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The Sodor Map

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The Sodor Map Empty The Sodor Map

Post by TaffyTheTankEngine Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:48 pm

This is a something that i'm surprised nobody brings up (probably because their are more controversial issues to talk about) but i decided to do this post because its something that's been interesting me recently.

By the way, this is my opinion and they don't reflect the Thomas community in general.

The Sodor Map 631?cb=20140628034116

This is something that so many Thomas Fans recognize as the Sodor map. First drawn in 1950, it shows the layout and the map of the railways across the Island. But recently discovered a problem with the map we all know and love, and it's this:

The Sodor Map 633?cb=20140929154333

In 2014, Sam Wilkinson, the railway consultant of Thomas and Friends, revised the Sodor map including adding many locations and lines that were introduced during the Television series and magazine stories. These include:

The loop line at Elsbridge
Toby's Branch Line
The Smelter's Yard
The Narrow Gauge Line that runs to Vicarstown
Stepney's Branch Line
Great Waterton
Callan Castle
The line that runs to Ulfstead Castle
The narrow gauge line that runs to Ulfstead  Castle
The Blue Mountain Quarry
Conductor's Railway
Vicarstown Dieselworks
And so on...

And with the additions of all these new railway lines and locations i was asking myself. Is it me, or does Sodor's railway network now look really big. I know that the TV series isn't always accurate and tends to make Sodor look bigger than what it really is, but with how many new lines that has been introduced over the years and the size of the original Sodor map, the 2014 map makes Sodor's railways look to big

SLOLT Spoiler:

So, there are two possible explanations for this. Either Sodor is two small and we need to completely redesign the island, or the railway network is too big. In my opinion, i think the railway is too big, this is because i think some of the lines in the map aren't really needed to be on the map. For example, the line that Rusty travels to the other railway in Rusty to the Rescue isn't needed since a narrow gauge engine would probably never go as far as Vicarstown. Also, the Conductor's railway from Thomas and the Magic Railroad also doesn't need to exist on the map since it doesn't fit in with the series now and Stepney's Branch Line since we all know that the Bluebell Railway is not on Sodor. I don't really think the wharf is needed as well since we already have 4 locations where the Standard and Narrow gauge railway meet up, so do we need another?

So wrapping up, does the map need to change? Probably not. But i think they should take off the lines which are not needed. Then it doesn't make it look like Sodor's railways are crammed onto a small island. I have a feeling though that the TV series has dramatically changed Sodor's geographical look a lot but who know's.

So what do you think? Does the TV series change the map drastically? Is the Sodor railway network to big? and do we need to take away lines from the map? Leave your though's down below.
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Post by zachthethomasfan2001 Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:36 pm

The TV Series did change the map drastically. Also, SiF helped with the 2015 map a little bit as well.
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Post by OneJ_ Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:47 pm

Traintastic26 wrote:This is a something that i'm surprised nobody brings up (probably because their are more controversial issues to talk about) but i decided to do this post because its something that's been interesting me recently.

By the way, this is my opinion and they don't reflect the Thomas community in general.

The Sodor Map 631?cb=20140628034116

This is something that so many Thomas Fans recognize as the Sodor map. First drawn in 1950, it shows the layout and the map of the railways across the Island. But recently discovered a problem with the map we all know and love, and it's this:

The Sodor Map 633?cb=20140929154333

In 2014, Sam Wilkinson, the railway consultant of Thomas and Friends, revised the Sodor map including adding many locations and lines that were introduced during the Television series and magazine stories. These include:

The loop line at Elsbridge
Toby's Branch Line
The Smelter's Yard
The Narrow Gauge Line that runs to Vicarstown
Stepney's Branch Line
Great Waterton
Callan Castle
The line that runs to Ulfstead Castle
The narrow gauge line that runs to Ulfstead  Castle
The Blue Mountain Quarry
Conductor's Railway
Vicarstown Dieselworks
And so on...

