July 9th, 2000 (Odeon Leicester Square)
July 14th, 2000 (United Kingdom)
July 26th, 2000 (United States and Canada)
October 26th, 2000 (Germany)
December 14th, 2000 (Australia)
April 7th, 2001 (New Zealand)
May 19th, 2001 (Japan)
Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American/Canadian live-action/animated fantasy comedy hybird film written, produced and directed by Britt Allcroft. The film stars Alec Baldwin as Mr. Conductor, Peter Fonda, Mara Wilson, Didi Conn, Russell Means, Cody McMains, Michael E. Rodgers, and Eddie Glen as the voice of Thomas. The film is based on the British children's book series The Railway Series by The Rev. W. Awdry, its televised adaptation Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, and the American television series Shining Time Station by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow.
The film was co-produced by Gullane Pictures and the Isle of Man Film Commission. It was distributed by Destination Films in the United States, Icon Film Distribution in the United Kingdom, Alliance Atlantis in Canada, and ABC Films in Australia, with sound editing and design being done by Sound Dogs Toronto in Toronto, Canada. The film tells the story of Lily Stone, the granddaughter of the caretaker of an enchanted steam engine who is lacking an appropriate supply of coal, and Mr. Conductor of Shining Time Station, whose provisions of magical gold dust are at a critical low. To ameliorate these problems, Lily and Mr. Conductor enlist the help of Thomas, who confronts the ruthless and devious Diesel 10 who plans to get rid of the railway's steam engines along the way.
Plans for an original Thomas & Friends film started with Paramount Pictures, but did not pull through. Shortly afterward, Destination Films began funding for the film and started production in 1998. Filming took place at the Strasburg Railroad, Toronto, Canada, and the Isle of Man. It held its world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in the United Kingdom on July 9th, 2000, and was released on July 14th, 2000 in the UK, and July 26th, 2000 in the United States and Canada, It was released in Germany and Australia in late 2000 and finally in New Zealand on April 7th, 2001, and Japan on May 19th, 2001. The film was reviewed negatively by critics, mainly from the US upon release, with criticism directed towards the acting, plot, special effects, and lack of fidelity towards the source material. It grossed $19.7 million worldwide against a production budget of $19 million.
Due to the film's poor performance, Allcroft was forced to resign from her company in September of 2000. HiT Entertainment acquired the company two years later, including the television rights to Thomas.
Storyline
Mr. Conductor is called to help out on the Island of Sodor, while Sir Topham Hatt is on holiday. His supply of magic gold dust, which allows him to travel between Shining Time and Thomas's island where talking trains and vehicles can talk, is critically low. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to get more but finds a clue. Meanwhile, the evil, devious Diesel 10 along with his bumbling followers, arrive on Sodor with unfinished business, to find and destroy a lost railway and the lost steam engine that helps keep the two worlds together peacefully and destroy all the steam engines on Sodor. It's up to brave little Thomas The Tank Engine, to team up with Mr. Conductor, Burnett Stone, Lily, James The Red Engine, and their friends to solve these mysteries and save the magical universe before Diesel 10 finds the lost engine first.
Also See
- Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) (TV Spots)
Movie Trailers
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, Air Brake Hiss Truck PE079201
- Hollywoodedge, Body Falls Water Spla PE106801 (Heard once when part of the viaduct falls into the river during the chase sequence.)
- Hollywoodedge, Children Sml Grp Laug PE954803/Hollywoodedge, Small Group Kids Laug PE143601
- Hollywoodedge, Children Sml Grp Yell PE954901/Hollywoodedge, Small Group Kids Chee PE142801
- Hollywoodedge, Commuter Train Bys 1 SS014401
- Hollywoodedge, Crash Metal Glass PE110901
- Hollywoodedge, Doppler Horn By LeftT PE079801 (Highway traffic only.)
- Hollywoodedge, Eagle Bald Chirps Cal AT082601 (Heard once in the Gullane Pictures logo.)
- Hollywoodedge, Gusts Heavy Cold Wind PE031601/Hollywoodedge, Whistling Wind Stead PE033301 (Only heard in the director's cut.)
