For those who are wondering where the name "Andy" comes from for The Diesel, it's a reference to the classic UA-cam video "Mad Bomber" from Leokimvideo. An ERTL model of The Diesel is used in this, and was named Andy. ua-cam.com/video/6F6ckqYfg9A/v-deo.htmlsi=ci69_lLRnAdd2aFo
Hey unlucky tug do you have trainz simulator 2019. If you do maybe you can make Thomas and Friends season cgi style like, Brennen era graphics l. Can you do a season of that like mainland studios does. I know you would make the epsiodes interesting please
This video confirms my belief- Unlucky Tug is the among the ultimate Thomas collector fans. From HO/OO gauge models to physical media and now ERTL collection, it’s absolutely incredible to see this vast variety of colorful characters in all different forms.
ERTL is such a big part of my childhood even though I only had 1 which is Henry. So basically my brother was in a class in elementary school and they had a thing if you were good you could get a prize that you could choose from a bin. He told me that one week he say a train was in a bin and i begged him to get it for me. And to my surprise, at the end of one week he got me Henry, which was an ertl one, I was in 1st grade then, and im in college now, and i still have it to this day.
I always find it so fascinating that Thomas toy lines actually cared about what they were pumping out and put time and effort into them. Even if a character with no speaking lines and only appeared in one episode, they would still make that character and hit it out of the park.
16:00. An interesting note is that, much like the majority of the _Mad Bomber_ cast, Andy was named after one of Leo's film club buddies (Andy Doldissen), who also voice acted him. So, unbeknownst to him at the time, a random member of a film club in Sydney became the legacy of a Thomas character's ERTL model.
11:32 Fun fact: The obscure coaches from season 1 were made on one side while the other side was painted a tannish brown. My best theory is that the people who worked on the show didn’t have enough money to buy any coaches. So the crew had to make with what they had.
@@inaciosthirdstudio The wiki calls them teak coaches, so they're probably made of super-expensive wood in-universe. It's a shame they were only in the background, they look really nice. I wish they were brought back for Stepney or Molly or someone like that to pull, they'd look great behind them
Love that you call The Diesel “Andy”. It’s his official name to me. Mad Bomber will always be in my mind when it comes to the ERTL range. Awesome collection.
12:16 - I have a few theories why. The “Saved from Scrap” on the side of the flatbed could’ve served as an advertisement for the episode as well as a clarification to children that Trevor had a happy ending as scrap was always portrayed as a horrible concept in the show. Also the model could’ve partially been inspired by the other Trevor centric season 2 episode “Thomas and Trevor/ A New Friend for Thomas” where Trevor was depicted on a flatbed. Another great opportunity for children to act out the episodes at home with their toys as the flatbed might not have been released until then in the ERTL Thomas range. Great video production as always, Tug ! I’m always impressed by your editing skills and attention to detail when filming such as using a motorized lazy susan on a white background to thoroughly showcase each model. Always a pleasure watching your videos; your dedication to video making doesn’t go unnoticed. All the best to you !
My younger brother and I still have our ERTL collection from when we were kids. I always liked how the ERTL die casts were more like the “real engines” of the TV show than the wooden railway toys
Fun fact about the ERTL Sunshine The reason Sunshine doesn’t look like the actual model in the show was because the toy was based on earlier concept art instead of the finalized design.
I had the checklist wall poster with every then-available release as a kid. It was the very first time in my life that I remember finishing an entire collection. The beginning of my journey as a toy collector.
As someone who just turned 30, I’m old enough to not only have grown up with ERTL, but I remember getting them new in stores way back when, With that said, I’m kind of split on ERTL in retrospect On one hand, I’m nostalgic for the hours upon hours I spent playing with mine as a kid, I also think they look great even to this day. I also remember having ones like Godred, Wilbert, 16, and D199, and wondering why none of them ever showed up on any of my VHS tapes. So I’d make up things for them to say and do. On the other hand, I’d say that they’re better as display models than actual playthings. The infamously flimsy couplers are the epitome of that. Take Alongs were better as play things IMO, and I’m also old enough to remember when those were new.
@@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho Idk on that last part, ERTLs are definitely closer to the real life designs, while Take Alongs are more chibi for lack of a better word. The biggest issue with ERTL’s looks is the scaling, Toad and Lady being the prime examples. Still, ERTL is iconic, and it was a hit for a reason. I sadly don’t have mine anymore, but that’s alright.
I visited a toy store a few days ago which still had lots of old Thomas Ertl stock on shelves at original retail price including Dodge in the magic railroad packaging
And this year will mark 20 years since Ertl was discontinued. While not my favorite range, this one was probably one of the longest lasting ranges in Thomas History. And the charm and character variety shows how much passion was put into it. You won’t get characters like Bear or Patrick these days, which makes the Ertl line all the more special.
I still have my Thomas backpack from back in the day STUFFED with tons of these ertle trains and I'll never get rid of them. They're all the ones I grew up with and hold so many sweet memories. ♥️
I’ll never forget owning ERTL trains when I was younger and how years later the “Mad Bomber” video made me dig them out again when that vid originally came out. It was a magical time and now all my ERTL trains are packed away somewhere in my parents’ house.
a lot of memory lane here. Mom often told me when I was three at my grandmother's funeral, I was under the pew with an ERTL Henry quietly going "choo choo" and playing with it. I also found my old Metallic finish Rheneas and Duncan not too long ago, still in pretty good condition.
I know it was kind of inevitable in an ERTL video but there's something about Tug referencing Mad Bomber briefly that feels really surreal to me for some reason
I was a kid born in 2007. My mom one day showed me Thomas the Engine and I grew in love with it. She had me watch the model series, and when she tried to get me into the cgi series, I alwayed preferred the model series. Honestly even looking these toys, although I didn't live at the time I still got waves of nostalgia. Thomas was a HUGE part of my childhood. I wanna be like this dude fr 😭😭
I remember my first intro to Owain Bell's artwork was the old Random House Pictureback "Catch Me, Catch Me!" Like, it's a book meant to teach sight words to toddlers, and each page has like, 1-2 sentences with 7 syllables MAX, but for whatever reason, the artwork is gorgeous as all outside when it has no reason to be. Very GOAT'd illustrator fr
I've always loved Owain's art for his soft, airbrushed look. An Australian resident, I credit him for my lifelong affinity for colour gradients. FR. I remember my George coming with the green face card. I've always felt sore for throwing those cards out.
