Murdoch17

Thomas the Tank Engine - MOCs of locomotives and rolling stock

Recommended Posts

Builders note on the following models:

These engines were my most beloved thing to watch in childhood up until the Polar Express movie came out to displace it in 2004. I loved to play with my wooden railway models, and would have thought I'd have died and gone to heaven if I'd had the Lego models described below when I was little, around the time the movie came out when I was 6 or 7 in 2000 / 2001. So, in short, look on, younger Murdoch17 and gasp at what you've been able to accomplish with the help of many others and quite a few years of knowledge and learning.

I still am a passive Thomas fan, BTW, (my collection of books is still around somewhere!) but everything after the switch from the models to CGI turns me off., so I haven't watched the show in 10 years, just in case anyone is wondering. Oh, and the Polar Express models by @SavaTheAggie were what inspired me to get this serious into LEGO trains in 2011 or so, so I've come full circle - from Thomas to Polar Express from the movies, then from Polar Express and back to Thomas the long way round via LEGO.

LADY the magic engine + coaches

48310599896_a1483db13e_z.jpg

Here is Lady the steam loco and her train consisting of two (custom) coaches Victoria and Elton, driven by Burnett Stone and Mrs Conductor. They travel between the worlds of Sodor, our world (circa the year 2000), and many other rail-gateways, to bring the vital magic gold-dust, paying passengers and small amounts of cargo to their respective destinations in the multiverse. It's a difficult and dangerous job (especially with Diesel 10 on the prowl) , but somebody's gotta do it.

48310712067_6833fc304b_z.jpg

This model was originally Hunter Dobbs steam locomotive and is based off of "Lady" from Thomas And the Magic Railroad (you know, the 2000 Thomas And Friends film that sadly,  flopped horribly.) I redid the boiler using @ScotNick design from the BR Class 9F 2-10-0. Here is a link to Hunterdobbs' original engine.

Fictional background (from Thomas and friends wiki) for this engine, as seen in the Magic Railroad movie. (Also, the figure in the cab of the engine is a representation of Burnett Stone, caretaker and driver of Lady, as played by Peter Fonda in the 2000 movie.)

Lady once came to the Island of Sodor a long time ago, when she was found by Diesel 10, an evil diesel engine who wanted to destroy her. Lady and Burnett Stone both ran away from Diesel 10, but during the chase, Burnett used up all her coal and made her go too fast, causing Diesel 10 to catch up and crash her. Lady was taken back to Muffle Mountain and stored inside Burnett's workshop, where he spent years desperately trying to restore her to working order, but he did not have the right coal to make her steam.

Years later, Lady was still out of service, and without her, the Magic Railroad began to lose its magic. That all changed when Lily, Burnett's granddaughter, and Thomas brought a truck of coal from Sodor to Muffle Mountain, which proved to be the correct coal necessary to make her steam. Lady came back to life and returned to Sodor, where she was once again chased by Diesel 10. Lady, Burnett and Thomas successfully managed to escape Diesel 10, and she gave the Conductor Family the Gold Dust they needed.

As a side note, while watching Thomas and the Magic Railroad as a kid back in the early 2000's, I always wondered how it was supposed to be a technical railroad if Lady (the magic steam engine who powered and ran the warp-gate railway) had no coaches for people to sit in. She had a station on Sodor, and one on in the real world in the form of her owner's workshop, (as explained in the movie) but where were the coaches she most likely used to deposit people at these points? Well, now there are two brand-new coaches ready for service!

48310599936_65a22fa6d0_z.jpg

The rear of the loco, with the red headlamp.

48310599941_d9c3e5ac32_z.jpg

These cars have been named Victoria and Elton. These names were chosen for several reasons, but mostly for these facts: Victoria was because of when Lady was supposedly built (in the 1890's) in "Thomas and Friends" canon and that is who was Queen at that time. Elton because I was listening to a good Elton John song ("This train don't stop here anymore") and decided then and there he was going to model the second car. So, we have a stuffy, quiet-loving type coach of the late 1800's, and a flamboyant, lovable, with a passion for singing out load coach from the 1890's, but with the heart and soul of Elton John. Oh, and they are both painted bright magenta to match Lady, who is still driven by Burnett Stone, but conducted by a female version of the Mr. Conductor character from the Magic Railroad film.

