# Parents: Please explain "Thomas the Tank Engine" vs. "Shining Time Station" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315 "2003-04-03T22:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/1 "2003-04-03T22:47:34Z")
My 3 year old is into Thomas big time. I’ve been picking up videos at the library and noticed there seem to be two lines. There’s “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends”, which contain about 6-7 stories, narrated by Ringo Starr, George Carlin, or Alec Baldwin. There’s also “Shining Time Station”, which initially ran on PBS, stars Ringo as a conductor, has a bunch of weird stuff with a few Thomas shorts (“story stops”) dropped in. The [official site](http://www.thomasthetankengine.com) doesn’t provide much information. My questions: Can anyone provide a brief chronology? Which came first? Which one is the cut-and-paste of the other? Why do the Thomas videos have separate copyright dates for the video vs. the soundtrack? I’m sure I’ve seen the same story (Thomas and Bertie’s race) narrated by both Ringo and Carlin. What’s up with that? Why re-record narration for an already produced show? Also, I’ve noticed the narration uses American terminology (i.e. “freight car” instead of “truck”, “truck” instead of “lorry”) despite being produced in the UK. Are there separate soundtracks by region? Finally, are they still making new ones? The official site implies both yes and no. These are the weird things that pop into my head while I’m watching kids videos with my sons. Thanks for any help. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/2 "2003-04-03T23:56:25Z")
Here’s info upon [Shining Time Station](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-5416) Nov 90- Mar 95. Each episode is described in about 1 sentance. > [@](#): > > Shining Time Station is a comedy series which teach lessons about life. It is based on musical ( **Juke Box Band** ) and artistic ( **Thomas and Friends** ) presentations. Here’s info on [Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-11466/) which has aired from Sep 84 to present in the UK. The episode guide for this is more complete. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/3 "2003-04-04T00:22:42Z")
The original Thomas stories are much older. I remember my parents borrowing them from the library for me when I was a wee rugrat, circa 1973-4. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/4 "2003-04-04T00:52:36Z")
If you click on the Thomas the Tank Engine link I gave you’ll see that > [@](#): > > Thomas The Tank Engine actually dates back to **1945** , when the Rev. W Awdry created the Railway Series to amuse his son who was suffering from measles. His wife encouraged him to publish the stories and he did so, adding another book each year until 1972. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/5 "2003-04-04T00:57:56Z")
GEORGE CARLIN hosting a kid’s show? Well, wonders never cease! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/6 "2003-04-04T01:36:41Z")
Mr. Seven Forbidden Words was (is?) mainly the narrator. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/7 "2003-04-04T01:50:21Z")
Oh I can just imagine that! Good _&#^(\*& morning kids! How the @#_&\*! are you today! _snort_ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/8 "2003-04-04T01:59:25Z")
**Guin** - he was actually pretty durn cute in the role of Mr. Conductor. But I still preferred Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/9 "2003-04-04T02:21:06Z")
Carlin was more of a natural storyteller than Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/10 "2003-04-04T02:33:26Z")
Of the two though, I much prefer Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/11 "2003-04-04T03:30:14Z")
Ringo was the original STS conductor from 1990 to 1991. George Carlin took over from 91-93, when they stopped making original US episodes. Baldwin only played Mr. Conductor in the 2000 theatrical film. In addition, Ringo narrated the “Thomas” videos from 1984 to 1991. ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/12 "2003-04-04T04:01:05Z")
Three. Alec Baldwin is a Mr. Conductor now, too - since the feature film. There are new video tapes with him narrating (Percy’ Chocolate Crunch and Salty’s Secret) which is why I counter **Guy Propski**. Here’s my analogy: Thomas is to Shining Time, as The Land of Make-Believe is to Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Except, you can’t buy VHS tapes or DVDs of just “The Land of Make-Believe”. AmbushBug ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/13 "2003-04-04T13:33:19Z")
OK, to clarify: Thomas the Tank Engine was a well-beloved children’s book series in the UK. Eventually, in 1984, they made a series of sort-of animated\* films of it, which also were well-received. PBS decided to pick them up, but didn’t want to just run the films. So they created “Shining-Time Station” to fill out the half-hour Ringo played “Mr. Conductor” and narrated the Thomas the Tank Engine episodes (there was a different narrator in the original British episodes, but since the sound was nearly all narration, it wasn’t hard to change the actor). Ringo eventually left (as did Didi “Frenchie” Conn, the other name star in the original STS) and was replaced by Carlin. Baldwin followed. \*Nothing was actually animated. In fact, you rare see any motion other than the electric trains moving on the track and a wisp or smoke or two. Still, the effect was quite charming. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/14 "2003-04-04T15:25:21Z")
**RealityChuck** : The trains eyes moved! That was the best bit! I can’t believe it! They have other people narrating TTTE now? That’s too horrible to contemplate! Ringo owns that role. _Thomas was a really useful engine._ ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/15 "2003-04-04T21:08:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > Oh I can just imagine that! > > Good _&#^(\*& morning kids! How the @#_&\*! are you today! > > _snort_ It’d make _me_ want to watch the silly thing! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-explain-thomas-the-tank-engine-vs-shining-time-station/166315/16 "2003-04-05T00:12:10Z")
**Reality Chuck** : Thanks for the info. That explains the differing copyright dates for the film vs. the soundtrack. It looks like the “Thomas and Friends” tapes released in the US are compiling the Starkey/Carlin/Baldwin versions. That also explains the American vernacular. I have the original W.A. Awdry books, and when I read to my son, I’m always having to mentally translate the specific terms. I noticed American printings substitute “freight car” for “truck”, “car” for “brake van”, and “botulism” for “steak and kidney pie” [/random Simpsons reference] As far as the limited animation goes, don’t forget all the debris and dirt that flies at the camera whenever there is a crash! And the running water and turning windmills. One show did feature hand-drawn animation of the bee that stung James on the nose. Looked like a psychotic version of the Cheerios bee.