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{{Tab|tab1=Main Page|tab2=Gallery}}
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{{Book
  
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{{Infobox Book
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|image=[[File:TheRailwaySerieslogo.jpg|250px]]
  
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|book name=The Railway Series
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|title1=The Railway Series
  +
|image1=File:TheRailwaySerieslogo.png
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|author=[[Reverend W. Awdry]]<br/>[[Christopher Awdry]]<br/>[[George Awdry]]
  
  +
|author=
−
|illustrated by=[[William Middleton]] (''formerly'')<br/>[[Reginald Payne]]<br/>[[C. Reginald Dalby]]<br/>[[John T. Kenney]]<br/>[[Gunvor and Peter Edwards|Gunvor and<br/>Peter Edwards]]<br/>[[Clive Spong]]<br/>[[Stephen Lings]]
  
  +
* [[Wilbert Awdry|The Rev. W. Awdry]] {{Note|1945–1972}}
−
|published=1945-2011
  
  +
* [[Christopher Awdry]] {{Note|1983-2011}}
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|publisher=[[Egmont]]<br/>[[William Heinemann|Heinemann Young Books]]<br/>[[Random House Books]]<br/>Little Pops
  
  +
* [[George Awdry]] {{Note|1987}}
  +
|illustrator=
  +
* [[William Middleton]] {{Note|1945}}
  +
* [[Reginald Payne]] {{Note|1946}}
  +
* [[C. Reginald Dalby]] {{Note|1948-1956}}
  +
* [[John T. Kenney]] {{Note|1957-1962}}
  +
* [[Gunvor and Peter Edwards]] {{Note|1963–1972}}
  +
* [[Clive Spong]] {{Note|1983-2011}}
  +
|publisher=
  +
* [[Edmund Ward]] {{Note|1945-1968}}
  +
* [[Kaye & Ward]] {{Note|1968-1998}}
  +
* [[Egmont Publishing]] {{Note|1998-present}}
  +
* [[William Heinemann|Heinemann Young Books]]
  +
* [[Poplar Publishing]] {{Note|Japan}}
  +
|series=
  +
|published=1945 - 2011
 
}}
  
}}
  +
'''''The Railway Series''''' is a series of children's books about the railways of the fictional [[Island of Sodor]]. The books were created by the [[Wilbert Awdry|Reverend&nbsp;W. Awdry]], who wrote the first stories in 1943. He penned twenty-six books from 1945 to 1972. A further sixteen books were written by his son [[Christopher Awdry]]. The final book in the series, [[Thomas and his Friends]], was published in 2011.
−
'''The Railway Series''' was the series of books which [[Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends]] is based on.
  
   
  +
The series formed the basis for ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'', with many of its books and stories being adapted for television.
−
The first books were written by the [[Reverend W. Awdry]] as a way to cheer up his son [[Christopher Awdry|Christopher]], who was ill with measles. The original series had twenty-six books, since expanded to forty-two by Christopher. After a large hiatus, a new book was published in 2007 and again in 2011.
  
−  
−
In 2012, the first four books were released in digital format on iTunes in the UK. Audio adaptations of the Railway Series have been recorded at various times under the title [[The Railway Stories]].
  
   
 
==History==
  
==History==
  +
===Origins===
−
The origins of the Railway Series can be traced back to Wilbert Awdry's childhood, listening to nearby steam engines struggle up the steep grade on the Great Western Railway. He noticed they made sounds that made it seem as if they were having conversations. To Awdry, it was as if each engine had its own personality.
  
  +
In 1942, Wilbert Awdry's son Christopher had measles and was confined to bed. To prevent their son getting bored, Wilbert and his wife [[Margaret Awdry]] told him stories and nursery rhymes. Most of them eventually lost their entertainment value, but one that continually appealed to Christopher was the rhyme "''Down by the Station''". Wilbert subsequently drew a picture of several engines standing in a row based on the rhyme, and for fun gave them faces with various expressions. One sad-looking engine appealed to Christopher, as it shared his mood, and he asked what his name was. Wilbert replied with the first to come to his head: [[Edward]]. Through a series of questions and answers, the story of Edward's Day Out was created. Eventually, Christopher began asking for more stories, and Awdry obliged him with "Edward and Gordon" and "The Sad Story of Henry," the latter being inspired by another rhyme he was fond of. Christopher would constantly ask for the stories to be retold, even after he recovered, and to ensure consistency between tellings Wilbert wrote them down on the back of old church circulars.
   
  +
Margaret Awdry also liked the stories, and told her husband to get them published, as she felt they were better than most children's books in circulation. Awdry was reluctant, but Margaret persisted and mentioned the stories in a letter to Wilbert's mother, Lucy, who replied that she knew the author Michael Barsley and asked that the stories be sent to her so she could forward them to him. At Margaret's insistence, Wilbert did so. Barsley's attempts to find a publisher were unsuccessful, so he showed the stories to his agent, Edith Ray Gregorson, who liked them and agreed to pursue the matter further. Her attempts to find a publisher were initially no more successful, as most were suffering paper shortages due to the Second World War, but in September 1943 [[Edmund Ward]] agreed to publish them, though refused to commit to a publication date, to Wilbert's annoyance. In October, Ward wrote to say that the stories would be published as one book entitled "[[The Three Railway Engines]]", but that he required rough sketches for his illustrator to base his pictures on and a fourth story to finish off the book. While Awdry was annoyed at the requests, since Ward had already rejected his drawings, he agreed and wrote "Edward, Gordon and Henry." While it was hoped this would speed up publication, the book wasn't published wasn't until 12 May 1945. The book was an immediate commercial success, quickly selling out its initial print run of 22,500 copies, and going through two more by the end of the year. Awdry, while happy to see his book in print, was disappointed in the illustrations by [[William Middleton]].
−
In 1943, during the height of the Second World War, Awdry's young son Christopher was ill with the measles. To entertain his bed-ridden child, Wilbert told stories of talking engines named Edward, Gordon, and Henry. Christopher demanded consistency among each retelling of the stories, so Wilbert wrote them down. It was not until Awdry was heavily persuaded by his family that he sent in his stories to be published, and in 1945, The Three Railway Engines was published.
  
   
  +
===Continuation===
−
Between 1948 and 1972, Awdry wrote a new title every year. The series went through six different illustrators, [[William Middleton]], [[Reginald Payne]], [[C. Reginald Dalby]], [[John T. Kenney]], and [[Gunvor and Peter Edwards]]. Awdry received letters from railwaymen who would read the stories to their children or grandchildren. They praised his realism. Almost all of the stories in the Railway Series were based on a real event that happened to some engine, somewhere, at some time.
  
   
  +
===Conclusion===
−
Although Awdry "retired" in 1972, annuals were published. In 1983, Christopher Awdry, who had written articles for railway magazines, decided to carry on the torch. After being inspired by a story told by an engineman on the Nene Valley Railway, he penned Really Useful Engines. Eager to put out new material to coincide with the upcoming [[Thomas and Friends|television adaptation]], publishers [[Kaye & Ward|Kaye and Ward]] accepted the new book. Christopher consistently put out new Railway Series titles until the late 1990s, and [[Clive Spong]] was assigned as the current illustrator.
  
   
  +
==Books==
−
During the early 2000s Christopher was not asked to write any new titles despite the popularity of the TV series. It was not until 2007 that he was finally able to get a new title published. Four years later, to honour what would be his father's one-hundredth birthday, he published Thomas and his Friends. This was the first book in the entire series to have "The End" written after the book's conclusion. At the 2014 [[Tale of the Brave]] premiere in Leicester Square, London, Alf Fortnam, widower of the late [[Hilary Fortnam]], said Christopher Awdry was finished with the series.
  
