This is a page listing some fan-theories about the franchise, that could potentially be true, but are just theories. Note: This page is for serious/potentially credible theories only, based upon stuff found within the source-material of the RWS & TVS.
Why The Engines Have Faces...[]
Theory #1: Satanic Worshiping Connection:
Awdry mentioned that Satanic worshiping occurred in ancient-times on Sodor near Killdane (hence the standing stones seen here). Although he stated that "it is probably just local legend, and there's no evidence to prove it occurred". Nonetheless... if it did occur it could somehow relate to the engines having faces. Awdry stated that "the engines only have faces when they are on Sodor. Not when they're elsewhere". This alone suggests some sort of paranormal thing going on that is unique to the island. At the same time however, the rule about them only having faces on Sodor is almost always broken within the books themselves (Only like once is it really followed). Seeing as the RWS is set in a realistic-world like our own, and the illustrations are just representations in-universe, this could be written off as another example of "illustrative errors". Now if this theory is true... the sentient-faceless engines would also play a part in this... They were likely always sentient, since the very first locomotive 220 years ago. Nobody knew this however as they communicated telepathically in their own language (For example Captain Baxter and others in Stepney the Bluebell Engine were described as speaking and having emotions even though they were faceless). They wouldn't have been designed with the intent to be alive... but it's kinda like what Awdry said about how locomotives seem to communicate in their own ways. Well maybe that really was true here... and because of something dark in Sodor's Past, engines could gain faces when on this island. Additionally, it would've happened long before the government's would have had a means to suppress these strange happenings, hence why everyone knows about it. Additionally, a piece of text within the books seems to fit in with Awdry's supposed rule of the engines only having faces on Sodor. In the story "The Fat Controller's Engines" in the book "The Eight Famous Engines", Sir Topham Hatt tells the engines they are taking a trip to England to show the people that his engines are real, for "They have read about us in the books, but they do not think we are real".
Theory #2: They were somehow just built that way:
Through some means or another, the faces are manufactured on some engines, but not others (you can choose if you want it to have a face or not i guess). Hence explaining why the CFR engines have two faces, they were just built that way.... it wasn't a bizarre coincidence that this just 'happened'. Now how they figured out the technology to create sentient biological beings and shove just a living face on an engine..... i have no clue. But the engines have to be somewhat biological as they have eyes, tongue, teeth, the grey part may even be skin. Also they are not completely immune to dying by natural-causes, Awdry confirmed they can die from exhaustion from being overworked...
Smudger's Fate...[]
The television series, nor any other form of thomas media, ever tells us what happened to Smudger, his ultimate fate is left a complete and utter mystery, entirely up to viewer interpretation. Here are the theories I have come up with for what happened to Smudger.
- After the Mid-Sodor Railway closed due to lack of funds, becoming bankrupt, Smudger, or what was left of him after becoming a generator, was sold to some unknown person (Possible, but i don't particularly get the feeling that many people would want to buy an old fashioned generator converted from a Narrow-Gauge Steam Engine, especially one that's as snotty as Smudger, but perhaps he reformed and became nicer after he was left to the fate of becoming a generator; sounds like a very boring and agonizing life, really, not being able to go anywhere).
- Like his counterpart Stanley from the Railway Series, Smudger was relocated to the mines at Cas-ny-Hawin. If this theory were to be true, and he followed the same path as his counterpart, it can be presumed he also probably broke-down eventually, causing the mines to flood in December 1946, which spelled the end of the Mid-Sodor-Railway, the following month. Smudger would then either have been simply abandoned in the mine, or sold for scrap in a desperate attempt to keep the railway open (ultimately failing). Again, i highly doubt anyone would purchase him after this, apart from the intent of selling him as scrap metal, considering he was an aging piece of equipment that would have been becoming rusty, and you know, breaking down in the mine.
