Help us preserve a piece of Television history!
An amazing opportunity has arisen for us to privately purchase an original model from the Thomas & Friends TV show.
The model is of James the Red Engine and appears to be a later build model.
What we want to do is to purchase it, and display it for the public to visit, stufy & most of all enjoy for future generations.
Through our past work for people like Star Tugs company we believe ourselves to be the best qualified guardians of such unique relics, and the people to bring them to you to see.
As children's television moves further into the realm of CGI we feel it's important to preserve as much of this as possible.
Our aims are as follows
- To purchase the model and preserve it.
- To display it around the UK as much as is practical
- To potentially display in the USA a couple of times a year (subject to planning restrictions and demand)
- To form a collection around this significant piece as a slice of TV history.
- If it becomes practical, form a preservation society whose sole aim will be the purchase, maintenance & display of any other props that become available.
We cannot do this however, without your help. Through this we are not mere "owners" of a prop from television, more guardians of something a community has come together to help purchase through the shared love of what it represents.
Saved by the fans, for the fans. Will you be a part of this exciting project?
What We Need & What You Get
So where will your money go?
- Essentially the breakdown of the total target is simple. We need to cover the total purchase cost, as well as cover the costs of some of the more exciting perks, since we really do want everyone to have an equal opportunity, We also need to cover some of the initial display costs to ensure that it can go out straight away for you guys to see.
- Obviously there is the chance we will not reach our entire goal. We're confident that there is more than enough support within the community to reach our target but if we do not reach our goal then we will first attempt to secure funding to cover the deficit. If this proves to be impossible we will see if we have enough to secure the model, and fund the perks, as there are other options for the initial display. If all this proves to be impossible we will run a poll among the donators to either have money returned or for us to keep it aside for future opportunities like this one.
Why go to all this trouble?
With our work with the Star Tugs Company we have interacted with alot of Thomas & Friends fans, and we have learned many things including:
- Access to or close viewing of the original TV models is a highly desirable thing.
- Passion for the show and all that makes it what it is, is very high.
- The community spirit that can be shown is nothing short of amazing.
- The show is considered to be a massive part of TV history & Railway preservation.
It is for those reasons that we feel preserving this model is a good thing for everybody and while we are certain any private buyer would look after the model, it is best in the hands of those who would have it to display to other people.
Risks & Challenges
Any project comes with risk, and we want everyone to be aware of anything that can be foreseen at this point.
- The model may be sold before this campaign is over.
- There could be difficulties in securing the model for transit for the overseas displays. This is highly unlikely but possible.
There are other risks as with any project but those 2 are the most specific to this one. We cannot pretend that they're not there, nor would we try to.
If either of the above happens we will treat it in the same way as if we had not achieved the full goal. If we can't do a significant amount of what we set out to do, the money will not be used and the donators will have the option of a refund.
Closing thoughts
We think this is a HUGE opportunity for the Thomas & Friends community to do something wonderful for the benefit of everybody in the UK, and potentially overseas too. We also see it as the potential start to a series of these sorts of campaigns.