  +
===Rev. W. Awdry===
  +
{{Episodes List 1
  +
|A=Cover
  +
|B=Title
  +
|C=Published
  +
|D=No. #
  +
|01-1=TheThreeRailwayEnginesCover.png
  +
|01-2=[[The Three Railway Engines]]
  +
|01-3=12th May 1945
  +
|01-4=#01
  +
|01-5=[[Edward]] is let out of his shed, [[Gordon]] runs into trouble with some [[Troublesome Trucks|trucks]], and [[Henry]] is shut up in a tunnel for being vain.
  +
|02-1=ThomastheTankEngineCover.png
  +
|02-2=[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]
  +
|02-3=18th October 1946
  +
|02-4=#02
  +
|02-5=A station pilot named [[Thomas]] longs to leave his yard to go out and see the world and has several adventures.
  +
|03-1=JamestheRedEngineCover.png
  +
|03-2=[[James the Red Engine]]
  +
|03-3=1948
  +
|03-4=#03
  +
|03-5=[[James]], the new engine on [[Sir Topham Hatt|the Fat Controller]]'s Railway, gets into trouble and tries to make up for his mistakes.
  +
|04-1=TankEngineThomasAgain.png
  +
|04-2=[[Tank Engine Thomas Again]]
  +
|04-3=1949
  +
|04-4=#04
  +
|04-5=Thomas has many adventures on [[Ffarquhar Branch Line|his new branch line]], and meets two new friends named [[Terence]] and [[Bertie]].
  +
|05-1=TroublesomeEnginesCover.png
  +
|05-2=[[Troublesome Engines]]
  +
|05-3=September 1950
  +
|05-4=#05
  +
|05-5=When Gordon, Henry and James begin to behave badly and go on strike, a new tank engine named [[Percy]] is brought to help out.
  +
|06-1=HenrytheGreenEngineCover.png
  +
|06-2=[[Henry the Green Engine]]
  +
|06-3=1951
  +
|06-4=#06
  +
|06-5=Henry proves his worth to the Fat Controller, in spite of his illness, and is finally cured.
  +
|07-1=TobytheTramEngineCover.png
  +
|07-2=[[Toby the Tram Engine]]
  +
|07-3=1952
  +
|07-4=#07
  +
|07-5=A steam tram named [[Toby]] comes to Sodor with his faithful coach, [[Henrietta]], to help the Fat Controller after his old tramway closes down.
  +
|08-1=GordontheBigEngineCover.png
  +
|08-2=[[Gordon the Big Engine]]
  +
|08-3=1953
  +
|08-4=#08
  +
|08-5=Gordon is in disgrace after landing in trouble with the Fat Controller, but manages to pull his act together in time for a royal visit.
  +
|09-1=EdwardtheBlueEngineCover.png
  +
|09-2=[[Edward the Blue Engine]]
  +
|09-3=1954
  +
|09-4=#09
  +
|09-5=Edward is getting old, but proves he has plenty of life left in him.
  +
|10-1=FourLittleEnginesCover.png
  +
|10-2=[[Four Little Engines]]
  +
|10-3=1955
  +
|10-4=#10
  +
|10-5=While [[Rheneas]] is away at the works, The [[Skarloey Railway]] engines work together to keep their line running. Two new engines also arrive to help out.
  +
|11-1=PercytheSmallEngineCover.png
  +
|11-2=[[Percy the Small Engine]]
  +
|11-3=1956
  +
|11-4=#11
  +
|11-5=Percy is fed-up of being ordered about and gets a chance to shine when he is reallocated to Thomas' Branch Line.
  +
|12-1=EightFamousEnginesCover.png
  +
|12-2=[[The Eight Famous Engines]]
  +
|12-3=1957
  +
|12-4=#12
  +
|12-5=Already famous for their adventures on Sodor, the Fat Controller's engines take a trip to [[The Mainland|England]].
  +
|13-1=DuckandtheDieselEngineCover.png
  +
|13-2=[[Duck and the Diesel Engine]]
  +
|13-3=1958
  +
|13-4=#13
  +
|13-5=[[Duck]] becomes suspicious when a [[Diesel|devious diesel]] comes to Sodor and blames him for causing trouble.
  +
|14-1=TheLittleOldEngineCover.png
  +
|14-2=[[The Little Old Engine]]
  +
|14-3=1959
  +
|14-4=#14
  +
|14-5=[[Skarloey]] returns to Sodor and finds out that things have changed on his little railway.
  +
|15-1=TheTwinEnginesCover.png
  +
|15-2=[[The Twin Engines]]
  +
|15-3=1960
  +
|15-4=#15
  +
|15-5=[[Donald and Douglas]], two well-meaning Scottish goods engines, create confusion for the Fat Controller when he only expects one engine.
  +
|16-1=BranchLineEnginesCover.png
  +
|16-2=[[Branch Line Engines]]
  +
|16-3=1961
  +
|16-4=#16
  +
|16-5=Thomas has an accident and a lazy diesel railcar named [[Daisy]] comes to Sodor to fill in for him, but only causes more trouble.
  +
|17-1=GallantOldEngineCover.png
  +
|17-2=[[Gallant Old Engine]]
  +
|17-3=1962
  +
|17-4=#17
  +
|17-5=The Skarloey Railway prepares for Rheneas' return.
  +
|18-1=StepneytheBluebellEngineCover.png
  +
|18-2=[[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine]]
  +
|18-3=1963
  +
|18-4=#18
  +
|18-5=[[Stepney]], an engine from the [[Bluebell Railway]], pays a visit to the Island of Sodor and its engines.
  +
|19-1=MountainEnginesCover.png
  +
|19-2=[[Mountain Engines]]
  +
|19-3=1964
  +
|19-4=#19
  +
|19-5=[[Culdee]] returns to the [[Culdee Fell Railway|Mountain Railway]], and [[Patrick|Lord Harry]] makes up for a silly mistake.
  +
|20-1=VeryOldEngines2ndeditionCover.png
  +
|20-2=[[Very Old Engines]]
  +
|20-3=1965
  +
|20-4=#20
  +
|20-5=Skarloey and Rheneas recall their early days and celebrate their 100th anniversary.
  +
|21-1=MainLineEnginesCover.png
  +
|21-2=[[Main Line Engines]]
  +
|21-3=1966
  +
|21-4=#21
  +
|21-5=[[Bill and Ben]] play a trick on a [[BoCo|new diesel]], Gordon and James get into silly mishaps, and Edward pulls through to bring his passengers home.
  +
|22-1=SmallRailwayEnginesCover.png
  +
|22-2=[[Small Railway Engines]]
  +
|22-3=1967
  +
|22-4=#22
  +
|22-5=Three miniature gauge engines - [[Rex]], [[Bert]] and [[Mike]] - come to Sodor to work on a [[Arlesdale Railway|new railway]].
  +
|23-1=EnterprisingEnginesCover.png
  +
|23-2=[[Enterprising Engines]]
  +
|23-3=4th October 1968
  +
|23-4=#23
  +
|23-5=A [[Flying Scotsman|special visitor]] comes to Sodor, [[D199|two]] [[Bear|diesels]] are put on trial, and Douglas rescues a steam engine from the cutter's torch.
  +
|24-1=OlivertheWesternEngineCover.png
  +
|24-2=[[Oliver the Western Engine]]
  +
|24-3=15th November 1969
  +
|24-4=#24
  +
|24-5=[[Oliver]], the new Great Western engine on [[the Little Western]], gets into trouble when his overconfidence gets the better of him.
  +
|25-1=DuketheLostEngineCover.png
  +
|25-2=[[Duke the Lost Engine]]
  +
|25-3=15th October 1970
  +
|25-4=#25
  +
|25-5=[[Peter Sam]] and [[Sir Handel]] recall their old days on the [[Mid Sodor Railway]], and a search begins to find [[Duke]].
  +
|26-1=TramwayEnginesCover.png
  +
|26-2=[[Tramway Engines]]
  +
|26-3=15th October 1972
  +
|26-4=#26
  +
|26-5=Thomas and Percy get in a quarrel and a new diesel shunter named [[Mavis]] causes trouble for Toby.
  +
}}These volumes were later compiled into ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection]]''. ''The Complete Collection'' compilations were released by various publishers in different years and countries, all containing the same 26 volumes.
  +
The Reverend W. Awdry planned to call his twenty-seventh volume ''[[Really Useful Engines#Trivia|Really Useful Engines]]'' but he never got to use it following his retirement. Completely by coincidence, Christopher Awdry's first publication had this title.
   
−
==Books written by the Reverend W. Awdry==
 +
===Christopher Awdry===
  +
{{Episodes List 1
−
# [[The Three Railway Engines]] - [[Edward]], [[Henry]], and [[Gordon]] have several adventures.
  
  +
|A=Cover
−
# [[Thomas the Tank Engine]] - [[Thomas|A station pilot]] tries to gain respect.
  
  +
|B=Title
−
# [[James the Red Engine]] - [[James]] gets into trouble and tries to make up for his errors.
  
  +
|C=Published
−
# [[Tank Engine Thomas Again]] - Life on [[Thomas' Branch Line]] is far from dull.
  