48310599981_f8f935ee33_z.jpg

Burnett Stone (Played by Peter Fonda in the 2000 movie) and Mrs Conductor (played by a actress as yet unknown... fill in your favorite one!)

DIESEL 10 the antagonist of the Magic Railway film

53059277716_69e6a48270_z.jpg

This 6 wide "Warship" (also known as BR class 42) with hydraulic claw (AKA Diesel 10) has been heavily inspired by KaijuBuildz and his Diesel 10 model to have a completely new design compared to my older inaccurate model. I did this by looking at two or three pictures of his model and reverse engineering it except for the frame and main windows. (The front / rear windows were changed as I couldn't figure them out, and the frame because I wanted to make sure he could pull trains.) As you can see, I chose to leave off the face to keep the engine more in line with the rest of my locomotives. You can see @KaijuBuildz Diesel 10 MOC here in his Flickr photostream.

53058692282_c9e42af74a_z.jpg

The rear of the locomotive.

This in-universe background info is from the Thomas and friends wiki and concerns the events of The Magic Railroad movie (though he is still in the TV show until ~2017, unlike his opposite number, Lady the magic steam engine):

Diesel 10 once visited the Island of Sodor a long time ago, and caused trouble for the steam engines while he was there. During his visit, he found Lady, the engine responsible for keeping Sodor alive, and chased her, making her crash. Following the accident, Lady's caretaker, Burnett Stone, hid Lady in his workshop and tried to restore her, but failed to bring her back up to steam.

Several years later, Diesel 10 came back to Sodor when the Fat Controller was on holiday, intending to destroy Lady forever. He was first seen by Thomas and Gordon when he raced past them at Killaban Station, and brought his two lapdogs, Splatter and Dodge, to the railway, who were present when he was scheming. He caused several problems for the steam engines, such as dumping sneezing powder around Tidmouth Sheds and later destroying the scaffolding that had been placed beside the shed.

When Mr. Conductor travelled across Sodor to find the windmill, Diesel 10 found him and held him over the Big Dipper viaduct, intending to drop him. However, Mr. Conductor managed to escape by cutting one of the hydraulics hoses to his claw with a pair of wire cutters, causing him to fling Mr. Conductor across the island and to the windmill. Diesel 10 was later present at the Coaling Plant, where he was covered in coal when he was teaching Splatter and Dodge “how to stop being stupid”. After Junior flew in the air after riding the windmill's sails, he landed on Diesel 10's cab, who raced across the island and to the smelter's yard, where he tried to push James and Junior into the melting pit. Fortunately, Junior and James managed to escape by using the last of the former's gold dust.

After Lady was brought back up into steam and returned to Sodor, Diesel 10 found her and began to chase her, Thomas and Burnett across the island, until they reached the viaduct, but not before Splatter and Dodge betrayed him. Lady, Burnett and Thomas managed to cross the viaduct safely while it was collapsing, but it had already done so by the time Diesel 10 came over it and he plunged into a barge of sludge below the bridge, and was sent away in disgrace.

THOMAS the tank engine + coaches

52727490019_7e7340be7d_z.jpg

My newly revised Thomas is based off these instructions from Block Junction, albeit in heavily modified form. Thomas' two coaches Annie and Clarabel are my own design, and were built almost totally from my own parts collection - only wheels and buffers were purchased for them.

52726709987_1096ce0de4_z.jpg

The front of Thomas is lacking a face, but I'm not concerned about that... I says he's sleeping when kids ask at trains shows.

52727712853_2d96b5511a_z.jpg

The rear of the famous tank engine. There is a bit more inside printed details this time for his cab controls.

52727649250_eb044d446d_z.jpg

The car on the left (Clarabel) is mostly passenger seating in the front three-quarters, with the guards compartment (and luggage storage) in the rear-most section. The other coach (Annie) is meant for passenger seating only.

