The Viaduct (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

Background Information
The Viaduct is a fictional bridge on the Island of Sodor created by the Rev. W. Awdry.

The Viaduct first appeared in the first series episode Thomas and Gordon, which first aired in 1984. Its last appearance was in the fifteenth series episode James to the Rescue, which was released in 2011.

Gauge 1 set
The Viaduct was originally built for the first series of the television series. According to concept art by Robert Gauld-Galliers, the Viaduct's model was originally intended to have three lines of the track instead of two and the seventh illustration of Henry's Tunnel from The Sad Story of Henry was referenced for stone structure and color.

CGI set
In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. The Viaduct was recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. The model was "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.

For unknown reasons, when the Viaduct returned in the CGI series, the river flowing underneath was removed.