The Books
As I said before, I didn’t come across any of the series until I read the Ladybird books to my children at bedtime. I have, however, just read a boxset in the past month of January, 2025. The books in this boxset were published in 2021 by Farshore, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, and printed in China. But before I read a word, I felt compelled to deconstruct, as it were, the pictorial frontspiece.
This pictorial frontspiece is from an age of innocence before we had eaten of the apple of knowledge with the consequent discovery of irony, cynicism, and knowing post-modernism.
Town and country sit side by side in happy harmony (no scruffy ‘edgelands’ here), as do road and rail: there is little threat of a Titfield Thunderbolt argument here.
Despite the trucks of coal at the COAL & COKE depot (and the one dead tree) and the plumes of smoke from three locomotives, there is no threat of pea-soup smog or polluted air or blackened buildings in this idyll in summer in Sodor.
A porter pushes a trolley on one of the spotless platforms; passengers look to be patiently content (no-one glancing at a watch); all wear overcoats as a precaution against a change in the weather (one gentleman with an umbrella), while one man is forever frozen in time in the act of donning his coat with his right arm thrust horizontally through the sleeve: this is an Ode on a Sodor Urn.
There is a modicum of advertising: traditional railway billboards at the platform and waiting room – but there is, alas, a threat of modernity in the large hoardings by the footbridge: an advertisement for a car and aan advertisement for something NEW.
And this hints at what might become Titfield Thunderbolt trouble – lurking around the corner beyond those neatly trimmed hedgerows, the yew-lined churchyard, the sheep, the dog, the farmer and his tractor … Thomas might be puffing along with his freight train during peak passenger-travelling hours, but look at the lorries and the van motoring towards Dr Beeching, and what happens when said passengers decide to continue their journeys by car rather than leave their vehicle in the station car park?
But for now, we can forget all that and enjoy this limned age of Edenic innocence: a madeleine moment rather than a bit of the apple of the tree of knowledge. Austerity, the Cold War, the End of Empire, Beeching: all these lie in a future far away from the Never-Never Land of Sodor.
The Books
Here you will find summaries of the books as written by the Rev at the front and by others on the back of my boxed edition. I’m hoping that this synopsis might encourage the (re)reading of these books for many reasons. But I’ll focus on this piece from The Guardian about contemporary reading habits and the importance of reading,
The article notes the rising popularity of audio books amongst young people and children. John Mullan, professor of English at UCL commented on this trend after saying that he and his children listened to audio books themselves: “But it’s something very different from having your parents read a book to you, which I think is a really, really good thing if at all possible. An audio book is unresponsive and implacable. There’s no possible exchange or rapport, however brilliantly read it is … Listening to an audiobook is better than not having any interest in a work of fiction at all, but I don’t think it’s a substitute.”
- The Three Railway Engines 1945
The tale of ‘Edward, Gordon and Henry who lived in the same shed and who were always boasting and quarrelling amongst themselves until, after a series of adventures, they found that it best to be good friends and to help each other.’
- Thomas the Tank Engine 1946
‘DEAR CHRISTOPHER,
Here is your friend Thomas the Tank Engine. He wanted to come out of the station-yards and to see the world. These stories tell you how he did it.
I hope you will like them because you helped me to make them.
YOUR LOVING DADDY’
And on the back: ‘Thomas is a fussy, cheeky little tank engine … He proves to be such a Really Useful Engine [however] that he is given a branch line all to himself.
He is never lonely, because there is always some engine to talk to at the Junction.’
- James the Red Engine 1948
‘DEAR FRIENDS OF EDWARD, GORDON, HENRY AND THOMAS,
Thank you for your kind letters; here is the new book for which you asked.
James, who crashed into the story of Thomas the Tank Engine, settles down and becomes a Useful Engine. We are all nationalised now, but the same engines still work in the Region. I am glad to tell you that the Fat Director, who understands our friends’ ways, is still in charge, but is now the Fat Controller.
I hope you will enjoy this book too.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘In these stories, James, who has been given a shining new coat of paint to cheer him up after his accident, gets hiccoughs, needs a bootlace, has trouble with his trucks and pulls the Express after Gordon loses his way.’
- Tank Engine Thomas Again 1949
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Here is news from Thomas’ Branch Line. It is clearly no ordinary line, and life on it is far from dull. Thomas asks me to say that, if you are ever in the Region, you must be sure to visit him and travel on his line. “They will never have seen anything like it,” he says proudly.
I know I haven’t.