This was a real nostalgia trip. I too was an avid ERTL collector when I was a lad, though being a child I got them to play with, not to keep mint-in-box (honestly never sat right with me. These were made to be enjoyed, so keeping them in their box defeats their purpose and keeps them out of the hands of children young and old who want to enjoy them. But eh, your stuff now, so you do you). As such, my collection took plenty of knocks, was taken outside, and eventually ended up spending years outside in a milk crate before finally being cleaned up and donated. I thought about keeping a few especially sentimental pieces, but I finally decided to part with those too; they were treasured toys at one time, but time does move on. Interestingly, storing them outside for so long had some interesting effects, like the red on the Express Coaches getting sun bleached into light blue, ironically making them perfect Skarloey Railway coaches. I also couldn't help but notice that, impressive as your collection is, there's still a couple holes in it. Among the models I know I had, or at least have seen, were the all-red Special Express Coaches from episodes like "A Better View For Gordon", and I swear there was an ERTL version of Old Slow Coach that I always wanted but never got. Super hyped about the next Sodor's Finest. Been waiting for this one for a long time. Can't wait to learn all there is to know about everyone's favorite character: Terrence the Tractor!
Back in the 90s in the UK, seeing all these Ertl models row after row was like a beautiful exhibit. And being a little kid it felt like they took up the entire section, which they almost did! Ertl Thomas was a giant for its time.
I had a good chunk of these guys growing up, even had the metallic Thomas and Rheneas. I ended up placing the Thomas in my great-grandfather's coffin at his funeral, since he was the sole reason I got into trains in the first place. This video was a fun little nostalgia trip, and I really enjoyed it, thank you!
The holy grail of Ertl Thomas toys for me is Jock. As far as I know he was the last one they ever made and I've always wanted him but even unboxed he costs a lot. Maybe one day I'll get lucky and find him on a car boot sale for a good price.
I've always been fascinated by the ERTL line as they were barely before my time as a kid. This video finally inspired me to pick one up for collector's sake. My inner child is really happy to finally have one. Great video!
ERTL stopped before I was born so I never experienced it, it was so cool getting a glimpse of it. Love your collection series and looking foward to the next Sodor's Finest
Ertl's to me is one of those ranges where you can take it or leave it. I don't have many Ertl's in my collection but I do have a few road vehicle characters. I did buy the slate trucks new in box but I did take them out for putting them on TWR chassis. Overall definitely an interesting range and of course you have a great collection of these Nic keep up the good work!
I was more of a Take Along guy when I was a kid. Not too surprising since Ertl was discontinued the year after I was born, but looking at the other lines is still interesting
I had a huge ERTL collection as a kid. A lot of them went through abuse with all the crash reenactments. There was chipped paint, ripped stickers and broken couplings galore.
I had these as a kid. Correction, I still have them somewhere. They're pretty beaten up, though! They didn't make those diecast paint jobs to last back in the 80s. But honestly, I think they were the nicest Thomas toys produced, and it makes me kind of sad that nothing in the toy section quite matches their screen accuracy anymore. Maybe I was a weird kid, but that mattered to me. My brother had like a dozen Harolds because the plastic propellers kept wearing out. He sure loved his Harold.
Ah, the ERTLs. Thank you for giving them the love and attention they deserve. These were MY Thomas childhood toy - though to be fair I also had a Tomy set and a couple of Hornbys... and a pretty awesome pull-along Thomas with working siderods. I've been doing a big clearout recently of a lot of my toys (yes, I'm 32 and only just got round to it LOL), but my ERTL trains are not going anywhere. They're accurate to the characters, I can't easily replace them, and they have too many memories attached. I had every numbered engine up to Oliver, plus Bill, Ben, Skarloey and Rheneas, and some rolling stock, and Henrietta and Toad. I also had Bertie, Terence, and Bulgy. I had the 'official' plastic layout for the ERTLS, but also a second one made out of paper mache by my mum - which was better, of course! She also made a Thomas costume for a school event one time out of cardboard boxes. It even had working eyes - the pupils were on a strip of card which she pulled back and forth to make them move. My mum was an absolute wizard with cardboad - but she was also a hoarder, so guess what I recently found when clearing the attic. Obviously I threw it out - but not before I admired her handiwork one last time. I wish my ERTLS were still in good condition, but they were very 'played with', and also were kept together in the same box, bashing up against each other with expected results. I painted over some of the paint chips a few years ago with enamel model paint (the colours weren't a perfect match but they looked better than bare metal), lovingly wrapped each and every one of them in cotton wool, and stashed them away in their Thomas branded suitcase. Now I've got some of my childhood Pokemon toys in proper display cases, perhaps I should do the same with my ERTLS. Thomas still means so much to me. I still occasionally take a trip to the Watercress line to see their Thomas - the same one I have pictures of me standing next to at age 3, and at age 15. Because you're never too old for Thomas.
My mum says that the wear and tear on my Take Alongs is a testament to how much I loved them, so I suppose not being in such good condition isn’t always as bad as it seems.
I wish Ertl just put smokebox doors on the engines and just made historical liveried toys of the real locomotives after they lost the Thomas license , because that would have been one HECK of a line.
Wow, what a brilliant collection you have; I have plenty of memories of ERTL! The toys are just so much fun to move around and couple, complete with charming details! Shame it was all discontinued when Thomas & Friends was refurbished and Take-Along was introduced. My collection has been lost since then; I really would've wanted to play with those again. 😔 ERTL really needs to come back, but I can't see the opportunity with the direction Mattel is going in. But at least all the fans still care for it.
Ah Ertl, being back memories when I was a kid. I only had the ones mostly ‘The Portrait Series’ versions and I really loved these Die-cast toys of the Thomas character’s.
