Synopsis

When Mr. Conductor's supply of magical gold dust runs low, he risks being stranded far from Shining Time Station. Meanwhile, Lily Stone discovers that her grandfather's legendary locomotive, Lady, has fallen silent. With the ruthless Diesel 10 threatening the railway worlds, Lily, Mr. Conductor, Thomas, and their allies must restore Lady and recover the magic needed to save both Sodor and Shining Time.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film combines elements from three sources: the Railway Series books by Reverend W. Awdry, the television series Thomas & Friends, and the American series Shining Time Station.

• It was the first theatrical feature based on the Thomas franchise and remains the only film to combine live-action performers with the series' model-based railway characters.

• Principal photography took place between August 2 and October 15, 1999. Locations included the Strasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania, Toronto, Ontario, and the Isle of Man.

• Castletown railway station on the Isle of Man was used for Shining Time Station, while the goods shed at Port St. Mary railway station became Burnett Stone's workshop.

• The Sodor sequences were created with physical railway models, remote-control movement, chroma key, and visual effects. This was a major change from the television production's usual Shepperton Studios setting, although members of the established production team participated.

• Norfolk & Western locomotive No. 475 was repainted to represent the Indian Valley locomotive.

• The theatrical version replaced the original voice recording for Thomas before release.

• The film premiered in London on July 9, 2000, before its United States and Canadian release on July 26, 2000.

• Made for approximately $19 million, the film earned about $19.7 million worldwide. Its disappointing commercial performance contributed to Britt Allcroft's resignation from her company later in 2000.

• The film received mostly negative reviews, with criticism directed at its story, effects, acting, and its balance between the Thomas mythology and the live-action Shining Time Station material.