The History of Thomas in Trainz

EDIT: 12/5/16 : Added 's TAB Thomas, UKBL's updated Thomas V6, and several of Sodor Island 3D's early models. Just try to ask for them. Dare you once. Dare you twice. DARE YOU OVER 9000!!!!!!
EDIT: 12/5/16 : Readded in No1ThomasFan's Thomas model due to not including him in the last update. He's in the far back with the crew from Sodor Workshops, and he's not too happy about it as you can see. At least yer in this shot, bud! XD
EDIT: 12/6/16 : Added in 's Hornby-ish Thomas model and readded in 's Uncle Thomas due to forgetting to put him in in the last updates. It's getting hard to keep track of all these Thomases! XD
EDIT: 12/21/16 : Added in Gwoin123's old Thomas model, the 2nd joke model from Sodor Workshops, and 's updated Thomas models.
EDIT: 3/21/17 : Added in 's RWS/TVS/CGI hybrid Thomas model to the "Honorable Mentions" list in the description below.

With the release of Sodor Workshop's new Dalby Thomas model, I thought I'd celebrate doing a collage of every single Thomas model known to man that's been made or released into Trainz since the dawn of time. So after countless hours of scraping through my archives, I've gathered up all these Thomas models and put them all together for this picture.

The following in approximate order from oldest to newest (Reskins will be counted, however faceless versions will not), credited with the individuals that made them if they have an active dA account:

1. MSTNoodle's Thomas - v4, with moving eyes

2. UKBL's Thomas the Tank Engine v6 - created by Magandy and MSTNoodle

2.5. UKBL's Thomas the Tank - created by Magandy

3. Si3D's Very FirstThomas the Tank Engine - created by Skarloey123

3.1. Si3D's Updated Thomas the Tank Engine v1.2 - created by Skarloey123

3.2. Si3D's Updated Thomas the Tank Engine v1.3 - created by Skarloey123

3.3. Si3D's Updated Thomas the Tank Engine Final Version - created by Skarloey123

4. Si3D's 2010 Era Thomas the Tank Engine - created by Skarloey123/

5. Si3D's 2012 Era Thomas the Tank Engine  - created by Skarloey123/

5.5. Si3D's 2012 Era Thomas the Christmas Engine  - created by Skarloey123/

6. Si3D's RWS Thomas the Tank Engine (Mk2) - created by

7. Si3D's RWS Thomas the Tank Engine (Mk1) - created by

8. 's RWS Thomas the Tank Engine (Curved & Straight Valence)
9. 's Thomas the Tank Engine RWS Faced
10. 's NWR #1 "Thomas" (Mk1 and Mk2)
11. 's RWS Thomas the Tank Engine (Most Recent Models, including LBSC, Curved Valence, Curved Valence with Splashers, Straight Valence)
12. 's RWS/TVS Thomas the Tank Engine (LBSC and NWR Liveries)
13. 's J50 Thomas the Tank Engine
14. 's NWR No.1 E2 "Thomas"
15. 's Strasburg Railway "Thomas" and "Day Out with Thomas" Dummy
16. 's Pre-Breakfast and NRM Member Thomas the Tank Engine
17. TheFattHatt's TAB Thomas the Tank Engine (Reskinned from 's 2012 Thomas Model)
18. 's TAB Thomas the Tank Engine

19. TheFattHatt's Golden Thomas the Tank Engine (Reskinned from Skarloey123's 2006 Thomas Model)

20. 's Uncle Thomas the Tank Engine (It is a Thomas, isn't it?)

21. 's Thomas the Tank Engine (Original Awdry Edition)
22. 's original CGI Thomas the Tank Engine
23. 's CGI Thomas the Tank Engine v1.4
24. 's NWR Class T1 "Thomas"
25. 's "High Quality Thomas Model"
26. 's NWR No. 1 "Thomas" (LBSC Black, 1920-1960 Original Shape, "Breakfast", and 1960 Rebuild)
27. 's Dalby Thomas the Tank Engine
28. 's Hornby-ish Thomas the Tank Engine

That makes about 42 models in the photo total, but does not consist of all the Thomas models that were ever made or released. Here are some honorable mentions from the Trainz Hall of Fame.

1. MSTNoodle's First-ever Thomas Model for UTC - The model that started it all. Looks like the v4 model seen in the picture above, but did not include the moving eyes. I wasn't into Trainz when it was first released, and by the time I did, the v4 came out with the moving eyes and that was the first Thomas model I ever got the chance to have in Trainz.