  +
|D=No. #
−
# [[Troublesome Engines]] - When the big engines go on strike, [[Percy]] is brought in to help.
  
  +
|01-1=ReallyUsefulEnginesCover.png
−
# [[Henry the Green Engine]] - Henry overcomes illness to prove his might.
  
  +
|01-2=[[Really Useful Engines]]
−
# [[Toby the Tram Engine (Railway Series)|Toby the Tram Engine]] - [[Toby]] is saved by the [[Fat Controller]] after his tramway closes.
  
  +
|01-3=12th September 1983
−
# [[Gordon the Big Engine]] - Gordon pulls his act together in time for a royal visit.
  
  +
|01-4=#27
−
# [[Edward the Blue Engine]] - Edward is getting old, but proves he has plenty of life in him yet.
  
  +
|01-5=Life on the Fat Controller's Railway is far from dull.
−
# [[Four Little Engines]] - The story of the [[Skarloey Railway]] engines working together to keep their line running.
  
  +
|02-1=JamesandtheDieselEnginesCover.png
−
# [[Percy the Small Engine]] - Percy is fed up of being ordered about and gets a chance to shine when [[Thomas]] needs help.
  
  +
|02-2=[[James and the Diesel Engines]]
−
# [[The Eight Famous Engines]] - Already famous for their adventures the engines take a trip to England, but Thomas almost puts a damper on the trip.
  
  +
|02-3=17th September 1984
−
# [[Duck and the Diesel Engine]] - [[Diesel|A malicious diesel]] creates confusion and blames [[Duck]].
  
  +
|02-4=#28
−
# [[The Little Old Engine]] - [[Skarloey]] returns to find that things have changed on his little railway.
  
  +
|02-5=James is still convinced that diesels are not very useful, but slowly learns to put his prejudices behind him.
−
# [[The Twin Engines]] - Two well-meaning Scottish goods engines create confusion in the yard.
  
  +
|03-1=GreatLittleEnginesCover.png
−
# [[Branch Line Engines]] - Thomas has an accident and a lazy diesel-railcar named [[Daisy]] arrives.
  
  +
|03-2=[[Great Little Engines]]
−
# [[Gallant Old Engine]] - The Skarloey Railway engines prepare for [[Rheneas]]' return.
  
  +
|03-3=28th October 1985
−
# [[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine]] - [[Stepney]] of the [[Bluebell Railway]] pays a visit to [[Sodor]].
  
  +
|03-4=#29
−
# [[Mountain Engines]] - We meet the [[Culdee Fell Railway]] engines, and [[Lord Harry]] makes up for a silly accident.
  
  +
|03-5=Sir Handel visits the [[Talyllyn Railway]].
−
# [[Very Old Engines]] - Skarloey and Rheneas recall their early days and celebrate their 100th birthday.
  
  +
|04-1=MoreAboutThomastheTankEngineCover.png
−
# [[Main Line Engines]] - Gordon and James get into silly mishaps while Edward surprises everyone.
  
  +
|04-2=[[More About Thomas the Tank Engine]]
−
# [[Small Railway Engines]] - [[Rex|Three]] [[Mike|new]] [[Bert|engines]] arrive on Sodor to work on [[Arlesdale Railway|a narrow gauge goods line]].
  
  +
|04-3=22nd September 1986
−
# [[Enterprising Engines]] - Diesel power may be triumphing on the mainland, but it is quite the contrary on Sodor.
  
  +
|04-4=#30
−
# [[Oliver the Western Engine]] - [[Oliver|A boisterous Great Western engine]] gets into trouble.
  
  +
|04-5=Thomas and Percy fall out after an accident, but manage to make up for it.
−
# [[Duke the Lost Engine]] - [[Peter Sam]] and [[Sir Handel]] recall their old days as a search begins for [[Duke|an old engine]].
  
  +
|05-1=GordontheHigh-SpeedEngineCover.png
−
# [[Tramway Engines]] - Percy, Toby and Thomas have adventures while [[Mavis]] causes trouble.
  
  +
|05-2=[[Gordon the High-Speed Engine]]
  +
|05-3=7th September 1987
  +
|05-4=#31
  +
|05-5=Gordon tries to prove that he can be just as fast as the new high-speed diesels, and [[Pip and Emma]] visit the railway for the first time.
  +
|06-1=Toby,TrucksandTroubleCover.png
  +
|06-2=[[Toby, Trucks and Trouble]]
  +
|06-3=19th September 1988
  +
|06-4=#32
  +
|06-5=Percy and Toby run the branch line and Mavis has an accident with a lorry.
  +
|07-1=ThomasandtheTwinsCover.png
  +
|07-2=[[Thomas and the Twins]]
  +
|07-3=11th September 1989
  +
|07-4=#33
  +
|07-5=Thomas must work on [[Brendam Branch Line|Edward's Branch Line]] for the time being, and meets Bill and Ben while he is there.
  +
|08-1=JocktheNewEngineCover.png
  +
|08-2=[[Jock the New Engine]]
  +
|08-3=6th August 1990
  +
|08-4=#34
  +
|08-5=A boastful new engine called [[Jock]] starts work on the Arlesdale Railway.
  +
|09-1=ThomasandtheGreatRailwayShowCover.png
  +
|09-2=[[Thomas and the Great Railway Show]]
  +
|09-3=12th August 1991
  +
|09-4=#35
  +
|09-5=Thomas travels to the Mainland to attend a grand railway exhibition at the [[National Railway Museum]].
  +
|10-1=ThomasComesHomeCover.png
  +
|10-2=[[Thomas Comes Home]]
  +
|10-3=15th June 1992
  +
|10-4=#36
  +
|10-5=Percy, Toby and Daisy must manage the branch line while Thomas is away in England.
  +
|11-1=HenryandtheExpressCover.png
  +
|11-2=[[Henry and the Express]]
  +
|11-3=8th April 1993
  +
|11-4=#37
  +
|11-5=Henry is feeling ill again and must go to the Works for an overhaul.
  +
|12-1=WilberttheForestEngineCover.png
  +
|12-2=[[Wilbert the Forest Engine]]
  +
|12-3=8th August 1994
  +
|12-4=#38
  +
|12-5=[[Wilbert]] is called in from the [[Dean Forest Railway]] to help the Ffarquhar Branch Line engines and Donald and Douglas.
  +
|13-1=ThomasandtheFatControllersEnginesCover.png
  +
|13-2=[[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines]]
  +
|13-3=1st August 1995
  +
|13-4=#39
  +
|13-5=The engines prepare for the fiftieth anniversary of ''The Railway Series''.
  +
|14-1=NewLittleEngineCover.png
  +
|14-2=[[New Little Engine]]
  +
|14-3=8th August 1996
  +
|14-4=#40
  +
|14-5=A [[Ivo Hugh|new engine]] is built for the Skarloey Railway.
  +
|15-1=ThomasandVictoriaCover.png
  +
|15-2=[[Thomas and Victoria]]
  +
|15-3=3rd September 2007
  +
|15-4=#41
  +
|15-5=The Fat Controller has an old coach named [[Victoria]] renovated to help Toby on the branch line.
  +
|16-1=ThomasandHisFriends.png
  +
|16-2=[[Thomas and his Friends]]
  +
|16-3=6th July 2011
  +
|16-4=#42
  +
|16-5=[[The Thin Clergyman]]'s centenary is celebrated and Pip and Emma become permanent members of the North Western Railway.
  +
}}Volumes 27-41 were compiled into ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection]]. ''
  +
* Another ''Railway Series'' book titled ''[[Barry the Rescue Engine]]'' was also being written by Christopher Awdry, but was cancelled and replaced with Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines.
   
  +
===Other Books===
−
These volumes were later compiled into [[Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection]]. The Complete Collection compilations were released by various publishers in different years and countries, all containing the same 26 volumes.
  
  +
{{Episodes List 1
−  
  +
|A=Cover
−
==Books written by Christopher Awdry==
  
  +
|B=Title
−
# [[Really Useful Engines]] - The engines may not have appeared in books for years, but that does not mean life on Sodor is dull.
  
  +
|C=Writer
−
# [[James and the Diesel Engines]] - James learns a lesson in acceptance of diesels.
  
  +
|D=Published
−
# [[Great Little Engines]] - Sir Handel is not necessarily the life and soul of the Skarloey Railway, as Peter Sam and [[Duncan]] prove.
  