26:03 if Hornby made this range, they’d still make the Stewart model, but they’d just use the wrong Peter Sam funnel and release it…and then wonder why people hated it…
I had a friend of mine whose family was a military family, so they swapped between the U.S. & U.K. and one day he kindly decided to donate his entire collection. He had like almost the entire range up to 2000 along with track sets & custom felt pieces (which are long gone now). They even saved most of the card backs (which I cut out sadly, but still have the rest of the backs 🤣). So I have been long term filling in the gaps with ones I'm missing or ones that need replacing. The only ones I'm missing up to 2000 are Rusty & Lady. Oh and I need to get the metallics. I have Thomas & Rheneas (those two seem to be the most common)
I had forgotten that the OG takedown had happened, tbh. A good content creator has been rewarded! Congrats on 100k! I think I need to see a dub of Spencer’s first episode with all his dialogue replaced by top hats lines XD
Personally, I was always a Wooden Railway fan when it came to Thomas & Friends merchandise. For me where I lived, Wooden Railway was the easiest to find in stores and I loved the detail they put on the trains. I did own a little bit of trackmaster but not as much as Wooden Railway. However, watching this video, I really wish the ERTL diecast line had continued. The fact they would produce every character that appeared on screen is so fascinating to me. But sadly, around the time I started getting into Thomas, which was in 2005 when Calling All Engines came out, ERTL was discontinued and I could never find them in stores or even on the aftermarket. Either way, I really enjoyed your video, Unlucky Tug, and I am super excited for the next Sodor's finest.
I had a few Ertl models as a kid. But I remember really falling in love with them when seeing the flying scotsman at the plant for a family outing in the 2000's. I forget the exact year. My mum took me to a stall that had a huge selection. I stood there for about half an hour deciding which ONE I wanted and felt very disappointed I couldn't have them all. I treasured the Rusty I went home with.
Glad I’m not the only one to collect these. Luckily living in the UK I foresaw the collectability of the later releases and hoovered up on late release Emilys, Murdochs, Jocks etc. Got boxes of them in the loft. We also got some real Ertl oddities in the UK such as Musical Thomas (press his wheels and he played a tune), Christmas Thomas (with fixed snowplough and truck full of presents) and Walking Fat Controller (wind up clockwork waddling Topham Hatt).
I LOVE Ertl! It was my number one favorite Thomas brand of all time! My favorite packaging is the Owen Bell illustrations from the mid to late 90s because of the beautiful backgrounds and different characters close up! I kind of wished Ertl ended in 2005 during the 60th anniversary of the franchise instead of 2004. That way, it would've ended on an even better note with cancelled models like Mike, the Culdee Fell Railway Mountain Truck, Agnes & Jemima, and that Cadbury No.1 Engine. Excellent video btw!
The Ertl Diecast Thomas and Friends line. Some many good memories. Good times. The ones I played with the most are Sir Handel and Peter Sam. Shame I never had many of the main characters. I still have all of my Ertl Thomas toys that were passed down to me from my older brother. Many of them have seen better days though. I just wish the Ertl coupling system wasn't so flimsy.
As soon as I saw you owned the Spencer NIB I got legitimately giddy. I recently got my hands on NIB Fergus, Murdoch and Jock, which I am very grateful for. I want to collect all the new characters released in 2003-2004 NIB because the last 3 years of ERTL models were by far the best looking in my opinion. Murdoch especially is my favourite ERTL, he is perfect. Very impressive collection you have Nic
I grew up in the era of Take Along/Take & Play and Wooden Railway, but the model I remember loving the most as a kid was an ERTL plastic face Thomas. Even back then, I knew that was the most detailed toy Thomas that I would ever see. The wheels were more accurate, it has side rods, the bumpers are extended, etc. The thing I didn't find out until later was that the whistle and cab windows were sticker details. My model never had that. Over the years, he took some serious damage. His funnel snapped off, the paint chipped in areas, the wheels got loose, and the running board had a break from the left bumper, to the middle wheel, but I adored it nevertheless. Really want to get my hands on a newer one and compare to my childhood model if I ever find it.
I never had ERTL Thomas toys as a kid, I grew up with Take Along and Tomy and some Wooden Railway!! I was born in 2003 and discovered Thomas around 2006. I do love these models tho and am grateful so many exist!! I learned some cool facts from this video. I also still have all my old Thomas toys from 2006-2017. I love them so much I kept them, they’re worth keeping!! ☺️☺️ Other characters I wish they made in ERTL range are: Big City Engine, Mallard, Cora, Narrow Gauge Coaches (red and blue), Ivo Hugh, Rex and Bert the miniature engines, Max and Monty, Kelly the crane, Oliver the Excavator, Byron, Isabella, Fred Pelhay, ULP van, Ada, Jane and Mabel, Agnes Ruth Lucy Jemima and Beatrice, Background Ambulance and a few more people!! I learned there IS a Spiteful Break Van (but was only sold in the UK!!) and there’s a Bertram!! I had no idea! They were also going to make a Mike the mini engine (but it was cancelled sigh 😔)
I think the slanted window on Bertie was a designer's mistake. In some shots of him from the show his front window looks heavily slanted. If they were going off maybe PR photos or stills from the series, they might have mistaken him for having a window that was slanted. They also might have went off the basis of the real bus, the Leyland Tiger and not the Thomas model, which is heavily slanted to that extent.
I am 15 years old in Alaska and trying to get these up here are so hard but to see them in front of you is amazing and is my favorite set. Nice collection
My first exposure to the ERTL Thomas toys were the Stepney, Annie and Clarabel ones that were kept at my grandparents house. I also have my childhood Rheneas. Being the curious kid I was, I put some Play-Doh in the open cab. Then, it hardened, and I have yet to remove it. I also had a vague memory of watching "Mad Bomber", but my parents banned me from watching it, and for most of my childhood, and never knew the name of the video.
Ertl is such an amazing range. I got the dairy farm before I started to get some Thomas Ertl models. The first item was Thumper back in 2020, then I got the Culdee Fell Engines a year later during my 15th birthday and I got Catherine and Fergus for Christmas later that year. I would definitely would get some Ertl models in the future because It's such a really good range. Despite some of the faults like the pinhooks breaking off ( although to be fair, the u hooks are pretty worth it despite exclusive to the UK), I can see why people love the range so much. It's incredible that Thomas & Friends Ertl was around for 40 years, just like the show itself.
