Brendam Docks (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

Background Information
Brendam Docks is a fictional port on the Island of Sodor near the town of Brendam, created by the Rev W. Awdry.

The harbour first appeared in the second series episode Cows, which first aired in 1986. Its last appearance was in the episode Thomas' Animal Friends, which was released in 2021.

By the fifth series, Brendam Docks has grown exponentially, with the harbour taking over from Knapford Harbour as the main docks in the television series. It is also given its own set of crane characters: Cranky and Big Mickey - joined in the twenty-first series by Carly - as well as two shunters for the dockyards: Salty, introduced in the sixth series, and Porter, introduced in the seventeenth series.

Gauge 1 set
The concept art for the second series harbour features many differences from the final set, including:
 * The harbour station is much bigger, with a similar appearance to Knapford station, albeit with three roads on the two outside bays and the office building removed.
 * A turntable leading to the third road of the station.
 * A two-road shed, which was to be created using part of Ffarquhar Sheds and also leads to the station turntable.
 * Two way formations: a big one leading to the station and a small one at the quay where Percy was bumped and has two tracks situated in front of it.
 * An additional spur near the station, likely leading to the China Clay pits.

Brendam Docks has undergone numerous changes throughout the television series:
 * Series 3:
 * The layout of the docks changes.
 * One of the canopies and two of the tracks are removed from the station, which now also ends at a set of buffers.
 * The cranes and goods platform next to the station are removed.
 * The dockside curves round behind the open shed.
 * Big Mickey is added to the docks.
 * The pier which sloped into the sea in the second series is now repaired.
 * Series 5:
 * Cranky is added to the docks.
 * Series 6:
 * A warehouse was added in the middle of both the yard and the main dock, replacing the washdown seen in its place in the fifth series.
 * Cranky was moved from the middle of the yard to near the edge of the main dock.
 * Big Mickey was also moved from in front of S.S. Vienna to the other end of the main dock from Cranky.
 * The large goods shed was moved from the near edge of the dock to the middle of the dock, the shed however disappeared after No Sleep for Cranky, since it was accidentally knocked over by Cranky in the same episode.
 * A lot of the sheds and workmen's houses were either moved around or removed completely.

Close-up set
Close-up models of some areas of Brendam Docks were built to be used for scenes involving the close-up scale figures.

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

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.

Brendam Docks has had modifications throughout the CGI era. These include:
 * Hero of the Rails:
 * The overall layout of the docks became consistent.
 * The rails all end at buffers on the side where S.S. Vienna normally docks. Despite this, the engines are frequently show arriving to and exiting the docks via this end.
 * There is no longer ballast under the rails.
 * A siding was added beside the warehouse which did not connect to any other line, making it inaccessible.
 * King of the Railway:
 * There are points near Cranky so the engines can switch tracks.
 * The buffers near S.S. Vienna's dock are removed and the lines become continuous.
 * Series 20:
 * A ferry dock was added and another set of points was added nearby.
 * A whole set of sidings around the corner from Cranky were added. Two switch tracks were added nearby.
 * The inaccessible siding was made accessible again by a set of points.
 * Series 21:
 * Gantry tracks were added between Big Mickey and Cranky, in order to accommodate Carly.