Recitals From The Railway

Recitals From The Railway (鉄道リサイタル, Tetsudō Risaitaru), is a Japanese animated television series and is the 23rd entry from the World Masterpiece Theatre line up (At the time called House Foods World Masterpiece Theatre) and is produced by Nippon Animation. The television series aired alongside Romeo's Blue Skies between 1995 to 1996. The series is loosely based upon The Railway Series by the Rev, Wilbert Awdry and was released in honour of the series 50th anniversary. This series is exclusive to Japan and never received an English release, however the entire series has been given fan subtitles. The series also has currently only a VHS release, with no DVD releases as of to date.

SYNOPSIS
Taking elements and plots from the original Railway Series, the series takes place between the late 1940s to early 1950s. On the Island Of Sodor, there is a home of railways and railroad life with trains galore. It is all run by the strict, but well-meaning Sir Topham Hatt. Each driver and conductor on the railway has a train that reflects who they are, but they all have a desire to be really useful and reliable. Each episode focuses on the main seven characters journey to achieving their goals.

RAILWAY DRIVERS
Thomas Benjamins/Tōmasu Benjaminzu (Voiced By: Keiko Toda): The main protagonist of the series. At the beginning of the series Thomas is a driver in training at the age of 12, who is working to support his new family after the untimely death of his parents. Thomas is an optimistic driver who likes a bit of cheekiness and mischief, but that doesn't mean he is free from priorities, as he still strives for perfection and makes sure that everything goes well. He can also shown as a result to be sarcastic and fussy and feels the older drivers don't understand him. His birthday is December 10th (Sagittarius) and his number is 1.

Edward Aldrinson/Edowādo Orudorinson (Voiced By: Yasuhiro Takato): A major protagonist of the series. Edward is one of the oldest drivers on the railway. His age isn't specified but he is stated to be between the age of 49 - 54. Edward serves as a surrogate mentor for Thomas and is described as a very wise, mature and compassionate engine who wants to help and protect every single one of his family and friends. He is also one to give lots of advice to his friends, due to his high amount of experience on the railway and being in similar situations as them. However, he still doesn't have much self-confidence, due to him being known to be "Old-fashioned" by other drivers and conductors. His birthday is September 2nd (Virgo) and his number is 2.

Henry Forest/Henrī Foresuto (Voiced By: Ryō Horikawa): A major protagonist of the series. Henry's age isn't specified, but he is stated to be somewhere in his early to mid 40s. Henry is a romantic and slightly timid driver of the railway. He has a soft-heart and is quite charismatic as well as also shown to be passionate about certain elements of life, such as nature and art. However, Henry's artistic and romantic side results in him having an over-estimating personality, meaning he overreacts to situations such as illness and different problems on the railway, resulting in stress and anxiety. He can also be slightly moody and cynical when he's in a bad situation. His birthday is June 23rd (Cancer) and his number is 3.

Gordon Cerule/Gōdon Serūru (Voiced By: Kenji Utsumi): A major protagonist of the series. Gordon's age isn't specified, but he is stated to be somewhere in his mid to late 40s.