I stumbled across this channel while browsing nostalgic clips from my childhood with the Thomas and The Magic Railroad movie. I'm hooked on The Unlucky Tug to say the least. You've earned a new long time fan!
I was watching a video and paused it to go into my bedroom to check on my 3 Ertl Thomas toys that I’ve kept since childhood. One is an original Ertl Thomas, another is a platinum edition, and the third is Lady from the Thomas and the Magic Railroad series line. They've been sitting on the top shelf of my cupboard for a while and needed a clean, so I tidied them up while continuing to watch the video. Childhood memories!
I was always a Take Along / N Play kid so hearing you mention using Toby as a boxcar made me think of using Annie Clarabel Toby and Daisy as "The Express"
I was born in 1998 so I just got to see the end of ertl line and instead mostly grew up with the take along/take n play range but as of now been looking into the ertl sets as well great vid brought back some nostalgia for me I remember owning a culdee & skarloey models sadly have disappeared
I can’t imagine how much money you’ve spent on this collection. I can’t even imagine having a collection of this scale. Although your Ertl collection is very pleasing to the eye. Awesome video!🔥
I ADORED these as a kid; had metallic variants, the normal and ‘scrap’ versions of Trevor and even some of the Culdee Fell engines who I wouldn’t have known at the time. I’m from the UK and there was a train shop in my hometown that had your typical train tracks running along the upper walls. So so many memories 😊😊
ERTL has such nice models, they all look so cool! My childhood was all take along tho, but one thing I really admire on ERTL was the range of options, so many RWS characters and more obscure TV ones, take along would rarely do it…
ERTLs are so cool! They are so detaled and acreeet. Your collection is amazing! I didn't know that some of these ERTLs existed like Isabell. Great job on this video! Can't wait for the next Sodor's finest! Hope you have a great day!
I remember back in 2004, I bought a whole box of Ertl Thomas models that came with tracks at a flea market. I played with those trains for hours on end. I still have them today, they're currently packed away in a storage container. I once had a model of Gordon, but I ended up giving it to my cousin.
Imagine if tugs continued into season 2, imagine all the ertl toys we would have besides ten cents and sunshine. Probably every vessel, every car that appears, and maybe some dockside cranes
Makes me miss the good old days of great Thomas merchandise. I've seen a lot of these ERTL engines in tribute videos of various engines and I've seen unboxing videos of these toys years ago and they look great! I've always loved the accurate wheel arrangement they give the engines.
I managed to get a pack of paper face Ertls (Thomas, Edward, Gordon, James, Toby, Annie, Henrietta, Harold and brown trucks) For only 10 Pounds!, They weren't Great Condition but Still Worth It
I remember I got a small set of Ertl stuff back in the day from some family freinds who were moving away, I even found a Sodor Taxi at a railroad museum in New York! Of course, I also got D7101 too, no shocker there, though he's quite a bit beat up. I'd love to someday pick up some more Ertl's, especially of some of the background props!
For those who are wondering where the name "Andy" comes from for The Diesel, it's a reference to the classic UA-cam video "Mad Bomber" from Leokimvideo. An ERTL model of The Diesel is used in this, and was named Andy. ua-cam.com/video/6F6ckqYfg9A/v-deo.htmlsi=ci69_lLRnAdd2aFo
having to explain the name makes me feel so old. my bones are shattering and my skin withering
Glad your talking about Leokimvideo! very nice.
it boggles my mind that this has to be explained now
I feel so old
Hey unlucky tug do you have trainz simulator 2019. If you do maybe you can make Thomas and Friends season cgi style like, Brennen era graphics l. Can you do a season of that like mainland studios does. I know you would make the epsiodes interesting please
Were Class 40s Pleased???
This video confirms my belief- Unlucky Tug is the among the ultimate Thomas collector fans. From HO/OO gauge models to physical media and now ERTL collection, it’s absolutely incredible to see this vast variety of colorful characters in all different forms.
He must be the most dedicated Thomas fan by the looks of it.
We need to know his Thomas Wood range before we make that assumption.
Don't forget Tomy Plarail
LeoKimVideo: B O N J U R
SHOW US THE GOODS, TUG!
Tug in 2023: "E R T L model"
Tug in 2024: : "Ertl"
Excatly!
Back in the day the adverts on telly in the UK called it Ertl as in rhyming with turtle.
@@Scrinwaipwr did you not get the joke?....
@@dannythehipster5644 yeah? did you not understand my reply?
@@Scrinwaipwr go and watch Tugs Magic Railroad retrospective and you'll understand the E R T L joke.
ERTL is such a big part of my childhood even though I only had 1 which is Henry. So basically my brother was in a class in elementary school and they had a thing if you were good you could get a prize that you could choose from a bin. He told me that one week he say a train was in a bin and i begged him to get it for me. And to my surprise, at the end of one week he got me Henry, which was an ertl one, I was in 1st grade then, and im in college now, and i still have it to this day.
I wish I had an ertl henry
Sadly I don’t own Ertl but maybe I should spend my birthday money on it
I stole ertl toby from my kindergarten class toy bin and I lost it either way at the end idek where i lost it
Rip toby
I stole traditional coins.
I always find it so fascinating that Thomas toy lines actually cared about what they were pumping out and put time and effort into them.
Even if a character with no speaking lines and only appeared in one episode, they would still make that character and hit it out of the park.
HiT took notes from that and uh... well, y'know...
yeah... :/
@@munipalsfanboythingbut at least HiT’s new characters actually spoke and had an episode dedicated to them. That’s something.
@@joshuaW5621 that's true. pretty sure Molly got 2 episodes dedicated to her
i really wish they'd brought back some characters like 261 and Derek*
@@munipalsfanboything sadly she didn’t.
@@joshuaW5621 pretty much, these characters were like one-hit-wonders (minus the music)
In my opinion, wooden railway is the most collectable thomas range because it lasted so long and made so many characters and variants.
16:00.
An interesting note is that, much like the majority of the _Mad Bomber_ cast, Andy was named after one of Leo's film club buddies (Andy Doldissen), who also voice acted him. So, unbeknownst to him at the time, a random member of a film club in Sydney became the legacy of a Thomas character's ERTL model.
sad shame he passed before he saw his legacy
@@spe-notapopularytbersus1237What happened to him
11:32 Fun fact: The obscure coaches from season 1 were made on one side while the other side was painted a tannish brown. My best theory is that the people who worked on the show didn’t have enough money to buy any coaches. So the crew had to make with what they had.
