Changes: Thomas & Friends: Down the Mine (Partially Found Unaired 1983 Pilot)

Revision as of 12:17, 23 March 2021

DownTheMinePilot1 — One of the aired shots from the unaired pilot episode, showing Thomas' pilot model.

In the early 1980's before The Railway Series books by Rev W. Awdry of Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends were receiving the green light to be adapted into a televised form, a low-budget pilot episode was made and was pitched to several networks in April 3, 1983. The pilot was based off the story called Down The Mine from the eighth book from The Railway Series, Gordon the Blue Engine. Visually the pilot is largely consistent with the final series, using similar camera angles and featuring the same locations as the final episode.

The pilot was used strictly for screening purposes, however, a shot from the twenty fifthfth episode of the first season, Down The M (which is also the name of the pilot), waswas re-used from the pilot episode. Thomas sits on a hand built plastic chassis, with plunger pickups providing power to his motor and smoke unit. Minor details such as lining and lamp irons are missing. This chassis caused much trouble during shooting, and so the decision was made to use modified off-the-shelf Marklin chassis for the final series. Both Thomas and Gordon were modified to accommodate their Marklin chassis later on. The pilot models are the Series 1 models.

Photos of Gordon's pilot model, by engine builders Martin Gill and David Payne can be found in an interview with Christopher Noulton by Sodor Island Fansite.^[1]

Gallery

References

↑ Crewmember Spotlight on: Christopher Noulton. Retrieved 29 Dec '13.

[1] Crewmember Spotlight on: Christopher Noulton. Retrieved 29 Dec '13.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:DownTheMinePilot1.png|thumb|300px|One of the aired shots  from the unaired pilot episode.]]
+[[File:DownTheMinePilot1.jpg|thumb|300px|One of the aired shots  from the unaired pilot episode, showing Thomas' pilot model.|alt=]]
-In the early 1980's before ''The Railway Series'' books of ''Thomas & Friends'' were receiving the green light to be adapted into a televised form, a low-budget '''pilot episode''' was made and was pitched to several networks In April 3, 1983, the pilot was based off the story called ''Down The Mine'' from the eighth book from ''The Railway Series'', ''Gordon the Blue Engine''. Visually the pilot is largely consistent with the final series, using similar camera angles and featuring the same locations as the final episode.
+In the early 1980's before ''The Railway Series'' books by Rev W. Awdry of ''Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends'' were receiving the green light to be adapted into a televised form, a low-budget '''pilot episode''' was made and was pitched to several networks in April 3, 1983. The pilot was based off the story called ''Down The Mine'' from the eighth book from ''The Railway Series'', ''Gordon the Blue Engine''. Visually the pilot is largely consistent with the final series, using similar camera angles and featuring the same locations as the final episode.
-The pilot was used strictly for screening purposes, however, a shot from the twenty-fifth episode of the first season, Down The Mine, was re-used from the pilot episode. Thomas sits on a hand built plastic chassis, with plunger pickups providing power to his motor and smoke unit. Minor details such as lining and lamp irons are missing. This chassis caused much trouble during shooting, and so the decision was made to use modified off-the-shelf Marklin chassis for the final series. Both Thomas and Gordon were modified to accommodate their Marklin chassis later on. The pilot models are the Series 1< models.
+The pilot was used strictly for screening purposes, however, a shot from the twenty fifthfth episode of the first season, Down The M (which is also the name of the pilot), waswas re-used from the pilot episode. Thomas sits on a hand built plastic chassis, with plunger pickups providing power to his motor and smoke unit. Minor details such as lining and lamp irons are missing. This chassis caused much trouble during shooting, and so the decision was made to use modified off-the-shelf Marklin chassis for the final series. Both Thomas and Gordon were modified to accommodate their Marklin chassis later on. The pilot models are the Series 1 models.
 Photos of Gordon's pilot model, by engine builders Martin Gill and David Payne can be found in an interview with Christopher Noulton by Sodor Island Fansite.<ref>[http://www.sodor-island.net/episodeguide/chrisnoulton.html Crewmember Spotlight on: Christopher Noulton.] Retrieved 29 Dec '13.</ref>
 ==Gallery==
-<gallery orientation="none" position="center" bordersize="none" captionsize="medium" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
+<gallery orientation="none" position="center" bordersize="none" captionsize="medium" captionalign="center" spacing="small" widths="185">
+Hornby thomas set 1984.jpg|Presumed pilot model of Thomas pictured on a Hornby Thomas toy box
-File:DownTheMinePilot2.png|Gordon's original pilot model
-File:DownTheMinePilot3.jpg|closeup of Gordon's original pilot model
+DownTheMinePilot2.jpg|Gordon's original pilot model (Note: the pilot models are lower-budget)
-File:DownTheMinePilot4.jpg|gordon's original pilot model cab closeup
+DownTheMinePilot3.jpg|Closeup of Gordon's original pilot model
+DownTheMinePilot4.jpg|Gordon's original pilot model, cab closeup
-DowntheMine13.png|Possible stock footage
+ErAAzNiXYAAzB0I.jpg|Possible image of the pilot showing Thomas' bell
-DowntheMine33.png|Possible stock footage
+DowntheMine13.png|Possible image of Anne/Clarabelle
+DowntheMine19.webp|The warning sign that says "ENGINES MUST NOT PASS THIS BOARD"
+DowntheMine33.png|Possible early model of The Fat Controller / Sir Toppham Hat
 DowntheMine39.png|Possible stock footage
 DowntheMine40.png|Possible stock footage
 DowntheMine41.png|Possible stock footage
 EeWulgzWsAMKaY5.jpeg|Concept art for the Knapford station sign ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
-20200802 212940.jpg|Concept art for  Knapford ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+20200802 212940.jpg|Concept art for Knapford ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
 </gallery>
@@ Line 32: / Line 35: @@
 [[Category:Lost Thomas the Tank Engine]]
 [[Category:Lost ITV]]
+[[Category:Most likley to be never found]]