Special Express Coaches/Behind the Scenes

Background Information
The Special Express Coaches are a set of luxurious coaches used by engines on the Island of Sodor and The Mainland.

The coaches first appeared in the fifth series episode A Better View for Gordon, which first aired in 1998. Their last appearances were in the twenty-fourth series episode Thomas and the Royal Engine, which was released in 2020.

Gauge 1 models
The Special Express Coaches' models were built using GWR Collett composite and brake coach kits made by Tenmille.

Close-up model
A close-up model of a special coach was built to be used for scenes where they had to interact with the close-up scale figures.

CGI models
In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. The coaches were recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. Their models were "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software. The models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval.

Texture variants
In addition to their standard liveries, a few other texture variants exist of the coaches' CGI models. These texture variants include: