Although the Thomas The Tank Engine stories are good, I've always loved this PBS series, Shining Time Station, even more growing up on it. And it was through this show how I learned and got to know of them. I always found what took place in the station even more interesting. I like how the Thomas stories told by either of the Mr. Conductors (whether portrayed by Ringo Starr or George Carlin) to the handful of kids who visited there, were included in the show, that was a nice touch of how it all came together. This aspect of the show is similar to what was done in the late '90s Noddy series, I noticed this for those who may not have seen that show and for your info, and I wonder if those who have seen that other show noticed that, and pointed it out too. And as in Noddy, the stories that were recounted here pertained to whatever the episode's theme or subject matter was. What's there to complain and not like about this show? It is what I'd like to consider one of the perfect kid shows, not just better, and it gets my vote to be on the most outstanding kid shows of all time list. It's just pure gold.
Aside from the aforementioned two Mr. Conductors (who were small, could appear and vanish magically at will, and weren't known of by many but the handful of kids, who I don't remember any of them being cousins to one another as another reviewer mentioned), there were also the station master Stacy (who I think also may have known about the Mr. Conductors), who might have been related to some of the kids; Schemer, who loved money so much that, if I recollect exactly, he was always trying to come up with and plot ways (as his self-explanatory name implies) to get rich quickly, almost like a true con artist or scam artist; the Flexitoon Puppets who consisted of a band and lived in a jukebox (and it was they who played the music whenever a nickel was dropped into the coin slot, and a track was selected), and more. If anyone reading my review has never seen Shining Time Station, I say check it out, because everything about it, from the story lines to the characters, is great. With morals or lessons that were done the right way, I pick and consider this to be both a keeper and a winner for sure.
