The Railway Series is a series of children's books, first published in 1945 by the British author Wilbert Awdry and later continued by his son Christopher Awdry with several illustrators, including Clarence Dalby and Clive Spong. The series follows steam, diesel, and electric locomotives on the Island of Sodor. The North Western Railway, run by Sir Topham Hatt, is the main focus of the series and first appears in the 1945 book The Three Railway Engines; the books take place from 1865 to 2011. Wilbert Awdry wrote 26 main books from 1945 until 1972, when he retired. After a hiatus of 11 years, Christopher Awdry took over the role of author, writing 16 books from 1983 until 2011, with a hiatus from 1997 to 2007.

By Wilbert Awdry The first 26 books in the series were written by Wilbert Awdry.

The Three Railway Engines

Book no. 1 Published 12 May 1945 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Edward's Day Out Edward and Gordon The Sad Story of Henry Edward, Gordon, and Henry Edward, an older engine, is let out of the sheds and later helps Gordon up a hill. Henry is shut up in a tunnel after refusing to come out in the rain, but is later let out after helping Edward pull Gordon's train.

Notes These stories were first told to the young Christopher Awdry in 1942 when he was sick with measles, but due to wartime conditions, they were not published until 1945. These stories were not intended to take place in a single volume, or even on the same railway. Edward, Gordon and Henry was written at the insistence of the publishers, Edmund Ward & Co, to bring the three characters together and to create a happy ending. The stories were originally illustrated by William Middleton. However, Awdry was unhappy with the simplistic depictions of his characters and several errors in the artwork. In 1949, C. Reginald Dalby re-illustrated the book, and it is this version that remains in print.

Thomas the Tank Engine Book no. 2 Published 14 September 1946 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Thomas and Gordon Thomas' Train Thomas and the Trucks Thomas and the Breakdown Train Thomas is a tank engine who works at the big station, fetching coaches for the big engines and longs for greater things beyond the station yard. Unfortunately, his efforts go wrong. However, after showing that he can be a useful engine following James' accident with some trucks, he is rewarded with his own branch line and two coaches.

Notes These were the first appearances of Thomas, James, Annie and Clarabel (who are not named yet until on the fourth volume "Tank Engine Thomas Again", also mentioned in the first chapter "Thomas and the Guard"). The Fat Director makes his return in this book and is changed from a pompous figure of fun to a more fatherly character. He is also established as the sole director of the railway, rather than one of several. C. Reginald Dalby is often erroneously identified as the illustrator. The original artist was actually Reginald Payne; Dalby simply made some further touches to the illustrations in 1950. One noticeable change was the fifth illustration of Thomas and Gordon, where Thomas pulls the coaches in backwards; when originally painted he was pulling them in forwards. This was the first book to include a foreword, a feature that would appear in every subsequent book in the Series.

James the Red Engine Book no. 3 Published 14 September 1948 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories James and the Top Hat James and the Bootlace Troublesome Trucks James and the Express

James returns from the works in a red livery given to him to make him feel better after his accident. Unfortunately, he is rather careless with the coaches and gets into a lot of trouble with the Fat Controller after tearing a hole in one of their brake pipes. He is left in the shed because of it, but after making some troublesome trucks behave, he regains the Fat Controller's trust and by pulling the Express when Gordon couldn't, he proves that he can be really useful.

Notes The Fat "Director" is renamed the Fat "Controller" in this book. This is because this book was published after the Big Four railway companies had been nationalized into British Railways and Sir Topham Hatt became from a private company director to a BR region controller. This was the first volume to be illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby from first publication. Awdry often said that this was his least favourite book, as it had been written in a hurry to meet a deadline rather than purely from inspiration.

Tank Engine Thomas Again Book no. 4 Published 31 December 1949 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Thomas and the Guard Thomas Goes Fishing Thomas, Terence and the Snow Thomas and Bertie

This book concerns the further adventures of Thomas on his branch line, with the bigger engines relegated to cameo appearances. Thomas leaves his guard behind by mistake, accidentally goes fishing because of a broken water column and some water from a bucket, gets stuck in the snow and is freed by Terence and has a race with Bertie.

Notes These are the first appearances of Terence and Bertie. This is the first time Annie and Clarabel are named in the series. The bridge that appears in Thomas Goes Fishing is based on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's bridge at Maidenhead. Henry's brief appearance in the book caused a great deal of trouble for Awdry, as Dalby depicted him as looking identical to Gordon. The author received several complaints and developed a stock answer to explain the problem – that Henry had been repaired using Gordon's spare parts.

Troublesome Engines Book no. 5 Published January 1950 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Henry and the Elephant Tenders and Turntables Trouble in the Shed Percy Runs Away

The big engines are missing Thomas. Since he left to run his branch line, they feel overworked, and some embarrassing incidents for all three of them lead them to go on strike. The Fat Controller addresses the problem by bringing in a new tank engine to do the shunting.

