Thomas & Friends

Bachmann USA have brought out an excellent set of Thomas & Friends N Gauge models thus making a good excuse to go a little 'off-piste' and create the Island of Sodor in a box!

This is a twin box, being two boxes fitted together 'front on'. The layout is a loose depiction of some parts of the island of Sodor (Thomas's home) taking inspiration rather than exact copies. There is an oval with a straight corner(!) and a couple of sidings alongside a small harbour that ships enter via a (non-working) lifting bridge, a trawler waits to be unloaded.

The oval passes through a tunnel under a hillside representing 'Culdee Fell', next to this is the Sodor Cement Works. Exiting the tunnel, the train arrives at Cronk Station, which is fairly accurate representation of the station used in the TV series. There is a row of cottages with one larger house that we could call the Fat Controllers House. In front of the cottages is a small pod with a fisherman.

The front enlarged corner has a farm with cows in the field, whilst sheep graze in the smaller rear corner.

The track is a mix of Kato with 117mm curves, and Peco straights. The contoller connects to the box via banana plugs and sockets at the rear.

Thomas the Tank Engine and Toby The Tram provide the motive power, with Thomas pulling the Troublesome Tracks, whilst Toby runs either alone or hauling a single coal truck.