The Culdee Fell Railway deserved better.

[@SteamTeamRedubUK]

It may be a very unpopular opinion, but I actually like the idea of the mountain engines only getting one book. It always stood out to me as such an anomaly in the big Railway Series book I used to have many years ago. While yes we never got a lot of development from most of the characters and much of their backstories remain a mystery, I think that’s the beauty part about its one-and-done status. It always leaves the door open to a reader’s imagination and the possibilities of creating new and exciting stories for one’s personal satisfaction is something you don’t get from the other books. Although the tv series missed out on the opportunity to include these engines in the CGI era, at least they never forgot about them in their toy line. As a fan, I’m always grateful that such mysterious engines from the mountains were never swept under the rug completely.

[@nolanpilon789]

They're sortof mentioned in cgi

[@west_side_9]

I do disagree, however I would like to add on a reasoning: if the reverend had made more books on the culdee fell, the chance of the idea getting dry would be very likely.

[@TheBasicPersonSorta]

​@Brian and Lulu not compared to my English work.

[@jackb3555]

Culdee was my favorite purely because he was unique and mysterious. He still is to this day.

[@ChimpyWallah]

I like Victor Tanzig’s view on the faces. Just being jokes painted on the back

[@elmasterdezoologia6641]

Fun fact: An unnamed and unnumbered Diesel locomotive was bought by the Snowdon Mountain Railway in 1972 as a potential shunter, but it was never used and was later sold; it has currently been scrapped.

[@yeetboiwhatyesplease2095]

I love how it’s classified as currently scrapped. As though it could be reversed.

[@elmasterdezoologia6641]

@@yeetboiwhatyesplease2095 Sorry, I meant, it's been scrapped since

[@concept5631]

​@@yeetboiwhatyesplease2095 "I can fix him."

[@TheAutisticCapricorn]

Ya know, it questions me on the technicality of why people build and design things when they're gonna just throw it away, making all that time and effort of doing something creative and the brainstorming idea of that creative process only to be a complete turnaround of wasted potential of not accepting it for their uses. People just don't want to make sense of things in the world, I swear 😒

[@concept5631]

@@TheAutisticCapricorn *_Orrrrr_* they tried making it work and it simply didn't. Not wanting to gamble lives on a mountain, they scrapped it.

[@alaricjaspers6348]

I think the reason the CFR didn’t appear again is because they had no stories to tell. After Godred’s accident and Lord Harry’s recklessness, they all learned pretty quick how to stay out of trouble. After Patrick saved the climbers, the railway operated normally for the rest of its days

[@TheGreyTurtleEntertainment]

Culdee had a great fall. But all the kings horses, and all the kings men, couldn't put him back together again. That's all I got, I'll see myself out. But seriously growing up I had a diecast culdee for years growing up and never understood the dual faces. Now I know better ^•^

[@noahdavidson8733]

Is the Culdee Fell where the word “head-ass” was invented? I’ll see myself out Also I had that same complete collection book as a kid. I loved the illustrated map of Sodor in the front leaflet, with the little notes like “Thomas fell down a mine here” and whatnot.

[@TheAutisticCapricorn]

Where on Earth did you get that silly concept? 😄😄

[@NewController01]

It's also worth mentioning, in the Korean version of Mountain Engines, the cab faces were edited out...for some reason

[@bigmacsama]

Yeah cuz they thought it would creep them out.

[@484berkshire]

Given the circumstances, shouldn't this be called the Godred Fell Railway? ...I'll see myself out.

[@cdangelo1843]

Ha ha ha, very funny.

[@joeythecat7482]

The railway is named after the Mountain

[@484berkshire]

@@joeythecat7482 *Thatsthejoke.gif*

[@Nic_2751]

HA

[@bladeobrian2144]

Yeah I had the ERTL Godred, and I always wondered why he wasn’t on any of the VHS tapes I had, same with the rest of Culdee Fell engines once I read the book in that same compilation tome you had. It’s understandable why the Arlesdale and Culdee Fell engines weren’t in the show’s model seasons, they would, admittedly, be difficult to make in model form. With CGI, there’s no excuse! Pity we didn’t see the mountain engines in CGI, but at least we got the miniature engines, so there’s that.

