Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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{{Youmay|''the books''|''[[The Railway Stories|the audiobooks]]''}}
 
{{Tab|tab1=Main Page|tab2=Gallery}}
 
{{Tab|tab1=Main Page|tab2=Gallery}}
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{{Infobox Book
 
{{Infobox Book
 
|title1=The Railway Series
 
|title1=The Railway Series
Line 24: Line 24:
 
|published=1945 - 2011
 
|published=1945 - 2011
 
}}
 
}}
'''''The Railway Series''''' is a series of story books about the railways on the fictional [[Island of Sodor]]. The books were created by the [[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]], who wrote the first stories back in 1943. He wrote twenty-six books from 1945 up until 1972. A further sixteen books were written by [[Christopher Awdry]], his son. The final book was published in 2011.
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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 [[Wilbert Awdry|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 stories and characters would go on to form the basis for ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'', with many of the books and stories being adapted into full episodes.
+
The series formed the basis for ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'', with many of its books and stories being adapted for television.
   
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===Origins===
 
===Origins===
In 1942, Wilbert Awdry's son, Christopher, caught measles and had to be confined to his bed. To prevent their son getting bored, Wilbert and his wife [[Margaret Awdry]] told him stories and nursery rhymes. Most eventually lost their entertainment value, but one that continually appealed to the sick boy was the rhyme "''Down by the Station''". Wilbert drew a picture of several engines standing in a row based on the rhyme, and for fun gave them faces with various expressions. One engine with a sad expression appealed to Christopher, as it shared his mood, and he began asking questions about it, such as what was his name, to which 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, which Christopher enjoyed immensely. Eventually, Christopher began asking for more stories, to which Wilbert obliged with "Edward and Gordon" and "The Sad Story of Henry"; the latter based on 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.
+
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 suggested that her husband get them published, as she felt they were better than most other children's books on sale. While Wilbert was reluctant, 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 Wilbert was annoyed at the requests, since Ward had already rejected his drawings, he agreed and wrote "Edward, Gordon and Henry", based on a suggestion by Ward. While it was hoped this would speed up publication, it wasn't until 12 May 1945 that the book was released. The book was an immediate commercial success, quickly selling its initial print of 22,500 copies, and going through two more by year's end. Wilbert, while happy to see his book in print, was disappointed in the illustrations by [[William Middleton]].
+
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 was not published until 12th 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===
 
===Continuation===
  +
After the publication of the book, Christopher wanted a model of Gordon; but this could not be done. Instead, Awdry made a model of a tank engine from odds and ends, painted it blue and gave it to Christopher as a Christmas present. Christopher christened the model engine Thomas. Then Christopher requested stories about Thomas and these stories would be published as Awdry's second and most famous book, Thomas the Tank Engine.
  +
  +
After Thomas the Tank Engine, Awdry was finished with writing any more books. However, due to popular demand, Awdry pressed onward. By the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books.
   
