General AU Information

General
The designs are based on the UK dub rather than the US. The AU takes place in modern day with access to social media and modern technology, but otherwise the Island of Sodor isn’t much different than from the series. Any non-human speaking characters in the show have a direct human counterpart, with an exception with the trucks. Some are delinquent kids who hang around the yards and will sometimes will make fun of the drivers or sing insulting songs. The engines are drivers, the coaches are conductors, cranes are their operators, and so on.

Sodor
The Island of Sodor is a semi-rural island island nestled between the Isle of Man and the English west coast. It’s become a tourist destination because of its unique infrastructure and blend of past and present. It's still-in-operation railways are the proud homes of famous steam engines, including the Famous Eight and engines on the Skarloey Line, that have been restored, painted in beautiful livery, and are in regular operation.

Sir Topham Hatt inherited the railway from his father, who had let it decline and deteriorate. He’s owned it for little more than 20 years, but in that time he’s brought it above and beyond its original beauty. One of its most unique features is that drivers are assigned to specific engines, which is unheard of on other railways. Because of this consistency, the drivers have become nearly as well known as their engines.