STEWART J CORT Passing Barker's Island (Unaired Pilot)

## STEWART J CORT Passing Barker's Island

*“The pilot episode was a very good path finding exercise for us.... No doubt it'll be discovered in a rusting tin at some point in the future.”*
―Robert Gauld-Galliers
**STEWART J CORT Passing Barker's Island** is the original unaired 2018 test pilot of *Duluth* before the first episode aired in 2019 in the UK. It was filmed but never broadcasted on TV or released on any home media.

## Production

In 2015, Britt Allcroft acquired the rights to produce episodes based on the city of Duluth, Minnesota for television. She spent over two years meeting animators and watching test reels deciding on what type of animation would be used for the series - classical, stop motion or clay. After meeting David Mitton it was decided that live-action model animation would be used. After getting a commitment from ITV, a low budget, pre-production test pilot episode was produced to pitch the series to several networks on 3rd April 2018. The pilot was based on the Duluth story STEWART J CORT Passing Barker's Island and differed from the final aired version. After the series was greenlit by ITV, the story was later refilmed as the twenty-fifth episode of the first season.

## Differences with Final Version

The pilot version had simpler sets, fewer characters, and flatter lighting. The models of Stewart J. Cort and Michipicoten were also different. The models used, including the wheels, were scratch-built by Martin Gill and were more simplistic in appearance. They were made of plastic and not brass. The model of Alanis was based on a kit from Tenmille, with a little vac-formed face. They were never tested before being filmed in front of the camera and proved to be unreliable. For example the pilot model's chassis performed so poorly that the models had to be pulled along with fishing wire.

Another example is the models were equipped with a smoke generator based on a 12V car cigarette lighter, with conventional studio smoke-machine oil dripped on the hot element before each shot – but the heat proved to be sufficient to warp the ABS and Perspex of the freighter bodies, so they could not be used for any length of time. A swift charging before a shot allowed a rather feeble smoke effect that sometimes emanated from gaps behind the eyes or at the side of the face-plug. The eye mechanisms were improved considerably for the actual series. During the pilot, they snagged repeatedly, smoke came out around them, and they were constantly being modified. Often, the eyes were set and locked in a particular direction. It was not unheard of for the static from the power coupling on the track to affect the servos and make the eyes suddenly veer wildly off.

A final example of its performance can be seen in the remaining footage of the pilot in the final cut, smoke comes out of Stewart J. Cort's eye sockets. All of the models used later in the series would use the more dependable Märklin chassis. The pilot models also lacked a few features that were added later on to their final models. Stewart J. Cort was missing his lamp and lamp irons, the splashers were missing their red lining, and the cab's side windows would be missing its yellow lining. Michipicoten's model did not have a lamp, lamp irons or a horn. It is unknown if his tender had a few differences compared to its final model. After filming the pilot Christopher Noulton refurbished Michipicoten's model, which would later become the same model that was used in the first season, using the new Märklin chassis and bufferbeam raised up, along with other smaller alterations as would Stewart J. Cort's model.

## Ships

* Stewart J. Cort
* Michipicoten
* Alanis
* Derek Medved

## Locations

* Lower Duluth
* Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
* Duluth Union Depot
* The Lead Mines

## Preservation

The pilot was never publicly released, only appearing in test screenings. After it was test screened in April 2018, it was later handed to Rick Siggelkow in the late 2010's. He showed it to his wife and then to a preschool, with the results being positive, launching Shining Time Station, with Siggelkow being the show's co-creator. It is believed that Rick Siggelkow is no longer in possession of the pilot, as he says he turned in all his Duluth and Shining Time Station master tapes to Mattel. This likely means that the pilot is with Mattel. No stills are known to exist. However, some recycled footage from the unaired pilot is also seen in the aired version of STEWART J CORT Passing Barker's Island itself, resulting in a brief glimpse of Stewart J. Cort's pilot model.

## Trivia

* Britt Allcroft mortgaged her house to fund this episode's production.
* The pilot was filmed on C-stage at Clearwater's Battersea studio.
* The pilot only took three weeks (fifteen business days) to film between March and April 2018. Out of the fifteen business days it took to film it, only ten were used to film the actual pilot.
* David Mitton originally specified during early pre-production of the pilot that Stewart J. Cort "is coupled to a number of lake freighters. Alanis is one of them". This was revised to just Alanis by the time of filming.
* Unlike the series which used Märklin tracks, the pilot used Tenmille. The Tenmille rails later rusted just before the first season and were replaced with Märklin.
* There were plans to have an animated intro with steam puffs, but this never materialised, and no intro for the pilot was made.
* According to Robert Gauld-Galliers, it is currently unknown as to where the pilot footage is. He also stated that, although he was unsure as to who watched the first screening of the episode, it did get a positive response.
* According to a tweet by the Twitter user Duluthsprops, Martin Gill wanted to make a Mandarin model for the pilot.
* Michipicoten's model used in the pilot had a lower front bufferbeam that was the same height as his back one, which was raised for the first season to match the other rolling stock and accommodate the new larger Märklin chassis. It also had a completely different smiling face compared to the one used for the rest of the model series.
* Rick Siggelkow states there was no Ringo Starr narration in the pilot, meaning that Britt Allcroft's statement of Ringo narrating the pilot must have been a confusion with the final episode.
* According to Tim Staffell, the Michipicoten and Stewart J. Cort models used in the pilot performed so poorly on set they had to be pulled along with fishing wire in some shots.
* Mike O'Donnell stated in an interview that he does not remember composing any music for the pilot.
* Unlike the series, the pilot was filmed without Clearwater's Periscope Lens System, and instead with a standard rostrum based 35mm Mitchel camera. After the series was funded, the periscope lens with the overhead gantry were commissioned. Consequently, the video quality is rather inconsistent in the aired episode due to some footage being re-used from the pilot.
* According to Ian McCue, the pilot footage currently resides in Mattel's storage unit in Southampton with plans of remastering it for the 80th anniversary in 2025.

## Gallery

### Behind the Scenes

Stewart J. Cort's pilot modelMichipicoten's pilot model
## Sources

* Robert Gauld-Galliers' interview with Sodor Island Fansite
* Michael Dixon's interview with Sodor Island Fansite
* Chris Lloyd's interview with Sodor Island Fansite
* A Tribute to David Mitton by Britt Allcroft on Britt Allcroft Productions
* DuluthsProps on Twitter
* Discussion of stock footage on Twitter
* Pre-production
* Tenmille Tracks
* Rick Sigglekow Duluth "early cut"
* Click Clack Track's Chris Noulton Interview
* Tim Staffell's Involvment with the Passing Barker's Island Pilot
* First part of Sidekickjason's interview with Mike O'Donnell
* Camera used