 
===Conclusion===
 
===Conclusion===
  +
Christopher subsequently added sixteen more books to the series, including the later two posthumous releases. The last book [[Thomas and his Friends]] was published in 2011 to commemorate Wilbert's century, particularity in the last story ''Centenary''.
  +
  +
===Publishers===
  +
The Railway Series was published by [[Edmund Ward]] from ''[[The Three Railway Engines]]'' in 1945 to ''[[Main Line Engines]]'' in 1966. Edmund Ward merged with Nicholas Kaye to become [[Kaye & Ward]] in 1952, but it was ''[[Small Railway Engines]]'' in 1967 that began using the new imprint. Kaye & Ward was acquired by [[William Heinemann]] in 1984, but the imprint was used up to ''[[Toby, Trucks and Trouble]]'' in 1988. Heinemann was acquired by [[Reed Children's Books]] in 1987, but the Heinemann imprint was used from ''[[Thomas and the Twins]]'' in 1989 to ''[[New Little Engine]]'' in 1996.
  +
  +
On 25th April 1998, Reed International sold their children's books division to [[Egmont Publishing|Egmont UK]] and the copyright of the Railway Series to [[the Britt Allcroft Company]] for £13.5 million.<ref>[https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19980511/28612-pw-egmont-buys-reed-children-s-books.html Egmont Buys Reed Children's Books] on Publishers Weekly</ref><ref name="faqs">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070506041432/http://www.aran48.dsl.pipex.com/faqs.htm Frequently Asked Questions] on Awdry Family Website</ref> As a result, [[Christopher Awdry]] was unable to publish the ''Railway Series'' without the permission of the copyright holder, and the series were suspended.<ref name="faqs"/> In the same year, in spite of Christopher's opposition<ref name="faqs"/>, Egmont published [[Egmont Publishing#The Railway Series|new format versions]] of 14 books from the Railway Series, which were discontinued and scrapped due to negative feedback. And it was reverted to the original state in 2004.
  +
  +
Christopher still wanted to write stories for children, so he founded [[Sodor Enterprises]] in 2001 with his wife, Diana Awdry. He offered the publisher the reprints of ''[[The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways]]'', and offered to buy the copyright of this book, but were denied.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050404103746/http://www.sodor.co.uk/next.htm What's Next?] on Sodor Enterprises</ref> So he wrote a new information book and published it in May 2005 as ''[[Sodor: Reading Between the Lines]]'' to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Railway Series.
  +
  +
Then, ''[[Thomas and Victoria]]'', which was intended to be published in 1997, was published by Egmont in 2007. In 2011, ''[[Thomas and his Friends]]'' was published and the series reached the final book.
   
