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This page is a timeline chronicling major events of The Railway Series continuity.
10th Century
960s
960
- Earl Sigurd of Orkney is born.
970s
979
- Godred MacHarold becomes King of Sodor and Man.[1]
980s
- Earl Sigurd of Orkney attempts to invade Sodor but is repelled by Godred MacHarold.
987
- Harold the Black is born.[2]
989
- Earl Sigurd slays Godred MacHarold and his two eldest sons. Earl Sigurd becomes King of Sodor and Man.[2]
11th Century
1000s
1009
- Thorfinn is born.
1010s
1014
- Earl Sigurd of Orkney is killed during the Battle of Clontarf in Ireland.[2]
- Harold the Black claims the title of King of Sodor and Man.[2]
1030s
1034
- Thorfinn seizes control of the kingdom of Sodor and Man.[2]
- Harold the Black is driven to exile in Iceland.
1040s
1043
1045
- Godred Crovan is born.[2]
1047
- Harold the Black dies in a failed attempt to reclaim his kingdom.[2]
1050s
1054
- An attempted Norman invasion of Sodor takes place, but is successfully repelled at Cas-ny-Hawin by Lady Sigrid of Arlesdale.
1060s
1061
1065
- Thorfinn dies; his sons, Erland and Paul, rule jointly over Sodor and Man.[4]
1067
- Godred Crovan reclaims the kingdom of Sodor and Man.
- Thorkell arrives on Sodor and settles at Kellsthorpe.[5]
- Ulf arrives on Sodor.[6]
1070s
1070
- Roolwer becomes Bishop of Sodor and Man.[7]
- Ulfstead Castle is completed.[6]
1071
1079
- Roolwer dies on a visit to the Isle of Man and is buried at Kirk Maughold.[7]
1080s
1089
1090s
1095
12th Century
1100s
1104
1150s
1150
- Cronk Abbey is founded.[11][12]
1160s
1160
- St Tibba's Nunnery is established at Wellsworth.[12]
15th Century
1400s
1404
- Sodor is annexed by England.
- Sir Arnold de Normanby becomes the first Earl of Sodor and is granted control of Ulfstead Castle.[6][9]
16th Century
1540s
1540
- Cronk Abbey is dissolved on the order of King Henry VIII.
17th Century
1650s
1659
1660s
1665
- Rolf's Castle is rebuilt.[7]
19th Century
1800s
1802
- The Coalbrookdale Locomotive is built.
1806
- A plateway from Ward Fell to Balladwail is built and opened.
1810s
1810
- The plateway from Ward Fell to Balladwail is closed down and torn up.
1813
- The Dean Forest Railway is built and opened.
1820s
1820
- The plateway from Ward Fell to Balladwail is rebuilt and extended up the Benglas valley to the mine.
1822
- John Arnold Norramby is born.
1829
- Stephenson's Rocket is built.
1830s
1836
- The Ffestiniog Railway is constructed.
1837
- Euston station is built.
1840s
1840
- Stephenson's Rocket is retired from service.
- Crewe Works is opened.
1846
- Carnforth is built.
1850s
1851
- Bloomer is built.
1852
- King's Cross station is built.
1853
- The Act to build the Sodor and Mainland Railway is passed by government.
- Doncaster Works is built.
1854
- Paddington station is built.
- Henry John Norramby is born.
- Vere Awdry (Reverend W. Awdry's father) is born.
1857
- Fletcher, Jennings & Co. is opened.
1859
- The Corris Railway is constructed.
1860s
1861
- Sodor and Mainland Railway is opened.
- Stations at Rolf's Castle, Crovan's Gate and Ballahoo are built.
- Neil and his brothers are built and arrive on Sodor.
1863
- Prince is built.
1864
- Talyllyn and Skarloey are built.
- Albert Regaby is born.
- Prince arrives at the Ffestiniog Railway.
1865
- The Sodor and Mainland Railway is extended to Kirk Ronan.
- Stations at Kirk Ronan and Crovan's Gate are built.
- Skarloey arrives on Sodor and assists with the construction of the Skarloey Railway.
- Rheneas is built and arrives in time for the BoT (Board of Trustees) inspection and official opening of the railway in October.[14]
- Agnes, Ruth, Jemima and Beatrice are built for the Skarloey Railway.
- Talyllyn arrives in Wales and the Talyllyn Railway is constructed.
1866
- Dolgoch is built and arrives on the Talyllyn Railway.
- Skarloey has trailing wheels added to improve stability and has a cab installed.
- Lucy arrives on Sodor and joins Agnes, Ruth, Jemima and Beatrice on the Skarloey Railway.
1868
- St. Pancras is built.
1870s
1870
- The Wellsworth and Suddery Railway is opened.
- Stations at Crosby and Wellsworth and Suddery are built.
- Two Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST locomotives are purchased by the railway and arrive on Sodor.
- The people of Peel Godred plan for a railway to be built.
1872
- Albert is built.
