The absolute swagger of David Mitton entering the studio is just inspiring lol

Look at the love, care, and dedication these people put into producing Thomas. Something no company did after these guys, and certainly something Mattel could never ever do!

If only we still had quality Thomas

"Trucks are not meant to float." Diesel: 👁️👄👁️

David Mitton filmed my childhood and Britt Allcroft helped craft it too. This show was so special with the models and the first 5 series. Truly was the golden age for the series. Honestly was the best part of my childhood watching Thomas and his friends.

Working on Tugs really helped David Mitton and the crew with Thomas. Season 3 felt bigger and looked better than ever.

Whoever owns footage of the behinds the scenes or even better - if any parts of the layouts still exist - would be sitting on a gold mine for a documentary on this very topic. I'd be down for spending a night watching every detail.

Loved this original Thomas when my kids were small. My daughter dragged us all over the place to look at steam locos. Wonderful times😊

Imagine playing with trains all day while working. Would be amazing

Wow! Wow! Wow! Thank you so much for uploading this! :O My grandmother recorded this behind-the-scenes interview on VHS video for me back in 1991, and seeing this really brings back those memories. Once again, thank you so much. :)

Diesel did you do that? Diesel: *rolls his eyes down"

3:41 Holy s*it, it’s Proto-Bulstrode!

Even seeing the B.T.S. Footage of Diesel's clay truck incident, I can Still hear the "Falling Down the Stairs" type Cue that Mike and Junior put over top of that scene. I can only imagine how that same crew member probably laughed even Harder hearing and seeing the final cut.

If I could make a Thomas and Friends movie, I would have it made the way David Mitton made the show.

I just noticed that originally Percy was going to have a lamp on him during the production of season 3 since Thomas, Toby and Daisy were the only characters to have lamps at both front and back. But apart from Thomas, Percy And The Dragon Percy did not have a lamp on him until season 5.

Always thought this show was a trip as a kid. Those angry train faces reminded me of my father

Britt Alcroft did the voice of Lady The Magical Engine in Thomas And The Magic Railroad

That's pretty cool, especially that behind-the-scenes of "Diesel Does It Again".

Such care and attention to detail in the pre-digital era. Beautiful to see that they actually built a layout of Sodor to film the series. Nowadays it's all done behind a computer screen with nary a model train. As a father of a two-year-old who likes Thomas (and my own model train layout), I might get him some Thomas trains and make a small layout like this in the future. Seeing what these guys did to film the series certainly gives me inspiration.

Well done Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.

I always knew it was a lot of work that went into this show. Loved it growing up, having my kids watch it now. This is awesome

When Thomas was made at Clearwater they put the series aired on CITV but got pulled by the episode Henry's Forest.

Amount of work they put to make us 90s kid happy was enormous. This cartoon was famous in India too, and i grew up watching it. I am glad to say they the effort of creators not gone wasted

Wow so much work and detail onto this childhood masterpiece.

As a kid, I enjoyed watching Thomas. In fact, whenever I was in the car with the family and we would drive over a railroad track and saw a train was coming, my parents would make a U-turn just to watch it go by.

The Thomas and Friends character models were so spectacular, even with the thudding clacks from the train car wheels and the loud thundering chugs from the engine characters themselves. I would like for those models to be copied for everywhere so we can play with them; the same can go for the tracks and the train cars.

Imagine children around the world can have field trips such as Sega, Nintendo, and this?!

I’m a huge thomas and friends fan myself🇬🇧

I’d walk on legos to work on that set

0:44 RIP Gordon 1945-1991

1:09 Awesome Behind The Scenes Look About Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends. X

Loved the books as a kid, and really enjoyed the TV series, done with models and faithful to the original stories. Nice to see some behind-the-scenes footage! The switch to CG imagery was, to me, a huge mistake- especially as the stories and action became utterly ludicrous, and all the charm was lost. Anyway, thanks for showing us this and reminding us of the good times!