 
==Books==
 
==Books==
 
===Rev. W. Awdry===
 
===Rev. W. Awdry===
 
{{Episodes List 1
 
{{Episodes List 1
|A=Cover
+
|A = Cover
|B=Title
+
|B = Title
|C=Published
+
|C = Published
|D=No. #
+
|D = No. #
|01-1=TheThreeRailwayEnginesCover.png
+
|01-1 = TheThreeRailwayEnginesCover.png
|01-2=[[The Three Railway Engines]]
+
|01-2 = [[The Three Railway Engines]]
|01-3=12th May 1945
+
|01-3 = 12th May 1945
|01-4=#01
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|02-1 = ThomastheTankEngineCover.png
|02-2=[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]
+
|02-2 = [[Thomas the Tank Engine]]
|02-3=18th October 1946
+
|02-3 = 18th October 1946
|02-4=#02
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|03-1 = JamestheRedEngineCover.png
|03-2=[[James the Red Engine]]
+
|03-2 = [[James the Red Engine]]
|03-3=1948
+
|03-3 = 14th September 1948
|03-4=#03
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|04-1 = TankEngineThomasAgain.png
|04-2=[[Tank Engine Thomas Again]]
+
|04-2 = [[Tank Engine Thomas Again]]
|04-3=1949
+
|04-3 = 31st December 1949
|04-4=#04
+
|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]].
+
|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
+
|05-1 = TroublesomeEnginesCover.png
|05-2=[[Troublesome Engines]]
+
|05-2 = [[Troublesome Engines]]
|05-3=September 1950
+
|05-3 = 15th January 1950
|05-4=#05
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|06-1 = HenrytheGreenEngineCover.png
|06-2=[[Henry the Green Engine]]
+
|06-2 = [[Henry the Green Engine]]
|06-3=1951
+
|06-3 = 10th July 1951
|06-4=#06
+
|06-4 = #06
|06-5=Henry proves his worth to the Fat Controller, in spite of his illness, and is finally cured.
+
|06-5 = Henry proves his worth to the Fat Controller, in spite of his illness and is finally cured.
|07-1=TobytheTramEngineCover.png
+
|07-1 = TobytheTramEngineCover.png
|07-2=[[Toby the Tram Engine]]
+
|07-2 = [[Toby the Tram Engine]]
|07-3=1952
+
|07-3 = 26th July 1952
|07-4=#07
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|08-1 = GordontheBigEngineCover.png
|08-2=[[Gordon the Big Engine]]
+
|08-2 = [[Gordon the Big Engine]]
|08-3=1953
+
|08-3 = 19th June 1953
|08-4=#08
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|09-1 = EdwardtheBlueEngineCover.png
|09-2=[[Edward the Blue Engine]]
+
|09-2 = [[Edward the Blue Engine]]
|09-3=1954
+
|09-3 = 23rd November 1954
|09-4=#09
+
|09-4 = #09
|09-5=Edward is getting old, but proves he has plenty of life left in him.
+
|09-5 = Edward is getting old, but proves he has plenty of life left in him.
|10-1=FourLittleEnginesCover.png
+
|10-1 = FourLittleEnginesCover.png
|10-2=[[Four Little Engines]]
+
|10-2 = [[Four Little Engines]]
|10-3=1955
+
|10-3 = 22nd November 1955
|10-4=#10
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|11-1 = PercytheSmallEngineCover.png
|11-2=[[Percy the Small Engine]]
+
|11-2 = [[Percy the Small Engine]]
|11-3=1956
+
|11-3 = 1st January 1956
|11-4=#11
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|12-1 = EightFamousEnginesCover.png
|12-2=[[The Eight Famous Engines]]
+
|12-2 = [[The Eight Famous Engines]]
|12-3=1957
+
|12-3 = 15th September 1957
|12-4=#12
+
|12-4 = #12
|12-5=Already famous for their adventures on Sodor, the Fat Controller's engines take a trip to [[The Mainland|England]].
+
|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
+
|13-1 = DuckandtheDieselEngineCover.png
|13-2=[[Duck and the Diesel Engine]]
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|13-2 = [[Duck and the Diesel Engine]]
|13-3=1958
+
|13-3 = 23rd June 1958
|13-4=#13
+
|13-4 = #13
|13-5=[[Duck]] becomes suspicious when a [[Diesel|devious diesel]] comes to Sodor and blames him for causing trouble.
+
|13-5 = [[Duck]] becomes suspicious when a [[Diesel|devious diesel]] comes to Sodor and blames him for causing trouble.
|14-1=TheLittleOldEngineCover.png
+
|14-1 = TheLittleOldEngineCover.png
|14-2=[[The Little Old Engine]]
+
|14-2 = [[The Little Old Engine]]
|14-3=1959
+
|14-3 = 1st January 1959
|14-4=#14
+
|14-4 = #14
|14-5=[[Skarloey]] returns to Sodor and finds out that things have changed on his little railway.
+
|14-5 = [[Skarloey]] returns to Sodor and finds out that things have changed on his little railway.
|15-1=TheTwinEnginesCover.png
+
|15-1 = TheTwinEnginesCover.png
|15-2=[[The Twin Engines]]
+
|15-2 = [[The Twin Engines]]
|15-3=1960
+
|15-3 = 15th September 1960
|15-4=#15
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|16-1 = BranchLineEnginesCover.png
|16-2=[[Branch Line Engines]]
+
|16-2 = [[Branch Line Engines]]
|16-3=1961
+
|16-3 = 15th September 1961
|16-4=#16
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|17-1 = GallantOldEngineCover.png
|17-2=[[Gallant Old Engine]]
+
|17-2 = [[Gallant Old Engine]]
|17-3=1962
+
|17-3 = 1st January 1962
|17-4=#17
+
|17-4 = #17
|17-5=The Skarloey Railway prepares for Rheneas' return.
+
|17-5 = The Skarloey Railway prepares for Rheneas' return.
|18-1=StepneytheBluebellEngineCover.png
+
|18-1 = StepneytheBluebellEngineCover.png
|18-2=[[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine]]
+
|18-2 = [[Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine]]
|18-3=1963
+
|18-3 = 15th August 1963
|18-4=#18
+
|18-4 = #18
|18-5=[[Stepney]], an engine from the [[Bluebell Railway]], pays a visit to the Island of Sodor and its engines.
+
|18-5 = [[Stepney]], an engine from the [[Bluebell Railway]], pays a visit to the Island of Sodor and its engines.
|19-1=MountainEnginesCover.png
+
|19-1 = MountainEnginesCover.png
|19-2=[[Mountain Engines]]
+
|19-2 = [[Mountain Engines]]
|19-3=1964
+
|19-3 = 15th August 1964
|19-4=#19
+
|19-4 = #19
|19-5=[[Culdee]] returns to the [[Culdee Fell Railway|Mountain Railway]], and [[Patrick|Lord Harry]] makes up for a silly mistake.
+
|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
+
|20-1 = VeryOldEngines2ndeditionCover.png
|20-2=[[Very Old Engines]]
+
|20-2 = [[Very Old Engines]]
|20-3=1965
+
|20-3 = 15th June 1965
|20-4=#20
+
|20-4 = #20
|20-5=Skarloey and Rheneas recall their early days and celebrate their 100th anniversary.
+
|20-5 = Skarloey and Rheneas recall their early days and celebrate their 100th birthdays.
|21-1=MainLineEnginesCover.png
+
|21-1 = MainLineEnginesCover.png
|21-2=[[Main Line Engines]]
+
|21-2 = [[Main Line Engines]]
|21-3=1966
+
|21-3 = 15th November 1966
|21-4=#21
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|22-1 = SmallRailwayEnginesCover.png
|22-2=[[Small Railway Engines]]
+
|22-2 = [[Small Railway Engines]]
|22-3=1967
+
|22-3 = 1st August 1967
|22-4=#22
+
|22-4 = #22
|22-5=Three miniature gauge engines - [[Rex]], [[Bert]] and [[Mike]] - come to Sodor to work on a [[Arlesdale Railway|new railway]].
+
|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
+
|23-1 = EnterprisingEnginesCover.png
|23-2=[[Enterprising Engines]]
+
|23-2 = [[Enterprising Engines]]
|23-3=4th October 1968
+
|23-3 = 4th October 1968
|23-4=#23
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|24-1 = OlivertheWesternEngineCover.png
|24-2=[[Oliver the Western Engine]]
+
|24-2 = [[Oliver the Western Engine]]
|24-3=15th November 1969
+
|24-3 = 15th November 1969
|24-4=#24
+
|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.
+
|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
+
|25-1 = DuketheLostEngineCover.png
|25-2=[[Duke the Lost Engine]]
+
|25-2 = [[Duke the Lost Engine]]
|25-3=15th October 1970
+
|25-3 = 15th October 1970
|25-4=#25
+
|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]].
+
|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
+
|26-1 = TramwayEnginesCover.png
|26-2=[[Tramway Engines]]
+
|26-2 = [[Tramway Engines]]
|26-3=15th October 1972
+
|26-3 = 15th October 1972
|26-4=#26
+
|26-4 = #26
|26-5=Thomas and Percy get in a quarrel and a new diesel shunter named [[Mavis]] causes trouble for Toby.
+
|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.
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.
 
