chuggingtonVolume Studios founder Todd Herlitz was invited to join the production of the children’s television series Chuggington as a freelance Lead Character Designer. Over the course of the first two seasons, he played a pivotal role in shaping the visual identity of the show, developing designs for most of the main characters.
From early concept sketches to refined CAD wireframes, Todd’s work blended character storytelling with vehicle design, ensuring each train had a distinct personality while remaining true to the mechanical realism required for animation. Chuggington is available to stream on Netflix and Prime Video Below are a selection of development drawings showcasing some of our favorite characters from the series — a glimpse into the creative process that helped bring Chuggington to life for audiences worldwide. |
kokoKoko was conceived as the energetic, speed-loving electric train — a character whose personality is defined by motion, curiosity, and youthful enthusiasm. The design needed to capture her playful spirit while grounding her in believable locomotive engineering.
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chatsworthChatsworth is a sleek, silver passenger train with a refined and dignified personality. He often carries himself with an air of sophistication, speaking in a posh manner and valuing proper etiquette.
While he can sometimes come across as pompous or overly formal, he’s ultimately kind-hearted and dependable. His design reflects elegance and prestige, making him stand out among the trainees and other engines in the series. |
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old puffer peteOld Puffer Pete was envisioned as the wise elder of Chuggington — a steam engine whose age and experience make him both endearing and authoritative. His design needed to communicate tradition, history, and mentorship, while still appealing to young audiences with warmth and charm.
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frostiniFrostini was envisioned as the flamboyant, larger‑than‑life ice cream train — a character who embodies joy, creativity, and theatrical flair. His role was to bring delight to the town of Chuggington, serving frozen treats with personality and panache. The design needed to balance his playful showmanship with a believable train form, making him both entertaining and mechanically grounded.
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action chuggerAction Chugger was conceived as Chuggington’s resident superhero — a bold, larger‑than‑life character who inspires the trainees with courage, strength, and charisma. His design needed to communicate power and heroism while still fitting seamlessly into the train‑based world of the series. The challenge was to merge the language of comic‑book superheroes with locomotive design, creating a character that felt aspirational yet believable.
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from CAD to characterTo maintain design consistency and ensure proper scaling within the world of Chuggington, we created detailed wireframe CAD data. This geometry provided the animation team with a precise foundation to build, rig, and animate the characters, guaranteeing that each design aligned seamlessly with the show’s inhabitants and environment.
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