I thought they were painted brown.
Oops. I forgot.
I always thought those coaches had a different color. Usually Annie and Clarabel are a tannish brown. Pretty much like Jerry from Tom and Jerry.
I thought one side of the couches where Annie/Clarabelle and that’s why you seem them flipped so often in the series
@@inaciosthirdstudio The wiki calls them teak coaches, so they're probably made of super-expensive wood in-universe. It's a shame they were only in the background, they look really nice. I wish they were brought back for Stepney or Molly or someone like that to pull, they'd look great behind them
1:46 Tug: “Except for this Henry, which I found in a random box recently.”
Henry: “Hello!”
16:03 "OH NO, HELP, HELP! CRIKEYS, NOT ME!" - Andy
Thomas: "Oh no. That's Andy's shed. I'LL NEVER STOP IN TIME!"
Narrator: Andy couldn’t believe his *insert adobe after effects*
I used to recreate the Bullstrode crash all the time.
Grandma wasn't happy with all the sand in the house...
Lol
Same here. I also sometimes liked to recreate the Bulstrode crash when I was a kid
Maybe that's why he has the shocked O-face...?
Love that you call The Diesel “Andy”. It’s his official name to me. Mad Bomber will always be in my mind when it comes to the ERTL range. Awesome collection.
Mad bomber is still in my opinion the gold standard of Thomas fan content
I'm making it my headcanon name
16:00
...It's ironic..ERTL ending the Thomas line with Murdoch..such as Evening Star was the last loco of BR to be built.
It is funny now that you say it, but I think Jock is listed as the final one.
29:02
Interesting Twist of fate.
12:16 - I have a few theories why. The “Saved from Scrap” on the side of the flatbed could’ve served as an advertisement for the episode as well as a clarification to children that Trevor had a happy ending as scrap was always portrayed as a horrible concept in the show. Also the model could’ve partially been inspired by the other Trevor centric season 2 episode “Thomas and Trevor/ A New Friend for Thomas” where Trevor was depicted on a flatbed. Another great opportunity for children to act out the episodes at home with their toys as the flatbed might not have been released until then in the ERTL Thomas range.
Great video production as always, Tug ! I’m always impressed by your editing skills and attention to detail when filming such as using a motorized lazy susan on a white background to thoroughly showcase each model. Always a pleasure watching your videos; your dedication to video making doesn’t go unnoticed. All the best to you !
My younger brother and I still have our ERTL collection from when we were kids. I always liked how the ERTL die casts were more like the “real engines” of the TV show than the wooden railway toys
Fun fact about the ERTL Sunshine
The reason Sunshine doesn’t look like the actual model in the show was because the toy was based on earlier concept art instead of the finalized design.
Was not expecting to see my video at the end. Highlight of my day. Thx and great vid as always.
I had the checklist wall poster with every then-available release as a kid. It was the very first time in my life that I remember finishing an entire collection. The beginning of my journey as a toy collector.
As someone who just turned 30, I’m old enough to not only have grown up with ERTL, but I remember getting them new in stores way back when,
With that said, I’m kind of split on ERTL in retrospect
On one hand, I’m nostalgic for the hours upon hours I spent playing with mine as a kid, I also think they look great even to this day. I also remember having ones like Godred, Wilbert, 16, and D199, and wondering why none of them ever showed up on any of my VHS tapes. So I’d make up things for them to say and do.
On the other hand, I’d say that they’re better as display models than actual playthings. The infamously flimsy couplers are the epitome of that. Take Alongs were better as play things IMO, and I’m also old enough to remember when those were new.
Hard agree on Take Along being better for play. I’d argue it’s as good if not better than Ertl in regards to display, too
@@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho
Idk on that last part,
ERTLs are definitely closer to the real life designs, while Take Alongs are more chibi for lack of a better word.
The biggest issue with ERTL’s looks is the scaling, Toad and Lady being the prime examples.
Still, ERTL is iconic, and it was a hit for a reason.
I sadly don’t have mine anymore, but that’s alright.
The U Hook coupling was made so that kids could hook up engines together, which the older coupling couldn’t do.
I reckon it was also more useful than the pin hooks too.
I visited a toy store a few days ago which still had lots of old Thomas Ertl stock on shelves at original retail price including Dodge in the magic railroad packaging
Wow. That sounds like you came across a rare time capsule of the past.
Where is this treasure trove?
The way my jaw dropped when I saw the silver Thomas at 2:16 😂
And this year will mark 20 years since Ertl was discontinued. While not my favorite range, this one was probably one of the longest lasting ranges in Thomas History. And the charm and character variety shows how much passion was put into it. You won’t get characters like Bear or Patrick these days, which makes the Ertl line all the more special.
I still have my Thomas backpack from back in the day STUFFED with tons of these ertle trains and I'll never get rid of them. They're all the ones I grew up with and hold so many sweet memories. ♥️
I’ll never forget owning ERTL trains when I was younger and how years later the “Mad Bomber” video made me dig them out again when that vid originally came out. It was a magical time and now all my ERTL trains are packed away somewhere in my parents’ house.
a lot of memory lane here. Mom often told me when I was three at my grandmother's funeral, I was under the pew with an ERTL Henry quietly going "choo choo" and playing with it. I also found my old Metallic finish Rheneas and Duncan not too long ago, still in pretty good condition.
19:30 Oh the memories of watching CombineHarvester01
I know it was kind of inevitable in an ERTL video but there's something about Tug referencing Mad Bomber briefly that feels really surreal to me for some reason
14:19 Duncan’s face looks suspiciously like another character of whom no company can get right…
Duke?
@@Dominic_812 no?
