Tuesday, 28 February 2012

First Look: The Narrow Gauge Engines in full CGI

The Official Thomas & Friends Websites in the UK and US have been the first to reveal the Narrow Gauge Engines' CGI makeovers.

The five of Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, Peter Sam and Rusty for the first time ever have been transformed in their animated states by Nitrogen Studios.
The little engines are now fully confirmed for their returns in the Blue Mountain Mystery film. Peter Sam and The Thin Controller are due to make a series comeback in the upcoming Don't Bother Victor! episode.

With this, each of them have recieved their own profile pages on the Engine Depot section where information and descriptions are available to read.
All the present looking models have notably payed attention to extra detailing especially on Rusty's. Ben Small and new cast member Steven Kynman take vocal lending duties for Rheneas and Peter Sam respectively.

Nitrogen Studios' aforementioned contributions will be their last for the series before Arc Productions take over the animation creative for the new look show in 2013.

Blue Mountain Mystery premieres in UK and US theatres and on DVD/Blu Ray from September 2012.

TAKE A FIRST LOOK OF THE NARROW GAUGE ENGINES IN FULL CGI

Thanks to ellsworth for the alert.

What do you think of the new look Narrow Gauge Engines? Are you excited for their returns? Give you reactions and thoughts in the comments below this post.

20 comments:

  1. Very nice actually detail a lot better but differs to original models wonder why Whiff and Stanley in full CGI never got these sort of promos just a thought where's Duncan, Mighty Mac and Freddie?

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  2. Hopefully, Duncan, Mighty Mac and Freddie (and Duke?), will get their profiles updated soon. Freddie doesn't actally have one yet!

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  3. Wow! I don't think any of us thought they'd look that spectacular :) Hats off to Nitrogen! Well done!

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  4. HEAVENS TO BETSY!
    Peter Sam has a true Giesel funnel!!!

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  5. They looked amazing with much finer detailing. Kudos to Nitrogen.

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  6. Also i am amazed how spotless their paintwork is for a change normally looks greasy and grubby. Narrow Guage engines never looks as clean as that normally, all excpet fro Mighty Mac who is brand new, Falcon in Bulldog and Skarleoy in passengers and polish. Rheneas looks like my fluoressent cycling jacket lol. Wonder why the narrow gauge engines are normally so grubby Rheneas & Duncan have got more grubby since series 11

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  7. Some of the best looking engines when it comes to CGI in my opinon. Can't wait to see What Luke, Duncan and(If he reapers)Duke look like!

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  8. They are all stunning. I think Peter Sam's my favourite though, that giesl looks spectacular. A lot better than that... thing he's had from Series 4-12

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    1. He's my favourite too! Skarloey and Rusty look improved too! :)

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  9. their CGI faces look different from season 12

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  10. I like the detail on the NGE's. They look absolutley sublime! An absolute THANK YOU to Nitrogen Studios. Can't wait to see them in action!

    One thing I have to mention is that it came as a bit of a shock when first looked but doesn't their faces look a bit... well...odd. It's just because I feel that the faces have become distorted a little. I swear Peter Sam's mouth and nose have risen up compared to his face in Season 12.
    Oh well.

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  11. A GIESEL! Peter Sam finally has a proper gisel!

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    1. Oh, yes i forgot - has the wording of the profiels changed or not, becuase i don't remeber it saying that Peter Sam was tutored by Duke...(!)

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  12. I don't like how they made Rusty's face so huge. Nicely done otherwise.

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  13. Well, their faces in Series 12 were prototypes of their full CGI faces. That's why they look different. The faces will take me some getting used to. :) Beautiful none the less. As for Rusty's face... meh, I like this one and all but... something always bothers me about the giant face thing. Anyhoo, the engines look great! Let us hope they have personalities to match!

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  14. Nice pics of 5 NG engines, but where's Duncan, Mighty Mac, Freddie and (possibly Duke)?

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    1. they're probably being used to sell more toys XP

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  15. As an old-school narrow gauge engine fan, I've got mixed reviews of the first five of Nitrogen's NG-engines. Face-wise, I'm a little bit disappointed. While I admit the animation of the faces is quite well-done, Skarloey, Rheneas, and Peter Sam's faces seem chubbier and broader than they should. They made the first two look far too young by far. Sir Handel's face I have no real complaints about, and Rusty's just seems too big for his character, albeit very well-constructed otherwise. As far as their bodies are concerned, I'm more than impressed. If you compare each engine to not only the classic-era models of each character as well as the prototype for each character, you'll find that Nitrogen did a great deal of research beyond the studio to increase the detailing on each one. Every engine has had prototypical detailing added according to the real-life basis that we didn't find on the models. Sir Handel's got valves on his sandboxes just as Sir Haydn has, Rusty's got cab bracing and lining, as well as a better-constructed frame just as Midlander has, Peter Sam's got extra piping and riveting according to how Edward Thomas was built, as well as a much more accurate "flat" Giesl-type smoke ejector, and Skarloey and Rheneas both have a tremendous deal of lining and railing added to them just as Talyllyn and Dolgoch have. Rheneas also now has prototypical fenders and sandboxes for the first time since the RWS. Even though I don't exactly think the faces were quite what I was hoping for, I could hardly be happier with the technical accuracy each engine has been given which we've never seen before. All in all, I'd give them a 4/5. Well done, Nitrogen Studios. Let's just hope the voicing matches the characters well.

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  16. The narrow gauge engines look cool in CGI, I saw those On the computer at school today!

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  17. *sigh* I wish they made duncan into CGI, he was my favorite character

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