Notes This is the first appearance of Percy. Awdry was unhappy with Dalby's depiction of the character, which he felt did not look like a real engine ("a green caterpillar with red stripes"). This would cause further friction between the author and the illustrator later on. The central theme of this book reflects the fact that, at the time when the book was written, there were labour difficulties on real-life British Railways.

Henry the Green Engine Book no. 6 Published June 1951 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Coal The Flying Kipper Gordon's Whistle Percy and the Trousers Henry's Sneeze

Henry has been having a lot of problems. He cannot steam properly, and so is often ill. The Fat Controller tries to solve the problem with expensive Welsh coal. When Henry has an accident, the Fat Controller decides to solve the problems once and for all by sending Henry to Crewe Works. Henry returns with a new shape and a much better outlook on life and enjoys a number of adventures with the other engines.

Notes This was the only book to feature five stories instead of the usual four. This is the first book to refer to the Fat Controller as "Sir Topham Hatt". This book was largely written because Awdry was unhappy with C. Reginald Dalby's depiction of Henry. He was inconsistent and often looked identical to Gordon. By having the character rebuilt, this problem was solved. This was the first book in which all the engines carried numbers: Thomas 1, Edward 2, Henry 3, Gordon 4, James 5, and Percy 6. The story Henry's Sneeze was to cause problems for Awdry, because it described some soot-covered boys who ran away as being "as black as niggers." In 1972, complaints were made about the use of the term. Despite initially resisting, Awdry was convinced to make the change by a parent who wrote to him on the subject. He apologized as the line was changed in subsequent editions to "as black as soot".

Toby the Tram Engine

Book no. 7 Published April 1952 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Toby and the Stout Gentleman Thomas in Trouble Dirty Objects Mrs. Kyndley's Christmas

Thomas is having trouble with the police by traveling to Ffarquhar Quarry without cowcatchers and side-plates to cover his wheels. The Fat Controller realises that there is a solution. While on holiday with his wife and two grandchildren, he met a tram engine named Toby, who together with his coach Henrietta, has been having problems of his own with his railway in East Anglia closing down.

Notes The first appearances of Toby, Henrietta, Mrs. Kyndley, Stephen, and Bridget. Stephen, seen in this book as a child, would become the third Fat Controller by the time of "James and the Diesel Engines", except for Old Stuck-Up. The character of Toby was first inspired by a similar engine seen shunting at Great Yarmouth by the Rev. W. and Christopher Awdry. Although Mrs. Kyndley's Christmas was not adapted, a flashback from this story was used in the television version of Thomas' Christmas Party.

Gordon the Big Engine Book no. 8 Published December 1953 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Off the Rails Leaves Down the Mine Paint Pots and Queens

Gordon has an accident by means of being lazy and careless, and so is taken off passenger duties. He helps the other engines out when they get into trouble and is eventually judged to be sensible enough to pull the Royal Train.

Notes This book featured a special appearance by Queen Elizabeth II, who succeeded her deceased father, King George VI, in 1952, and was crowned in 1953. Awdry had sent copies of the early Railway Series books to the young Prince Charles, the Duke of Cornwall (later Prince of Wales and finally, King Charles III of the United Kingdom) as a gift.

Edward the Blue Engine Book no. 9 Published February 1954 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Cows Bertie's Chase Saved from Scrap Old Iron

Edward is the oldest and wisest engine on Sodor. He is also kind and sensible. In the book, Edward is long overdue for an overhaul. However, he shows that he is far from useless and can teach the bigger engines a thing or two.

Notes The first appearances of Trevor and the Vicar of Wellsworth. Edward's driver and fireman are identified in this book as being named Charlie Sand and Sidney Hever, the only engine crew to be given names (apart from Henry's fireman, revealed to be named Ted in the Thomas & Friends annuals).

Four Little Engines Book no. 10 Published October 1955 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Skarloey Remembers Sir Handel Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady Old Faithful

Rheneas is away being overhauled, and the Skarloey Railway has recently acquired two new engines: Sir Handel and Peter Sam. Peter Sam is naïve but well-meaning, but Sir Handel is rude and arrogant. Skarloey shows Sir Handel how to do things when he rescues the pompous engine's train.

Notes This book was written at the suggestion of L. T. C. Rolt and was based upon the Talyllyn Railway. The story "Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady" was inspired by an incident when Awdry was left behind on the railway when he was a volunteer as a guard. The other three stories in the book are all based directly on L. T. C. Rolt's book Railway Adventure which describes the first two years of operation of the Talyllyn Railway by enthusiasts. The illustration of Glennock Station is based on Aberllefenni Station on the Corris Railway. The story Old Faithful marks the first time in the Thomas & Friends franchise when the line Luckily no one was hurt was said.

Percy the Small Engine Book no. 11 Published September 1956 Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Stories Percy and the Signal Duck Takes Charge Percy and Harold Percy's Promise