Originally appeared on E! Online
The "Thomas the Tank Engine" and his fans all over the world are in mourning.
Britt Allcroft, who co-created the beloved "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" children's series, has died. She was 81.
"It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing of Britt Allcroft," Brannon Carty, who directed the 2023 documentary "An Unlikely Fandom: The Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine," shared on X (formerly Twitter) Jan. 3. "The Allcroft-Wright family has asked me to bring this news to the Thomas fandom."
It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing of Britt Allcroft.
— carty™ (@cartycinema) January 3, 2025
The Allcroft-Wright family has asked me to bring this news to the Thomas fandom. A full obituary will be released in the London Times later today. The family is currently in mourning and asks that… pic.twitter.com/LSFq8VL7jK
Carty added that "the family is currently in mourning and asks that their privacy be respected at this time."
"Britt was an adoring mother and wife," he continued. "A visionary producer. She brought so much joy and happiness to people everywhere during her time on Earth."
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Allcroft was born in the small town of Worthing, England, in 1943 and got her start as a TV producer at the age of 21.
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It wasn't until over a decade later that she and her husband — fellow producer Angue Wright — started the production company The Britt Allcroft Company after she secured the rights to Reverand Wilbert Awdry’s “Railway Series” in the '70s.
The books would ultimately serve as the basis for "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends," which debuted in 1984 after the couple took four years to secure enough funding to produce the first 26 episodes of the children's show. The premiere episode featured narration from The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.
The series — later renamed "Thomas & Friends" — would go on to become a global sensation and run for an incredible 27 seasons, spawning many spinoffs. The character of "Thomas the Tank" became popularized in the United States after Allcroft co-created "Shining Time Station" for PBS in 1989.
The influential producer and Wright shared two children remained married for 20 years before getting divorced in 1997. He died in 2012.
In his tribute to Allcroft, Carty spoke to her impact on culture and the power of the character she brought to the world.
"I think I can speak for the entirety of the fandom when I say that all of us will deeply miss her," he said. "Without her, so many of us would never have met."
He continued, "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."
