The Railway Series

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The Railway Series is a series of British books about a

Audio adaptations of The Railway Series have been recorded at various times under the title The Railway Stories.

Origins

The stories began in 1942, when Christopher Awdry, at the age of two, had measles and was confined to a darkened room. His father told him stories and rhymes to cheer him up. One of Christopher's favourite rhymes was:^[1]

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!

The origins of this rhyme are unknown, but research by

A third story had its origins in a limerick of which Christopher was fond,^[3] and which Awdry used to introduce The Sad Story of Henry:^[4]

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.

As with the previous rhyme, the origins of this are uncertain, but Awdry received a letter telling him that a similar poem had appeared in a book of children's rhymes, published in 1902:^[3]

Once an engine when fixed to a train
Was alarmed at a few drops of rain,
So went "puff" from its funnel
Then fled to a tunnel,
And would not come out again.

This story introduced the popular characters

Christmas 1942 saw the genesis of the character that grew to become the most famous fictional locomotive in the world. Awdry constructed a toy

James the Red Engine was notable as the first book to be illustrated by

Successive books would introduce such popular characters as Annie and Clarabel,

Anthropomorphisation of locomotives has a literary tradition extending back at least as far as the writings of Rudyard Kipling in his 1897 story ".007".^[6]

Continuing series under Christopher Awdry

Christopher Awdry was a keen railway enthusiast like his father. On a visit to the

In July 2011, Egmont released the 42nd book in the series: Thomas and his Friends. The final story ended with the words "The End".[5]

Christopher Awdry said that he had other material, which he hoped would be published. He narrated new stories about the narrow-gauge engines on "Duncan Days" at the Talyllyn Railway in Wales.^{[citation needed]}

Illustrators

The Railway Series is perhaps as highly regarded for its illustrations as for its writing, which in the immediate post-Second World War era were seen as uniquely vivid and colourful. Indeed, some critics (notably Miles Kington) have claimed that the quality of the illustrations outshines that of the writing.

The first edition of The Three Railway Engines was illustrated by the artist William Middleton, with whom Awdry was deeply dissatisfied. The second artist to work on the series was Reginald Payne, who illustrated Thomas the Tank Engine in a far more realistic style. Despite an early disagreement as to how Thomas should look, Awdry was ultimately pleased with the pictures produced.

Payne later suffered a nervous breakdown and proved impossible to contact to illustrate James the Red Engine, so C. Reginald Dalby was hired. Dalby also illustrated the next eight books in the series. The Three Railway Engines was reprinted with Dalby's artwork replacing William Middleton's and Dalby also touched up Payne's artwork in the second book. Dalby's work on the series proved popular with readers, but not with the author, who repeatedly clashed with him over issues of accuracy and consistency. Dalby resigned from the series in 1956, following an argument over the portrayal of

When Christopher Awdry took over as author of the series in 1983, the publisher was keen to find an illustrator who would provide work that had the gem-like appeal of Dalby's pictures, but also had the realism of Kenney and Edwards' artwork. The artist chosen was Clive Spong. He illustrated all of Christopher Awdry's books, a greater number than any other artist working on The Railway Series. He also produced illustrations for a number of spin-off stories written by the Awdrys, and his artwork was used in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.

Format and presentation

The books were produced in an unusual

Each book from Thomas the Tank Engine onwards opened with a foreword. This would act as a brief introduction to the book, its characters or its themes. They were written as a letter, usually to the readers (addressed as "Dear Friends") but sometimes to individual children who had played some part in the story's creation. The foreword to Thomas the Tank Engine was a letter to Christopher Awdry. This section would often advertise real railways or acknowledge the assistance of people or organisations. The foreword to

The unusual shape of the books made them instantly recognisable. However, it did prompt complaints from booksellers that they were difficult to display, and even that they could easily be shoplifted.^[

and Chuffalong books.

Unusually for children's books of the austerity period, The Railway Series was printed in full colour from the start, which is cited by many critics^[who?] as one of its major selling points in the early days.

Sodor

Main article: Sodor (fictional island)

The Rev. W. Awdry received numerous letters from young fans asking questions about the engines and their railway, as well as letters concerning inconsistencies within the stories. In an effort to answer these, he began to develop a specific setting for the books. On a visit to the Isle of Man, he discovered that the bishop there is known as the Bishop of Sodor and Man. The "Sodor" part of the title comes from the Sudreys, but Awdry decided that a fictional island between the Isle of Man and England by that name would be an ideal setting for his stories.

In partnership with his brother George (the librarian of the

The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways

in 1987.

Cameo appearances

The Awdrys both wrote about Sodor as if it were a real place that they visited, and that the stories were obtained first-hand. This was often "documented" in the foreword to each book. In some of W. Awdry's later books he appeared as the Thin Clergyman and was described as a writer, though his name and connections to the series were never made explicit. He was invariably accompanied by the Fat Clergyman, based on the

railway enthusiasts

, and were responsible for annoying the Small Engines and discovering Duke the Lost Engine. They were often figures of fun, liable to be splashed with water or to fall through a roof.

Awdry also appeared in a number of illustrations, usually as a joke on the part of the illustrator. In one illustration by John T. Kenney in Duck and the Diesel Engine he appears with a figure who bears a strong resemblance to C. Reginald Dalby, which

Edward the Blue Engine and other volumes as the owner of Trevor the Traction Engine. This may be a reference to Teddy Boston, who had himself saved a traction engine from scrap^{[citation needed}

].

Dalby illustrated the entire Awdry family – Wilbert, Margaret, Christopher, Veronica and Hilary – watching Percy pass through a station ("Percy runs away" in

Troublesome Engines (p53)).^[10]

This was Christopher Awdry's only appearance in an illustration, but he often described meetings with the engines in the book forewords, usually with some degree of humour.

Other people associated with The Railway Series were also referenced. In Dalby's books, he made allusions to himself twice on store signs (Seen in Off the Rails and Saved from Scrap) and a reference to E.T.L. Marriott, who edited The Railway Series, in Percy Takes the Plunge on a "Ship Chandlers" company sign. Peter Edwards also notes that he based

Gordon's face on Eric Marriot's^{[citation needed}

].

The Fat Controller (originally The Fat Director in the earliest books which pre-dated the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948) was a fictional character, although Christopher Awdry has conceded that his doctor at the time may have provided an 'unconscious contribution' for his father.[11] The Thin Controller, in charge of the narrow-gauge engines in the books was based on Mr Edward Thomas, the manager of the Talyllyn Railway in its last years before enthusiasts took it over in 1951.^{[citation needed]}

A number of the stories are based on articles which appeared in railway enthusiast publications of the period. The monthly Railway Magazine was a long-running enthusiasts' companion and the origins of several stories can be recognised. The railway books written by C. Hamilton Ellis, were another source.^[11]

British Railways: The Other Railway

Developments on

Troublesome Engines

(1950), for example, dealt with industrial disputes on British Railways. As the series went on, comparisons with the real railways of Britain became more explicit, with engines and locations of British Railways (always known as "The Other Railway") making appearances in major or cameo roles.

The most obvious theme relating to British Railways was the decline of steam locomotion and its replacement with diesels. The first real instance of this was in the book

modernisation plan. It features yet another arrogant diesel who is sent away, an additional one who stays on the Island of Sodor, a visit by the real Flying Scotsman locomotive, a steam engine, Oliver

, making a daring escape to Sodor, and Sir Topham Hatt making a declaration that the steam engines of his railway will still be in service.

Thereafter, the books were less critical towards British Rail. Indeed, by the time of Christopher Awdry's 1984 book

James and the Diesel Engines

, the series was acknowledging that diesels could, in fact, be useful.

Preservation movement

W. Awdry used the books to promote steam railways in the United Kingdom. The Skarloey Railway was based on the

Tom Rolt

in his book Railway Adventure were adapted for Skarloey stories.

