Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. 1984 - 2017.

The regime of 'The Fat Controller' was put under the spotlight recently. Many were asked why they stood to one side when an engine called Henry was entombed for life or a locomotive called Smudger sentenced to a crippling death.

After all this bad press and reports, it seems the 'other story' may not come after all. Thomas the Tank Engine is over.

We will openly admit at this juncture to being mere bystanders in the regime known online as 'Thomas Fandom', these are hardcore enthusiasts of a children's set of books, popular TV series and 'loadsa money' merchandise that began with the Rev W Awdry telling his son a bedtime story, and forever humiliating any Dads efforts to putting children to bed until the iPad and locking the bedroom door from the outside hit parenthood.

Despite appearances, we are normal, we lived normal childhoods and watched normal Children's TV. This included the much maligned Britt Allcroft TV Series which took on these stories by the Rev W Awdry and turned them into one of the best loved children's TV series of all time.

Maligned as green locomotives seemingly 'got wood' by looking at Forests. Double Track signalling on narrow gauge railway lines was thrown by the wayside and the professional development of every driver on the Island of Sodor disappeared from the pockets of every incompetent member of staff as they 'jumped clear' saving there own skins.

Our childhoods were opened to the world of Ringo Starr having  a go at a Scottish accent. But Thomas now finds himself 'fessing himself' rotten as we watched in horror as the models disappeared to Drayton Manor and the computer nerds took over with our much loved friends appearing in 'CGI'.

But, among changes - and we say this as occasional watchers, stories were quite funny. and an entertaining series was regurgitated from the ashes of those models. Who wouldn't want to see the Fat Controller slipping on his arse after sentencing several locomotives to death or entombment? The Thomas tree was bearing fruit again.

Thomas Fandom.

What's happened?

Well this was the innocent tweet that was sent and triggered tears and anger across the Twittersphere of Thomas Fandom. 

Here are the facts.

• The next series of Thomas and Friends will be called 'Big World! Big Adventures!' and will see Thomas travel the world.
• The narrator is gone.
• Thomas will speak directly to the audience. Think 'Dora the Explorer'.

So. That really is all folks. Should we care about the outcome of a childrens Television series that passed most of those reading this wibble by many years ago?

We have asked the Fandom to explain and reassure us, we look forward to their insight but the facts above are surely enough.

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. RIP.