[@bigmacsama]

I think the show was too focused on making new characters and newer lame ideas that were trying to be original but sucking at it. Plus it was way too focused on making Thomas doing safe kid-friendly things and stories that repeats itself the same bs, thinking would make them tons of money.

[@bladeobrian2144]

@@bigmacsama in some cases yes, I stand by the idea that the Arlesdale and Mountain engines were to difficult to depict with models, but characters like Neil, Wilbert, 16, Pip and Emma, Bear, and D199 would’ve been a breeze with models comparatively. If they wanted to sell toys, why not introduce them into the show and make toys of them? Some of them did get toys despite not being on the show in fact! For example, Calling All Engines would’ve been a perfect time to introduce Bear and D199, and the plot of Super Rescue could’ve been part of that movie.

[@SalmonJonesTheMagnificent]

I always liked the comment Unlucky Tug made in a livestream a while back about them. He was asked what he thought as to how the whole two faces thing worked and basically said "yeah, in my headcanon that's just not real. I kinda wish Awdry wouldn't have done that." And I tend to agree. It's such a strange thing with no real good way to square the circle. Honestly I like the idea of the faces on the back of them being the only canonical ones.

[@Nic_2751]

The faces are artificial masks at the front to not scare everyone upon realizing it’s their rears that are actually sentient

[@perfectharvestmlpstudios9152]

I went on the Snowden Mountain Railway in March 2009 when I was 12. I highly recommend it if you do ever get the chance - not just for the awesome views, but also for the railway and its engines. They had a few diesels which alternated hauling the trains too. The Mountain Engines stories were definitely the ones I read and had read to me most often from my Railway Series Collection book, and I still have my ERTL models of Culdee, Godred and Lord Harry, some of my most favourite Thomas toys I ever owned.

[@ChimpManZ1264]

Snowdon got some of the inspiration and engineering knowledge from the Swiss Mountain Railway as well.

[@karenfan010]

4:49 what on earth made him think jumping out of a moving train on a mountain was a smart idea?!

[@Station_Master_13]

As a person who has filmed a carriage view there, the weather can change very quickly

[@amyrodgers4252]

Fun fact; in the extras for the BMM movie dvd, the controllers are listing out the railways and locations on Sodor, and the Culdee Fell railway is listed in it, so it was basically confirmed that the Culdee Fell does exist in the cgi era, it's just VERY rarely talked about, but is also hardly mentioned.

[@johndavies1090]

I never cease to be amazed at the seriousness with which the 'back-stories' of the Railway Series books are researched and treated. Given that Awdry worked out a pretty detailed history of Sodor himself, I think he'd be pleased with all the subsequent interest. As for the faces, would the rack engines be what are technically known as 'cab forwards' locos? In practice the crew proceed at the downward end of the train, so to me it's logical for the 'face' to be there, to see where they're going. Similarly there's an 'experimental engine', based on the first US cab forward (on itself a narrow gauge road) in a recent CGI story, which has her face on the cab front - you can see my reasoning. (Just supposing Awdry had based stories on the much missed Glyn Valley Tramway and the Clogher Valley Railway, they too would have had their faces on the cab back, as they, too, always ran 'cab forwards'.) I grew up with Toby - still have my original book, six decades later, but never thought of him as having two faces - you only ever see him from the front. In fact Toby was truly 'double ended' in reality - the engines had a driver's footplate and controls at both ends, to save the need for turntables. Being built for roadside running one or the other was a safety requirement. ( The GVT and CVR turned their engines at the end of each journey). One last thought - don't the fashions look dated in the pictures? Pure 1960's /70's! Thanks for the fun.

[@Bulbasaur617]

It was thanks to the RWS, I got to know about Culdee and other characters from the book. If only the Culdee Fell Railway appeared in the show in some form. Good things there are fans that would make fan made stories for the T&F/RWS community.

[@joeysthilaire8876]

Just been on holiday to Madeira and they had a mountain railway in the early 1900’s and I couldn’t stop thinking about the culdee fell railway. it really brought my childhood flooding back to me at 26 years old on my first adult holiday😊 (my girlfriend wasn’t as impressed)

[@manuelbrewer6927]

You bet they deserved it. I think it's a lovely railway. Would love to visit Snowdon one day.

[@tomytrains8680]

The Culdee Fell is my favorite as it introduce me to the railway series.

[@Pyrotrainthing]

I had one of those complete collection books too! It only had the Awdry stories iirc, and honestly I just looked at the pictures, wish I still had the book, though.

[@ReubenAshwell]

It's a shame the mountain engines never made it to the TV series. Would love to visit the Snowdon railway someday. :)

[@TheAutisticCapricorn]

Which season would you like to believe they would make their appearance to shine? Me personally, I think Season 11 would be their chance to come into the light, if the writing for their episodes wouldn't be terrible to knitpick.

[@crimsondynamo615]

My theory on the faces thing is that the engine looks out of either end depending on which way they’re going on the mountain. If they’re going up they look through the front face, and if they’re going down the mountain they look through the back face. If I were visualizing it you’d see one of the faces have their eyes closed depending on their direction.

[@CharlotteWilliamsBuzz]

Love this vid ! I'm currently working on a documentary on my film page specifically about the railways and engines inspired by locations in my home country of Wales. I finished filming in Talyllyn a few weeks back and am going to try and make a trip to the Snowdon mountain railway asap. So glad to see it and the stories get more love ♥️

[@Vomahanew]

From what I understand, the face in the back is so the engines can see clearly in both directions. It makes me think of the phrase "eyes in the back of my head."

[@aaron_m_04]

Personally, I think the back faces are similar to the ones on the diesels and Toby: it’s the same entity, just looking from a different view, and whichever face/side isn’t being used the eyes will be shut and it will have a blank expression. I also think it’s interesting that Sharon Miller did want to bring the CFR (along with Boco, Derek and Duke) into the cgi series but for whatever reason didn’t, I would love to have been a fly on the wall for those meetings

[@ciarangleeson2880]

She DID?!?!

[@aaron_m_04]

@@ciarangleeson2880 yep, and there’s evidence of it in the BMM movie where they talk about the CFR and how Mr Percival runs it

[@ciarangleeson2880]

So why didn’t it happen?

[@asteroidrules]

I feel like part of why neither of the TV shows covered Culdee Fell is just because of the uniformity of its locomotives. Aside from the nameplates (and Godred being in pieces) the entire fleet of the Culdee Fell are identical. Something the TV series really liked was having characters be immediately visually distinct, aside from cases where they were deliberately identical for story reasons. While in real life it makes sense for a railroad to standardize its engines and color schemes since that promotes uniformity of appearance and simplicity of maintenence, the lack of visual distinction makes it harder to distinguish between characters.

[@exveefan]

The TV series does reference the Thin Controller being in charge of this railway in an educational segment.

[@toby070]

My take on the mysterious double-face thing is based on the eyes of the Chameleon. The Chameleon has 2 special eyes that look in different directions. While the Culdee Fell engines have four normal eyes: 2 front and 2 back, the advantage is that they can see both front and back with good depth-perception - useful to look out at your surroundings and the track! I admit I made myself sick typing this, but that is how it works in my head-canon.

[@toby070]

And then I realised something: It is a artistic habit that if the engines look left or right, then it's like they see the side or the back perfectly. If the Culdee Fell engines eyes - both front and back - look in the same direction, do they get perfect 3D vision? Do they have a blind spot? Oh my! What have I unleashed in the world?

[@Noah-ey5zf]

1:35 (they literally put profit on something that doesn’t exist on TV) why did they make Toys of the Mountain Engines if they were never adapted for the show? like I know this was something Britt Alcroft did original in the 1980s-90s but the Fact Mattel remade toys of them, stated that they were own by The Thin Controller, and have never been shown in a single God Dam CGI Episode!? What a waste for something that was pretty much set up!

[@3xfaster]

I’d say it’s one mind with two faces. Going up, the rear facing face is kinda on auto pilot, when going down it pays attention. Front face always has command. I guess it’s like those face masks that are used to deter tiger attacks that agave backwards.

[@ItsTrainBoy]

Honestly that makes a lot of sense, that or just a “Mighty Mac” situation but it’s not like the other faces have separate names so it’s likely not the same idea..? Honestly I just wanna know what was in Awdry’s pipe that night I want some 💀

[@Tommy_Collada]

The show writers Culdee Fell short of a great opportunity

[@theark-la-missrailfan]

Heh

[@TheTSMBoi]

I have to 100% agree with this.

[@lucaskeir6818]

I have that same book! It’s genuinely one of my most prized possessions.

[@Toast-com]

Yay! I love the Culdee Fell Railway!

[@derekbackofen6]

We need the culdee fell if the series does ever come back it’s injustice that we never get too see it!!! its even on the Thomas map in the opening with Michael Brandon!!!

[@TBone-bz9mp]

2:15 And its thanks to these and other such 'Lord Higglesbottom of Dungy on the Wold', since dead of a freak cannon accident during the Crimean war, that Britain's railways curve around the countryside like a whisky addled snake.

[@Zory13]

As a kid I only watched the tv series for a while, yet had a wooden railway Culdee. I had no idea who it was but I thought he looked cool anyway.

[@slurjkblohm]

I had the whole Culdee Fell set via ERTL, and even as a kid I ALWAYS wondered about the faces

[@fawkewe]

It’s interesting because although they didn’t have the budget at first they definitely would have near or during the Hit Era. I mean with a shorter budget than expected they still introduced 4 new characters in Season 7 and in the Hit seasons they made quite a few sets whilst still introducing a few characters, usually more than 1 a season. They definitely could have adapted Mountain Engines at some point if they wanted to but circumstances worked out that they never did.

[@solarflare623]

If you really think about it, it actually becomes very obvious why the Arelsdale railway never appeared in the model series. Just look at the narrow gauge engines. When they first appeared in season 4 they were 1 scale models on O gauge track. It was very hard to fit all the eye mechanisms and motors into something that was about the same size as a decently sized pack of gum. So just imagine how hard it would be to make all that fit into something even smaller that isn’t even half the height of the small scale people.

[@madhattergaming6473]

I wish we would’ve seen these guys in the tv series

[@joshuariddensdale2126]

Instead of BWBA, they should've introduced the Culdee Fell Railway to the series instead. We have a similar tourist railroad similar to the Culdee Fell near me in New Hampshire. The Cog Railway. But a few years ago, they switched over from their vintage steam engines to modern bio-diesel, except for special excursions.

[@Dat-Mudkip]

bEcAUSe CoAl Is BaD fOr thE ENviOrmENt I mean it's what, two or three steam engines? That's not a lot of CO2 in the grand scheme of things.

[@Thatonesaddletank]

Great morning video!

[@scotthamp384]

I have to agree with you, dude. Since the miniature railway and engines were created in CGI, you would think that the Culdee Fell Railway and engines would have been created, as well

[@Fork219]

I've only seen the title and I already agree

[@AtkataffTheAlpha]

It's sad. I had three Take N Play Culdees (one survived before all the rest but a few were bought) but the engines never showed up in the show. Probably they'd be machincally difficult but in CGI they would've fit perfectly with the introduction of the minimum gauge engines or at least a mention from them. Sadly, it's not cannon in the original series except by fans and the books that go along with the original series and instead I think it's been made cannon in AEG which is the worst way they could've been ever cannon to screens. Thankfully AEG is a separate universe from the original series but still, huge pain. Hey, it's lucky we have the fans keeping Thomas alive by this point as well as bringing back characters and telling more stories that the original series never did. Hats off to the fan Thomas community

[@natevalleystudios1086]

this is a nice surprise seeing he posts in the afternoon or evening most of the time. seeing him upload right before I go to school is really nice!

[@EnlistedPlague9]

I vaguely remember having a diecast Culdee. I thought it was odd at the time that there was a train with a face on the back. Now I know it was from the railway series not the show..

[@anotherlegendarysaiyan4171]

Trains improve things. Diesel once said "Fam we are revolutionary Af."

[@ItsTrainBoy]

And he was right 💪

[@anotherlegendarysaiyan4171]

@@ItsTrainBoy W reply

[@justjohnny1333]

i like the idea that victor tanzig came up with that the faces on the back are painted on as a joke. You should watch his series by the way its pretty great.