  +
|01-1=ThomasChristmasPartybook.jpg
−
# [[More About Thomas the Tank Engine]] - Thomas and Percy fall out after an accident.
  
  +
|01-2=[[Thomas's Christmas Party (book)|Thomas's Christmas Party]]
−
# [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine]] - Gordon tries to prove he can go fast, and we meet [[Pip and Emma]].
  
  +
|01-3=[[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]]
−
# [[Toby, Trucks and Trouble]] - A series of events leave Percy and Toby running the branchline.
  
  +
|01-4=29th October 1984
−
# [[Thomas and the Twins]] - Thomas meets [[Bill and Ben]] on [[Edward's Branch Line]].
  
  +
|01-5=Thomas wants to hold a special Christmas party for Mrs. Kyndley. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kyndley's house is snowed in.
−
# [[Jock the New Engine]] - A boastful new engine called [[Jock]] starts work on the [[Arlesdale Railway]].
  
  +
|02-1=ThomasComestoBreakfast(book).png
−
# [[Thomas and the Great Railway Show]] - Thomas travels to the mainland for a grand railway exhibition.
  
−
# [[Thomas Comes Home]] - The tale of Percy, Toby and Daisy's adventures while Thomas is in England.
 +
|02-2=[[Thomas Comes to Breakfast (book)|Thomas Comes to Breakfast]]
  +
|02-3=[[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]]
−
# [[Henry and the Express]] - Henry is ill again and needs repairs.
  
  +
|02-4=2nd September 1985
−
# [[Wilbert the Forest Engine]] - [[Donald and Douglas]] desperately need help, but so do the branchline engines. [[Wilbert]] is called in.
  
  +
|02-5=Thomas thinks that he can manage without his driver, until he makes an unexpected visit to the stationmaster's house one morning.
−
# [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines]] - The engines prepare for the fiftieth anniversary of the Railway Series.
  
  +
|03-1=ThomasandtheMissingChristmasTree(story).PNG
−
# [[New Little Engine]] - [[Ivo Hugh|A new engine]] is built for the Skarloey Railway.
  
  +
|03-2=[[Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)|Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree]]
−
# [[Thomas and Victoria]] - The Fat Controller renovates an old coach called [[Victoria]] for Toby.
  
  +
|03-3=[[Christopher Awdry]]
−
# [[Thomas and his Friends]] - The Reverend W. Awdry's centenary is celebrated and Pip and Emma become permanent members of the Fat Controller's railway.
  
  +
|03-4=20th October 1986
−  
  +
|03-5=Thomas is sent to collect a Christmas tree, but when he ends up getting lost along the way home, Donald and Douglas set off to rescue him in time for the Christmas celebrations.
−
All except the last volume were later compiled into [[Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection]].
  
  +
|04-1=ThomasandtheEvilDiesel.jpg
−  
  +
|04-2=[[Thomas and the Evil Diesel]]
−
==[[Annuals]]==
  
  +
|04-3=[[Christopher Awdry]]
−
From 1979-1980 the annuals were written by Rev. W. Awdry, and from 1985-1996 by Christopher Awdry. In some cases, these stories expanded upon earlier Railway Series books, in others they were entirely new, and some later rewritten and used as Railway Series stories.
  
  +
|04-4=5th October 1987
−  
  +
|04-5=Diesel returns to Sodor to help out on Thomas' branch line and manages to redeem himself after causing trouble.
−
==Other books/stories==
  
  +
|05-1=ThomasandGordonOfftheRails.jpg
−
# [[Barry the Rescue Engine]] (''C. Awdry, cancelled'')
  
  +
|05-2=[[Thomas and Gordon Off the Rails]]
−
# [[Thomas's Christmas Party (book)|Thomas's Christmas Party]] (''W. Awdry, 1984'')
  
  +
|05-3=[[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]]
−
# [[Thomas Comes to Breakfast (The Rev. W. Awdry)|Thomas Comes to Breakfast]] (''W. Awdry, 1985'')
  
  +
|05-4=3rd September 1990
−
# [[Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)|Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree]] (''C. Awdry, 1986'')
  
  +
|05-5=Gordon decides to jam the turntable to prove a point, but his attempt makes him slide into a ditch. Thomas goes to a lead mine to collect some trucks but foolishly passes a danger board and falls down a mine.
−
# [[Thomas and the Evil Diesel]] (''C. Awdry, 1987'')
  
  +
|06-1=ThomasandtheHurricaneCover.png
−
# [[Thomas and Gordon Off the Rails]] (''W. Awdry, 1990'')
  
−
# [[Thomas and the Hurricane]] (''C. Awdry, 1992'')
 +
|06-2=[[Thomas and the Hurricane]]
  +
|06-3=[[Christopher Awdry]]
  +
|06-4=16th March 1992
  +
|06-5=Thomas and his friends deal with the aftermath of a hurricane.
  +
}}
  +
==Annuals==
  +
From 1979 to 1980, [[annuals]] were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, and from 1985 to 1996 by Christopher Awdry. In some cases, these stories expanded upon earlier ''Railway Series'' books. In others they were entirely new, and some stories were later rewritten and used as ''Railway Series'' stories.
   
 
==Pop-Up Books==
  
==Pop-Up Books==
Line 104: Line 324:
 
==Mini/Board/Sticker books==
  
==Mini/Board/Sticker books==
 
There have been several Railway Series-related books published which were written by the Awdrys. These books were illustrated by [[Ken Stott]], [[Tony Wells]] and [[Edgar Hodges]].
  
There have been several Railway Series-related books published which were written by the Awdrys. These books were illustrated by [[Ken Stott]], [[Tony Wells]] and [[Edgar Hodges]].
  +
 
{{Scroll box|
  
{{Scroll box|
 
# [[James and the Balloons]]
  
# [[James and the Balloons]]
Line 160: Line 381:
   
 
# [[Henry the Green Engine#The Flying Kipper|The Flying Kipper]] - (''[[Santa's Little Engine (DVD)|Santa's Little Engine]] DVD; US/UK/AUS'')
  
# [[Henry the Green Engine#The Flying Kipper|The Flying Kipper]] - (''[[Santa's Little Engine (DVD)|Santa's Little Engine]] DVD; US/UK/AUS'')
−
# [[The Little Old Engine#Trucks!|Trucks!]] - (''[[The Thomas Way (DVD)|The Thomas Way]] DVD; UK only/[[Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures]] DVD; UK/AUS only/[[Spills and Thrills]] DVD; US only'')
 +
# [[The Little Old Engine#Trucks!|Trucks!]] - (''[[The Thomas Way (DVD)|The Thomas Way]] DVD; UK only/[[Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures]] DVD; UK only/[[Spills and Thrills]] DVD; US only'')
 
# [[Thomas the Tank Engine#Thomas and Gordon|Thomas and Gordon]] - (''Spills and Thrills DVD; UK/[[Wild Water Rescue and Other Engine Adventures]] DVD; US'')
  
# [[Thomas the Tank Engine#Thomas and Gordon|Thomas and Gordon]] - (''Spills and Thrills DVD; UK/[[Wild Water Rescue and Other Engine Adventures]] DVD; US'')
 
# [[Duck and the Diesel Engine#Pop Goes the Diesel|Pop Goes the Diesel]] - (''[[Trouble on the Tracks (DVD)|Trouble on the Tracks]] DVD; UK/US/AUS'')
  
# [[Duck and the Diesel Engine#Pop Goes the Diesel|Pop Goes the Diesel]] - (''[[Trouble on the Tracks (DVD)|Trouble on the Tracks]] DVD; UK/US/AUS'')
Line 169: Line 390:
 
# [[Tramway Engines#Toby's Tightrope|Toby's Tightrope]] - (''Trouble on the Tracks DVD; UK/AUS only/[[Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures]] DVD; US only'')
  
# [[Tramway Engines#Toby's Tightrope|Toby's Tightrope]] - (''Trouble on the Tracks DVD; UK/AUS only/[[Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures]] DVD; US only'')
 
