Cranky (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

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This is a behind the scenes subpage for Cranky (T&F). This subpage contains all behind the scenes material relating to said article.

Background Information

Television Series

Cranky was introduced in 1998 during the fifth series of the television series, and he has appeared in every series since as a supporting character. As the fifth series was the first not to have any stories based on the Railway Series, Cranky was among the first characters not to originate from the book series, and out of all the characters introduced in the fifth series, he is one of the very few characters to make frequent appearances since, along with 'Arry and Bert.

As with many major characters since the thirteenth series, Cranky has two separate voice actors in both English dubs of the series. Matt Wilkinson provides Cranky with a nasally standard British accent in the UK dub while Glenn Wrage gives Cranky a gruff American accent in the US, reflecting his Cranky personality. Since the nineteenth series, Wilkinson has altered the tone of Cranky's voice, making it higher and more nasally than his original voice for the character. As a result, it sound very similar to Wilkinson's voice for Diesel 10.

Gauge 1 model

Cranky was designed by art director, Robert Gauld-Galliers and built by model-maker, Chris Lloyd. The model was built out of plastic mouldings and styrene card to standard 10mm to the foot. It had two motors and gearboxes. One was used to turn Cranky round and the other was used to control the winch. Both of these features were controlled from the same remote. During 2022, Cranky got a major refurbishment, gaining several new parts and components.

Cranky's model during the filming of Thomas and the Magic Railroad

The eye mechanism had two servos, one for up and down movement and one for left and right movement. The up/down servo was attached to the body. The left/right servo had a rod attached to the arm, which connected to a bracket. The eye balls were coupled to the bracket and locked in by the face-plate, so whenever the servos were powered, the eye balls would move however the crew member desired.

Reference Sheets

Series 8

Faces

Nine different facial expressions were sculpted for Cranky and used on-screen. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made using a silicone mould.

Reference Sheets

Series 6 - 2001/2002

Series 12 - 2008 (Page one)

Series 12 - 2008 (Page two)

Usage and Evolution

Cranky's cross face that appeared between the fifth and eleventh series, excluding the seventh and eighth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Calling All Engines! (1998, 2002, 2005-2007)

Cranky's laughing face that appeared between the fifth series and The Great Discovery, excluding the eighth, ninth, and tenth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Calling All Engines!... (1998, 2002-2003, 2007-2008)

...but did appear in a promotional image from the eighth series... (2004)

...as well as the ninth series Learning Segment, Percy in the Dark (2005)

Cranky’s annoyed face that appeared between the fifth and eleventh series, excluding the seventh, eighth and ninth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Calling All Engines! (1998, 2002, 2006-2007)

Cranky's shocked face that first appeared in the fifth series... (1998)

...and later had his teeth removed in the sixth series (2002)

Cranky's happy face that first appeared in the fifth series... (1998)

...and later had his teeth removed in Thomas and the Magic Railroad and reappeared in the sixth series all the way until the eighth series, excluding the seventh series and Jack and the Sodor Construction Company (2000, 2002, 2004)

Cranky's smiling face that appeared between the fifth series and The Great Discovery, excluding the seventh and tenth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and Calling All Engines! (1998-2002, 2004-2005, 2007-2008)

Cranky's angry face that only appeared between the sixth and ninth series, excluding the seventh series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and Calling All Engines! (2002, 2004-2005)

Cranky's sad face that only appeared in both the sixth series episode, No Sleep for Cranky… (2002)

...and the eleventh series episode, Hide and Peep (2007)

Cranky's content face that only appeared in the twelfth series episode, Rosie's Funfair Special (2008)

Cranky's angry face during production of the sixth series (2002)

Present Day

Cranky's sad, shocked and smiling faces were formerly owned by a private collector, they were eventually sold to The Prop Gallery in 2022 who resold his smiling face.

Cranky's sad, shocked and smiling faces in storage bags previously owned by a private collector

Cranky's smiling face as prior to being sold by The Prop Gallery in 2022

Model Changes

Cranky has had modifications throughout the model era. These include

• Series 5:
  • Chains held his crane arm to his body wrapped around a pipe between his nameplates.
• Series 6:
  • Two metal strips are shown replacing the chains.
  • He also gains a sad/weary face.
  • He also gains an angry face.
• Series 7:
  • The design of his hook changes.
• Series 8:
  • His nameboards are now positioned in the centre of his cranehouse roof.