[@jetboyblue4478]

Nice job

[@andrerajic426]

The Culdee Engines were never Included in the model Series is explanitory but the CGI railway makes you think 🤨

[@NitroIndigo]

Maybe the Culdee Fell engines are like Mighty Mac, or Hammersmith & City from Underground Ernie, in that they're the train version of conjoined twins.

[@Ringo-hw6pw]

R.I.P culdee you may Rest In Peace.

[@Ryder-a-Blaze]

At least they got spared from the reboot

[@AdmiringSparks]

SNOWDON FOREVER!!!!!!!!!

[@MVF_2024-]

i think why there was on minture gauged trains in the model series is because they would be small & hard to put a eye servo the narrow gauged had a battery box for there eyes if you see one car behind a narrow gauged engine in the model series that was the eye servo battery

[@jamesthomas5109]

Nice video mate, very good. 👍🏻

[@emmetgillespie9617]

As unlucky tug said since the culdee fell railway does not exist in the TV series the Mid sodor was the main method of transport through sodors mountain range

[@MasterSwo]

Honestly, when it comes to the second faces I always put it down as a sort of "Mighty Mac" situation. Course, I could always be wrong.

[@gassygary1]

the dual faces on the engines probably works like the diesels/Toby. it makes sense too tbh, why would it work different on them from how it works on the others?

[@karenfan010]

toby was never *ever* illustrated with two faces.

[@gassygary1]

@@karenfan010 yes he was. Tobys mega train.

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

The main problem I have with the Snowdon railway is that they don't consider themselves a heritage railway, and they have very little attachment to their steam stock as a result. It's quite disconcerting.

[@firstnamlastnam2141]

Yeah, three of the character basis are just a pile of parts now with "no plans to bring them back". Gotta wonder if they'll even be there in a few decades. RIP Enid, Ralph, and Eryri.

[@johndavies1090]

Possibly because they are, and always have been, a profit making commercial company, like the mainline 'big four'. I know that one one occasion, watching an engine of theirs climbing the hill, it was disconcerting to see the rust holes in her smokebox - it would interfere with her steaming for a start!

[@firstnamlastnam2141]

@@johndavies1090 That's the kind of thing that will only change if they end up getting blood on their hands. They probably won't bother before that.

[@KingMontaQ000]

Thank you trainboy but on a serious note do you think u can give me some tips on how I would start a model railway

[@georgeoliver8300]

I agree

[@NotClean_]

is the Snowdon railway still open? looks like a amazing place

[@GideonRondaan]

I need to go to whales sometime that mountain railway is soo beautiful.

[@Trains_Travel_NZ]

If you think the CFR is unloved, what about the supposed electric branch to Peel Godred lol

[@KyndlingStoneCB]

The Head ass is probably supposed to be the same thing since they have to see both directions. Ik it’s a wacky pov but

[@PaintballGargoyle]

Thinking about it.. I think it’s like Mighty Mäck.. 2 entities but they’d Call each other the same name

[@blasterblaster1221]

I honestly find it interesting how snowdons motive power has had so many failures over the years....2 out of 3 super heated steam engines withdrawn and stored, 3 railcars scrapped, and even there two latist hybrid diesels being classified as failure and returned to the manufacturer....yet the original 4 steam engines keep going....its quite impressive....also the fact they have had a visiting engine from switzerland on there line.... there is story potential for those who want to make them for the cfr...i actually made a character out of the visiting engines design and even made a cfr tram engine i freelance designed

[@ciarangleeson2880]

Who was the visiting engine?

[@blasterblaster1221]

@@ciarangleeson2880 brienz rothorn no.2...she was built in the same factory as the original 5 snowdon engines

[@blasterblaster1221]

Also the full engine is tilted not just the boiler

[@kaizbeebz5814]

2:00 Hears Snowdin queue Undertale PTSD

[@thomaswillis2053]

To be fair mountain engines is one of the most fantastic railway stories that the rev w awdry has ever besides the culdee fell railway didn’t get the chance of having tvs spotlight be it is still a very very very good book if the sodor 1955 Roblox added the culdee fell mountain railway on the layout of the island itself that would be much more intriguing though.

