![thomas th etank engine thomas th etank engine](https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/thomas.jpg)
Thomas alone has more than 40 faces cast for him, while the other engines have five or six each. The characters' faces are changed between shooting sequences and are held in place with nothing more sophisticated than double-sided adhesive tape.
![thomas th etank engine thomas th etank engine](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7OUAAOSw1e1fKY7t/s-l500.jpg)
Each replica is reworked into different expressions, from which a final silicone casting is taken. Then a rubber mold is made, and several copies are cast in a mixture of resin and auto-body filler.
![thomas th etank engine thomas th etank engine](https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/thomas-the-tank.jpg)
Each character has its own basic face, which is first sculpted in clay. In addition, there is a diaphragm pump and smoke unit to blow the specially formulated "smoke."īut what really brings each engine to life is the faces. Under a train's body shell lies the mechanism for moving the engine's eyes - up, down, sideways, or 'round and 'round - by radio control. To create the characters of Thomas, Henry, Percy, Gordon, and the gang, model-makers start with Marklin model train chassis and then modify the bodies to represent the various characters. As related by Michael Edwards in his article "The Making of Thomas the Tank Engine," which appeared in the April 1993 issue of "Model Railroader Magazine," the production studio is the size of an aircraft hangar, and filled with a collection of more than 70 16-by-20-foot sets.