- The Mid Sodor Railway Company is formed.
1873
- Brendam School is founded.
1874
- The rebuilt Arlesdale Tramway portion of the Mid Sodor Railway is opened.
1875
- 21 December: Stepney is built.
- Sir Handel Brown I is born.
- The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is constructed.
1877
- Captain Baxter is built.
- York station is opened.
1878
- Coronel Church is built and arrives in Brazil.
- Sir Haydn is built and arrives on the Corris Railway.
- Wilbert Awdry's mother Lucy Awdry is born.
1879
- Duke is ordered.
- Coronel Church is abandoned in the Amazon Rainforest.
1880s
1880
- Duke is shipped to Sodor.
- The Mid Sodor Railway's extension to Arlesdale Road is opened.
- Sir Topham Hatt I is born.[2]
- 20 August: Boxhill is built.
- Cromford is built.
1881
- The Wellsworth and Suddery Railway purchases a Sharp Stewart 0-6-0T locomotive from the Cornwall Minerals Railway.
- Robert Sam, father of Mr. Peter Sam, is born.
1882
- Victoria and Helena are built for the Furness Railway.
- Barrow-in-Furness station is built.
- The Bluebell Railway is opened.
1883
- Charles Henry Norramby is born.
- The Elsbridge & Knapford Railway is formed.
- Irene is built.
1884
1885
- Adams is built.
- Knapford station is built.
- Knapford Harbour is opened.
1886
- Livingston Thompson is built.
- Frederick Regaby dies; Albert Regaby succeeds to his Barony.
1890s
1891
- Albert is rebuilt.
1894
1895
- L.A.D.A.S., Enid and Wyddfa are built and arrive in Wales for the Snowdon Mountain Railway.
1896
- Edward is built.
- Snowdon and Moel Siabod are built and arrive in Wales for the Snowdon Mountain Railway.
- The Snowdon Mountain Railway is opened.
- L.A.D.A.S. is scrapped after a fall on the opening day.
1897
- February: Construction on the Culdee Fell Railway begins.[15]
- Skarloey returns to Whitehaven for an overhaul.[16]
20th Century
1900s
1900
- Godred, Ernest, Wilfred, Culdee and Shane Dooiney are built and arrive on Sodor.
- 4 June: The Culdee Fell Railway is opened, but is temporarily closed just over a month later when Godred takes a fall. He is subsequently scrapped due to being too expensive to repair.
- The Wellsworth and Suddery Railway is extended to Brendam and the old wharf at Suddery is closed.
- The Mid Sodor Railway is extended to King Orry's Bridge and Arlesdale Road closes.
- The Skarloey Slate Quarry opens.
1901
- 8 April: The Culdee Fell Railway is re-opened after receiving further maintenance following the events of Godred's accident.[17]
- Sir Topham Hatt comes to Sodor and joins A.W. Dry and Company.[2]
- The Sodor and Mainland Railway goes bankrupt and becomes dormant.
- Neil is sold to the Crovan's Gate Mining Company, while engines 1 and 3 are scrapped.
- The Motive Power Depot of the S&M is closed.
1903
- April: City of Truro is built.
- Kevin Volley is born.
1904
- 9 May: City of Truro allegedly becomes one of the first engines to reach 100 mph.
- Falcon is built and shipped to Sodor to replace an older engine of the Mid Sodor Railway, who is then scrapped.
- Falcon is given his name and blue livery by the Mid Sodor Railway.
- Also, while double-heading "The Picnic Train" with Duke, he had an accident at the Mountain Road. Luckily, he was rescued and brought back on the rails.
1905
- The Elsbridge & Knapford Railway is extended to Tidmouth along a coastal road.
- Coffee Pot No. 1 is built at A.W. Dry and Co.'s works by Mr. Topham Hatt.
- March: Boxhill is converted into a 2-4-0T.
1906
- The Refreshment Lady is born.
- Tidmouth becomes the first town on Sodor to be lit by electricity, powered by the falls of the River Tid.
1908
- The line from Knapford to Tidmouth along the coast is destroyed by a strong autumn gale.
- Using a treasury loan, A.W. Dry & Co. puts unemployed miners to work cutting a tunnel through a ridge to Tidmouth.
- The Elsbridge & Knapford Railway reforms to become the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway.
1909
- Donald and Douglas are built.
- Coronel Church is discovered.
1910s
1910
- Bluebell and Primrose are built.
- The Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway is opened.
- Tidmouth station is built.
- Coffee Pots Nos. 2, 3, and 4 are built.
- Coffee Pot No. 1 is withdrawn from service.
- Sir Topham Hatt marries Jane Brown.[18]
- Falcon returns to Loughborough to have trailing wheels fitted.
- 5 July: The first train runs to Tidmouth.
1911
- 15 June: The Reverend W. Awdry is born.
- Barbara Jane, daughter of Sir Topham Hatt, is born.[18]
- September: City of Truro is rebuilt.
