Old Slow Coach vs. Victoria: Was RWS #41 Influenced from Season 5?

OPINIONS IN THIS BLOG ARE SOLELY MY OWN; THEY DON'T REFLECT ON THOSE BY THE THOMAS FANDOM ON WHOLE

There's something I had been wondering for a while, and yet no one seems to talk about it; Thomas and Victoria was most likely influenced from the season five episode Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach. Why do I say this? Well, let's see how they compare and contrast, shall we?

Both stories involve a run-down railway coach being discovered by Thomas (Old Slow Coach was also discovered by Percy) and the coaches were restored to help provide solutions to problems (Old Slow Coach was a replacement for a burnt down workman's hut, and Victoria helped Toby and Henrietta with the workmen to the quarry). Both have also made two physical appearances; for Victoria, it'd be three appearances if you count her lines in Overloaded, and Old Slow Coach only reappeared in Happy Ever After with a continuity nod to her previous episode.

For differences, Victoria has background with Edward, both being of Furness Railway origin, and she is a four-wheeled coach. Old Slow Coach is of Great Western origin, but it was never stated, and she is a bogie coach.

Now, the reason I bring this up is because after the Rev. W. Awdry's death in 1997, Britt Allcroft now had full control of the show and she and David Mitton began to write original stories and bring in new characters to the show - some stayed like Cranky, Arry and Bert, but others were forgotten about like Bertram and Old Slow Coach. To be fair, the Awdrys have featured characters that only appeared once like Caroline, 199, Frank, and Victoria.

While Thomas and Victoria was published in 2007, it was originally intended for a 1998 release with a new format with cropped images, which hadn't worked out and the Railway Series was in limbo for nine years. You see anything significant about 1998? That's the same year Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach aired! I wonder - was this a coincidence? Had Christopher Awdry read the script for said episode and wanted to try a similar idea? Answers on a postcard, please!

Throughout 1998-2007, the TV series had taken on a different direction from what the Railway Series initially had intended, and when Thomas and Victoria was published, there's a few things that strike my interest; Christopher might have used the idea of a one-off character correctly - he gave Victoria some development and background, and he remembers the characters he and his father created like Diasy in Eels on Wheels; although the story had nothing to do with the main storyline, it did at least show what happened during Victoria's restoration.

Then, when it came to book #42, Thomas and his Friends, in 2011, around the time season 15 aired, I believe Christopher had also written the book to show the writing staff at the time on how to write for Thomas and his friends; Thomas and the Swan showed an adventure taking place during the engine's daily life, Buffer Bashing is a three-strikes story done right, Gordon's Fire Service showed firefighters in the correct light, and Centenary shows respect to the man who created Thomas.

I believe that while the writing for the TV series went backwards, Christopher Awdry had Thomas and Victoria and Thomas and his Friends written to show children about how a railway truly operates; by taking passengers and goods to their destinations, NOT helping with parties or making kids happy. To be fair, there was the occasional story throughout S5-16 that wouldn't feel out of place in the books - Double Teething Troubles being a prime example. Whether Christopher liked any episodes throughout S5-16, we don't know for certain, but I can bet one of them would not be anything from S15. While the Railway Series may not continue after Thomas and his Friends, the show's future is looking bright with Andrew Brenner and his writing staff.