r/WondersOfSodor

Following my suggestion that the Express coaches should be wider in Wonders of Sodor, I also think they should have a completely different interior. I always wondered why the CGI series gave the Express coaches basic bench seating when they’re supposed to be the most prestigious train on Sodor. They should have more elegant compartments, corridors, and first-class accommodations, which would also be more accurate to British steam-era coaches.

Honestly, CGI seemed to have something against proper bogie coaches. They were always skinny, had bench seating, and lacked the compartments and corridors you’d expect. I could go on about how CGI butchered longer coaches, but we’d be here all day. That’s a post for another day and another server.

They also had a dining car in the show, which I actually think is a pretty cool detail. Considering the Express can realistically be quite a long journey, having a buffet or dining car makes sense. It’s not something I desperately need in Wonders of Sodor, but it would be a nice addition. I only remembered it after looking back at the wiki and seeing that the Express had coaches with food buffets.

2nd post, I know, but I just couldn't resist, you guys!

I absolutely love how Dovetail made the CGI coaches wider and more realistic, making them feel much more like proper Express coaches. However, I still think they could be a little wider, as they look slightly too thin behind Gordon. They look great behind James and Emily, but behind larger engines like Gordon, the proportions feel a little off.

I understand the coaches don’t have a visible corridor, but since the TV and CGI series rarely showed much of the interiors, that doesn’t really bother me. My main suggestion is simply to increase the width slightly. I genuinely like the CGI coach design, so I wouldn’t want that changed—just the proportions.

I know Dovetail is receiving plenty of feedback, but with the upcoming Direct and more patches on the way, I thought this small suggestion was worth mentioning.

I don’t think I need to say much here—Ffarquhar still feels pretty empty. I’m glad Dovetail made it larger than what we saw in the show, but there’s plenty of room to make it feel more alive.

I’d love to see more sidings and proper engine sheds for Thomas, Percy, and Toby, along with Daisy’s coach shed. That would better reflect the Railway Series and early seasons, where engines were housed at their respective branch lines.

The second major improvement would be adding the tramway from Ffarquhar to the quarry. Toby was brought in specifically because Thomas could no longer run along the tramway after being stopped by the police. Adding it would make the branch line more authentic and give Toby and Mavis a much stronger purpose.