# [[The Eight Famous Engines#Gordon Goes Foreign|Gordon Goes Foreign]] - (''[[Thomas' YouTube World Tour]]'')
  
# [[The Eight Famous Engines#Gordon Goes Foreign|Gordon Goes Foreign]] - (''[[Thomas' YouTube World Tour]]'')
−
# [[Thomas the Tank Engine|Thomas' Train]] - ([[Railway Mischief|''Railway Mischief'']]'' DVD; UK/AUS only/[[Tales on the Rails]] DVD; US only'')
 +
# [[Thomas the Tank Engine#Thomas' Train|Thomas' Train]] - ([[Railway Mischief|''Railway Mischief'']]'' DVD; UK/AUS only/[[Tales on the Rails]] DVD; US only'')
−
# [[Troublesome Engines|Henry and the Elephant]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Troublesome Engines#Henry and the Elephant|Henry and the Elephant]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[Branch Line Engines|Thomas Comes to Breakfast]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Branch Line Engines#Thomas Comes to Breakfast|Thomas Comes to Breakfast]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[Toby the Tram Engine (Railway Series)|Thomas in Trouble]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Toby the Tram Engine#Thomas in Trouble|Thomas in Trouble]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[Tramway Engines|Ghost Train]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Tramway Engines#Ghost Train|Ghost Train]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[Tank Engine Thomas Again|Thomas and Bertie]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Tank Engine Thomas Again#Thomas and Bertie|Thomas and Bertie]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[Percy the Small Engine|Percy and Harold]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Percy the Small Engine#Percy and Harold|Percy and Harold]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[Tank Engine Thomas Again|Thomas, Terence and the Snow]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Tank Engine Thomas Again#Thomas, Terence and the Snow|Thomas, Terence and the Snow]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[The Eight Famous Engines|Sir Topham Hatt's Engines]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[The Eight Famous Engines#The Fat Controller's Engines|Sir Topham Hatt's Engines]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
−
# [[Troublesome Engines|Trouble in the Shed]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 +
# [[Troublesome Engines#Trouble in the Shed|Trouble in the Shed]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
   
 
==Trivia==
  
==Trivia==
−
* Nearly all of The Railway Series stories were based upon real-life events. As a lifelong railway enthusiast, Wilbert Awdry was keen that his stories should be as realistic as possible. The engine characters were almost all based upon real classes of locomotives, and some of the railways themselves were directly based upon real lines in the British Isles.
 +
* Nearly all of ''The Railway Series'' stories were based upon real-life events. As a life-long railway enthusiast, Wilbert Awdry was keen that his stories should be as realistic as possible. The engine characters were almost all based upon real classes of locomotives, and some of the railways themselves were directly based upon real lines in the British Isles. 
  +
* Awdry drew from railway literature such as C. Hamilton Ellis' ''The Trains We Loved ''and L. T. C. Rolt's ''Railway Adventure ''for some of his stories.
−
* Andrew Lloyd Webber wanted to produce a musical based on the Railway Series, but the Reverend W. Awdry refused to give Lloyd Webber the control he wanted. Lloyd Webber would go on to compose "Starlight Express", and create "The Really Useful Group", a name inspired by the catchphrase "Really Useful Engines".
  
  +
* With the exception of [[William Middleton]], through illustration errors, each illustrator of the Railway Series has drawn Thomas both with and without the dip in his running board.
−
* The Railway Series has also mentioned more than twenty real engines.
  
  +
* According to [[The Thomas the Tank Engine Man]], Awdry had no intention of writing more Railway Series books after ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’, but after hearing about letters sent saying from fans of the books, he was convinced to continue writing the series.
−
* In 1973, Kaye and Ward released the Japanese translation of Awdry's 26 books. The series was translated by Kuwabara Saburou and Shimizu Shuyu. Genyuu Kuroiwa supervised the technical terms of the railway. Christopher's books, however, have yet to be translated into Japanese.
  
  +
* [[C. Reginald Dalby]] drew the advertisement for Railway Series books in the illustrations.
  +
** In the fourth illustration of [[Tank Engine Thomas Again#Thomas and the Guard|Thomas and the Guard]], advertisements for [[James the Red Engine]] and "All About Thomas the Famous Tank Engine" are visible.
  +
** In the fifth illustration of [[Henry the Green Engine#Coal|Coal]], advertisements for [[The Three Railway Engines]] and [[James the Red Engine]] are visible.
  +
** In the third illustration of [[Henry the Green Engine#Percy and the Trousers|Percy and the Trousers]], an advertisement for [[Troublesome Engines]] is visible on the [[Buses|blue double-decker bus]].
  +
* The dust jacket for the books published in 1965<ref>[http://www.reprojackets.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=11508749 Very Old Engines, 1st edn 1965 - ReproJackets]</ref> - 1967<ref>[http://www.reprojackets.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=11554226 Small Railway Engines, 1st edn 1967 - ReproJackets]</ref> contained an advertisement for "[[Meccano|Percy the Small Engine, brought to life by Meccano]]".
  +
* Prior to the ''[[Thomas & Friends|Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends]]'' produced by [[Britt Allcroft]] in 1984, there were two attempts to adapt the Railway Series books to the television, both of which were cancelled.
  +
** ''[[The Sad Story of Henry (1953)|The Sad Story of Henry]]'' produced by BBC in 1953. Because this episode failed, the BBC canceled the planned subsequent episodes.
  +
** ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine (1976)|Thomas the Tank Engine]]'' planned by [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] in 1973. A pilot episode was produced but cancelled by 1977 for various reasons.
  +
  +
==In Other Languages==
  +
{{Other Languages
  +
|CHI = 托马斯和朋友原著绘本
  +
|JPN = 汽車のえほん
  +
|KOR = 토마스 원작 시리즈
  +
|NOR = Togbok
  +
}}
  +
  +
===Japan===
  +
From 1965 to 1967, [[:ja:清水周裕|Shuyū Shimizu]] lived in the UK with his family as a lecturer and international student at the Japanese Studies of Oriental Institute at [[Wikipedia:University of Oxford|University of Oxford]]. One day he found the Railway Series books at an Oxford bookstore, purchased it for his son, and they loved it. For seven years from April 1972, Shimizu taught English at [[Wikipedia:ja:慶應義塾幼稚舎|Keio Yochisha]] at the request of his acquaintance [[:ja:桑原三郎|Saburō Kuwabara]]. During this time they decided to translate the Railway Series. The Japanese translation rights were granted by [[Kaye & Ward]] through [[:ja:タトル・モリ エイジェンシー|Charles E. Tuttle Co.]], a literary agent company. [[Wilbert Awdry|The Rev. W. Awdry]] was delighted to publish in Japan and sent a [[:ja:3だいの機関車#前書き|message]] to Japanese readers. This message was published in the foreword message of [[The Three Railway Engines]] and the front flaps of 26 books.
   
  +
On 10 November 1973, [[Poplar Publishing]] published the first 3 books, and by November 1974, the first 15 books were published. The remaining 11 books were published between August 1980 and February 1981. The railway technical terms of these books were supervised by [[:ja:黒岩源雄|Motō Kuroiwa]], the railway company owner. These original version was discontinued around 2001.
−
==Gallery==
  
−
===Complete Collection Books===
  
−
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
  
−
File:ThomastheTankEngineTheCompleteCollection.jpg|The Complete Collection
  
−
File:ThomastheTankEngineTheCompleteCollectionnewcover.jpg|The Complete Collection (2005)
  
−
RevWAwdryCollectionEgmont.jpg|The Complete Collection (Published by Egmont)
  
−
File:ThomastheTankEngineTheCompleteCollection2014cover.jpg|The Complete Collection (2014)
  
−
File:TheCompleteCollection(Japanese).jpg|The Complete Collection Japanese cover
  
−
File:ThomastheTankEnginetheNewCollection.jpg|The New Collection
  
−
</gallery>
  
   
  +
From March 2005 to January 2006, the first 15 books were published to commemorate the 60th anniversary of The Railway Series. There have been “updates” such as the expanding the size of the book, the [[Other Languages#Japan|same character name as the television series]], and correcting old-fashioned phrases. After the first 15 publications, the remaining 11 books were scheduled to be published, but were canceled. In 10 December 2010, the 26 books were published as [[Railway Series (Complete Boxsets)|new mini versions]] to commemorate the 65th anniversary of The Railway Series. In 20 July 2013, [[Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection]] was published to commemoration of the 40th anniversary of The Railway Series in Japan.
−
===Boxsets===
  
−
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
  
−
File:TheRailwaySeriesTheClassicLibraryStationBox.jpg|The Classic Library Station Box
  
−
File:TheCentenaryLibrary.jpg|The Centenary Library
  
−
File:TheCentenaryLibrary2.jpg
  
−
File:70thAnniversaryboxset.jpg|The Complete Library (2014)
  
