I was very fortunate as a youngster in that my Dad often had business hiring machines to Shepperton Studios, where the original Britt Allcroft series (none of this HIT entertainment rubbish) was done. I was a late starter at school so would hang around Dad in our garage where the business operated at the time, and would often get taken to Shepperton. Business conducted we used to look through the door at "T Studio", so named because "Tugs" (anyone remember that?) and "Thomas" were filmed there.
Eventually they just started letting us in and from what I can remember I will describe to you exactly what it was like to a 6ish year old boy. There was a main set, where a layout was set up for one location or another. The studio was very darkly lit but the actual layout was fairly strongly lit. To the left as you went in the front door there was a model workshop. This was in a side room with a length of test track on the bench, which was covered in all sorts, from scenic items to rolling stock. I distinctly remember seeing Bulstrode the barge (see the pics above!) there, and the chap telling us how much fun it had been to sink him! I remember seeing the Daisy model, which was a pretty massive bit of kit, but the enduring memory I have was being handed a radio control transmitter, being directed toward Henry, and told to waggle the right stick, causing Henry's eyes to do the "confused spin", magic! I can remember seeing a set for the Skarloey line being filmed, they had Peter Sam shuffling up and down it while they figured out what to do with the scene. Considering I am coming up to 22, and I was about 6 at the time, and that I cannot remember more than 6 years ago with such clarity, it must have left a serious mark on me. It certainly made me want to be a modeller. The one regret was that I never rescued "City Of Truro". He was only ever in one scene, of one episode if I remember right, and they'd just stuck him in a bin with a load of lens filters. If only Dad had said something to them, that would have been an excellent souvenir! The last thing said to us before we left (subsequently the last time, I finally went to school!) was "one day, when we finish filming, we'll connect all the sets up and run the railway". I've always liked to think that they did!
those were the days! Its not as fun now as it was back then
![:(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)