Hello, I’m The Detective Librarian and I’ll be doing something new today. I’m starting a new segment on my blog called “Blast from the Past”. This where I review toys or any type of merchandise, movie, or TV show that is a vintage/antique/rare item. In order to start things off, I’ll be doing a review of a model that was in “The Railway Series” and later made into the ERTL models. Many “Thomas” fans that grew up in the classic may remember seeing die-cast models of Thomas and his Friends from the TV show and the RWS. I remember getting the ERTL models when I was a kid, they are absolutely old and awesome. It’s too bad that the ERTL range retired and was replaced by Take-Along and later, Take-n-Play.
So, this model you see right here is a ERTL model of Sixteen. Sixteen was first and only seen in one of “The Railway Series” books known as “Wilbert the Forest Engine” and the book’s second story, “Cab Over Wheels”. Sixteen was a red and yellow Austerity/Saddle tank engine that used to work at a steelworks at the mainland. He was very rude, arrogant, and refusing to take anyone’s advice, so arrogant in fact, he wanted to go past a danger sign that was near a bank. Everyone tried to stop him but it was no use, Sixteen asked the troublesome trucks to help him go past the danger sign by pushing him near the bank. However, Sixteen toppled down the hill and “Cab Over Wheels” down the bank.
This resulted him in being sent back to the shed in disgrace without being repaired. However, Sixteen was brought by a preservation railway in the Midlands and now he works there. It wasn’t long before Sixteen’s story was told to Wilbert and later told it to Thomas and Toby when Wilbert visited the Island of Sodor. That’s all you need to know about him. As you can see, Sixteen is a really well made model and please note that the whiteness on the buffers are paper-stickers, not painted which is a bummer along with the cab windows (except for the back windows).
He’s basically to me a repaint of Wilbert’s ERTL model, except that the face is different and somewhat resembles his face in his first illustration appearance in the story. He does carry the number 16 like in “The Railway Series” and please note that this was Sixteen’s only type of merchandising he was sold to. He does run nicely with his black wheels.
Overall, there are some goofs but I’m content of what we got on Sixteen and I think Sixteen is really nice model from the ERTL brand and I think Sixteen is a popular character in the “Thomas” Community because he gets a new name and color in WildNorWester’s “Sodor: The Early Years” and “Sodor: The Modern Years”. I give Sixteen’s ERTL model a 8/10 for me.
NOTE: THE ERTL “THOMAS” MODELS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN STORES. YOU CAN ONLY FIND THEM ON EITHER AMAZON OR EBAY.COM!!!!!! THEY ARE DISCONTINUED/RETIRED!!!!!!!!!
I’m The Detective Librarian and stay tuned for more reviews and other posts to come.
The Detective Librarian 