The Railway Series facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Railway Series

Map showing the railways on the fictional Island of Sodor
Author	Rev. W. Awdry (1945–1972) Christopher Awdry (1983–2011)
Illustrator	William Middleton (1945) Reginald Payne (1946) C. Reginald Dalby (1948–1956) John T. Kenney (1957–1962) Peter and Gunvor Edwards (1963–1972) Clive Spong (1983–2011)
Cover artist	(see illustrators above)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's
Publisher	Edmund Ward, Ltd. (1945–1968) Kaye & Ward, Ltd. (1952–1998) William Heinemann (1984–1998) Egmont Publishing (1998-present)
Publication date	May 1945 – March 1946 April 1948 – September 1970 October 1972 September 1983 – August 1996 September 2007 July 2011
Published in English	May 1945 – March 1946 April 1948 – September 1970 October 1972 September 1983 – August 1996 September 2007 July 2011

The Railway Series is a popular set of British story books. They are all about a railway system. This railway is found on the make-believe Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in this series. The very first one came out in 1945.

The Rev. Wilbert Awdry wrote 26 of these books. He wrote them until 1972. His son, Christopher Awdry, wrote 16 more. He wrote 14 books between 1983 and 1996. Then he added two more in 2007 and 2011.

Most of The Railway Series stories are based on real events. Awdry loved railways his whole life. He wanted his stories to feel as real as possible. The engine characters are almost all based on real types of locomotives. Some of the railways themselves are like real lines in Britain.

The characters and stories from these books became the famous children's television show Thomas & Friends. You might also know them from The Railway Stories, which are audio versions of the books.

How the Stories Began

The first stories started in 1942. Christopher Awdry, who was two years old, had measles. He had to stay in a dark room. His father, Wilbert Awdry, told him stories and rhymes to cheer him up.

One of Christopher's favorite rhymes was:

Early in the morning,
Down at the station,
All the little engines
Standing in a row.

Along comes the driver,
Pulls the little lever
Puff, puff! Chuff, chuff!
Off we go!

No one knows exactly where this rhyme came from. But it seems to have started before the First World War. Later, in 1948, the words were put to music. Tommy Dorsey's orchestra released it as a song called "Down by the Station".

Christopher asked his father many questions about the rhyme. This led to a short story called "Edward's Day Out". It was about Edward the Blue Engine, an old engine allowed out for a day. Another story about Edward followed. This one also featured Gordon the Big Engine. Gordon was named after a bossy child who lived on the same street.

A third story came from a limerick Christopher liked. Awdry used it to introduce The Sad Story of Henry:

Once, an engine attached to a train
Was afraid of a few drops of rain
It went into a tunnel,
And squeaked through its funnel
And never came out again.

Like the rhyme, the limerick's origin is unclear. Awdry learned that a similar poem was in a 1902 children's book.

This story introduced two popular characters: Henry the Green Engine and the Fat Director. Awdry's wife, Margaret, encouraged him. So, he sent the three stories to a publisher in 1943. The publisher asked for a fourth story. They wanted to bring the three engines together. They also wanted to help Henry, who was stuck in a tunnel.

Wilbert had not planned for the engines to be on the same railway. But he wrote the story Edward, Gordon and Henry. The four stories were published in 1945. They came out as one book, The Three Railway Engines. William Middleton drew the pictures.

At Christmas 1942, a new character was born. Awdry built a toy tank engine for Christopher. It was named Thomas. Christopher asked for stories about Thomas. In 1946, Thomas the Tank Engine was published. Reginald Payne drew the pictures. Wilbert thought Payne's drawings were much better than Middleton's.

This book was also a hit. Awdry was asked to write about James. James first appeared in Thomas and the Breakdown Train. This was the last story in Thomas the Tank Engine. The book James the Red Engine came out in 1948. This was the year British railways became nationalised. From then on, the Fat Director was called the Fat Controller.

James the Red Engine was the first book illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby. He is perhaps the most famous Railway Series artist. He also caused the most arguments with Awdry. Dalby drew pictures for every book up to Percy the Small Engine (1956). He also redrew pictures for The Three Railway Engines and changed some in Thomas the Tank Engine.

Later books brought in other popular characters. These included Annie and Clarabel, Percy the Small Engine, and Toby the Tram Engine.

Awdry wanted his stories to be very real. He got many ideas from his large library. The "Scrapheap" column in the Railway Gazette was very helpful. It gave him ideas for unusual railway events. He then used these for The Railway Series characters.

Awdry kept writing The Railway Series until 1972. That's when Tramway Engines (book 26) was published. He found it harder to think of new stories. He felt his ideas had "run dry" and decided to stop. He didn't write any more Railway Series books. But he did write a story for the TV show, Thomas's Christmas Party. He also made some early stories longer. He also wrote The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways. Plus, he wrote short stories and articles for Thomas the Tank Engine Annuals.

Stories with Engines that Act Like People

Giving human qualities to engines is not new in literature. Rudyard Kipling did this in his 1897 story ".007".

Christopher Awdry Continues the Series

Christopher Awdry, for whom the stories were first made, continued writing almost by chance. He loved railways, just like his father. He visited the Nene Valley Railway. There, he got an idea for his first story. A railway worker told him about an engine running out of steam. This became Triple Header. In this story, Thomas, Percy, and Duck try to pull Gordon's Express. But it's too much for them. Christopher thought of three more stories: Stop Thief!, Mind That Bike, and Fish.

He showed them to his father, who approved. His father suggested he send them to a publisher. At that time, the television show was being made. So, Kaye and Ward, the publishers, wanted to bring The Railway Series back. The book Really Useful Engines came out in 1983. It's interesting that W. Awdry had thought of this title for his own 27th book.

Thirteen more books followed. This included the 50th anniversary book, Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines. Christopher also wrote stories for the TV show. One important one was More About Thomas the Tank Engine. This was the 30th Railway Series book.

However, Christopher Awdry started having problems with his publishers. This happened because the TV show was so popular. The TV show made Thomas the main character. So, he became the most famous engine. Publishers wanted more stories about Thomas. They wanted fewer stories about other characters. To find a middle ground, some books were named after Thomas. But they didn't really focus on him. Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines had only one story about Thomas. Thomas Comes Home didn't feature Thomas until the very last page.

The 40th book, New Little Engine, came out in 1996. The publisher, Egmont, decided they didn't want to publish new Railway Series books. They also let the old books go out of print.

But in 2005, Christopher's own company, Sodor Enterprises, published a book. It was called Sodor: Reading Between the Lines. This book added more details to the fictional world of Sodor. It talked about the facts of the series. With his company, he also wrote other children's books about railways. Most of these were about real railways in Britain. He still promotes the original stories. He also takes part in Railway Series events.

In 2006, the publishers changed their minds. They started re-releasing the books in their original form. After many years, Christopher's first fourteen books were re-released. This happened in August 2007.

On September 3, 2007, Christopher published a new book. It was Thomas and Victoria. This made the series 41 books long. Clive Spong drew the pictures. The book talks about saving old railway items.

The Series Ends

For many years, many Railway Series books were hard to find. Publishers would not print new stories. In 2004, only the first 26 books were printed. By 2005, the 60th anniversary, the Awdry family was still sad. They wanted all the stories published in their original form. In August 2007, Christopher Awdry's first fourteen books were reissued. Book 41, Thomas and Victoria, came out the next month. A collection of Christopher Awdry's books, The New Collection, was also released. In July 2011, Egmont Books UK released another Railway Series book. It was number 42, called Thomas and his Friends. The last story ended with the words "The End".

Christopher Awdry said he had more stories. He hoped they would be published. He told new stories about the narrow-gauge engines. He did this on 'Duncan Days' at the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. But there is no sign these will be published. His 2005 book Sodor: Reading Between the Lines updated readers. It told them what happened since 1996.

The Artists Who Drew the Pictures

The Railway Series is loved for its pictures as much as its writing. After World War II, the drawings were seen as very bright and lively. Some people even said the pictures were better than the writing!

William Middleton drew the first edition of The Three Railway Engines. Awdry was not happy with his work. The second artist was Reginald Payne. He drew Thomas the Tank Engine in a more realistic way. Awdry liked his pictures, even after a small argument about how Thomas should look.

Payne could not be found to draw James the Red Engine. He had suffered a nervous breakdown. So, C. Reginald Dalby was hired. Dalby also drew the next eight books. The Three Railway Engines was reprinted with Dalby's art. Dalby also improved Payne's art in the second book. Readers liked Dalby's work. But the author, Awdry, did not. They often argued about how accurate the drawings were. Dalby left the series in 1956. This was after an argument about Percy the Small Engine in his book. Awdry had built a model of Percy for the artist. But Dalby did not use it. Even with their arguments, Dalby is the most remembered artist.

For The Eight Famous Engines (1957), John T. Kenney took over. His style was less colorful but more realistic. Kenney used Awdry's model engines as a guide. He cared about realism and accuracy. So, he and Awdry worked well together. This lasted until Gallant Old Engine (1962). Then, Kenney's eyesight started to fail.

The next artist was Gunvor Edwards from Sweden. She started drawing Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine. But she felt it wasn't right for her. Her husband, Peter, helped her with that book. He then took over the drawing. Both artists were given credit. The "Edwards era" lasted until Wilbert Awdry's last book, Tramway Engines. Their style was realistic, but also a bit like impressionistic art.

When Christopher Awdry became the author in 1983, the publisher wanted a new artist. They wanted drawings that were as appealing as Dalby's. But they also wanted the realism of Kenney and Edwards. Clive Spong was chosen. He drew all of Christopher Awdry's books. He drew more books than any other artist. He also drew pictures for other stories by the Awdrys. His art was used in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.

Book Design and Look

The books were made in an unusual landscape shape. Each book was about 60 pages long. About 30 pages had text, and 30 had pictures. This shape, and the smaller size, made them appealing to young children. Each book from Thomas the Tank Engine onwards had a foreword. This was a short introduction to the book, its characters, or its ideas. They were written like a letter, usually to "Dear Friends" (the readers). Sometimes they were to children who helped create the story. The foreword to Thomas the Tank Engine was a letter to Christopher Awdry. This part often talked about real railways or thanked people and groups. The foreword to The Little Old Engine is special. It admits that Skarloey (and all of The Railway Series) is made up.

The unique shape of the books made them easy to spot. But booksellers complained they were hard to display. They even said they could be easily stolen. Still, other publishers copied the format. Ian Allan used it for their Sammy the Shunter and Chuffalong books.

It was rare for children's books of that time to be printed in full color. But The Railway Series was in full color from the start. Many people say this was a big reason for its early success.

The Island of Sodor

Rev. W. Awdry got many letters from young fans. They asked questions about the engines and their railway. They also pointed out things that didn't quite match up in the stories. To answer these, he started to create a detailed world for the books.

He visited the Isle of Man. There, he learned that the bishop is called the Bishop of Sodor and Man. The "Sodor" part comes from the Sudreys. But Awdry decided that a fictional island named Sodor would be perfect. He placed it between the Isle of Man and England.

With his brother George, a librarian, he slowly created Sodor's history. They made up its geography, language, industries, and even its rocks! All these details were published in the book The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways in 1987.

People in the Stories

The Awdrys wrote about Sodor as if it were a real place they visited. They said the stories came directly from the engines and Controllers. This was often mentioned in the foreword of each book.

In some of W. Awdry's later books, he appeared as a character. He was called the Thin Clergyman. He was described as a writer. But his real name and link to the series were never clearly stated.

He was always with the Fat Clergyman, Rev. "Teddy" Boston. Teddy was a fellow railway fan and a close friend. The two Clergymen were shown as railway enthusiasts. They annoyed the Small Engines and found Duke the Lost Engine. They were often funny characters. They might get splashed with water or fall through a roof.

Awdry also appeared in some pictures. This was usually a joke by the artist. In one picture by John T. Kenney, Awdry appears with someone who looks like C. Reginald Dalby. Some think this was a jab at Dalby's inaccurate drawing of Duck.

A vicar appears in Edward the Blue Engine and other books. He owns Trevor the Traction Engine. This might be a nod to Teddy Boston. He had saved a traction engine from being scrapped.

C. Reginald Dalby drew the whole Awdry family. Wilbert, Margaret, Christopher, Veronica, and Hilary were shown watching Percy. This was in "Percy runs away" in Troublesome Engines. Christopher Awdry never appeared in the books himself. But he often wrote about meeting the engines in the book forewords. He usually did this with some humor.

Other people linked to The Railway Series were also mentioned. In Dalby's books, he hinted at himself twice on store signs. He also mentioned E.T.L. Marriott, who edited The Railway Series. Peter Edwards said he based Gordon's face on Eric Marriot's.

The Fat Controller was a made-up character. He was first called The Fat Director. This was before Britain's railways became nationalized in 1948. Mr. Gerard Fiennes, a top manager on British Railways, wrote a book. He wanted to call it "The Fat Controller." But his publishers said no.