   
 
===Christopher Awdry===
 
===Christopher Awdry===
Line 209: Line 221:
 
|05-3=7th September 1987
 
|05-3=7th September 1987
 
|05-4=#31
 
|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.
+
|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
 
|06-1=Toby,TrucksandTroubleCover.png
 
|06-2=[[Toby, Trucks and Trouble]]
 
|06-2=[[Toby, Trucks and Trouble]]
Line 219: Line 231:
 
|07-3=11th September 1989
 
|07-3=11th September 1989
 
|07-4=#33
 
|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.
+
|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
 
|08-1=JocktheNewEngineCover.png
 
|08-2=[[Jock the New Engine]]
 
|08-2=[[Jock the New Engine]]
Line 265: Line 277:
 
|16-4=#42
 
|16-4=#42
 
|16-5=[[The Thin Clergyman]]'s centenary is celebrated and Pip and Emma become permanent members of the North Western Railway.
 
|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 was written by Christopher Awdry in the 1980s, but was cancelled.
Volumes 27-41 were compiled into ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection]]. ''
 
  +
* Christopher Awdry had other material, which he hoped would be published. He read new stories about the [[Skarloey Railway|narrow gauge engines]] at the [[Talyllyn Railway]]'s ''[[Douglas (narrow gauge)|Duncan Days]]'' events, however these stories were never published.
* Another ''Railway Series'' book titled ''[[Barry the Rescue Engine]]'' was also being written by Christopher Awdry, but was cancelled.
 