And with the additions of all these new railway lines and locations i was asking myself. Is it me, or does Sodor's railway network now look really big. I know that the TV series isn't always accurate and tends to make Sodor look bigger than what it really is, but with how many new lines that has been introduced over the years and the size of the original Sodor map, the 2014 map makes Sodor's railways look to big

SLOLT Spoiler:

So, there are two possible explanations for this. Either Sodor is two small and we need to completely redesign the island, or the railway network is too big. In my opinion, i think the railway is too big, this is because i think some of the lines in the map aren't really needed to be on the map. For example, the line that Rusty travels to the other railway in Rusty to the Rescue isn't needed since a narrow gauge engine would probably never go as far as Vicarstown. Also, the Conductor's railway from Thomas and the Magic Railroad also doesn't need to exist on the map since it doesn't fit in with the series now and Stepney's Branch Line since we all know that the Bluebell Railway is not on Sodor. I don't really think the wharf is needed as well since we already have 4 locations where the Standard and Narrow gauge railway meet up, so do we need another?

So wrapping up, does the map need to change? Probably not. But i think they should take off the lines which are not needed. Then it doesn't make it look like Sodor's railways are crammed onto a small island. I have a feeling though that the TV series has dramatically changed Sodor's geographical look a lot but who know's.

So what do you think? Does the TV series change the map drastically? Is the Sodor railway network to big? and do we need to take away lines from the map? Leave your though's down below.

Here is what I think:

1. I don't really mind how large the North Western Railway or Skarloey Railway has gotten. I wouldn't be shocked if the Arlesdale Railway or the Culdee Fell Rack (when it appears in the TV Series) Railways were expanded either. However, There are a few pointless branch lines of the North Western.

2. One pointless branch line is Toby's Branch Line. The thing is that Toby does not even run his "branch line" that was introduced in season 5 or 6 regularly. In fact, in the more recent seasons, it is established that Toby runs along Thomas' Branch Line, specifically running to and from Ffarquhar Quarry.

3. I know that there has been talk about "Stepney's Branch Line". My interpretation of this line is that since Stepney hardly appears on Sodor (especially on his own branch line), we could say that the line that is considered Stepney's is a hardly used branch line that is not actually Stepney's line. Stepney is on the actual Bluebell Railway, but visits Sodor and helps out with work that needs to get done there. I mean we haven't seen him since Season 12. He didn't even appear that much before that Season.
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:21 pm

In my story of Toby in the Fanfiction board, it explains that Toby ran it once in Toby had a little lamb, many, many years after, when he happened to be worked on the Callan Castle Causeway, (the same project as Donald and Douglas in season 6 or 7)
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Post by Toz76 Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:51 pm

Maybe so, but fanon isn't canon.

Anyhoo, I personally don't mind the new lines. The main line loop actually makes a lot of sense when you consider that Killaban and Cabalnoo appeared on some of Awdry's later maps (that said, Cabalnoo Station is probably the single ugliest location in the TV series). If you look at Stepney's branch, you'll see that it just sort of tapers out after a while, suggesting that construction was abandoned or it serves some unmarked business. Toby's branch would be useful for connecting to Ulfstead (although, like Stepney's, it's his in name only), but it really should call at Ulfstead Castle and Peel Godred to increase efficiency (How does one go to all three? It requires a total of 5 train transfers, not counting stopping at each location). And the loop is sheer brilliance... but I'm sure you knew that by "instinct" Wink (James and the Express, where Gordon gets switched onto "the loop line").
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:59 pm

But fanon can explain stuff, while the show, well, it's a 10 min thing for kids' entertainment, not a fan explainer. (For lack of a better word)

Cabalnoo is actually just a bridge in TV, I'm sure the actual station looks much better.

In my fanon (hee hee) the line goes from Ffarquhar to Ulfstead to the dam to High Farm to the Castle. Makes sense. 

Should someone make all the roads on Sodor, I feel like there are more than Bertie's route
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Post by DonaldDouglasandToby6 Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:31 am

luctheminecrafter wrote:But fanon can explain stuff, while the show, well, it's a 10 min thing for kids' entertainment, not a fan explainer. (For lack of a better word)

Cabalnoo is actually just a bridge in TV, I'm sure the actual station looks much better.

In my fanon (hee hee) the line goes from Ffarquhar to Ulfstead to the dam to High Farm to the Castle. Makes sense. 

Should someone make all the roads on Sodor, I feel like there are more than Bertie's route

Fanon can explain stuff...but that doesn't mean it's canon. And for the record, the show can explain things pretty well.

