Dryaw (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

Background Information
Dryaw is a fictional town on the east of the Island of Sodor created by the Rev. W. Awdry. It serves as a station on the Ffarquhar Branch Line.

The name "Dryaw" is an anagram of "Awdry", as is A. W. Dry.

The station first appeared in the first series episode James and the Coaches, which first aired in 1984. Its last appearance was in the twenty-fourth series episode Cleo's First Snow, which was released in 2020.

Gauge 1 model
Dryaw station was originally built for the first series. The station building was later rebuilt - like many of the other buildings - after Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

Dryaw has undergone numerous aesthetic changes in the model series:
 * Series 3:
 * A wooden footpath is added over the railway.
 * Series 5:
 * The wooden footpath is removed.
 * A signal is added nearby.
 * Series 6:
 * The station roof becomes much steeper.
 * The pedestrian footbridge no longer has an arch in the middle.
 * The rear windows of the station building are removed.
 * The supports for the building canopy are changed.
 * The design of the platform lights are changed.
 * A telephone box is permanently added.
 * A water tower is added nearby.
 * The signal is removed.
 * Series 7:
 * A signalbox is added nearby.

Close-up model
A close-up model of Dryaw was built to be used for scenes involving the close-up scale figures.

CGI model
In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Dryaw was recreated from scratch in CGI by Arc Productions in 2012 for the seventeenth series. The model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.

Dryaw has had modifications throughout the CGI era. These include:
 * Series 17:
 * The footbridge is reverted back to its original shape, albeit with a different design.
 * A station clock stand is added.
 * The window on the side of the station building and the supports for the building canopy are removed.
 * The nearby power lines and signalbox are removed.
 * Series 19:
 * Dryaw FC is moved closer to the station.
 * A dirt path and stairs down from the platform are added, leading to the stadium.
 * Series 20:
 * The signalbox is re-added, this time to the other end of the station.
 * Signals are re-added, this time at both ends of the station.