THE AUTHOR
And on the back: ‘We meet Annie and Clarabel, the coaches: ‘Annie can only take passengers but Clarabel can take passengers, luggage and the Guard … Thomas sings them little songs, and Annie and Clarabel sing too.’
- Troublesome Engines 1950
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
News from the line has not been good. The Fat Controller has been having trouble. A short while ago he gave Henry a coat of green paint, but as soon as he got his old colour back again, Henry became conceited. Gordon and James, too, have been Getting Above Themselves.
I am glad to say, however, that The Fat Controller has, quite kindly but very firmly, put them In Their Place and the trains are running as usual.
I hope you will like meeting Percy; we shall be hearing more of him later.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘This book tells how Henry met an elephant and James spins round like a top, how The Fat Controller deals with the bigger engines who are Getting Above Themselves and being troublesome, and how a new engine called Percy comes to the rescue by running away.’
- Henry the Green Engine 1951
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Here is more news from the Region. All the engines now have numbers as well as names … I expect you were sorry for Henry who was often ill and unable to work … Now Henry has a new shape and is ready for anything. These stories tell you all about it.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ’Henry the Green Engine has now recovered from his silly habit of staying inside tunnels when it rains. But he is still causing trouble to that strict but kind-hearted Fat Controller. All turns out well, however, and Henry has new and refreshing adventures with his fellow engines, Thomas, Gordon, Edward, James and Percy.’
- Toby the Tram Engine 1952
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Poor Thomas has been in trouble, so The Fat Controller asked Toby to come and help run the Branch Line. Thomas and Toby are very good friends.
Toby is a funny little engine with a queer shape. He works very hard and we are all fond of him. We hope you will like him too.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ’With Henrietta and some trucks rattling behind him, Toby ran along beside roads and through villages and fields with passengers and goods for the Main Line. Then suddenly his line was closed. Here you will read how he was helped.’
- Gordon the Big Engine 1953
‘DEAR IAN,
You asked for a book about Gordon. Here it is. Gordon has been naughty, and The Fat Controller was stern with him.
Gordon has now learnt his lesson and is a Really Useful Engine again.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ’Gordon, that proud and pompous Express Engine, appeared in all the earlier books in the series, but this is the first time he has had a book named after him.’
My thoughts: This book was written in the year of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second: the final story features the Queen and a Royal Train.
- Edward the Blue Engine 1954
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
I think most of you are fond of Edward. His Driver and Fireman, Charley Sand and Sidney Hever, are fond of him too. They were very pleased when they knew I was giving Edward a book all to himself.
Edward is old, and some of the other engines were rude about the clanking noise he made as he did his work.
They aren’t rude now! These stories tell you why.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘Edward, who appeared with Gordon and Henry in The Three Railway Engines (the first book in this ‘Railway Series’) here has a book all to himself. He is once more joined in his adventures by Gordon and Henry together with James the Red Engine, Bertie the Bus, and a new friend called Trevor, who is a Tractoin-engine. And, of course, The Fat Controller is here too!’
- Four Little Engines 1955
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Sir Handel Brown is the owner of a little Railway which goes to Skarloey and Rheneas. Skarloey means “Lake in the Woods”, and Rheneas means “Divided Waterfall”. They are beautiful places, and lots of people visit them.
The Owner is very busy, so Mr Peter Sam, The Thin Controller, manages the Railway.
The two engines, who are called Skarloey and Rheneas, grew old and tired; so the Owner bought two others.
These stories tell you what happened.
THE AUTHOR’
- Percy the Small Engine 1956
DEAR CHRISTOPHER, AND GILES, AND PETER, AND CLIVE,
Thank you for writing to ask for a book about Percy. He is still cheeky, and we were afraid (The Fat Controller and I) that if he had a book to himself, it might make him cheekier than ever, and that would never do! But Percy has been such a Really Useful Engine that we both think he deserves a book. Here it is.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘Percy the Small Engine is a saddle-tank with a lively personality who has many adventures. Some of them are described in these stories, in which we also meet a newcomer – the Duck; and, as usual, there is much activity on the Line, especially when Harold the Helicopter comes on the scene!’
- The Eight Famous Engines 1957
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
The Fat Controller’s engines are now quite famous. They have been on the Wireless, and many other adventures. But he had another plan too, for his engines, and this book will tell you what it was.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘All of The Fat Controller’s eight famous engines appear in this book. Cheeky Percy is taught a lesson, Gordon takes a trip to London, and then all of the engines are shown in an exhibition. How proud they were too, especially The Fat Controller.’
- Duck and the Diesel Engine 1958
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
We have had two visitors to Our Railway. One of these, “City of Truro”, is a very famous engine. We were sorry when we had to say “goodbye” to him.
The other visitor as different. “I do not believe,” writes The Fat Controller, “that all Diesels are troublesome but this one upset our engines, and made Duck very unhappy.”
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘Duck, the saddle-tank [my italics: Duck is a pannier-tank] engine has appeared earlier in the series, but this is the first time he has had a whole book to himself. As usual, he has fun with other engines, and a newcomer, the Diesel Engine. Diesel is a troublemaker and soon after his arrival makes Duck unpopular with the other engines.’
- The Little Old Engine 1959
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
You remember in Four Little Engines that Sir Handel Brown, The Owner, sent Skarloey away to be mended. The stories tell you what happened when the “Little Old Engine” came home.
Skarloey is not real. You can only see him in these books. But there is a real engine just like Skarloey. He is very, very old, and has been mended. His name is Talyllyn, and he lives at Towyn in Wales. You would all enjoy going to see him at work.
THE AUTHOR
The author gratefully acknowledges the help given by fellow members of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in the preparation of this book.’
15.The Twin Engines 1960
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
The Fat Controller has just been having a Disturbing Time! He ordered one goods engine from Scotland, and was surprised to receive two! They had both lost their numbers, and no one knew which was which so he didn’t know which engine to keep.
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘… called Donald and Douglas … they had lost their numbers, and they were identical twins. You can imagine the confusion they caused …’
16.Branch Line Engines 1961
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
We never have a dull moment on our Branch Line. Thomas was silly and got into trouble, so a Diesel Rail-car called Daisy came. She caused trouble, but has now promised to be good, so The Fat Controller has kindly given her another chance.
Meanwhile, Toby chased a bull, Percy got into a predicament and …
But you must read the stories for yourselves.
THE AUTHOR’
17.Gallant Old Engine 1962
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
On the second page of Four Little Engines Rheneas was taken away to be mended. He was away for a long time, but now has come home.
All the little engines are together at last. They are delighted. Rheneas is their hero. He had saved the Railway…
There is a real engine like Rheneas. His name is Dolgoch and his home is at Towyn in Wales.
Some years ago he saved the Talyllyn Railway. We are proud of our gallant old engine.
THE AUTHOR
The author gratefully acknowledges the help given by fellow members of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in the preparation of this book.’
18.Stepney, The “Bluebell” Engine 1963
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Percy is a kind-hearted little engine. He feels sad because many fine steam engines are cut up on the Other Railway (B.R.). Percy’s ideas, however, though natural for an engine, are a little muddled. British Railways Officials are not cruel. They are sad to lose faithful steam friends, and glad to help engines to go to places like the Bluebell Railway at Sheffield Park in Sussex, where they can be cared for, and useful, and safe.
THE AUTHOR
The author gratefully acknowledges the help given by fellow members of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society in the preparation of this book.’
And on the back: ‘Duck, Edward, Thomas and all the engines on The Fat Controller’s line are all delighted when Stepney comes to visit them from the famous Bluebell Railway -a real railway where old engines can find a Use and a Happy Home. They are all soon firm friends, and before he goes Stepney shows a scornful big Diesel just what an old engine can do!’
- 19. Mountain Engines 1964
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
A Railway climbs the mountain called Culdee Fell. Lord Henry Barrane is Chairman of the Railway Company. Lots of people travel on it in the summer.
Mr Walter Richards, the Manager, does not have an easy time. There are seven engines, one of whom, No. 5, is still away being mended. Another, No. 6, was named Lord Harry. This was a mistake. It made him conceited and … But you must read the stories for yourselves.
I hope you will enjoy this book about a different kind of railway.
THE AUTHOR
The author gratefully acknowledges the help cheerfully and willingly given by members of management and staff of the Snowdon Mountain Railway Co.in the preparation of this book.’
And on the back: ‘…a mountain railway, not far from Skarloey’s Line. The Mountain Line is steep, and there is trouble when Lord Harry becomes conceited and takes too many risks … But he learns his lesson and he, too, helps to prove that, whatever the weather, mountain engines Will Get Through.’
- 20. Very Old Engines 1965
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
One hundred years ago, when Skarloey and Rheneas first arrived on their Railway, they were young and silly. Skarloey was sulky and bouncy. He and Rheneas quarrelled …
But they learned sense, and the Owner has just given them a lovely 100th birthday.
Tallyllyn and Dolgoch, at Towyn, are 100 too.
How about going to wish them “Many Happy Returns”?