−
File:RailwaySeriesJapaneseBoxset.jpg|Japanese Collection Boxset
  
−
</gallery>
  
   
  +
When the [[Thomas & Friends|television series]] began broadcasting in Japan on 4 October 1990, the Railway Series became even more popular. In 1992, 2005-06 and 2013-15, exhibitions of original artwork of the Railway Series, many sketches by Wilbert Awdry and the original models were held in Japan.
−
===Thomas the Tank Engine Anniversary Editions===
  
−
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
  
−
File:ThomastheTankEngine60thAnniversaryCover.jpg|60th Anniversary edition
  
−
File:65thAnniversaryEdition.jpg|65th Anniversary edition
  
−
File:70thAnniversaryEdition.jpg|70th Anniversary edition
  
−
</gallery>
  
   
  +
==References==
−
===Anniversary Logos===
  
  +
{{Reflist}}
−
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
  
  +
{{The Railway Series}}
−
File:Thomas60thAnniversarylogo.jpg|60th Anniversary logo
  
−
File:Thomas65thAnniversarylogo.jpg|65th Anniversary logo
  
−
File:Thomas65thAnniversarylogo2.jpeg|A 65th Anniversary badge
  
−
File:SeventiethAnniversarylogo.png|70th Anniversary logo
  
−
SeventiethAnniversaryJapaneselogo.jpg|70th Anniversary Japanese logo
  
−
</gallery>
  
   
  +
[[de:The Railway Series]]
−
===Miscellaneous===
  
  +
[[es:Serie Ferroviaria]]
−
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none" orientation="none">
  
  +
[[he:סדרת הרכבות]]
−
File:RailwaySeriesbooksendpapers.JPEG|The endpaper illustration (by [[John T. Kenney]])
  
  +
[[ja:汽車のえほん]]
−
File:RailwaySeriesbooksendpapers.jpg|The endpaper illustration (by [[Clive Spong]])
  
  +
[[pl:Railway Series]]
−
File:TheVeryFirstStories.png|The Very First Stories (2015)
  
  +
[[ru:Железнодорожные истории]]
−
File:RailwaySeriesadvertisement.png|Advertisement
  
−
File:RailwaySeries70thAnniversaryAdvertisement.jpeg|70th Anniversary advert
  
−
File:RailwaySeriesStamps.jpg|Royal Mail stamps
  
−
</gallery>
  
−
[[Category:Railway Series Books]]
  
 
[[Category:Books]]
  
[[Category:Books]]
  +
[[Category:Railway Series Books|*]]
  +
[[Category:Australian Books]]
  +
[[Category:Chinese Books]]
 
[[Category:Japanese Books]]
  
[[Category:Japanese Books]]
  +
[[Category:Korean Books]]
  +
[[Category:Norwegian Books]]
  +
[[Category:German Books]]

Revision as of 18:00, 3 December 2019

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The Railway Series is a series of children's books about the railways of the fictional Island of Sodor. The books were created by the Reverend W. Awdry, who wrote the first stories in 1943. He penned twenty-six books from 1945 to 1972. A further sixteen books were written by his son Christopher Awdry. The final book in the series, Thomas and his Friends, was published in 2011.

The series formed the basis for Thomas & Friends, with many of its books and stories being adapted for television.

History

Origins

In 1942, Wilbert Awdry's son Christopher had measles and was confined to bed. To prevent their son getting bored, Wilbert and his wife Margaret Awdry told him stories and nursery rhymes. Most of them eventually lost their entertainment value, but one that continually appealed to Christopher was the rhyme "Down by the Station". Wilbert subsequently drew a picture of several engines standing in a row based on the rhyme, and for fun gave them faces with various expressions. One sad-looking engine appealed to Christopher, as it shared his mood, and he asked what his name was. Wilbert replied with the first to come to his head: Edward. Through a series of questions and answers, the story of Edward's Day Out was created. Eventually, Christopher began asking for more stories, and Awdry obliged him with "Edward and Gordon" and "The Sad Story of Henry," the latter being inspired by another rhyme he was fond of. Christopher would constantly ask for the stories to be retold, even after he recovered, and to ensure consistency between tellings Wilbert wrote them down on the back of old church circulars.

Margaret Awdry also liked the stories, and told her husband to get them published, as she felt they were better than most children's books in circulation. Awdry was reluctant, but Margaret persisted and mentioned the stories in a letter to Wilbert's mother, Lucy, who replied that she knew the author Michael Barsley and asked that the stories be sent to her so she could forward them to him. At Margaret's insistence, Wilbert did so. Barsley's attempts to find a publisher were unsuccessful, so he showed the stories to his agent, Edith Ray Gregorson, who liked them and agreed to pursue the matter further. Her attempts to find a publisher were initially no more successful, as most were suffering paper shortages due to the Second World War, but in September 1943 Edmund Ward agreed to publish them, though refused to commit to a publication date, to Wilbert's annoyance. In October, Ward wrote to say that the stories would be published as one book entitled "The Three Railway Engines", but that he required rough sketches for his illustrator to base his pictures on and a fourth story to finish off the book. While Awdry was annoyed at the requests, since Ward had already rejected his drawings, he agreed and wrote "Edward, Gordon and Henry." While it was hoped this would speed up publication, the book wasn't published wasn't until 12 May 1945. The book was an immediate commercial success, quickly selling out its initial print run of 22,500 copies, and going through two more by the end of the year. Awdry, while happy to see his book in print, was disappointed in the illustrations by William Middleton.

Continuation

Conclusion

Books

Rev. W. Awdry

Cover Title Published No. #
TheThreeRailwayEnginesCover The Three Railway Engines 12th May 1945 #01
Edward is let out of his shed, Gordon runs into trouble with some trucks, and Henry is shut up in a tunnel for being vain.
ThomastheTankEngineCover Thomas the Tank Engine 18th October 1946 #02
A station pilot named Thomas longs to leave his yard to go out and see the world and has several adventures.
JamestheRedEngineCover James the Red Engine 1948 #03
James, the new engine on the Fat Controller's Railway, gets into trouble and tries to make up for his mistakes.
File:TankEngineThomasAgain.png Tank Engine Thomas Again 1949 #04
Thomas has many adventures on his new branch line, and meets two new friends named Terence and Bertie.
TroublesomeEnginesCover Troublesome Engines September 1950 #05
When Gordon, Henry and James begin to behave badly and go on strike, a new tank engine named Percy is brought to help out.
HenrytheGreenEngineCover Henry the Green Engine 1951 #06
Henry proves his worth to the Fat Controller, in spite of his illness, and is finally cured.
TobytheTramEngineCover Toby the Tram Engine 1952 #07
A steam tram named Toby comes to Sodor with his faithful coach, Henrietta, to help the Fat Controller after his old tramway closes down.
GordontheBigEngineCover Gordon the Big Engine 1953 #08
Gordon is in disgrace after landing in trouble with the Fat Controller, but manages to pull his act together in time for a royal visit.
EdwardtheBlueEngineCover Edward the Blue Engine 1954 #09
Edward is getting old, but proves he has plenty of life left in him.
FourLittleEnginesCover Four Little Engines 1955 #10
While Rheneas is away at the works, The Skarloey Railway engines work together to keep their line running. Two new engines also arrive to help out.
PercytheSmallEngineCover Percy the Small Engine 1956 #11
Percy is fed-up of being ordered about and gets a chance to shine when he is reallocated to Thomas' Branch Line.
EightFamousEnginesCover The Eight Famous Engines 1957 #12
Already famous for their adventures on Sodor, the Fat Controller's engines take a trip to England.
DuckandtheDieselEngineCover Duck and the Diesel Engine 1958 #13
Duck becomes suspicious when a devious diesel comes to Sodor and blames him for causing trouble.
TheLittleOldEngineCover The Little Old Engine 1959 #14
Skarloey returns to Sodor and finds out that things have changed on his little railway.
TheTwinEnginesCover The Twin Engines 1960 #15
Donald and Douglas, two well-meaning Scottish goods engines, create confusion for the Fat Controller when he only expects one engine.
BranchLineEnginesCover Branch Line Engines 1961 #16
Thomas has an accident and a lazy diesel railcar named Daisy comes to Sodor to fill in for him, but only causes more trouble.
GallantOldEngineCover Gallant Old Engine 1962 #17
The Skarloey Railway prepares for Rheneas' return.
StepneytheBluebellEngineCover Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine 1963 #18
Stepney, an engine from the Bluebell Railway, pays a visit to the Island of Sodor and its engines.
MountainEnginesCover Mountain Engines 1964 #19
Culdee returns to the Mountain Railway, and Lord Harry makes up for a silly mistake.
VeryOldEngines2ndeditionCover Very Old Engines 1965 #20
Skarloey and Rheneas recall their early days and celebrate their 100th anniversary.
MainLineEnginesCover Main Line Engines 1966 #21
Bill and Ben play a trick on a new diesel, Gordon and James get into silly mishaps, and Edward pulls through to bring his passengers home.
SmallRailwayEnginesCover Small Railway Engines 1967 #22
Three miniature gauge engines - Rex, Bert and Mike - come to Sodor to work on a new railway.
EnterprisingEnginesCover Enterprising Engines 4th October 1968 #23
A special visitor comes to Sodor, two diesels are put on trial, and Douglas rescues a steam engine from the cutter's torch.
OlivertheWesternEngineCover Oliver the Western Engine 15th November 1969 #24
Oliver, the new Great Western engine on the Little Western, gets into trouble when his overconfidence gets the better of him.
DuketheLostEngineCover Duke the Lost Engine 15th October 1970 #25
Peter Sam and Sir Handel recall their old days on the Mid Sodor Railway, and a search begins to find Duke.
TramwayEnginesCover Tramway Engines 15th October 1972 #26
Thomas and Percy get in a quarrel and a new diesel shunter named Mavis causes trouble for Toby.