From the 1980s onwards, the Awdrys permitted the Talyllyn Railway to repaint one of their engines in the guise of its Skarloey Railway "twin". The first engine to receive this treatment was No. 3, Sir Haydn, repainted to resemble the character Sir Handel. The second was No. 4, Edward Thomas, which became Peter Sam. In 2006 No. 6, Douglas ran in the guise of Duncan. As well as paint schemes and names taken from the books' artwork, these locomotives are fitted with fibreglass "faces". These characters' appearances have been written into The Railway Series by Christopher Awdry in the form of visits by the fictional engines to the Talyllyn Railway.

Two other railways on Sodor are based on real railways: The

Culdee Fell Railway (usually known as the Mountain Railway) is based on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, also in Wales, and the Arlesdale Railway is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria (also mentioned in a footnote). Some other lines on Sodor are heavily inspired by real lines. The Mid Sodor Railway acknowledges the Ffestiniog and Corris Railway and the Little Western bears a resemblance to the South Devon Railway.^{[citation needed}

]

From

Wilbert the Forest Engine

in gratitude.

In

Iron Duke and Green Arrow. At the end of this book, Thomas is made an honorary member of the National Collection. This was mirrored by the real-life inclusion of The Railway Series in the National Railway Museum's library of railway books in recognition of their influence on railway preservation.^{[citation needed}

]

Henrietta. The formation of a vintage train is based on the activities by the Furness Railway Trust.^[12]

Characters

Main article: List of characters in The Railway Series

The series has featured numerous characters, both railway-based and otherwise. Some of the more notable ones are:

• Thomas the Tank Engine
• Edward the Blue Engine
• Henry the Green Engine
• Gordon the Big Engine
• James the Red Engine
• Percy the Small Engine
• Toby the Tram Engine
• Duck the Great Western Engine
• Donald and Douglas the Scottish Twin Engines
• Oliver the Western Engine
• Trevor the Traction Engine
• Annie and Clarabel, Thomas's coaches
• Bertie the Bus
• Terence the Tractor
• Harold the Helicopter
• The Fat Controller
• Stepney the 'Bluebell' Engine
• Godred the Mountain Engine
• Engines at the National Railway Museum
• Flying Scotsman

Books

Main article: List of books in The Railway Series

The following table lists the titles of all 42 books in The Railway Series.