1912
- James is built.[19]
- October: Stepney is rebuilt.
- The Tidmouth, Wellsworth and Suddery Railway is formed from the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Railway and the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway.
- Coffee Pot No. 1 is scrapped.
- Wellsworth and Suddery Railway No. 3 is rebuilt as a tender engine.
- 12 July: Margaret Emily Wale Awdry is born.
- Coronel Church is restored and returned to service.
1913
- Boxhill is restored.
1914
- The North Western Railway is formed from the Sodor and Mainland Railway and the Tidmouth, Wellsworth and Suddery Railway.
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt II is born.[18]
- 30 June: Toby is built.
- World War I begins.
1915
- The North Western Railway is built.
- Stations at Maron, Cronk, Killdane, Kellsthorpe Road and Norramby are built.
- The main line and Norramby branch line is built.
- The lines from Knapford to Elsbridge and Wellsworth and Brendam become branch lines.
- Albert Regaby becomes chairman of the North Western Railway.
- Annie and Clarabel arrive on Sodor.
- Thomas is built and arrives on Sodor.[20]
- Edward arrives on Sodor.[21]
- The Ballahoo Tunnel is built.[11]
- The workshops at Crovan's Gate are established.[22]
- The North Western Railways' Motive Power Depot and Administrative Headquarters at Vicarstown are built.[11]
- Vicarstown Station, Bridge and Sheds are built.
- Kevin Volley joins the North Western Railway as a lad/porter at Knapford.
- Mr. Peter Sam is born.
- Henry John Norramby dies.
- City of Truro is rebuilt for a second time.
- A naval base is established at Harwick.
- Plans for the engine that becomes Henry are stolen from Doncaster.
1916
- The Arlesburgh branch line is built.
- 10 August: George Edward Vere Awdry is born.
1917
- Stanley is built.
1918
- Robert Charles is born.
- World War I ends.
- Douglas is built.
- Percy is built sometime after the turn of the 20th Century.
1919
- Henry is built.[19]
- Adams is sent to work on Colonel Stephens' East Kent Light Railway.
1920s
1920
- Stuart is built, for work on the Mid Sodor Railway.
- Construction of Gordon begins at Doncaster.
- The Vicar of Wellsworth, Charles Laxey, is born.
- Sir Handel Brown marries Dorothy Lloyd.
- Thomas is officially sold to the North Western Railway.[20]
- Later that year he is rebuilt at Crovan's Gate.
- 16 April: Alan Pegler is born.
- Stanley is bought by the Mid Sodor Railway.
1921
- Edward is officially sold to the North Western Railway.
- Mr. Ivo Hugh is born.
- Kevin Volley is promoted to porter.
- Edward Thomas is built and arrives on the Corris Railway.
- Gordon is built.
1922
- Padarn is built and arrives in Wales for the Snowdon Mountain Railway.
- Henry arrives on Sodor and is officially sold to the North Western Railway.
- A second bore is built in the tunnel after Henry stops in the original and was bricked up as punishment by Sir Topham Hatt I for refusing to come out of the tunnel.
1923
- 24 February: Flying Scotsman is built.
- The Peel Godred Power Company and the North Western Railway plan to build a new branch line.
- The branch line is opened.
- Kirk Machan station is extended so the North Western Railway engines can bring passengers to the Culdee Fell Railway.
- Peel Godred and Abbey stations are built.
- Gordon arrives on Sodor and is officially sold to the North Western Railway.
- Sir Topham Hatt becomes General Manager of the North Western Railway.[18]
- Rex is built.
- Ralph and Eryri are built and arrive in Wales for the Snowdon Mountain Railway.
- River Esk is built and arrives at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
- 87546, 98462, The Green Tender Engine and the Red Engines arrive on Sodor, though 87546 and 98426 are shortly sent packing.
- 31 July: 8783 is built.
- After waiting a long time, Edward is finally let out of the sheds and back at work.
- Gordon gets stuck on the Main Line Hill and is helped by Edward, and the hill was nicknamed "Gordon's Hill" after the incident.
- Henry is freed from the tunnel.
- Edward is rebuilt at Crovan's Gate.
1924
- 20 August: The Reverend Teddy Boston is born.
- Sir Handel Lloyd Brown II is born.
- Gordon takes Thomas on a high speed run across the Island.
- Henry begins to present problems.
- Thomas takes Henry's train but leaves the coaches behind.
- Jinty is built.
- July: Lemberg is built.
- The Ffarquhar Quarry is founded by Jabez Croarie.
1925
- Thomas takes Edward's trucks out on the main line but cannot handle them.
- James arrives on Sodor.
- On his first day, he gets into an accident with some troublesome trucks and is rescued by Thomas, who is subsequently rewarded with running the newly extended Ffarquhar branch line.
- Annie and Clarabel are rebuilt into bogie coaches to assist with the construction of the Ffarquhar branch line and were given to Thomas.