   
 
===Other Books===
 
===Other Books===
Line 280: Line 292:
 
|01-4=29th October 1984
 
|01-4=29th October 1984
 
|01-5=Thomas wants to hold a special Christmas party for Mrs. Kyndley. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kyndley's house is snowed in.
 
|01-5=Thomas wants to hold a special Christmas party for Mrs. Kyndley. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kyndley's house is snowed in.
|02-1=ThomasComestoBreakfast(book).png
+
|02-1=ThomasComestoBreakfast(book)1992Cover.png
 
|02-2=[[Thomas Comes to Breakfast (book)|Thomas Comes to Breakfast]]
 
|02-2=[[Thomas Comes to Breakfast (book)|Thomas Comes to Breakfast]]
 
|02-3=[[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]]
 
|02-3=[[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]]
 
|02-4=2nd September 1985
 
|02-4=2nd September 1985
|02-5=Thomas thinks that he can manage without his driver, until he makes an unexpected visit to the stationmaster's house one morning.
+
|02-5=Thomas thinks that he can manage without his [[Drivers|driver]], until he makes an unexpected visit to the stationmaster's house one morning.
 
|03-1=ThomasandtheMissingChristmasTree(story).PNG
 
|03-1=ThomasandtheMissingChristmasTree(story).PNG
 
|03-2=[[Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)|Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree]]
 
|03-2=[[Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)|Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree]]
Line 308: Line 320:
   
 
==Annuals==
 
==Annuals==
  +
{{See also|Annuals}}
From 1979-1980, the [[annuals]] were written by the 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.
+
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.
  +
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
  +
File:1979Annual.jpg|1979 cover
  +
File:1980Annual.jpg|1980 cover
  +
File:1985Annual.jpg|1985 cover
  +
File:1986Annual.jpg|1986 cover
  +
File:1987Annual.jpg|1987 cover
  +
File:1988Annual.jpg|1988 cover
  +
File:1989Annual.jpg|1989 cover
  +
File:1990Annual.jpg|1990 cover
  +
File:1991Annual.jpg|1991 cover
  +
File:1992Annual.jpg|1992 cover
  +
File:1993Annual.jpg|1993 cover
  +
File:1994Annual.jpg|1994 cover
  +
File:1995Annual.jpg|1995 cover
  +
File:1996Annual.jpg|1996 cover
  +
</gallery>
   
 
==Pop-Up Books==
 
==Pop-Up Books==
Line 368: Line 397:
 
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.
 
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.
   
  +
# [[Railway Map of the Island of Sodor]] (''W. Awdry, 1958; 1971; 1983'')
 
# [[Twelve Happy Engines]] (''W. Awdry, 1970'')
 
# [[Twelve Happy Engines]] (''W. Awdry, 1970'')
 
# [[The Railway Series: Surprise Packet]] (''W. Awdry, 1972'')
 
# [[The Railway Series: Surprise Packet]] (''W. Awdry, 1972'')
# [[Railway Map of the Island of Sodor]] (''W. Awdry, 1976'')
+
# [[The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways]] (''W. Awdry and [[George Awdry|G. Awdry]], 1987'')
# [[The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways]] (''W. Awdry and G. Awdry, 1987)''
+
# [[The Thomas the Tank Engine Man]] (''[[Brian Sibley|B. Sibley]], 1995; 2015'')
# [[The Thomas the Tank Engine Man]] (''[[Brian Sibley|B. Sibley]], 1995'')
 
 
# [[Sodor: Reading Between the Lines]] (''C. Awdry, 2005'')
 
# [[Sodor: Reading Between the Lines]] (''C. Awdry, 2005'')
   
Line 381: Line 410:
 
# [[More Bad Days for Thomas and his Friends]]
 
# [[More Bad Days for Thomas and his Friends]]
   
  +
==[[Thomas & Friends]]==
==Mr. Perkins' Storytime==
 
  +
===Storytime Segments===
In this series of segments, [[Mr. Perkins]] reads the Railway Series stories. Each story is rewritten by [[Andrew Brenner]] and illustrated by [[Loraine Marshall]].
+
In this series of segments, [[Mr. Perkins]] and later [[Mr. Evans]] read the Railway Series stories. Each story is rewritten by [[Andrew Brenner]] and reillustrated by [[Loraine Marshall]].
   
