2:16min
The narrator sets the scene. “This is Pierce Brosnan talking. The first TV series in 1984 was Ringo Starr but my favourite was Michael Angelis from Boys from the Black Stuff who did it from 1991 until this year,” says Barbara Wilkinson.

3:11min
We see Thomas rolling into the station. “A tank engine has a tank on the side, whereas James is a tender engine which carries its coal in a separate truck and does longer journeys,” Sam Wilkinson says.

14:12min
We see a succession of engines. “They used models that were 10cm long,” Sam says. “They are all based on real engines. The character Fergus is based on one of our engines that was made in 1902.”

24:11min
Jealous of Stanley, the shiny new arrival, Thomas tries to impress, goes too fast and goes off the rails. “Happens to us all at some point,” mutters the Fat Controller (aka Sir Topham Hatt).

28min
Thomas goes missing. “The author, the Rev W. V. Awdry, wrote this in 1941 to entertain his three-year-old son and didn’t publish it until 1946,” Sam says.

35:12min
Thomas is in the wrong and knows it. “This is a great lesson for kids,” says Joanna Simmons. “They can learn about jealousy and how to deal with it.”

37:46min
Thomas enters a mine and hurtles down a winding track. “They’ve taken this from Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Joanna says.

40:13min
The Fat Controller turns up with two burly men. “He always has them with him,” observes Barbara. “They must be his minders.”

46:12min
Thomas flies out of the mineshaft. “Thomas is amazing,” laughs Sam. “He can float on water and fly. They don’t make engines like that anymore.”

48:23min
Stanley says that Thomas is a sad engine and not a bad engine. “That’s summed up the whole story,” remarks the Fat Controller.

49:15min
Stanley rescues Thomas. “He’s been in water, crashed into the walls and he hasn’t got a scratch,” Barbara says.

THE VERDICT

Some worried that 60 minutes might be a little long for young children, but Sam thought it was the best Thomas story so far. Barbara added: “It was true to the spirit of the books but brought it up to date with a rap, which I loved.”

Thomas & Friends: the Great Discovery is out now on DVD. The Battlefield Line, Shackerstone, Leicestershire (www.battlefield-line-railway.co.uk 01827 880754)

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