While not my favourite character from the Rev Awdry's railway stories, Thomas is iconic and a useful standby for those taking a model to the sort of public exhibition where there will be families. I'm not a huge fan and like to use the model very sparingly, it's model railway not a child's toy after all, but the occasional run makes babies laugh and more importantly, drives MRJ bores away.
Based on a Traing Jinty (it's no loss, they made millions of them that now infest second hand stalls and eBay), the tanks have been extended forward over the wheels with plasticard and a face added. Gloss blue paint and a bow-pen lining job complete the transformation.
The face? Cast in resin (you can't buy spares sadly) by shoving the front of a Hornby Percy into some plasticine. It was obviously oversize so I see I filed it down at the edges. I didn't just copy the 3D bits but the paint job as well 'cos Hornby do a really good job with this.