Sodor Mapped

Alright so where do we think these sets are on the Model Series app? Gotta be Toby’s line right?

- Mitton follows up on this idea in S6, having the “tunnel construction” lead to the “New Loop Line”, expanding Tidmouth Bay into a larger junction station and renaming it “Castle Station” to connect it to Castle Hill Climb.

- Mitton places Castle Hill Climb behind (east of) Tidmouth Bay in the final episode, and changes the Thomas’s Tunnel from being a newly built one to a previously existing one that he already marked on his map where the harbor line runs under the branch line.

Looking at the map, a “new” loop line could theoretically be created if trains ran down the harbor line to Tidmouth Bay instead of down the “old” loop line down to Tidmouth.

In previous threads, I have discussed why myself and others believe the “Loop Line” marked on David Mitton’s Map is the New Valley Line mentioned by Duck in the ‘Make Someone Happy” script, acting as the northern part of his branch.

In this episode, Edward is sent to show Stepney how to run the “New Loop Line” while Duck does his work. He and Stepney are shown passing the Tower Windmill and stopping at Tidmouth Bay (aka Castle Station).

Before I move on, I want to share these previous tweets of mine where I discussed this theory and outlined where I believe Castle Hill is and where the railway climbs it.

It’s worth noting that the final appearance of Tidmouth Bay is far different than the original concept. It was initially supposed to be a terminus of sorts for Toby’s Branch Line, with high cliffs and notably no castle to the east of it.

Tidmouth Bay Station is introduced in S5 as a beachside station with, you guessed it, a castle on a hill in the background. In S6, the station expands and is renamed to “Castle Station”.

In the final episode, the narrative changes significantly. Instead of the tunnel being built in the episode, it’s instead an already existing tunnel that is “under repair” when Gordon crashes into it.