Present Day

After production of the model series wrapped in 2008, most of the models and sets would be put into storage, with some being put on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park. All other models would be logged and referenced from 2010 till early 2011 by HiT Entertainment, from this HiT would decide on which models were to enter storage once again, which would be given to crew members and which to be disposed off. Due to only having one model made in gauge 1 scale, Cranky's model would stay under HiT and later Mattel's ownership.

Cranky's model used to be on display in Canada at Nitrogen Studios with his content face. In early 2020, his model was put on display at the Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition at Drayton Manor Theme Park and still had his content face on. His left eye was rolled back when Drayton Manor reopened, but had been fixed since 2021. In July of 2022, it was replaced with his annoyed face. After the exhibit closed and a new layout was constructed elsewhere in the park, the model was returned to storage.

However, in late 2023, Cranky's model was put back on display at Drayton Manor on the new layout.

Cranky's model at Nitrogen Studios with his content face

Cranky at Drayton Manor Theme Park with his content face

Cranky's cross face

Cranky's base during construction of the new exhibit

Cranky's model permanently set in place during construction of the exhibit

Cranky's model on display at Drayton Manor in 2023

Cranky's nameplate

Cranky's ladder

CGI model

In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Cranky was recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios. His model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.

Photographs of Cranky's live-action model were used for referencing. According to Greg Tiernan, every detail of the original television series models for each character is carefully reproduced in the CGI model. The models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval.

Final render

Hook

Crane arm

Winch system

Metal strips

Base

Lamp

Nameplate

Cranky with a claw attachment

Cranky has had modifications throughout the CGI era. These include:

• Hero of the Rails:
  • His nameboards are positioned in centre of his cranehouse roof again.
• Series 13:
  • His hook returns to it's original design.
• Learn with Thomas (YouTube Shorts):
  • In Learn About Recycling, Cranky has a a grabber attachment as opposed to his hook attachment just like the number of his original toys.

Pantone Colours

The following pantone colours were used on Cranky's CGI model:

• ■ PMS 428 (light cyan)
• ■ PMS 432 (dark cyan-blue)
• ■ PMS 443 (medium light green)
• ■ PMS 555 (dark green-cyan)
• ■ PMS 583 (medium dark yellow-green)

Reference Sheets

Cranky's CGI model orthographics sheet

Cranky's CGI expression sheet

Voice Actors

• Matt Wilkinson (UK; thirteenth - twenty-fourth series)
• Glenn Wrage (US; thirteenth - twenty-fourth series)
• Rob Rackstraw (UK; Nursery Rhymes and Thomas and the Three Cranes; UK/US; Thomas' Magical Birthday Wishes and Learning with Thomas)
• John Schwab (US; Nursery Rhymes)
• Stephen Donald (UK; Railway Adventures only)
• Hisao Egawa (Japan; fifth - eighth series)
• Takaya Kuroda (Japan; ninth - twenty-fourth series)
• Christoffer Staib (Norway; thirteenth - sixteenth series, excluding Day of the Diesels and Blue Mountain Mystery)
• Simen Sand (Norway; Day of the Diesels - seventeenth series, excluding the fifteenth and sixteenth series)
• Walter Wiegand (Germany)
• Eckart Dux (Germany; audiobooks only)
• Klaudiusz Kaufmann (Poland; thirteenth series onwards, excluding Emily Saves the World, Timothy and the Rainbow Truck and Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure)
• Jarosław Domin (Poland; Emily Saves the World and Timothy and the Rainbow Truck only)
• Piotr Bajtlik (Poland; Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure only)
• Fabrice Trojani (France and French speaking Canada)
• Octavio Rojas (Latin America; thirteenth series - twenty-fourth series)
• Harold Salazar (Latin America; Thomas' Magical Birthday Wishes and Learning with Thomas)
• Jeremy Luton (The Netherlands)
• Dan Schatzberg (Israel)
• Mauro Castro (Brazil; thirteenth series onwards; excluding Rosie is Red)
• Ricardo Vasconcelos (Brazil; Rosie is Red only)
• Ángel Amorós (Spain)
• Ole Møller (Denmark)
• Petri Hanttu (Finland; Misty Island Rescue onwards)
• Loukas Frangoulis (Greece)
• Alexander Kotov (Russia; thirteenth - nineteenth series)
• Alexander Horlin (Russia; The Great Race onwards)
• Szabó Sipos Barnabás (Russia; thirteenth series only)
• Joó Gábor (Hungary; Misty Island Rescue onwards, excluding Day of the Diesels - fifteenth series)
• Volodymyr Tereshchuk (Ukraine)