 
# [[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'')
Line 404: Line 434:
 
# [[The Eight Famous Engines#The Fat Controller's 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|Trouble in the Shed]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
 
# [[Troublesome Engines#Trouble in the Shed|Trouble in the Shed]] - (''Thomas' YouTube World Tour'')
  +
# [[Tank Engine Thomas Again#Thomas and the Guard|Thomas and the Guard]] - (''[[Storytime with Mr. Evans]]'')
   
 
==Trivia==
 
==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.
+
* 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.
* During the 1970s, [[Wikipedia:Andrew Lloyd Webber|Andrew Lloyd Webber]] planned a musical adaptation of ''The Railway Series'', but Awdry refused to give him the control he wanted. Lloyd Webber would later go on to compose ''[[Wikipedia:Starlight Express|Starlight Express]]'' and formed the "[[Wikipedia:Really Useful Group|Really Useful Group]]", a name inspired by the phrase "Really Useful Engine".
 
  +
* 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.
* In 1973, [[Poplar Publishing]] released the Japanese translation of Wilbert Awdry's 26 books. The series was translated by [[:ja:桑原三郎|Saburō Kuwabara]] and [[:ja:清水周裕|Shuyū Shimizu]]. [[:ja:黒岩源雄|Motō Kuroiwa]] supervised railway technical terms. Wilbert Awdry sent a [[:ja:3だいの機関車#前書き|message to Japanese children]]. Christopher's books, however, have yet to be translated into Japanese.
 
  +
* 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.
  +
** 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 ''[[Thomas & Friends|Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends]]'' being 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 the BBC in 1953. Because this episode failed, the BBC cancelled 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.
  +
* The first large-scale celebration of an anniversary of the Railway Series was the ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine 45th Birthday]]'' at the [[National Railway Museum]] in 1990.
  +
* The books written by Wilbert Awdry were the most widely available. Christopher's books were commonly rare to find and expensive to purchase.
   
 
==In Other Languages==
 
==In Other Languages==
 
{{Other Languages
 
{{Other Languages
|CHI=托马斯和朋友原著绘本
+
|CHI = 托马斯和朋友原著绘本
|JPN=汽車のえほん
+
|JPN = 汽車のえほん
|KOR=토마스 원작 시리즈
+
|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 the [[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 10th November 1973, [[Poplar Publishing]] published the first three 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 versions were 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 expanding the size of the book, having 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 cancelled. On 10th December 2010, the 26 books were published as [[Railway Series (Complete Boxsets)|new mini versions]] to commemorate the 65th anniversary of The Railway Series. On 20th July 2013, [[Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection]] was published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Railway Series in Japan.
  +
  +
When the [[Thomas & Friends|television series]] began broadcasting in Japan on 4th 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==
 
==References==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
  +
  +
==External Links==
  +
*[https://www.sodor-island.com/the-railway-series The Railway Series] on Sodor Island Fansite
 
{{The Railway Series}}
 
{{The Railway Series}}
   
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[[ja:汽車のえほん]]
 
[[ja:汽車のえほん]]
 
[[pl:Railway Series]]
 
[[pl:Railway Series]]
  +
[[ru:Железнодорожные истории]]
[[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 17:05, 26 June 2020

This article is about the books. You may be looking for the audiobooks.
Main Page


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 was not published until 12th 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

After the publication of the book, Christopher wanted a model of Gordon; but this could not be done. Instead, Awdry made a model of a tank engine from odds and ends, painted it blue and gave it to Christopher as a Christmas present. Christopher christened the model engine Thomas. Then Christopher requested stories about Thomas and these stories would be published as Awdry's second and most famous book, Thomas the Tank Engine.

After Thomas the Tank Engine, Awdry was finished with writing any more books. However, due to popular demand, Awdry pressed onward. By the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books.

Conclusion

Christopher subsequently added sixteen more books to the series, including the later two posthumous releases. The last book Thomas and his Friends was published in 2011 to commemorate Wilbert's century, particularity in the last story Centenary.