2. UKBL's Edited MSTNoodle/Magandy Thomas Models - After the success of the first Thomas Trainz models made by MSTNoodle, he and Magandy of UK Branch Lines collaborated together to bring it more up to standards. The model they made was a reskin of the first one made with a lighter blue color and a face from the TVS to match the portrayal of the TVS Thomas. I thought I had a copy of this model with some of the other edited UKBL models but I was too lazy to look for them. XP

3. Sodor Island 3D's 2009 Early and Baked Thomas Models - Following the discontinuation of UKBL and MSTNoodle's Thomas franchise, Richard Jordan (Skarloey123) stepped in along with Sean O'Connor (Seanoc17), Scott and Callum Walker (TEngine) stepped in to fill the void. Since Janurary 2009, they have collaborated to make scratch-built Thomas models and routes based on the classic TV Series and have made countless models of Thomas, starting from a glossy GMAX model, moving on to Blender and baking the textures, and finally finishing it off with the addition of 3D faces, changeable lamps, the works. Time will only tell how they will improve their Thomas models in future!

4. Gwoin123's Thomas Model - This model could be remembered as perhaps the second Thomas model to have been made in Trainz since MSTNoodle's. It was released for a short while and then dissapeared into the realm of history. I remember having a copy of it lying around somewhere, but like the UKBL Thomas model, I couldn't be persuaded to look through all my CD's to find it...

5. JH55000's Thomas Models - JH55000 was among the founding pioneers of Trainz Railroad Simulator to create some of the first realistic and Railway Series-style Thomas models. First starting out with some simple GMAX renders of Thomas in his curved and straight valence, has gone on to recreate our blue No. 1 as realistically close to the original prototype as anyone could possibly do. Now he has gone on to make the original LB&SCR E2 into Train Simulator 2015 (Railworks) and has made a Thomas version of this engine, which still remains a private creation.

6. The Jonateer's Thomas Models - TheJonateers was also one of the first people to recreate RWS-style Thomas models in Trainz. He made his models in GMAX and showcased them in remakes using TVS episode audio whilst sticking to the RWS perspective for visuals. He has not released any of his original models, but has recently gone back into recreating Thomas models in GMAX and releasing his most recent creations on his dA account, which can be seen in the picture above.

7. Bob Luzok's Ripped HOTR Thomas Model - In 2010 I think it was, following the release of the Hero of the Rails game for Nintendo Wii and 3DS, Bob Luzok ripped the models of the engines and rolling stock from the game and exported them to Trainz, releasing them for a short time. Unfortunately soon after, it was declared that ripping and releasing models from video games into Trainz was illegal, so these models are no longer available for the general public. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of these models in my archives.

8. Mondojawan's RWS/TVS Thomas Models - Many people prefer either the RWS or the TVS shape of Thomas the Tank Engine in their Trainz Simulators, but few would dare to mash the two together to create a hybrid. Mondojawan is one of the few people in the Trainz community who has successfully created a flawless Thomas model with a TVS shape, mixing in elements from the RWS illustrations, along with the real engine's basis (LB&SCR E2). His model is still being worked on at the time of this writing, it has recently been given 3D CGI-style faces.

9. TheGermanEngine's RWS Thomas Model - Aaron of Sodor Island 3D released his own version of RWS Thomas on the Easter Sunday of 2017, April the 17th. He has modelled both versions, Mk1 and Mk2 with the straight footplate, and kept it as close to the original Billinton E2 prototype as possible. It includes 3D faces based on the RWS illustrations, with the option to add the smokebox door, along with alternate liveries for NWR Blue, LBSC goods and passenger brown, even the early NW teal that Awdry put on his wooden Thomas model. It even has its own cab view! Aaron's model is the ultimate, and best model of Thomas to date, that has ever been made in Trainz.

Well that's about all I can think of, if anyone would like to point out a missing model that is currently available to the public that could be added to the list, I would be happy to put it on here.

And before anyone asks, I will not be giving out these models to anyone. Private distribution of models no longer available for public download is declared illegal under the Laws of Sodor Island 3D, pg. 12, section 37, subsection C., and I am a law-abiding citizen. 

The route seen here was made exclusively for this picture, by God himself. Anyone who asks for it shall suffer a thousand years by torture of brimstone, fire and outdated memes.

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own Thomas the Tank Engine or the Railway Series. They are owned by the Awdry Family, HiT Entertainment and Mattel.