LOS ANGELES — Britt Allcroft, the woman who created Thomas the Tank Engine, has died. She was 81.
Filmmaker Brannon Carty announced her death on social media Thursday at the request of her family. Her daughter Holly Wright told the New York Times she died on Christmas in Los Angeles.
“Britt was an adoring mother and wife. A visionary producer. She brought so much joy and happiness to people everywhere during her time on Earth,” he said. “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.”
Carty and Allcroft worked together on his documentary “An Unlikely Fandom: The Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine” which was released in 2023.
Allcroft was born in Worthing, England and her career took off in the 80s after she co-founded a company with her then-husband, producer Angus Wright. The first episodes of “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends” aired on British television just a few years later in 1984, according to IMDb. After quickly gaining popularity, the show was adapted for American audiences and aired on PBS starting in 1989.
While the original show ended in 2021, there are many spinoff shows including the same or similar characters.
“Thomas & Friends” was nominated for a BAFTA in 1985 and won TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards in 2015, according to IMDb. Her other show, Shining Time Station, won two Gemini Awards in 1993.
Allcroft was active on her Facebook page, frequently interacting with community members who wanted to keep up with her latest work.
In a comment left Dec. 22, 2024, she wrote she was working on a book she hoped would be “published this year.” There is no further information on what she was working on nor when it may be published, if at all.
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. 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™ (@cartycinema) January 3, 2025