Tidmouth Sheds (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

Background Information
Tidmouth Sheds is a fictional engine shed located at Tidmouth created by the Reverend W. Awdry. They are the main engine sheds on the North Western Railway.

The sheds first appeared in the first series episode Thomas and Gordon, which first aired in 1984. Its last appearance was in the twenty-fourth series episode Nia's Bright Idea, which was released in 2020.

Gauge 1 models

 * Tidmouth Sheds has had numerous modifications throughout the years:
 * Series 1-12:
 * The track layout and yards around the shed were constantly changed.
 * Series 3 (only):
 * The interior of the shed had more than nine berths while the outside had six in Oliver Owns Up, Percy, James and the Fruitful Day and Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure.
 * However, it had the normal six berths in Henry's Forest.
 * Thomas and the Magic Railroad:
 * The sheds appeared in a new taller architectural design.
 * There are ten windows on each side wall instead of six.
 * The turntable well in-front of the sheds changed in design.
 * Calling All Engines!:
 * The sheds were demolished and rebuilt with an extra berth, totalling seven.
 * The buffers in each berth disappeared.

The original model for Tidmouth Sheds was modified from that of Knapford Sheds, with an extra berth added, cream brickwork and new walls. The sheds' design appears to have been inspired by the HO Scale Vollmer Roundhouse building. During the fifth series, the back of the sheds was extended.

Close-up model
A close-up model of a small portion of Tidmouth Sheds was built to be used for scenes involving the close-up scale figures.

Life-size set
A life-sized version of Tidmouth Sheds was required for a scene where Mr. Conductor interact with engines. A platform-like places and their stairs, side walls with windows blocked by wooden boards were created, and beds, tables and chairs were placed. The life-size set and the gauge 1 model were combined in front of the hole.

CGI model

 * Hero of the Rails:
 * A part of Tidmouth town was located behind the sheds.
 * In promotional images only, the buffers are present in the berths.
 * The track layout became consistent.
 * Series 13:
 * The current shed received weathering.
 * Series 17:
 * The surroundings changed.
 * Series 19:
 * Partway through the series, the buffers returned inside the sheds.
 * Series 20:
 * Throughout Henry Gets the Express, Henry in the Dark and The Christmas Coffeepot, the workmen's shed on the right of the sheds was in the same position it had always been in since Hero of the Rails.
 * It remains in that position in most of Three Steam Engines Gruff but disappears at the end of that episode.
 * In Engine of the Future, the workmen's shed appears in a new position.
 * In all other episodes of the series, the workmen's shed appears in a position slightly different from the above.
 * Series 21:
 * The town, wall and roads behind the sheds were moved back.

In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Tidmouth Sheds was recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. The model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.

The CGI model was based upon photographic reference of the sheds as they appear from Calling All Engines!-onwards. According to Greg Tiernan, the CGI models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval.

When Arc Productions took over production for the seventeenth series (released 2013), the town behind the sheds decreased in size.

Pantone colours
The following pantone colours are used on Tidmouth Sheds' CGI model: