Your introduction to the main and supporting characters featured
on
SHINING TIME STATION
Preface
By their very dress and manner, it wouldn't be too difficult to imagine the characters of Shining Time Station being subjects of a Norman Rockwell painting. Shining Time Station introduced us to a true diaspora of classic small town Americana.
From Norman Rockwell's "Christmas Homecoming" (1948)
Here you'll be introduced to the quirky but lovingly wonderful main and supporting characters that were featured in the episodes of Shining Time Station...
MAIN CHARACTERS
The familiar faces present throughout the series.
STACY JONES
(Season 1- End)
Stacy Jones is the friendly and energetic Station Master at Shining Time. Her family settled and has been living in Indian Valley since the early pioneering days, with her grandmother Gracie becoming the station's first Station Master. Stacy has two married brothers and a single sister named Tracy. She's the proud aunt of Matt and Dan Jones, and has fond childhood memories of her "granny" and growing up in the Indian Valley.
Before becoming Shining Time's full-time Station Master, Stacy was very involved in the theatre as an actress. She left the theatre out of the sense of responsibility to take over the family tradition of running the station. Kind and considerate, Stacy solves problems in her own inventive fashion, and accepts the magic of Shining Time Station as a quirky fact of life. Stacy is one of the handful of adults who knows about and is trusted by Mr. Conductor.
Stacy Jones is portrayed by actress Didi Conn.
SCHEMER
(Season 1- End)
"He's a doer, he's a dreamer, he's absolutely Schemer and he's me!"
Horace Schemer is the owner and operator of the arcade at Shining Time Station. He lives up to his surname by coming up with outlandish and eccentric schemes which always seem to backfire on him. His roguish ways and mannerisms often irritate his very forgiving friends at Shining Time Station. In addition to his interesting fashion tastes, Schemer loves to collect nickels, especially from passengers who deposit them into his arcade machines. Other interests include a sizeable comb collection. Schemer lives at home in a separate suite with his mother, and is known to at least have one other sibling who lives out of town who is the parent of his nephew Schemee.
Horace Schemer is the spitting image of his grandfather, Jebediah Schemer, and is fiercely proud of one predominant trait of the Schemer bloodline, the telltale curl on the side of his head. A follower of his own "Schemer's System of Success", which often if not always lands him into trouble, Schemer does occasionally reveal a caring side of his personality to his friends. Schemer's clumsiness sometimes sends him tumbling to land flat on his face, though he manages to do so without any serious injury to himself. Schemer steadfastly believes Shining Time Station to be haunted, although his fears are largely due to the occasional unseen antics of Mr. Conductor and the Jukebox Band members.
Schemer was played by actor Brian O'Connor.
Did you know? Schemer's collection of checkered-plaid sports-jackets is in large part thanks to actor Brian O'Connor making use of his father's old clothes, some of which he wore to the audition! (Scheming for Laughs - Chicago Sun Times - 1993-Jun-01).
HARRY CUPPER
(Season 1 + "One of the Family")
Henry "Harry" Cupper is the locomotive engineer and master mechanic at Shining Time Station, and renowned to be the best one on the Indian Valley Railroad. He is a serious, hard worker who will always get the job done, and realizes that his priorities are keeping the line in tip-top shape! He has two granddaughters: Tanya Cupper and Kara Cupper. Harry is a longtime employee of the Indian Valley Railroad, and an experienced railroader who loves to share his stories of his early days on the line. His pride and joy is his workshop which he keeps organized in his own fashion. Harry is also an inventor and is quite able to improvise repairs.
Despite his initial reluctance to accept his new post, Harry quickly grew fond of the station's homeliness and old-fashioned setting, thinking that there was "just something" about Shining Time station. Though coming across as a gruff, humorless and grumpy man to those who don't know him, Harry has a heart of gold, and never holds a grudge - even against Schemer when he tried to take over Harry's workshop. When he yells at someone, it is only his intention to keep them safe. After working at Shining Time Station for just over a year, he was transferred to Twiddly Junction in November 1990. Shortly thereafter in the New Year he retired to Fort Farley, and his post at Shining Time Station was filled by Billy Twofeathers. Harry visited Shining Time Station a few years later on the occasion of his granddaughter Kara's go-kart race.
Harry was portrayed by actor Leonard Jackson. We were sad to learn that Leonard Jackson died in Manhattan on December 22, 2013 after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 85.
BILLY TWOFEATHERS
(Season 1- "One of the Family")
Billy Twofeathers is the resident railroad engineer and handyman at Shining Time Station, who like his predecessor Harry Cupper, has a knack for repairing just about anything. Billy is a reliable, outspoken and well-grounded individual who is proud of his Lakota heritage and culture. He is a talented artist, singer and guitar/flute player. His grandfather, William Twofeathers also worked at Shining Time Station during its early years. Billy is the uncle of Kit Twofeathers, whose now-deceased father was Billy's brother. Billy is also known to have three uncles.
Billy was played by Canadian musician and actor Tom Jackson.
MATT JONES
(Season 1- Season 2: "Field Day")
Matthew ("Matt") Jones is the beloved nephew of Stacy Jones, and the older cousin of Dan Jones. Matt is a regular visitor at Shining Time Station where he sometimes lends his aunt a helping hand keeping everything in order. Matt is the friend of Tanya Cupper, and the two enjoy the company of their grown-up friends, especially Mr. Conductor who regales them with stories and anecdotes from his visits to the Island of Sodor.
Matt Jones was played by actor Jason Woliner.
TANYA CUPPER
(Season 1- Season 2: "Field Day")
Tanya Cupper is the grand-daughter of Harry Cupper, and is the friend of Matt Jones. Practical, kind and good-natured Tanya is a familiar face at Shining Time Station where she and Matt have adventures and taking delight listening to Mr. Conductor's tales about the engines of the Island of Sodor.
Tanya was played by Nicole Rochelle (credited as Nicole Leach).
DAN JONES
(Season 2 - "Second Chances")
Dan Jones is the nephew of Stacy Jones. He became a regular at Shining Time Station since his cousin Matt Jones moved away after Season 1. Soft-spoken and kind, Dan likes to play the harmonica, has an Indian Valley Railroad ticket collection, and has an interest in dancing. His best friends at Shining Time Station are Kara Cupper and Becky.
Dan was played by Canadian-born actor Ari Magder. We were very saddened to learn while building this site that Ari passed away in L.A. on April 27, 2012 at the age of 28 due to complications of pneumonia.
KARA CUPPER
(Season 2 - End)
Kara Cupper is the grand-daughter of Harry Cupper and the cousin of Tanya. She frequents Shining Time Station with her friends Becky and Dan. Kara is outspoken at times, and has a pressed leaf collection as a hobby. Much to her grandfather's delight, Kara had ambitions early on of being a railroad engineer. As Kara matured, her interests in railroading was replaced by music.
Kara was played by Erica Luttrell, who has since pursued a professional acting and musical career.
BECKY
(Season 2 - End)
Becky, whose last name was never revealed, is Kara and Dan's best friend at Shining Time Station. A kind and considerate young lady, we know that Becky has a father, and that she collects pin-on buttons. Her well-groomed appearance and dress suggest that she is from an upper middle-class family (Becky has pretty dresses and she's able to host a large house party as seen in the episode Oh What a Tangled Web).
Becky is one of the few friends at Shining Time Station who has had more direct experience with the effects of Mr. Conductor's magical wishing stars. She's indirectly responsible for the harmless chaos that ensued in Becky Makes a Wish, and for bringing the cowboy from the distant past featured on the station's wall mural to life (Once Upon a Time).
Becky was played by Danielle Marcot.
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Supporting characters we always looked forward to seeing dropping into Shining Time Station.
J.B. KING
J.B. King, Esquire is the superindendent and owner of the Indian Valley Railroad (IVRR). His grandfather B.J. King was an engineer on the line, and has a nephew named "Buster". His father's side of the family hail from Pelican Falls (Queen for a Day).J.B. King runs the IVRR with efficiency from the line's main office. A stern and demanding man, J.B. King nonetheless is fair even as a few of the shenanigans taking place at Shining Time Station (especially by Schemer) try his patience on occasion.
J.B. King is the only adult in the valley who believes in Mr. Conductor's existence, but has yet to see him. His conviction that Mr. Conductor is real stems from a childhood memory where, as a lonely boy waiting for his train to arrive at Shining Time Station, was whispered some comforting words by one of the Conductor Familiy. J.B. King searches for signs of Mr. Conductor on occasion whilst visiting Shining Time Station, once finding his miniature Conductor's cap on the arcade floor. It is probably his belief that Mr. Conductor makes Shining Time Station a very special place that prevents him from permanently closing the station.
The role of J.B. King was played by veteran character actor Mart Hulswit, who held the position of Executive Director at the Episcopal Actors' Guild of America in New York before retiring in 2008.
