During a period of obsessive model-train video-watching on the internet in the first year I found myself watching episodes of Thomas The Tank Engine on YouTube for supposedly nostalgic reasons. 100 or so episodes later I wrote the following with intent to submit it (though I never did) to Amazon’s customer reviews for the Series 4 DVD as I wasn’t satisfied with the apparent nonchalance of the other reviewers. Philistines.
“Though I like it for purely personal/circumstantial reasons, this for me is the most enjoyable series of TTTE. As a young child I was very familiar with the original Rev. W. Awdry book series and television series 1 and 2, and although I was a little older by the time 3 and 4 were made, I still watched and enjoyed them because of the (long anticipated) introduction of less-showcased/one-off characters like Oliver, Bulgy and Mavis and then of course my favourites, the "Skarloey engines"
As the latter were from a narrow gauge line (and therefore smaller than Thomas and co.) a whole new collection of beautifully modeled sets was presented along with a load of new incidental music and character themes, creating a general feeling of refreshment from the standard Thomas/Gordon/Henry/James lineup (which to me always felt a bit plain and more obviously marketable after the Skarloey engines had appeared) The engines themselves were brilliantly detailed considering their smaller size (likely 00 gauge or similar) and lovely sunset-orange twilight scenes seemed to feature more than in previous series too. The line itself always felt wonderfully cosy and peaceful, with little woodland stations, cliffside branchlines along the coast and many a trickling stream to cross/pass by (all real water by this point rather than the static resin often seen in the earlier series) - This is one for the connoisseurs in my opinion, at least visually.
Episodes like "Granpuff", "Trucks", "Steamroller" and "Train Stops Play" are among my all-time favourites (each of these featured rarer characters - Duke "the lost engine", the slate mine trucks, George the steamroller and Caroline the car) and although Series 1 and 2 are indeed classics as far as the TV show goes, this series is very sweet and will always be special for me. There are a couple of dud bits - in particular Driver Ben's review was right in panning "Rusty To The Rescue" as it's a completely unnecessary rehashing of Douglas' rescuing of Oliver in "Escape!" (Series 3), done with less panache and very questionable plausibility (highly unlikely that the Skarloey engines' railway would extend so far and to such a place, for example) and the episode "Toad Stands By" is disappointing in comparison to the Rev. W. Awdry's original book version. Though to argue with the aforementioned reviewer, I might add that I always preferred the multi-colour approach to the Skarloey engines - having them all the same red as in the books would have just been boring and more likely quite confusing for the younger audience, if not any viewer.
This was the last series of TTTE I watched, and by the looks of things was probably the last great series before things started to get silly with some of the newer dumbed-down/downright silly characters invented by Mitton and Allcroft for subsequent productions. Ignore the mediocre ratings, its wonderful!”
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