- The Elsbridge branch extended to Ffarquhar and Thomas takes charge of the line.
- Elsbridge Viaduct is built.
- Hackenbeck and Ffarquhar stations are built.
- Ffarquhar Sheds is opened for Thomas.
- The NWR/LMS agreement is made.
- The North Western Railway starts running to Barrow-in-Furness.
- The London, Midland and Scottish Railway starts running branch line services to Norramby.
- The Motive Power Depot and Administrative Headquarters are moved to Tidmouth.
- The Crovan's Gate Works are expanded.
- James is repaired with new metal brakes and repainted scarlet red.
- James causes a leak in one of the coaches' brake pipes in the middle of the Main Line and was shut up in the shed.
- James is finally let out of the shed and chosen to pull a goods train of Troublesome Trucks.
- James becomes one of the spare engines for the Wild Nor' Wester after Gordon presented problems by switching from the main line on to the branch.
- An impatient Thomas accidentally leaves his guard behind.
- Thomas takes on water from the river below the Elsbridge Viaduct and gets fish in his tanks.
- The Toryreck mines begin to decline.
- 17 April: Pretty Polly is built.
1926
- Henry, Gordon, and James go on strike.
- Percy arrives on Sodor and is officially sold to the North Western Railway.
- Henry, Gordon, and James get shut up in the sheds for being naughty, but are let out again after several days.
- Percy forgets to whistle to the signalman, and becomes a runaway engine after Gordon nearly crashes into him.
- The Sodor Aluminium Company is formed.
- 21 April: Queen Elizabeth II is born.
- Caroline is built.
1927
- Vicarstown Sheds and Fletcher, Jennings & Co. are closed.
- Kevin Volley becomes booking clerk of Elsbridge.
- The road bridge crossing the River Els at Elsbridge is widened to accommodate more traffic.
1928
- Stanley is turned into a pumping engine.
- Duke plays a trick on Stuart for his teasing.
- Duncan is built.
- April: King James I is built.
- 12 June: Vere Awdry dies.
- Smaller sheds are built at Vicarstown.
1929
1930s
1930
- A fire occurred at Crovan's Gate Works, which destroyed the dossiers for Thomas, Edward and Henry.
- The Lead Mine at Toryreck is closed down.
1932
- Blister I and Blister II are built.
- Pug is built.
1934
- 31 August: Oliver is possibly built.
- Terence is built.
- Henry is given special coal from Wales to help with his steaming troubles.
- Albert Regaby steps down from his position as NWR chairman.
1935
- Henry is sent to be rebuilt at Crewe into an LMS Stanier Class 5 following his crash with the Flying Kipper.[19]
- Gordon's whistle ends up getting jammed.
- Percy crashes into a luggage trolley and ruins Sir Topham Hatt I's trousers.
- Henry sneezes at some troublemaking boys.
- January: Bahamas is built.
- The Isle of Man steamers stop arriving at Arlesburgh, so the traffic to Peel Godred stops too.
- The Silver Jubilee is put into service.
1936
- 13 June: Green Arrow is built.
- Mr. Fergus Duncan is born.
- Sir Topham Hatt is promoted from General Manager to Managing Director.[18]
- The mountain section of the Mid Sodor Railway is closed.
- The Mid Sodor bogie stock along with three of the six engines are subsequently sold.
- Kevin Volley becomes stationmaster at Ffarquhar.
1937
- Rheneas is overhauled.
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt leaves Sodor for railway service overseas.[18]
- Judy is built.
1938
- Barbara Jane marries Henry Regaby, Viscount Harwick.[18]
- 3 March and 3 July: Mallard is built and sets the world speed record for a steam engine: 126mph.
- 30 September: Duchess of Hamilton is built.
1939
- Gordon is rebuilt at Crewe.
- Duchess of Hamilton tours the United States.
- The Silver Jubilee is retired from service.
- World War II begins.
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt returns from railway service overseas to enlist with the Royal Engineers.[18]
- Two diesel locomotives are leased to the Skarloey Railway by the War Department to supplement Skarloey and Rheneas on timber and explosives traffic.
1940s
1940
- 2 July: Christopher Awdry is born.
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt marries Amanda, daughter of Mr. Jabez Croarie of Ffarquhar.[18]
- Richard Robert Norramby is born.
- Midlander is built.
1941
- Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III is born.[18]
- Barrow Station is destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the Barrow Blitz.
- Charles Henry Norramby dies.
- 18 December: Veronica Awdry Chambers is born.
- The Great Depression ends.
1942
- Duchess of Hamilton is shipped back from the United States.
1943
- Bridget Amanda Hatt is born.[18]
- Rheneas takes over the majority of the workload on the Skarloey Railway.
- Robert Charles is killed in action while in North Africa.
- Richard Robert Norramby succeeds his father as the Earl of Sodor.
- 14 December: Creator of the Thomas & Friends television series Britt Allcroft is born.
1945
- 12 May: The first book of The Railway Series is published.
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt II is demobilised from the Royal Engineers and spends a further period overseas.[18]
- The Mid Sodor Railway mines are closed one by one.
- 7 May: World War II ends.
- The two diesels leased by the War Department leave the Skarloey Railway.
1946
- The Cas-ny-Hawin mine is flooded and subsequently closes, leading to the closure of the Mid Sodor Railway.
- Stanley breaks down and is abandoned.
- 12 April: Hilary Fortnam is born.
- The National Coal Board is established.
- Thomas' first book is published.
- Adams is sent to work on the Lyme Regis branch line in Devon.
- Bertie is built.
1947
- The Mid Sodor Railway is closed and the Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch starts running a minimal service.
- Duke is sheeted and abandoned in a shed.
- Falcon and Stuart are purchased by the aluminium works at Peel Godred for an expansion project.
- Albert Regaby dies; Henry Regaby succeeds to his Viscountcy.
- Terence and Bertie arrive on Sodor.
- Thomas gets stuck in the snow, and Terence pulls him out.
1948
- British Railways is formed from the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the Southern Railway (SR) and the Great Western Railway (GWR).
- The North Western Railway becomes officially known as the "North Western Region of British Railways".
- Sir Topham Hatt is granted a Baronet on his appointment as Chairman of the Regional Executive, after Nationalisation.[18]
- The North Western Railway becomes officially known as the "North Western Region of British Railways".
- Thomas meets Bertie and befriends him after triumphing over him in a race.
- Mr. Roger Sam is born.
- The claybeds near Brendam are discovered and an industrial line is built to them.
- Bill and Ben are built and arrive on Sodor.[24]
- The Corris Railway is closed.
- Sir Haydn and Edward Thomas are sheeted.
- 14 November: King Charles III is born.
1949
- Harold is built.
- The Slate Quarry begins to decline.
- Tom Rolt is built.
- Percy misunderstands a backing signal for his false cognate about the meaning.
1950s
1950
- Sir Handel Brown dies; Handel Lloyd Brown succeeds to his Baronetcy.
- David Hugh II is born.
- Alf is built.
1951
- Falcon and Stuart are sheeted.
- Toby's tramway closes down.
- Toby, Henrietta and Elsie arrive on Sodor shortly after.
- Thomas gets in trouble with a new policeman.
- Coffee Pot No. 2, Coffee Pot No. 3, and Coffee Pot No. 4 are all scrapped.
- James crashes into some tar wagons.
- Sir Handel Lloyd Brown marries Rachael Qualtrough.
- David Hugh I retires.
- Mrs. Kyndley rescues Thomas from a landslide near the Hackenbeck Tunnel.
- Sir Haydn and Edward Thomas are purchased by the Talyllyn Railway.
- Edward, Gordon and Henry have some incidents with some cows.
- Ffarquhar Sheds gains one more berth after Toby's arrival, in total, two berths.
- Rheneas Quarry opens.
1952
- Bertie chases after a tardy Edward.
- Trevor is sent to be scrapped, but is soon purchased by the Vicar of Wellsworth.
- Rheneas is overhauled for a second time.
- Stuart and Falcon are purchased by the Skarloey Railway and renamed "Peter Sam" and "Sir Handel" respectively.
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt returns to Sodor, to become Chief Mechanical Engineer at Crovan's Gate and general assistant to his father.[18]
- Edward is overhauled after chasing down and rescuing a runaway James.
- Sir Handel is shut up in the shed after misbehaviour.
- Peter Sam leaves the Refreshment Lady behind.
- Skarloey is overhauled for a second time.
- Gordon has an incident after falling in a ditch.
- Gordon is demoted to only pulling goods trains.
- During this time, he helps James with the express when leaves make the hill slippery.
- Mrs. Kyndley returns home to Sodor from Bournemouth.
- Thomas has an accident at the Toryreck Mines.
- Sir Topham Hatt I hosts a Christmas party for Mrs. Kyndley.
1953
- Harold arrives on Sodor.
- Thomas is given back his branch line, and Gordon is chosen to pull Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Train.
- Queen Elizabeth II visits Sodor.
- Nancy is born.
- Wilbert is built.
- The Ministry of Defence approaches Sir Handel II to buy the nearly worked out slate quarry.
- Alfred is built.
- Douglas arrives at the Talyllyn Railway.
- A television adaptation of The Railway Series is attempted, but fails.
1954
- Sir Topham Hatt I retires; Sir Charles Topham Hatt II becomes the Fat Controller.[18]
- Rebecca Dorothy Brown is born.
- Ballast from the North Western Railway is obtained for the Skarloey Railway.
- Alice, Mirabel, Isabel and Dulcie along with Ada, Jane and Mabel are built.
1955
- Duck arrives on Sodor.[23]
- Percy is permanently allocated to the Ffarquhar Branch Line[25]
- Percy and Harold have a race on the Branch Line.
- Ffarquhar Sheds is given one more berth, in total, three berths.
