MainLineEngines

Story-writer, creator of Adventures on Rails/still a fan of Classic Thomas the Tank Engine.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

For convenience, here are all the stories I have written. I usually release a few stories each month and this page will always have them listed. I hope everyone can read at least some of them, and I appreciate any feedback.
https://t.co/VAdY8SMnl1

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

Amidst all the recasting TATMR went through, I'm glad Colm Feore was kept as Toby. He just had the right voice for Toby.

[The Magic Railroad: Director’s Cut @magicrailroad25]

Colm Feore was the only voice actor to retain his role from the test screening to the final theatrical cut.

Even so, he was brought back to re-record his lines as Toby. The difference is subtle, but you can hear it.

Here’s a quick comparison:

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

and yet, it was only with the Chinese dragon that the story really came together. So there's a little bit of trivia for you.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

Believe it or not, the Chinese dragon actually helped me when writing "Thomas-festival" and things really fell into place once I decided to incorporate it into the story. I can't even say what exactly inspired me, but I do know that once I got the idea, I just went with it.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

something completely out of the realm, even for the RWS, which is always my priority. Therefore, it was a good idea, I went with it, and the story fell into place really easily. Since the beginning of the year, I had been yearning to write "Thomas-festival" and had so many ideas

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

All said and done, everyone's free to enjoy it. I'm still cautiously optimistic. Can't say I'm super thrilled to see what's next, but whatever the case, it'll leave a lot to talk about.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

This leads me to wonder if there will be any substance to this show. Sure, the kids will enjoy it, and the toys will sell, but is what Thomas really is? There's some problems that really make me think. For one, what even is Topham's role? In this special at least,

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

I suppose for now, it's just wait and see what the rest of the show has to offer. However, I just can't thinking about the underlying problems still present in the franchise. Some of these minor details and nitpicks actually reveal a lot more than at first glance.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

However, in terms of the story itself, I can't say much else other than it reminds me of the dreaded three-strike formula, which is essentially this story. Now, I'm sure not every story will play out this way. I certainly hope not. For that, we'll have to wait and see.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

I also have to admit, I did enjoy Deepak as a character. He's a good addition to the cast and I do hope they expand upon him in future.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

So I just got around to watching the Railway Stories pilot and there's quite a lot to unpack. I suppose I'll start by saying that I do like the models and the textures. All that weathering on the engines is reminiscent of S5/6. To me, that makes me think that there is an effort

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

to respect the franchise's roots and what made it good in the first place. Again, the sets look quite nice and I appreciate that there seems to be an effort to have the stories focus on the working of real railways with the engines doing stuff that engines do.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

I also must add that this was the story I was most looking forward to writing. With this being Thomas's 80th and my 200th story, there was a certain excitement to this one that not every story has. Therefore, I really hope you enjoy this one.

[MainLineEngines @NWRMainLine]

Here we are. "Thomas-festival", the big 200th story of my series and just in time to celebrate the eightieth anniversary of Thomas the Tank Engine. See how Thomas proves once again that he is a Really Useful Engine. Enjoy!
https://t.co/P9FIfNBi0g