Tag Archives: Thomas the Tank Engine

Thomas the Tank Engine of Destruction

Caleb Flutur didn’t have to go this hard for the pun, but we’re glad he did. By transforming the classic children’s character “Thomas the Tank Engine” into simply “Thomas the Tank,” Caleb has produced a surprisingly accurate military vehicle. Sure, it’s made from primary colors and has eyes, but look at the details! The intricate tank tread mechanics, the machine gun atop the turret. And it had to be done while incorporating some of Thomas’s iconic striping, which actually ups the difficulty level beyond what a regular tank would require.

Thomas the Tank

Thomas the Tank Engine cheerfully chugs along

The popular steam engine has been brought to life in this clever build. However, many find Thomas the Tank Engine creepy, possibly due to his strange humanoid face. I’m sure we can all still appreciate the interesting techniques employed by Vakaisme in this model. At the front, the bumpers are represented by cap pieces and moving to the face, sausage pieces portray Thomas’ eyebrows. Tires have been used as segments of the steam chimney. The “1” symbol is cleverly wedged into place through placing bricks sideways. The playful build is instantly recognisable with its bright colours and accurate portrayal.

Thomas the Tank Engine

Toot toot – here comes Thomas

Let’s take a trip to the fictional island of Sodor, home of the Rev. Wilbert Awdry’s Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends series of classic children’s tales. If your day trip includes a railway excursion on the branch line from from Knapford to Ffarquhar, you might encounter the titular hero of the stories: Thomas himself. He’s never looked better than in this LEGO version by city son. The cheery little engine’s face is nicely done, with those big Mixel eye tiles a perfect choice. The colourful livery of the original character is captured well, and I particularly like the use of lifebuoys for the front-facing windows and that brick-built 1 on the side. There’s even an accompanying minifigure version of The Fat Controller, or “Sir Topham Hatt” as he was called in the US. All this model needs is a voiceover from Ringo Starr and we’re sorted.

LEGO Steam Train

Thomas the Walking Tank Engine

Thomas the Tank Engine has had enough of Sir Topham Hatt’s rule over the Island of Sodor, and builder Dvd showcases a well-beloved children’s hero that has literally gone off the rails.

I'm off the track now!!

This is absolutely terrifying, and would be the stuff of nightmares if it weren’t for the genius of how it’s put together. The builder utilized some of the smallest LEGO bricks stacked sideways to create the number “1” and the red border on Thomas’ sides. The finger joints on Thomas’ hands are also well built, allowing for this unhinged steam engine to rip up rails and potentially throw train cars.

I'm off the track now!!

The level of detail work on the legs and on the back of the body imply a specific mechanical look, as though for all these years the little blue engine we watched on TV had been hiding four limbs within his innocent body. If Dvd can make Thomas look this scary, I can’t imagine with what he would do with a bigger engine like Gordon or Henry.