The movie certainly has the same “look” as the book’s illustrations. Had it faithfully adhered to the book’s plot and not added all the extra characters and sequences to pad it out to feature length, it would only have run about 15-20 minutes. With all the neat video editing software that’s now available for non-commercial home use, it would be possible for someone who is a fan of the book to edit the movie version down to conform to it. (Perhaps someone already has.) If I could see the movie in an edited down version, I would probably become an enthusiastic fan, too.
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You know, “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” only ran 20-odd minutes or so (allowing for commercials) and they’re TV Christmas classics! Sixty years have come and gone and they’re still Christmastime standards. They haven’t grown old at all.
Truly, sometime less is more.
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Ummm… it’s an animated film made for the kindergarten set. I doubt the Owosso folks would have approved of having their Berkshire to careen across a frozen lake Michigan for the film. 
Had the movie been produced by Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass as a claymation TV special it probably would appeal more to the older crowd.
But these days Aardman Animation is the go to for claymation. Wallace as the Conductor? Gromit driving the train?
PS it’s been more than two decades since the movie was made. Animation technology has advanced a lot since then.
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Oh wowwwwwwww… 
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We have the book and the film, and we still watch the film every year. Both the (adult) boys have an original PE set boxed up–one or the other comes out every few years.
But I do not like the PE story.
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Hey, I’ve got one of those! With that die-cast tender it’s a beast!
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Some more 2454/6454 series boxcar variations.
The first version of the Baby Ruth (2454) has a light orange body. The re-issue (6454) a couple of year later is a darker orange…and then there is the Baby Ruth 4454 - made for the Lionel remote control set. The car is heat stamped with the number 4454 and has the remote control decal in the upper left hand corner.
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I cannot tell the difference in the shade of orange.
Rich
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Hmmmm. I don’t know what to say. On my computer the 2454 is definitely a lighter orange than the 6454 next to it.
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Same here, I can see the difference. The 6464 orange is a bit richer, if that’s the right term.
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I am going to have to look at it on my laptop as opposed to my phone.
Rich
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the difference is very subtle, but it is there.
-El
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This whole series of boxcars is my favorite postwar Lionel 
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I like it. 
Rich
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Class J-1e “Hudson 4-6-4 Locomotive No. 773
It is my understanding that Lionel sells a clear plastic display case for this locomotive for those who just want to display it and not run it. (I can see someone who has no interest in toy trains or in building a permanent layout buying this locomotive just to display in their office or library.)
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The 700EW’s started that tradition when they provided the fancy display track for Cowen’s masterpiece.
The autumnal background you chose for the photo definitely produced a nostalgic response when I saw it! Makes me think of warm sweaters and mulled cider while getting the trains ready for their holiday runs. 
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