- Gertrude and Millicent are bought by the Skarloey Railway.
- The Railway Series celebrates its 10th anniversary.
- British Railways proposes its Modernisation Plan.
- Toby's last remaining brothers are withdrawn from service and scrapped.
1956
- Sir Topham Hatt I dies; Charles Topham Hatt inherits his father's baronetcy.[18]
- Knapford Junction is moved from south to north of the River Els.
- Kevin Volley becomes stationmaster at Knapford.
- The Big City Engine visits Sodor.
- Jinty and Pug visit Sodor, while the engines of the North Western Railway visit London.
- Diesel is built.
- The cutting of hay begins on a farm on the Harbour Line.
1957
- City of Truro visits Sodor.
- Gordon loses his dome on the viaduct.
- Diesel arrives on Sodor, but is shortly sent packing.
- Diesel plots to tell lies about Duck
- Duck crashes into the barbershop.
- Rusty arrives on Sodor.
- Mr. Ivo Hugh becomes his driver.
- Midlander arrives on the Talyllyn Railway.
1958
- Peter Sam has an accident with some slate trucks at the quarry.
- Duncan arrives on Sodor.
- Skarloey returns from being mended.
- BBC producers make a documentary about the Skarloey Railway.
- D5701 and BoCo are built.
- 31 August: 8783 is withdrawn from service.
1959
- British Railways Diesels#31120, D701 and 10751 are built.
- Donald and Douglas arrive on Sodor.
- Donald crashes into the signal box.
- The Spiteful Brake Van is crushed by Douglas and scrapped.
- The Thin Controller finds a Mid Sodor Railway bogie coach at Harwick and eight coaches are rescued.
- 31 January: 8783 is scrapped.
- Captain Baxter is withdrawn from service.
1960s
1960
- Bulgy is built.
- Thomas crashes into the stationmaster's house and is rebuilt for the second time with his running board straightened.
- Daisy is built and arrives on Sodor.
- Kevin Volley becomes stationmaster at Cronk.
- The Ministry of Defence buys the empty slate quarry and the money is used for the construction of the Lakeside loop line.
- Old Stuck-Up and Class 40 are built.
- The Bluebell Railway is established and Stepney and Cromford arrive there after being withdrawn from service.
1961
- Peter Sam goes into a tunnel and loses his old funnel.
- Peter Sam is given a new Giesl Ejector funnel.
- Sir Handel is given a pair of special wheels with broad tyres.
- Rheneas returns to the Skarloey Railway.
- Adams is withdrawn from service.
- Mavis is built.
1962
- Lord Harry, Alaric and Eric are built and arrive on Sodor for the Culdee Fell Railway.
- A lime-covered Percy pretends to be a ghost and scares Thomas.
- Stepney visits Sodor.
- Class 40 arrives on Sodor, but is shortly sent packing.
- The last of the Class 08 diesel locomotives are built.
- Percy gets himself covered in treacle and hay.
- Mavis arrives on Sodor and is officially sold to the Ffarquhar Quarry Company.
1963
- Mavis becomes stuck on the wrong part of Toby's line.
- Toby ends up on a "tightrope" bridge.
- Culdee returns to the Culdee Fell Railway.
- Lord Harry is renamed "Patrick".
- Flying Scotsman is saved by Alan Pegler.
- The Lakeside loop line extension begins construction.
- D199 is built.
1964
- The Arlesburgh branch is rebuilt.
- Haultraugh is built.
- Skarloey has his 100th birthday.
- Bear is built.
- King James I is withdrawn and scrapped.
- British Railways is rebranded to British Rail.
1965
- Shane Dooiney returns to the Culdee Fell Railway.
- The one-hundredth anniversary of the Talyllyn and Skarloey Railways are celebrated.
- Rheneas has his 100th birthday.
- The loop line extension at Lakeside is opened.
- BoCo arrives on Sodor.
- Bill and Ben attempt to rescue their trucks from BoCo.
- Gordon is switched by mistake onto Edward's Branch Line after a mishap with a lady wearing a green floppy hat causing the fireman to mistake her hat for a flag.
- One of Edward's crank-pins breaks while taking an enthusiast train.
- The Railway Series celebrates its 20th anniversary.
1966
- Mike is built.
- The Skarloey Railway becomes a Company instead of being in private ownership.
- River Mite is built.
- Gordon's last remaining brothers are withdrawn from service and scrapped.
1967
- Sodor Railway Repair arrives on Sodor.
- Blister I and Blister II arrive on Sodor for the construction of the Arlesdale Railway.
- Bert, Rex and Mike soon arrive on Sodor to service the Arlesdale Railway.
- Reverend W. Awdry and Reverend Teddy Boston visit Sodor.
- The small engines have some incidents:
- Frank arrives on Sodor.
- Flying Scotsman visits Sodor.
- D199 and D7101 arrive on Sodor, but D199 is shortly sent packing after he fails on the level crossing.
