Thomas and The Magic Railroad (Director's Cut)

The Director's Cut of Thomas and the Magic Railroad, as it's name implies, is the Director's Cut version of the aforementioned film, that was originally filmed around 1999, and also shown to test-audiences at a private-screening around this time. Nearly Twenty-Years passed before the public could finally watch the original version of the film, after it was released online on December 23rd of 2019. The main reason The Director's Cut wasn't released in theaters as the official film in 2000, and so many heavily-edited changes were made, was mainly due to the fact of how test-audiences complained how they thought Diesel 10 and P.T. Boomer would be too scary for younger children watching the film. Many differences between this film, scripted versions, and the final film, where also edited during the film process, meaning their were many differences between all three, also many voice-actors were replaced between the time of the Director's Cut and the final July 2000 film release version.

Plot

August 1999 Draft:

The Movie begins with the voice over of Lily, twenty years in the future, describing her experiences on the Island of Sodor. The screen starts out black, until it comes to life as the flickering rails light up, the sound of an engine's wheels can be heard, they get progressively louder until. Soon we hear the sound of a whistle, we then see a flash of images, including that of the color's blue, grey, a little bit of yellow, and red, these colors dash across the darkness of the screen, and the reflections of light, until they enter a tunnel, and disappear from sight.

It's as if we've seen these images before, similar to that of a jigsaw puzzle, but we cannot indicate what the complete picture could be... We are then taken outside the darkness of the tunnel, and discover the identity of these images, Thomas, a small blue tank engine, with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, and a short stumpy dome. Thomas speeds across the rails, covered by a cloud of steam, emanating from his funnel. This is our first view of him, where he lives, on the Island of Sodor.

Thomas disappears around the corner and the screen moves up to show the audience the blue sky above, a sky just as bright as Thomas, the engine that we again succumb to searching for in the beautiful scenery below. As the story comes to an end we will realize, that the comforting voice of the narrator we hear know, is Lily, all grown up.. twenty years in the future.

Lily explains that she believes most people, like us, the audience, realize that when riding a train, great adventures, may not be as far away as we might sometimes think.

We have now spotted Thomas, but he is still ahead, far off in the distance, so we are, at this moment, unable to see this cheeky engine, the face he and his friends possess, whereas engines elsewhere simply have smoke boxes, and not faces. And that long after the whistle of a engine disappears, it's romance will forever be in our hearts, now matter the age, or where that person may be.

We have now just passed Thomas, we can see his cloud of steam above, as he reaches a bend, and is about to come around the corner.

Lily explains how most people are delighted to know this, but some aren't, and that can sometimes be all it takes to threaten some of the world's most treasured things...

Characters

Thomas
Henry
Gordon
James
Percy
Toby
Annie and Clarabel
Bertie
Cranky (Faceless Cameo;Full role cut)
Bertie's Driver (cameo)
Sir Topham Hatt (voice only; portrait cameo)
Lady Hatt (mentioned; portrait cameo)
George (dropped)
Former Mr. Conductor (Dropped)
Lily's Father and Brother (Photo Cameo)
Lady
Diesel 10
Splatter and Dodge
Mr. Conductor
Junior
Lily
Lily's Mother
Patch & Lily's Children (Cameo)
Stacy Jones
Burnett Stone
Billy Twofeathers
Patch
The Tumbleweed
Tasha Stone
Harry Houdini (Mentioned as 'Houdini').

Cast & Crew

Trivia

It is currently unknown who played Lily as an Adult, as her actress was never credited. This also goes for other minor Human characters within the film, such as her baby-brother, and her children. Patch's Adult actor is only known, for the fact that he was also credited in the Final-Released version of the film.
On December 23rd 2019, after nearly twenty-years since the filming of the Director's Cut, it was finally released online for the public to see, after it was obtained by and shared online for the first time. Before this time, it was previously shown to several members of the Thomas community privately, however how or when this happened, is unknown.
Like the Final Version of the Film, the Director's Cut features many differences from the scripted versions of the film. Some majors differences include the fact that George's role was dropped, and Cranky's additional roles were also removed, with him only making a cameo in the film.
A Newspaper P.T. Boomer is reading towards the beginning of the film, confirms the movie takes place on or around July 22nd-23rd 1999.
Unlike the final version of the film, Gordon doesn't know who Diesel 10 is, before seeing him rush by at the start of the film, and Thomas explaining who he was.
The film was originally intended to be called "Thomas and the Rainbow Railroad" during early production.
Due to the film, never fully being completed in the first place, and at first, only being shown to select test-audiences in or around 2000, some scenes are unfinished, particularly this only seems to include scenes featuring The Magic Railroad, as Green-Screen and CGI Effects were used on this particular set, meaning the footage was unfinished at this stage. Around this point, several seconds of film are missing, in several areas of the movie, likely because they were simply never recorded in the first place.
At the end of the film, it's confirmed that Lily grew-up to become a Railroad Engineer, just like Burnett and Billy Twofeathers.
Their are actually two-different versions of the Director's-Cut Chase Scene, with one being more finished, compared to the others, different voice actors, etc. This also implies the possibility that other different versions of scenes were created, with different voice-actors also, before the final version of the film was finally finished.
Various select scenes from this cut of the film where released on the Thomas and the Magic Railroad DVD/Blu-Ray Combo pack, in late 2020.

