Edward the Blue Engine

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{{Youmay|''the book''|''[[Edward|the steam engine]]'', ''[[Edward (Story Library Book)|the Story Library book]]'', ''[[Edward (1997 magazine story)|the 1997 magazine story]]'' or ''[[Edward (magazine story)|the other magazine story]]''}}
{{Infobox Book
|title1 = Edward the Blue Engine
|image1 = EdwardtheBlueEngine2015Cover.jpg
|author = [[Wilbert Awdry|The Rev. W. Awdry]]
|illustrator = [[C. Reginald Dalby]]
|publisher = * [[Edmund Ward]] {{Note|1954-1968}}
* [[Kaye & Ward]] {{Note|1968-1998}}
* [[Egmont Publishing]] {{Note|1998-present}}
|series = [[The Railway Series]]
|published = 23rd November 1954 - present
|previous = [[Gordon the Big Engine]]
|next = [[Four Little Engines]]
}}
{{Quote|People say ''I'm'' old-fashioned, but I don't care. The Fat Controller says I'm a Useful Engine.|Edward talking to Trevor}}
'''''Edward the Blue Engine''''' is the ninth book of [[The Railway Series|the ''Railway Series'']].

==Foreword==
Dear Friends,<br />
I think most of you are fond of Edward. His [[Drivers|Driver]] and [[Firemen|Fireman]], Charlie Sand and Sidney Hever, are fond of him, too. They were very pleased when they knew I was giving Edward a book all to himself.

Edward is old and some of the other engines were rude about the clanking noise he made as he did his work.

They aren't rude now! These stories tell you why.<br />
[[Wilbert Awdry|The Author]]

==Stories==
===''[[Cows]]''===
Edward is pulling [[Animal Wagons|cattle trucks]] when some disgruntled cows run into the train and break a coupling. Edward does not realise until he gets home, causing Gordon and Henry to laugh at him. Gordon is pulling the express the next day when he is stopped by a cow on [[Hawin Croka|a bridge]]. Henry, both crews and the passengers try to move her, but to no avail. Henry's guard goes for help and a porter brings the cow's calf to the bridge to lure her away. Edward soon finds out and makes fun of the big engines.

===''[[Bertie's Chase]]''===
Edward is running late when Thomas' train fails to arrive. Bertie arrives with Thomas' passengers - Thomas' fireman was ill - and seeing Edward has left, chases him to Crosby, but misses him there too. Bertie's driver and the stationmaster make a plan and they finally catch up with him at Wellsworth, where Bertie explains the whole story to Edward. Edward apologises and leaves with his passengers safely on board.

===''[[Saved from Scrap]]''===
Edward meets a traction engine named Trevor, who is due to be scrapped next week. Edward decides to find a home for Trevor and when he sees the Vicar, he persuades him to buy Trevor. The Vicar goes to the scrapyard and after seeing Trevor prove his worthfulness, buys him and Trevor goes to live in the Vicarage Orchard.

===''[[Old Iron]]''===
James gets cross with Edward's being late and calls him "old iron". The next day, James' driver is ill and while his fireman gets a "relief", two boys wander into the cab and start James. Edward chases after him and after a long chase, an inspector manages to hook James with a length of rope and James' fireman checks his speed. The Fat Controller sends Edward to [[The Railway Works|the Works]] as a reward, the boys are caught by the police and disciplined and James' driver recovers in the hospital.

==Characters==
===Cows===
* [[Edward]]
* [[Henry]]
* [[Gordon]]
* [[Toby]]
* [[Animals#Bluebell|Bluebell]]

===Bertie's Chase===
*[[Edward]]
*[[Bertie]]
*[[Thomas]] {{mentioned}}
===Saved from Scrap===
*[[Edward]]
*[[Trevor]]
* [[The Vicar of Wellsworth]]
* [[Jem Cole]]
* [[Sir Topham Hatt|Sir Charles Topham Hatt II]] {{mentioned}}
===Old Iron===
*[[Thomas]]
*[[Edward]]
*[[James]]
*[[Sir Topham Hatt|Sir Charles Topham Hatt II]]
* [[Percy]] {{not seen}}
* [[Henry]] {{cameo}}
* [[Minor Human Characters in the Railway Series#The Naughty Boys|The Naughty Boys]] {{Mentioned}}

==Locations==
===Cows===
* [[Balladrine Bridge]]
** [[Hawin Russagh]]
* [[Wellsworth]] {{mentioned}}
* [[Gordon's Hill]] {{mentioned}}
* [[The Viaduct]] {{mentioned}}

===Bertie's Chase===
* [[Knapford]]
* [[Crosby]]
** [[Crosby Tunnel]]
* [[Wellsworth]]

===Saved from Scrap===
* [[Crocks Scrap Yard]]
* [[Wellsworth]]
** [[Wellsworth Vicarage Orchard]]

===Old Iron===
* [[Wellsworth]]
* [[Killdane]]
* [[Kellsthorpe Road]]
* [[Tidmouth Sheds]]
* [[Gordon's Hill]] {{mentioned}}
* [[Wellsworth Hospital]] {{Mentioned}}
* [[The Railway Works|The Works]] {{Mentioned}}

==Trivia==
* Bertie's numberplate is "CRD 54". This is a reference to the artist and the year of publication.
* In the third illustration of ''Saved from Scrap'', there is a shop with the sign above the canopy reading "C.R.DA.", referring to the artist.
* ''Cows'' is based on two events. One, in South Africa, involved a herd of elephants charging and breaking a train on 28th November 1952 and the other involved a herd of cows blocking the line and leaving three passenger trains stranded for an hour and a half on Boxing Day, 1952.
* ''Bertie's Chase'' is based on an event which occurred in Ireland.
* ''Saved from Scrap'' is inspired by a traction engine owned by the Vicar of Magdalen, East Anglia, England.
* ''Old Iron '' is based on an event noted in Daily Express, later reprinted in The Railway Gazette, in which a runaway train in Alton, Illinois was rescued with a lasso.
* This is the first book to be narrated by [[Willie Rushton]]. He would later re-narrate [[Four Little Engines]] and [[Percy the Small Engine]].
* The events of this book take place in 1952, right before Four Little Engines.

==Goofs==
* In the third and fourth illustrations of ''Cows!'', Gordon is missing his steampipes.
* The text says that the last seven cattle trucks were left behind while the illustration shows six cattle trucks and the [[Brake Vans|brake van]]. Similarly, the coupling is said to have broken between the thirteenth and fourteenth trucks, but the picture shows that it was between the fourteenth and fifteenth trucks.
* In ''Old Iron'', the text says that James and Edward arrive at the station side by side, but James is pictured as being coupled in front of Edward.
* In the third and fifth illustrations of ''Bertie's Chase'', the bridge is shown to be before Crosby Station, but in maps of [[Island of Sodor|Sodor]], it is shown to be after the station of Crosby.
* In the first illustration of'' Old Iron'', [[Suddery Junction]] is seen on the wrong side of the station.

==In Other Languages==
{{Other Languages
|CHI = 爱德华不是老废铁
|JPN = 青い機関車エドワード
|KOR = 파란 기관차 에드워드
}}
{{The Railway Series}}

[[de:Edward the Blue Engine]]
[[es:Edward la Locomotora Azul]]
[[he:אדוארד הקטר הכחול]]
[[ja:青い機関車エドワード]]
[[pl:Edek, Niebieska Lokomotywa]] [[ru:Голубой паровозик Эдвард]]