PERCY the small engine

52741626308_44583bc481_z.jpg

This rendition of Percy, the 0-4-0 saddle tank steamer from the Railway Series books and Thomas and Friends TV show was heavily inspired by the Lgauge website's Percy model (as seen here) However, I added Big Ben Bricks green medium wheels to make it stand out, plus working pistons whereas the original had only 9v powered wheels and no real pistons.

52741626313_c38e87c85d_z.jpg

Rear view, with the cab controls visible. As for cars for Percy to pull, I have two mail cars already built from late last year.

MURDOCH the heavy goods engine

52381169266_e6a3b50e19_z.jpg

I originally built the model in late 2013 based off this unfinished 9F Murdoch model by @ScotNick. It was uploaded on Brickshelf first, and later on Flickr after I uploaded my copy (LDD only, at first) in November 2013.

When I had redesigned the engine to build it IRL, I realized orange had virtually been eliminated as a color choice at that time. Windows were (up until that summer when CITY Arctic dropped) only from the 2004 BNSF loco, and orange was VERY expensive as a color. It was impossible in the correct color. Orange's pallet of parts would increase in the intervening 8 years, culminating in 2022 with every orange part I needed being buyable!

52381591090_f6f61f631d_z.jpg

The rear of the tender with the number 17 on it.

52380232227_ee325a062e_z.jpg

A view inside the cab.

JAMES the mixed traffic engine + branch line coaches

53080842687_939af0bfb7_z.jpg

I used the instructions of set 76423 (Hogwarts Express and Hogsmeade Station) and modified it a bit to turn it into James the mixed traffic engine from The Railway Series!

53081902343_864ff43d71_z.jpg

I removed the pistons, changed the funnel / dome, added side rods + magnetic couplers, revised the front bogie into a pony truck, and I even made enough room for a mini-figure to stand in the cab! The only things missing I can't replicate are a pair of leather bootlaces...

53081905453_607a530bcc_z.jpg

The inside of James' cab.

53084084684_67b6a74107_z.jpg

These four coaches are for use with James the mixed traffic engine. The four coaches seen above are based off Thomas' carriages Annie and Clarabel, but in a different color (these in tan vs. their reddish brown) to keep those two special. I also added a curved tumblehome to these new carriages as well.

53083894056_7f91fbfcd4_z.jpg

The three regular coaches.

53084084664_b69e53cd85_z.jpg

The guard coach, with the space for the guard / conductor at the rear-most compartment.

DIESEL the original antagonist

53075421895_24dcdc69b1_z.jpg

The BR class 08 diesel switcher you see here is based off a @Chromeknight design from way back in 2011-ish. It features a sliding center axle to get the three wheels to clear curves and switches, and is built in British Railways unlined black. The loco is supposed to represent The Evil Diesel as seen in Thomas and Friends TV show / The Railway Series books. (The less said about the travesty known as All Engines Go, the better!)

53075007921_7810fa7031_z.jpg

The rear of the locomotive. I hope he's learned his lesson since the last time has was on Sodor! (Spoiler: he hasn't)

HENRY the green engine

53145290109_9ed47e88b8_z.jpg

To create Henry in his latter form from the Thomas and Friends TV show / The Railway Series books, I took set 76423 (Hogwarts Express and Hogsmeade Station) and modified it quite a bit. I revised the boiler design, added two plates to the cab height, devised working pistons, up-sized the front bogies' wheels, and changed around the tender a tiny amount.

Here we see Henry with his driver (on left) and fireman. (on right)

53145569068_ffd4846d64_z.jpg

The rear of the tender.

53144495612_150bb5281f.jpg

Inside of Henry's cab.

GORDON the big engine + express coaches

53222605971_8449310235_z.jpg

For the third and final time, I have taken set 76423 (Hogwarts Express and Hogsmeade Station) and modified the engine portion quite a bit. This time I stretched it out into a 4-6-2, specifically Gordon from the Thomas and Friends TV show / The Railway Series books. In fact, I changed so much, that there isn't much of the original set left!