THE AUTHOR
The author gratefully acknowledges the help given by fellow members of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in the preparation of this book.’
- 21. Main Line Engines 1966
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Bill and Ben are a shameless pair. I meant to write about Main Line Engines, and give the twins a treat by letting them into the first story, but I couldn’t keep them in order! Before I knew it they had crept into the others. They even wanted me to change the book and make it about them!
But I have been very firm. I am still calling it Main Line Engines. That will serve Bill and Ben right for ragging Gordon so disgracefully. He hasn’t got over it yet!
THE AUTHOR’
And on the back: ‘On The Fat Controller’s Railway trunks disappear, some bees escape and a green hat is mistaken for the Guard’s flag! Two new mischievous twin engines, Bill and Ben, are introduced to the system and BoCo the diesel is a newcomer too, but how useful he proves to be.’
- 22. Small Railway Engines 1967
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Some leadmines up in the hills have long been closed, but their waste-heaps still spoil a lovely valley.
The Fat Controller has now found that the waste is good weed-killing railway ballast. He talked to the Owner and The Thin Controller of the Skarloey Railway, and other Important People. They “went shares” and built a Small Railway to fetch it away.
The Small Engines are managed by a Controller. They call him The Small Controller, but that is only in fun! He is bigger than either of the “others”!’
THE AUTHOR
The author gratefully acknowledges the help given by fellow members of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society in the preparation of this book.’
And on the back: ‘This book introduces the new Controller, called The Small Controller; a new branch line called the Small Railway; and new engines, Rex, Bert and Mike.
- 23. Enterprising Engines 1968
‘DEAR RICHARD,
Do you remember the photographs you took of what happened to your train on the way to Waterloo in April 1967?
Your Mother, very kindly, gave me a set, and they helped our artist to draw at least two of the pictures for “Super Rescue”.
Anyway, “Super Rescue” is the story which your pictures told me. I hope you will enjoy it, and the other three stories as well.
THE AUTHOR
The author gratefully acknowledges the ready help given by the Flying Scotsman’s owner, Mr. A.F. Pegler, and his assistant, Mr. E. Hoyle, in the preparation of this book.’
And on the back: ‘Flying Scotsman visits The Fat Controller’s Railway and Henry is jealous because he has two tenders. Duck makes Henry look silly, but it is Henry who rescues the passengers when the diesels break down. Douglas helps Oliver escape from the Other Railway, and Duck’s branch line gets a new name.’
The next book’s title followed the request from the publishers that the title, once more, should involve a name as in the old days. The M at the beginning is Margaret.
- 24. Oliver the Great Western Engine 1969
‘DEAR M,
We both wanted to call this book Little Western Engines; but Publishers are stern men. They did not approve. They, of course, don’t know the trouble we’ve had with Oliver. We hope he has learnt sense, but goodness knows what will happen when he finds he has a book all to himself …
I know! If Oliver gets uppish, we’ll set Messrs. Kay & Ward on to him. That’ll teach him!
W
And on the back: ‘The Fat Controller has re-opened a Branch Line, on which Duck works, and is joined by Oliver, a Great Western Engine who is saved from the scrap heap.’
‘READERS may like to know that “Olivers” and “Ducks” still work on the Dart Valley Railway in Devonshire and “Small Railway Engines” are at Ravenglass in Cumberland.’
- 25. Duke the Lost Engine 1970
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
An engine lost in the South American jungle was found after 30 years. A tree had grown through its chimney and hornets nested in its firebox. When mended it gave good service for 30 more years. “The Duke” was lost too; not in the jungle but in his own Shed which a landslide had buried. Not long ago he was dug out and mended. His own Railway had been pulled up, so he is now at The Thin Controller’s.
THE AUTHOR
‘“Duke” looks like a real engine called PRINCE. You can see PRINCE running on his own railway at Portmadoc in Wales.
“Small Railway Engines” can be seen at Ravenglass in Cumberland.’
And on the back: ‘Introducing the engine called Duke, who was lost in his own shed for twenty-two years because of a landslide. He looks like a real engine called Prince which runs at Portmadoc in Wales.”
- 26. Tramway Engines 1972
‘DEAR FRIENDS,
Thomas has been pestering me to write about his Branch Line. “After all,” he said, “we are the important part of the whole Railway.”
“What can I write about?” I asked.
“Oh, lots of things – Percy’s Woolly Bear, Toby’s Tightrope and…”
“ … your Ghost,” I added.
“Don’t put that silly story in,” said Thomas crossly.
I will all the same. Thomas has been much too cocky lately. It will serve him right.
THE AUTHOR’