[@Sunnyhatesthesun]

I wish the culdee fell engines were in cgi, those would be really fun episodes :P

[@lolchipperson11person12]

Tbh, they could’ve had at most 2 more books before they got old. I still think it’s silly they didn’t make any more books. The only complaint with the book is the faces on the back having no real reason to be there. It’s never said what they do, they are just there? So, the other characters could’ve had very interesting stories, and we were robbed.

[@amitysluzara2022]

The Culdee Fell is really fascinating its just a shame nothing was done with them

[@Matts_Creations]

I don't know why the culdee fell didn't have that much appearance. But, I have a take along Culdee.

[@thomastanker0257]

I’m a bit confused. Didn’t Culdee make the story of Godred up?

[@toby070]

I'm taking the third option: Godred's accident was real; It was just the spare-parts ending that was made up. 4:47 I don't think you could salvage that much from a wreck like this.

[@ItsTrainBoy]

I like to think it did happen but maybe with that in mind? ^^ Honestly the entire CFR is just Snowdon with minor differences so it more than likely occurred? It’s hard to tell sometimes what Awdry really was thinking with these guys 😅

[@frostlord1246]

In Awdry's history of sodor book, the line that Culdee made the story up was retconned to be an actual event in the railway's history

[@matthewaronoff7539]

I love it

[@sonitaberoog5233]

Cast Sir Handel as Culdee Peter Sam as Wilfred

[@marshallhuffer4713]

I had never heard of these engines until I saw them in the ERTL toyline. I still don't understand why they have faces on their backs and I don't think it's a MightyMac situation where it's two engines as one.

[@mistermadmachine6311]

😃Hey I’ve wondered if the face on the back was a separate entity too

[@theoneandonlynumber1253]

I have the take n play culdee

[@TheStickCollector]

Yes

[@harrisonallen651]

They should’ve brought them to life in the Brenner era of the cgi series, why else would companies like Learning Curve, Ertl and Mattel make models of these engines other than for the sake of money?

[@unknowndarkness7771]

Very true I might make videos on the culdee fell very soon🫠

[@NORTH_WESTERN]

"Shane Doy ney" W H A T

[@StumpyFunnel]

You were in my dream last night

[@sableveil]

Now were speakin' the same language

[@Joey15811]

My favourite railway, my favourite book and so many underused characters. Definitely should have have been added to cgi

[@DragonspineInfiniteZero]

Look cool as the engines might be there would be no way in hell im getting on one ive seen thomas enough times to see what happens when a brake engine coupling or otherwise fail and i'd rather not go through a godrick senario plz

[@OldIron2188]

What if the CFR was like Mighty Mac, where it's two different organisms(?) that are one object, with one name despite two faces and brains etc. That's my HC.

[@anthonyfisher-7090]

Or maybe it's like front Cul, back Dee to create one. God-red, Lord-Harry, Shane-dooiney. Wif-red, e-ric, Ala-ric, Er-nest

[@Hans-gp1ur]

I hope Culdee Fell Railway enter CGI series😔

[@GideonRondaan]

And i want to see the talylin railway.

[@gaardus8682]

0:00 - 1:13 | same

[@AllieThePrettyGator]

why the backwards face???

[@ExtoFunny]

bro the coach placed infront of the engine for reasons, they cant see forwards. So putting the face at the back would make them able to see when going down.

[@wallygator92]

Bad Look would probably be to dark for the TV series

[@CaptainLegend]

I personally hate how the Culdee Fell engines have two faces. The railway itself and the stories that Awdry wrote about it are all really cool and a nice inclusion to the lore of the world, but the two face thing is just scary. I think it was just such an unnecessary addition to the characters. Why wouldn't Thomas have a second face on his backside then for all the time he spent pulling rolling stock in the yard as the station pilot? Or any other engine for that matter? My point is, no other engine has needed a face on its backside so that they could pull trains easier up until this point, so why now. Not to mention, it just looks weird. Just my two cents.

[@Matthew44889]

Why do the Culdee Fell Engines have faces on their backs?