As for the roads...I'm starting to think there's too many of them. We don't see them a lot, but the railways don't go where the roads do.
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:36 pm

Too many? Should you really have to take a train from Crosby to Knapford and stuff like that. And its Thomas and his FRIENDS, he has Bertie too. And Bertie doesnt JUST race Thomas a lot. And George doesnt ONLY annoy engines
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Post by TaffyTheTankEngine Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:42 pm

If Toby's branch line was called something else, it would be excusable (Like the Ulfstead Mountain Branch Line).

Also, i just realize another pointless branch is the line that goes to the Rolling River Bridge because:

A: The Bridge collapsed during The Great Discovery.

B: It appears to go to nowhere.
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Fri Sep 11, 2015 10:34 pm

I wrote a story about that: it's the old Harwick and Cronk even though it supposedly was never finished. It also explains "Stepney's" branch.
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Post by Frankthetriviaman Tue Sep 15, 2015 2:19 am

Wow; its amazing the difference 64 years can make
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:15 pm

This was made during troublesome engines? So Awdry had the Arlesdale in mind by THEN?
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Post by ThomasSirHandel Wed Sep 16, 2015 2:56 am

The Magazine locations, any pointless locations introduce between Seasons 8-16 that are no longer on the show (excluding Great Waterton), TATMR only locations and the line that extends the Skarloey Railway to Vicarstown should be removed from the map.
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Wed Sep 16, 2015 10:44 pm

By no longer you obviously mean not re-introduced yet?

And I like the new map. Also, its officially canon, so deal.
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Post by Toz76 Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:25 pm

Agreed. Personally, I think it's excellent, although I would have put the "major industries" closer to major cities. But that's just me.
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Post by ThomasSirHandel Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:43 pm

luctheminecrafter wrote:By no longer you obviously mean not re-introduced yet?

And I like the new map. Also, its officially canon, so deal.

All those pointless locations introduced in TATMR and between Seasons 8-16 that haven't been re-introduced or mentioned in the current series make the Island feel crowded and removing those locations from the map and canon would make it feel less crowded and Sodor is a small island.
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Thu Sep 17, 2015 12:29 am

Well, San Francisco is about 1 twelfth of Sodor, and its pretty crowded. They used to have trams EVERYWHERE, but then they ripped most of them up in the 50s. So really, Sodor's not very crowded
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Post by ThomasSirHandel Thu Sep 17, 2015 3:29 am

I prefer using the original Railway Series map of Sodor with locations from Seasons 1-7 with maybe Great Waterton and the Steamworks. Some also don't include TATMR and "most" of Seasons 9-16 as canon.
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Post by DonaldDouglasandToby6 Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:19 pm

I don't think TATMR is canon but that doesn't mean anything.
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Thu Sep 17, 2015 11:21 pm

No one really believes its canon: it destroyed what the reverend believed in. Had he been alive, he could have bought back the rights for good.
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Post by DonaldDouglasandToby6 Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:31 am

Y'know, except the people who love the movie. They probably think it's canon. Razz
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Post by ThomasSirHandel Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:40 am

luctheminecrafter wrote:No one really believes its canon: it destroyed what the reverend believed in. Had he been alive, he could have bought back the rights for good.

If the Reverend had lived he'd probably would of prevented it and certain episodes of Season 5 and all of Seasons 8-16 from happening. Also if he found out and knew about Rusty to the Rescue at early production he probably would of made them adapt Bluebells of England instead.
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Post by DonaldDouglasandToby6 Fri Sep 18, 2015 3:05 am

ThomasSirHandel wrote:
luctheminecrafter wrote:No one really believes its canon: it destroyed what the reverend believed in. Had he been alive, he could have bought back the rights for good.

If the Reverend had lived he'd probably would of prevented it and certain episodes of Season 5 and all of Seasons 8-16 from happening. Also if he found out and knew about Rusty to the Rescue at early production he probably would of made them adapt Bluebells of England instead.

I'm not sure, considering that Britt owned the rights at the time.
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Post by Frankthetriviaman Fri Sep 18, 2015 3:16 am

I think the movie is separate canon, to be honest
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Post by PolkaDotSideplates Fri Sep 18, 2015 9:52 pm

A canon where the engines are magic instead of simply having faces. I agree.
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