Hello, everybody! Thomas Friends inhabit a universe where the landscape is beautiful, every day brings a new adventure, and there are more friends 'than you could shake a siderod at'. His boss is 'the Fat Controller' ['Sir Topham Hatt' in the USA], ready to offer praise for keeping 'confusion and delay' at bay, and quick to forgive honest mistakes.

Unless one is extraordinarly wealthy, the best way to simulate the powers of Sir Hatt is to be in charge of your own sceniced model railway. Keep the blue #1 around, if you identify with Thomas. And Thomas's friends that you also like.

So if you have been caught up with Thomas and Friends, or know somebody who is ready to graduate to the "powered through the rails" Thomas, this is the Group intended for you.

In the USA Bachmann (in HO) and Lionel (in both G Scale and O guage) have [or had] electrically operated Thomas items and train sets. In the UK, Hornby models have come out with HO models. For Japan, Tomix had made Thomas in "N" scale. Of course, some people like to adapt parts or build from scratch. So long as they are powered by means of low voltage through the rails, on standardized track made for model trains or model railroads or toy trains, the hopes, dreams, and plans for their use, and the results, are 'on topic' here, no matter the size. We welcome all nationalities.

The "Railway Series" childrens books and characters were created by the Rev W. Awdry and his son, Chistopher Awdry. Martin Clutterbuck, co-owner of this Group, has a nice website devoted to 'The Real Lives of Thomas the Tank Engine.'

"Great_1" refers, of course, to Thomas and the number painted on his side.

/s/ Mike Nickerson (founder of this Group and its other co-owner).


Photo Caption: Tidmouth - By Brandon (was duckolivertoad on Bachmann Forum, now Bear 7101)