MAYOR FLOPDINGER
Osgood "Bob" Flopdinger is known to the residents of Indian Valley as the as the mayor of East Shemp, and later Shining Time. Ever the consummate politician, Mayor Flopdinger sees everyone he meets as a potential voter and vote for him. He is always at the ready to make a proclamation or speech to anyone who cares to listen, but he sometimes gets tongue-tied in the delivery and appears distracted. The mayor's arrival and departures at Shining Time Station are always announced by the squealing of tires and the screeching of brakes. The mayor is devoted to his wife, Twilene, and has a morbid fear of offending the Friends of the Flowering Cactus Ladies Auxiliary.
The role of Mayor Flopdinger was played by actor Jerome Dempsey, who passed away in 1998 in New York City at the age of 69.
MIDGE SMOOT
If you need to know who's who and what's going on in the Indian Valley, look no further than Midge Smoot. More than likely, she'll find you first! For her small stature, Midge is a busybody with an ear happy to receive, and a tongue happy to share gossip. A kind woman strong in her convictions, Midge is also the President of the Friends of the Flowering Cactus Ladies Auxiliary. She is also known to have a sister in Cliggyville (S2.20 All's Fair).
Midge was played by veteran Broadway, film and TV actress Bobo Lewis. Bobo passed away in New York City in 1998 at the age of 72.
GINNY
Ginny Johnson is a farmer and the owner of an apple orchard living up the Indian Valley in the community of Farmer's Dell. A colourful good-natured woman matched only by her wardrobe, Ginny always greets her friends at Shining Time Station with a jovial "Hey, Hey, Hey, what do we say?" and often drops hilarious one-liners during conversation such as "Is that a bump on your head, or did you get hit by a lucky horseshoe?".
In her younger years, Ginny was a dance instructor and ran Ginny's Studio of Dance and Manners (Dance Crazy!). She's also the proud owner of a White Western Highland Terrier named Grainger (A Dog's Life), though she often resorts to giving him a new name whenever he causes mischief - from "Rex the Wonder Dog" to "Mister Filthy" (Billy's Party).Ginny drives a 1942-47 model Ford Pickup truck which was seen in Queen for a Day. Ginny is also known to have a married nephew (Billy's Party).
Ginny was played by well-known Canadian actress Barabara Hamilton who sadly succumbed to breast cancer at the age of 69 on Feb. 7, 1996.
FELIX PEREZ
Felix Perez is the jovial owner and operator of the Perez Pronto Bus Company which ferries passengers around all points of the Indian Valley. Felix is very involved in the local theatre as an accomplished actor, artist, writer and director, and has a passion for dancing.
Felix Perez was played by Aurelio Padron.
BARTON WINSLOW
Barton Winslow is the owner and operator of the Shining Time General Store, located on Butternut & Main in the town of Shining Time. A kind and practical man, Barton owns a motorcycle and is noted for a noteworthy quirk - whenever he puts on his leather jacket, his manner of speech immediately switches to "Hip talk" slang from 1950s America. Barton at one point acquired a robotic assistant (Schemer's Robot), and also has an assistant named Mel (Mr. Conductor Gets Left Out).
Barton Winslow was played by Irish-Canadian actor Gerard Parkes who is best known for playing "Doc" on Fraggle Rock. Gerard sadly passed away on October 19, 2014 at his retirement home in Toronto at the age of 90.
SCHEMEE
Schemee is the mischievious young nephew of Schemer. Although he lives in another town, he sometimes comes to visit for a short stay with his uncle, where he always manages to get himself into some manner of trouble. He's adored by his uncle for taking after him in personality, wardrobe and for constantly conjuring up schemes.
Schemee's character was played by Jonathan Shapiro.
KIT TWOFEATHERS
(Second Chances, One of the Family, Queen for a Day)
Kit Twofeathers is Billy's young nephew who came to stay at Shining Time shortly after Dan Jones left. Kit harboured a lot of resentment and often got into trouble after the death of his father (Billy's brother). Initially rejecting his uncle Billy's nurturing and counsel, Kit slowly realized that people really cared for him and to warm up and be accepting of others' friendship.
Kit was a regular cast member of the Shining Time Station Family Specials, and his character was played by Canadian actor Bucky Hill.
JAKE SCOOP
(Season 2: The Magic is Believing, Stop the Press)
Jake Scoop is a newspaper reporter with the Indian Valley Gazette. A confident newsman always on the hunt for a big story, Jake sometimes comes across as being cocky.
Jake Scoop was played by Canadian actor Albert Schultz.
TED TYPO
(Season 3: Stacy Cleans Up, The Mayor Runs for Re-Election)
Ted Typo is an ace reporter with the Indian Valley Gazette who appears to have replaced Jake Scoop after Shining Time Station Season 2.
Ted Typo was played by English-Canadian actor David Hewlett.