Goofs

As mentioned above, many scenes were unfinished in this film, with the green-screen, edge of set, and other studio-equipment, such as boom-mic's being clearly visible to the audience at one point or another throughout the course of the film.
At one point during the Chase Scene, if one is to look closely enough, it can be seen that a crew-member is walking under the bridge, during a closeup of the bridge crumbling scenes.
When Diesel 10 throws his claw up in the air, and then back down again, whilst talking to Splatter and Dodge at Diesel 10's Mountain, only the front part of Diesel 10's claw comes down, the attachments that allow his arm to be moved around, strangely disappear briefly in this scene.
Right before the Chase Scene, when P.T. Boomer flies in to join Diesel 10, an invisible-wire can be seen carrying him, before he lands on Diesel 10's roof, this however, can only be seen in the previously public-ally available version of the chase scene, which was likely edited to be of better quality, compared to the one actually seen within the film.
At one point, during the scene in which he can briefly be seen at Knapford Station, Cranky is seen Faceless, but with a Face-plate to secure a face, placed where his face would usually be.
After Diesel 10 falls off the viaduct, it is unknown how he grabbed onto the rail with his claw, as the previous scene showed that he would have fallen down too far already to be able to grab-it. Additionally, in the very same scene, he grabs onto one of the rail-lines, and two other rail-lines are seen behind him, but disappear seconds afterwards, in the next scene. It is unknown how Diesel 10 fell perfectly in the barge below, as he should have landed sideways, based on the angle he was it.

Other Differences Between the Final-Film

The Scene involving Harold, Thomas, Splatter, and Dodge, at Tidmouth is removed. Same goes for the scene involving the three Diesels at the coal-hopper, with Diesel 10 giving his lesson on "How to stop being Stupid".
Most Characters have different voice-actors, compared to the final-cut of the film.
All of the songs, even including ones only in the scripted versions of the film, never made it into the Director's Cut.
The scene featuring Mr. Conductor arguing with the ball and the baseball bat isn't in this cut.
Unlike in the Final version of the film, instead of transporting away in a shower of gold-dust, after using the gold-dust, characters simply fade out when transporting through this method.
A Splash of Water is seen coming up, After Diesel 10 falls into the barge, a detail not retained in the final-film.

Differences in the May 19th 1999 Script, Etc.

In this version, the movie is confirmed to take place in 2000 or after, as the script refers to Lily as being a "10/11 year old child of the new millennium
"Dillylick" is mentioned. This place was also referenced several times on "Shining Time Station".
Mutt is confirmed to belong to Billy Twofeathers
A scene where Mr. Conductor and Thomas pass by Diesel 10's Mountain is incorporated.
During the shed scene at night, Diesel 10 pours Ash down Thomas' funnel, through the hole in the roof of the sheds.
A Flashback scene of Burnett as a child and a previous Mr. Conductor is incorporated.
A scene where Mr. Conductor falls into the water at a raging water-fall, and nearly drowns, is incorporated.
Junior is also 18 Inches Tall, and is British.
Mr. Conductor also stays small on Sodor, proportion-wise to the engines and other surroundings.
Thomas arrives at Muffle Mountain through the Magic-Buffers, and is able to communicate with Lady, despite the fact that she is faceless here. Additionally, after setting off the explosion at Muffle Mountain, Boomer, mistaking Thomas for a large toy, climbs on top of him, and inadvertently is taken with him into the Magic-Railroad as Thomas falls down the mountain.
Ultimately, after falling into the barge, the two villains are turned to Sludge, via Junior's Magic Bandanna.