Thomas the Tank Engine

Story

Thomas is a small blue steam engine who dreams of having a branch line of his own. Sometimes his efforts to help the bigger engines do not go to plan, but he’s determined to show he can be useful.

Why we chose it

Many young children get hooked on Thomas and his adventures. Some are fascinated by steam trains. Some enjoy following the simple adventures of the very different characters – having a race, getting stuck in a ditch or blocked in a tunnel. Some are obsessed with collecting the diecast models. Whatever the appeal, the Thomas stories have helped thousands of pre-schoolers learn colours, numbers and facial expressions, and have become a fond childhood memory.

Where it came from

The Reverend Wilbert Awdry was an Anglican vicar and railway enthusiast who invented a story about three trains to amuse his son Christopher when he was ill with measles. This was published in 1945, and by 1972 Awdry had written 25 more. Christopher went on to add a further 16 books to the series. Thomas the Tank Engine was the second book in The Railway Series and cheeky Thomas became the most popular and famous character.

The stories are set on a fictional island of Sodor and feature a range of engine characters that can talk, although Awdry based other aspects of the stories on realistic events.

Where it went next

The animated TV show Thomas and Friends started in 1984 and was highly successful. Despite changing production teams, channels and casts, it is currently on its 24th series.

Numerous other book adaptations, merchandise, film adaptations have been released, establishing Thomas and the other tank engines as some of the best-known and loved children’s book characters in the world.

Associated stories

Other books in The Railway Stories series introduce other well-known characters such as the Fat Controller, Percy the Small Engine, James and Henry. There are also spin-off books for different age groups.