window, and posed the majority of the project so far together to see what it looked like.







Painting the eyes is going to be a priority for my next work session.




Forgot to add a pic of the cab interior itself.
And here's a picture of the actual model's cab interior.

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That Cab Interior is AWESOME!

Thanks! I had to use tweezers to place everything. It's so small!

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You did a fantastic job!

Man that Thomas looks great! I did not know that ,other than the face, the Bachmann Thomas has some other faults!

Thanks! It took me a long time to realize just how much was wrong with it, too.

Wrong in terms of the models used from Seasons 1-5. It was based on his proportions in Magic Railroad and Seasons 6-12, so it is accurate for those. That's why this project backdates him to reflect his previous proportions and detail.

I am back with more. I decided that I would like the possibility of modelling "Thomas Goes Fishing" correctly, so I'm going to try to make opening water filler caps. The hole in the top of the tank was already there when I scraped off the cap, and it will be enlarged a little bit.

Next, I started making the new tank bottoms and smokebox saddle.









Finally, I made the new top for one of the splashers. I also figured out that, even though I am modelling the space between the spashers and tanks, I'll still be able to use the original motor, instead of trying to remotor it.

I'll also come clean and admit that I'll probably try to add brake gear to the model. The original model didn't have it, but the Railway Series counterpart did (even Payne's pictures - most like the TV model - showed Thomas having brake gear.) The rigging will be the variation that went between the wheels instead of on the outside, though, so it will be subtle.

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Very ambitious project and you are coming along fine T-Man