P.T. Boomer

P.T. Boomer, incorrectly known as Pete Boom, or Boomer, is a character who was expected to be seen in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, serving as one of the film's main antagonists. He was cut from the film as test audiences complained that he was too scary and too frightening for a younger child audience, and Diesel 10 was rewritten as the sole antagonist. He appeared in the trailer for the film, however. His role was played by Canadian actor, Doug Lennox.

Bio
P.T. Boomer was jealous of the relationship that Burnett Stone had with Tasha and bullied Burnett into allowing him to take Lady for a run. After crashing her, he left Shining Time while Burnett spent years trying to restore her, to no avail. Boomer is described in the script as being "a drifter through choice, not circumstance". He returns now a good forty years later a bitter and dark character bent on getting rid of Lady.

Boomer is the reason behind Mutt's unease, and reason for bringing Lily to Shining Time rather than letting her go on to Muffle Mountain. Boomer spends much of his time throughout the movie arguing with Burnett Stone and Billy Twofeathers and digging into the mountain looking for Lady.

He has no (said) ownership or connections with Diesel 10, not even meeting him until the film's climactic chase scene, other than their shared desire to destroy Lady and Sodor. He does not believe in magic and when he finds Thomas on Muffle Mountain, he believes that he is just a huge toy. Thomas is the reason why Boomer ends up on Sodor: he discovers the entrance to the Magic Railroad after Thomas rolls down the mountain (due to Boomer using explosives to destroy the ledge where Thomas is stuck on) and falls through it. When Thomas and Lady arrive back on Sodor, Diesel 10 arrives, just as Boomer flies through the magic buffers. Landing on Diesal 10's roof, he declares that he is after Lady as well, to which the former declares "that makes two of us!". Boomer spends the chase throwing taunts at Burnett, to which Burnett declares that "the magic [he] refuse[s] to believe in will get the better of [him]"

He and Diesel 10 meet their fates during the chase scene when they plunge off the viaduct into a barge filled with sludge. Boomer spits water out of his mouth and angrily glares into the camera. Much like in the final film, they are towed away on it, but in the original script, they are transformed into sludge by way of Junior's magic bandana.

Persona
Boomer is an opportunist, who has drifted from situation to situation, making money wherever he can - usually out of others misfortunes. He is an emotionally muddy man who is obsessed with cleanliness and order. Now he is out of opportunities, except one - to return to Shining Time with only himself, his motorcycle, a lifelong grudge, and a thirst for revenge.

Final cut
When audiences complained about him being "too scary," he was cut out at the last minute, explaining the laziness of the movie's final cut. In the final cut, he can be found as the motorcycle rider that Burnett was in the process of giving directions (in the original cut, the two were having a row). Even so, something seemed very dark about said character. Additionally, during the chase sequence, he can be seen lying on the back of Diesel 10's cab in several scenes. Boomer was also present in a trailer for the movie, falling off the viaduct with Diesel 10.

Many scenes pointing towards his role are seen as well, such as Billy Twofeathers holding flowers while speaking with Stacy. In said scene, Billy and Mutt encounter P.T. Boomer waiting for them on the Shining Time Station platform. After a confrontational exchange about Burnett Stone's whereabouts and being stonewalled by Billy, an enraged Boomer leaves, but not before taking a swing at the hanging flower basket that Mr. Conductorhad watered earlier. The script describes Billy picking up the flowers that have dropped onto the ground.

Also, while driving Lily to see Burnett, Stacy is seen holding a photograph. Even though in the movie it is not clear as to what it is, according to the original script, it was a picture of a younger Burnett and Tasha during a school dance with P.T. Boomer angrily eyeing the couple.

Also, after Billy Twofeathers waves to the children, in the original cut, from Billy's point of view, he would see a motorcyclist (Boomer) racing across the hillside. He purposely cuts in front of the train at the crossing, startling Billy to apply the brakes and blow the locomotive's whistle. The tense atmosphere of this shot was enhanced by Britt Allcroft including a flock of panicked birds suddenly taking flight upon hearing the whistle's shriek.

Trivia

 * Although P.T. Boomer didn't appear in the final film, he did appear in the Diesels and Engines coloring book, which was published before he was cut.

Merchandise

 * ERTL Models (named as 'Pete Boom', spring 2000 release. cancelled)