- Apart from Smudger being sold off to some far-away place, abandoned in the mines, or scrapped, my final theory is that he possibly returned to service again as a functioning narrow-gauge engine (But was still prone to frequent derailing). He was ultimately purchased by the Skarloey Railway, but one night, when returning to the sheds, he lost control on the Old Iron Bridge, and plummeted to his death in the swamps below, never being found. This theory suggests that the ghost engine in Rusty's story from "Duncan Gets Spooked" really did exist, and was actually Smudger. The engine shown falling off the bridge uses Skarloey's model, so this would seem to disprove the theory, but that flashback depiction of what the engine looked like may not have been accurate. Further evidence to this theory, would be that Duncan witnessed a glowing form on the bridge that resembled an engine sharing the same basis as Rheneas. The narration tells us that in-reality these were only fireflies, but perhaps that wasn't really true after all...
Why does Boulder appear to be Alive?[]
- Other things (vehicles), that aren't sentient in real life, are in the television series, so why not a boulder too? This theory simply cannot explain the disappearing face though, making it largely invalid.
- A group of local hooligan's that had an extreme appreciation, and perhaps slightly addictive fascination with Gordon, decided to carve his face into a boulder, and subsequently used Dark Magic to cast a spell, making the Boulder alive only during certain periods of time, perhaps only for a portion of the day (Explaining the disappearing face thing).
- A wandering spirit of a deceased individual or scrapped locomotive inhabits the Boulder, using it as if it were a body, sometimes leaving to travel elsewhere, explaining the disappearing and reappearing face.
Theory about the STS Canon & Connected Alternate Universes...[]
Theory #1: Connected Alternate-Universe Earth, and why it is so different.
The model-engines universe, or whatever you wanna call it is in a alternate-earth in an alternate universe, that's pretty easy to figure out. The question is why is it populated by static little wooden figures and random talking engines, as opposed to having the same basic principles as the other earth? Well, I think, that although this alternate earth may-be naturally occurring, that it's inhabitants are not. Basically I think this alternate-earth was probably completely devoid of any life, at-least anything bigger than the microscopic level. Then, one day one of the Mr. Conductor's with their magic abilities found this alternate-earth and decided to make it into something, a populated world filled with model people, animals, trains, etc. (Like the largest model-train set ever), and then brought the engines, people, and animals to life with gold-dust (This is one of its abilities, so it could be true). This leaves the question of where do the Mr. Conductors originate from? Well maybe they came from this world after-all, as they are tiny and they fit in here with the height difference. They definitely didn't come from the live-action STS world, cause they are too tiny there.
Theory #2: No Alternate World Present... Only Time Travel...
in the far past or the far future..... For example the live-action STS world was wiped out through a cataclysm or mass-extinction event of some sort in the distant future... and new similar life began to rise...... the tiny conductor's, which preceded to do what i explained in the last theory. Or it could be Model-Railway civilization first - STS civilization after. This does not explain where the whole magical abilities thing came from however. Their is one piece of credence to this theory, that suggests it could be true, Mr. Conductor brought his time-travelling hour-glass with him in TATMR. Why'd he do that? Is it cause he doesn't want it to be stolen, or did he use it and that's why he is there?
Theory #3: Thomas and the Magic Railroad isn’t canon to the television series...
In recent years Thomas and the Magic Railroad's canonicity to the TV series has been debated among fans. Many people believe that it is only canon to Shining Time Station and not to Thomas and Friends, although the 2014 TV Series map includes places that only appear in the movie and Diesel 10 has occasionally appeared in the show since. While it hasn’t been confirmed to be non-canon, Chris Lloyd has said in an SiF interview that Lady isn’t real in the show's continuity, which could imply that the movie isn’t canon, although according to the Unlikely Fandom Twitter account, Britt Allcroft considers the movie canon, although some fans still like to head canon that it isn’t canon to the tv series.
Bulgy's shed planned for Bulgy Rides Again[]
Bulgy Rides Again is one of the greatest episodes from the seventh season, where we see the return of the rude double-decker bus, who is given a chance to be back on the road. But there was one scene that confused me.
After Bulgy was repainted, his driver takes him back to his field where he was punished. So I have a small theory about this oddity.
During the production of Season 7, a shed for Bulgy was originally meant to be built for this episode. Unfortunately, it didn't happened because of budget reasons. So they made Bulgy go to the field, as the hens' new house.
Fun fact: Bulgy has a shed in a magazine story called Bulgy's Back.