@@OhTheIndignity idk
What character are you referring to
I was a kid born in 2007. My mom one day showed me Thomas the Engine and I grew in love with it. She had me watch the model series, and when she tried to get me into the cgi series, I alwayed preferred the model series. Honestly even looking these toys, although I didn't live at the time I still got waves of nostalgia. Thomas was a HUGE part of my childhood. I wanna be like this dude fr 😭😭
I remember my first intro to Owain Bell's artwork was the old Random House Pictureback "Catch Me, Catch Me!" Like, it's a book meant to teach sight words to toddlers, and each page has like, 1-2 sentences with 7 syllables MAX, but for whatever reason, the artwork is gorgeous as all outside when it has no reason to be. Very GOAT'd illustrator fr
I've always loved Owain's art for his soft, airbrushed look. An Australian resident, I credit him for my lifelong affinity for colour gradients. FR.
I remember my George coming with the green face card. I've always felt sore for throwing those cards out.
1:49 That "Hello" from Henry was cute
13:31 hey kids! Look at this happy character!
D i d j a k n o w h e d i e d
Haha, that’s me in 2024.
This was a real nostalgia trip. I too was an avid ERTL collector when I was a lad, though being a child I got them to play with, not to keep mint-in-box (honestly never sat right with me. These were made to be enjoyed, so keeping them in their box defeats their purpose and keeps them out of the hands of children young and old who want to enjoy them. But eh, your stuff now, so you do you). As such, my collection took plenty of knocks, was taken outside, and eventually ended up spending years outside in a milk crate before finally being cleaned up and donated. I thought about keeping a few especially sentimental pieces, but I finally decided to part with those too; they were treasured toys at one time, but time does move on. Interestingly, storing them outside for so long had some interesting effects, like the red on the Express Coaches getting sun bleached into light blue, ironically making them perfect Skarloey Railway coaches.
I also couldn't help but notice that, impressive as your collection is, there's still a couple holes in it. Among the models I know I had, or at least have seen, were the all-red Special Express Coaches from episodes like "A Better View For Gordon", and I swear there was an ERTL version of Old Slow Coach that I always wanted but never got.
Super hyped about the next Sodor's Finest. Been waiting for this one for a long time. Can't wait to learn all there is to know about everyone's favorite character: Terrence the Tractor!
Back in the 90s in the UK, seeing all these Ertl models row after row was like a beautiful exhibit. And being a little kid it felt like they took up the entire section, which they almost did! Ertl Thomas was a giant for its time.
I had a good chunk of these guys growing up, even had the metallic Thomas and Rheneas. I ended up placing the Thomas in my great-grandfather's coffin at his funeral, since he was the sole reason I got into trains in the first place. This video was a fun little nostalgia trip, and I really enjoyed it, thank you!
The holy grail of Ertl Thomas toys for me is Jock. As far as I know he was the last one they ever made and I've always wanted him but even unboxed he costs a lot. Maybe one day I'll get lucky and find him on a car boot sale for a good price.
Good luck finding Jock.
I've always been fascinated by the ERTL line as they were barely before my time as a kid. This video finally inspired me to pick one up for collector's sake. My inner child is really happy to finally have one. Great video!
ERTL stopped before I was born so I never experienced it, it was so cool getting a glimpse of it. Love your collection series and looking foward to the next Sodor's Finest
From Tomy, to Bachmann, to ERTL, this man has it all!
Ertl's to me is one of those ranges where you can take it or leave it. I don't have many Ertl's in my collection but I do have a few road vehicle characters. I did buy the slate trucks new in box but I did take them out for putting them on TWR chassis. Overall definitely an interesting range and of course you have a great collection of these Nic keep up the good work!
I was more of a Take Along guy when I was a kid. Not too surprising since Ertl was discontinued the year after I was born, but looking at the other lines is still interesting
Pretty much in that same boat as well
Man, glad I wasn’t the only one 😂 I rlly need to hunt out my old take along stuff
Wow I was born 2 years after it was discontinued 😅😁😣
Me too
I had a huge ERTL collection as a kid. A lot of them went through abuse with all the crash reenactments. There was chipped paint, ripped stickers and broken couplings galore.
I had these as a kid. Correction, I still have them somewhere. They're pretty beaten up, though! They didn't make those diecast paint jobs to last back in the 80s. But honestly, I think they were the nicest Thomas toys produced, and it makes me kind of sad that nothing in the toy section quite matches their screen accuracy anymore. Maybe I was a weird kid, but that mattered to me.
My brother had like a dozen Harolds because the plastic propellers kept wearing out. He sure loved his Harold.
3:35 if you do get another one, please free the James you got from his box
Ah, the ERTLs. Thank you for giving them the love and attention they deserve. These were MY Thomas childhood toy - though to be fair I also had a Tomy set and a couple of Hornbys... and a pretty awesome pull-along Thomas with working siderods. I've been doing a big clearout recently of a lot of my toys (yes, I'm 32 and only just got round to it LOL), but my ERTL trains are not going anywhere. They're accurate to the characters, I can't easily replace them, and they have too many memories attached. I had every numbered engine up to Oliver, plus Bill, Ben, Skarloey and Rheneas, and some rolling stock, and Henrietta and Toad. I also had Bertie, Terence, and Bulgy. I had the 'official' plastic layout for the ERTLS, but also a second one made out of paper mache by my mum - which was better, of course! She also made a Thomas costume for a school event one time out of cardboard boxes. It even had working eyes - the pupils were on a strip of card which she pulled back and forth to make them move. My mum was an absolute wizard with cardboad - but she was also a hoarder, so guess what I recently found when clearing the attic. Obviously I threw it out - but not before I admired her handiwork one last time.
I wish my ERTLS were still in good condition, but they were very 'played with', and also were kept together in the same box, bashing up against each other with expected results. I painted over some of the paint chips a few years ago with enamel model paint (the colours weren't a perfect match but they looked better than bare metal), lovingly wrapped each and every one of them in cotton wool, and stashed them away in their Thomas branded suitcase. Now I've got some of my childhood Pokemon toys in proper display cases, perhaps I should do the same with my ERTLS. Thomas still means so much to me. I still occasionally take a trip to the Watercress line to see their Thomas - the same one I have pictures of me standing next to at age 3, and at age 15. Because you're never too old for Thomas.
My mum says that the wear and tear on my Take Alongs is a testament to how much I loved them, so I suppose not being in such good condition isn’t always as bad as it seems.
ERTL is easily my favorite Thomas toy brand with how near-close the toys look to the actual models. Beautiful collection!
