Discover Thomas & Friends (2023)

Discover Thomas & Friends is a new exhibition that will replace the original exhibition. It will feature original models from the television series, as well as replica models. Due to all the criticism the exhibition had gained over the years, it is set to be relocated in 2023 in the exit building next to Winston's Whistle Stop Tour. A new layout will be built using the set pieces from the old layout. This layout will be smaller than the previous. Great Waterton is set to be on the layout but other stations are likely to be swapped around. The engine and vehicle props are likely to stay the same with the original Thomas prop previously on the layout returning, alongside some new props.

Engines[]

Thomas (The Great Discovery-Series 12 Brass model originally, Replica by Alex Hargreaves, was running then became static)
Edward (Replica, Running)
Henry (Replica, was running then became static) (removed in late May 2024)
James (Replica, Running)
Percy (Series 10-Series 12 Brass Model) (Originally planned) (Replica was be used on final layout, but never happened)
Toby (Replica, Running)
Sir Handel (Small scale replica by Skarloey Railway Adventure, Static)
Rusty (Small scale replica by Skarloey Railway Adventure, Running)
'Arry or Bert (Static)
Salty (Face bag without faces inside also present during construction)
Spencer (During construction, Static)
Dennis (Face bag without faces inside present during construction, Static)
Rosie (Faces present during construction, Static)
Flora (Display case; faces present during construction)

Vehicles[]

Terence
Bulgy (Faces also present during construction)
George
Caroline
The Post Van
Cranky (Faces present during construction)
Butch
The Fire Engines
Tiger Moth
Sodor Maid
Thumper (Face present during construction)
Elizabeth
Lord Mountevans
Trevor's Cart
The Hot Air Balloon
The Sleigh (for the Christmas season)
Red soft-side lorry
A light blue car
A red car
Two maroon red cars
A brown car
A white van
A rusty tractor

Rolling stock[]

Annie and Clarabel (Replicas by Alex Hargreaves)
Toad
Gordon's Special Coaches
Flora's Tram Coach (Display case)
Two mail coaches
Six plank trucks
One flatbed
One conflat
Four cattle trucks
One of the old tenders
Three grey LNER 12 ton vans
One Lynton and Barnstaple Railway van
A 16 ton GWR Brake Van
Two red Branch Line Coaches (One Composite and one Break Coach)
One of the Special Express Coaches
Toby's museum coach
One of Thomas' new trucks
One livestock wagon
Two Poultry Wagons
One small-scale Narrow Gauge coach (replica by Skarloey Railway Adventure)
One small-scale Narrow Gauge truck (replica by Skarloey Railway Adventure)
One small-scale Narrow Gauge van (replica by Skarloey Railway Adventure)
One small-scale Narrow Gauge brake van (replica by Skarloey Railway Adventure)

Humans and Animals[]

Sir Topham Hatt in his beach outfit
Lady Hatt
Stephen Hatt
Dowager Hatt in her birthday outfit
Farmer Finney
Jem Cole
Mr. Hugh
The Thin Clergyman (made by Skarloey Railway Adventure)
Farmer McColl (small scale and close-up models)
The Duke and Duchess of Boxford
Lord Callan
The Wedding Guests
Tiger Moth's Pilot
Members of the Railway Board Members
The Dock Manager
Jenny Packard
The Vet
Allicia Botti
Dusty Miller
Alice
The Admiral
The Storyteller
Various passengers
Various holidaymakers
Various workmen
A signalmen
A farmer
Five circus clowns
Katie the sheepdog (small scale and close-up models)
Some cows
Some sheep
Some cats
Some hens
A dog

Buildings[]

Great Waterton station
Great Waterton's clock tower
Waterton Butchers
P.L. Groceries
Timothy's Tailors
Sodor Sweets
Reeves & Tola Cycleshop
Ben's Books
Waterton Post Office
Waterton Blacksmiths
Ed's Garage
Great Waterton Police Station
The Water Works tower
Two signal boxes
The gantry signal box from Kirk Ronan Junction
The L-shaped workmen's hut
The Antiques and Newsagents shop
The cottage next to Maithwaite
Cyril's Cottage
One of the gasometers
Strawberry Grove wooden station
Bluff's Cove station
Toby's shed/Elizabeth's shed
The Windmill
Callan Castle (distant scale model)
The houses from Rail Bridge over Rail and Canal Runby
Tidmouth Goods Station
Brendam Warehouse
Sodor Shipping Company
Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
Wellsworth Bridge
Various set pieces from McColl Farm (close-up scale and small scale)

Others[]

1 Gauge Tenmille
O gauge PECO
Awdry's models of Thomas Mk3, Edward, Annie and Clarabel (under loan from the Talyllyn Railway)

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

The new layout uses a new Tenmille switch track to replace the original points, which was jammed from the original exhibition.
- In addition, the Tenmille nickel silver track was also add in the display case for Flora and her coach to stood on them in their first on display at the public as they're not on the tracks in 2023.
According to some members of Mattel, the new layout will include display shelves for the engines props while the replicas will be running on the layout, it was only display the models for the close-up human and animals figures.
There was a door to the new layout during the construction that could only be accessed by the employees, as well as Sam Wilkinson and Sean O’Connor, to construct and test the layout.
Instead of the engines being automatically operated, the layout will feature push button which will set power on the track to move the engines in a perticular direction towards the next location which also features a push button to move the engines to the next location.
The new layout was originally planned for use of the screen-used props, but this decision fell through as fan-made replicas of Thomas, Edward, Henry, James, Sir Handel, and Rusty were used instead. Some props from the original layout as well as some new ones are used on the layout, albeit static.
- Percy's S10 brass model was originally planned to be on display on the layout, but the plan fell through, and was later changed to be a fan-made replica of Percy instead.
- Annie and Clarabel's fan-made replicas were going to holding by Thomas' replica model since the original resin models were still in Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan. The replicas were painted to match the new resin models used from Calling All Engines to series 12, such as their buffer shank housings which were painted the same or similar shade of red.
- The replica models of Edward, Henry and James are based on the their plastic models. Unlike the original models of Edward and James props, however, the replicas feature safety valves from Series 1 to 5 (as well as Thomas and the Magic Railroad). Henry also features his safety valves from the original series, and Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
The replica models of Thomas, Annie, Clarabel, Sir Handel, Rusty, small-scale Narrow Gauge coach, small-scale Narrow Gauge truck, small-scale Narrow Gauge van, and the small-scale Narrow Gauge brake van were created by Alex Hargreaves and Skarloey Railway Adventure respectively.
- The replica model of Thomas was based on the plastic model form in HiT Entertainment era. However, some parts of the model are based on the Magic Railroad brass model.

External Links[]

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