After spending an entire morning putting together an environment for Aitch’s Thomas the Tank Engine and friends to frolic in, I find myself wasting too much damn time speculating about the isle of Sodor.

Where is it?

What are its chief exports?

Does Sodor have a book club, and if so, what are they reading?

Did Sodor send troops to Iraq?

If a reality TV show were set on Sodor, what would the objective be?

Is Sir Topham Hatt a baronet or a knight? If he were married, would his wife be known as Lady Hatt?

Finally, where does it exist on the time-space continuum? I mean, there are steam engines, and Sir Topham Hatt in a morning suit, and “village children,” but there’s also a helicopter. What gives?