I wish Ertl just put smokebox doors on the engines and just made historical liveried toys of the real locomotives after they lost the Thomas license , because that would have been one HECK of a line.
I would love to see ERTL models of Talyllyn and Mallard.
I’ve slowly started wanting to watch Tugs. I feel like seeing the stuff at the end was a sign😂
Wow, what a brilliant collection you have; I have plenty of memories of ERTL! The toys are just so much fun to move around and couple, complete with charming details! Shame it was all discontinued when Thomas & Friends was refurbished and Take-Along was introduced. My collection has been lost since then; I really would've wanted to play with those again. 😔 ERTL really needs to come back, but I can't see the opportunity with the direction Mattel is going in. But at least all the fans still care for it.
Ah Ertl, being back memories when I was a kid. I only had the ones mostly ‘The Portrait Series’ versions and I really loved these Die-cast toys of the Thomas character’s.
26:03 if Hornby made this range, they’d still make the Stewart model, but they’d just use the wrong Peter Sam funnel and release it…and then wonder why people hated it…
Unlucky Tug's ERTL collection LETS GOOOOOOO
I had a friend of mine whose family was a military family, so they swapped between the U.S. & U.K. and one day he kindly decided to donate his entire collection. He had like almost the entire range up to 2000 along with track sets & custom felt pieces (which are long gone now). They even saved most of the card backs (which I cut out sadly, but still have the rest of the backs 🤣).
So I have been long term filling in the gaps with ones I'm missing or ones that need replacing. The only ones I'm missing up to 2000 are Rusty & Lady.
Oh and I need to get the metallics. I have Thomas & Rheneas (those two seem to be the most common)
As someone whos really into Yugioh and Pokemon card collecting this is the exact type of shit my semi-autistic ass lives for!
I’ve been on an ERTL and model train kick lately, and your back to back videos has only fuelled the fire.
1:49
Henry: hello
16:36
I still have my Bulstrode model.
What was interesting about the ERTL Bulstrode is that it could actually float; pretty well, I might add.
You have an amazing Ertl collection! This is a dream collection and hope to someday collect all of the models they made!
I had forgotten that the OG takedown had happened, tbh. A good content creator has been rewarded! Congrats on 100k!
I think I need to see a dub of Spencer’s first episode with all his dialogue replaced by top hats lines XD
Now all we need to do is get the RWS and model series timeline videos back to 1 million views.
Truly the 🐐 of Thomas merchandise
Personally, I was always a Wooden Railway fan when it came to Thomas & Friends merchandise. For me where I lived, Wooden Railway was the easiest to find in stores and I loved the detail they put on the trains. I did own a little bit of trackmaster but not as much as Wooden Railway. However, watching this video, I really wish the ERTL diecast line had continued. The fact they would produce every character that appeared on screen is so fascinating to me. But sadly, around the time I started getting into Thomas, which was in 2005 when Calling All Engines came out, ERTL was discontinued and I could never find them in stores or even on the aftermarket. Either way, I really enjoyed your video, Unlucky Tug, and I am super excited for the next Sodor's finest.
I had a few Ertl models as a kid. But I remember really falling in love with them when seeing the flying scotsman at the plant for a family outing in the 2000's. I forget the exact year. My mum took me to a stall that had a huge selection. I stood there for about half an hour deciding which ONE I wanted and felt very disappointed I couldn't have them all. I treasured the Rusty I went home with.
I think we had all of the same predictions, amazing collection and I would definitely love to get a few items after watching this.
Glad I’m not the only one to collect these. Luckily living in the UK I foresaw the collectability of the later releases and hoovered up on late release Emilys, Murdochs, Jocks etc. Got boxes of them in the loft. We also got some real Ertl oddities in the UK such as Musical Thomas (press his wheels and he played a tune), Christmas Thomas (with fixed snowplough and truck full of presents) and Walking Fat Controller (wind up clockwork waddling Topham Hatt).
I LOVE Ertl! It was my number one favorite Thomas brand of all time! My favorite packaging is the Owen Bell illustrations from the mid to late 90s because of the beautiful backgrounds and different characters close up! I kind of wished Ertl ended in 2005 during the 60th anniversary of the franchise instead of 2004. That way, it would've ended on an even better note with cancelled models like Mike, the Culdee Fell Railway Mountain Truck, Agnes & Jemima, and that Cadbury No.1 Engine. Excellent video btw!
Even as someone who lives Take Along, I wish we did get these cancelled ERTL items too.
The Ertl Diecast Thomas and Friends line. Some many good memories. Good times.
The ones I played with the most are Sir Handel and Peter Sam. Shame I never had many of the main characters.
I still have all of my Ertl Thomas toys that were passed down to me from my older brother. Many of them have seen better days though.
I just wish the Ertl coupling system wasn't so flimsy.
Ertl was such a big part of my childhood. Even though I had 5 characters, they were all special to me. Thomas. Percy, Lady, Gordon, and Skarloey. 😊
Was obsessed with these as a kid, took the duck one with me nearly everywhere.
Funniest thing is I just got an ERTL Oliver And Donald when you uploaded this
You got one big fancy collection of ERTL Thomas
As soon as I saw you owned the Spencer NIB I got legitimately giddy. I recently got my hands on NIB Fergus, Murdoch and Jock, which I am very grateful for. I want to collect all the new characters released in 2003-2004 NIB because the last 3 years of ERTL models were by far the best looking in my opinion. Murdoch especially is my favourite ERTL, he is perfect.
Very impressive collection you have Nic
I really wish they resigned all the main characters when they were beginning to hit their stride in ‘04 😂
I grew up in the era of Take Along/Take & Play and Wooden Railway, but the model I remember loving the most as a kid was an ERTL plastic face Thomas. Even back then, I knew that was the most detailed toy Thomas that I would ever see. The wheels were more accurate, it has side rods, the bumpers are extended, etc. The thing I didn't find out until later was that the whistle and cab windows were sticker details. My model never had that. Over the years, he took some serious damage. His funnel snapped off, the paint chipped in areas, the wheels got loose, and the running board had a break from the left bumper, to the middle wheel, but I adored it nevertheless. Really want to get my hands on a newer one and compare to my childhood model if I ever find it.
