Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE was an English Anglican cleric, railway enthusiast, and children's author. Better known as the Reverend W. Awdry, he was the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, the central figure in his Railway Series.
Gordon the Big Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive in The Railway Series books by Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and is one of the central characters in the television series Thomas and Friends, which is based on the books. He is painted blue and carries the number 4. Gordon views himself as the most important engine because he is the biggest, fastest, and he pulls the Express.
The Railway Series is a set of British story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14 between 1983 and 1996, and two more in 2007 and 2011.
Skarloey is a fictional narrow gauge tank locomotive from the Railway Series by the Reverend W. Awdry. He is one of the oldest engines on the Island of Sodor. Skarloey lives and works on the Skarloey Railway as Engine No.1.
Rheneas is a fictional narrow gauge tank locomotive from the Railway Series by the Reverend W. Awdry and its television adaptation Thomas & Friends. He is one of the oldest engines on the Island of Sodor. Rheneas lives and works on the Skarloey Railway as engine No.2, and is known as the "Gallant Old Engine" because he saved the railway from closure. He is Skarloey's brother.
Sir Handel is a fictional steam locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and its spin-off TV series, Thomas & Friends. Sir Handel lives and works on the Skarloey Railway on the Island of Sodor as Engine No.3. Sir Handel is named after the owner of the Skarloey Railway, Sir Handel Brown.
Ruston & Hornsby was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England founded in 1918. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam locomotives and a range of internal combustion engines, and later gas turbines. It is now a subsidiary of Siemens.
The Skarloey Railway is a fictional narrow gauge railway on the Island of Sodor. It appeared in 8 books of The Railway Series, by Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry, and in 99 episodes of the Television adaptation of The Railway Series, Thomas & Friends.
Peter Sam is a fictional narrow gauge steam locomotive character in The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. Peter Sam lives and works on the Skarloey Railway on the Island of Sodor as engine No. 4.
Sodor is a fictional island featured as the setting for The Railway Series books by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry, begun in 1945, and for the popular television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends since 1984. It is depicted as being located in the Irish Sea, just off the English mainland near Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria.
In the children's books The Railway Series, by the Rev. W. Awdry, The Other Railway refers to British Railways, the UK nationalised rail organisation that existed from 1948 until 1997.
Thomas the Tank Engine is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.
The Culdee Fell Railway is a fictional narrow gauge rack and pinion railway in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry. It only appeared in one book, which was Mountain Engines.
The North Western Railway is the main railway company featured in The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry. Although the company's name has never been specifically stated in the books, it was mentioned as such in tie-in books such as The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways by Awdry, and also on some maps that were drawn to accompany the Railway Series.
Pendre railway station is a station on the Talyllyn Railway in Tywyn, Gwynedd in mid-Wales. It is 0.42 miles (0.68 km) from Tywyn Wharf, which is the primary station and western terminus of the railway. Pendre is the site of the railways's locomotive and carriage sheds, and engineering works. Passenger trains stop at Pendre by request only.
Talyllyn is a narrow gauge steam locomotive. It was built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. in 1864 and is one of the oldest locomotives still in active service. It was delivered to the Talyllyn Railway on 24 September 1864 and continues to run on this railway.
Douglas is a narrow gauge steam locomotive. It was built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. Ltd. in 1918. It was originally used by the Air Service Constructional Corps (RAF) then was bought in 1949 by Abelson & Co. (Engineers) Ltd. who then sold it to the Talyllyn Railway in 1953.