53222988339_4429621e70_z.jpg

The rear of the loco.

53224017176_58456f366f_z.jpg

The completed express train.

53224333483_0ec42a5fdb_z.jpg

These four regular coaches (alongside the Guard coach seen in another picture) are inspired by the 2019 Hogwarts Express cars, but without interior or removable roof / walls.

53224333478_1f2536c52a_z.jpg

I based the colors of the coaches on a inverted set 10194 (Emerald Night) coach color scheme. I always thought the colors looked better like this, and it avoids the problems of the tan 1 x 4 x 3 train windows used in the original set. (which are very expensive!!)

EDIT 9/30/23: Added revised real world pictures of Gordon and his train.

Have any Thoughts, Comments, or Questions? All are welcome here!

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice MOC that brings back some fond childhood memories! I like the technique for the dome. By the way, have you ever tried Studio? It lets you import custom parts like BBB wheels.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Pdaitabird said:

Nice MOC that brings back some fond childhood memories! I like the technique for the dome. By the way, have you ever tried Studio? It lets you import custom parts like BBB wheels.

Thanks for commenting! The studio program is too complex, but if LDD ever goes away 100% (which I pray it does not) then I'll switch, but until then I stay where I'm at. Also, @Pdaitabird did you see I added Diesel 10 to the first post?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

48082251393_598b81e007_z.jpg

The main post has been updated with a model which has been built in real bricks - Lady - with added bonus in the form of driver Burnett Stone as a mini-figure!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

48183984217_b5a7d8a471_z.jpg

Lady pulling away from a simulated safety stop made en-route on the Magic Railroad with her two new passenger cars.

Builder's notes:

These cars have been named Victoria and Elton. These names were chosen for several reasons, but mostly for these facts: Victoria was because of when Lady was supposedly built (in the 1890's) in "Thomas and Friends" canon and that is who was Queen at that time. Elton because I was listening to a good Elton John song ("This train don't stop here anymore") and decided then and there he was going to model the second car. So, we have a stuffy, quiet-loving type, can-do-no-wrong coach of the 1890's, and a flamboyant, lovable, with a passion for singing out load coach from the same time period, but with the heart and soul of Elton John. Oh, and they are both painted bright magenta to match Lady, who is still driven by Burnett Stone, but conducted by a female version of the Mr. Conductor Junior character from the Magic Railroad film.

I just created a kinda interesting set-up for potential stories, don't you think?

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

48310599896_a1483db13e_z.jpg

Here is Lady the steam loco and her train consisting of coaches Victoria and Elton, driven by Burnett Stone and Mrs Conductor. They travel between the worlds of Sodor, our world (circa the year 2000), and many other rail-gateways, to bring the vital magic gold-dust, paying passengers and small amounts of cargo to their respective destinations in the multiverse. It's a difficult and dangerous job (especially with Diesel 10 on the prowl) , but somebody's gotta do it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

(slight bump)

48816855756_8ebf94d0f2_z.jpg

Look out everybody, Diesel 10 is back and he means business!! Here we see him chasing Lady and Thomas on the Magic Railroad... check out the first post for more details on this devious diesel (and I added Thomas too)!

 

Oh, and @Sérgio, thanks for commenting. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thomas is getting an upgrade....

51140841034_68c3c07538_z.jpg

....and Annie and Clarabel are along for the ride!

Coming Soon! (ish)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

(sorry mods, apologies for bumping!)

Continuing with the "Thomas and Friends" theme, I've started construction on Thomas' coaches - Annie and Clarabel - using parts from my own collection. (I've already had my original Thomas built for several years, as seen further below)

52365370885_68b964c10e_z.jpg

I had more parts than I thought I did for these two, so the only things I had to buy were the 14 magnets gotten from a local store and the 14 metal-axle wheels are on order. (I bought 14 because Murdoch's freight train needs 10 of each as well as these two coach needed four total of each kind.) The wheels should arrive in a week or so.

