Talk:Thomas the Tank Engine

Semi-protected edit request on 18 December 2024

Looking at the article, I believe it is written in an in-universe style, so I think we should add an in-universe tag. 50.100.44.204 (talk) 00:51, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

May you provide any examples of an in-universe writing style in the article? SleepDeprivedGinger (talk) 10:50, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{Edit semi-protected}} template. M.Bitton (talk) 11:48, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 18 December 2024 (2)

Since my previous request for adding an in-universe tag was declined, I will try again. I think this article is written in an in-universe style because of reliance on primary sources affiliated with the subject and also in-universe writing. I think we can add an in-universe tag now. 50.100.44.204 (talk) 17:10, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

@50.100.44.204: You need to be more specific. It would not be appropriate to tag the whole article as in-universe, as most of it is not. Which sections do you propose tagging? Opolito (talk) 17:17, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

If the issue is with the sources, {{primary sources}} may be more appropriate. Your previous request here failed to provide specific examples of in-universe writing. ObserveOwl 🎄 (talk) 21:10, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

I think more citations needed would be better since I see unsourced statements. 50.100.44.204 (talk) 04:26, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

@50.100.44.204: again, which specific sentences are you talking about? This article is actually reasonably well sourced - especially for a Thomas the Tank Engine article. Where there are glaring problems, there are {{citation needed}} tags. If there are other claims that should be sourced, please list them here. The template you have added twice to this talk page says very clearly "This template must be followed by a complete and specific description of the request". Until you do that you are just wasting everyone's time. Opolito (talk) 05:14, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

I see some unsourced statements. It's actually a well sourced article, but it could use more citations, which is why we could use a more citations needed tag. 50.100.44.204 (talk) 15:10, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

@50.100.44.204: Where abouts? Please name which specific part of the article needs more citations or else this edit request will most likely have to be ignored. SleepDeprivedGinger (talk) 15:32, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

There are only 19 sources in this entire article and I have seen some unsourced material which is why it could use more citations. 50.100.44.204 (talk) 15:38, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

 Not done: despite repeated requests, @50.100.44.204: is unable to provide any specific examples. So this request cannot be fulfilled. Opolito (talk) 16:43, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

Thomas's Age.

Thomas Was Made In 1915 Which Makes Him 109 Years Old. Shortly After He Was Made Thomas Came To Sodor In 1915. 2A02:C7C:C369:B700:78AC:178B:AFBA:C2FF (talk) 20:02, 29 December 2024 (UTC)

The second sentence is already included in the article. As for the first sentence, this isn't really necessary; the reader can figure this out for themselves. SleepDeprivedGinger (talk) 21:05, 29 December 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 11 April 2025

As additional information has come to light regarding the choosing of Thomas' basis (Thanks to new infromartion revealed by the 'Talayllyn Railway' at the 2024 'Awdry Extravaganza') I would like to request that the following changes be made to the 'Prototype and background' section, particularly where it says "Awdry selected a real locomotive for Payne to work from to create authenticity: a Billinton designed 0-6-0T E2 Class of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.[4] This may have been chosen because Awdry had a photograph to hand".

It has been stated that 'Reginald Payne' alone decided on Thomas being an E2 without Awdry's input. Awdry wanted Thomas to be more akin to a Folwer 3F Jinty Class 0-6-0 built for the 'London Midland and Scottish Railway'. It is stated that Payne was a 'Southern man' and was unfamiliar with the LMS Jinty's which is why he instead decided to draw Thomas based on a tank engine of Southern origin. Wether he had a photograph or had seen one in real life is unknown. awdry was originally unhappy with how Payne had drawn Thomas, but was much welcoming to the idea when Payne told him he'd based Thomas on a real engine.All of this infromation comes from the letters that Rev.W. Awdry would write to his fans replying to them about questions they had about the railway series, the characters and railway modeling. NormNos (talk) 13:06, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

This seems quite necessary to have, do you have any external citations we can use as reference? If not, this would count as original research. SleepDeprivedGinger (talk) 14:18, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

I am afraid I do not have access to any of the actual letters that say this, and the ones I can find photos of I can't seem to read Awdry's hand writing. All the information i have written here is just what I can acurately remember from the 2024 Awdry Extravaganza Live stream. I would provide a link to that, but it does not appear to have been recorded. You could perhaps ask the Talyllyn railway themselves to confirm the infromation. NormNos (talk) 18:52, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

Even if were to consult the Talyllyn Railway, Wikipedia:Citing sources requires that information must be backed up by citations added within the article. I appreciate the thought, but adding this information regardless would go against Wikipedia's encyclopedic tone and guidelines. SleepDeprivedGinger (talk) 20:55, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request

• What I think should be changed:

  −

  '''Thomas the Tank Engine''' is a fictional, [[anthropomorphised]] [[tank locomotive]]

  +

  '''Thomas the Tank Engine''' is a fictional, [[anthropomorphised]] [[tank locomotive|tank engine]] with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler, and a short stumpy dome,

• Why it should be changed:Because it would be more fun if the Wikipedia page for Thomas the Tank Engine said "Thomas is a tank engine, with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler, and a short stumpy dome."
• References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

151.197.48.152 (talk) 00:22, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

References

151.197.48.152 (talk) 00:24, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

Not done: this is an encyclopedia, not a fansite. Opolito (talk) 01:08, 16 April 2025 (UTC)