Sussex-born Thomas the Tank Engine creator Britt Allcroft dies

The Worthing-born television producer has been remembered as an ‘adoring mother and wife and visionary producer’.

Filmmaker Brannon Carty, who collaborated with Allcroft on the 2023 documentary An Unlikely Fandom: The Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine, announced her death.

A statement shared by Carty on behalf of her family read: “It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing of Britt Allcroft.

“The Allcroft-Wright family has asked me to bring this news to the Thomas fandom. The family is currently in mourning and asks that their privacy be respected at this time.

“She brought so much joy and happiness to people everywhere during her time on Earth. Over the years of knowing Britt, we developed a close connection. It was truly a privilege to have her as both a mentor and a friend, and I’m so glad that so many fans were able to meet her at the New York screening of An Unlikely Fandom. It was an absolute honour to have her in our documentary, and she has since remained a vocal supporter of our cause.

“I think I can speak for the entirety of the fandom when I say that all of us will deeply miss her. Without her, so many of us would never have met. While I am devastated by her passing, we can all find comfort in the certainty that her legacy will endure forever through Thomas and his fans around the world. Rest in peace.”

Allcroft was the one who adapted Reverend Wilbert Awdry’s Railway Series books and eventually created Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, which was later rebranded to Thomas and Friends.

Together with her former husband, TV producer Angus Wright, Allcroft dedicated four years to securing the funding needed to produce the first 26 episodes. The show, which quickly became a hit, featured Thomas, a ‘cheeky’ blue train, and his fellow railway engines working under the guidance of The Fat Controller on the Island of Sodor.