- The Arlesburgh branch is re-opened, to be serviced by Duck.
- Duck plays a joke on Donald, who makes friends with Dilly the duckling.
- Oliver, Isabel and Toad are rescued by Douglas and arrive on Sodor.
- D7101 is named "Bear" and renumbered D3.
- Dulcie, Alice and Mirabel are saved from scrap for service with Oliver and Duck.
1968
- Oliver has an accident on the turntable well after being pushed by the ballast trucks.
- S.C. Ruffey is pulled apart by Oliver and scrapped.
- Kevin Volley retires and lives out his life at Ffarquhar.
- Bulgy arrives on Sodor and is shortly turned into a henhouse after getting stuck under a bridge.
- D5701 is withdrawn from service.
- 12 August: The Fifteen Guinea Special runs, and then standard gauge steam traction officially ends on British Rail.
1969
- Sigrid of Arlesdale is built and arrives on Sodor.
- Duke is discovered by Mr. Fergus Duncan, the Reverend W. Awdry and the Reverend Teddy Boston.
- D5701 is scrapped.
- Flying Scotsman begins his tour of the United States.
1970s
1970
- The Dean Forest Railway becomes a heritage railway.
- Sir Stephen Topham Hatt marries Helen Margaret.
- The siding at Cros-ny-Cuirn is extended to make a passing loop.
- The Railway Series celebrates its 25th anniversary.
1971
- Robert Sam dies.
1972
- Sir Richard Topham Hatt is born.
- A second platform is added at Marthwaite.
- 15 October: The twenty-sixth and final book in the Railway Series written by the Reverend W. Awdry is published.
1973
- Bert is rebuilt.
- Flying Scotsman is sold to Sir William McAlpine and returns to England after touring the United States.
- 10 November: The first three books in The Railway Series are published in Japan.
1974
- Charles Nicholas Hatt is born.
1975
- Stepney's 100th birthday.
- The National Railway Museum is built and purchases Mallard.
- The Railway Series celebrates its 30th anniversary.
- Bloomer arrives on Sodor.
- Bloomer visits Shildon to take part in a cavalcade for the 150th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
1976
- Jock is built.
- Northern Rock is built.
1977
- Emily Helen Hatt is born.
- A Motorail Terminal is opened at Killdane.
- Tom Tipper temporarily runs his mail deliveries with a bike instead of his post van.
- The Dean Forest Railway ends commercial operations.
1978
- Thomas saves the Ffarquhar Stationmaster's stolen car.
1979
- A replica of Stephenson's Rocket is built.
- Duke and Coronel Church's 100th birthdays.
- Thomas, Percy and Duck triple head the express after Gordon and Henry become ill.
1980s
1980
- Roger Sam becomes the new Thin Controller.
- Richard Awdry (Christopher's son) is born.
1982
- Duke is overhauled.
- Sir Handel visits the Talyllyn Railway.
- Old Stuck-Up visits Sodor, but leaves after crashing into the sheds.
- Captain Baxter is rebuilt.
- Pip and Emma are built.
1983
- 12 September: Christopher Awdry becomes the new writer for the Railway Series.
- Old Stuck-Up and Class 40 are withdrawn and scrapped.
1984
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt retires; Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III becomes the Fat Controller.
- Sir Handel returns from the Talyllyn Railway.
- The National Railway Museum purchases City of Truro.
- 9 October: The Railway Series' television adaptation airs for the first time.
1985
- Skarloey is overhauled for a third time. He would return in May.
- September: The Skarloey Funicular Railway and its engines are built.
- The Iron Duke replica is built.
- Sigrid is re-engined.
- The Railway Series celebrates its 40th anniversary.
1986
- 1 April: The Reverend Teddy Boston dies.
- The Refreshment Lady dies.
1987
- Thomas is sent to work at Edward's Branch Line temporarily while a bridge is being repaired on his branch line.
- Mavis is involved in a collision with a lorry.
- Bulstrode is turned into a children's playground on a beach.
- The National Coal Board is disbanded.
1988
- Peter Sam visits the Talyllyn Railway.
- Flying Scotsman tours Australia.
- Thomas returns to his branch line.
- Mallard celebrates the 50th anniversary of breaking the record run and works a series of railtours under the banner "Mallard 88", before being returned to static display at the National Railway Museum.
1989
- Fred is built and put into service on the Skarloey Railway.
- 21 March: Margaret Emily Wale Awdry dies, aged 77.
1990s
1990
- Flying Scotsman returns to England from touring Australia.
- Thomas is invited to a railway show in York, England.
- Frank is re-engined.
- Ralph is dismantled and stored off-site.
1991
- Mr. Ivo Hugh retires, with David Hugh II succeeding him as the current foreman of the Skarloey Railway.
- Tom Rolt arrives on the Talyllyn Railway and is rebuilt.
- Thomas returns from the railway show in York, England.
- 31120 is withdrawn from service.