These volumes were later compiled into Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection. The Complete Collection compilations were released by various publishers in different years and countries, all containing the same 26 volumes.

The Reverend W. Awdry planned to call his twenty-seventh volume Really Useful Engines but he never got to use it following his retirement. Completely by coincidence, Christopher Awdry's first publication had this title.

Christopher Awdry

Cover Title Published No. #
ReallyUsefulEnginesCover Really Useful Engines 12th September 1983 #27
Life on the Fat Controller's Railway is far from dull.
JamesandtheDieselEnginesCover James and the Diesel Engines 17th September 1984 #28
James is still convinced that diesels are not very useful, but slowly learns to put his prejudices behind him.
GreatLittleEnginesCover Great Little Engines 28th October 1985 #29
Sir Handel visits the Talyllyn Railway.
MoreAboutThomastheTankEngineCover More About Thomas the Tank Engine 22nd September 1986 #30
Thomas and Percy fall out after an accident, but manage to make up for it.
GordontheHigh-SpeedEngineCover Gordon the High-Speed Engine 7th September 1987 #31
Gordon tries to prove that he can be just as fast as the new high-speed diesels, and Pip and Emma visit the railway for the first time.
Toby,TrucksandTroubleCover Toby, Trucks and Trouble 19th September 1988 #32
Percy and Toby run the branch line and Mavis has an accident with a lorry.
ThomasandtheTwinsCover Thomas and the Twins 11th September 1989 #33
Thomas must work on Edward's Branch Line for the time being, and meets Bill and Ben while he is there.
JocktheNewEngineCover Jock the New Engine 6th August 1990 #34
A boastful new engine called Jock starts work on the Arlesdale Railway.
ThomasandtheGreatRailwayShowCover Thomas and the Great Railway Show 12th August 1991 #35
Thomas travels to the Mainland to attend a grand railway exhibition at the National Railway Museum.
ThomasComesHomeCover Thomas Comes Home 15th June 1992 #36
Percy, Toby and Daisy must manage the branch line while Thomas is away in England.
HenryandtheExpressCover Henry and the Express 8th April 1993 #37
Henry is feeling ill again and must go to the Works for an overhaul.
WilberttheForestEngineCover Wilbert the Forest Engine 8th August 1994 #38
Wilbert is called in from the Dean Forest Railway to help the Ffarquhar Branch Line engines and Donald and Douglas.
ThomasandtheFatControllersEnginesCover Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines 1st August 1995 #39
The engines prepare for the fiftieth anniversary of The Railway Series.
NewLittleEngineCover New Little Engine 8th August 1996 #40
A new engine is built for the Skarloey Railway.
ThomasandVictoriaCover Thomas and Victoria 3rd September 2007 #41
The Fat Controller has an old coach named Victoria renovated to help Toby on the branch line.
File:ThomasandHisFriends.png Thomas and his Friends 6th July 2011 #42
The Thin Clergyman's centenary is celebrated and Pip and Emma become permanent members of the North Western Railway.

Volumes 27-41 were compiled into Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection. 

  • Another Railway Series book titled Barry the Rescue Engine was also being written by Christopher Awdry, but was cancelled and replaced with Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines.

Other Books

Cover Title Writer Published
File:ThomasChristmasPartybook.jpg Thomas's Christmas Party Rev. W. Awdry 29th October 1984
Thomas wants to hold a special Christmas party for Mrs. Kyndley. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kyndley's house is snowed in.
File:ThomasComestoBreakfast(book).png Thomas Comes to Breakfast Rev. W. Awdry 2nd September 1985
Thomas thinks that he can manage without his driver, until he makes an unexpected visit to the stationmaster's house one morning.
ThomasandtheMissingChristmasTree(story) Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree Christopher Awdry 20th October 1986
Thomas is sent to collect a Christmas tree, but when he ends up getting lost along the way home, Donald and Douglas set off to rescue him in time for the Christmas celebrations.
File:ThomasandtheEvilDiesel.jpg Thomas and the Evil Diesel Christopher Awdry 5th October 1987
Diesel returns to Sodor to help out on Thomas' branch line and manages to redeem himself after causing trouble.
ThomasandGordonOfftheRails Thomas and Gordon Off the Rails Rev. W. Awdry 3rd September 1990
Gordon decides to jam the turntable to prove a point, but his attempt makes him slide into a ditch. Thomas goes to a lead mine to collect some trucks but foolishly passes a danger board and falls down a mine.
ThomasandtheHurricaneCover Thomas and the Hurricane Christopher Awdry 16th March 1992
Thomas and his friends deal with the aftermath of a hurricane.

Annuals

From 1979 to 1980, annuals were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, and from 1985 to 1996 by Christopher Awdry. In some cases, these stories expanded upon earlier Railway Series books. In others they were entirely new, and some stories were later rewritten and used as Railway Series stories.

Pop-Up Books

Several Pop-Up books were released based on various Railway Series stories from previous books.

  1. The Flying Kipper and Henry the Green Engine (W. Awdry, 1983)
  2. Bertie the Bus and Thomas the Tank Engine (W. Awdry, 1983)
  3. Thomas the Tank Engine and the Tractor (W. Awdry, 1984)
  4. Henry the Green Engine and the Elephant (W. Awdry, 1984)
  5. Henry the Green Engine Gets Out (W. Awdry, 1984)
  6. James the Red Engine and the Troublesome Trucks (W. Awdry, 1984)
  7. Thomas the Tank Engine Goes Fishing (W. Awdry, 1986)
  8. Percy the Small Engine Takes the Plunge (W. Awdry, 1986)
  9. James the Red Engine and the Signal (C. Awdry, 1994)
  10. Percy the Small Engine and the Scarf (W. Awdry, 1995)
  11. Thomas the Tank Engine Catches a Thief (C. Awdry, 1995)
  12. Thomas the Tank Engine and the Scrambled Eggs (C. Awdry, 1995)

Mini/Board/Sticker books

There have been several Railway Series-related books published which were written by the Awdrys. These books were illustrated by Ken Stott, Tony Wells and Edgar Hodges.

  1. James and the Balloons
  2. Percy and the Kite
  3. Thomas and the Birthday Party
  4. Henry and the Ghost Train
  5. Henry Goes to the Hospital
  6. Thomas and the Pony Show
  7. Thomas and the Dinosaur
  8. Thomas and the Tiger
  9. Thomas Goes to School
  10. Thomas and the Station Cat
  11. James and The Fat Controller
  12. Thomas and the Prize Pig
  13. Tracking Thomas the Tank Engine and his Friends
  14. Thomas and the Lost Cat
  15. Percy the Seaside Train
  16. Thomas and the Giant
  17. Thomas and the Bad Dog
  18. Henry Pulls the Express
  19. Learn With Thomas
  20. A False Start for Duck
  21. Percy and the Postman
  22. Edward and the Bear
  23. Thomas the Tank Engine's European Word Book
  24. Down the Line with Thomas
  25. Tell the Time with Thomas
  26. Thomas Goes to Town
  27. Percy to the Rescue
  28. Thomas's ABC
  29. Thomas's Counting Book
  30. Thomas's Book of Colours
  31. Up and Down with Percy
  32. Famous Engines
  33. Bumper Colouring Book

Companion volumes

These books mainly feature the Island of Sodor, dealing with its history, geography and industry in far greater depth than could ever be discussed in the Railway Series stories themselves. However, The Thomas the Tank Engine Man, is a biography of Rev. W. Awdry and companion to the series.