Publishers

The Railway Series was published by Edmund Ward from The Three Railway Engines in 1945 to Main Line Engines in 1966. Edmund Ward merged with Nicholas Kaye to become Kaye & Ward in 1952, but it was Small Railway Engines in 1967 that began using the new imprint. Kaye & Ward was acquired by William Heinemann in 1984, but the imprint was used up to Toby, Trucks and Trouble in 1988. Heinemann was acquired by Reed Children's Books in 1987, but the Heinemann imprint was used from Thomas and the Twins in 1989 to New Little Engine in 1996.

On 25th April 1998, Reed International sold their children's books division to Egmont UK and the copyright of the Railway Series to the Britt Allcroft Company for £13.5 million.[1][2] As a result, Christopher Awdry was unable to publish the Railway Series without the permission of the copyright holder, and the series were suspended.[2] In the same year, in spite of Christopher's opposition[2], Egmont published new format versions of 14 books from the Railway Series, which were discontinued and scrapped due to negative feedback. And it was reverted to the original state in 2004.

Christopher still wanted to write stories for children, so he founded Sodor Enterprises in 2001 with his wife, Diana Awdry. He offered the publisher the reprints of The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways, and offered to buy the copyright of this book, but were denied.[3] So he wrote a new information book and published it in May 2005 as Sodor: Reading Between the Lines to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Railway Series.

Then, Thomas and Victoria, which was intended to be published in 1997, was published by Egmont in 2007. In 2011, Thomas and his Friends was published and the series reached the final book.

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 14th September 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 31st December 1949 #04
Thomas has many adventures on his new branch line and meets two new friends named Terence and Bertie.
TroublesomeEnginesCover Troublesome Engines 15th January 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 10th July 1951 #06
Henry proves his worth to the Fat Controller, in spite of his illness and is finally cured.
TobytheTramEngineCover Toby the Tram Engine 26th July 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 19th June 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 23rd November 1954 #09
Edward is getting old, but proves he has plenty of life left in him.
FourLittleEnginesCover Four Little Engines 22nd November 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 1st January 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 15th September 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 23rd June 1958 #13
Duck becomes suspicious when a devious diesel comes to Sodor and blames him for causing trouble.
TheLittleOldEngineCover The Little Old Engine 1st January 1959 #14
Skarloey returns to Sodor and finds out that things have changed on his little railway.
TheTwinEnginesCover The Twin Engines 15th September 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 15th September 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 1st January 1962 #17
The Skarloey Railway prepares for Rheneas' return.
StepneytheBluebellEngineCover Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine 15th August 1963 #18
Stepney, an engine from the Bluebell Railway, pays a visit to the Island of Sodor and its engines.
MountainEnginesCover Mountain Engines 15th August 1964 #19
Culdee returns to the Mountain Railway and Lord Harry makes up for a silly mistake.
VeryOldEngines2ndeditionCover Very Old Engines 15th June 1965 #20
Skarloey and Rheneas recall their early days and celebrate their 100th birthdays.
MainLineEnginesCover Main Line Engines 15th November 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 1st August 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

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.
ThomasComestoBreakfast(book)1992Cover 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

Main article: 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. Railway Map of the Island of Sodor (W. Awdry, 1958; 1971; 1983)
  2. Twelve Happy Engines (W. Awdry, 1970)
  3. The Railway Series: Surprise Packet (W. Awdry, 1972)
  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; 2015)
  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

Thomas & Friends

Storytime Segments

In this series of segments, Mr. Perkins and later Mr. Evans read the Railway Series stories. Each story is rewritten by Andrew Brenner and reillustrated 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)
  21. Thomas and the Guard - (Storytime with Mr. Evans)

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[4] - 1967[5] contained an advertisement for "Percy the Small Engine, brought to life by Meccano".
  • Prior to Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends being 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 first large-scale celebration of an anniversary of the Railway Series was the Thomas the Tank Engine 45th Birthday at the National Railway Museum in 1990.
  • The books written by Wilbert Awdry were the most widely available. Christopher's books were commonly rare to find and expensive to purchase.

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 the 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 10th November 1973, Poplar Publishing published the first three 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 versions were 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 expanding the size of the book, having 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 cancelled. On 10th December 2010, the 26 books were published as new mini versions to commemorate the 65th anniversary of The Railway Series. On 20th July 2013, Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection was published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Railway Series in Japan.

When the television series began broadcasting in Japan on 4th 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


External Links

The Railway Series