- Hollywoodedge, High Pitched Desk Bel PE191901
- Hollywoodedge, Large Splash Or DiveW PE127201
- Hollywoodedge, Metal Creaks Machine FS015801 (Lower pitched; used for the engines brakes squeaking/squealing.)
- Hollywoodedge, Metal Creaks Machine FS015802 (Extremely low volume; heard once when The Rainbow Sun comes to a stop at Shining Time Station before Lily gets off.)
- Hollywoodedge, Sheep Baa Medium Pers PE027001 (Very low volume; can be heard three times in the background.)
- Hollywoodedge, Telephone Rings Bell PE171501 (Used for Sir Topham Hatt's office phone ringing.)
- Hollywoodedge, Truck Brakes Brake Sq TE047902
- PUNCH WITH BELL DING
- SKYWALKER, METAL - AT-AT LEG ROAR
- SKYWALKER, METAL - PINCHY CLAW IMPACTS (Debut; used as the impact sounds on the Diesel 10's claw named "Pinchy".)
- SKYWALKER, METAL - THOMAS' SWITCH THROW (Debut; used as a movement sound for Diesel 10's claw named "Pinchy".)
- Sound Ideas, BELL, RAILROAD - RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL BELL: RINGING
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, LOON - COMMON LOON: SINGLE CALL, ANIMAL 01 (Heard in a different pitch.)
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, OWL - CALLING, ANIMAL 01
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, OWL - SINGLE OWL HOOTING, ANIMAL
- Sound Ideas, COMEDY, ACCENT - KITCHEN BAND, MUSIC, PERCUSSION (Used as the ringing/ringtone on the bell flowers.)
- Sound Ideas, COUPLING - FREIGHT CARS COUPLING IMPACT, TRAIN (Sped up in tempo; heard once when Thomas sneezes during the meeting the engines have.)
- Sound Ideas, ELECTRICITY, SPARK - HIGH VOLTAGE SPARK, ELECTRICAL 01
- Sound Ideas, ELECTRICITY, SPARK - HIGH VOLTAGE SPARK, ELECTRICAL 03
- Sound Ideas, FLY - SINGLE FLY BUZZING AROUND, ANIMAL, INSECT 01
- Sound Ideas, FOX, RED FOX - RED FOX VULPES VULPES, ANIMAL, DIGIFFECTS
- Sound Ideas, LEAVES - LEAVES: RUSTLING 01
- Sound Ideas, MOTORCYCLE - START AND PULL AWAY
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN - PASSES BY: OVER WOODEN BRIDGE, SUBWAY (Heard multiple times throughout the film, for both engine and rolling stock wheel clatters.)
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN DIESEL, APPROACH, PASS BY, HORN (Engine and wheels only; used for the Amtrak trains in the Big City Station.)
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, STEAM - EXT: IDLE, PULL AWAY FROM SIDE (Heard once when Indian Valley #475 departs the big station with Lily onboard.)
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, STEAM - EXTERNAL: APPROACH, PASS BY LEFT TO RIGHT, SLOW SPEED (End clattering element only; used as the wheels clattering on rolling stock.)
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, STEAM - START IN MOTION 02 (Used for Henry & Gordon's puffing at normal pitch, and at high pitch and speed for background puffing sounds.)
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, STEAM - WHISTLE, DISTANT, LONG BLAST 02 (Can be heard in a lower pitch.)
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, STEAM - WHISTLE, MANY BLASTS, CLOSE UP (Used as the whistle on Indian Valley Railroad #475.)
- Sound Ideas, TRUCK, DIESEL - START, IDLE, STOP (Used as Splatter and Dodge's engine sounds.)
- Sound Ideas, WHISTLE, TRAIN - STEAM TRAIN WHISTLE, SEVERAL BLASTS (Heard in the Original Storyboard Opening.)
- Thomas Whistle (Robot tone added, normal, lower, and higher pitches; used as Thomas, Gordon, Henry, and Percy's whistles.)
- Unknown Sound Effects Library, Train Whistle 12 (Used as Lady's whistle.)