  1. Twelve Happy Engines (W. Awdry, 1970)
  2. The Railway Series: Surprise Packet (W. Awdry, 1972)
  3. Railway Map of the Island of Sodor (W. Awdry, 1976)
  4. The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (W. Awdry and G. Awdry, 1987)
  5. The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (B. Sibley, 1995)
  6. Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (C. Awdry, 2005)

Bad Days for Thomas

A series of books written to highlight rail safety. They were written partially due to Christopher Awdry's frustration at not being able to include a proper rail safety story in Thomas and the Great Railway Show.

  1. Bad Days for Thomas and his Friends
  2. More Bad Days for Thomas and his Friends

Mr. Perkins' Storytime

In this series of segments, Mr. Perkins reads the Railway Series stories. Each story is rewritten by Andrew Brenner and illustrated by Loraine Marshall.

  1. The Flying Kipper - (Santa's Little Engine DVD; US/UK/AUS)
  2. Trucks! - (The Thomas Way DVD; UK only/Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures DVD; UK only/Spills and Thrills DVD; US only)
  3. Thomas and Gordon - (Spills and Thrills DVD; UK/Wild Water Rescue and Other Engine Adventures DVD; US)
  4. Pop Goes the Diesel - (Trouble on the Tracks DVD; UK/US/AUS)
  5. Thomas and the Breakdown Train - (Tale of the Brave DVD; UK/AUS only/Engines to the Rescue DVD; US only)
  6. A Scarf for Percy - (The Christmas Engines DVD; US/UK/AUS)
  7. Thomas Goes Fishing - (Signals Crossed DVD; US/UK)
  8. Edward and Gordon - (Dinos and Discoveries DVD; UK/US/AUS)
  9. Toby's Tightrope - (Trouble on the Tracks DVD; UK/AUS only/Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures DVD; US only)
  10. Gordon Goes Foreign - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  11. Thomas' Train - (Railway Mischief DVD; UK/AUS only/Tales on the Rails DVD; US only)
  12. Henry and the Elephant - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  13. Thomas Comes to Breakfast - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  14. Thomas in Trouble - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  15. Ghost Train - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  16. Thomas and Bertie - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  17. Percy and Harold - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  18. Thomas, Terence and the Snow - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  19. Sir Topham Hatt's Engines - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)
  20. Trouble in the Shed - (Thomas' YouTube World Tour)

Trivia

  • Nearly all of The Railway Series stories were based upon real-life events. As a life-long railway enthusiast, Wilbert Awdry was keen that his stories should be as realistic as possible. The engine characters were almost all based upon real classes of locomotives, and some of the railways themselves were directly based upon real lines in the British Isles. 
  • Awdry drew from railway literature such as C. Hamilton Ellis' The Trains We Loved and L. T. C. Rolt's Railway Adventure for some of his stories.
  • With the exception of William Middleton, through illustration errors, each illustrator of the Railway Series has drawn Thomas both with and without the dip in his running board.
  • According to The Thomas the Tank Engine Man, Awdry had no intention of writing more Railway Series books after ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’, but after hearing about letters sent saying from fans of the books, he was convinced to continue writing the series.
  • C. Reginald Dalby drew the advertisement for Railway Series books in the illustrations.
  • The dust jacket for the books published in 1965[1] - 1967[2] contained an advertisement for "Percy the Small Engine, brought to life by Meccano".
  • Prior to the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends produced by Britt Allcroft in 1984, there were two attempts to adapt the Railway Series books to the television, both of which were cancelled.

In Other Languages

Language Title
Chinese 托马斯和朋友原著绘本
Japanese 汽車のえほん
Korean 토마스 원작 시리즈
Norwegian Togbok

Japan

From 1965 to 1967, Shuyū Shimizu lived in the UK with his family as a lecturer and international student at the Japanese Studies of Oriental Institute at University of Oxford. One day he found the Railway Series books at an Oxford bookstore, purchased it for his son, and they loved it. For seven years from April 1972, Shimizu taught English at Keio Yochisha at the request of his acquaintance Saburō Kuwabara. During this time they decided to translate the Railway Series. The Japanese translation rights were granted by Kaye & Ward through Charles E. Tuttle Co., a literary agent company. The Rev. W. Awdry was delighted to publish in Japan and sent a message to Japanese readers. This message was published in the foreword message of The Three Railway Engines and the front flaps of 26 books.

On 10 November 1973, Poplar Publishing published the first 3 books, and by November 1974, the first 15 books were published. The remaining 11 books were published between August 1980 and February 1981. The railway technical terms of these books were supervised by Motō Kuroiwa, the railway company owner. These original version was discontinued around 2001.

From March 2005 to January 2006, the first 15 books were published to commemorate the 60th anniversary of The Railway Series. There have been “updates” such as the expanding the size of the book, the same character name as the television series, and correcting old-fashioned phrases. After the first 15 publications, the remaining 11 books were scheduled to be published, but were canceled. In 10 December 2010, the 26 books were published as new mini versions to commemorate the 65th anniversary of The Railway Series. In 20 July 2013, Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection was published to commemoration of the 40th anniversary of The Railway Series in Japan.

When the television series began broadcasting in Japan on 4 October 1990, the Railway Series became even more popular. In 1992, 2005-06 and 2013-15, exhibitions of original artwork of the Railway Series, many sketches by Wilbert Awdry and the original models were held in Japan.

References

  1. ↑ Very Old Engines, 1st edn 1965 - ReproJackets
  2. ↑ Small Railway Engines, 1st edn 1967 - ReproJackets


The Railway Series
Writers Wilbert Awdry | Christopher Awdry | George Awdry | Brian Sibley
Illustrators William Middleton | Reginald Payne | C. Reginald Dalby | John T. Kenney | Gunvor and Peter Edwards | Clive Spong | Stephen Lings
Publishers Edmund Ward | Kaye & Ward | William Heinemann | Egmont Publishing | Random House Books
Narrators Wilbert Awdry | Johnny Morris | Willie Rushton | Ted Robbins | John Gielgud | Andrew Sachs | Michael Angelis
Characters Railway Series characters | Railway Series-exclusive characters | Awdry-created characters
Other The Sad Story of Henry (1953) | The Railway Stories | Eric Marriott
Books W.A. The Three Railway Engines | Thomas the Tank Engine | James the Red Engine | Tank Engine Thomas Again | Troublesome Engines | Henry the Green Engine | Toby the Tram Engine | Gordon the Big Engine | Edward the Blue Engine | Four Little Engines | Percy the Small Engine | The Eight Famous Engines | Duck and the Diesel Engine | The Little Old Engine | The Twin Engines | Branch Line Engines | Gallant Old Engine | Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine | Mountain Engines | Very Old Engines | Main Line Engines | Small Railway Engines | Enterprising Engines | Oliver the Western Engine | Duke the Lost Engine | Tramway Engines
C.A. Really Useful Engines | James and the Diesel Engines | Great Little Engines | More About Thomas the Tank Engine | Gordon the High-Speed Engine | Toby, Trucks and Trouble | Thomas and the Twins | Jock the New Engine | Thomas and the Great Railway Show | Thomas Comes Home | Henry and the Express | Wilbert the Forest Engine | Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines | New Little Engine | Thomas and Victoria | Thomas and his Friends | Barry the Rescue Engine
Other Thomas's Christmas Party | Thomas Comes to Breakfast | Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree | Thomas and the Evil Diesel | Thomas and Gordon Off the Rails | Thomas and the Hurricane | Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection | Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection | Annuals | Mini Books | Pop-up Books
Companion Twelve Happy Engines | The Railway Series: Surprise Packet | Railway Map of the Island of Sodor | The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways | The Thomas the Tank Engine Man | Sodor: Reading Between the Lines
Lectures Narrow Gauge Rails in Sodor | Railways of Sodor
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