The Thin Controller managed the narrow-gauge trains. These books were based on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. The Thin Controller was based on Mr. Edward Thomas. He was the manager of the Talyllyn Railway before fans took it over in 1951.

Many stories came from short articles in railway magazines. There were not many such magazines back then. But the monthly Railway Magazine was popular. The origins of several stories can be found there. Also, railway books by Mr. Hamilton Ellis inspired some stories.

British Railways: The "Other Railway"

Changes on British Railways were often shown in The Railway Series. Sometimes they were made fun of or even criticized. For example, the book Troublesome Engines (1950) was about railway worker strikes. As the series went on, comparisons to real British railways became clearer. Engines and places from British Railways (always called "The Other Railway") appeared.

A big topic was the end of steam engines. Diesel engines were replacing them. The first time this was really shown was in Duck and the Diesel Engine (1958). An unpleasant diesel shunter arrives. He causes trouble and is sent away. This idea came up again in The Twin Engines (1960). An engine is ordered from Scotland, but two arrive. This suggests the other came to Sodor to avoid being scrapped.

The 1963 book Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine explained that steam engines were being scrapped. This was to make way for diesels. Again, a diesel got what was coming to him. The book Enterprising Engines came out in 1968. This was the year steam engines disappeared from British Railways. This book was the most critical of dieselisation and Dr Beeching's modernisation plan. It features another proud diesel who is sent away. Another diesel stays on Sodor. The real Flying Scotsman visits. A steam engine, Oliver, makes a daring escape to Sodor. And Sir Topham Hatt declares that his railway's steam engines will stay in service.

After that, the books were less critical of British Railways. By Christopher Awdry's 1984 book James and the Diesel Engines, the series admitted that diesels could be useful.

Saving Old Railways

W. Awdry used the books to support steam railways in the UK. The first example was the Skarloey Railway. This railway on Sodor was very much like the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. W. Awdry was a member of this real railway. Books about the Skarloey Railway would promote the Talyllyn Railway. This was done in the stories, a note, or the foreword. Many pictures in the books show real places on the Talyllyn Railway. Also, many events from Tom Rolt's book Railway Adventure appear in the Skarloey Railway stories.

From the 1980s, this connection grew stronger. The Awdrys allowed the Talyllyn Railway to paint one of their engines. It was painted to look like its Sodor "twin." The first engine was No. 3, Sir Haydn. It was painted to look like the character Sir Handel. The second was No. 4, Edward Thomas, which became Peter Sam. In 2006, No. 6, Douglas, runs as Duncan. These engines have paint schemes and names from the books. They also have fiberglass "faces" from the books. Children love these faces, but some railway fans do not. Christopher Awdry wrote these engine appearances into The Railway Series. He wrote about the fictional engines visiting the Talyllyn Railway.

Two other Sodor railways are based on real ones. The Culdee Fell Railway (Mountain Railway) is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway in Wales. The Arlesdale Railway is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria. Some other Sodor lines are also inspired by real lines. For example, the Mid Sodor Railway is like the Ffestiniog and Corris Railway. The Little Western looks like the South Devon Railway.

From Duck and the Diesel Engine onwards, real engines and railways were clearly shown. Characters like Flying Scotsman, City of Truro, Stepney, and Wilbert were real locomotives. They appeared a lot in The Railway Series. Two of them, Stepney and Wilbert, had whole books about them. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine and Wilbert the Forest Engine. Wilbert's appearance was special. The real engine was named after W. Awdry. He was the president of the Dean Forest Railway at the time. Christopher Awdry wrote Wilbert the Forest Engine to say thank you.

Thomas and the Great Railway Show (1991) showed Thomas visiting the National Railway Museum in York. Several real locomotives there also appeared. At the end of this book, Thomas becomes an honorary member of the National Collection. This was like real life. The Railway Series was added to the National Railway Museum's large library. This was to recognize its impact on saving old railways.

Thomas and Victoria (2007) is about saving and fixing an old coach. Victoria had been used as a summerhouse in an orchard. But the Fat Controller rescued her. He sent her to the works at Crovan's Gate to be fixed. She then became part of the vintage train. She worked with Toby and Henrietta. Creating a vintage train is based on what the Furness Railway Trust does. Fixing old coaches is common on heritage railways.

Main Characters

The series has many characters. Some are railway-based, and some are not. Here are some of the most famous ones:

All the Books

Here is a list of all 42 books in The Railway Series.

See also

In Spanish: The Railway Series para niños