48816494968_e12ec134a8_z.jpg

Thomas has been built since 2019, and he was originally Inspired by the Carolina Train Builders set "3105-STD" from 2001, this engine has gone through significant upgrades, including Big Ben Bricks medium driving wheels, pearl gold whistles, and printed number 1 tiles.

48816854446_b6182513db_z.jpg

Wait, Thomas! You've left your coaches behind!

Thoughts on this long awaited update?

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

(sorry for the bump!)

52675587790_9b733c2ee2_z.jpg

First off: I did not design this steam engine! I modified it heavily to suit my tastes from this Eurobricks post (link) from user @damangos.

I did, however, rework my original 7 wide Emerald Night tender from 2014 instead of the 6 wide tender used by damangos in the original model, and I also reworked his model to suit my tastes and be cheaper, although it has one set of wheels too many. (it should only have three axles) The tender has also been changed from a corridor tender to a Fowler tender, with the flared ends added on.

52675155116_7340cf7063_z.jpg

The engine on the other hand, is modeled in blue, and is numbered "4". As you can probably guess, this is Gordon from the Railway Series books and the Thomas and Friends TV show.

52675443949_2cc667a556.jpg

Cab details include opening firebox and space for a shovel.

49351632003_488385c951_z.jpg

These five passenger cars (four regular coaches, and one guard's coach) are inspired by the 2018 Hogwarts Express coach, to save money on wheels and train car bodies / frames. They don't have any of the interior details the Hogwarts Express has, though.

49352295602_966522a968_z.jpg

I based the colors of the coaches on a inverted set 10194 (Emerald Night) coach color scheme. I always thought the colors looked better like this, and it avoids the problems of the tan 1 x 4 x 3 train windows used in the original set. (which are very expensive!!)

(Main posted changed 2/7/23. I added digital Gordon screenshots and real-world coaches pics. Real world Gordon and revised Thomas MOC photos coming soon!)

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Another day, another engine! (Not sure whether Percy or Gordon will be bought next, honestly. Either way, other things are in the que ahead of both of them!)

52677131121_ca96eaaec7_z.jpg

This rendition of Percy, the 0-4-0 saddle tank steamer from the Railway Series books and Thomas and Friends TV show was heavily inspired by the Lgauge website's Percy model (as seen here) However, I added Big Ben Bricks green medium wheels* to make it stand out, plus working pistons whereas the original had only 9v powered wheels and no real pistons.

*Green gears are LDD stand ins for the custom wheels.

52676617922_a32874e854_z.jpg

Rear view, with the cab controls visible. The (printed) number 6 will be on the black 1 x 1 tiles near the coal bunker. As for cars for Percy to pull, I have two mail cars already built from late last year.

Out of 218 parts on this model, 94 have been found so far with 124 remaining (including those four green BBB wheels)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Update time! I finally finished my new Thomas and took photos of him, and Annie / Clarabel. (Comparison photos of the old Thomas are in the spoiler tag at the bottom of this post.)

52727490019_7e7340be7d_z.jpg

My newly revised Thomas is based off these instructions from Block Junction, albeit in heavily modified form. Thomas' two coaches Annie and Clarabel are my own design, and were built almost totally from my own parts collection - only wheels and buffers were purchased for them.

52726709987_1096ce0de4_z.jpg

The front of Thomas is lacking a face, but I'm not concerned about that... I says he's sleeping when kids ask at trains shows.

52727712853_2d96b5511a_z.jpg

The rear of the famous tank engine. There is a bit more inside printed details this time for his cab controls.

52727649250_eb044d446d_z.jpg

The car on the left (Clarabel) is mostly passenger seating in the front three-quarters, with the guards compartment (and luggage storage) in the rear-most section. The other coach (Annie) is meant for passenger seating only.

Thoughts?

Spoiler

48816494968_e12ec134a8_z.jpg

48816854446_b6182513db_z.jpg

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I love these models. You did such a great job. My favorite one is Gordon. I wish Lego could actually do this. 

Edited by Poodabricks

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Feuer Zug said:

Nicely done. Good setup for a layout to keep the children entertained.

