The Unlucky Tug

SO much was revealed yesterday!

Bachmann announced FLYING SCOTSMAN for the OO Thomas range. Like, WHAT? Holy crap! I definitely did not see that coming!

HiT apparently filmed a recreation of the original show intro for Season 8, but scrapped it. Photo by ‪@ThomasFan2002‬

The Talyllyn Railway revealed new faces for "Skarloey" and "Rheneas", completing the 7 main engines!

Richard Awdry (son of Christopher Awdry) has apparently taken over from his father as the lore keeper for the Railway Series, and has revealed some new developments on Sodor in the 2020s at Awdry Extravaganza 5:
-Richard Hatt is now Controller, succeeding Stephen.
-Coal was discovered near Tidmouth, giving Sodor a coal resource. Sodor notably never had its own coal mine in the books' canon and imported it all in - and now it does!
-The North Western DID buy an Austerity saddle tank, and it helped construct the long-proposed Harwick extension to meet a new nuclear power plant in Ballaswein. A lot to take in there!

Thomas' 80th just gets crazier and crazier. What are all your thoughts on these reveals?

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 5,453



@splat-trainproductions

That season 8 intro….We were ROBBED.

2 months ago | 473

@ShannonCarter55

Holy heck, Richard Awdry has taken over. Three generations of Awdrys. No doubt he's been working with Christopher his father for years before this day. Congratulations to him.

2 months ago | 322

@ArtisanPirate

Happy to hear that the Island Of Sodor lore continues to grow and develop. Hopefully new books can come out

2 months ago | 241

@TMFStudios-000

And since Awdry Extravaganzas seem to be semi-canon to the RWS universe, then that means Albert and Gerry still exist to this day.

2 months ago | 162

@GeorgeLowther2000

It’s great to hear that Richard Awdry is now the official RWS Lore Keeper. And that Sodor’s Lore continues to grow.

2 months ago (edited) | 117

@lukewolsey

I am so happy that Richard Awdry is involved. I would be so happy if he started writing.

2 months ago | 67

@queenjohnbee3411

Richard Awdry becoming the lore keeper is VERY intriguing to me. I won’t get my hopes up for book 43 or anything, but I would LOVE to see where he would take the rws in writing.

2 months ago | 32

@BKluthree

Richard Awdry is the newest lore keeper for Thomas & The Railway Series. May Britt and Wilbert rest in piece.

2 months ago | 34

@cooperdooperhopkins2062

RICHARD WILL RESTORE THE FRANCHISE!!! YAAA!!!

2 months ago | 58

@IsleofPigsStudios

Prepare for Scotsman to be CRAZY expensive. 250 at minimum. The Big Tender engines are expensive as is, but Scotsman’s going to have TWO TENDERS, making him EVEN LONGER!

2 months ago | 42

@Mildcat743

I love how old Skarloey's face looks, it suits him very well. Whoever the Talyllyn got to do it did a remarkable job

2 months ago | 26

@LennonTheThomasAndTVExpert

Fantastic maybe Richard will start writing railway series books who knows.

2 months ago | 37

@dante_coproductions4753

A NUCLEAR PLANT IN SODOR? god dammit, and i was thinking we finally forgot about sodor fallout...

2 months ago | 22

@PositiveTigerGamer

Certainly surprised with more shocking 80th anniversary news. Especially about Christopher Awdry's son taking over the RWS lore and Hit Entertainment news of season 8's original intro

2 months ago | 16

@s.d.j.r_productions

2025 and 80th anniversary is abouta be the best time in TTTE fandom

2 months ago | 9

@greycatturtle7132

A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ???

2 months ago | 31

@srmcd1

Well, if all that lead ballast doesn't kill the residents of Sodor, we know the nuclear power plant will!

2 months ago | 14

@maddtoonerthegreencup1436

I am now super salty we never got this version of the classic intro, we were truly speckledorft-😭

2 months ago | 10

@jmredguppy2799

Dude this all insane! ^^ Bachman Flying Scotsman, a scrapped Season 8 Intro that recreated the OG one, the Skarloey and Rheneas faces for Talyllyn and Dolgoch look great, Richard Awdry taking care of the Railway Series lore now, Richard Topham Hatt is finally taking the mantle from Stephen Topham Hatt, AND we finally know that Sodor did buy an Autserity Tank Engine! ^^

2 months ago | 20

@readingnorthernman2102

And also, the Bachmann Thomas line is FINALLY gonna have a station again, with the reintroduction of Knapford! Which the range haven’t had a station since 2020.

2 months ago (edited) | 10