R.I.P David mitton 1938-2008

David mutton has got drip dude

Seeing the behind the scenes footage of my favorite childhood show makes me love and appreciate how much work and dedication David Mittion and Britt Alcroft put into making this timeless show Mattel should’ve never had changed Thomas into what it is now it has lost its appeal and shows everything that a steam engine is not supposed to do like jumping over another engine, changing its own points, and can move without a driver or firemen sorry but that is not what the Rev W Awdry intended when he wrote the original stories and I prefer his original stories and the original model series told by the legendary narrator’s Sir Ringo Starr and the late Michel Angeles thanks for sharing this video 👍❤️

That front China truck be like: why the fuk was I even buiiiblblblbl-

Any modellers here, do agree with Mitton? Do you feel your models have their own personality too? Share your experience!

I don’t get it! Why’d it take so long to see such golden footage of what made Thomas tick?

Behind The Scenes With David Mitton: A Day In The Life Of The Director

I just pray that someone who cares buys the rights from Mattel and goes back to filming with live action models again. Imagine how it would look filmed in 4K and modern tech, particularly with facial expressions. Maybe with some allowance of CG post production elements but still be 99% models and practical effects. One can dream.

Wow I love that studio of the model film makings, they are so fascinating and unique and the most amazing layout and work of the engines I have ever dreamed of seeing in all my childhood and long years

A 5-year break eh? Why can't HIT entertainment or Mattel give Thomas a break, rather than releasing seasons annually.

Ngl I like how they made this cause I have been next to this place and they gave me Thomas when it was his last day

That's so cool

They have a big studio

I bless the show delights all train fans, besides bring the Reverend W. Awdry's stories to life with another resembler of Charles Dickens' 1843 novel A Christmas Carol; that's the CGI animated Thomas and Friends episode, Diesel's Ghostly Christmas.

I had no idea it was £50,000 an episode

3:44 💥 💥 💥 💥

Dang David got swag man

Rip Michael Angelis

There lovable all right 🇬🇧

Where did you found this footage?!

David mitton look like he is gonna give them a offer they can’t refuse

1,000th like!

レオさんの声が聞こえますね

Crazy how everyone in this video has died of old age now

3:58-3:59 Did someone say Disney?

Series 3(1991-92)

What's that unused face Donald/Douglas face left between edward and trevor face the moment when there many faces ?

4:00-4:05 well, this didn't age really well

Did anyone ever work out for certain what became of the models and the sets? Did anything survive?

What documentary is this from ?

All nice on the surface, but you don’t see the toxicity that existed on the production….

They don’t make em like this anymore ! 😂wouldn’t get away with calling him Fat anymore either 🤣

How did there change faces I’m gonna make a model and make it as my own episode or crashes

0:06-0:10 What about Thomas' sister show Tugs?

I found out the models are now retired and the island segments are on display near them. I would like for the staff and creators along with David Mitton and Britt Allcroft to temporarily bring them out of retirement and display mode to redo the show without the characters crashing off the track, having an accident or featuring drivers and firemen in their cabs; Thomas and the Magic Railroad was made exactly like that. But of course, if that were to happen, some of the songs'll have to be altered by their lyrics, including the narration lines, and the Runaway Theme can be used for a rushing rescue. If they agree to do all that, it won't take long since some lines can stay the same and some scenes already made like that can be spared and they can use some of the old cars from the beginner seasons to the modern ones. And some of the temporary new characters can be shown in the CGI and cartoon episodes.

🚂🚂🚂🚂😎😎😎👍

3:40 salty:you were helpful that time you push the trucks in to the see~

Give the credit to originally Leaked the footage man. @Thomas Theorist

Where's bloody Ringo??

:D

Holy shit- i thought the engines of sodor were life sized.... small world ig

I.like.how.percy.move😂

DID YOU KNOW!!!!! If it was scaled to life size, a human would be bigger than a blue whale and the leingth of a boeing 767. I realy live model sets.

This is proper Thomas. No CGI and none of the woke BS that Thomas is full of these days.

They dont make em like this anymore nowadays its all cgi

Is Britt Allcroft From Thomas & Friends Is Going To Died Now 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

The Americans wanted some changes. Uh oh...

They went from this to some 3d animated crap.

Ti

Leave it to us Americans to get offended haha, though calling him sir Topham hatt is classier

They made so much money just by playing with some toy trains

So Americans already had issues with the show, typical

These people have invested so much love, effort, empathy, and work that today this series has been completely ruined. I mean, this is a horror, what they have done to this series today. We want the old Thomas back ❤️❤️❗❗❗❗

And to think the show replaced this for lame ass CGI. I feel bad for kids today.