A Railway Series Reader
The Real Lives of
Thomas the Tank Engine
In Memory of the late Rev. W. Awdry
"We shall be glad to welcome all who want to see, and travel behind, real engines"
The Fat Controller in "Little Western", Enterprising Engines (1968)
Welcome to The Real Lives of Thomas the Tank Engine: A Railway Series Reader in memory of the late Rev. W. Awdry OBE.
It is not widely known that Rev. Awdry's stories in his Railway Series are highly realistic with respect to real railway practice. Most of his engines are real prototypes and his storylines are nearly all based on real railway incidents. His son Christopher Awdry has followed this tradition as the Railway Series continues. Meanwhile, the setting in "Sodor" is a minutely detailed imaginary world realised in the Rev's extensive maps and models. We've tried to capture both of these aspects, as well as other interesting tangents, and hope you enjoy exploring the site.
Martin Clutterbuck
Photo © Ben Brooksbank (cc-by-sa/2.0)