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

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+{{Lost|image1=DownTheMinePilot1.jpg|current_status=<nowiki></nowiki><span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''|caption1=Footage of the pilot}}
-[[File:DownTheMinePilot1.jpg|thumb|300px|One of the aired shots  from the unaired pilot episode.]]
-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.
-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.
+In the early 1980s before ''The Railway Series'' books by Rev W. Awdry of ''Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends'' were receiving the greenlight to be adapted into a television series, 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 Big 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 (which is also the name of the pilot), 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.
-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>
+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.
 ==Gallery==
 <gallery orientation="none" position="center" bordersize="none" captionsize="medium" captionalign="center" spacing="small" widths="185">
+File:DowntheMine.png|Knapford in the pilot
+ErAAzNiXYAAzB0I.jpg|Possible image of the pilot showing Thomas' whistle
-Hornby thomas set 1984.jpg|Presumed pilot model of Thomas pictured on a Hornby box
+File:ThomasandBertie20.png|Possible stock footage
-DownTheMinePilot2.jpg|Gordon's original pilot model
+DowntheMine13.png|Possible image of Annie/Clarabel
-DownTheMinePilot3.jpg|closeup of Gordon's original pilot model
+DowntheMine19.webp|The warning sign that says "ENGINES MUST NOT PASS THIS BOARD"
-DownTheMinePilot4.jpg|gordon's original pilot model cab closeup
+DowntheMine33.png|Possible early model of The Fat Controller / Sir Topham Hat
-ErAAzNiXYAAzB0I.jpg|Possible Stock Footage
-DowntheMine13.png|Possible stock footage
-DowntheMine19.webp|Possible stock footage
-DowntheMine33.png|Possible stock footage
 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 " )
 </gallery>
+===Behind the Scenes===
+<gallery orientation="none" position="center" bordersize="none" captionsize="medium" captionalign="center" spacing="small" widths="185">
+File:DowntheMinePilotScript1.jpg|Dialogue script
+File:DowntheMinePilotScript2.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotScript3.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript1.jpg|Visual script
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript2.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript3.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript4.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript5.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript6.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript7.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript8.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript9.jpg|(Note: A page is missing)
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript10.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotVisualScript11.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotPropRequirementsList1.jpg|Prop requirements list
+File:DowntheMinePilotPropRequirementsList2.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotPropRequirementsList3.jpg
+File:DowntheMinePilotPropRequirementsList4.jpg
+File:KnapfordStationConceptArt3.jpeg|Concept art for the Knapford station sign ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+KnapfordStationConceptArt.jpg|Concept art for Knapford ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+File:KnapfordStationConceptArt2.jpeg|Concept art for Knapford Station ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+File:KnapfordSignalGantry.jpeg|Concept art for Knapford Gantry ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+File:LowerTidmouthStationConceptArt.jpg|Concept art for Lower Tidmouth ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+File:SignalBoxConceptArt.jpeg|Concept art for a signal box ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+File:Thomasatknapford_Pilot.jpg|Story sketch ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+File:ThomasPilotConceptArt.jpg|Story sketch (Note: Thomas has four coaches instead of two) ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )
+Hornby thomas set 1984.jpg|Presumed pilot model of Thomas pictured on a Hornby Thomas toy box
+DownTheMinePilot2.jpg|Gordon's original pilot model (Note: the pilot models are lower-budget)
+DownTheMinePilot3.jpg|Closeup of Gordon's original pilot model
+DownTheMinePilot4.jpg|Gordon's original pilot model, cab closeup
+File:Season1SignalboxBehindtheScenes.png|A signal box used the pilot
+File:SmallScaleDriver.png
+File:DowntheMinePilotGauge1FiguresBTS.jpg
+</gallery>
+[[File:The Missing Thomas and Friends Pilot - Lost Media|center|frame|SewerReviewer’s video on the subject.]]
+[[File:Lost Thomas the Tank Engine Pilots -LostMedia|center|frame|Scribbles to Screen's video mentioning the "Down the Mine" pilot (5:41-9:00).]]
-==References==
-<references/>
 [[Category:Lost TV]]
-[[Category:Lost Britt Allcroft]]
 [[Category:Lost Pilots]]
-[[Category:Lost Live Action]]
+[[Category:Partially Found Media]]
-[[Category:Lost Episodes]]
-[[Category:Lost UK]]
 [[Category:Lost Thomas the Tank Engine]]
-[[Category:Lost ITV]]
-[[Category:Most likley to be never found]]

Latest revision as of 12:00, 1 December 2023

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

Footage of the pilot

Current Status

Partially Found

In the early 1980s before The Railway Series books by Rev W. Awdry of Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends were receiving the greenlight to be adapted into a television series, 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 Big 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 (which is also the name of the pilot), 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.

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.

Gallery

Knapford in the pilot

Possible image of the pilot showing Thomas' whistle

Possible stock footage

Possible image of Annie/Clarabel

The warning sign that says "ENGINES MUST NOT PASS THIS BOARD"

Possible early model of The Fat Controller / Sir Topham Hat

Possible stock footage

Behind the Scenes

Dialogue script

Visual script

(Note: A page is missing)

Prop requirements list

Concept art for the Knapford station sign ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Concept art for Knapford ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Concept art for Knapford Station ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Concept art for Knapford Gantry ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Concept art for Lower Tidmouth ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Concept art for a signal box ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Story sketch ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Story sketch (Note: Thomas has four coaches instead of two) ( credit to the Twitter user " @OldBonesJ " )

Presumed pilot model of Thomas pictured on a Hornby Thomas toy box

Gordon's original pilot model (Note: the pilot models are lower-budget)

Closeup of Gordon's original pilot model

Gordon's original pilot model, cab closeup

A signal box used the pilot