I never had ERTL Thomas toys as a kid, I grew up with Take Along and Tomy and some Wooden Railway!! I was born in 2003 and discovered Thomas around 2006. I do love these models tho and am grateful so many exist!! I learned some cool facts from this video. I also still have all my old Thomas toys from 2006-2017. I love them so much I kept them, they’re worth keeping!! ☺️☺️
Other characters I wish they made in ERTL range are: Big City Engine, Mallard, Cora, Narrow Gauge Coaches (red and blue), Ivo Hugh, Rex and Bert the miniature engines, Max and Monty, Kelly the crane, Oliver the Excavator, Byron, Isabella, Fred Pelhay, ULP van, Ada, Jane and Mabel, Agnes Ruth Lucy Jemima and Beatrice, Background Ambulance and a few more people!!
I learned there IS a Spiteful Break Van (but was only sold in the UK!!) and there’s a Bertram!! I had no idea! They were also going to make a Mike the mini engine (but it was cancelled sigh 😔)
I think the slanted window on Bertie was a designer's mistake. In some shots of him from the show his front window looks heavily slanted. If they were going off maybe PR photos or stills from the series, they might have mistaken him for having a window that was slanted. They also might have went off the basis of the real bus, the Leyland Tiger and not the Thomas model, which is heavily slanted to that extent.
I am 15 years old in Alaska and trying to get these up here are so hard but to see them in front of you is amazing and is my favorite set. Nice collection
My first exposure to the ERTL Thomas toys were the Stepney, Annie and Clarabel ones that were kept at my grandparents house. I also have my childhood Rheneas. Being the curious kid I was, I put some Play-Doh in the open cab. Then, it hardened, and I have yet to remove it.
I also had a vague memory of watching "Mad Bomber", but my parents banned me from watching it, and for most of my childhood, and never knew the name of the video.
Ertl is such an amazing range.
I got the dairy farm before I started to get some Thomas Ertl models. The first item was Thumper back in 2020, then I got the Culdee Fell Engines a year later during my 15th birthday and I got Catherine and Fergus for Christmas later that year. I would definitely would get some Ertl models in the future because It's such a really good range. Despite some of the faults like the pinhooks breaking off ( although to be fair, the u hooks are pretty worth it despite exclusive to the UK), I can see why people love the range so much.
It's incredible that Thomas & Friends Ertl was around for 40 years, just like the show itself.
I stumbled across this channel while browsing nostalgic clips from my childhood with the Thomas and The Magic Railroad movie. I'm hooked on The Unlucky Tug to say the least. You've earned a new long time fan!
Babe come quick Unlucky Tug uploaded a new video
Yay! While I’ve never been too big a fan of ERTL, I’m excited to see your collection and maybe my mind will change on the range!
I was watching a video and paused it to go into my bedroom to check on my 3 Ertl Thomas toys that I’ve kept since childhood. One is an original Ertl Thomas, another is a platinum edition, and the third is Lady from the Thomas and the Magic Railroad series line. They've been sitting on the top shelf of my cupboard for a while and needed a clean, so I tidied them up while continuing to watch the video. Childhood memories!
I was always a Take Along / N Play kid so hearing you mention using Toby as a boxcar made me think of using Annie Clarabel Toby and Daisy as "The Express"
I was born in 1998 so I just got to see the end of ertl line and instead mostly grew up with the take along/take n play range but as of now been looking into the ertl sets as well great vid brought back some nostalgia for me I remember owning a culdee & skarloey models sadly have disappeared
Eetl was Trevor Davis's favorite thomas and friends Toys when he was a boy despite his nitpicks
I can’t imagine how much money you’ve spent on this collection. I can’t even imagine having a collection of this scale. Although your Ertl collection is very pleasing to the eye. Awesome video!🔥
I ADORED these as a kid; had metallic variants, the normal and ‘scrap’ versions of Trevor and even some of the Culdee Fell engines who I wouldn’t have known at the time.
I’m from the UK and there was a train shop in my hometown that had your typical train tracks running along the upper walls. So so many memories 😊😊
Man I love this video, I miss all the old Ertl Thomas stuff my aunt had and playing with them on her coffee table on visits
I wonder if Tug will ever do Take Along/Take N Play. Probably my favourite range.
ERTL has such nice models, they all look so cool! My childhood was all take along tho, but one thing I really admire on ERTL was the range of options, so many RWS characters and more obscure TV ones, take along would rarely do it…
ERTLs are so cool! They are so detaled and acreeet. Your collection is amazing! I didn't know that some of these ERTLs existed like Isabell. Great job on this video! Can't wait for the next Sodor's finest! Hope you have a great day!
Ay man congratulations on 100K!
I remember back in 2004, I bought a whole box of Ertl Thomas models that came with tracks at a flea market. I played with those trains
for hours on end. I still have them today, they're currently packed away in a storage container. I once had a model of Gordon, but I ended up giving it to
my cousin.
Imagine if tugs continued into season 2, imagine all the ertl toys we would have besides ten cents and sunshine. Probably every vessel, every car that appears, and maybe some dockside cranes
I’m making some ERTL Tugs stuff on Deviantart and I think some of your ideas on what they might have done may have given me some fun ideas.
And don't forget the trains that were there, too!
@@joshuaW5621
That's cool
Makes me miss the good old days of great Thomas merchandise. I've seen a lot of these ERTL engines in tribute videos of various engines and I've seen unboxing videos of these toys years ago and they look great! I've always loved the accurate wheel arrangement they give the engines.
I managed to get a pack of paper face Ertls (Thomas, Edward, Gordon, James, Toby, Annie, Henrietta, Harold and brown trucks) For only 10 Pounds!, They weren't Great Condition but Still Worth It
I remember I got a small set of Ertl stuff back in the day from some family freinds who were moving away, I even found a Sodor Taxi at a railroad museum in New York! Of course, I also got D7101 too, no shocker there, though he's quite a bit beat up. I'd love to someday pick up some more Ertl's, especially of some of the background props!
Omg the shining time music is just ripping out my heart strings. And that packaging! 😭♥️
I loved these diecast models that were more show accurate than the wooden layout models with the giant wheels
Oh the nostalgia is strong here, I loved my ertl thomas engines, I hope they are still in my old house somewhere