 

3 hours ago, Poodabricks said:

I love these models. You did such a great job. My favorite one is Gordon. I wish Lego could actually do this. 

Thanks for the compliments @Feuer Zug and @Poodabricks, I really appreciate it!

I just started fiddling with Percy today, here is the latest update on that:

52730534080_c53d70b21e_z.jpg

Exactly eighty-four parts remain for Percy to be completed, including the four Big Ben Bricks wheels in green. It will cost about 24 dollars (before shipping) for these parts, and half of that price is the four wheels alone!

EDIT: I just ordered Percy this afternoon, and after shipping it was $37.

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

52732495423_d7b6c4259b_z.jpg

This 6 wide "Warship" (also known as BR class 42) with hydraulic claw (AKA Diesel 10) has been heavily inspired by @KaijuBuildz and his Diesel 10 model to have a completely new design compared to my older inaccurate model. I accomplished this by looking at two or three pictures of his model and reverse engineering it except for the frame and main windows. (The front / rear windows were changed as I couldn't figure them out, and the frame because I wanted to make sure Diesel 10 could pull trains.)

48815334808_681086cccb_z.jpg

You can compare the new model to my old model from 2019, seen directly above. Most of the old model will go into the new one, and yes, I know the color should be olive green instead of dark bluish gray. However, most of the parts don't exist in olive, so gray it shall stay.

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Percy has had an accident. We have the technology, we can rebuild him.... stronger... faster... better. He is The Six Million Dollar Steam Engine!

52737500763_01f443c565_z.jpg

OK, in reality this is just a WIP shot of him being constructed, not rebuilt. The final parts should be here by Saturday. (and no, it didn't really cost me 6 million dollars!)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Percy is finished and uploaded to the first post!

52741626308_44583bc481_z.jpg

This rendition of Percy, the 0-4-0 saddle tank steamer from the Railway Series books and Thomas and Friends TV show was heavily inspired by the Lgauge website's Percy model (as seen here) However, I added Big Ben Bricks green medium wheels to make it stand out, plus working pistons whereas the original had only 9v powered wheels and no real pistons.

52741626313_c38e87c85d_z.jpg

Rear view, with the cab controls visible. As for cars for Percy to pull, I have two mail cars already built from late last year.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I blame @zephyr1934 for this MOD! He said something to the effect of the engine from set 76423 (Hogwarts Express and Hogsmeade Station) would look a bit like James if you added side rods. So, I used the instructions and modified it a bit more, and voila! James the mixed traffic engine!

52999984267_1b21535cda_z.jpg

I removed the pistons, changed the funnel / dome, added side rods + magnetic couplers, and I even made enough room for a mini-figure to stand in the cab! The only things missing I can't replicate are a pair of leather bootlaces...

53000964425_022129514a_z.jpg

There are a lot of pieces missing, including two bracket types on the engine, two new slope bricks and three ancient wheelsets from the 4.5 / 12V era trains for use on the tender. I'm also missing two Big Ben Bricks wheels in the smallest size for the leading pony truck.

Thoughts?

EDIT: I got the wheel arrangement wrong. it's now been fixed!

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

53003655040_700523d188_z.jpg

There are less than twenty dollars worth of parts to order remaining for this devious locomotive.

52732495423_d7b6c4259b_z.jpg

Next month, Diesel 10 returns to a railyard near you!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Update on progress for James and Diesel 10:

53028716872_bdb9900656_z.jpg

James' tender is mostly done, but the actual locomotive portion needs a lot of work. Only 34 parts to go until he is finished, while Diesel 10 has 56 left to go. I can get both locomotives ordered at one time for $30 (before S&H), but that will have to wait a few more weeks.

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Diesel 10 is back! A blast from the past: ten out of ten for devious deeds and brutal strength, who hates steam engines!

53059277716_69e6a48270_z.jpg

You can compare the new model above to the old one in the spoiler below.

Spoiler

48816881042_8c3178b552_z.jpg

Thoughts?

Credit to @KaijuBuildz who designed the original model I reverse engineered. 

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.