Author	Volume	Title	Publication	Characters' first appearance	Illustrator	Publisher
Rev. W. Awdry	1	The Three Railway Engines	12 May 1945	The Fat Director (later renamed "The Fat Controller" (also known as "Sir Topham Hatt") starting in James the Red Engine)	William Middleton (later completely redrawn by C. Reginald Dalby )	Edmund Ward, Ltd.
	2	Thomas the Tank Engine	14 September 1946	Thomas · James · Annie and Clarabel	Reginald Payne (later partially redrawn by C. Reginald Dalby)
	3	James the Red Engine	14 September 1948		C. Reginald Dalby
	4	Tank Engine Thomas Again	31 December 1949	Terence  · Bertie
	5	Troublesome Engines	15 January 1950	Percy
	6	Henry the Green Engine	10 July 1951
	7	Toby the Tram Engine	26 July 1952	Henrietta		Kaye & Ward, Ltd.
	8	Gordon the Big Engine	19 June 1953
	9	Edward the Blue Engine	23 November 1954	Trevor
	10	Four Little Engines	22 November 1955	Skarloey · Sir Handel  · Peter Sam · Thin Controller · The Owner · Carriages: Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima, Beatrice · Mrs. Last
	11	Percy the Small Engine	1 January 1956	Duck · Harold
	12	The Eight Famous Engines	15 September 1957	The Foreign Engine  · Jinty and Pug	John T. Kenney
	13	Duck and the Diesel Engine	23 June 1958	Diesel
	14	The Little Old Engine	1 January 1959	Rusty · Duncan  · Carriages: Cora, Ada, Jane, Mabel, Gertrude, Millicent
	15	The Twin Engines	15 September 1960	Donald and Douglas · Spiteful Brake Van
	16	Branch Line Engines	15 September 1961	Daisy
	17	Gallant Old Engine	1 January 1962	George the Steamroller · Nancy the Guard's Daughter
	18	Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine	15 August 1963	Stepney · Engines at the Bluebell Railway · Caroline the car · The Diesel/D4711	Peter and Gunvor Edwards
	19	Mountain Engines	15 August 1964	Mr Walter Richards
	20	Very Old Engines	15 June 1965	Neil
	21	Main Line Engines	15 November 1966	Bill and Ben
	22	Small Railway Engines	1 August 1967	Mike · Rex · Bert · Ballast Spreader · The Small Controller
	23	Enterprising Engines	4 October 1968	Flying Scotsman · Oliver  · Toad the Brake Van · Coaches: Isabel, Dulcie, Alice, Mirabel
	24	Oliver the Western Engine	15 November 1969	S.C.Ruffey · Bulgy		Kaye & Ward, Ltd.
	25	Duke the Lost Engine	15 October 1970	Duke · Falcon · Stuart · Stanley
	26	Tramway Engines	15 October 1972	Mavis
Christopher Awdry	27	Really Useful Engines	12 September 1983	Tom Tipper	Clive Spong
	28	James and the Diesel Engines	17 September 1984	The Works Diesel		Kaye & Ward, Ltd. William Heinemann, Ltd.
	29	Great Little Engines	28 October 1985
	30	More About Thomas the Tank Engine	22 September 1986
	31	Gordon the High-Speed Engine	7 September 1987	Pip & Emma
	32	Toby, Trucks and Trouble	19 September 1988	The Old Engine · Bulstrode
	33	Thomas and the Twins	11 September 1989
	34	Jock the New Engine	6 August 1990	Arlesdale Railway engines: Frank · Jock
	35	Thomas and the Great Railway Show	12 August 1991	Engines at the National Railway Museum
	36	Thomas Comes Home	15 June 1992
	37	Henry and the Express	8 April 1993
	38	Wilbert the Forest Engine	8 August 1994	Wilbert · Sixteen
	39	Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines	1 August 1995
	40	New Little Engine	8 August 1996	Fred · Kathy & Lizzie (cleaners) · Ivo Hugh
	41	Thomas and Victoria	3 September 2007	Victoria  · Helena  · Albert		Egmont Publishing
	42	Thomas and His Friends	6 July 2011

References in popular culture

Satirical magazine Private Eye produced a book called Thomas the Privatised Tank Engine, written in the style of The Railway Series. The stories were strongly critical of private railway companies and the Government of John Major, and covered subjects such as the Channel Tunnel, London Underground, transport of radioactive waste and the perceived dangerous state of the railways.

Andrew Lloyd Webber wanted to produce a musical television series based on The Railway Series, but Awdry refused to give him the control he wanted. Lloyd Webber would go on to compose the 1984 musical Starlight Express, and create The Really Useful Group, a name inspired by the catchphrase "Really Useful Engines".

There have been three adaptations of the series produced. The first was an unsuccessful pilot in 1953, which was filmed live and had a number of technical errors. Around three decades later came the

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go!

, a spin-off of the previous series which uses 2D animation and a more cartoonish style.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Sibley, p. 96
2. ^ Sibley, p. 98
3. ^ ^{a b} Sibley, pp. 99–100
4. ISBN 0-434-92778-3
   .
5. ^ ^{a b} Kagachi, Chihiro (2014). Christopher Awdry: A Biography.
6. ^ Wilson. ".007".
7. ^ Mansfield, Susan (6 May 2005). "Steaming Ahead for Six Decades". The Scotsman. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
8. ^ "The Artists of The Railway Series". Sodor Island - A Thomas Fan Site. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
9. ^ "Teddy Boston - the Fat Clergyman". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017.
10. ^ Sibley, p. 150
11. ^
    ISBN 978-0954966515
    .
12. ^ "The Furness Railway Company". www.furnessrailwaytrust.org.uk.

References

• ISBN 0-434-96909-5
  .
• Wilson, Alastair. ".007". The Kipling Society. Retrieved 14 June 2015.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Railway Series.

• List of The Railway Series books at the
  PDF
  ).
• The Real Lives of Thomas the Tank Engine—documents real influences behind the series
• Awdry Family Website at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 April 2008)
• Sodor Enterprises (publishing company) at the Wayback Machine (archived 22 December 2007)