1992
- Henry is overhauled.
- Eryri is dismantled and stored off-site.
1993
- Wilbert visits Sodor.
1994
- 27 October: George Edward Vere Awdry dies, aged 78.
- British Railways is privatised until 1997.
- Bert's 100th birthday.
- 31120 is scrapped.
- The television series celebrates its 10th anniversary.
1995
- The Golden Jubilee of The Railway Series is celebrated.
- Prince Charles (King Charles III) visits Sodor.
1996
- Edward's 100th birthday.
- Peter Sam returns to the Skarloey Railway to help with the extra work.
- Flying Scotsman is sold to Tony Marchington.
- Ivo Hugh is built.
1997
- 21 March: The Reverend W. Awdry dies, aged 85.
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt II dies; Stephen Topham Hatt inherits his father's Baronetcy.
- 20 November: British Rail ceases operations.
1999
- Harold's 50th birthday.
21st Century
2000s
2000
- Ernest, Wilfred, Culdee and Shane Dooiney's 100th birthday.
- 4 June: 100th anniversary of Godred's accident.
2002
- Rheneas is overhauled.
- The Corris Railway is reopened.
2003
- City of Truro's 100th birthday.
2004
- Sir Handel's 100th birthday.
- The National Railway Museum purchases Flying Scotsman.
- The television series celebrates its 20th anniversary.
2005
- The Railway Series celebrates its 60th anniversary.
- Duncan visits the Talyllyn Railway.
2007
- The manager of Ffarquhar Quarry is visited by the police after Henrietta is booked for allowing workmen to ride on her balconies.
- Victoria is restored and returned to service.
2008
- Mallard celebrates the 70th anniversary of breaking the record run.
2009
- Donald and Douglas' 100th birthday.
2010s
2010
- The Railway Series celebrates its 65th anniversary.
- Stepney, Bluebell and Captain Baxter's overhauls are completed and the Bluebell Railway celebrates its 50th anniversary.
- Wilbert is scheduled to be back in service after a major overhaul.
2011
- Pip and Emma are purchased by the North Western Railway.
- 6 July: The forty-second and final book in The Railway Series is published.
- The North Western Railway celebrates the Reverend W. Awdry's 100th birthday.
- Prince Charles (King Charles III) visits Sodor once again.
2012
- Wilbert is returned to service.
- James' 100th Birthday.
- 18 March: Alan Pegler dies, aged 91.
2013
- Mallard celebrates the 75th anniversary of the record run with the remaining five LNER Class A4's.
- 25 November: Hilary Fortnam dies, aged 67.
2014
- The North Western Railway celebrates its 100th anniversary.
- Toby's 100th birthday.
- Stepney is withdrawn from service, following the failure of his main steam pipe.
- The television series celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2015
- The Railway Series celebrates its 70th anniversary.
- The Skarloey Railway celebrates its 150th anniversary.
- The Bluebell Railway celebrates its 55th anniversary.
- The North Western Railway celebrates running for over 100 years.
- Thomas' 100th birthday.
2016
- Flying Scotsman returns to steam in England.
- The North Western Railway celebrates the Reverend W. Awdry's 105th birthday.
- Ivo Hugh's 20th birthday.
- Bertie's 70th birthday.
2017
- The Arlesdale Railway celebrates its 50th anniversary.
- Fergus Duncan retires from being controller of the Arlesdale Railway.
2018
- Mallard celebrates the 80th anniversary of the record run.
2019
- Henry's 100th birthday.
- Harold's 70th birthday.
2020s
2020
- The Railway Series celebrates its 75th anniversary.
- 100 years since construction of Gordon began at Doncaster.
- Peter Sam's 100th birthday.
2021
- The North Western Railway celebrates the Reverend W. Awdry's 110th birthday.
- Gordon's 100th birthday.
- Bertie's 75th birthday.
- Mavis' 60th birthday.
- Thomas & Friends ends and is replaced with Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go.
2022
- 8 September: Queen Elizabeth II dies; King Charles III succeeds her.
- Lord Harry, Alaric and Eric's 60th Birthdays.
2023
- 24 February: Flying Scotsman's 100th birthday.
- Rex's 100th birthday.
- Mallard celebrates the 85th anniversary of the record run.
2024
- 20 August: The Reverend Teddy Boston's 100th birthday.
- The Thomas & Friends television series celebrates its 40th anniversary.
- Harold's 75th birthday.
- Terence's 90th birthday.
- The North Western Railway celebrates its 110th anniversary.
- 25 December: Britt Allcroft dies, aged 81.
2025
- The Railway Series celebrates its 80th anniversary.
- The railways of England celebrate 200 years since the first steam engines ran on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 109
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 105
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 115
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 104
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 117
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 39
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 22
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 27
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 103
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 13
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 10
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 99
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 17
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 133
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 66
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 135
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 67
- ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 18.14 18.15 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 106
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 129
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 136
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 127
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 11
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 126
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 125
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 132